Carnivore and Herbivore

Cooking Class:
Attentive Student:
The flambe was obviously way over my head!
My father is from Rio Grande do Sul, beef capital of Brazil, so logically meat dishes have always been present in my life. In fact, like the aunt in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, my dad would make chicken as a substitute for beef. Only recently, did he begin appreciating vegetarian dishes.

Like my father, I am clueless when it comes to meatless dishes. I have enjoyed vegetarian meals but I must say I'm a little ignorant when it comes to preparing them. How do you cook without meat? Better yet, how do you live?

After explaining my dilemma to a friend, she gave me Vegan Planet, a vegan cookbook. Let me start by saying that going from being a carnivore to an herbivore is beyond difficult! No wonder the T-Rex is extinct. He couldn't handle a broccoli and brown rice diet. Everything becomes a steak and the fact that I can't have one drives me insane.

I realized that though I wanted to adopt a healthier eating style, going cold turkey (meat references are all over) was not the answer. Like a crackfiend, I need an occasional fix, a piece of bacon, a fried egg, a BBQ. I finally reached a compromise. I opted for a few meatless dishes once a week...OK, once in a while. I have to start somewhere.

Needless to say, I will never be a vegetarian or vegan, but I like to think that a meatless diet, once in a while, will help improve my health, my family's health, and the health of the planet.

I'm please to say that it has been working. On meatless nights, I make fish (not really a meat) OR use meat substitutes. Again, I gotta start somewhere.



Below is my favorite vegan dish:
Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

• Olive Oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 minced garlic clove
• One 14.5 oz of chopped and drained tomatoes
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of apple juice
• 1/4 cup of tomato paste
• 2 tb of chili powder (I omit the chili powder)
• Salt
• 1 diced butternut squash
• 3 cups or two 15 oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:

• Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the black beans. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add the beans, simmer it for 15 minutes, and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve hot.
  

Like a true carnivore, I'm also including my favorite Brazilian meat dish--yum!
Brazilian Strognonoff

• 2 tablespoons butter shopping list
• 1 white onion minced shopping list
• 1 clove garlic minced shopping list
• 1 teaspoon salt shopping list
• 1 pound white cultivated mushrooms shopping list
• 1 pound beef cut into small cubes shopping list
• 2 tablespoons ketchup shopping list
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

• Lightly fry the beef with the butter, onion, garlic and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup of water to make a thick sauce then add remaining ingredients except sour cream and ketchup. Cook for 5 minutes and check meat for doneness. When done add sour cream and ketchup. Mix briefly and serve with potato sticks and white rice.

Since I like meat, I'm including a second meat dish, Lomo Saltado. This is such a tasty Peruvian dish!
LOMO SALTADO (PERUVIAN STIRFRY)

• 1 lb sirloin or tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces--You can replace the sirloin with chicken, shrimp, or tofu.
  
• 1 small onion, cut into strips
• 1 large tomato, cut into strips
• 1 large hot pepper, seeded and cut into strips
• salt
• pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• French fries

Directions:

• Place the cut meat in a bowl or dish, and season it with salt, pepper, a little bit of olive oil, lime juice, and chopped garlic. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes.
• Sauté meat over high heat for a few minutes until meat is no longer pink. Lower temperature to medium and add first the onion. Cook, stirring for 1 minute and then stir in the tomatoes and peppers. Cook until the onions are tender.
  
• Add the red wine and the cilantro. Cook for one more minute. Toss in the French fries and serve with white rice.

You must watch Food Inc. It changed many of my eating habits.