Vegetarian Menu for the Week

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When I mention to new acquaintances that I'm a vegetarian I usually hear, "Oh, that's nice," followed by a pause and then, "So what do you eat?" Others (you know who you are) accuse me of torturing and starving my poor meat-loving husband. In an attempt to defend myself, I offer below our meals for this coming week, as a sample of what vegetarian living (YUM-O!) looks like. 

SATURDAY: Enchiladas Verdes, homemade Mexican Rice

SUNDAY: Spicy (soy) Sausage, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and Cumin-Cayenne Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

MONDAY: Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna and Salad

TUESDAY: Hearty Grain Soup with Beans & Greens, crusty French Bread

WEDNESDAY: Leftovers

THURSDAY: Sloppy Lentils over Rice or on Toasted Rolls

FRIDAY: Butternut Squash and Walnut Bow-Tie Pasta, Salad 

And, just to show I have a heart, today I made Blair a big-batch of turkey-chili (his choice - I would have used beef) and spicy Mexican cornbread topped with cheese for him to take for lunch the first part of the week.

I was in my kitchen today for almost 4 hours and I am DONE. But c'mon... admit it. The food sounds tasty. And 80% of it is vegan. (The enchiladas and red pepper lasagna are bringing me down. Both call for types of cheese for which I have yet to find a vegan substitute.)

If you're interested in some easy and good vegetarian recipes (and hey guess what - you don't actually have to be a vegetarian to make them!) check out the Engine2 Diet book. Everything I've made in there so far has been tasty. Vegetariantimes.com is also a great resource.

Bon appetit!

New Year's Resolutions for 2010

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Long time readers of this blog know that I LUV ME some New Year resolutions. Really, anything in list-format gets me excited and New Year resolutions are the mother of all lists. So without further adieu, here are my resolutions/goals/hopes/dreams for 2010:

REDUCE TV VIEWING. This is a carryover resolution from last year. It worked beautifully until about October, when we slid off the wagon. But we're back on and more strict than ever. We'll record So You Think You Can Dance, Glee, and Modern Family and watch back with no commercials. We're cutting out Biggest Loser (maybe- I waver on this) and Big-Bang Theory. Otherwise, no TV except to watch the occasional movie or football game (Blair) and absolutely no channel flipping. 

SOUP. Yes, you read that right. Soup. Soup is my goal for the new year. I have a Vita-Mix which is the world's coolest blender/food processor all in one and I want to start using it more. Specifically, I want to make healthy, homemade soups to eat before each meal, ideally filling myself up so I eat smaller portions at lunch and dinner. It's also a great way to get in my servings of vegetables, which I'm bad about eating. So, 2010- year of Soup. 

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Tacos For Thanksgiving

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Against my better judgement, I made a quick run to Food Lion today to pick up some dinner and breakfast items for visiting relatives. I'm standing in the checkout line, surrounded by people whose carts are filled with yams, pumpkin puree, turkeys, cranberries, and pie crusts. I feel all eyes turn toward me as I unload my cart - taco dinner kit, Cheez-its, frozen waffles, and an orange. 

I wanted to turn to everyone and explain this wasn't the actual food I'd be serving tomorrow, but I sensed that might make the situation worse. So I kept my mouth shut. 

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

 

A Little Lesson In Engine 2 Diet Portion Control

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Quinoa - looking all innocent likeOkay. First I just want to say that it's not my fault.

The recipe I made last night from the Engine 2 Diet book for Red Beans Over Quinoa with Kale said it served 2-4 people. Blair and I are not shy eaters and typically we find that a recipe that says it serves 4 generally gives each of us a healthy portion plus one small meal leftover. So it's NOT MY FAULT that there is now enough Red Beans and Quinoa in my refrigerator to feed a mid-sized middle Eastern village for a week.

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