Vegan Vegetarian Omnivore: Dinner for Everyone at the Table by Anna Thomas (who wrote the two Vegi Epi books back in the 1970s) is a nice collection of recipes. Many are vegan with suggestions for how to vary them.
Most of my friends with food issues don’t make a big deal of it, but I hate to have a big meal and see them picking at the salad. My SIL puts blue cheese in the salad every time I’m there. She knows I don’t like it and I pick it all out. You could easily put the darn cheese in a small bowl and let people put it on their salads themselves.
I have had one - not at Burger King - but I’ve had one. It’s not something I would go out of my way to eat again but I’m not big on burgers to begin with.
Thanks for the NYT food rec. The Instagram photos/recipes look delicious!
@oboemom65 - I looked at each of those recipes and will definitely be trying several! Exactly what I need to open my eyes to foods and combinations I’ve never considered before.
I tried the Impossible Burger but found myself a bit disgusted by it as I imagined the processing and treatments that went into creating it. But, despite being a vegetarian for 10+ years, I don’t buy any processed soy products for the same reason - so not sure my opinion is really valid.
Yeah, same way here although I am not vegetarian. I don’t like fake meat substitutes. I’d rather just eat some vegetarian dishes that aren’t trying to be something else.
And I’m not big on soybean based products. It’s all pretty much genetically modified and, based on things I’ve read, I question how good it is for us.
I don’t really understand (or like) fake food ie something such as soy chorizo, tofurky, soy cheese etc it’s either meat or its not!
This is something I made for TG; it was such a hit, we eat it year round:
One butternut squash sliced lengthwise and seeded.
Brush w olive oil and S&P and road until just tender
Remove from oven and scoop out flesh to about 1/2" from outer skin (save for soup)
Stuffing:
Steamed brown lentils from TJ
chopped carrot, onion & celery - sauteed until slightly tender in olive oil and toasted cumin
some type of dried fruit - I used cranberries
various herbs dried or fresh - I use oregano, parsley and rosemary
mix it all together, fill both halves of hollowed out squash, sandwich back together and tie with string; oilthe skin and s&p, roast for about 30m on 400 or until skin is gently brown. Remove from oven, slice and eat! Also delicious cold.
I have not personally tried the Impossible burger but my SIL has (he is a meat eater). He says he could not tell the difference. Mind you this is the Impossible burger 2 which is the newer iteration and has gotten great reviews. He likes it better than the Beyond Burger which he finds lacking the proper texture.
Interestingly Whole foods sells the BB in its cafe but not the IB, the reason is that BB is not GMO but the IB had elements that have been modified.
The founder of IB recently did a podcast on Freakonomics which was pretty interesting. His mission is to create alternate plant based meat sources for all meats. We as a planet can no longer sustain animals as a food source. It is a very engaging interview if you are interested in knowing more.
I grew up vegetarian, and raised my (now adult) D as one. She is now 100% vegan, and I am inching my way (quickly) to veganism (cheese currently has a hold on me). She makes the most amazing food, and tahini seems to be a staple in her life. Last we were together (Feb.) she made the most amazing bowls of yumminess…she doesn’t measure, and is about simple ingredients and spices. The base for my favorite bowl she makes is riced cauliflower, which she tops with steamed yam/sweet potato, spinach, kale, carrots and portobello mushrooms (sauteed in tamari) (all the veggies except the mushrooms are steamed). She throws them all in a bowl, drizzles heated sesame oil, a smidgen of chili powder (her fav is chipotle), and a couple tablespoons of tahini (which she makes herself) - sometimes she’ll “jerk” some tofu and add it, but she tries to limit her soy consumption as it does have hormonal imbalance (and other) issues, and she’s made me stop using it 100%. Anyway…this bowl is flexible as far as ingredients, but is delicious and filling, but not bloat inducing at all. It can be eaten hot or cold. I made a huge bowl of it for a “meatless Wednesday” potluck at work (served cold) and there was zero left over.
Re: meat substitutes. Yes, everyone knows it’s not meat. Some people like the kinds of meals that would formerly be meat-based (for instance, a stew with sausages). I’m not sure why, even if one doesn’t want that, it’s so hard to wrap your head around someone else enjoying it.
I had an impossible burger at a restaurant recently (Not BK) and liked it very much. We all know beef consumption is horrendous for the planet, so if “stuff made in a lab” means more people eat environmentally safer, then that’s a good thing. I had that original skeeve feeling when first reading about it, but a thoughtful vegetarian friend talked me out of it.
^Right. It’s the “I don’t understand…it’s either meat or not!” dismissal that seems like more than one’s own preference; instead, it’s questioning others.
Like, I should go “duh! how stupid I’ve been for not getting that!”
I took one bite of the Beyond burger and announced that it tasted like bamboo. Sure enough there is bamboo cellulose in them. H did not believe me. I seriously disliked it.
I have not yet tasted the Impossible Burger but have read the ingredients and am hopeful that I will like it.
