Vegetable Stock Recipe

Hey gang! I finally got around to making a batch of homemade veggie stock! I wanted a good spicy broth to make some tortilla soup with later in the week, so I found a recipe that looked promising and went for it. Of course, I ended up just doing what I wanted in the end. Honestly, I think the one thing I didn't change was adding in turnips....

HTGVeggie Stock

1 giant stock pot
18 cups water
9-10 carrots, not peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks
9-10 celery stalks, cut into 1 inch chunks
2-3 yellow onions, papery skin still on, cut in half (yes, you read that right. The skins give a great yellow color to the stock)
2 turnips, quartered
1 tbs whole allspice
Fresh ground pepper and salt to tasted


Variation: I added in a whole, quartered jalapeno, seeds and all, to this stock. The original recipe I found called for 1 jalapeno per every 6 cups of water. Let me warn you, I adore spicy everything and my stock came out too spicy with just the one jalapeno.....


1. Wash and prep all veggies. Be sure to include the leafy tops of the celery!


2. Everybody into the pool!


3. Bring to an easy simmer and let cook for at least 30 minutes. Make sure to keep the stock at just a simmer. A full rolling boil will make your stock very cloudy.


4. When a fork easily punctures the veggies, your stock is good to go! Take out all the big veggies and discard. Strain the rest with a fine colander. 

I like to divide mine out into easy to manage portions for freezing and using later on down the road, cause lets face it, nobody is going to sit down and eat all 18 cups right after you make it. Make sure to set aside some veggies and noodles to make a cup of soup as a reward :)

YUMMMMM

I would also like everyone to know that I had to explain to my fiance why there were so many veggies in the trash after I made stock. After explaining that using veggies to make stock uses all of their flavor and goodness, I think he was less upset :) He thought I threw all of my stock away haha!

Easy peasy! Happy cooking!

J

 

    

How to get on and stay on the right track....

Hey everyone! This morning I would like to share some advice for going veggie and making it last.

Before I made my decision and stuck to it, I tried a few months prior and totally crashed and burned. Maybe it was because I wasn't 100% committed to it or my reasoning wasn't strong enough for myself, but either way I definitely did not do myself any favors in my own kitchen. We still had chicken breast, easy to throw in the microwave breakfasts, and the ever dangerous frozen chicken nuggets in our freezer. With all the normal, easy to eat foods that I had been used to still in my life, it was essentially impossible for my quest to be a successful one at that point. Here is a list of things you should do to be ready to fight any cravings or curb the need for a quick meal.

1. Get meat out of your fridge/freezer
1. My fiance isn't a vegetarian, but for the first week or two of my switch I all but got rid of anything in the house I couldn't have. When he ate at home, he became a sometimes vegetarian for a few weeks. I got rid of the chicken nuggets, beef broth, and anything else that was now a no go. It made my life so much easier to go in the fridge and not have to worry about what I was taking out. Now, I will cook some meat for him every once in a while, but I still don't keep it in the house on a regular basis. 
2. Cant throw everything away or donate it to friends? Put everything you will no longer be eating in a designated place that you simply STAY OUT OF!! Pick a drawer in the fridge, a certain cabinet, anything that will keep the no-no's out of your direct line of sight.
2. Have a solid, educated opinion on why you no longer eat cheeseburgers
1. This will come up and you will have to explain why you don't eat meat any more. Personally, I read a lot about the meat industry and cried over it several times. Now, given the opportunity, I try to educate the person asking without going into disgusting detail. Everyone will tell you that you will have a hard time getting enough protein. So SO false. For some reason, Americans think the only place protein exists is in meat. Here is a good little list for you to rattle off when people say that......whole grains, lentils, beans, tofu, nuts, seeds, meat substitutes, and greek yogurt. That should fend them off for a minute or two. Anyway, you need to be firmly rooted in your choice because sadly, people will try and sway you that you are not in the right. Just remain calm and educate along the way
3. Demand respect in your choice
1. Like I said above, some people are out for a fight. Don't let these idiots get you down. I promise you, you can just walk away from them or simply state you aren't having a conversation until that person treats you with respect.
4. Enlist the help of others.
1. My biggest tool for getting and staying on the right track was staring this blog and twitter account to link up to other veggies. Having someone to reach out to for advice and support is key, especially if your friends and family aren't supportive. I am lucky in that my fiance is very proud of my choice (now if I can only get him to join me 100% of the time......) and my mom only argues with my about my choice not to eat fish (fish are animals too, mom). 
5. Make your favorite meat meals into veggie ones
1. My weakness? Buffalo chicken sandwiches and Buffalo Wild Wings. My fix? Veggie chick'n patties and nuggets dipped in Sweet Baby Ray's Buffalo Sauce. Craving totally taken care of and all on my terms.

I hope you new veggies find this helpful! I am at the point now where omitting meat is a habit. It's easy for me to roast up a chicken breast for my boy and have absolutely zero desire to eat it. I promise you will get there, it just takes some work up front.

To my already veggie friends, what tips do you have to share with new veggies?! What worked for you?


     

82 Vegetarian Recipes

I stumbled upon this on Martha Stewart's website this morning. I thought it was certainly worth sharing! Its a slide show of 82 delicious looking and sounding vegetarian meals. Take a few minutes to click through them and get inspired!! :) Let me know if you have made any of them! Im excited to try a few of them myself!

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/quick-meatless-recipes