A couple of my friends have asked for me to share some of my vegetarian meals so that they could make a change to eating less meat. To that end, I have been snapping phone pictures of my most photogenic meals for the last month or so when it occurs to me. I’ve written posts on this topic before, here and here.
The descriptions for the photo above:
1. Bulgur wheat and vegetables with parmesan cheese.
2. Veggie burrito at Urban Taco.
3. Cauliflower “almost” egg salad used as a spread on thin sliced jicama, tomato, or lettuce.
4. Veggie Wrap at Cafe Playa Sur.
5. A bowl of peruano beans (I make a big pot every week) and some fresh vegetables.
1. Big Salad. I add lots of seeds, nuts, and veggies. I make my own dressing.
2. Gnocchi and veggies with spicy red pepper salsa. I buy the salsa at Mega – it is super hot and delicious. I also buy the gnocchi, with one package being used for about four meals.
3. Another salad, this time with potatoes on the side. I pre-cooked these in a bit of water on the stove and they got roasted the rest of the way in the veggie basket on the grill outside.
4. Open faced cheese and tomato sandwich on La Brea Bakery bread I bought at Costco in Culiacan. Side dish of my home-fermented sauerkraut.
5. Brown rice and veggie stir fry. I make the rice in big batches and put it in the freezer in half cup portions.
1. For breakfast every day I either make a smoothie or oatmeal. I buy old-fashioned oatmeal and usually add pumpkin, chia, and sunflower seeds as well as a glug of coconut oil and some fruit.
2. An open faced veggie burger on Hector’s sourdough bread and a side of baked sweet potato fries.
3. A open faced tofu hot dog also on Hector’s sourdough bread and a side of homemade sauerkraut.
4. Gnocchi, again. I cook them in a saute pan with the veggies and sauce so they absorb the flavors.
5. A big plate of nice fresh vegetables. Don’t tell me this isn’t a delicious dinner! Crunch a little Himalayan or sea salt on it or add a bit of hummus for a dip.
I thought I’d show you my fermented vegetables. On the left are fermented asparagus – I bought a big bag at Costco last week. We need to get the fixings for Bloody Marys! The second are fermented green beans – the beans also came from my trip to the Costco in Culiacan. The sauerkraut is delicious… and the last jar is fermented cucumber pickles made with Chuy’s organic cucumbers. They turned out so great, I am thrilled!
I’ve written before about how important I believe fermented foods are for gut health. More and more evidence is piling up that the gut controls more of our body than maybe even the brain! I’d recommend you Google “Gut Health” or “Microbiome” and do some reading if you’re interested.
Kim G
June 1, 2015Vegetarian food is yummy and makes you live longer. What’s not to like?
Saludos,
Kim G
Boston, MA
Where we are maybe 85% vegetarian.
Shannon Casey
June 1, 2015Wow does that look yummy!
Nancy
June 1, 2015Kim G, I get a lot of questions about what I eat, but it just seems normal to me!
Shannon, I’m glad the photos look good to you, so glad you have an appetite. I wish I lived nearby, I would bring you lunches anytime. xoxo
Wendy Kain
June 2, 2015Nancy you are obviously so gifted with food, it would show irrespective of your food choices. Good to see this delicious stuff.
Nancy
June 2, 2015Wendy, You are so sweet to say so!
Theresa, These gnocchi don’t have flour, they’re all potato— but I have cut way back on flour, having a small piece of handmade sourdough rough wheat bread a day, tops. I will have a flour tortilla once in a while, too. No white flour ish stuff at all… and it seems to have made a difference with the persistent dermatitis on my hands. Kudos to you on your change in diet, I wish you’d do a similar post so I can see what you eat too!
Theresa Diaz Gray
June 2, 2015The food looks great. I love gnocchi, I’ve been making it with ground amaranth instead of wheat flour and it’s super!
People ask me the same thing when they learned we were going grain free. LOL, like the only thing in the world is pasta and bread! The other big question seems to be “what about fiber?” the answer, of course, is vegetables and greens.
Makes you wonder what the rest of the world is eating, doesn’t it? I’m making fermented foods too, though, I think that project is on hold until October because it’s been too warm lately.
regards,
Theresa
Steve Cotton
June 3, 2015I have been trying to cut down on my reliance on restaurants by getting back to cooking more at home. Vegetables (especially stir fry) have long been a staple of my cooking, but you have given me some great new ideas. Thanks. As always, I learn a lot when I head over here.
judith
June 4, 2015These are all such delicious choices! We are trying to cut down on flour and increase our fermented foods, so you have given us lots of ideas! Thanks!
Sandy
June 27, 2015How do you cook your peruano beans? If you have shared this before will you point me to the place to find recipe. TIA
Nancy
June 27, 2015Sandy, Here’s the link to the post on how I make my peruano beans without soaking them overnight. http://www.countdowntomexico.com/2012/03/30/tips-from-my-mexican-kitchen/
Here’s a cut-and-paste
Another tip from my kitchen is how I make my peruano beans. I have been frustrated when making beans because they just aren’t that regular in the time it takes them to cook. I have presoaked them and used a clay pot. I have made sure I was buying fresh beans. No matter what I would be checking and checking, and delaying lunch over and over. No more!
For this tip, you’ll need a slow cooker. I rinse the peruano beans (my favorite, but this would work with others) and put them in the slow cooker with a cup of water. Then I fill a kettle with water and put it on the stove to boil. If you don’t boil it ahead of time you might wait for two hours or more for the water in your slow cooker to heat! So, while you wait for it to boil, add a couple of dried avocado leaves (you’ll find them cello-bagged in the spice aisle,) some epazote (same place) and a couple of bay leaves, to the slow cooker. I like garlic, so I usually take all the cloves from one head of garlic and put them in there whole. You’d be surprised how creamy and lovely they become.
Sandy
June 28, 2015Thank you – looking forward to trying this soon – may need to use another bean if I can’t find peruano beans here.