My first vegetarian cookbook was the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. Now that I am home on spring break it is time to dig it out and make some of my favorites. Part of why I love this cookbook so much (other than the pure fact that it is vegetarian) is that it holds a variety of foods from breakfast to dessert and many different Asian, Spanish (and more) inspired foods. With a week to do what I want, I can’t wait to get in the kitchen and get my hands dirty.

A great thing about most vegetarian cookbooks, and this one too, is how easy the recipes are to make vegan. Check out these past posts for some recipes from the Moosewood Cookbook: Homemade Veggie Burgers and Black Bean Chilaquile.

All red meat is bad for you, no matter what the serving size, according to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times. A study that followed more than 110,000 adults for more than 20 years has found significant correlation between eating red meat and the chance of dying. Even just adding a 3-ounce serving of unprocessed red meat (no bigger than a deck of cards) daily was enough to increase the chance of dying by 13 percent during the course of the study.


According to the article, “All red meat is bad for your, new study says:”

“Even worse, adding an extra daily serving of processed red meat, such as a hot dog or two slices of bacon, was linked to a 20% higher risk of death during the study.

“Any red meat you eat contributes to the risk,” said An Pan, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and lead author of the study, published online Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.” 

So what are your options? Obviously not eating red meat would be best:

“Eating a serving of nuts instead of beef or pork was associated with a 19% lower risk of dying during the study. The team said choosing poultry or whole grains as a substitute was linked with a 14% reduction in mortality risk; low-fat dairy or legumes, 10%; and fish, 7%.”

What is it about red meat that makes it so bad for your health? Researchers have hypothesized that the nitrates and nitrites used to preserve them, the chemicals created by high-temptertaure cooking, and the iron and saturated fat in the meat may be to blame. 


If you really are absolutely unwilling to cut red meat out of your diet at all costs, the researchers recommend limiting yourself to one or two servings of red meat per week and to eliminate all bacon or other processed meats (such as hot dogs). 

Before I went back to college this year I had very little interest in cooking. I thought it took way too long and was ridiculously dangerous. (You may laugh now, but think about the last time you burned or cut yourself, or when you saw someone who cooks on TV slice their finger open. The open flames alone is enough to make anyone a little apprehensive.). Throughout high school and my first two years of college I refused to learn to cook or help. I truly believed that toast and mac and cheese out of a box were hot meals. 

With my recent project on veganism (a magazine piece that I will link to or post when it’s published), a lot of people have been asking me if I am vegan. So here it is, my complicated explanation. 


I have been vegetarian for six years. My original reason for going vegetarian was because meat really freaks me out. I don’t see the difference between eating an animal and chewing on human flesh. I am also lactose intolerant, so I rarely, if ever, eat dairy. So why am I not vegan? Well, to a certain degree I am. I eat vegan for many meals, but if something was made with a slight bit of whey, milk, or other animal products, I will still eat it. I will also eat desserts or other items made with eggs.


I have recently been exploring vegan alternatives to many of these items, and although I have mostly cut out butter from my daily meals, as of right now I don’t see myself going completely vegan (although I do not use products tested on animals or buy things made out of animal products when I can avoid it). It is too frustrating to not be able to eat something because it has a small amount of an animal product in it, or make people feel horrible when you are a guest in their house and you can’t eat anything they made. It is already such a struggle for friends and family to be able to meet my dietary needs, and to add one more thing in would cause a lot of problems.


To all of the vegans out there, I completely admire you, and perhaps one day I will go completely vegan, but for now I am happy the way things are. I will continue to eat as little animal products as possible without sweating the small stuff. 

I am absolutely in love with smoothies. I have had one every day since Saturday, and I have no plans of stopping any time soon. I started making these addicting smoothies to get an extra boost of protein and a few more servings of fruit all in one quick hit.

Simple, but healthy recipe:

– 1 carton soy yogurt (or dairy if you wish) for protein, to make it really flavorful I have been using flavored yogurt of the main fruit I am using (in other words peach for a peach and strawberry smoothie, berry for a berry smoothie)
– as much frozen fruit as you want (I usually use a cup or more)
– a splash of soy or flax milk to loosen up the mixture
– a tablespoon of chia seeds

In my research for the project on veganism that I am currently working on I stumbled across an article that lists “75 reasons being vegan is awesome.” Although I am not a vegan myself (a topic for another day), I thought the article was interesting, if not slightly ridiculous. 


Here are my top 10 from the article:
1. Never having to wear leather pants (honestly, no one can pull these off)
2. Never having to eat spam (I have avoided this for 20 years so far, and I hope to make it my entire life. eew.)
3. Not contributing as much to global warming
4. No dead bodies in my refrigerator
5. Eating food that’s less prone to incubating bacteria
6. A lowered risk of osteoporosis
7. Better skin and fewer zits
8. Reducing the risk of acquiring many chronic diseases
9. Never having to cut and prepare blood-soaked food
10. Cheaper groceries


To see the other 65 reasons, go to VegNews.


What are the things that you think make being vegetarian or vegan so awesome?

I know I have said it before, but I am going to say it again – I am so tired of people asking me how I get my protein. But at the same time I understand why people are curious, so today I will honestly answer the question. 


Many vegetarians and vegans get a boost of protein from nuts, but I am unfortunately allergic to all tree nuts, so I have to be even more creative to get my protein. Soy and whole grains on the main ways I get my protein. I eat some form of tofu or edamame, pasta with added protein, quinoa or brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and soy yogurt daily. 


Most Americans eat too much protein, and many think that the more protein you eat the bigger your muscles will be. While to a certain degree this is true, research has shown that too much protein can damage your kidneys and does not necessarily lead to larger muscles. Women should get about 46 grams of protein per day and men should eat about 56 grams per day. As a vegetarian or vegan it’s important to count your protein carefully and be sure you are getting enough. Don’t forget to leave enough room for your fruits and vegetables. 


Need some ideas on some ways to get more protein? This website provides a reference for some foods. I also read the nutrition information on foods or look them up individually when I am curious. I recommend keeping a food journal for protein until you are able to easily eat the proper amount of protein daily. It took me about two weeks of calculating my daily protein intake and measuring out my portions until I got where I needed to be. 

This quarter I would really like to rely less on the freezer section in the grocery store and instead have complete control of what I am putting into my body. To realistically do this I have decided to cook a meal on the weekend that I will then freeze for the rest of the week. Although this takes some planning, it will leave me with options I enjoy eating that are healthy (not to mention cheap and sustainable). 


This weekend I didn’t get too crazy, mostly because I was too busy, and I only made part of a meal. I made red sauce that I can eat over pasta or grains as well as in a sandwich (I am really enjoying having a meatless meatball sandwich every couple of weeks (yes, I buy the meatless meatballs)). 


Although I could easily go out and buy a jar of red sauce, I prefer homemade for many reasons: homemade is healthier, less salty, tastes better, and I can add in more vegetables than any company trying to sell sauce in the U.S. would dare. 


I stupidly didn’t take pictures because for some reason I thought I already did a post on the sauce so unfortunately there will only be a recipe. 


Ingredients:
1/2 an onion
3 cloves of garlic (or more depending on personal taste)
2 medium squash (I prefer zucchini)
one 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
one 14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

about 3 teaspoons of oregano
about 2 teaspoons of cumin
salt and pepper to taste
A splash of balsamic vinegar (about a tablespoon)


Recipe
1. Prepare all of your ingredients. I chop both the vegetables and the  mushrooms (which I HATE, but in this sauce they just add a nice density to it without being able to taste or really feel them, so if you don’t like mushrooms you do not have to be afraid or leave them out). I finely chop everything so they are barely discernible in the sauce. This also gives the sauce a dense, but even texture. 


2. On medium heat saute the onions in olive oil for about 2-3 minutes, until they start to become translucent. 


3. Add the mushrooms, vegetables, and garlic. Saute until the squash/zucchini begin to cook, usually about 5 minutes)


4. Add both cans of tomatoes and the seasonings. 


5. Let simmer until the vegetables are cooked all the way through.


6. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar to cut any bitterness from the tomatoes. A little bit makes a huge difference.  


7. (optional) carefully use a blender or stick blender to pure your sauce. This technique is perfect for anyone who likes a smooth sauce. 


I ate some and scooped the rest into jars I am reusing (so each jar is a single serving) before I put it in the freezer. Although it is slightly annoying to have so many little jars floating around our stuffed freezer, it is makes it possible to eat the sauce one serving at a time. 


The next time I cook for the freezer I will make a full main dish. The hard part will be deciding what that should be.