16 March 2010

Vegginess

Pet Tip Tuesday: Don't eat your animal friends.
 
I've come to the conclusion that while maintaining a vegetarian lifestyle is pretty simple (simple is a relative term when you live in the middle of cow country and everyone you know is an avid carnivore and avid hunter), taking the step to eat vegan isn't so easy.
 
Why?
 
Because I love cheese so much. So much.
 
If anyone can give me a solution to my cheeseaholicness, let me know.
 
However, despite my love of nonvegan things, I experimented with a vegan recipe last night and it turned out really, really well. Surprisingly well. Who knew you wouldn't miss the cheese in a lasagna? And not just any lasagna, but the awesome Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna, courtesy of the Fat Free Vegan blog. (It's a really pretty blog and has lots of yummy recipes. Check it out.)
 
I didn't take any pictures of it because I was a little apprehensive about how it would turn out (tofu, spinach, mushrooms and spaghetti sauce is about all it has in it), but now I wish I would have. It was that good. I'm looking forward to leftovers tonight. And no cheese! And so flavorful!
 
I bet you're wondering if Matt liked it. Well, Matt has a huge aversion to anything pasta/red sauce/vegetables, so no. He was perfectly happy to fire up the grill for some brats. Which he ate with cheese puffs and kool-aid...the man is seriously more than happy to eat like a five-year-old every day of the week. And he never gains a pound, the nerd.
 
How we make our meals work: he (tries to, with limited snarky comments) ignore the fact that I bring tofu into the house, and I (try to) ignore Daisy the Dead Cow on the grill outside.
 
Our marriage ROCKS.
 
This arrangement works out well for me, because not only did I make that fantastic lasagna, but I made homemade veggie burgers on Sunday while Matt grilled hamburgers for himself.
 
Oh. My. Gosh.
 
These things are so, so incredibly good. I wish I had made two batches to freeze. (The veggie burgers. Not the cow.)
 
The veggie burgers are not vegan on account of the two eggs (ewww), but there's no where in heaven to find egg replacer (Eggbeaters doesn't count - it has real eggs in it) in Licking. In our little corner of Cow Country, who woulda thought??
 
Here's the recipe. It's a little time consuming, but oh so worth it.
 
Veggie Burgers
yield: 8 patties
 
Ingredients:
  
  • 1/2 Cup Minced Onion
  • 1/2 Cup Minced Green or Red Pepper
  • 1/2 Cup Minced Carrot
  • 1/2 Cup Minced Celery
  • 1 Can Cannelloni Beans, drained
  • 2 Eggs (ewwww)
  • 3/4 Cup Plain Bread Crumbs
  • Any seasonings you like. I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and dried dill. (LOVE dill!!) **I don't measure seasonings. I just throw them in there and hope for the best.**
 
 
Directions:
Mince all the veggies in your food processor. I did the veggies one at a time since my processor is small, but if you have a big one you might be able to fit them all in there. Just put the carrots on the bottom since they are harder.  
 
Aren't the carrots pretty?
 

In a large nonstick skillet, cook the minced veggies over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft and moisture has evaporated. Set aside to cool slightly.
 

Mash beans (the food processor will speed this up). Place in a medium bowl and add eggs and seasonings.
 
 
Mix well. Add bread crumbs and veggie mixture; mix well again.
 
 
Shape into 8 equal patties (your hands will get really, really messy here). Refrigerate until chilled, at least 20 minutes, or put in freezer for 10 minutes.
 

Heat some olive oil or use nonstick spray in a skillet. Add a couple patties, sprinkle with a little more garlic powder and dill, and cook over medium heat until browned on both sides and heated through. Repeat until all patties are cooked. 
 
 
You can serve them right away or put them in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to eat. I had one on a bun yesterday for lunch and then a nekkid one (what I like to call "bunless") with a salad for lunch today.
 
These patties are amazingly good!! 
 
Next recipes I want to try:
 
 
With recipes like this, I might not miss cheese so much after all.

1 comment:

Rebekah Williams said...

Look at you, Vegan gal! So trendy and healthy of you!