Our Meatless Monday Adventure

I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s Resolutions….you either make a change or you don’t. A few years ago, we set a goal to attend one live theatre/music performance a month, and we’ve been pretty successful. This year, inspired by a column by the Express-News’s Claudia Zapata, I asked Bruce if he’d be willing to try “Meatless Mondays.”

For carnivores, we’re pretty knowledgeable about vegetarian cooking; one of our best friends is a vegetarian, and we’ve enjoyed learning how to cook for her. I’ve learned from experience that a good, satisfying vegetarian meal takes more than slapping three different vegetables together on the plate. You’ll find yourself hungry not very long after. Adding proteins (such as legumes or eggs) or whole grains makes for a much more satisfying meal.

Vegetarian cooking also requires a lot more prep work, we’ve discovered. You don’t have to do much to ground meat to cook it. But nearly all vegetables (assuming they’re fresh and not out of a can) require chopping or grating or some other kind of prep. We prepare as much of our Monday dinner ahead of time as possible. (We have an orchestra rehearsal on Monday evening, so don’t have much time for a complicated dinner.)

I’m not on the way to becoming a vegetarian (I’m a Brooks Woman; the need for bacon is encoded in our genes), but it’s a fun and educational way to change your eating habits.

I asked Karen, our vegetarian friend, for her insights:

LB: How long have you been a vegetarian?
Karen: Since I was 13—so 22 years!

LB: Why did you become a vegetarian?
Karen: At that age, I was very much into the environmental scene. I read about the life of an animal on a farm being raised for slaughter. Of course the actual killing of the animals bothered me, but more so the conditions under which they are bred, kept, and raised. I just decided that I didn’t need to contribute to that.

LB: What roadblocks did you face?
Karen: Of course it is hard at first just giving up flavors that you enjoy. One of the hardest things is giving up food-based experiences. I will never get to eat a hot dog at a baseball game or from a street vendor in NY, for example. I will not get to try escargot or eat seafood in the Mediterranean. Those are things I will miss getting to do in my life.

LB: What are your favorite sources of protein? We really have to think about this...a lot. If we don't, we're hungry an hour after dinner.
Karen: Beans and eggs are great (not together; blech), and so is dairy. There are also more and more “super grains” like bulgur and quinoa that provide a great deal of protein. The trick is to get a wide variety of sources built in to your diet so that you aren’t getting just one form of protein.

LB: Going out to dinner must be difficult. I know you avoid barbeque and seafood places. Other places, like Gourmet Burger Grill and Hu-Hot, have some good choices for vegetarians. I’ve also learned that you have to be careful for “sneaky” ingredients (most soups, for example, start with chicken broth).
Karen: Eating out can be limiting. There just are not a wide variety of healthy, filling, satisfying choices out there for vegetarians. You can usually find something in one of those categories but not all three (i.e., a dinner salad or bean and cheese nachos). Surprisingly, burger places tend to be a good bet. Gourmet Burger Grill, Red Robin, Chilies, Culvers, Burger King, and Long Horn Café all have either a garden burger or Boca burger that you can substitute for meat and then top with any of their regular burger toppings. These substitutes are not always listed on the menu, so don’t be afraid to ask. Things that can bite you are beans and rice at Mexican restaurants (lard and chicken stock respectively), Asian foods that contain fish sauce, and sauces in general (since they are often made ahead and then thinned with a little stock of some kind). VERY sneaky!!!!

LB: What do you enjoy about being a vegetarian?
Karen: I enjoy the physical benefits of being able to eat more and not worry so much about fat, cholesterol, calories (I still have to pay attention, but not as much). I enjoy knowing that I am living my life in a way that is good for me, good for my fellow creatures on Earth, and good for the planet itself. I enjoy being forced out of a rut of “meat and potatoes” and trying new ingredients (especially vegetables) that I would have never eaten if I was cooking with meat. A general sense of smug satisfaction when eating with meat-eaters is a perk too! ;)