Probably would make sense to stop this blog and the others, keeping everything in the On the Toilet page. I have a difficult enough time keeping up with things to write in that blog, let alone trying to do other ones, so this is just a little blog to let you know that my vegetarian stuff will carry on over to On the Toilet instead.
I don’t know what it would be called, as I just threw a couple things together, but I really enjoyed the dinner I made myself last night (and am eating this afternoon for lunch).
Ingredients:
I put all the ingredients up to the Olive Oil (excluding the Pine Nuts) into a pan and sauteed. I didn’t measure anything out, so you could experiment to taste. I know I put in more Tamari than the other two – and probably more Chili Sauce than Sesame Oil. I added the Pine Nuts a few minutes in. After constantly stirring, I let everything sit for a couple minutes so it would get nice and brown. Then, I would stir some more and let it sit on another side.
Once the Tofu looked wonderfully brown, I scooped out one serving onto a bed of Baby Arugala, and it looked absolutely wonderful, in my opinion. It tasted good, too. Next time, I may try to measure some stuff out to make this consistent. Also, instead of sauteeing, I’d like to marinate the Tofu in the sauce for an hour or two and then grill it. We’ll see how that works.
For a side, I had some Spanish Rice. I know what you’re saying – Spanish Rice with an Asian flavored dish? Well, my mother-in-law had already made the rice, and I was gonna have some sort of rice with this dish anyway. AND, when my mother-in-law makes her rice, you eat it. I don’t care if you’re having mac and cheese, you have a side of the rice – it’s waaaay too good to pass up. Next time I make this, I may take a picture of it – add the visual of what the dishes look like.
This is something I’d love to make for Linda and Dante sometime (unless they have an aversion to Tofu – like Christine….maybe I can get Christine to try this – so good).
I don’t know if I’ll always remember it, but, one year ago today, I ate meat for the last time. We went to an Indians game to celebrate my brother-in-law’s birthday. I think I had a burger at the game. I had been slowly removing meat out of my diet at this point. We went over another brother-in-law’s house afterwards, and I think I had a piece of steak. I was strangely delighted that it didn’t even taste good to me anymore. I think I still had Beef and Chicken left on my diet, and Beef was the next to go. I decided – what the hell! and stopped eating meat on that day.
I was afraid that going cold turkey would cause me to not stick with this. You know, if you jump into something you are not ready for, you are often unsuccessful in the endeavor. It’s been a year, and all is well. Grilled Vegetables are becoming a staple in our house now, and I am going to try to keep finding new Tofu recipes. Actually, I thought I’d miss meat more, but I haven’t.
I’ve also started to read the Updated Version of Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. I’m interested to really get into it because the preface states that he has a disdain for vegetarians and has a tendency to make them angry. I’ve been a fan of his, so I’m curious to see if he could actually piss me off and make me think differently. So far, I’m thinking not.
Last night, I was making my Tofu Parmesan, and the Tofu came out all right. I decided I wanted to make my own sauce, and that was okay, but I was just so unprepared and didn’t do what I really wanted. I think the expectations in my head far surpass my ability at this time. Anyway, I’ve decided to hold off on trying to create any of my own recipes for the time being – at least, I won’t be forcing the issue.
There are a lot of recipes in Vegan with a Vengeance that I want to try, and I think it’ll be a good idea to make some of those pre-defined recipes to see how they turn out. I figure that I can probably learn a little about cooking by making the recipes from the book. Hopefully, I can learn that – oh, this and this seem to go together very well, instead of me always blindly putting ingredients together in hopes that they will work. Now, there’s something to be said about experimenting with ingredients, not knowing how it will turn out, but I think I need a little more cooking experience first.
Instead, I’ve decided that I will be looking for recipes from Vegan with a Vengeance (and possibly the Veganomicon – if I ever purchase it). I hope to plan a dinner out the previous week to make sure I have everything I need for my Tuesday night dinner, prepping in advance if possible.
My taste-testing needs lots of work – it’s something I just don’t do and I guess I wouldn’t know what I was looking for yet, wouldn’t know what was missing. Maybe I’ll taste-test as I go along with these pre-defined recipes to see what each ingredient brings. In any case, may not be posting any recipes any time soon, although if I start to get the hang of it, I may be altering the existing recipes into something of my own, so I may start posting those recipes once that starts happening…
I’ve decided I’m just going to make my Tofu Parmesan again tonight – maybe mess with some things to see how it turns out. I bought some mozzarella to put on it, but I think, in the future maybe, I may experiment with different cheeses. I also want to try to make it with Vegan cheese, but I haven’t tried that yet. I’m on the fence when it comes to that now. Also, I used bottled sauce the last time I made it, but I want to try something more from scratch this time. Have a couple different ideas…maybe I should try them both. We’ll see how this one goes…I may have to update my posted recipe if this new one is any better. Most of it will be the same, though.
Anyway, when it comes to eating Vegan, which I was going to try to do on Tuesdays – for no good reason, except to try new recipes and because I really like the Vegan with a Vengeance cookbook (I need to delve into that further and make some stuff). Today is already a bust because I put Havarti cheese into my veggie wrap today. I usually make my wrap without cheese, but I bought the cheese yesterday for some excellent sammiches that my wife made. Also, I had some Yves Fake Turkey Deli slices. Can’t remember if those are Vegan or not – I’m thinking not.
All in all, in general, I would like to go as natural as possible when I’m cooking. I think it will be fun, but I also know it can be time consuming and not always a reality, which makes “boxed” options attractive. I’d rather have the boxed foods be the exception, though. I want to make my own Veggie Burgers, instead of relying on Boca or Morningstar. I want to make my own tater tots and bread crumbs, etc. I’d be sooooo happy if I could make just about everything from scratch. My cereal…yeah, I’ll just keep buying the boxed stuff. I just picked up this Ginger and Cranberry cereal that’s really good. Sorry. Easily sidetracked.
Oh well. Guess my lunch break is over. My problem so far is that I haven’t really thought a “menu” through yet and what I would need to make my food. When it finally comes time to make it, I’m either short on time or ingredients. Can’t wait to start planning.
Been exercising a little more, though, so I’m excited about that. Started to take short walks before my lunch. They are short right now due to the bitter cold wind that is on the attack. Still doing my DVD once or twice a week (not always the whole thing as my son will often interrupt me, and I haven’t gotten to doing it before work yet). I also try to lift some weights throughout the day when I’m at home. Maybe I’ll finally get in shape this summer.
Maybe it’s time to start doing the research about owning my own restaurant. Cleveland has a lot of great places to eat, especially in the Tremont area. The problem is usually that, although the food is unbelievable, there are limited number of options for the vegetarian diner. I would love to create a vegetarian only place to eat…something affordable that isn’t just wraps and soup. I want to have great dishes that will make people feel like they are truly eating out, instead of looking for the one pasta dish that does not have any meat in it. Or, at least, a place where they don’t have to question what a certain ingredient is or how it is prepared because it’s already known up front that the food is vegetarian friendly.
I want to play with it a bit, but I enjoyed the Tofu Parmesan that I made the other night. I’d like to improve it and create a great meal out of it. My wife just made an unbelievable mac & cheese the other night as well (using Ziti and four different cheeses). We also made home-made pizzas. The dough is completely vegan, and the toppings would be up to the consumer. I also want to work on some other dishes as well, but it would be great to fully cater to the vegetarian customer. I mean, all because it is vegetarian, it doesn’t mean that meat-eaters couldn’t find something on the menu as well (plenty of pasta dishes). Also, I would like to have most (if not all) of the food be made fresh – no “fake” meat from packages. It’s great at home, especially when you’re in a crunch for time, but, at the restaurant, I’d like everything to be made by hand (wherever possible). Also, for all the Vegetarian dishes created, I would like there to be a Vegan alternative as well. I would think a place would fit in well in the Tremont area in Cleveland…maybe even in Lakewood. Or, find some place no one would expect. I wouldn’t want to quit my job or anything because the income is needed, so I know this is just a dream. Who knows – maybe we could turn our kitchen into a test kitchen and have a “fake” restaurant night or something to test how things play out.
Even if I never get to do anything like that, it would be great if I could find a place that I’m thinking about…a cool place my wife and I could go to on our anniversary (for instance) and have plenty on the menu to choose from.
Tonight – I’m planning to make Falafel. I’m making it from a boxed mix that I bought – not from scratch. If tonight works out well, then I will try to see if I can do from scratch. I will post tomorrow.
Celebrity Fit Club 6 premiered last night. One of my favorite shows. I’ve been trying to lose weight for a while now, and it happens and then it doesn’t. Never reached my goal, though.
This show usually gets me motivated, and, after last night’s episode, it looks like it will do so again. The basic premise is that celebrities (not A-List celebrities) are trying to get in shape and/or lose weight (many times it’s to try a comeback of some sort). They are divided into two teams and the team that wins gets some great prize.
Maybe, it’s seeing the success stories on the show and stuff that creates the motivation within me. I mean, I’ve been trying to lose weight because I want to be active in my son’s life (as well as the lives of any future children). I want to be in shape so I can keep up with them and maybe be something that they strive to be like.
Thanks to the show, I have followed drill instructor Harvey Walden IV’s Celebrity Fit Club workout here and there. I’ve just started that back up again, trying to do it regularly but usually getting it done 2 times per week. For awhile, I also tried Dr. Ian’s Fat Smash Diet. I lost weight and all, but I just didn’t stick to it, which I think is the issue with many people – the maintenance part. I wonder what Dr. Ian’s diet would be like now that I am a vegetarian.
Also, I find “dieting” to sometimes be troublesome while being a vegetarian. Not sure if others have experienced any of this. Most books are written from the point-of-view of eating whatever you’re told to eat. Maybe I just haven’t found a good Vegetarian healthy eating/weight loss book yet (haven’t really looked). When reading different books, the “dinner” recipe may call for some meat. I’m thinking – ok, I’ll substitute Tofu or the vegetarian meat. Then I think, well, is there something specific in meat that they want the user to get out of at this point that maybe my substitutes don’t have? Maybe I overthink it, I don’t know. I even get Men’s Health magazine, and almost all the recipes they put in that mag is meat-related, which isn’t much help. Why do I still get the magazine? I think I have enough little exercises clipped from there by now.
I’m looking for ways to get in shape and eat right (healthy and lose weight). Maybe I’ll come up with my own program. Hell, Dr. Phil isn’t a real doctor, so I think I could do whatever I want.
I think it’s funny that when you say you are a vegetarian, everyone expects that you will be paper thin because you have been starving yourself. News flash!!! Not everything is made out of meat! I think people get the impression that vegetarians sit around all day gnawing on their carrot sticks and drinking their water. Well, that’s not the way it works. And, if it is the way it works for you, you’re probably not too healthy right now. When addressing the being fat issue, my friend Jim had the best line that I steal all the time: There isn’t any meat in candy.
Along with not wanting to eat animals, I do want to get in shape, too, but stopping the eating of meat alone is not going to do it. That piece of my life is all my own personal belief system. I wanted to be healthy when I was eating meat, and that can be done, too. It’s just a matter of being disciplined enough, which is where I have failed in the past.
I just started to exercise (again). It’ll probably go well for a couple weeks, and then “something” will happen – I always have that excuse as to why I’m no longer doing it and going back to drinking large white chocolate mochas every morning. I’m trying to keep the snacking under control, as well as my portions while eating. I’m hoping to be in shape for the summer and for the rest of my life. My son is a year and a half old right now. I don’t want to have to watch him play. I want to join him and have fun. I know it’s my own fault for letting myself go. I’m sure getting older is a factor, but I’m the one that needs to change with the times and make sure I’m eating correctly.
There are so many wonderful and healthy foods out there that I should be able to keep my diet exciting, and it’s all a matter of adapting to a new lifestyle. Being healthy can take some hard work, and it’s just a mindset to get over.
Play one less game of baseball on the PS2 and do a 30-minute workout. Grab an apple instead of a cookie. Have a nice, long run after engaging a bunch of Fundies in a conversation regarding their favorite fictional books and mentioning how your favorite fictional book is The Bible.
