Meatless Monday: Winter Edition

Oh, so you thought I forgot about my blog, didn't ya? Well... I didn't. At least not entirely. I mean it's the school year, what did you expect?

Anyway, I guess I'll take some time out of my Sunday night to write about some meatless monday stuff and whatnot. But I'll (attempt to) make this short (but like short in a good way).

As many of you know, Winter is just around the corner (now that I think about it, that's simply common knowledge...) which means meatless options are becoming more sparse. But fear not, fellow blog readers! For I happen to know that there are endless possibilities for winter meatless eating, and I am happy to share this knowledge with you:

Soup: Personally, I think soup is highly underrated. Most people assume that soup will not fill you up. However, if you put in the right stuff, it most certainly can! Hearty foods like potatos, beans and corn, along with a little bit of cheese, can really amp up the calorie count of your soup (in a good way!) The other good thing about soup is that it's really good on cold days, or any day I guess. (recipe for soup pictured found here: http://wholefood.com/recipes/1864)

Frittata: Generally, eggs are a great way to get protein without eating so much meat. But in frittatas you have the freedom to do anything you like all in one dish. It's basically just eggs cooked in a dish with many other ingredients. Just put everything in one dish and cook, it's that simple! (or so I think....) Frittatas are a great place to put in (and hide!) vegetables like peppers, spinach, potatos and any other seasonal favorites. Oh and don't forget the cheese! Try cheddar, gruyere, or goat cheese. That's the best part!

Chili: I'm not sure if I'm cheating here, because chili could very well be considered a form of soup, but whatever. Anyway, chili is such a hearty, warm, simple, cook-all-day-and-in-one-place dish. You can add in a great variety of beans, ranging from kidney beans, to black beans, and all the way to white beans. Don't forget the tortilla chips and the cheese! (Oh my gosh I think I'm craving cheese or something, I've mentioned it in every single section of this post....)

Alright, well goodnight readers! Hope you have found my winter meatless monday guide helpful!

Happy Eating :)
Leda

How to Eat Mealtess... And Like It.

Hello people of the World!

Yes, here I am. Writing to you on a Sunday, the coveted day before Meatless Monday in which we all plan out our luxurious meat free meals (I mean, that's what I do...). You may be wondering "Where has this girl been? I am in serious need of her guidance for my meatless Monday adventures". Well, don't worry about a thing, because I'm back and I'm here to stay! It's been tough finding time to blog between running and piano, and oh yeah that little thing I like to call

"High School". Super fun. So please bear with me if I continue to be inconsistent with my posting.

I'm kicking off my first blog post in like ages on a very special day: Blog Action Day 2011 #BAD11. This annual event is when bloggers from all corners of the universe (yes, the universe because there are certainly aliens participating in this as well) come together to put their blogs in one place writing all about the same subject. This year, that subject is food, coinciding with World Food Day. That being said, I have decided to honor you with a very general posting about how to eat less meat, and still find joy in food. So here it goes:

(Sorry the beginning kind of sounds like an infomercial. But those can be quite interesting and persuasive... right?)

So you want to go meatless, but aren't sure where to begin? Afraid you're missing out on something if you cut meat out of your diet? Whether it be once a week, twice a week or every day of the week, here's your (well my) guide to eating less meat, while still enjoying food (and life) to it's fullest.

1.) Reflect in on yourself: It's good to figure out your reason for wanting to do this in the first place. Is it because you're a gung-ho animal lover? Do you want to be healthier? Is it because you want to learn some new recipes? Or maybe you're just a self-proclaimed hipster who wants to be different? All of these reasons are valid for making the decision to eat meatless (though I personally would discourage the hipster one...). However it's not good to force yourself into this (or someone else, for that matter). So just make sure you know why you want to go meatless.

2.) Learn the Facts About Nutrition: You just can't say "Hey, I'm not gonna eat meat today!" and make a beeline for the cookies and potato chips. Everyone needs protein in their diet, and although the exact amount needed is controversial, I can safely say that you will need some. One of my favorite ways to get protein is by eating quinoa. Quinoa, a grain originating from Peru (pictured below), can take on any flavor you want to give it; whether it be Italian, with tomatoes and basil, or Asian, with ginger, soy sauce and peppers. As it is both versatile and healthy, it is the perfect substitute for meat.

3.) That being said... Steer Clear of Meat Substitutes: You may think that if you're not gonna have meat, you might as well have tofu and call it a day. However, tofu, although made from soy, is highly processed. Not only that, but it doesn't even taste (or look) very appealing. I mean, if you really like it, go ahead! But try not to overdo it. Also, meat substitutes such as tempeh and tofurkey are just as bad. It is a much better choice to go with beans or protein packed grains.

4.) Vary Your Meals: Eating meatless is no fun unless you change it up! Do some research and find some recipes that interest you. Branch out to new cultures; there are plenty of countries that go meatless all the time. Try something new like black eyed peas and bananas from Ghana (pictured below), or enchiladas from Mexico. There's a world of possibilities! (Get it? World?) Or next time when you're at the grocery store pick up something you've never even seen before and try to make something out of it. Have you ever seen an aloe plant? Probably not. It looks like a cactus and is most commonly used in soap and lotion, but why else would they have it at a grocery store? They obviously want you to cook with it, so just go for it!

Follow these steps and you'll be well on your way to being a successful, and happy, meatless eater.

And don't forget to celebrate World Food Day on, October 16th coinciding with Blog Action Day 2011. Do something good, write something good, and most importantly eat something good.

Happy Eating!
Leda :)

Image Credit: "Tri-colored Quinoa" by avlxyz via Flickr and "Black Eyed Peas and Tomatoes with Sauteed Bananas" by Whole Foods Market. Recipe here: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2983

Meatless Monday Meal of the Week: Layered Vegetable Enchiladas

Hey everyone!

So it's the beginning of the school year again (already 2 weeks in!) and that means that I have almost no time in my schedule to be doing anything other than running, homework and piano. But not to worry, dear readers! I have decided to take some time out of my busy schedule to post a meatless Monday recipe. This one's gonna be short and sweet, because I really need to go to bed.

Anyway, tonight I did not make this meatless Monday meal. I know, I know. I'm sorry. It's just so time consuming (not to say that you can't do it too!). So all credit for this meal goes to my mom. And she's a great cook. Better than me. I mean, I get it all from her (thank you mommy!).

Here's the recipe:


Ingredients

2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 cup frozen bell pepper strips, thawed
3 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 or 2 limes), divided, plus lime wedges for garnish
1 1/2 tablespoon salt-free chili powder, divided
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes*
8 ounces frozen leafy greens*, thawed
8 corn tortillas*
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (optional)


Method

Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large pot, combine corn, bell peppers, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon chili powder, tomatoes and greens and cook over medium-high heat until liquid is almost evaporated, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mash beans with 2 tablespoons cilantro, and remaining 1/ tablespoon chili powder and 1 tablespoon lime juice.

Arrange four tortillas on a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread bean mixture evenly on tortillas. Top each with about 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture and some cheese. Top with remaining tortillas, vegetables and cheese and bake until hot throughout and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Transfer to plates, garnish with remaining cilantro and lime wedges and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving: 380 calories (50 from fat), 5g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 15mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium, 66g total carbohydrate (14g dietary fiber, 8g sugar), 18g protein


This dish is definitely a favorite in my house. Because my brothers can sometimes be pretty anti vegetable, this pairs some familiar ingredients that they enjoy with some more foreign ones that htey don't even know they're eating. It also is a very substantial dish as it provides protein by way of beans and cheese. My favorite part is definitely the kale (debatably the vegetable that is best for you) and you can use either fresh or frozen (it tastes good either way!). Also, don't forget to pair it with some homemade guacamole! (my dad's personal favorite)


Happy Eating!
Leda :)

The Ultimate Meatless Monday

Why hello there readers!

No, I didn't forget about you and no I did not drop off the face of the earth. I simply have been ever so consumed in my own life and travels that I have found it hard to find time to write something fantastical on this blog.

Anyway, I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Vermont with my Girl Scout Troop 3450. And as many of you know, Vermont is one of those places where everyone is really into knowing where your food comes from. And what do we call people who are interested in this matter?

LOCAVORES

Please note the word play of the words "local" and "vore" which I'm guessing is a suffix for eating or something (this is the real deal, people. I didn't just make this up)

So as part of our little trip to the green mountains, we decided that one night we would put all our heads together to come up with a meal that consisted of only local fare (whether it be from Vermont or Massachusetts, it was still considered local).

You may be asking "...umm what does this have to do with Meatless Mondays?". The answer, my friends, is that it has anything and everything to do with Meatless Monday! This is because eating locally may disable you from eating meat, because in some regions and parts of the world meat travels far and wide to reach your table. In addition, we decided to make our meal meatless as well.

So here's what we made!


Top Left: Potato gratin with Shelburne Farms cheddar cheese
Top Right: Vegetable Soup with carrots, beans, potatoes and corn
Bottom Right: Apple, carrot, cucumber and kholrabi cole slaw
Bottom Left: Bruschetta with mozerella, tomatoes and eggplant
Top Middle: Corn with tomatoes, basil and goat cheese
Bottom Middle (the green stuff): Fried okra


Let me tell you, this whole thing was a lot harder to do than I originally thought. By eating local we were totally handicapped in that we couldn't eat pasta or rice. So this was almost entirely plant based (almost vegan!).

So here's a big round of applause to all of my girls from Troop 3450 for working together and making such a fabluous meal!

Also, sorry I can't give you any recipes. This was all done kinda spur of the moment.

Oh and one more thing:


EAT REAL
and
EAT LOCAL

Happy Eating!

Leda :)

Meat me in Paris!

Greetings from Paris my dear blog readers!!

(Note that the title only sounds good if you pronounce the word "Paris" as the French would)

Yes, that's right. I am currently writing to you far from the hustling bustling United States, but that doesn't mean I can't do what I'm supposed to do on a Monday! The food here is, in a word, magnificent. And I'll tell ya, there's a whole lot of strange forms of meat here (liver, feet etc). Some of which I have tried, and others that I could not muster up enough bravery to be able to even put near my mouth (and normally, I'm open to almost anything). But still, it's Monday and it is important that I keep to my rule and not eat meat today (even while in a city with much fine food).

Anyway, what I'm here to tell you is that you too can continue to be meatless (or at least meat conscious) while you're away from home. Here are a few tips I've put together for eating (and not eating) meat on the road, in the air, and in a totally different city:

1.) Skip the meat at breakfast: I mean, really. When was the last time you actually had bacon and sausage with your breakfast at home? It shouldn't be too hard to give up this one luxury for a single day of your vacation. Substitute with eggs or yogurt (seriously, even I gave up French porsciutto on meatless Monday!)

2.) Go meatless with airline food: Think about it, how good could the meat be in the air? It's frozen, processed, and not to mention just plain gross. So whether it's meatless Monday or not, I'd say just pass on meat based Airline food. A vegetarian option is almost always offered, and if not you can always just ask.

3.) Fish always beats other meat: sometimes the situation just doesn't allow for a vegetarian option to be available. But better than getting meat is getting fish, which is a lot farther away from meat than a hamburger is.

4.) If worse comes to worse.... Just don't go meatless. Sometimes, it's just impossible to get a quality vegetarian meal, especially in a foreign country. Promise that sometime when you get home, you'll have an extra meatless meal to make up for it. It can be really Difficult to keep to A meatless tradition when youre far from home. But seriously, Don't beat yourself up, you will be forgiven :)

I hope you all found these tips helpful!

Happy eating!
Leda :)

P.S. I apologize for the late post, bad formatting and spelling mistakes. But unfortunately I'm writing this post from my iPod :/
I promiseto bring you a new recipe next week!

5 (Fun?) Facts You Didn't Know About the Meat that You Eat

Hey everyone,

Sorry I haven't written in so long.... I know you all have been waiting with bated breath for a new post (and that might possibly explain why I had 32 pageviews today when nothing new was on.... either that or someone just refreshed the page 32 times. Good for you!)

Anyway, no meal today (that's right, I didn't have dinner... nah, just kidding. We had boring food that I didnt even make). So I've decided to do a more informational post (and I really should be doing more of these...).

Now, you might be wondering why I put the word "fun" in parentheses with a question mark (aren't you just fascinated by punctuation?) Well, that's because while information about the meat you eat may be interesting/gruesome/shocking, I'm not sure I would call it fun. It was all for alliteration's sake, you know?

Also, I'm too lazy to put citations and sources down for my information. All my sources are reliable. Trust me. I did not make this stuff up. I mean, who would?

So here we go with 5 (fun?) Facts you didn't know about meat:

1.) 99% of all animals eaten in the U.S. come from factory farms- Yes, I have put this on my blog before. However, I believe it is one of the most shocking and truly revealing facts about meat consumption in the U.S. Factory farms are what make up the core of the problems we face here with meat. Because of it, we have bad quality meat that abuses animals, puts chemicals into our bodies, and eventually makes us sick. You know how one day you might wake up and throw up, but the next day you're fine? Many people just say "Oh, I caught a bug". But in reality, most "24 hour stomach bugs" come from consumption of bad meat.

2.) Animal agriculture is the #1 cause of global climate change- When we think of things like "global warming" and "global climate change" the first thing that comes to mind as a cause is things like gasses and transportation. That is part of what makes animal agriculture the #1 source (as in transporting meat), but in fact animal agriculture contributes even more to climate change than all transportation in the world combined.

3.) The average American eats the equivalent of 21,00 whole animals in an entire lifetime- Okay, so this one absolutely shocked me. And I'm still trying to figure it out. Seem's like a lot of meat, huh? Just think about it in terms of whole animals. It's kind of gruesome, isn't it? Although I'm still not sure of the validity of this one, I still feel it was worth sharing (and thinking about!)

4.) About 1/3 of the land surface of the Earth is used for livestock- Don't we have better things to do with our land than to use it for caging and abusing various animals? This is mind boggling as we keep in mind that most of the Earth is water anyway. So now that we know that (yay learning!), think about it. Of the remaining space left over on the earth, we use it for farming animals (and not even in a good way!). Don't get me wrong, it's fine if a good amount of land is used for livestock, but 1/3 is simply ridiculous.

5.) And now I leave you with my favorite fact, complete with a video! 70% of America's beef is treated with ammonia- The video really explains it all, but really. First of all, they're using the outside of the meat that isn't even meat. Or edible. But then they use something called ammonia to "clean" it. Ammonia is a chemical. It is absolutely not made for human consumption. And even worse, labels don't even tell you if you're consuming ammonia or not. Because apparently it's a process. A process? Really? Next thing you know they're going to call high fructose corn syrup a process and you won't know if you're eating that either!

Anyway, here's the video (if you need a visual aid/ deeper explanation)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wshlnRWnf30

Happy Eating!

(Oh, wait. That's going to be quite hard after watching that video....)

Leda :)

(Image credit: procsilas via flickr)

(Credit to Jonathan Safran Foer Eating Animals)

Can You Say Risotto??

Well, this post is long overdue.... but I'm going to post it anyway, because I'm sure you are all dying to know what I had for Meatless Monday this past Monday. First, I'll post the recipe, just so we can get that out of the way.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)

1 cup chopped fennel

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

2/3 cup dry white wine

4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 pound thin asparagus 10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted, or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup mascarpone chcheese, preferably Italian
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving

Directions:

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. (If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until the starchiness is gone.)

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.

So first off, I'd just like to say that risotto is one of my favorite things to eat.... EVER. And although this dish is time consuming, it is by no means technically difficult (depending on what your defenition of "technically difficult" is....) and in the end is so worth it. Trust me.

This dish is originally an Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) recipe. And although she is mostly a "French" chef, this Italian dish is nothing short of spot on. And let me just make one thing clear, all of her dishes turn out well. Maybe I'm over exagerrating a bit, but my mom and I have never come across a recipe that wasn't delicious.

(Ina, if you're reading this- which I'm sure you're not- I'd just like to say that my mom and I love you!)

Anyway, I made a few modifications to this dish (which is surely wonderful in it's original form, because I've had it that way). To be truly meatless, I always make sure I use vegetable stock. Sure, chicken stock has more flavor, but it's chicken. Also, I substituted the fennel for an extra leek, just because I don't like fennel (I mean, it tastes like licorice!)

So when my mom suggested that I make a risotto, I felt this bit of fear strike through my body. No, risotto's not a scary dish. But a few weeks ago I was watching The Next Food Network Star with my family and Jyll (a very experienced cook, I might add) made a risotto for none other than the famous Wolfgang Puck. She served it to him and the selection comittee, and he took one look at it and said (in his very pompous Austrian accent of course) "Darling, let me show you how to make a risotto the right way. Yes, in the kitchen. Right now". And that's just what he did. Well, isn't he charming? Now do you see why I was afraid to make risotto? If Jyll couldn't make it right, what makes me think I could? Well, I was wrong. And it turned out wonderfully.

Now onto how it tastes (yes, I do overwrite). To me, risotto is the Italian version of Mac 'n' Cheese (though I do believe that is originally considered Italian as well....?) However, instead of pasta we use arborio rice, a short grain rice that's very meaty (haha) and tender. The trick with this dish is that you have to stir it constantly (and yes, by constantly I do mean constantly). The best part of this whole recipe is the marscapone. It makes the rice so thick and creamy. Not to mention the fact that you first mix the marscapone with lemon juice. Seriously, I could eat a whole bowl of just that.

And this is yet another dish that comes complete with leftovers! And I mean a lot of leftovers. Seriously, I'm about to go eat some now for lunch.

All in all this risotto turned out fabulous. It really is a good way to get your vegetables while eating comfort food.

How easy is that?

Leda :)