Exactly What I Wanted. Day 15, 6/12/11

Well, I've got a full 2 weeks under my belt as a vegetarian. 

Last night, at a wedding, I was tempted by a few items containing meat and I started to question why I'm doing this.  I'm not omitting meat from my diet due to some strong personal conviction; I'm just giving it a try.  What would it hurt if I tried the Curry Chicken Crostini??  Here's where I struggle.  I have a genuine passion for food.  I LOVE to try new foods and then mull over what I would do to make "better" or try to recreate something that I tried and loved.  And suddenly for some of it to be "off limits" is strange for me.

As I sat at the table a little bit disappointed about the things I couldn't try, and briefly contemplating throwing the whole idea out the window, Ali mentioned a recipe blog that she likes a lot, bakedbree.com.  As the night went on, she and I talked about this blog quite a bit.  We pulled it up on her phone and looked at several recipes...

So when I woke up this morning, the first thing I did was check it out.  Let me first say that I don't know anything about blogs.  I don't follow any, and until now, I've never written one.  And had I known how incredibly well done these things could be, I never would've started one.  The Baked Bree blog is amazing and she pretty much makes me look like a preschooler at this.  But that's okay, you've gotta start somewhere, right?

Secondly, I was so excited about the many meat-free recipes she has posted.  Most of her recipes sound delicious.  Like me, she's obviously a fan of blue cheese.  Yum!  I spent 3 hours this morning reading through and printing off recipes.  (Yes, I still print things, get over it.) 

But the best part was, her blog quickly reminded me why I'm really doing this.  I love food and I want to experience it in new and different ways.  Searching for recipes online and watching cooking shows, like I've done for years, inspires me.  But having to approach the process with a new frame of mind than I've ever had before, is getting my creative juices flowing in entirely new ways.  And I'm so excited about that!  So for now, I'm gonna skip the Curry Chicken Crostini, be okay with it, and work at perfecting a Curry Barley and Roasted Red Pepper Crostini recipe instead.  :-)

Anyway... Jamie, who represents 50% of my blog "following," has requested pictures of food.  So, to meet the demands of my readers, here are some pictures of food.

Above is today's lunch in progress and below is the finished product.  Notice my new grill pan?  I love it!  It's the Calphalon 12" pan.  I'm using it all the time!  I had a couple of Morning Star's Spicy Black Bean Burgers and some grilled zucchini.  No, I probably didn't need 2 burgers, but that's how they come packaged and after looking at the Baked Bree blog all morning, I was pretty hungry!

Many people would see this pan and know exactly what this is.  Macaroni and Cheese in Grandma's macaroni and cheese pan.  In my family, we pepper the top of our mac and cheese.  I don't know why, but that's what grandma did, so we do.  :-)  It's just macaroni, milk, cheese, salt, pepper and a little butter.

This is a dish I've made for years.  It's Soba Noodles with Sauteed Veggies.  I usually like to finish it with some cashews on top, but I didn't have any in the house at the time.  Pretty yummy stuff.  I don't have a recipe for this, I just throw stuff together.

And, for an easy lunch, who doesn't love a Grilled Cheese Sandwich?  I've got some veggies and Tzatziki for dipping here, too.  I used to always make Grilled Ham and Cheese or Grilled Turkey and Swiss... but the red pepper sticks in the middle instead were a nice touch. But, with hot melty cheese, how can you go wrong?

So, with the absurd amount of cheese I've just displayed, it's obvious that I haven't been following the most healthy vegetarian diet ever, but I haven't eaten any meat.  :-)