Broccoli Bake to DIE for!

This is by FAR one of my new favorite recipes. When my husband asked for his grandmas classic 'broccoli rice chicken and cheese thing', I decided there was no reason this obvious comfort food couldn't be veggie friendly! After picking through several bland sounding recipes, this concoction was born. I must warn you, after you make this once, if will be a weekly event :)


Vegetarian Broccoli and Cheese Bake

• At least 20 oz frozen chopped broccoli
• 3 cups instant rice
• 2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 (16 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil if you prefer...
• 1 bunch celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook broccoli and rice according to package directions
3. Melt butter (or drizzle with olive oil) in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and saute celery and onion until tender crisp
4. In a medium saucepan over low heat, whisk cream of mushroom soup and 1 1/4 cups water. Gradually whisk in cheese until melted into a smooth sauce. Be careful not to let the cheese settle and burn on the bottom
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, rice, soup and cheese mixture, celery and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until bubbly and lightly brown
7. Top that bad boy with more cheese, put back in the oven and let it melt.
8. Try and let it cool a bit and then DIG IN

Ill be the first to admit, this dish doesnt look like a whole lot, but trust me, your tastebuds will thank me :)

<3 j

Vegetarian On The Cheap - Nachos!!

Hello lovelies :)

Since deciding to sign up for yoga teacher training (YAY!!!!), Ive had to really watch my spending to pick up the cost. Just like last post, this is a super easy meal that can be whipped up on pennies. And honestly, who doesn't love a giant plate of nachos??

Veggie Nachos (that even your non veggie fiancee will love)

1 can black beans, drained
1 green pepper, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
3-4 carrots, peeled and shredded
As much shredded cheese as your little heart desires
Tortilla chips
Salsa

Other things that make nachos super tasty:
1-2 corn on the cob, roasted and kernels cut off
Jalapeños
Sour Cream
Diced tomatos
I picked up chips and salsa from my favorite Mexican restaurant :)

Preheat oven to 350

1. Mix together all veggies and black beans, spread on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes or until warm.
2. On a large plate, spread a layer of chips. Top with veggies, beans, and cheese.
3. Put plate in the oven until cheese is melted.
4. Top with any other goodies and dig in!! I left my salsa on the side so the chips didn't get all soggy.

Enjoy!!

    

Spinach Artichoke Stromboli!!

Hey everyone!! :)

Sorry for the lack of posting lately, this wedding is eating up all of my free time! Speaking of eating up, I made the easiest, cheapest, most delicious meal tonight on my brand new pizza stone <3 Here is my recipe!! Sorry there aren't any pictures, but it was gone too fast to get any!

Spinach Artichoke Stromboli

1 roll pre made pizza dough (or if you're prepared, homemade is always better)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can artichokes, chopped
1 8 oz bag Italian Blend shredded cheese
1 10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly pressed to remove excess water
Basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375

1. Roll out pizza dough onto a greased cookie sheet (or pizza stone if you have one)
2. Allowing at least an one inch margin around the edges, spread the tomato sauce evenly on to the dough. You can use as much or as little as you like, but don't go crazy or you will get soggy Stromboli!
3. Spread out the artichokes, spinach (you wrung out all that extra water right!?), and top with cheese.
4. Sprinkle on some basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to your liking.
5.  Here's the fun part :) Fold in the dough around the edges about one inch or so over the toppings. Pinch the corners a bit to help seal the pizza
6. Carefully begin rolling up the rectangle as tightly as possible (like you would roll up a newspaper) without ripping your dough. Make sure the seam is on the bottom when you are done so it doesn't come undone.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown
8. Cut into 2 inch slices and let everyone admire your chef skills :)


I hope that isn't too confusing without pictures! If you have any questions please ask!!

<3 J


  

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

Rotten Food is Gross.

After a crazy few days, Im trying to get my little vegetarian mission back on track. I came across this awesome article from Vegetarian Times Magazine. As Americans, we throw away an average of $600 dollars worth of food each year. Thats crazy! I admit, sometimes I buy veggies that find their way into the back of the fridge and dont come back out until I discover that they have turned a different color that they aren't supposed to be. So now what?! How do you avoid the waste and get the most out of each produce purchase you make? This article breaks down which produce to eat first and which pesky fruits and veggies make others go bad quicker.

Where to store what:
Some produce gives off higher levels ethylene, an odorless gas that causes produce to ripen and rot faster. By separating them accordingly, you can prolong those sweet tomatoes lives :)

Refrigerate These - Gas Releasers

Apples

Apricots

Cantaloupe

Figs

Honeydew

Don't Refrigerate These - Gas Releasers

Avocados

Bananas (unripe)

Nectarines

Peaches

Pears

Plums

Tomatoes

Keep These Away From Gas Releasers

Bananas (ripe)

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Cucumber

Eggplant

Any Leafy Green

Parsley

Peas

Peppers

Squash

Sweet Potatoes

Watermelon

Here is a very helpful chart to help you plan meals to avoid wasting produce and money!! This chart is assuming you were able to get fresh, healthy items that weren't already on their way out...

Eat First: Sunday to Tuesday Artichokes Asparagus Avocados Bananas Basil Broccoli Cherries Corn Dill Green beans Mushrooms Mustard greens Strawberries Watercress

Eat Next: Wednesday to Friday Arugula Cucumbers Eggplant Grapes Lettuce Lime Mesclun Pineapple Zucchini

Eat Last: Weekend Apricots Bell peppers Blueberries Brussels sprouts Cauliflower Grapefruit Leeks Lemons Mint Oranges Oregano Parsley Peaches Pears Plums Spinach Tomatoes Watermelon

And Beyond Apples Beets Cabbage Carrots Celery Garlic Onions Potatoes Winter squash

 I found these 2 charts to be super helpful and super informative. I certainly had no idea that carrots and apples shouldn't roll in the same crowd! Happy vegetarian eating everyone!!


<3 j


     

Kosher Products and Labeling

It was suggested by a reader that I help people to better understand the Kosher practices and product labeling of the foods deemed appropriate for human consumption by a rabbi. Thanks so much for your suggestion! I love the feedback, and this topic is perfect for me to dig into because my mother's side of the family is Jewish. Let hit some basics here:


A product can be deemed non-kosher due to the presence of an "unclean" animal or an animal that was not properly slaughtered. Most commonly, when people discuss non kosher animals, they immediately think pigs. Yes, according to Jewish beliefs, pigs are off limits. The guidelines say that "anything which chews the cud and has a cloven hoof is ritually clean, but animals that only chew the cud or only have cloven hooves are not" (Leviticus 11:3-4) Confusing, I know. Make is easier on yourself here. Rabbit and pig are probably the only two animals you will come across in your daily life....unless camel is something you snack on.... Also know that anything that "crawls the earth" is unclean (no spiders) and birds of prey, including the fish eating ones, are a no no. Fish are also totally fair game.


Usually when Kosher foods are spoken of, people are referring to the slaughter of that animal. Jewish Dietary Law dictates the exact fashion in which an animal should be killed. Most importantly, you CANNOT eat an animal that has died of natural causes. Also, before and after slaughter, each aspect of the animal is inspected for good health, including the organs. This stems from the thought that the animal had something wrong going on inside, so therefore, it is unclean for you to ingest those diseases. This is a long, very detailed process. I highly recommend you look over this article and read about the in's and out's to inform yourself a bit further:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shechita

For your reference, these are some common labels used on Kosher food packaging

Now, with all that said, this is a great place for new veggies to start. Obviously, at this point your are still eating meat. Much like the organic label, you should be skeptical about what you are actually buying. Organic products endorsed by the USDA only are questionable. Keep in mind that those rules are really suggestions and the organization itself is run by the people that produce the products. They WILL have their own best interest in mind. Kosher foods should be viewed with a chip on your shoulder as well. Many of these supervising rabbis are not on the property 100% of the time, are being paid by a meat processor to do their job and maximize profits, and also do not witness the entire slaughter and health of the animal each and every time. Like I said, this is a great way to start eating responsibly, but seriously question where you get your products from!

Shalom :)

<3 J

  

Are you ready to actually MEET what is on your plate?

Here are some sad but true facts about your meat.


The pollution from animal waste causes respiratory problems, skin infections, nausea, depression and even death for people who live near factory farms. Livestock waste has been linked to six miscarriages in women living near a hog factory in Indiana. (Home Sweet Home for yours truly...)




Concrete or slatted floors allow for easy removal of manure, but because they are unnatural surfaces for pigs, the animals often suffer skeletal deformities.




Ammonia and other gases from manure irritate animals' lungs, to the point where over 80% of US pigs have pneumonia upon slaughter.




Overuse of antibiotics in animals is causing more strains of drug-resistant bacteria, which is affecting the treatment of various life-threatening diseases in humans. The Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences has estimated the annual cost of treating antibiotic-resistant infections in the U.S. at $30 billion.




Factory farms are also referred to as the following:
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO)
Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) 

             .....This totally sounds like things I want to eat. Gross.
Industrial Agricultural Operation (IAO)
Industrial Livestock Operation (ILO)



Pigs are as smart as or smarter than a 3 year old child. This means they fully understand they are in a horrible situation and sense death through the screams of other pigs. 




Understand the $h*t you eat, take a stand, make a change
<3 J








http://www.organicconsumers.org
http://www.sustainabletable.org

The Big Decision

I want to start off by saying that I really want this to be an interactive place where people can ask for help, tips, and advise from others. Please feel free to comment and share. Also, if you don;t have anything nice to say, don't say it at all. Nobody wants to hear it :D

Anyhow, the biggest key to being a vegetarian and sticking to it, is having a very strong sense of why you have chosen to eliminate meat entirely. As I mentioned earlier, the choice to go veggie is extremely personal and everyone has their own story. A quick Google of "reasons to be a vegetarian" gives you pretty much anything that can be twisted into reason. One of my favorites, save money at restaurants. Please don't solely decide on going veggie to save a dollar or two at your favorite chain. Most people site the categories the following categories for their own issues:

(http://www.flex.com/~jai/articles/101.html for their complete list)

People

- Grain fed to farm animals could be used to feed the millions dying of starvation

- 1 in 10 children in third world countries die before their first birthday, many from starvation

- If Americans reduced meat consumption by 10%, it would free up enough grain to feed 60,000,000 people. (Roughly the population of Great Britain) 

Land

- 1 acre of land yields about 165 pounds of beef or 20,000 potatoes

- 25% of Central America's forest have been cut down for cattle grazing purposes

- Factory farming is the direct cause of severe erosion of land and top soil

Air

- The 1,300,000,000 cattle in the world emit 60,000,000 tons of methane each year

- The amount of methane released into the air from cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, goats, ect each year can account for more than a 25% contribution to global warming and climate changes

- People that live near factory farms often become extremely ill from breathing in all of the waste and chemicals that one farm produces

Water

- Nitrates, pesticides, and run off of animal waste regularly enter our drinking water supply

- The expense of providing farmed animals with the bare minimum of water to survive is about $200,000,000 a year

Personal Health

- Vegetarians are about 25% less likely to have heart disease (Vegans can be up to 50% less likely)

- All farmed animals are pumped full of antibiotics and hormones, which drastically alter how your body functions

- 80% of food poisoning is linked to contaminated meat

- Obesity is extremely rare while maintaining a vegetarian diet

Animal Welfare (I'll keep this as PG as possible....)

- Fishing methods kill many other animals besides the one type of fish they are looking for

- Fishing methods change a destroy ocean ecosystems

- Chickens are kept in battery cages that are too small for them to turn around in or stand up

- Chickens feet are severely disformed from their wire cages

- Chickens are debeaked. This process involves their beaks being seared off in order to prevent them from attacking each other in their microscopic quarters

- All animals are fed a strict diet of hormones and antibiotics. This rapid overgrowth results in animals literally outgrowing their bones and many have broken legs and backs

- Cattle are supposed to be "knocked" (unconscious) before being bled out. Many are still very awake

My personal issue is with animal cruelty and factory farming in general. The factory farm goes against every category I just listed. They violate in new, grotesque ways every day. Cage free and free range mean absolutely nothing, it is simply a mind trick to make people ignore where there food comes even more. I recently read Eating Animals (seen on the left) by Jonathan Safran Foer. Let me tell you, ignorance is truly bliss when it comes to factory farms. I garuntee, if everyone understood where their 

chicken came from and actually looked at the package they were buying (all of them have a solid 15% "juice" additive, and yes, it says it right on the package) more people would have something to say about their food. 

I could go on forever about this, but I want to know why YOU decided to make the switch! Share with the class!!

J