More Veg Out With Mike

One of my favorite hobbies is traveling, visiting new places, or revisiting old haunts, and exploring all that those areas have to offer. During these explorations, I often find myself seated at a table, fork in hand, excited to indulge in the local culinary offerings. My ultimate quest is to discover the best eggplant Parmesan trattoria or tastiest pizza palace. I also scour downtowns and back alleyways in search of classic Mexican or Asian cuisine, delectable vegetarian fare or delis that offer amazing subs, heroes, grinders, hoagies, Dagwoods…er, sandwiches. And don’t forget good, old-fashioned diner food.

Ahh, those were the days, right? I mean, you’re saying to yourselves: Mike can’t eat all that diner food, given that he’s a vegetarian, that he is constantly shoving healthy eating down our throats, that if he doesn’t use the word “fiber” in every other sentence something very bad may happen to him.

Hold on a second: FIBER, FIBER, FIBER!

There, I feel so much better. Where was I? Right, explaining how much I miss some of the greasy, tasty, fattening, comforting foods that are found in thousands of diners or cafes across the far reaches of this planet. Foods like fried chicken, chicken-fried steak, bacon and eggs, cheeseburgers, macaroni and cheese, Reuben sandwiches or a home-cooked turkey dinner with all the fixings. And meatloaf.

Man, of all those comfort foods that I have given up in search of a healthier, slimmer, happier Mike, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, smothered in brown gravy is tops on my list.

Wait, did someone mention brown gravy? Here’s a meat-free brown mushroom gravy that tastes as good as your granny used to make:

VEG OUT WITH MIKE: MUSHROOM GRAVY (VEGAN)



One of the reasons I created my VEG OUT WITH MIKE series was the need to find healthier ways to enjoy comfort foods, like meatloaf. But there’s one large obstacle for someone like me when it comes to meatloaf.

Ah, what’s that, Mike?

How about the first four letters.

You mean: M-E-A-T?

Bingo!

My challenge was to create a meatless meatloaf, without giving up flavor and texture, while not only satisfying my vegetarian and heart-healthy lifestyle, but a meatless loaf that was loaded with protein. Because like it or not (and I know many of you LOVE meat), meat remains the number one source of protein. And one of the biggest challenges for us veg-heads is making sure we get enough protein in our daily diets. Which brings me to my next video:

VEG OUT WITH MIKE: MEATLESS MEATLOAF



This meatless meatloaf has over 50 grams of vegetable protein and is loaded with FIBER…there’s that word again. And the best part: It tastes great!

But who can eat meatloaf, meatless or otherwise, without mashed potatoes? I already showed you how to make a delicious brown gravy, meat-free and healthy, now all we need are some potatoes (and a few veggies, like broccoli or cauliflower or asparagus or carrots, on the side), mashed and smothered with milk and butter, right?

WRONG!

These garlic smashed potatoes have no butter or milk. And I gotta tell ya, they are one of the tastiest dishes I’ve inhaled in a long time. A friend of mine just tried this recipe, a gentleman who loves his butter, by the way, and told me that these potatoes were amazing. To quote: “I actually tasted the potato…and that’s a good thing!” For the best mashed potatoes, and the healthiest, you’ve ever wolfed down, check out this video:

VEG OUT WITH MIKE: VEGAN-FRIENDLY GARLIC SMASHED POTATOES



Have I forgotten anything? I don’t think so. Okay, maybe dessert. I’m going to have to work on that one, perhaps for the next Veg Out With Mike.

Remember, comfort foods don’t have to be loaded with unhealthy fats and sodium and animal protein to still taste good…and bring you the comfort that has made them your favorites since childhood. I hope you enjoy one, or all, of the above recipes. And, as always, keep living your (healthy) life every day, every way with livelife365.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike