(Well, not entirely...at least yet). Instead of going "cold turkey," (pardon the pun), I am slowly transitioning to a plant-based diet. There are, of course, both pros and cons to joining either Team Herbivore or Team Carnivore over the long term. The more I study, however, the more I discover that animals are not only being injected with hormones to cause them to grow as big as they can in the least amount of time, but a recent study directed by UC San Diego's School of Medicine also shows that a molecule, N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), specifically from animal proteins has been discovered in human cancer tumors. For me, the most eye-opening finding is that this molecule is present regardless of whether or not the animal was organically raised, free-range or farmed in a factory! I always thought if I was paying a lot extra for organic meat, it was perfectly safe to eat. For more information on the study published just last week, visit Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Now I realize at some point, you might want to throw your arms up in defeat and say that everything in our modern culture causes cancer. We are bombarded with an overwhelming amount of information on a daily basis, but I believe each of us has to find a balance that harmonizes with our values, beliefs, and lifestyle. Personally, I have struggled with skin irritations and stomachaches. I need to eliminate what is adversely affecting my health and am on a mission to figure out what causes this unwanted inflammation in my body. As a result, I am slowly weeding out animal proteins from my diet starting with dairy products and taking baby steps from there. I wanted to include four of my favorite vegetarian recipes that make me forget meat even exists:
Steph's Favorite Breakfast:
½ cup organic old-fashioned oatmeal
¼ cup Pacific almond milk
Half of an organic banana, sliced
¼ cup organic blueberries
5-6 raw walnuts
Organic brown sugar, just a pinch
Preparation: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil on the stovetop. Add ½ cup dry oats and cook on low-medium heat for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and ENJOY!
Steph's Favorite Lunch:
I found this recipe from Sophie Uliano's book, Gorgeously Green. It is easy to make and absolutely scrumptious. Sophie has other amazing recipes to choose from, all of which have been big hits with my husband. Here's hoping Sophie writes a cookbook next!
Gorgeously Green Crunchy Wrap:
Whole-wheat tortilla
3-Tbsp hummus
1 avocado
4 black olives
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and ground pepper
¼ cucumber, sliced thin
Lettuce leaves
1 carrot, grated
Preparation: Warm the tortilla. Then take the hummus (I buy a local brand that is pre-made) and spread on top. Next, mash an avocado, and spread it over top. Drizzle a little olive oil on with some salt and pepper. Then add your olives, carrot, cucumber, and lettuce. Roll into a wrap and see what I'm talking about!
Steph's Favorite Chili for a winter evening:
This recipe is from my prized website, Cooking Light. Subscription members have free-on-line access to their recipe database. I originally received a subscription to this magazine as a gift, (thanks, Christina) and I've been renewing ever since. (If you think this might be the right gift to give to your loved one this holiday season, click here).
Chunky Vegetarian Chili
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (16-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add sugar and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. I add green chilis to mine to make it a little spicier but either way it is delicious and flavorful. It also got great reviews!
Lastly, I just happened upon this recipe on cookinglight.com as well, and had all of the ingredients to make it. I threw it together last night and it was sheer perfection. The presentation is gorgeous and the taste is exquisite, especially if you like butternut squash. If I continue to find more recipes like this one, I'll become a vegetarian sooner than I anticipated! My husband and I give this a 5 out of 5 stars.
Quick Fall Minestrone (FYI, there's a lot of chopping involved so it's not necessarily "quick")
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
2 1/2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled baking potato
1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans (about 1/4 pound)
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 1/2 minutes or until tender. Add broth and the next 7 ingredients (broth through salt); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Add kale, orzo, and beans; cook 5 minutes or until orzo is done and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.
Note: I did not use potatoes per the advice of other reviewers. I also simmered mine for about 15-20 minutes because I like my butternut squash to be soft, and then once I added the kale, orzo, and beans, I cooked for another 15 minutes. The results were delightful!
