When people find out I am a vegetarian, they usually respond as follows: "Oh, I could never become a vegetarian... I just love the taste of insert their favourite food here too much I could never stop eating it."
For a large marjority (read: mostly everyone I know) the thought of giving up their favourite food is one of the top reasons they would never, ever become vegetarian. You know what? I can completely relate. Before I was vegetarian my favourite food was crab cakes. You can't really find a good vegetarian subsitute for crab cakes, but you can find really delicious substitutions for those classic meals you think you're going to miss when beginning the transition into this lifestyle.
Case in point: Boca Chik'n Nuggets.
I'm not usually a fan imitation-meat products, but these nuggets are delicious! You can eat them on their own or slice them up and put them in a wrap (my favourite way to enjoy). With over 14 grams of protein per serving (approximately 4 nuggets), you'll be getting about a third of your daily protein requirements.
BOCA Chik'n nuggets sell for $4.99 per bag (in Michigan), which contains only 3.5 servings so they are expensive. I'd recommend you watch for them on sale and buy in bulk when you can because you and your family love them. I challenge any chicken lover to substitute BOCA Chik'n Nuggets at your next meal and report back to me with how much you enjoyed them... because I know you will.
Nutritional information can be found on Boca's website HERE
The recipe below is an adaptation of a Pampered Chef recipe, which you can find here . I never have fresh herbs on hand, and didn't have some of the other ingredients, so feel free to mix up this recipe to suit whatever is currently in your kitchen.
Ingredients (Serves 2-8 people depending on how hungry you are)
4 Portobello Mushrooms
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 medium tomato, chopped
2 tbsp bread crumbs
1/4 C Parmesan Cheese
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp basil, or Italian Blend of spices.
Goat Cheese
1) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2) Wash your mushrooms (best method is to wet paper towel and wipe off any dirt) and brush the outside of them with olive oil. Place them gill-side up on a baking pan.
3) Combine your chopped tomatoes, bread crumbs, garlic and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
4) Scoop the mixture into the mushroom caps and bake for 15-17 minutes.
5) Once the mushrooms are cooked, plate & top with goat cheese (Optional)
I usually serve the mushrooms in place of where chicken or steak would go in my previous, carnivorous life. They usually appear alongside asparagus or broccoli and of course potatoes (I am Irish, after all!).
*I always use stoneware when baking meals like this. I have the Pampered Chef large bar pans but any stoneware would be perfect.
Do you love sandwiches as much as I do? When I became a vegetarian I didn't think I could ever replace my beloved Turkey-Swiss sandwich. It turns out my most favourite vegetarian sandwich is incredibly simple to make, but still satisfying and full of flavour.
I was inspired to start making this sandwich at home after having a much more expensive version of it at Zingerman's Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The total cost of buying this sandwich at Zingerman's is $12-14 depending on how much cheese you want (4 or 6oz). I will treat myself to Zingerman's version every now and then but I'd much rather make my own version and home.
Ingredients:
Two slices of Rye Bread or whatever your favourite sandwich bread is
2 tbsp of store bought Pesto Sauce
1 pkg Fresh* Mozzarella
2 slices of Tomato
*Always buy the freshest cheese available as it's the main ingredient.
Most of you should know how to make a sandwich, but for those who don't follow the instructions below:
Spread the pesto over the bread, cut enough mozzarella to make one layer of cheese (or go all out if you want!), top with your tomato slices, close up that sandwich and off you go!
I recently watched a video about being "Weekday Vegetarian" (posted below). What does that mean exactly? Mondays through Fridays you abstain from eating red meat, chicken and fish and enjoy your favourite burger, steak, or -heaven forbid- KFC Double Down on Saturday and Sunday. Seems simple enough, right?
At first, this plan greatly irritated me. The TED speaker, Graham Hill, lists the many reasons being vegetarian makes sense: Improved health, smaller carbon footprint, animal rights etc. After listing these rational and quite obvious benefits to being a vegetarian, he goes on to say, "But can you imagine saying goodbye to your last hamburger?" In answer to his question, "Yes! Of course I can!" The environmental implications of factory farming are enough for me to say "I'll have the Boca Burger" for many years to come.
Jonathan Safran Foer's "Eating Animals" discusses our human need to please our sense of taste buds above all others. Most of us wouldn't eat an animal after SEEING it's inhumane upbringing and slaughter, nor would we eat it after HEARING what it endures before making it's way to your plate, nor would we eat it aftering petting it and caring for it for the span of it's shortened life. What makes our sense of taste the deciding factor when it comes to our lifestyle?
Foer's rationale is what made the "Weekday Vegetarian" plan upsetting to me. If someone can go 5 full days without eating meat, to the benefit of their own health, the environment and of course for the animals they're not eating - Why not go another two days? Is it really so difficult? When heading to your family's Sunday barbecue, bring some veggie dogs or a couple portobello mushrooms to grill. When heading to a restaurant on a Saturday night with friends, order the mushroom risotto or black bean burger. We live in such a vegetarian-friendly society that being vegetarian is no longer the headache it once was. You may get teased by your family every now and then- "Oh, Amber? She'll have the tofu"- but it's more than worth it.
The more I thought about it; however, the more I realized we will never live in a full-on vegetarian society-not unless there are great changes to the food and farming industry. There is also a lot of tradition tied into meat eating that many people can't (won't?) part with. For example, can you imagine Thanksgiving dinner without a turkey on the table? So, maybe being a weekday vegetarian isn't such a bad idea. As Hill states in the video, if we all became weekday vegetarians it'd be as if half of us were full vegetarians.
Think of all the animals saved if everyone only ate meat 2 days per week. Would you be able to do be a Weekday Vegetarian? Would your family? Do you think it's a good idea or a a "cop out?"
Leave me your thoughts in the comments section. I'd also recommend picking up "Eating Animals" by Safran Foer. It's an engaging read, full of facts but also anecdotes to keep things interesting.
