Vino Lo Mein

I was undecided about what my taste buds were crying out for until the minute before I went to the grocery yesterday. Thinking ahead that morning, I thawed a chicken breast for my carnivore of a husband.  So I knew I had to do some sort of combo that could incorporate that.  Working on the fly, I created a little dish in my head. It turned out to be one of my tastiest veggie creations yet! Introducing...

Vino Lo Mein

(Vino=white wine in my glass the dish Lo Mein=cooked in my wok)

The steam messed up the photo a little, but you get the picture.

Ingredients:

1/2 box of Whole Wheat Linguini
1 Bundle of fresh Broccoli, washed, crowns cut into bit size pieces
1 Red Pepper cut in the thin ribbons
4-5 carrots, cut into little ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1 jar of Artichoke Hearts, drained
1-2 hand fulls fresh Baby Spinach
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 cup vegetable stock
1 Lemon, zest and juice
1/2 cup-1 cup dry white wine, depending on your consistency
Whatever spices you prefer, I did Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Greek Seasoning, and Oregano

Cook linguini according to package directions. Try to have to done about the same time as your stir fry part is complete.  I started boiling the water when I started washing and chopping vegetables and it was perfect timing.

Get all your veggies chopped before you start stir frying, because it does go quite fast. You can will stress yourself out trying to do both at once.

Start with about a tablespoon of canola oil in the wok, searing hot, and add broccoli and red peppers first.  They have the longest cooking time.  Let it stir fry 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute or so.  Add in the shredded carrots, artichoke hearts, and spinach.  Continue to stir fry another 2-3 minutes all veggies are cooked to your preference.  I like my done, but still with a fresh bite to them. 

In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and vegetable stock.  Pour the mixture over veggies in wok.  Let it come to a boil while adding in all lemon zest and juice, rest of your seasonings, and white wine.  Start with a 1/2 cup of wine, adding more as needed, making sure there is enough to coat all the linguini.  Let the mixture bubble in wok for 2-3 more minutes to thicken.

Lastly, toss linguini in the pot with the veggies and sauce to combine.  (Taste a bite to make sure you have enough seasoning.) Enjoy!

In case you are wondering how I incorporated my husbands chicken breast in his meal....He grilled his chicken breast with BBQ sauce and had it along side the American Lo Mein.  Here's a pic of his plate, served with his favorite beverage.  His does look quite tasty!

My husband is a great griller! Check out those grill marks.

Side note: I have to skip giving one of the Food Rules today. I let a friend borrow book last night.  I'm trying to spread the food gospel as I see it, one friend at a time :-)
Hopefully I'll have it back before tomorrow's post.

Must Read

If you are ready to get REAL about what you are eating and how it's affecting your body then I have two books you must read.

I found Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer because he was on the Ellen Show not once, but twice. (Which I saw as a divine sign from the heavens that I was supposed to pick this book up.) I have a love of animals that goes way back to my childhood. I cannot stand the visions of animal abuse that I was sure this book was going to paint for me. But never-the-less, I knew that if I was going to eat meat I need to know where it's coming from and what all the buzz about this book was about. I'm not going to give too much of this book away because I really want everyone I know to pick this up and read it. Disturbing? Absolutely, positively, yes!

The eye-opening part of this book to me is that it made me think a lot about my diet versus my beliefs. Is eating so much meat healthy or is it something us Americans have come (falsely) to believe? Now that I know where it comes from and how these animals are treated will I continue to consume meat as I have been? As you can see from my previous blogs about becoming a part time vegetarian, it's changed me for the better.

Fact is, that if I was the last person left of a farm full of animals, a butcher knife, and a large enough vegetable garden to sustain me for life I would never have enough guts "need" for meat to be able to kill one of those animals for food.
Think about it. Could you kill your own dinner if you had plenty of other foods to select from?


Food Rules by Michael Pollan, is my second must read. I think I would even advise you read this one before Eating Animals because these are changes you can make right away. I could never adopt every single rule in the book (he points out not anyone really could, but picking up a few rules out of each chapter can dramatically change your health). This book makes a lot of light bulbs go off about how "we" (AKA Americans) have become so swayed by advertsing. We have been brainwashed into believing we need all this processed, quick and easy foods. Quicker the better is NOT the ticket when it comes to food.

Each day I'll share with you a few of my favorite rules I've been able to adopt into my own lifestyle.

Today's food for thought. (Pun intended): "Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food."

What are you waiting for? GO PICK UP THESE BOOKS!

The Splurge

Since I made it all week as a born again Vegetarian (except for a sushi roll Wednesday night, with fish of course) I decided to congratulate myself with an awesome date night spread for the hubbs and I Friday night.  We are crazy for seafood, nearly to a fault.  I infused my favorite Rachel Ray "You won't be single for long Vodka Cream Sauce" with some tasty grilled shrimp and lobster meat.
After a week of eating things that were really good for me, it was funny the amount of guilt I carried around from that 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream in the sauce.  But I have to say, it was worth it.

You're dying right! It was delish

To top off the great date night I also baked a pan of BROWNIES! Fear not, all is not lost. It was a low-fat, and fabulous recipe from Cooking Light.

Here is the link:

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1011262

I did change a couple of things.  Instead of purchasing Instant Coffee, I just brewed a strong cup here at home and used 1/4 cup of it.  I also added about 1/4 cup of Toffee bits into the batter as well as pressing some into the top. 
At the step where you mix it all together, the mixture is so super thick!  I couldn't get it to blend so I added splashes of water, about a tablespoon at a time, until the dry ingredients could incorporate.

They were so gooey and fudgy!  Next time you have a sweet tooth I definitely recommend these little gems.

We now interrupt this perfectly peppy food blog for quick angry gripe:
I received my Southern Living magazine in the mail last Thursday.  You must understand how much I worship Southern Living; I live for the day that it's delivered each month and look forward to the Christmas issue all year!  I live and die for this magazine.  But lately, I've noticed there are fewer recipes than ever in the issues.  It also seems there is more of an emphasis on baking. 
Anyone else notice this?  I've always said it's the bible for southern cooks but lately it seems like they are trying to be more of a travel guide than the quintessential southern lady's handbook.  Humph! (I smirk, with a pouty face and hands of hips)

Holy Chipotle

Run, don’t walk, to Chipotle. I was a fierce supporter of Baja Fresh in Green Hills until I ventured across the street to the hidden Chipotle. I tried it initially after reading “Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Foer (a MUST READ for all meat eaters). I heard through the grapevine that Chipotle only buys meats from actual farmers. If you’ve read the book you know actual farmers with real farm animals are few and far between and NEVER found in the grocery isle. If you haven't read the book, catch up, would ya?


Even though my conscious lead me to try it, my appetite keeps me coming back for more. They only do a few items, tacos (hard shell or soft shell) the burrito, the burrito bowl (sans the tortilla) and the salad.  However, you can order your selection a zillion different ways with a ton of different fillings. Think of it as a Mexican themed Subway. 

Since I’m still deep in my Vegetarian week I knew I could eat out here and not feel shafted. I ordered the vegetarian burrito with rice, black beans, nearly every salsa on the bar, lettuce, a spec of sour cream and guacamole. If could just have a spoon and a vat of that guacamole I would be fine. It’s made on site at least three times a day from fresh, organic produce. What more could you ask for?

Disclaimer: The burritos are HUGE! You can see my hand holding it in the picture below, and I have big hands for a girl. I can never finish mine. But I give it a good fight every time…

Here their web link if you want to view the menu or know more.  But you already have my recommendation, are you waiting for?

http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/Default.aspx?type=default

For tomorrow: I just purchased a new book, "Food Rules" and I am so excited to dig in.  I'll let you know if it is a read worth picking up.

Temptation? What Temptation?

Last night, I looked temptation square in its beady little eyes. I mean a nose to nose, smelling its hot stinky breath, an actual face off. And I laughed; laughed in the face of temptation.
Let me start from the beginning. When I set my whole week-day vegetarian goal this week I promised that if Wednesday rolled around and I was dying for meat I would cheat a bit at dinner. Just so I didn't back myself into a corner that I couldn't get out of. So naturally when Monday morning rolled around and my Mother called I knew exactly which night would be best to schedule a trip home to visit. WEDNESDAY!

I'm from a small, small town on the Tennessee/Kentucky border called Elkton, with a population under 2000 on our best day. Our of college I married and moved about 30 minutes South to Clarksville, Tennessee. The one thing I miss from my home town nearly as much as my family is the DAIRY MART!

The Dairy Mart is exactly what you just pictured in your mind without even realizing it. A drive-up restaurant that hasn't changed their menu much (or painted or remodeled) from the day it opened. But why would you with such a winning combo of burgers, fries and shakes? Hamptons Dairy Mart is the biggest small town monopoly, and it’s got the market cornered on good food. It's a cult classic that I never fully appreciated until I left home.

I've introduced my husband to the Dairy Mary. We have been known to drive all the way to Elkton on a Sunday afternoon just for a burger and shake and drive straight back. The shakes are made the old fashioned way and are so thick you have trouble getting the first icy sip to creep up the straw. Burgers are cooked on a flat top and pressed thin so they have just the right about of crisp on the outside and grease on the inside. Yes, it’s the kind of meal where the grease shows through the crisp white bag when the hand it out the window.

Whoever says you can’t go home again has never been handed a bag out of the Dairy Mart window.

Now that you know the ledged behind the Dairy Mart, I can proceed. After my husband got off work yesterday we both had the best intentions of heading straight to the gym. But neither one were too amped about it. After 30 minutes of back and forth banter we found our truck heading for the Kentucky line a day early to visit my family.

GASP, on Vegetarian Tuesday, not Meaty-Cheaty Wednesday?

I was plotting my own excuses in my head as we got closer to the Elkton city limit. Berating myself with the normal questions: “What was I going to eat? I can cheat today; just have to do no meat again tomorrow. But that's not the deal you made with yourself Amanda. Can you not see this one thing through?”

Fear not my friends, I did not buckle under pressure.  By the time we were ready to call in or order for pick up I had my vegetarian delight picked out pineapple and cheese pizza!
My Mother made fun of me; my husband verbally accosted me for not getting "the burger". But I stood my ground. I enjoyed every minute of my two and a half slices of pineapple pizza, and I laughed at the devil that sat on my left shoulder sulking in defeat.

But I have to say, should you ever find yourself in Elkton on any given day and you’re trying to Dairy Mart for the first time you must throw all you deals with yourself out and go for it.
My expert recommendation: 1 cheeseburger, 1 order of fries, extra crispy (say that when you order or they are wimpy cafeteria style fries), 1 small sweet tea, and 1 chocolate shake for after. You won’t regret one calorie!

Sammie Night

Day 1 of weekday vegetarianism in the books! No cravings to speak of, but I was a little sluggish at the gym yesterday afternoon. It could be just a case of the "Monday's at the Gym" however.

As you saw yesterday for lunch I had the Tortilla Soup. Dinner this week will be a challenge because I have to feed my meat eating husband also. Monday's solution? Sammie night.

My sandwich wasn't all my own idea. I saw on an episode this weekend of Grill It with Bobby Flay a tasty looking vegetarian sub. He used grilled eggplant, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella and garlic mayo to make a long sub on a French baguette.  I "Amanda-ized" mine by putting in my own favorite non-meat sandwich ingredients: Portobello mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and spinach, OH MY!

I had a chicken breast to grill for my husband to make his sandwich a carnivore’s delight so I grilled my portabellas along side after giving them a few minutes in a quick marinate.

My Kroger store didn't have whole Portobello’s so I had to go with a pre-sliced pack of them. (*sigh*, Kroger loves to derail my culinary train). I placed the mushrooms into a dish with some low sodium soy sauce, olive oil, and fresh pepper. Let the mushrooms sit for about 10-15 minutes. Mushrooms are like chicken in the carnivore world; they take on whatever flavors you add to them nicely. Portobello’s soak up marinates like a sponge.

After the soaked up all the flavor, I grilled for about 10 minutes over medium high heat, turning every few minutes. I used a grill pan to ensure they no tasty morsels would fall through the grill grates.

On to the bread. I used a multigrain baguette from Kroger and cut it into 4 equal parts; using two of those for our dinner last night. I know, I know, the waste!  But what is a household of two to do?  Those who cook for a two person household can relate to the frustration of extra food going to waste.  I’m optimistic I can use the other two parts another night this week.

*Does my talk of bread have you cringing at the thought of all those calories and carbs?  Use this tip: Take your fingers and run them up the inside cavity of the bread to hollow it out. This leaves two shells, better for sandwich stuffing and you save anywhere from 50-75 calories by scooping out the center of the loaf and trashing it. 

Hollowed out bread=LOWER CAOLIRES

After grilling the mushrooms and toasting the bread a bit on the grill I put my Vegetarian Sammie all together; topping it with two slices of fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and a handful of spinach. No mayo needed here! The mushrooms pack a flavor punch with the soy sauce and olive oil.

I added a side of microwave steamer (frozen kind) vegetables to my plate and Sammie night is complete.

Note: If you struggle like I do to make sure you aren't ripping off you husband at dinner time with your food experiments, keep a few things in mind.  Do side items that both of you will eat in the same meal.  Last night my husband had a can of Bush's Baked Beans that I doctored up a bit (he loves them) and the same frozen vegetables as I did. The only way I had to alter my meal prep for him was to grill his chicken breast for his sandwich.

Make it easy on yourself to stick to your special diet (or vegetarian work-weeks, in my case) by planning meals that won't cause you to have to cook two meals at one time. Plus, you will end up feeling short-changed if you prepare a fatty carnivore feast for the Hubby while you nosh on spinach and rice cakes.

Chicken-less Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last week, my boss was talking about a big pot of chicken tortilla soup her son was munching on while we were on our business trip. Having not much else to think about in our meetings but food, it started to plant a seed in my mind. I wanted to work on a vegetarian version. I'm not crazy about bland shredded chicken to begin with so the thought of parting with chicken in my soup was not heartbreaking to me. I started working on MY recipe in my head. Sunday I brought my creation to life.


But first, a little background. I've been reading a ton of blogs, books and articles lately about our meat industry and factory farming. It's alarming! I can't believe how uninformed we are about the things we are putting into our own body. I could go on, but I'll sit that soap box aside for a later post. I've decided that I would experiment with becoming a work week (Monday-Friday) Vegetarian; of the lacto-ovo variety (still eating dairy and eggs). I am too much of a people pleaser to be a full-time vegetarian. I would never want my family to, nor would they, change our Thanksgiving menu on my Vegetarian needs. I'm a southern girl, and you don't go messing with Mama's cooking! Same applies for going to friends houses and out to eat, I don't want to inconvenience anyone. If meat is on the menu or I want meat, I'm going to have it. But for a while, and if only during this one week alone, I'm going Vegetarian baby!

So, my soup was created for my lunch this week. This pot will last all week, even after sharing a bowl with my neighbor. If you are looking for a spicy, healthy option for Tortilla soup then I've got a recipe for you, my friend.

Disclaimer: I cook on a "chop and drop" and "eyeballing measurements" method. Don't get too caught up in my measurements. Alter ingredients and measurements to your taste buds.

Chickenless Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 Softball size sweet yellow onion; chopped

3-4 big cloves of garlic; minced

1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

3 vine ripe tomatoes; chopped

1 can tomato sauce

4-5 chopped Chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce*

(*can kind found on in Mexican food section of your grocery)

1 carton of Vegetable Stock

1-2 cups water

1 package of extra firm tofu

1 bunch of fresh kale

Cumin

Kosher Salt/Fresh Pepper; to taste

1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves; chopped

Wash up all your produce and get a large cutting board situated next to a big Dutch oven or pot.  Start with a tablespoon or so of Olive Oil in the pot and chop and dump in your onion and garlic.  Saute until tender and translucent.  From there dump in all your tomatoes, Chipotle peppers, stock and water.  Bring mixture to a boil.  Meanwhile, rinse and pat dry the tofu.  Cut into small cubes.  Heat a non-stick skillet with a little cooking spray over medium high heat.  Saute tofu cubes, a single layer at a time until they start to brown up on all side.  Scoop tofu into pot and return to a boil.  Add in all seasoning and cilantro leaves.  Let simmer covered for 30-45 minutes.  Taste for salt or any other additional needed spices about half way through.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with whatever toppings you like.  I did, 1/2 of 1/2 of an avocado, vegan shredded cheese (which was surprisingly good) and crushed up blue corn tortilla chips.

I had leftover soup for lunch today.  Think it's even better the second day!  Enjoy.

-Amanda