VEGGILANTE: A Busy Girl's Guide to Vegetarianism

I always feel a sense of satisfaction when I discover a popular food brand that embraces the use of all-natural ingredients. My newest finding occurred in Wawa the other night when I stumbled upon Häagan Dazs’ “Five” line. The website describes it as the “All-natural ice cream crafted with only five ingredients for incredibly pure, balanced flavor… and surprisingly less fat!”

For years, I have been loyal to Ben & Jerry’s, an ice cream company that uses hormone-free dairy produced on local, family-run farms. I always praised them for their decadent, ingenious flavor combinations, especially Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream—vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered waffle cone pieces and a caramel swirl. Yum!

However, after one bite of Häagan Dazs’ Five Brown Sugar, I think I may be a full-fledged convert. Forget all the fancy flavors and convoluted swirls. What I want is a single pint of delicious simplicity. Ice cream at its purest.

The flavor of Five Brown Sugar is rich and unique. Containing only milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and brown sugar (molasses and sugar), it has unexpected undertones of coffee and caramel. Thus, for my next serving, I scooped the ice cream into a bowl and added a few dollops of whipped cream. Move over, Starbucks barista.

The six other flavors they offer range from classic to quirky:

• Vanilla Bean • Milk Chocolate • Mint • Coffee • Ginger • Passion Fruit

I am eager to try them all, but could only find Vanilla Bean and Milk Chocolate at our store. Let me know if you spot the others—and make sure to pick up a pint or two for yourself!

Yesterday I celebrated my fourth vegetarian Thanksgiving, but this time, I decided to do things a bit differently. Each year, I dutifully purchase a Tofurkey Roast, a yummy, meat-free delectable made from soy and wheat gluten. Stuffed with wild rice and bread crumb stuffing and served with mushroom gravy, I thought my Tofurkey was the end all, be all of meatless Thanksgiving fare. I discovered yesterday, however, that I was terribly wrong.

A couple months ago, when my usual Boca Chik’n Patties were not available, fate stepped in and introduced me to Quorn. Popular in Europe, Quorn products do not contain soy, a controversial ingredient because of its ability to raise estrogen levels. Instead, Quorn uses mycoprotein, a fungus first found in England.

Strange, but oh-so-delicious

While a meat-free, fungus-filled loaf may not look or sound appetizing, the mycoprotein in Quorn’s Turk’y Roast ended up making all the difference. Like a Portobello mushroom, this particular fungus created a more meat-like texture than Tofurkey’s soy and wheat gluten was ever able to do. Plus, it tasted better! And with 14g of protein, 5g of fiber, and just 90 calories and 10mg of cholesterol, Quorn was better for me than turkey and Tofurkey.

I prepared my Turk’y Roast by basting it with a mixture of olive oil and dried herbs and placing it in a roasting bag with halved red potatoes. I baked it at 375° for 35 minutes, then flipped the roast and poured a little vegetable broth into the bag. I cooked it for another 35 minutes until the roast was golden brown and served it with the potatoes and sautéed carrots:

Simple Sautéed Carrots

• 1 bag shredded carrots
• ½ cup chopped red onion
• 1 tsp. each sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and oregano
• Olive oil and vegetable broth

Coat frying pan with olive oil over medium to high heat. Toss in shredded carrots and chopped onion. Add seasonings and a splash of vegetable broth. Mix well. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occassionally.  

Note: Most Thanksgiving side dishes are vegetarian, just make sure to stay away from gravy, stuffing (a.k.a. turkey butt bread), and anything that contains chicken stock (this always frustrates me: vegetable broth provides just as much flavor. Is it really necessary to add more meat to a meal?).

Being a vegetarian is not always easy, especially during the holidays. But with a couple improvisations, you can have a tasty meal to enjoy with all your meat-eating loved ones.

The holiday season is rapidly approaching, and with it comes the obligatory holiday parties to which you’ll likely need to bring a food item. To avoid showing up with a store-bought tray of cheese and crackers, I found an appetizer recipe that is beyond simple. The only catch is you’ll need to utilize your host’s oven.

Cheese and sun-dried tomato toasts (adapted from The Vegetarian Cookbook)

• 1 large ciabatta loaf
• ¾ cup sun-dried tomato paste (or just use your favorite tomato sauce)
• 10 oz fresh buffalo mozzarella, drained and diced
• 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3 T olive oil

Turn on broiler to low. Slice ciabatta loaf in half horizontally and, with crust side down, slice each half into 1-2 inch thick strips. Place slices on large baking sheet and put under broiler for about 1 minute on each side until they are golden brown. Remove and preheat oven to 425° (Note: The recipe says to preheat your oven while broiling. My oven does not allow me to do both at once).

Spread one side of each toast with sun-dried tomato paste and top with mozzarella cheese. Then, sprinkle each toast with oregano and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place baking sheet on middle rack of preheated oven and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling. Remove and let stand for 1-2 minutes before serving.

It’s fast. It’s yummy. And it requires little effort.  

As I noted in the list of ingredients, though, don’t waste your time scouring the shelves for sun-dried tomato paste. Just look in your pantry for spaghetti sauce because it tastes exactly the same. In fact, the toasts end up looking and tasting like crunchy, little pizzas. Hooray!

One of the downsides to eating naturally is that you often have to give up your childhood favorites—the foods that are the worst for you, but bring you the most comfort. When I was younger, I used to eat bowls upon bowls of cereal for breakfast, dessert and a midnight snack. I was obsessed. Though I had a penchant for Cap’n Crunch, Corn Pops and Lucky Charms, it simply did not compare to my love of the ultimate, cinnamon sugar cereal.

Sadly, Cinnamon Toast Crunch contains artificial colors and preservatives and I haven’t eaten it since I became vegetarian. I thought that I would never again enjoy the pleasures of  eating a heaping bowl of my beloved cereal—doused in cold milk and soggified to perfection. However, while browsing the cereal aisle at Target last night, I stumbled upon Cascadian Farm Organic Kid’s Cinnamon Crunch cereal. I was hopeful that maybe, just maybe, this cereal could come anywhere close to the deliciousness of its mainstream counterpart.

 This morning, as soon as I poured the sparkling, whole grain squares into the bowl, I knew it was love. It was like eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch, without the guilt of knowing I was putting artificials into my body. I happily consumed two bowls, reliving all my fondest Cinnamon Toast Crunch memories.

I have come to the realization, though, that I have the palate of an eight-year-old child. So many things I eat are from the kid’s lines of products (I’m also having a current love affair with Clif Kid Organic ZBars in the Spooky S’mores flavor). Nevertheless, if that’s what it takes to get the energy and nutrients I need, then I see nothing wrong with my stunted taste buds. Maturity is so overrated anyway.

After a long, hard day, walking into a warm kitchen with the smell of dinner cooking can be incomparably comforting. With this easy recipe, you can turn on the Crock Pot before you leave for work in the morning, and by the time you come home, you have yummy, homemade soup waiting for you. The following recipe is a variation on One Hot Potato Soup found in Quick-Fix Vegetarian, which offers quick, easy recipes with a few ingredients.

• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 c. chopped celery
• 1 bag frozen broccoli
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs. red potatoes, quartered (leave on skins)
• 4 c. vegetable broth
• 2 c. water
• salt, freshly ground pepper, and rosemary to taste

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and garlic, cover, and cook until the celery is softened (about 5 minutes).

Transfer mixture to a 4-quart slow cooker. Add the potatoes, broccoli, broth, water, and spices. Cover and cook until the potatoes are soft (about 6-8 hours).

I sprinkle a little cheese on top (parmesan, mozzarella, or cheddar) and serve with crackers or fresh bread. It’s that simple!

If you’re in an even bigger hurry, though, I highly recommend Amy’s Organic Soups. I have tried almost every one and they are all very tasty. For autumn, try the Butternut Squash. It’s light in sodium and it is amazing.