STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Elle · Hermes

Vegetarians of all stripes, unite!

needsfashionadvice · Kate Spade

I'm going to try to slowly work myself and DH into more vegetarian meals. Elle, I really appreciate you posting all those meals and recipe #'s, I'm gonna print all of them lol. I'm sure I'll have some disasters along the way, I'm really excited to try out veggies that I don't ever buy. I printed one from recipezaar.com that used jicama! I'm excited about it.

I made that spinach and ricotta gnudi that you posted a while back and me and DH both really loved it. I hope that's a good sign that he'll be open to meatless dinners :)

Elle · Hermes

Yay! I'm glad you guys enjoyed the Gnudi! Honestly, I usually just don't mention that a meal happens to be vegetarian to Mr. Elle until he's eaten it, liked it, and is full! IMO alot of people have issues with 'vegetarian' dishes and don't try them because they think they won't be good. The most noteworthy attribute to a vegetarian dish should not be that it lacks meat! If it's tasty, balanced, and hearty, nobody will give a hoot that it didn't happen to contain any meat . I consider it a success if I have to point out that it's vegetarian after everyone is finished eating ... .

Suasoria · Chanel

Here's my manifesto. It was cathartic for me to write, but use only as directed.

Clearly the biggest issue for people going veg is "how will I get enough protein?"

You do not need protein in every meal. You do not need protein every day, even. The SAD (Standard American Diet) contains too much protein. Too much protein does terrible things to the body - cancer, osteoporosis, kidney problems (from too much nitrogen), etc. I would say an average person should probably try for about 3 servings of protein per week - a fraction of what is actually consumed. So if you eat 21 meals a week, you're bound to get a serving of protein in at least 3 of them. I wouldn't worry overly much about it; its actually pretty difficult to get too little protein.

Scientifically speaking, proteins (the generic term for a select handful of amino acids) occur in nuts, seeds, legumes (beans being the most famous), olives, avocados, lots of green vegetables, and of course products made from any of the above, like olive oils. Half the calories in spinach are composed of proteins - hence the Popeye magic. Broccoli and cauliflower are also high, percentage-wise. Grains have varying amounts of amino acids, so they help complete the list. Of course eggs and dairy also have protein, but since it's an animal-derived protein, it's best in only small quantities.

When you have a husband and/or kids, you may want to use meat subsitutes a little more often. There are numerous brands of varying quality levels, and yes, some are processed and contain additives and chemical ingredients. I think Tofurkey is relatively good. Morningstar seems to be at the low end. Lightlife, Boca and Yves are somewhere in the middle. Kids should not be able to resist mock chicken nuggets and veggie corn dogs. Seasoned soy taco filling may satisfy a carnivorous man. As things get easier for you in the kitchen, youll probably move away from some of these products, but they help the transition a lot.

Theres also tempeh and seitan, (soy and wheat protein, respectively) that are actually quite tasty. Texturized vegetable protein (TVP) is available dried, and is great to throw into chili or soups or pasta sauces as a way to give things the chewy, chunkier texture of ground beef. As a last resort, theres tofu. I dont recommend serving your family a lot of tofu unless its well disguised. Baked, marinated tofu cutlets are better than the bland white blocks for things like stir-fries, or you can season and bake your own to save a buck.

As I mentioned on the other thread, at some point you have to move away from the notion that a meat course + a vegetable + a starch = a meal. This is not that easy to do right away. Unless youre a member of an ethnic or cultural group with a great culinary tradition, remember youve had 20, 30, 50 years of training telling you what dinner is supposed to be like. Mom wears an apron, the kids talk about their day, and everyone eats mashed potatoes, a piece of chicken, and some broccoli. Breakfast, for the fortunate, is a couple of choices from the meat and starch family, such as bacon or sausage, eggs, toast, cereal, pancakes or waffles, and if youre lucky, some cut-up fruit.

What this does to you over time is create a "one from column A, one from column B, and one from column C" mentality about meals. It may be simpler in the short term because you dont think very hard, but it actually provides less nutrients and less variety. On a side note, I think youre liable to eat more when this is your usual diet, because your body is constantly telling you its not satisfied yet.

Taking a look at the various recipes here or online, you may start to see that a vegetarian meal could look like a bowl of salad and a bowl of soup and a chunk of good bread with olive tapenade. Or a one-dish main course that you throw in the oven for an hour and eat for a few days in a row. Or a bed of rice or pasta with different-colored vegetables and some sort of spicy sauce. And a "meal" could be apple slices, cheese, crackers, and red wine. Or a handful of nuts and some yogurt. Or pumpkin pie, which is an excellent breakfast.

Two web sites that are great resources for tips and recipes:

http://goveg.com/healthConcerns.asp - this site offers a "vegetarian starter kit" to help switchers.

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/index.html - they do too.

Books on the subject would be anything by John Robbins (Diet for a New America; May All Be Fed) or Neal Barnard (Eat Right, Live Longer and others).

Cookbooks I like are few, but used bookstores are a good place to pick them up. One of my favorite things about some vegetarian cookbooks is the ingredient index, where you can look up something you have on hand and it tells you what you can do with it. This is great when you have leftover rice or a head of cauliflower in the fridge about to go bad.

Its a bit off topic, but since so many women are trying to cook and eat healthier maybe as a way to lose weight, Ill just list a few more ideas:

- Cut the sodas. Each soda has between 8 and 13 teaspoons of sugar. You wouldnt sit down with the sugar bowl and eat that much sugar, would you? You wouldnt let your kids, right? So why drink it? See elsewhere for opinions on diet soda; what it does is replace sugar with chemical sweeteners, and thats a whole new problem. In the case of recently invented chemicals, the fact is, we really dont know what theyll do to our bodies over time. If you drink water instead of soda for a year, I guarantee you'll lose "the taste" for these sweetened, artificially quenching, appetite-increasing products.

- Cut the cow dairy. Vanilla-flavored rice milk or soy milk tastes like melted vanilla ice cream. If your kids wont eat it on their cereal, theres something wrong with them. I prefer rice, but both are available in boxes that keep forever in the cupboard so you can never be "out of milk" again. Also watch out for incidental dairy you dont even notice youre consuming, like coffee creamers, milk in recipes, in breads, etc. The 75 percent plus of Americans whose bodies cannot properly digest cow milk are not "lactose intolerant," they are normal! Those other people who don't have problems are genetic mutants whose British Isles ancestors probably had to adapt to dairy as a food source because they lived near cows. (Goat and sheep cheeses are much easier for human animals to digest.) If you have any digestive issues, try cutting out cows milk. Dairy also leads to general problems like bloating, lethargy, bad skin/hair/nails, allergies, ear/nose/throat issues, etc. You dont have to be a nightmare about this in a restaurant. Instead of blue cheese dressing, order honey mustard. Instead of cheddar in your omelet, ask for feta or goat cheese.

- Read the labels. Yes, its hard, and annoying, but you have to. A food product with more than five unfamiliar ingredients is probably not a good choice. At minimum, if something contains corn syrup (high-fructose or otherwise), or hydrogenated oil (partially or otherwise), leave it on the shelf.

- Shop more frequently but spend less time on each trip. This is a rule similar to clothes shopping: buy fewer pieces, but better quality. I think its sometimes a time saver just to run into a store for tortillas and spinach and ginger and oranges after work or during lunch, versus spending hours on a Saturday in the grocery store. Only you know whats best for your schedule, but when you base your diet on fresh, in-season produce, you do have to make some allowances. That said, things you can stock up on are staples like beans, rice, pasta, vegetable broth, rice milk, canned tomato products, boxed grains like couscous or quinoa, frozen fake meats, and things you can buy fresh and then freeze.

- Involve others in eating. Kids are actually a great ally since theyre naturally curious and open-minded. A kid who can make his bed can use a plastic cheese grater or measure a cup and a half of water. Husbands can man the barbecue grill. Dinner is like voting: you cant complain if you dont do your part.

- Watch "Honey, were Killing the Kids" on TLC. Its not the best dietary advice Ive ever heard, but its a great scare tactic if you have young kids. What I really like is how they show how diet is related to school performance and behavior. Kids who eat healthy do better in school and at home. Period. Living and eating how we do, its hard for me to fathom how other people could allow their children to run their households and their eating habits.

- Once youve adopted a healthier diet and lifestyle, re-evaluate any pharmaceuticals youre taking. Many of our health/medical complaints are related to poor eating habits. My husband got off allergy and anxiety drugs just through changing his diet. For someone else it may be acid reflux, cholesterol, depression, headaches, osteoporosis, or any number of ailments. I dont want to say doctors are irresponsible, but I will say that most dont yet understand the link between diet and disease, so help them by doing your own research and keeping good track of any medical conditions or symptoms. With the cost of healthcare being what it is, it pays to investigate these links or symptoms.

wetbandit42 · Marc Jacobs

I'm not a vegetarian, so correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you need to eat protein every day? I was under the impression that protein was essential in growth and repair of the body, and should thus be consumed every day.

Thanks for the recipes and numbers, Elle! They sound great.

Elle · Hermes

wetbandit42 wrote:

I'm not a vegetarian, so correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you need to eat protein every day? I was under the impression that protein was essential in growth and repair of the body, and should thus be consumed every day.

Thanks for the recipes and numbers, Elle! They sound great.

I agree with you on protein Wetbandit. Many, many foods do contain protein besides ones we would traditionally consider protein sources. Protein is really quite unavoidable, which IMO is a good thing! Unless you're a body builder who's sucking down a carton of eggs and a family size package of steaks week in and week out, it's unlikely you'd actually consume too much protein, much less that it would make you ill.

But I really would rather this thread stay away from analyzing how different ways of eating are good or bad, or what you have to do or what you should never do. We have enough debate going on in other areas, and I for one would really like a place to just chat about vegetarian recipes, ideas, tricks that make things yummier or easier or whatever. I mean if we're in a thread about vegetarianism, we don't need the convincing so much, kwim?

Just because the recipes I listed are vegetarian, that doesn't mean that someone who eats meat couldn't make them too, or someone couldn't add meat if they wanted to. I just like sharing ideas of more plant-based meals - IMO it is healthier for you. But ideas are hard to find sometimes, and since many recipes are still based off meat with veggies thrown in a an afterthought, a place to discuss what's worked for us or what we hated or what we found sounds like it could inspire all of us to branch out a bit.

I'll start!

I have noticed since we began eating less meat that if I eat alot of meat in one sitting out at a restaurant (like a burger or something) that my stomach gets quite upset. Same thing happens when I eat a meal out that contains alot of fat. Ugh! I almost never remember until after the fact, unfortunately .....

I also found a recipe for homemade Seitan, but it scares me a bit. I've never had seitan before, so I'm afraid I wouldn't know if my finished product was seitan-like or not! Must find a resaurant to have it in first, so I can experiment ...

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

I'm vegetarian too, and have been for 14 years (that's half my lifetime). I do eat dairy, but not much because I don't like most of it (I don't like butter, egg texture creeps me out, and I don't drink milk-ew. I will eat things with these ingredients in them, I just won't eat buttered toast, a scrambled egg and have a glass of milk!). I will eat the occasional shellfish, but I don't care for the taste of fish (I wasn't raised on it, and I have texture issues). I like crab, calamari, clams and that's about it.

I approach recipies much like you do Elle. I am constantly modifying them to fit my needs, tastes and diet. I love modifying a recipe to make it better, or trying to duplicate something I've had elsewhere.

My husband is not a vegetarian. I usually make a veggie meal, and we make a hunk of meat for him to eat on the side.

I'm in the process of recreating a recipe I had at one of my favorite restaurants (The Earle, for any Michiganders). It's a butternut squash cut in half, and stuffed with spinach, leeks, mushrooms, pine nuts, and a little gruyere (sp?). I made it once and it was too heavy on the spinach. Once I get it right I'll post it here. I also tried to make it healthier than the restaurant version.

-gd

Elle · Hermes

Do post the butternut recipe when you perfect it, GD! I made something similar but with acorn squash, and it never did sit quite right with me. Like the flavors never blended or something. I've never had butternut squash before .....

More veggie chat - another reason we go light on the meat is because it is such a pain to handle! Different cutting board, wash hands, different knife, wash hands, is it cooked through?, wash hands, disinfect counter, wash hands..... blah!

I also

having something at a restaurant and then trying to create our own version of it. Alot of my inspiration comes from this actually. I just did a That veggie pizza inspired by one we had a California pizza kitchen! Yum!

Suasoria · Chanel

Wetbandit42, let me clarify again, because this IS a confusing issue. Sure, protein is used for repairing and building body tissues. Elle says it properly - it's nearly impossible to eat right and not get enough. You will get ample protein when you eat a plant-based, low-fat, high-fiber diet.

I made the point above because of exactly what you questioned. It's typical for people to perceive a vegetarian diet as lacking in protein. It isn't, and it's vital that people who are interested in vegetarianism understand this. There is plenty of protein (i.e. amino acids) in beans, vegetables, grains and fruits. If you feel you need additional protein (because you're a bodybuilder or professional athlete or something, who knows), then you can add sources of protein to three meals a week and be well covered in that department. There's no health reason to choose animal protein over all the other, healthy sources of protein.

Based on the comments in the thread about whole foods and here, I disagree that we shouldn't discuss do's and donts. I appreciate your being kind and generous to me, Elle, because you ARE, but we're not preaching to the choir here, unless you're intending to restrict the thread to only people who are already vegetarians. Let's face it, there's an abundance of propaganda and disinformation from food industry sources out there. There's clearly lots of curiosity about how to become vegetarian and/or limit meat and other problem foods, which is wonderful, so it's a service to help people vet information from the many sources about what to eat or not eat - in addition to giving recipes, tips, etc. Give a person a veggie taco recipe and they eat for a day. Teach a person about a healthy relationship with food and they eat for a lifetime. Or something.

Re: scary seitan: I buy seitan premade at Whole Foods or health food stores from a company called Whitewave. I've never tried to make it and I don't think I would, really. Interestingly enough, seitan was invented by Buddhist monks whose compassionate morals prohibit meat eating. Not being a Buddhist monk, I think the packaged kind is fine for us. My favorite recipe is "chicken-fried" seitan - dunk in nondairy milk and bread crumbs and fry in oil. However, you can add it to any number of dishes where you might use meat cut in strips.

Finally, I realize that my post above omitted all apostrophes. It's because I created it in MS Word and pasted. I won't do it again, I pinky swear.

Elle · Hermes

Suasoria wrote:

Based on the comments in the thread about whole foods and here, I disagree that we shouldn't discuss do's and donts. I appreciate your being kind and generous to me, Elle, because you ARE, but we're not preaching to the choir here, unless you're intending to restrict the thread to only people who are already vegetarians. Let's face it, there's an abundance of propaganda and disinformation from food industry sources out there. There's clearly lots of curiosity about how to become vegetarian and/or limit meat and other problem foods, which is wonderful, so it's a service to help people vet information from the many sources about what to eat or not eat - in addition to giving recipes, tips, etc. Give a person a veggie taco recipe and they eat for a day. Teach a person about a healthy relationship with food and they eat for a lifetime. Or something.

I agree with you. But, I think throwing out a bunch of confusing research stats and strict guidelines is intimidating to pretty much anyone. I was attempting to keep it free of vegetarian 'rules' and such, so as to keep it open to everyone.

I don't want to assume that anyone has an inaccurate view of vegetarianism right off the bat - it's offensive and doesn't foster participation. Especially for people who are curious and would like to dip a toe in or just ask questions. IMO 'vegetarians' as a group have a bit of a reputation for being a bit all-or-nothing, which isn't a mindset I subscribe to, and I don't want anyone to think that they aren't hardcore enough, whether or not they have the desire be, to talk in this thread.

Like the whole animal protein thing. While vegan is certainly on the spectrum of vegetarianism, there are plenty of people who eat animal products and are vegetarians (ovo-lacto, for you crazy kids out there following along!). I disagree about how choosing plant-based protein is healthier than choosing animal based protein. If you don't eat animal products, that's fine. I do though, and hard boiled egg whites is a staple snack of mine. They're high in protein and low in calories, and if you just eat the white you skip all the fat and cholesterol in the yolk. Just because I do it one way and you do it another doesn't mean one of us should do it the other way. I don't want to should anyone to death here! That's why your original post made me bristle a bit Suasoria. I want everyone to feel comfortable even if they never intend to become any kind of vegetarian, and just want some yummy meal ideas or need to know what the heck to do with a block of tofu .

Re: Seitan - the recipe I found makes enough for 6 seitan-based meals, and is freezeable. It also uses straight gluten instead of flour, eliminating the multiple-rinse process. I'll definitely look for the Whitewave brand though. Brand recs are always good with this kind of stuff!

ILoveChoo · Hermes

I just want to chime in... I'm not a vegetarian, but I do try to make as many vegetarian meals as DH will let me get away with. Almost none of my meals are "meat +3". But I now feel really uncomfortable about everything because apparently according to some people what I eat is completely wrong or whatever.... and I doubt I'll ever post on the menu thread or in this section for the forum at all for fear of being judged.

I know that wasn't the intent of this thread at all, but you should remember that even people who interested in becoming vegetarian- even if they've already made that decision but are just starting out- don't want to be preached to about how horrible what they do/were doing before is.

I wasn't going to say anything, but I've been following the thread all day and it's really bugging me. I won't be coming back to this thread, so don't bother replying to this.

elle- I've saved your recipe suggestions and will def. be checking them out.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

i'm a "pescetarian". I AM NOT A VEGETARIAN. (i just want to make that clear because some vegetarians might get offended for such an association). i eat fish and some dairy but no other meat. it's a decision i made exactly a year ago, and i'm very happy with it.

some things i've noticed/feel inclined to add....

when i was initially interested, i decided to try it and i thought it would be completely hard to give up all those kinds of meats and it wasn't. my bf, family, and all my friends eat meat, love meat, etc..and because i was like them, i was embarassed to tell anyone that i decided to do it for fear that they would be upset or that i was judging their choice to eat meat. i could care less that they eat meat, i cook it for my bf almost every night, and i've never uttered a word about anything associated with their or my decision to eat meat. it wasn't an issue when i ate meat, so why should it be an issue now....

if anyone has questions about general nutrition, or being a vegetarian, they will ask you or find the answers.

since it became like my new hobby, i decided to check out some literature and message boards. Elle, i know what you mean about the all or nothing attitude. it totally turned me off on making that the focus of any discussion, or anything, and i stopped going to the message boards (it lasted less than a week, although i did get some good recipes). i just felt very judged which i think is a common feeling that happens when both vegetarians and non-vegetarians discuss food.

i hope that we can continue in the direction that you intended the thread to go....no judgement. it bothers me when people dictate things as bad or good....eating fish is bad, eating processed foods is bad, not eating organic is bad, etc... it's a personal decision, and there is no right or wrong.

some things that i have learned:

that pinjur (a roasted red pepper spread that i get at TJ's) is the bomb. i mix it with green beans and laughing cow cheese (sometimes feta).

it took me a couple months and a couple pounds before i adjusted to the "right" type of diet for me. carbs and cheese are such an easy and inexpensive meal if you don't eat a lot of meat.

i think tofu is ok, and while i've experimented a bit, i really only enjoy it when others cook it. the smell of tofu makes me ill.

my stomach doesn't tolerate red meat and milk like it used to....i once had a severe craving for steak, i ate a tiny bit and it totally upset my stomach.

i don't know if this is true, but i read that sometimes a meat craving means a lack of iron....for me this was true because that particular week when i was craving the steak, my diet was low in iron so i try to pay attention to that.

i love going to steakhouses (they have amazing sides!!), but people never think i want to go to them. cry

i (i just wanted to use that emoticon).

-- Edited by shopgirl82 at 21:02, 2007-04-17

wicked · Coach

Hola!
I just decided to go pescatarian again last month, so i'm quite pleased with the timing of this thread. I was first pescatarian from 2001-2005 and i've played around with omitting dairy from my diet (I never went back to eating beef).

I second Shopgirl82's rec. of T. Joes Pinjur sauce. I used it with tempeh, brown rice and green beans last week and it packs so much punch and is less than $2 a jar.

I just put some tofu in the freezer to get that textury texture. I've always meant to give that a try. I just bought a jar of green curry paste from Wholegoods, which i'm going to experiment with. In the past i've taken tofu and baked it with homemade terriyaki or barbecue sauce. I'll try and dig up some recipes.

Suasoria · Chanel

I'm sorry if what I wrote was received as strict or judgemental - let me just say that those were some things that worked for me in making the transition.

But now a question: is everyone as addicted to farmer's markets as me? This is a great site where you can find farms, FMs, community supported agriculture, etc. near you:

http://www.localharvest.org/

Tons of neat products/foods you can order online from small farms, too - cheeses, syrup, herbs, etc.

needsfashionadvice · Kate Spade

Thanks for the website Suasoria, I just found a really neat place near me that sells all types of organic honey.

I love Farmer's Markets. I just moved and haven't been to the one in my new city yet but it opens next weekend so I'll be there for sure!

Suasoria · Chanel

And a question for the pescetarians: do omnivores assume that means you're a vegetarian? I find most people who hear I'm a vegetarian assume I eat fish and poultry. They know I don't want a burger, so they usually say "oh, so do you want some chicken instead?" I think it took my in-laws three years to realize DH and I never touched the fish they'd make especially for us at holiday dinners!

What do you do when people try to push meat on you?

DH and I don't ever really expect to eat anything when we go to people's houses for parties or whatever, but it's hard to refuse food without appearing rude. If it's an afternoon BBQ I can always say "no thanks, we have dinner plans later," but that lame excuse only works occasionally.

I suppose I could say I have the stomach flu or something.

rlutz · Chanel

I am a vegetarian...I do noteat meat, chicken or Fish. I have been a vegetarian for about 16 years. At first I was one ot those "potato chip vegetarians"...but as a grew up I became healthier and added a lot more variety (tofu, veggie burgers, falafel, hummus...) to my diet.
I am not a preachy vegetarian, I do not care if others eat meat around me and I cook chicken and beef for my son.

boobaby · Kate Spade

Suasoria wrote:

And a question for the pescetarians: do omnivores assume that means you're a vegetarian? I find most people who hear I'm a vegetarian assume I eat fish and poultry. They know I don't want a burger, so they usually say "oh, so do you want some chicken instead?" I think it took my in-laws three years to realize DH and I never touched the fish they'd make especially for us at holiday dinners!

What do you do when people try to push meat on you?

DH and I don't ever really expect to eat anything when we go to people's houses for parties or whatever, but it's hard to refuse food without appearing rude. If it's an afternoon BBQ I can always say "no thanks, we have dinner plans later," but that lame excuse only works occasionally.

I suppose I could say I have the stomach flu or something.

I would just tell them you are a vegetarian. If one of my guests told me they had the stomach flu, I would want them to leave instantly and take their germs with 'em! I wouldn't say that, of course, I would just fixate on it and make mental notes of everything they touched. wink

No one ever tries to push meat on me and I have no trouble saying no thank you. I also make sure to let my hosts know that I don't expect them to go out of their way to feed me.

The thing that kind of annoys me is when people feel the need to apologize for eating or serving meat. I know they are trying to be nice and it is irrational for me to be annoyed, but it is such a non-issue for me that I hate when it becomes a big deal. I grew up in cow country and have been a vegetarian for 18 years, so having to make do at parties/restaurants, etc. is second nature to me.

Suasoria · Chanel

OK, so the stomach flu thing is out. (Heh.)

I guess I'm just being a wimp about it because to even mention the v-word means I have to explain that I don't eat turkey dogs either, I don't care for a chicken wing thanks, and I won't just pick the pork chunks out of the pea soup. And so on. It just opens up more confusion instead of less since I find people don't know what it actually means.

A few weeks ago at a party with my stepfather's family I had repeatedly turned down hamburgers. Thinking she was helping, my mom outed me as a vegetarian, so people offered me chicken and then salmon. I was a little bit frustrated so I said "no, I don't eat any meat at all, but really, thank you, I'm fine."

Then people wanted to tell me that chicken and fish aren't meat, and a person can't live on just vegetables, and how do I get enough protein, and so on. It was just really uncomfortable, so I'm looking for a way out of this scenario - which seems to happen once a month or more. "I'm not hungry" isn't an option for either the Mexican side or the Italian side of the family.

As far as other people eating or serving meat, I agree that's between them and their colons, but I am pretty firm about not wanting it in my house. For one thing, the smell of meat is really nauseating if you're not accustomed to it, and it lingers the next day. And that has created some problems too, like if we have people over and they want to order sandwiches or something. So I make people eat meat outside at the patio table. But inevitably this house rule is perceived as ridiculously oppressive for people.

wicked · Coach

Suasoria- I have several pescatarian friends who called themselves vegetarians until I introduced them to the word. Funny how some people don't consider seafood meat. I guess it's easier to say "vegetarian" than "i'm a vegetarian, but I eat ........" Whatevs.

I made something very yummy. I froze and thawed tofu and fried it in a little oil. Added a couple Tbs of the Thai green curry paste and added a can of lite coconut milk and half a bag of frozen peas. Served over brown rice. Twas awesome!