Featured Veggie: Justin
Posted on | August 6, 2010 | 1 Comment
Name: Justin Kownacki
Blog: justinkownacki.com
Twitter: @JustinKownacki
Web Sitcom: Something To Be Desired
Social Media Un-Conference (founder): PodCamp Pittsburgh
Number of years as a veggie: 20
What made you decide to become a veggie?
My mother turned vegetarian when I was 12, so that caused me to remove most red meat from my diet simply by association. Since then, although I still eat chicken, turkey and the occasional slice of bacon or piece of pepperoni pizza, I’ve been “mostly vegetarian” for 20 years.
In the end, I chalk it up as a choice to eat as little dead & decaying animal matter as possible. For some reason, dead & decaying vegetable matter doesn’t seem to be nearly as disease-riddled or gastronomically problematic.
What foods do you miss the most (if any)?
Since I still dabble on the meat-eater’s side of the table, the only thing I really miss is a good steak. I grew up eating steak at least once a week, and the smell of a grilled steak still captures my attention. But having tried to eat steak once or twice over the past 20 years, I realize I no longer have the stomach to digest it comfortably.
What has been the easiest part of becoming a veggie?
Eating less meat definitely helps me feel better about myself both physically and mentally. Not only do I not feel weighed down by the food itself, but I don’t have to make as many conscious choices about ending something else’s stay on the food chain, just so I can have something to nibble on. It’s made me more conscious of the way my choices impact the ecosystem in the long run.
Also, restaurants do a much better job of providing vegetarian options than they did 20 years ago, which makes life much easier for a conscientious eater.
What’s been the hardest?
Even today, most people still assume everyone they meet is an omnivore. But I’ve never eaten seafood, and I always avoid hamburgers, steak, roast beef, etc., so there are often awkward moments at family dinners or business lunches when someone (usually me) has to explain that he can’t actually eat the course being served. (Of course, since I’m not actually allergic, by “can’t” I really mean “won’t,” which sometimes creates a different sociopolitical issue altogether.)
Famous last words?
Eat anything you want, but you owe it to yourself to understand where your food choices are coming from, and how those choices are affecting your body and your environment. And since everyone has an opinion and an axe to grind, get your information from numerous sources. Then consolidate all that information into a food lifestyle you can feel good about.
Featured Veggie: Enrica
Posted on | July 30, 2010 | 1 Comment
Name: Enrica
Twitter: @artemisofmars
Number of years as a veggie: 9 months
I’ve been vegetarian for 9 months now, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. I live in Zurich, Switzerland and am a 16 years old high school student. One thing I really love about being a vegetarian is the skeptical comments I get when someone finds out I’m veggie (It’s not very common here).
What made you decide to become a veggie?
It all came pretty suddenly last summer. I started following the posts of Peta more closely and watched some videos of how animals are treated on meat farms. I was quite shocked, although I had already watched a documentary on it (“We feed the world”, I highly recommend it!). Peta also has many great tips about how to go veggie and so I pledged on their website to go veggie for 30 days. I thought: “Hey, if I don’t like it, I still can quit after those 30 days.” And that was when I quit it cold turkey. Every day since then it has gotten easier, and I enjoy it more and more every day.
What foods do you miss the most (if any)?
I don’t really miss anything. I still like the smell of bacon in the morning, but I couldn’t eat it anymore. Recently, I’ve been to Paris, and they had a market with a stand of fresh meat. That was the first time it actually grossed me out, just the thought of eating meat. Also, I have found many good alternatives, even for barbecuing.
What has been the easiest part of becoming a veggie?
The easiest part of becoming a vegetarian was quitting, I don’t really know why. I just stopped from one day to the other and never ever thought about touching meat again. My mom also backed me up greatly, which made everything even easier. From the beginning on she would just cook meals where the meat is separate, so I wouldn’t have to take any. She has since then also begun considering going vegetarian, which I think is really awesome.
What has been the hardest part of becoming a veggie?
The hardest part was and still is eating out, because where I live, people seem to love meat so much, they put it in everything. Eating at our school cafeteria is ok, they have vegetarian meals, but in restaurants, I often encounter problems when they only serve two or three vegetarian choices.
Famous Last Words:
Becoming vegetarian is the best thing you can do for your health. Staying vegetarian stealths your self-control. Live as a vegetarian and you will have no regrets.
Featured Veggie: Paige
Posted on | July 23, 2010 | 4 Comments
Name: Paige
Website: PaigeLysaght.com
Twitter: @howunremarkable
Number of years as a veggie: on and off (mostly on, with occasional brief “breaks” in between) for about ten years now.
What made you decide to become a veggie?
I got braces when I was about twelve years old and quickly found that I was no longer comfortable eating a lot of the meats I’d eaten before. Things like steak and pork were the first to go because I felt they were hard to chew, but once I got the idea of vegetarianism in my head, most other meats soon followed. I remember some random foods that stuck around for much longer because of emotional attachments to them…Weird things like chicken flavored ramen and Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup (yeah, I know, eww). Eventually, though, these got weeded out also.
In the past ten years, I’ve more or less continued as a vegetarian, though there have been times when I’ve gone through short phases of eating poultry or fish. Though I tend to generally stick to a meat-free diet, I try not to put too much pressure on myself to eat “perfectly” all the time. I have moral inclinations around meat (especially regarding factory farming), but I also realize that I don’t want to let my food decisions completely rule my life. 95% of the time I choose vegetarian foods, but I try not to give myself a hard time about that other 5%.
What foods do you miss most (if any)?
I have occasional cravings for like…chicken nuggets? Or chicken strips? But really, I think I’m just craving foods that are breaded and/or fried and have delicious dipping sauces to go with them. It’s probably best that I’ve mostly cut out these foods or I’d be well on my way to a heart attack. 
What has been the easiest part of becoming a veggie?
For the most part, the entire experience has been relatively easy for me, perhaps because I allow myself a degree of flexibility. I rarely have trouble finding something to eat in even the most meat-centric restaurants (even if it does end up just being a salad or some plain pasta–regardless, I can usually make substitutions in a meal to make it work for me) and I find that a majority of people are interested and accommodating when it comes to my food preferences.
I do find that I have to be incredibly specific when I request changes to restaurant dishes. Once I was dining at a steakhouse that even served meat on all of the salads. When I ordered, I said, “Could I just get a salad with veggies–anything is great–and no meat?”. The server enthusiastically responded, “Of course! Would you like bacon on that?”. I thought he was joking!
In general, though, as long as I’m clear and polite about my requests, I don’t have much difficulty.
What’s been the hardest?
I definitely have some hang-ups when it comes to explaining my preferences to others. I suppose I’m uncomfortable with having to “defend” my food choices to anyone (or any of my beliefs, for that matter–I’m just not one to debate!), so I tend to shy away from explaining what I do and why in an effort to avoid a possibly challenging conversation.
I’m working on it, though, because I realize that many people are genuinely interested in vegetarianism and really just want more information. I’m learning to be more articulate about my preferences and trying to avoid jumping into a defensive position every time I field a question.
Famous last words?
Be patient! Not only with other people, but with yourself too–don’t expect yourself to be perfect all of the time. Even small steps are good.
Featured Veggie: Shoshana
Posted on | July 16, 2010 | 1 Comment
Name: Shoshana
Website: Veggie 101
Twitter: @Veggie101dotcom
Number of years as a Veggie: 8 years and counting!
What made you decide to become a veggie?
I was exposed to various things in college (a vegan roommate, plus a health/exercise class) that led me to start doing my own research on vegetarianism. My grandmother had recently passed from heart disease, so suddenly health and diet were very much at the forefront of my thoughts.
What foods do you miss the most (if any)?
Shrimp and tuna (although I have made decent tuna subs using chickpeas and/or artichoke hearts). Of course, I have yet to go down the vegan path, so I can still eat my guilty pleasure: cheese!
What has been the easiest part of becoming a veggie?
Everything! It’s really expanded my creativity with food, and I’ve greatly improved my cooking skills. Even going to non-veg-specific restaurants and finding the veggie menu options is a pretty fun challenge!
What’s been the hardest?
Dealing with a few ignoramuses here and there, or being somewhere surrounded by food that I can’t eat (and knowing I have to wait until I can leave to get something veg!).
Famous last words?
It’s not as hard as you think!
Recipe: Sweet Potato Latkes
Posted on | July 14, 2010 | 6 Comments
comfort food for me comes in the form of potatoes. any potato will do. i’d eat them fried, baked, roasted, mashed. as long as it’s a potato, it’s a-okay with me. it’s kind of like a hug in food form.
enter in a nightshade intolerance and my potato consumption was drastically reduced. no more french fries. no more mashed potatoes. no more home fries.
thank. goodness. for the sweet potato and yam. and for the fact that they are not in the nightshade family. it made everything…bearable.
it also made it possible for me to have potato latkes. if you haven’t had them, you really should. like, right now. as in print out this recipe and get thee to the kitchen, right now.
the hubster would agree. it’s one of his favorite meals. of all time.
sweet potato latkes
ingredients:
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled
- 1 medium onion
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (can also use bread crumbs, matzo meal, etc)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- cooking oil (we use safflower)
directions:
- grate sweet potato and onion in cuisinart. squeeze out excess liquid (mostly from onion).
- transfer to large mixing bowl, and add flour, eggs, salt, and pepper.
- heat oil over high heat until hot but not smoking.
- working in batches, spoon mixture (approx 1/8 cup) into oil and flatten.
- cook until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.
- transfer to a plate with paper towels.
- serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
note: next time we make this recipe, i’m going to try baking them. if you would prefer this method, cook in oven on 375 for 10 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
this recipe is vegetarian. it is also nightshade free, dairy free, soy free, cinnamon free, and contains no msg. it can also be made gluten free and wheat free depending on flour choice.
Recipe: Pasta a la Reluctant Veggie
Posted on | July 13, 2010 | 1 Comment
this is a standard in the reluctant veggie household. i actually think i like it more than the standard pasta with tomato sauce. though, i can’t be sure since i haven’t eaten it in over a year.
at any rate, this dish makes me not miss the pasta with tomato sauce. something that i thought would be near impossible when i first found out about my food intolerances.
it’s a quick and easy meal, particularly on those days where you can’t muster much energy to cook (hello 90+ degree weather). it takes a mere 15 minutes, the length of time it takes to cook pasta. and it’s the kind of meal that will leave you feeling full without feeling like you’re going to explode.
amen to that.
Pasta a la Reluctant Veggie
ingredients:
- pasta of your choice (we tend to use whole wheat penne)
- olive oil
- red or yellow onion, chopped loosely
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
directions:
- put large pot of water to boil for pasta. cook pasta until al dente.
- chop onions and place in medium-large skillet. saute with olive oil until translucent.
- add garlic and sautee for a few minutes more.
- add frozen peas and cook until bright green. a few minutes.
- add cannelloni beans and cook until heated through.
- add fresh basil, salt, and pepper.
- drain pasta and toss with olive oil.
- add toppings and serve with your favorite crusty bread and glass of wine. or not. it’s great on it’s own.
note: this recipe is super flexible. you can add whatever veggies you like. you can change up the beans or take them out. add in a handful of fresh spinach or pine nuts. you really can’t go wrong.
this recipe is vegetarian and vegan. it is also dairy-free, casein free, nightshade free, egg free, cinnamon free, soy free, and contains no msg. it can also be made gluten free and wheat free depending upon pasta choice.
Recipe: Banana Bread Muffins with Walnuts
Posted on | July 12, 2010 | 2 Comments
i did warn you that i was on a muffin kick. and i have to say that these are the ones that started it all.
you see, we have what we like to call a banana mutiny in our freezer. we have about 20 frozen bananas (on a good day) that are just waiting to be used for something good. what could be better than a little banana bread…muffin?
this recipe makes about 12 muffins or 1 loaf of bread. feel free to do either. we do.
Banana Bread Muffins with Walnuts
ingredients:
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup [or 1 stick] earth balance or vegetable shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mashed, very ripe bananas (2 bananas)
- 1/3 cup soy milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
directions:
- preheat oven to 350 degrees F. prepare muffin tin (foil or oil) OR grease and lightly flour bread pan. set aside.
- combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. whisk together.
- in a large bowl, cream the earth balance (or shortening) and gradually add the sugar. mix well.
- add the eggs and bananas and blend thoroughly.
- combine the soy milk and lemon juice, which will curdle a bit.
- slowly and alternately mix in the flour mixture and the soy milk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. blend well after each addition.
- stir in walnuts.
- pour into a pan and bake (MUFFINS: 25 minutes; BREAD: 1 hour), or until bread springs back when lightly touched in the center.
- devour immediately or hide if you want to get some before it is completely gone. just saying.
note: i have tried to use other varieties of “milk” and have found that soy is the only one that curdles.
this recipe is dairy-free, casein free, nightshade free, cinnamon free, soy free [depending on earth balance variety] and contains no msg. it is also vegetarian.
Blueberry Picking at Soergel’s:
Posted on | July 11, 2010 | 1 Comment
