Is a Meatless Day for Me?

Last week, I led a Weight Watchers meeting where the topic was "Is a Meatless Day for Me?" Two amazing things happened during this meeting:

(1) I had one of most talkative groups ever as they rattled off, with no hesitation, a long list of foods they ALREADY EAT that are meatless. They were really getting into it! Curiously, a divergent topic emerged about quinoa spaghetti and pasta made of yam paste. However, as pasta is already meatless, I gently guided them back to the topic, but made a mental note to try one of these interesting pastas. I was genuinely excited by their enthusiasm!

(2) My excitement was short lived. As the meeting came to a close, several people smiled and nodded and found the concept interesting, but only ONE agreed to actually try it for a day. One. And another one told me she might was well file for divorce if she tried to pull this off. Keep in mind, this is after we spent most of the meeting excitedly identifying meatless meals they ALREADY incorporate into their days. And spending some time designing daily meal plans including all meatless meals. I even went so far as to share some of my favorite meatless recipes and tell them about my favorite chicken substitute which I currently use for fajitas on a regular basis.

Conclusion: People have an emotional attachment to meat. This actually grosses me out because I just had a horrific vision of Brundle-fly.

A few days later, I was at a friend's house and she prepared pasta for our running group. I found out half way through the meal that it was actually that same quinoa pasta that my Weight Watchers member told me about! And you know what? I could not tell the difference. It was excellent. My husband was sitting next to me and upon hearing this news, promptly announced "That's it. I'm going vegetarian." *sigh* I guess he was also under the mistaken impression that regular pasta is made of some sort of meat product. Regardless, his announcement was disingenuous as he had a pile of italian sausage atop his "meatless" quinoa pasta.

Today, just because I feel like it, I'm having a meatless day. I had one of my favorite fruit smoothies for breakfast and I have some leftover Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili in my refrigerator for lunch. All I need to do is decided on a meatless dinner - which may very well be quinoa pasta with marinara sauce - and I'm set.

Anyone care to join me?

I refuse to give up

My quest for the perfect "meatless meatloaf" has ended in yet another crushing disappointment. I know this can be done because I've actually tried some and it was remarkable. Remarkable in the "I seriously can't believe this isn't meat" kind of way. To make things worse, every time I check out the special "vegetarian/ vegan/ organic" frozen foods section at my supermarket, a multitude of frozen meatless meatloaf entrees taunt me.

As a side note, for some reason, this particular freezer case is located next to the produce department and FAR away from the other frozen foods. Do they think vegetarians never leave the produce section so they'd better put this stuff where vegetarians can find it? Come on, Kroger. Also, not EVERYTHING in this case is vegetarian so it's not like the "special vegetarian freezer." I'm not sure I understand the logic there, but maybe this is why I am not in charge of the store layout at Kroger. They do have Morningstar Farms and Boca products in the regular freezer, but this other freezer case is where the "special" vegetarian/ organic stuff (including frozen meatless meatloaf) can be found.

Because of my previous luck with seitan, I concluded seitan might be just the ticket to the non-meatloaf I seek. I found a recipe with promising ingredients, which also called for "ground seitan" so I plunked my chunks (giggle) into the Cuisinart and ground up the seitan. The results were ASTONISHING! It looked surprisingly like ground beef! The further along I got in the preparation process, the more convinced I was that I had finally found the Holy Grail. I will have to be honest here, I was actually smug. I packed the mixture into a loaf pan, topped it with my regular ketchup/Worcherstershire mix (vegetarian Worchestershire, of course) and slid it into the oven. Smugly.

45 minutes later, my celebratory mood took a mushy turn. While it looked like meatloaf and smelled like meatloaf, my knife slid through it like mashed potatoes. Which coincidentally, were also part of the meal. I schlooped it up on my plate and immediately started my concession speech. It wasn't all that horrible, really, but it was mushy and I just can't get excited about mushy meatloaf. Now, it's worth pointing out that my husband suggested more than once that I add an egg to the mixture before cooking to help "bind things together" but I told him to pipe down and let's try it before making modifications. Remember, I was smug at the time. He did try it, and he did mention the egg thing again, but I'm too discouraged to try it again right this minute. Maybe next meatless month. And maybe with tempeh.

Fun with Tempeh

I am now the proud owner of Tempeh (your guess at pronounciation is as good as mine). I have got no earthly idea what I'm going to do with it, but by God I'm going to do something with it. At lunch the other day, it suddenly occurred to me that I don't remember when I last had some protein. Corn chowder? No. The grilled veggie wrap I had for dinner last night? No. In fact, the only thing I could come up with was the tofu I put in my breakfast smoothies, but I haven't even had one of those in a few days, opting instead for fresh fruit. Suddenly, I felt weak and slightly dizzy so I drove (very carefully) straight to Whole Foods for some plant-based protein. The actual object of my search was "Match Meat Italian Sausages" (that's the actual name, "Match Meat" - sounds like a devious vegetarian game, doesn't it?) but I was unable to locate this particular product. I had read about "Match Meat" (that just makes me giggle) on another blog and had been assured it would make any bottled meatless pasta sauce taste authentically Italian. I was determined to find out while satifying my body's desperate need for protein.

As I stood before the meatless deli section at Whole Foods without a single "Match Meat" product in sight, I cast my eyes upon the tempeh and just stared at it for the longest time, trying to remember if I had seen any recipes calling for it. Nope, can't think of one. However, you may recall one of my earliest posts describes my sense of mystery around tempeh and my quest for enlightenment. I decided then and there to bite the bullet and get some once and for all. Get it home, then figure out what to do with it.

Here is the problem: there are FLAVORS of tempeh. Since I have no idea about the texture, taste, or use of this stuff, how do I pick a flavor? I actually did see one called "Fakin' Bacon" and had to laugh but that is just not how I want my relationship with tempeh to begin. I played a quick mental game of "eeny meeny miny mo" and settled on "Garden Vegetable" flavor. I still have no idea how to use it but it's in my refrigerator and I'm not ending this month without trying it. I can anticipate your next question: If I didn't eat the tempeh, what did I do for protein? Well, as un-sexy as this is, I simply added some Morningstar Farms Griller crumbles to my bottled spaghetti sauce and that's about it. On my way out of Whole Foods however, I snarfed up a big tub of that Vegan General Tso's chicken that I just love, a few pieces of tofu meatloaf from the deli case (more out of curiosity than anything), and a package of seitan for good measure.

My strength has returned, and the recipe search is on. I'm actually quite intriged, to be honest. How many uses can there be for Garden Vegetable Tempeh? Maybe I picked the wrong flavor, but whatever. It's on.

Chicken-less Broth? No kidding!

A few months ago, I found a soup mix at my local grocers by Canterbury Naturals. They have several varieties but the one I picked up was Roasted Garlic Potato Corn Chowder. It's a dry mix with seasoning that I made for lunch that day and it is delicious. In addition to the mix itself, you need a few other ingredients, including chicken broth and a few slices of bacon. I use a LOT of chicken broth in my cooking so I always have some on hand and didn't give it a 2nd thought but bacon? That's some of most disgusting stuff on the planet. Trust me when I tell you I have encountered some truly disgusting stuff in my day (I will spare you the details - you're welcome) so I know what I'm talking about. Bacon is disgusting. Don't let the smell or taste fool you, really. It's just nasty. I substituted canadian bacon and was perfectly pleased with the finished product. It's quite tasty.

In preparing for Meatless March, I threw one of these mixes in my shopping cart thinking it was a tried and true vegetarian dish, if I just left out the Canadian Bacon. It really doesn't call for all that much anyhow. But when I went to prepare it during the first few days of the month .... DESPAIR! I had forgotten all about the chicken broth! I placed the mix back in the pantry and tried to figure out if there was a way to justify using chicken broth as an ingredient (since it is not actual flesh). I knew without a doubt what Chip would say if I asked him about it so that was that.

OK, listen up. I recently discovered that there is such a thing as MEATLESS chicken broth! Seriously? Who would have thought? I remain utterly amazed by the meatless community in this regard. How in the world do they make chicken broth without chicken? I am fascinated by this, but I really don't want to spend the time and/or energy to find out. It's not important, really. What IS important is that I was able to make the Roasted Garlic Potato Corn Chowder for dinner last night without cheating and without sacrificing one bit of the taste. I wonder if there is a reasonable meatless substitute for bacon.

Meatless Meat

My friend Michelle recently gave me a hard time about meatless meat but you know what? I like it. Well, let me clarify - I like some of it. Morningstar Farms corndogs, Smart BBQ, Quorn "chick'n" Tenders, Boca Lasagna, all total yum. Lightlife makes some SmartDeli meat that is ... suitable in a pinch. Tofurkey Italian sausage? Fake hotdogs? I'll just say "blech" and that about sums it up. I think the Tofurkey Italian Sausages were even rejected as fish bait, to be completely honest with you. Just think about that for a second... Nasty.

Meatless meat has been a satisfying and simple way to modify some of my favorite foods and recipes to become meatless, while retaining a great deal of the texture and flavor I enjoy in my predominently carnivorous life. One of my favorite tricks is to take Cincinnati-Style Chili Seasoning and make Cincinnati-Style Chili using Morningstar Farms Crumbles instead of ground beef. Given the nature of the seasoning and the teeny-tiny crumbles of beef typical of Cincinnati-Style Chili, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. But let me tell you about how meatless meat ROCKED MY WORLD recently.

My step-mother often prepares a dish called "Windsor Egg Casserole" which I've written about in the past. Every trip I've ever taken to North Carolina has included Windsor at some point. It's one of those dishes that you prepare for guests and everyone asks for the recipe. It's scruptious, it's decadent, and it contains two cups of diced ham. This past weekend, I decided I needed to have some Windsor (seeing as how I was in NC and it's practically a tradition now) but just leaving out the meat would quite likely result in something soupy and generally unappetizing. But I had a plan. Instead of ham, I used Morningstar Farm sausage patties, cooked and then crumbled up. I used a full package of 8 patties and let me tell you something. It was something straight from heaven and I am so not kidding you. I am actually tempted to make Windsor like this from NOW ON. That (!) is how amazing this was.

So while Michelle may disagree, I'm not in any hurry to ban meatless meat from my diet at this point. In fact, I recently discovered another interesting blog called "Adventures in Fake Meat" of which I plan to become a follower and a student. Perhaps I will share my new Windsor recipe with the author. We shall see.

It's Official: I'm Sick of Pasta

As a marathon runner, one thing I've learned to REALLY look forward to is Friday-night pasta. It's something of a ritual for me since most of my long runs take place on Saturday morning. Once the training runs get to a certain length (generally 15 miles and up), I have pasta every single Friday night. I look forward to it. It's comforting and it's yummy. It's also easy enough to make meatless so it's at least one no-brainer meal per week for me this month.

However, I have recently discovered that pasta is also the default "what do we serve to a vegetarian?" meal. Last week, I went out to dinner with my husband and found NOTHING vegetarian on the menu. So the chef whipped up a pasta primavera for me. Upon arriving in North Carolina last weekend and informing my step-mother that I've gone vegetarian for the month, she announced we'd just go out for dinner on Saturday (to an Italian place). Sunday, I attended a memorial service where my step-cousin (a chef) was preparing dinner for everyone. Do you know what he prepared for the token vegetarian? Amazing and delicious Seitan and Sweet-Onion Skewers with Boubon-Maple Glaze! SCORE!

Just kidding, he made me bow-tie pasta with marinara sauce. But I have to tell you that recipe I just posted looks FANTASTIC so I'm definately going to have to try that. Watch for a blog update with a review coming soon. I've had wonderful experiences with seitan. Mmmm... Now I'm thinking about the Rosemary and Hazelnut-Encrusted Seitan I prepared for Chip and his girlfriend when they came for Christmas last year..... Mmmmm.... But back to my story.

All in all, I had something like four or five nights of pasta during the past week. And with the Humana Heart Half Marathon coming up on Sunday, there is at least one more pasta dish in my immediate future. I am going to have to do more research and plan further ahead to avoid this sort of pasta-bottleneck in the future. Either that or I'll need to to do a whole lot more running.

Road Food

Yesterday, I drove from Cincinnati, OH to Mooresville, NC to attend a funeral this weekend. The long drive is unpleasant enough without having to stress over where to stop on the road for food. I was at LEAST smart enough to grab a Vegi-Max sandwich from Subway (YUMMY) as the trip began - and by the way, both my husband and step-daughter had Vegi-Max sandwiches too and I'll take credit for that thankyouverymuch. As we drove along, it occurred to me that I have made this trip before and had not found any Subways along the route that carry these Vegi-Max patties so I began to worry. I don't dislike salad, but thinking that's the only option for me for a quick meal during a road trip is not a pleasant thought. If I'm forced to eat salad then yes, I do in fact dislike it.

When I started getting hungry for dinner, I did a quick internet search (smart phones are the bomb) and found a Chinese restaurant up ahead. I was stoked because as I recall, my brother always liked going to Chinese restaurants due to the plethora (or so I thought) of vegetarian offerings other than salad. Vegetarians traveling through Virgina take note: The Peking Chinese Restaurant in Wytheville, Virginia has a 4 page menu with ONE vegetarian entree, Crispy Tofu with Broccoli. On one hand, I was pretty disappointed that there was only ONE entree available. On the other hand, I was relieved that it wasn't a salad. So, with mixed emotions, I ordered the Fried Tofu and quite enjoyed it, actually. I had asked if they had vegetarian egg rolls but since they did not, the waitress was kind enough to bring me some crispy fried wonton noodles and duck sauce. That was nice of her, but still.

I am really curious as to what the trick is to being a vegetarian and also being able to take a road trip. Do you have to pack a cooler full of grapes? What is the deal? How do you do it? I don't yet know and I doubt I'll find out in time for the return trip. At least I know where I can get some good fried tofu in Virginia.