Day 29: Last Day!

Just a cute picture of my boys.

 January is over and our experiment complete. 

We tried 20 brand-new recipes and found some new favorites in our old meal repertoire. Owen tasted with the fearlessness needed to become a true foodie; he'll be a great diner and cook someday. Scott was an enthusiastic supporter (with the exception of the veggie-tofu sausage) and rallied the boys when needed. Noah . . .well, Noah ate a lot of fruit.

We all ate a lot of plants. Each week I was surprised at the amount of produce in our cart, and by how quickly it was gone. If our family of four consistently ate a full five servings of fruits and vegetables every day we'd need even more. It does illuminate some of the national challenges with nutrition. I have the time, access, and money to keep my refrigerator full of fresh produce, even in January in Minnesota. Many people do not.

I polled Scott and the boys for their observations and favorites.

What do vegetarians eat at the game? Nachos!

Scott: "I learned that there are things that are vegetarian that are good too." (Me: "That's a surprise?") Scott: "I guess I always thought dinner had meat in it."

Owen: "Even though I love meat, there's not meat in every meal, even it if it is not vegetarian month. But as you can see from the list, Huevos Rancheros was the best thing yet. And that's one of my favorite meals. Even without meat. Surprising, huh?"

Noah, when asked what was his favorite part of vegetarian month, replied: "a digger bed!" 

Scott's favorites were Spicy Peanut Noodles, Lentil Quiche, Kale Puttanesca, and Italian Vegetable Soup.

Owen's were Eggplant Marinara, Spicy Peanut Noodles, and Huevos Rancheros. Noah's was "digger bed!" (Favorite means just one thing to Noah: diggers.)

Owen learned he likes eggplant, kale, and tofu. Scott learned he likes lentils and eggplant. Noah likes mangoes, oranges, grapefruit, grapes, pineapple, chips, and Ranch.

I learned that vegetarian dishes can be hearty and filling, without meat or even without dairy. But during my one-week, almost-vegan experiment, I learned that I just need to have cheese.

I was not surprised that vegetarian cooking is fun and delicious. I enjoyed the challenge and the inspiration to try new things. I was also not really surprised that my family is most emphatically not interested in being vegetarians permanently. Tomorrow's dinner: chicken tacos. We will, however, have a vegetarian dinner at least once per week. After all, I control what they eat.

For our last hurrah (they don't yet know we're having squash and spinach lasagna on Friday), we tried another new and interesting recipe. I think it is good enough to pass along to you, but if I made it again I'd make some adjustments. It was good, but not quite perfect.

Sweet Potato Burritos
Makes 10 small burritos

1 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp. garlic puree or minced garlic
3 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. ground mustard
pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
10 flour tortillas (taco size, not the big burrito size, unless you want fewer, bigger burritos)
6 oz. shredded cheddar
thinly sliced red onions, to taste
cilantro leaves, to taste
jarred sliced jalapenos, to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Add beans, water, spices, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then simmer until reduced somewhat and heated through. Mash beans to desired consistency.

On each tortilla, spread sweet potatoes and beans, top with red onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and cheese. Roll up and place on baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

Suggested Adjustments: This is the recipe as I made it tonight, but if I make again, I would put less sweet potato and more beans in each burrito. I'd also add more jalapenos, or make the refried beans spicier. I might also add some fresh chopped tomatoes; I think it could use some acid.

I'm not a huge fan of the sweet-savory combo, so I when I make something like this (a similar and favorite recipe is Squash-Provolone Quesadillas), I usually make it very spicy.

We will try this again, because it is interesting and nutritious, and I think with a few tweaks could be really good.

Day 28: Almost Over

Today is January 30 and there's just one day left of our vegetarian experiment. Even though I didn't start until January 4, we're ending tomorrow because I don't think Owen could stand to wait for his bacon. (Speaking of bacon, check out this funny article about why bacon is a "gateway meat" for vegetarians!)

I've proposed that from now on we have one day of the week designated vegetarian; my boys (big and small) have grudgingly agreed. Owen chose Monday, reasoning that Monday is a pretty bad day anyway. Sheesh - what drama!

Tonight we had stuffed shells, a recipe provided by my friend Heidi. I made a few adjustments, based on ingredients I wanted to use up before it was too late (lots of arugula).

The shells had great flavor and were light-tasting, which I think is rare for pasta-stuffed-with-cheese recipes. Thank you for the yummy recipe Heidi!

Tofu & Cheese Stuffed Shells
Serves 4

12 jumbo pasta shells

¼ c. shredded carrot

1-2 green onions, chopped fine

4 cups loosely packed arugula*

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. garlic puree

8 ounces firm tofu, drained

½ cup ricotta cheese

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg white

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

Heidi's Sauce (I used leftover eggplant marinara sauce I had frozen from day 16's recipe)

16 oz. can tomatoes, cut up

1/3 c. tomato paste

1 tsp. dried basil, crushed

1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed

½ tsp. sugar

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. fennel seed, crushed (optional)

Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook pasta shells according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside.  

For filling: Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat, add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add arugula nd cook, stirring often, until wilted. Scrape onto a cutting board and chop fine. In a medium mixing bowl mash tofu with a fork. Stir in carrots, onion, wilted arugula, ricotta cheese, ¾ c. mozzarella cheese, egg white, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

For sauce: In a medium saucepan combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, sugar, garlic powder, and, if desired, fennel seed. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Stuff each cooked pasta shell with bout 1 rounded tablespoon of the filling. Place shells in an ungreased 2-quart square baking dish. Pour sauce over shells and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake in a 350˚ oven about 25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese prior to serving, if desired. 

* I think any dark, bitter, or spicy greens would be good - kale, spinach, mustard greens, etc.

Day 27: Apres-Ski Spicy Noodles

It's a warm day here in St. Paul - at least 20 degrees - so we all ventured out to Como Park for Owen's skiing lesson. Owen is doing a great job on skis, and Noah wanted some action too. We rented the tiniest skis imaginable and Scott got a workout carrying him up a little hill over and over. (My fingers got cold taking photos and video. A fair trade, right?) Noah's not afraid of anything - he wanted to go higher, faster, and by himself!

At home, we warmed up and refueled with Spicy Peanut Sesame Noodles. Scott loved it, though he wouldn't agree when I said "see, isn't this so much BETTER without chicken?" and Owen ate 5-6 bites before deciding it was too spicy (and it was pretty spicy). Noah ate cucumbers.

Spicy Peanut Sesame Noodles
Adapted from the Joy of Cooking
Serves 4-6

2 cups peanut butter (creamy, chunky, your choice)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp. garlic puree or equivalent roughly chopped fresh garlic
3 serrano peppers, cut into pieces (more or less to your spice preference)
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil (divided)
2 tbsp. chili oil
1 cup brewed black tea
1 lb. lo mein or spaghetti noodles
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin strips
Chopped cilantro

Start the pasta water. Blend peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppers, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Scrape into a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup sesame oil, chili oil, and tea. Drain pasta, toss with 2 tsp. oil, and place in a large, shallow pasta bowl. Top with sauce and toss. Garnish with cucumber and cilantro.

If you want to add chicken, add cooked, shredded chicken to the pasta and sauce and toss.

Day 22: What's Not to Love?

I've never met an egg noodle I didn't like. Consequently, stroganoff in all forms is a favorite of mine. Egg noodles covered with a sour cream-based sauce? That's always a good idea.

This recipe proves that eating vegetarian is neither automatically healthy nor low-fat, but who cares? It's decadent, toothsome, and delicious. Perfect for a busy day and a cold winter night.

Portobello Stroganoff
Serves 4

4 tbsp. butter
1 large onion, diced
3/4 lb. portobellos, sliced
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 tbsp. flour
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and translucent, then smile serenely at family members as they wander in saying "what smells good?" (Onions sauteing in butter is truly one of the better scents from the kitchen.)

Add mushrooms and cook until completely soft, nicely browned, and a little bit carmelized, with some crispy edges. The onions should be browned too, and some browned bits stuck to your pan is just what you want.

Remove onions and mushrooms to a plate (but don't scrape off the stuck-on ones), and add the stock to your pan to deglaze. Bring to a boil, scraping up the bottom of the pan and stirring. Add Worchestershire and continue to boil until liquid is reduced by a third.

While the stock is reducing, stir together sour cream and flour in a bowl. Remove pan from heat, put mushrooms and onions back in, then add the sour cream mixture and stir. Return to low heat and cook until sauce thickens slightly. Add parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. (I added about 1/2 tsp. of salt and several grinds of pepper.)

I also added a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet at the end to try to trick the boys into thinking this was just as good as beef stroganoff. (In my opinion, better, but I'm in the minority around here.) The trick didn't work, but it did brown up my sauce nicely, which I think looks better. I served this with green beans tossed with arugula and olive oil.

Day 2: Hot and Spicy

Tonight we tried Kale Puttanesca, modified a bit. Owen asked what "puttanesca" meant. I said it was Italian for hot and spicy. Close enough.

I thought it was really tasty, but I like salt, brine, and lots of heat. If you aren't vegetarian (or you are pescatarians), you can add a 6 oz can of drained tuna and/or 1/2 tsp of anchovy paste. If I make this again another month, I'd use anchovy paste. It is hard to replicate that briny taste.

Kale Puttanesca
Serves 4

8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 large onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp garlic puree in a jar)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp capers
14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, and their juice
3 cups coarsely chopped kale (or as much as you like)
1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves
4 oz. can sliced black olives, drained
Black pepper to taste

While pasta water is heating and pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook and stir until onion has softened and is beginning to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. (I found it necessary to add a little veggie stock to keep the garlic from burning while the onions carmelized; it also speeds up the caramelization a bit.)

Stir in capers, anchovy paste (if using) and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add kale and basil; simmer over medium-low heat until kale is wilted and tender, about 10 minutes. Add olives and turn off the heat until your pasta is done.

Drain pasta and place in pasta bowl. Pour sauce over the pasta and toss.

Serve parmesan cheese at the table. I also added a pinch of sea salt to my plate (even though salt isn't needed with the capers and olives, I trying to achieve brininess; it helped.) Last, for fellow WW dieters - this is 10 points, but it is a really big plate.