Monday, June 22, 2009

Contemplating A Change & Weekly Meals (6/23-6/26)

You may have noticed that my meals last week did not include any meat. I've been trying to prepare more and more vegetarian dishes and am toying with the idea of not eating meat at all anymore. This would not be a drastic step for me as I don't eat a lot of meat. Often when we have a meat dish, I don't eat the meat. I have focused on incorporating enough protein in all of our diets throughout the day.

We have been talking about not eating meat as a family, and I think for hubby, myself and the teenager that's an individual decision, and we'll respect each other's decision once we have each made one.

Here are this week's meals. They are again vegetarian.

Tuesday: Asian vegetable soup with vegetable dumplings & eggs. I'll use organic vegetable broth and frozen vegetable gyoza as well as fresh veggies & edamame to make this soup. Once the veggies are cooked, I'll add the gyoza and heat them through. Then, I'll add several beaten eggs to the broth and mix them into the soup. I'll flavor the soup with soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil.

Wednesday: Lemon pasta. This is technically hubby's dish. Well, it's really the only dish he ever makes. But since he hasn't made it in forever, I'll make it...Sorry for calling you out, sweetie... :0) The sauce is basically olive oil, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, & pepper. You mix the ingredients together and toss them with the pasta. It's a great summer dish. We'll have a salad to go with the pasta.

Thursday: Veggie burgers on whole grain buns with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, onions, cheese & pickles. I've bought several different frozen veggie burgers and can't wait to try them. I'll also experiment with making my own veggie burgers soon.

Friday: It's "Salad Friday." Spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette & feta cheese. Thanks Kelly for your comment and the inspiration for this meal a few weeks ago!

Questions: Do you eat meat, chicken and/or fish? Why or why not? If you chose to become vegetarian or vegan at some point, what convinced you to make the switch? How has the experience been? What was your biggest challenge? What's one tip you can give me?

Be well,
Andrea