Another BIG Reason to Go Veg!

This past year has brought severe stress into my life. As a result, I started experiencing tightness in my chest, and even sharp pains; no doubt stress-related. EKG checks out fine, so no heart issues. Since removing meat from my diet I've noticed the pain in my chest has subsided. I also attribute this welcome development to increased exercise and deliberately working to develop a more positive outlook. I have no idea what percent to attribute to what part, but am happy to give them all a bit of credit.

Some random thoughts:
I will never go back to eating meat the way I used to! It just feels too good to be free of it. So much variety, nutrition, and savings. Eating meat sparingly has taken on a whole new meaning for me and I invite anyone reading this to seriously consider trying to eat whole foods without meat. Even if you just do it one day a week to start, I bet you would love it! Vegetarian eating is not a whacky hippie thing anymore. The science is there. The taste certainly is, and the more I experience it for myself, the more I love it!

I love the way I feel!

Eating the way we have lately has been such an eye opener. So many colorful, fresh, nutritious meals and good ridance to the McFatty burgers and fries that used to plague me so much. Any difficulty I had during the first little while of saying good bye to meat was definitely more psychological than physical. It's easy to eat this way and I love it! Can't wait to see what whole, nutritious fare we try this week... Check out this nice salad. Any idea how much protein it has? You'd be surprised... ;-)

Vegetable Pot Pies (Pie)

O.K, this recipe is supposed to make 8 x 1-cup individual pot pies, and I don't know about you, but I just don't have ANY (never mind 8) ramekins sitting around my kitchen! So, I just made one large vegetable pie (like my Mom's meat pies when I was a kid - still a favorite when she comes to visit!). So, it was great to discover a vegetarian version!

Served with oranges and a yummy jello (not shown - yes you are missing out!)

Dough

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbs. cold soy margarine, cut into pieces

Filling

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 medium leek, white and green parts chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
• 2 large carrots, diced (1 cup)
• 8 oz. button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 4 oz. red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 2 Tbs. creamy cashew butter, optional
• 6 asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
• 1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

Directions

1. To make Dough: Whisk together flours and salt in bowl. Cut or rub margarine into flour mixture until no large pieces remain. Stir in 3 to 4 Tbs. cold water until smooth dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill while making Filling.
2. To make Filling: Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add leek, celery, carrots, and mushrooms; sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Stir in flour 
and garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add potatoes, broth, and poultry seasoning. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in cashew butter (if using), and 
cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat, and stir in asparagus, peas, and corn.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out Dough to 1/8-inch thickness. If using ramekins, cut into 8 4-inch rounds. Or, if making one pie, just roll it out!
4. Divide Filling among 8 1-cup ramekins (or pour all into a large pie dish). Place dough rounds on top, pressing dough around sides of ramekins with fork to crimp and seal. Poke hole in top of each pot pie. Place pot pies on baking sheet (important to contain overflow), and bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 

Oops! I forgot to poke a cool design in the crust!

Our Opinions

Without getting direct quotes from everyone, let me just say that this was a huge success. Everyone really liked the vegetable pie! The only request is to use my Mom's pastry recipe instead of the one above (it is a bit dense and tough).

With the crust as written in the recipe, the average rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

If made with a light and flaky crust, the rating goes up to 4.7 out of 5 stars.

This recipe is a keeper! I will make it again, but with a flaky crust!

Successful Memorial Day Weekend!

First real test, went to a BBQ on Saturday. Hamburgers and hot dogs provided, everyone else brought whatever. I took a whole grain pasta dish. For just a quick moment, I thought, "Those smell good! That is rather tempting", and then I stopped myself and said, "No it's not!". I had a great meal and no meat, so a great success to have under the belt.

Had a repeat success on Monday when we got together with family for  a dutch oven dinner: pot roast, potatoes, carrots, salad etc. When offered a bite of meat when they were testing it out of the oven, I just said: "No thank you." So easy yet so effective!

Being a vegetarian isn't hard. Don't make a bit deal of it, eat everything else, and when offered meat, just say "No thank you." If they ask why, just tell them you are not eating meat. Let them snicker or scoff, the health benefits alone will be worth it!