Here is an article I posted on Yahoo! Contributor Network
Last summer I started a vegetarian diet. It was not a religious commitment but more of a personal discipline. In doing so, I have received the benefits of increased vitamins and fiber in my diet. After all, we are supposed to have a rainbow of colors on our plate. With fewer expenses on meat, I can spend more on nuts and diary. Recently I have enjoyed snacking on salted almonds and cashews.
When I first started, I relied heavily on Mexican cooking because beans can be used to replace meat in any recipe. I can now make some very tasty cheese and bean enchiladas using canned refried beans. I also learned some quick cooking tips for beans and rice dishes using boxed rice mixes and canned beans. For example, I made Rica-roni and pinto beans, Rice-a-roni and pigeon peas, Cajun jambalaya with red beans. I even mixed black-eyed peas into a paella recipe. The cooking process is simple.
However, vegetarian eating also forced me to branch out in my cooking. I had to think creatively to ensure I was getting the recommended twenty grams of protein. Next, I filled my need for exotic food and simple cooking by purchasing premade spice pastes for Thai and Indian curries. I stewed the paste with onion, potatoes, carrots, mashed beans and sometimes coconut milk.
I recently received a vegetarian cookbook as a Christmas gift that includes nutrition information with each recipe. I have been making French soups with mashed beans, potatoes and sour cream spiced with parsley and sage. I have also learned that pasta with pesto can have just as much protein as bean dishes because pesto is made from pine nuts.
Traveling and keeping to a vegetarian diet is not as much of an inconvenience as some would make you think. I learned that Taco Bell is useful since they will replace meat with refried beans in burritos, tacos, gorditas. Also, restaurants usually have a vegetarian option on the menu. When packing lunches for long trips, I like to make avocado sandwiches.
I have also learned when people crave fast-food they want the salt and oil not the meat. Olives and cheese balls fill this need for me. I also like to batter some zucchini and onions and deep fry them to get a fried treat. Or I just order an old fashioned cheese pizza. Pickles and relishes are also very good at satisfying my desire for flavorful sandwiches. In fact, a simple salad dressing made of sour cream and teaspoon of curry spice powder is delicious on a bed of spinach and sliced cucumber.
With the New Year, I look forward to trying new recipes and new cuisines. I want to enjoy more flavor Cajun and Indian vegetarian dishes. Don’t forget to eat a nice dish of black-eyed pea jambalaya for luck in the New Year.
Last summer I started a vegetarian diet. It was not a religious commitment but more of a personal discipline. In doing so, I have received the benefits of increased vitamins and fiber in my diet. After all, we are supposed to have a rainbow of colors on our plate. With fewer expenses on meat, I can spend more on nuts and diary. Recently I have enjoyed snacking on salted almonds and cashews.
When I first started, I relied heavily on Mexican cooking because beans can be used to replace meat in any recipe. I can now make some very tasty cheese and bean enchiladas using canned refried beans. I also learned some quick cooking tips for beans and rice dishes using boxed rice mixes and canned beans. For example, I made Rica-roni and pinto beans, Rice-a-roni and pigeon peas, Cajun jambalaya with red beans. I even mixed black-eyed peas into a paella recipe. The cooking process is simple.
However, vegetarian eating also forced me to branch out in my cooking. I had to think creatively to ensure I was getting the recommended twenty grams of protein. Next, I filled my need for exotic food and simple cooking by purchasing premade spice pastes for Thai and Indian curries. I stewed the paste with onion, potatoes, carrots, mashed beans and sometimes coconut milk.
I recently received a vegetarian cookbook as a Christmas gift that includes nutrition information with each recipe. I have been making French soups with mashed beans, potatoes and sour cream spiced with parsley and sage. I have also learned that pasta with pesto can have just as much protein as bean dishes because pesto is made from pine nuts.
Traveling and keeping to a vegetarian diet is not as much of an inconvenience as some would make you think. I learned that Taco Bell is useful since they will replace meat with refried beans in burritos, tacos, gorditas. Also, restaurants usually have a vegetarian option on the menu. When packing lunches for long trips, I like to make avocado sandwiches.
I have also learned when people crave fast-food they want the salt and oil not the meat. Olives and cheese balls fill this need for me. I also like to batter some zucchini and onions and deep fry them to get a fried treat. Or I just order an old fashioned cheese pizza. Pickles and relishes are also very good at satisfying my desire for flavorful sandwiches. In fact, a simple salad dressing made of sour cream and teaspoon of curry spice powder is delicious on a bed of spinach and sliced cucumber.
With the New Year, I look forward to trying new recipes and new cuisines. I want to enjoy more flavor Cajun and Indian vegetarian dishes. Don’t forget to eat a nice dish of black-eyed pea jambalaya for luck in the New Year.
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