Two and a half years ago, my husband and I decided to stop eating meat at home. We wanted a healthier, more plant-based, environmentally-friendly, fiber-filled diet, low in cholesterol and high in flavor. Yes, it meant a major lifestyle overhaul. It also meant that as the cook in the house, I had to change my cooking habits.
Meat had always been the organizing principle of my meals: Once I knew that dinner would be flank steak or halibut, everything else -- vegetable, starch, salad -- had fallen into place. I didn't know what I would do without this basic structuring element; it was time to figure out how our new vegetable-centric life would actually happen.
Up until we gave meat the heave-ho, the vegetarian dinners I'd made tended to be labor-intensive productions I made when vegetarian friends came to dinner: Indian feasts; lasagna, homemade sauce and all; chile rellenos served with beans and rice. We couldn't eat like that every night! Or, more to the point, I couldn't cook like that every night, not if I wanted to accomplish anything else during the day.
We had always consumed a lot of vegetables; I grew them year round in the backyard and I was a regular at my local farmers market. I could make an endless variety of side dishes. And this, in the beginning of our meatless life, is exactly what I did. Dinners were essentially meat-based meals without the meat, a rotating assortment of sides -- cubed beets, sautéed greens, roasted potatoes, green salad, seasonal vegetables sautéed, steamed, grilled and roasted; stewed beans, steamed rices, vegetable salads of cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, three or four or more dishes per meal. To compensate for the new protein deficit, I scattered more nuts and cheeses, and added yogurt sauces to certain dishes.
Honestly, it was a real chore to come up with so many side dishes day after day. And it was a challenge to create enough of a hearty meat-like intensity so that our bodies felt satisfied. Early on we ate and ate and ate, finishing every single dish, as if we'd achieve that satisfaction through quantity rather than quality.
I began to notice that meals that consisted of actual vegetarian entrees -- dishes with interacting ingredients and layered flavors -- made more satisfying meals. A bowl of beans and greens (with or without rice). A good vegetable-sauced pasta. These could be served with a salad and, if desired, bread. I began to look for and keep track of such dishes, and soon devised a strategy that has, over time, allowed for more variety and made dinner easier to plan and to prepare.
Now, instead of thinking pork, lamb, beef chops or roasts, fish, shellfish, poultry, I think in terms of a new rotation of categories: pizza, pasta, risotto, beans-and-greens, soups, stews, stir-fry and egg dishes.
Only now, as I've left meat cooking behind, do I fully, deeply appreciate the easy intensity of flavor in a good chop (pork, lamb or veal), to say nothing of the flavor-fix of bacon. Over these last two years, I've had to develop new methods for building complex and compelling flavors into my meatless cuisine. Curiously, by being forced to pay more attention to flavor, I've become more alert to subtlety and nuance.
For starters, I always make my own vegetable stock. As the basis for soups and stews and risotto, even the simplest homemade version trumps store-bought versions -- although those will do in a pinch. My pressure cooker makes a gallon in half an hour.
In general cooking, I now use more lemon and lime juice and white wine for brightness. I have begun to notice when ground spices are fresh and now buy them in smaller quantities and replace them more often. And I've rediscovered garlic, just at a time in history when more varieties than ever are available at farmers markets and for the home gardener. Mediterranean varieties impart a sweeter, more peppery and complex flavor than the usual supermarket garlic imported from China.
Pulitzer prize winning restaurant critic Jonathan Gold turned me onto the secret flavor boosters of many great chefs: "rooster sauce," which is the nickname for the Huy Fong brand of sriracha hot chili sauces. All of them have green lids, roosters on their labels, and are manufactured in Rosemead, California. Some rooster sauce is pureed and sold in a squirt bottle; other varieties are ground dried chiles in jars; all fulfill the same flavor-boosting purpose. Rooster sauce can ramp up the flavor of everything from beans to stir fries, omelets to pasta sauces -- but proceed with caution as the chili heat can quickly overwhelm.
A final word to the transitioning vegetarian: expect changes. Several things happened when we stopped eating meat at home: We lost weight. We felt better. I actually enjoyed the challenge of cooking with more vegetables. Although we were not strict vegetarians -- we gave ourselves permission to still eat meat out of the house, in the homes of friends and restaurants -- we slowly but surely lost interest in it. And I actually began to crave vegetables. Who ever could have guessed that bitter greens, hominy, and kabocha squash would replace ribeye steak and roast chicken as our favorite foods?
The Transitioning Vegetarian
0****Getty Images*|*From Meat-centric to Veg-centric, A Cook's Journey: When a couple decides to change their lives and stop eating meat, they needed to completely rethink what used to be the simple act of making dinner.
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vegetarian essentials
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PIZZA
Once I realized how easy it is to make pizza dough, I started making pizza at least twice a month. But the dough (thawed and frozen) is also available at many supermarkets and Italian bakeries. One day, I will apprentice myself to a pizza parlor to learn how to stretch and toss pizza dough; until then, I do the best I can. I pat and (inevitably) get out the rolling pin. Don't worry about making your crust into a perfect round or rectangle: one of the charms of homemade pizza is a rustic shape. There is no way of becoming a better pizza maker except by making pizza. I started by patting my pizza dough onto a greased pan which then goes directly into the oven. I now have a pizza stone and use a pizza peel (a long-handled wooden or wood and metal board) to slide the pizza onto the peel. There is always a moment of high anxiety (or hilarity, depending on your temperament)-- when the dough sticks to the peel, or doesn't hit the stone quite right -- but pizza is forgiving.
The best thing about making pizza at home is that you can divide the dough to make several small pies with different toppings. I make my own simple red sauce, and my two favorite recipes are Pizza with Gruyere, Pear, and Chestnut Honey and Pizza Margherita.
Once I realized how easy it is to make pizza dough, I started making pizza at least twice a month. But the dough (thawed and frozen) is also available at many supermarkets and Italian bakeries. One day, I will apprentice myself to a pizza parlor to learn how to stretch and toss pizza dough; until then, I do the best I can. I pat and (inevitably) get out the rolling pin. Don't worry about making your crust into a perfect round or rectangle: one of the charms of homemade pizza is a rustic shape. There is no way of becoming a better pizza maker except by making pizza. I started by patting my pizza dough onto a greased pan which then goes directly into the oven. I now have a pizza stone and use a pizza peel (a long-handled wooden or wood and metal board) to slide the pizza onto the peel. There is always a moment of high anxiety (or hilarity, depending on your temperament)-- when the dough sticks to the peel, or doesn't hit the stone quite right -- but pizza is forgiving.
The best thing about making pizza at home is that you can divide the dough to make several small pies with different toppings. I make my own simple red sauce, and my two favorite recipes are Pizza with Gruyere, Pear, and Chestnut Honey and Pizza Margherita.
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PASTA
The secret of a truly successful pasta lies in superb ingredients. Now that I don't buy meat, I feel justified in buying the highest quality Italian pasta and Parmigiano Reggianno. But semolina pasta, even at its best, is nutritionally insignificant, and I'm on an eternal search for a decent whole-grain or whole-wheat pasta. In the meantime, I counter the lack of nutritional value in regular pasta by shifting the proportion of sauce to pasta: that is, I use more sauce and less pasta.
The possibilities for vegetarian pasta are limitless. I like simple preparations: orrechette with sautéed broccoli rabe, aglio olio (a simple preparation of oil, garlic, and pepper flakes), spaghetti with a simple marinara, penne Norma (a red sauce with eggplant). For a dinner party, I'll turn to the more labor intensive lasagna and make one with cheese or roasted vegetables. My husband loves cauliflower, so we often eat a chewy penne tossed with a spicy mashed cauliflower sauce.
The secret of a truly successful pasta lies in superb ingredients. Now that I don't buy meat, I feel justified in buying the highest quality Italian pasta and Parmigiano Reggianno. But semolina pasta, even at its best, is nutritionally insignificant, and I'm on an eternal search for a decent whole-grain or whole-wheat pasta. In the meantime, I counter the lack of nutritional value in regular pasta by shifting the proportion of sauce to pasta: that is, I use more sauce and less pasta.
The possibilities for vegetarian pasta are limitless. I like simple preparations: orrechette with sautéed broccoli rabe, aglio olio (a simple preparation of oil, garlic, and pepper flakes), spaghetti with a simple marinara, penne Norma (a red sauce with eggplant). For a dinner party, I'll turn to the more labor intensive lasagna and make one with cheese or roasted vegetables. My husband loves cauliflower, so we often eat a chewy penne tossed with a spicy mashed cauliflower sauce.
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BEANS AND GREENS
Almost by accident, I discovered the happy marriage of beans and greens: I kept pushing them together on my plate, loading my fork with both simultaneously. Dried beans or fresh shell beans, fresh salad greens or long-boiled bitter greens, it didn't matter. Beans with greens are match made in heaven.
In the summer we eat navy or cannellini beans drizzled with rosemary oil on a bed of arugula and topped with bright-colored cherry tomatoes and curls of shaved Parmesan. Or, I make a beluga lentil and spinach salad. The beans have the weight of an entrée, and the greens aerate them, lighten their impact.
In the winter I like cannellinis with braised escarole, favas or limas slow cooked (or pressure cooked!) to a creamy richness served in a bowl with bitter sautéed rapini or garlicky chard. Or, Indian dal (lentils or chick peas ) with sag (spinach or mustard green puree). Beans and greens can always be served with rice-basmati, brown, jasmine, or red.
Almost by accident, I discovered the happy marriage of beans and greens: I kept pushing them together on my plate, loading my fork with both simultaneously. Dried beans or fresh shell beans, fresh salad greens or long-boiled bitter greens, it didn't matter. Beans with greens are match made in heaven.
In the summer we eat navy or cannellini beans drizzled with rosemary oil on a bed of arugula and topped with bright-colored cherry tomatoes and curls of shaved Parmesan. Or, I make a beluga lentil and spinach salad. The beans have the weight of an entrée, and the greens aerate them, lighten their impact.
In the winter I like cannellinis with braised escarole, favas or limas slow cooked (or pressure cooked!) to a creamy richness served in a bowl with bitter sautéed rapini or garlicky chard. Or, Indian dal (lentils or chick peas ) with sag (spinach or mustard green puree). Beans and greens can always be served with rice-basmati, brown, jasmine, or red.
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RISOTTO
Risotto used to be a special-occasion dish -- all that stirring! -- that I only made for small dinner parties. But then, I discovered I could make it quickly and easily in a pressure cooker, which cuts way down on time, effort and splatters. And in multiple blind taste tests, is indistinguishable from the more manually intensive method. (I also rely on the pressure cooker to make a basic vegetable stock for the risotto). Now risotto is in my rotation of vegetarian entrees. Again, I feel free to buy high quality Arborio rice and Parmigiano Reggiano.
The possibilities for vegetarian risottos are endless. I make them with mushrooms (fresh and/or dried), with kabocha (or other winter squash) and sage, with beets. I like to make plain risotto and add lots of grated parm and fresh peas or fresh fava beans or sautéed celery stirred in at the very end.
In a classic risotto, both cheese and butter are "beaten" in at the end of cooking. I no longer add the butter, but those who want a richer, more traditional risotto can always add a tablespoon or two with the cheese at the end.
Risotto used to be a special-occasion dish -- all that stirring! -- that I only made for small dinner parties. But then, I discovered I could make it quickly and easily in a pressure cooker, which cuts way down on time, effort and splatters. And in multiple blind taste tests, is indistinguishable from the more manually intensive method. (I also rely on the pressure cooker to make a basic vegetable stock for the risotto). Now risotto is in my rotation of vegetarian entrees. Again, I feel free to buy high quality Arborio rice and Parmigiano Reggiano.
The possibilities for vegetarian risottos are endless. I make them with mushrooms (fresh and/or dried), with kabocha (or other winter squash) and sage, with beets. I like to make plain risotto and add lots of grated parm and fresh peas or fresh fava beans or sautéed celery stirred in at the very end.
In a classic risotto, both cheese and butter are "beaten" in at the end of cooking. I no longer add the butter, but those who want a richer, more traditional risotto can always add a tablespoon or two with the cheese at the end.
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SOUPS
Having a variety of soup recipes on hand is one of my key strategies for the cooler months. Some of my favorite include: sweet and sour cabbage soup, pur&eracute;ed beet soup with whipped horseradish goat cheese, chickpea soup, vegetable soup au pistou and vegetarian posole.
In becoming a vegetarian, however, I was particularly challenged by making delicious soup. How to match the intensity of flavor that is simply present in meat and chicken-based stocks? Vegetable broth is available in boxes in supermarkets alongside beef and chicken broth; it will do in a pinch, but you'll have to get out your favorite flavor enhancers. Homemade stock is really the answer--even the simplest homemade stock can make a big difference. Tasting and adjusting the seasonings as the soup cooks also yields a more complex and interesting final product.
Having a variety of soup recipes on hand is one of my key strategies for the cooler months. Some of my favorite include: sweet and sour cabbage soup, pur&eracute;ed beet soup with whipped horseradish goat cheese, chickpea soup, vegetable soup au pistou and vegetarian posole.
In becoming a vegetarian, however, I was particularly challenged by making delicious soup. How to match the intensity of flavor that is simply present in meat and chicken-based stocks? Vegetable broth is available in boxes in supermarkets alongside beef and chicken broth; it will do in a pinch, but you'll have to get out your favorite flavor enhancers. Homemade stock is really the answer--even the simplest homemade stock can make a big difference. Tasting and adjusting the seasonings as the soup cooks also yields a more complex and interesting final product.
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STEWS
I found myself making a variety of hearty vegetable entrees, some saucy, some relatively dry, all of them a combination of vegetables and therefore more complex than side dishes. They weren't soups, and they weren't stir fries -- they were dry and wet curries, braises, chili, and stews. Gopi Aloo (cauliflower and potato curry). A sauté of eggplant with garlic and chickpeas. White bean chili. Ratatouille, caponata and Potato and Kalamata Olive Stew. A New England dinner without the corned beef (the boiled vegetables served with hot mustard!). A vegetarian pot a feu. Many of these dishes are good with a side of rice, or bread, and a green salad.
I found myself making a variety of hearty vegetable entrees, some saucy, some relatively dry, all of them a combination of vegetables and therefore more complex than side dishes. They weren't soups, and they weren't stir fries -- they were dry and wet curries, braises, chili, and stews. Gopi Aloo (cauliflower and potato curry). A sauté of eggplant with garlic and chickpeas. White bean chili. Ratatouille, caponata and Potato and Kalamata Olive Stew. A New England dinner without the corned beef (the boiled vegetables served with hot mustard!). A vegetarian pot a feu. Many of these dishes are good with a side of rice, or bread, and a green salad.
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EGG DISHES
Egg dishes are my ace-in-the-hole. So long as I have a dozen eggs in the fridge, dinner is possible. A cheese or herb omelet and a green salad is a perfect light, low-carb dinner. I make quiches only rarely, because they require a crust (too much work) and tend to be richer. But tortillas (Spanish omelets such as my Winter Squash Tortilla) and frittatas (Italian omelets) are my favorite fast egg dishes because they're easy, they serve as a vehicle for leftover vegetables and potatoes, and you can make them ahead of time (in their countries of origin, they're eaten at room temperature and even used in sandwiches).
Egg dishes are my ace-in-the-hole. So long as I have a dozen eggs in the fridge, dinner is possible. A cheese or herb omelet and a green salad is a perfect light, low-carb dinner. I make quiches only rarely, because they require a crust (too much work) and tend to be richer. But tortillas (Spanish omelets such as my Winter Squash Tortilla) and frittatas (Italian omelets) are my favorite fast egg dishes because they're easy, they serve as a vehicle for leftover vegetables and potatoes, and you can make them ahead of time (in their countries of origin, they're eaten at room temperature and even used in sandwiches).
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STIR FRY
Back when I was in college, a good, veggie stir-fry in a wok was my staple hot meal. I have refined and revived the stir-fry in my current regimen (one variation is Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy with Red Peppers, Tofu and Black Beans. While it is not as quickly prepared as I remember -- perhaps because my new versions contain more than broccoli, carrots and onions -- the basic principles remain constant: vegetables are cooked rapidly over high heat, steamed briefly, topped with scallions, drizzled with sesame oil and served with rice. I like to put out chopsticks, as well.
I no longer use a wok but prefer a wide sauté pan with 4-inch sides. And while I use olive oil for almost every other sauté, I use peanut, canola or grapeseed oil for stir-frying because they cook at higher temperatures without burning.
Once you have the stir fry basics in your pantry (soy sauce, sesame oil, dried fermented black beans, oyster sauce), stir-frying becomes an easy option when you've got vegetables in the crisper and only a few minutes till dinner.
View all of Michelle Huneven's vegetarian recipes
View all Vegetarian recipes on KitchenDaily
Back when I was in college, a good, veggie stir-fry in a wok was my staple hot meal. I have refined and revived the stir-fry in my current regimen (one variation is Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy with Red Peppers, Tofu and Black Beans. While it is not as quickly prepared as I remember -- perhaps because my new versions contain more than broccoli, carrots and onions -- the basic principles remain constant: vegetables are cooked rapidly over high heat, steamed briefly, topped with scallions, drizzled with sesame oil and served with rice. I like to put out chopsticks, as well.
I no longer use a wok but prefer a wide sauté pan with 4-inch sides. And while I use olive oil for almost every other sauté, I use peanut, canola or grapeseed oil for stir-frying because they cook at higher temperatures without burning.
Once you have the stir fry basics in your pantry (soy sauce, sesame oil, dried fermented black beans, oyster sauce), stir-frying becomes an easy option when you've got vegetables in the crisper and only a few minutes till dinner.
View all of Michelle Huneven's vegetarian recipes
View all Vegetarian recipes on KitchenDaily
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Wonderful article! I'm a former vegetarian and I want to go back!
This eating program may work for some but not all. As a coach and sports and fitness trainer, I have muscle mass; weight lift 4 days a week, and want to maintain it so I need my protein and meat and fish are the main outside source. Also, the reduction of protein in your diet can weaken your immune system and be more open to illness and injury. What works for some may not be right for others since we are not all equal or the same. KNow your own body and go from there to decide what is best for you and that means how many calories you need each day; what is in those calories, which includes protein. Just remember that being active is the most important way to burn calories and keep the excess fat off!
The Youth Obesity and Fitness Foundation
http://yforme.org
j.j. Falcon I couldn't have said it better myself. Not to mentionm my hair gets longer thicker and shinnier (faster) with meat instead of substitutes.
go....!
this is for j.j. falcon. You don't need meat for all you body building. maybe you should read the "kind diet" and "skinny bitch" or "skinny bastard". you may be surprised...
Such great ideas!
These are great ideas! There is one that I think you would like as well. I'm not exactly ready to give up all my meat but I have been trying to incorporate more vegetables and fruit into my diet. The best way that I have found is with the LeVive juice! I love it! It has five exotic fruits and that it! Literally...there is nothing else in this juice. I use it as a two step program (the second step is a garment) that has helped me lose weight, stablize my blood pressure and sugar as well as improve my energy, memory, and even vision!! This is no hype, it is for real. I like knowing that i am drinking something that even my youngest can drink...and does and loves it!! Visit my site and see for yourself...www.ardysslife.com/mistylw Lord Bless!
Fantastic Article! Sooooo inspiring.... now I want to be a vegetarian.. Thank you!
I have friends who became Vegetarians and they got so fat they went back to regular eating.
Yes, the same thing happened to people I know who went vegetarian. It isn't the magical answer for everyone.
they probably ate way too many dairy products
Your friend must have been living off of lots of cheese,dairy,french fries,processed foods,etc.
I have been a vegetarian for 19 years. When I was young and stupid,and first became a vegetarian,I gained weight because I ate garbage,processed food and junk food. When i started caring and understanding how to eat and also began to cook my own meals,I have maintained and ideal weight for me. I have never been too skinny nor heavy and I belong to a family of overweight and obese people. I could easily have been overweight. Instead,because I don't eat animal foods,which is the worst types of things you can eat outside of processed food,I have been able to stay healthy and normally thin.
I also look at least 10 years younger than I am(I'm 34),or so everyone tells me. I have never,ever seen a meat-eater who looks 10 years younger than they are. I can always tell there's something aging in them,their eyes,skin,hair,something that makes them look (or smell!) badly.
Good luck on all of your meat diets,you're helping to kill yourselves and our precious planet.
So happy to read your article. great ideas and recipes. I've really been considering cutting down my familys meat consumption. I just keep thinking of the raising of animals stuffed in cages just for us to eat them. I love a good steak but weve all become excessive.
There is no mention at all of the countless meat substitutes one can organize a meal around.
Tofu, Tempeh, Gardein, etc. With so many options, this only grants a limited view of a vegetarian diet.
You'd be better off cutting out the starch and sugar out of your diet. It's not the protein that is unhealthy, it's all the starches and sugars we ingest.
I agree, look at getting rid of sugar to look better and feel better with exercise.
It is true that starches and sugars can cause problems in transitioning diets; mostly as pseudo comfort foods. They do not provide the satiation needed, and in fact, new studies show sugars especially with the right amount of oils or fats can so completely turn off the feeling of full that unscrupulous entrepreneurial types often deliberately use this to get consumers to gorge themselves on their products. HOWEVER, the problem does not exist, and the cancer and colon problems also attributable to such consumption disappear, when simple sugars and starches are replaced with more complex carbohydrates. See my thread below for more complete information.
A wonderful article with some really fascinating ideas. One little suggestion for those who don't want to make pastry for quiche.. I use Peg Bracken's idea, which is merely crushed saltine crumbs with butter, patted into the bottom of a pie plate. My vegan daughter-in-law says I make the best meatless quiche she ever had. It's mainly onions, zucchini mushrooms and marinated artichokes.
Gillian-If you'd be willing to share it, I'd love your quiche recipe, sounds yummie!
Great info! I started a 9 week vegetarian cooking course a couple of weeks ago. The course is entirely vegen, so this info makes for a greater variety of recipes since I'm wanting to use some fish, eggs, and dairy. Do you have any suggestions for a good vegetarian cook books?