I don't think I ever seriously tampered with the idea of becoming vegetarian, but recently it struck me. I think it was primarily the health aspect that hooked me, but after reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, the ethical and ecological grounds for vegetarianism became much clearer to me (not to say that I didn't have a fairly good idea of where my meat was coming from, but his book does go into pretty graphic detail).
Having been a meat-eater for the 22 past years of my life, I'm not about to make this transition cold-turkey. I'm hoping to experiment with vegetarian and vegan recipes, build up a collection of staple-recipes and eventually transition into full-vegetarian. I'm living at home right now (blech!) and my parents are very much not vegetarian, so it should be an interesting change. For now, I am trying to achieve 2 vegetarian meals per day. I figure that will be a fairly easy difference in diet to deal with (both psychologically and physically).
As for the vegan option, I don't know if I'll ever get quite that far, but it's appealing. I've already taken a liking to almond milk, and can definitely see myself phasing out milk entirely (although I do occasionally enjoy a good slice of cheese). I'm not particularly fond of eggs but every now and then, breakfast just isn't complete without them. Fortunately there are a few people around where I live who sell eggs from their own chickens, so I know there are humane local sources for eggs. Still, the concept of vegan baking intrigues me. Today I got Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz from the library and once I acquire some ground flaxseed, I'll be good to go and can't wait to try a few of her recipes. I also borrowed the Veganomicon from the library, by the same author. There are some tasty looking recipes but I have no idea where to start. I bought some tofu a few days ago and I really want to try making something with it (might as well begin learning how to use tofu, I figure). So I guess I'll look through the book for a good-lookin' recipe with tofu as its centerpiece.
So for now, I'm still 1/3 meat-eater (probably the way it should have been in the first place). I'm really looking forward to trying new recipes and finding new favorites.
Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetarian. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Veggie Burger Attempt #1
Today I tried making veggie burgers for the first time. Actually making them wasn't too difficult, but I'm not sure I'll make them again. Here's the recipe I used, along with the "good" and the "bad."
Recipe from Food.com (originally from Food Network).
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels
6 mushrooms, finely chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
1 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 dash cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 carrots, peeled and grated
1 small potatoes, peeled and grated
1 egg whites
salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
Directions
1. In a large pan heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat.
2. Stir in corn, mushrooms, scallions, and bell pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add garlic, cumin and cayenne and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in spinach.
4. Add carrot and potato and stir to combine. Add egg white and season with salt and pepper.
5. Stir in enough bread crumbs so that the mixture holds together.
6. Shape mixture into 6 disks and place on a plate. Chill for 1 hour.
7. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in non-stick skillet and cook veggie burgers until golden on each side.
The Good
-Lots of veggies (rather than grains/breadcrumbs, which seem to be the main ingredients in many veggie burgers)
-Readily available ingredients
-Easy prep (no food processor required)
The Bad
-Squishy in the middle, not very firm or burger-like once you start eating it
-Not much flavor despite the spices (I think the corn was the most prominent flavor)
-Somewhat difficult to keep in one piece while cooking (I cooked three patties and was able to keep two of them in-tact, after partially destroying one)
Overall, I don't think this was a bad recipe, but I'll keep searching for the perfect veggie burger. I'm thinking some lentils or black beans might give it more substance and prevent it from being so squishy. Once I get a functioning food processor I might also try using that to chop the veggies more finely.
Recipe from Food.com (originally from Food Network).
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels
6 mushrooms, finely chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
1 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 dash cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 carrots, peeled and grated
1 small potatoes, peeled and grated
1 egg whites
salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
Directions
1. In a large pan heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat.
2. Stir in corn, mushrooms, scallions, and bell pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add garlic, cumin and cayenne and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in spinach.
4. Add carrot and potato and stir to combine. Add egg white and season with salt and pepper.
5. Stir in enough bread crumbs so that the mixture holds together.
6. Shape mixture into 6 disks and place on a plate. Chill for 1 hour.
7. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in non-stick skillet and cook veggie burgers until golden on each side.
The Good
-Lots of veggies (rather than grains/breadcrumbs, which seem to be the main ingredients in many veggie burgers)
-Readily available ingredients
-Easy prep (no food processor required)
The Bad
-Squishy in the middle, not very firm or burger-like once you start eating it
-Not much flavor despite the spices (I think the corn was the most prominent flavor)
-Somewhat difficult to keep in one piece while cooking (I cooked three patties and was able to keep two of them in-tact, after partially destroying one)
Overall, I don't think this was a bad recipe, but I'll keep searching for the perfect veggie burger. I'm thinking some lentils or black beans might give it more substance and prevent it from being so squishy. Once I get a functioning food processor I might also try using that to chop the veggies more finely.
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