Meat

Visiting family means you are going to eat bad food. This past weekend was a shock to both mine and hubbies systems.

Saturday night was dinner at his mothers. Meat Pie, with Ragu and fried sausage was dinner. A heavily meat based meal. Sunday we visited hubbies step-brother, we had shepards pie, pepperoni pizza, cheese spreads and other various fat and refined carb foods.

When we were driving home hubby said that everything was irritating him. I told him it was the food. I am right too.

I know die hard carnivors wouldn't agree with me, but too much meat, dairy and eggs will make you irritable, sluggish and depressed. I couldn't wait to get home and start eating good again.

Hubbies mother told me that it is important to eat a balanced diet while pregnant. I wanted to reply "No shit, why do you think i am cutting out meat?" but instead I replied "I have a very good diet", Hubbies father and stepmother don't think I eat, and even wrote in our xmas card "eat well".

I roll my eyes at this old school way of thinking about food. You don't see many studies that say "Steak, now proven to fight cancer" or "Bacon, the new super food".

Hubby is supporting me more than ever, he now sees and feels the difference eating veggies and whole grains instead of meat. I guess his family will just have to accept the way I am now.

Rice and Beans

I love how nutritious and yummy rice and beans are. I know lots of people who turn their nose up at beans, because I used to be one of them. Since cutting out meat I find I rely on beans to provide the protein I am missing in my diet.

I have found that an easy way to cut cost and time is to keep a supply of cooked rice in the fridge at all times. I can be used for stir fry, in soups, and as a side dish.

A quick dish using left over rice and canned black beans follows.

Rice and Beans - Quick and Dirty

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup black beans

dop of olive oil

Diced Onion,

(peppers, tomatoes, corn ect)

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

dash cayenne

dash oregano

Salt and Pepper

Saute the onion in the olive oil first. When soft add the veggies (if you don't have any, don't include them). Cook until tender crisp. Then add the beans and rice. The measurements are random, if you don't have that much rice, add less, same with the beans. Then add the spices. If the mixture is a little dry, put a few tablespoons of water in to help coat the spices on the rice.

Cook until heated through.

This can be eaten as a side dish, or used to fill enchiladas, put on pizza or nachos. Salsa and sour cream are good companions.

Soy Dog

I love soy dogs. They are my new favorite food. I know that sounds crazy, but I really enjoy them and have them almost every day.

Here is my favorite Soy Dog Recipe

Soy Dog Kabob

1 package of soy dogs

1 handful of multi grain soda crackers mashed into crumbs

Ketchup

Mustard

Toothpicks

Cut the soy dogs into appetizer sized pieces. put a toothpick in each one. Dip in ketchup, and then roll in cracker crumbs. Place on a pan and cook for 15-20min at 350 oven or until the heated through.

Dip in ketchup or mustard and enjoy!

Barley Soup

Barley Soup

1 onion diced

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup barley

2 carrots chopped

2 celery chopped

2 potato chopped

7 cups veggie stock

1 tsp rubbed sage

1 can of corn

Salt and pepper

Saute onion in oil until soft, then add garlic, salt and pepper and saute for an additional minute. Add barley and cook until browned or sticky. Add veggie stock and simmer for 20 min. Add carrots, celery and potatoes and cook until tender. Add sage and corn and heat through just before serving.

Makes one large pot of food. (two meals, four lunches)

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This soup is exceptionally good. I didn't have veggie stock so I used a chicken bullion cube. I also omitted the celery because it's gross. It is easy to make and my carnivore husband loved it. The only downfall is the colour of the soup makes you think it will be gross. Feel free to add any veggies you like, or any other grains, just increase the water.

Shepards Pie

When I decided to try a meatless Shepard's pie I thought lentils would be the solution. They are brown, and crumbly like ground beef.

Since my husband isn't quite on the vegetarian bandwagon yet I made half with the traditional beef.

Lentil Shepard's Pie

3/4 cup lentils (or less)

potato's (cooked mashed for topping)

brown gravy mix **

olive oil (about a tbsp)

onion

Worcestershire Saucecan or frozen corn

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Procedure:

Boil lentils for about 20 min. While that is cooking dice the onion and saute in the oil. When lentils are soft, strain and add to onion. Now put in the gravy package Add the appropriate amount of water. Usually between 1 and 1/2 cup. Add worcestershire sauce. Cook until gravy is thick.

Put lentil mixture in bottom of a casserole dish and top with corn, then mashed potatoes. Make fancy designs in the mashed potato with a fork, then sprinkle with paprika.

Cook in a 400 degree oven until heated through.

** The dried gravy package I used didn't show any "meat" in the ingredients, however I am sure some could have been hidden in there. If your hardcore check, if not don't worry.

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This was my first time cooking lentils. I give the recipe 3/5, it was good but not excellent. I could have used more gravy mix (only half the package was used since the other half was in the ground beef) The lentils were a little starchy. I found mixing the mashed potatoes with the lentils, then adding hotsauce and katchup pumped it up to a 4/5.