Veg Out With Mike

I am a vegetarian. I openly admit this. I’ve got nothing to hide, no turkey drumsticks stuffed in some far corner of my closet or cheeseburger stashed in the glove compartment of my car. And I’m a real vegetarian, someone who has opted not to ingest meat of any kind. That means all meats and meat byproducts. I often hear some people profess their vegetarianism proudly, only to later hear them amend this profession by adding that they only eat chicken…or just fish…or all meats except beef. To these confused folks I say: kudos on your quest toward healthier eating habits, but you are not vegetarians. And that’s okay with me. In fact, I support your healthy choices of eliminating some meats from your daily diet, just don’t go around calling yourself a veg-head. Like me.

But here’s the thing, the real deal, the dark little secret of being a vegetarian that you carnivorous, meat masticating guys and gals may not know:

WE MISS MEAT!

Got your attention? Actually, we, or maybe it’s just me, miss some of the comfort foods, made with meat, that I loved devouring while growing up. Foods like meatloaf with gravy and mashed potatoes. Spaghetti and meatballs. Lasagna stuffed with sausage and crushed meatballs. Enchiladas, tacos, burritos, fajitas crammed with chicken and carnitas. And cheeseburgers. Of all the foods that I’ve eschewed since I made the heart- and heath-conscious decision to eliminate (ALL!) animal proteins from my diet, I miss cheeseburgers the most.

But there was, and still is, a reason why all of these comfort foods taste so good, and why I still avoid them: they are loaded with calories, saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium.

One day, while watching my lovely wife enjoy a cheeseburger, as I nibbled on a salad, my mind turned down a dark path, slipped stealthily toward temptation and taste, and wondered if I could somehow create comfort foods, like juicy cheeseburgers or spicy tacos, and make them meat-free and healthy, without losing their taste. And, through trial and error and lots of dirty pots and pans, I came up with:

VEG OUT WITH MIKE


My aim with this new series is to create healthy, vegetarian-based comfort foods that taste great too. I think I have achieved that with my first recipe (and video) for a simple marinara sauce. Serve this up over a high-fiber, whole wheat pasta and you have a delicious, healthy feast that will satisfy even the meatiest of meat eaters.

VEG OUT WITH MIKE (Simple Marinara Sauce)



In future veg out videos I hope to tackle tres frijoles (three bean) tacos, meatless meatloaf, veggie lasagna (my mom‘s recipe), and, yes, those greasy and decadent, but oh so tasty, cheeseburgers. All meat-less and low in saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium, and calories.

Is it possible?

Can I pull it off?

Can one mere man, armed with a bowl of veggies and a chopping knife, take those fattening comfort foods that we all love to eat and turn them into HEALTHY and TASTY delights?

Stay tuned.

When VEG OUT WITH MIKE continues…

Until next time…

peace,

Mike