In 1977 the North American Vegetarian Society established October 1st as World Vegetarian Day. A vegetarian since 1975, I actually celebrate every day with a meatless menu. However, I could not let this day go by without making vegetarianism the focus for this blog posting.
This first definition of vegetarians is a quote from “Vegetarianism in a Nutshell,” an excellent booklet available from the Vegetarian Resource Group. “Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, and poultry. Vegans are vegetarians who abstain from eating or using all animal products, including milk, cheese, other dairy items, eggs, wool, silk, or leather.
There are sub-categories to vegetarianism, which become quite complicated to a non-vegetarian, so I have included them for information purposes only.
1. Lacto-ovo vegetarians, who add dairy and eggs to their diet. Some choose to be only lacto-vegetarians (dairy, but no eggs), while others choose to be ovo-vegetarians (eggs, but no dairy).
2. Fruitarians, who will eat only those foods that can be picked without killing the plant, such as apples and berries, tomatoes, and green beans.
3. “Piscetarians,” the nickname for those who eat no meat, but do eat fish, which are cold-blooded and not considered in the same category as meat by this group.
4. Flexitarians, the newest category, which is applied to vegetarians who eat meat on occasion, as well as to meat eaters, who are eating more meatless meals, mainly for health reasons.
Originally, I became a vegetarian for economic reasons. My first husband and I returned to the U.S. after a school year in Israel and had very little money, so I opted for a meatless diet, mainly because I had purchased Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé. Reading it, I found that there were also ecological reasons for going meatless, specifically, that we use a great deal more of the earth’s resources to raise animals than to raise plant food.
Eventually, I embraced the concept that the body is the temple of the spirit and decided that a meatless diet was better for my spiritual health and my physical health. Finally, as a student of nutrition, I learned I did not have to eat animals to have a completely balanced diet.
However, over the years I realized that there are unhealthy vegetarians as well as healthy meat eaters. The emphasis needs to be on fresh, organic, lightly processed foods as the core of the diet. Most vegetarians I know focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans, nuts and sprouts, as well as soy foods. Meat eaters would probably benefit from doing the same.
Since all my recipes are meatless, you can click on any month in the Archives to scroll through the recipes. For today, I am posting a recipe or two made from soy foods, since they are often the meal replacement for meat.
Finally, to learn more about vegetarianism, click on Profiles to learn more about the North American Vegetarian Society and the Vegetarian Resource Group. And while you’re investigating, I invite you to use October 1st to experiment with a meatless diet for one day or one week. Your motto for today can be: “Make Mine Meatless!”
Tempuna
This dish is made to look like tuna salad, but does not really taste like tuna. However, tempeh, the main ingredient, is a complete soy protein, high in phytoestrogens (plant-based estrogens), considered by many to be good for midlife women.
Ingredients
One 8 oz. package tempeh (soy product), steamed
Two scallions, minced
One small carrot, grated
One stalk celery, diced
Mayonnaise or Nayonaise (approx. 1/4 cup to start)
Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste
Directions
1. Steam tempeh for 5-7 minutes.
2. While it cools, prepare the veggies and place in a bowl with the mayo or nayo-naise.
3. Grate the tempeh into the bowl, adding salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.
4. Add more mayo or nayo if too dry. Chill and serve on crackers, bread, or as stuffing for tomatoes.
(Feel free to add garlic powder, curry powder, Italian seasonings, mustard, etc. to vary the flavor.)
*Alternate Recipe: Substitute regular tofu (not extra firm) in place of tempeh for Eggless Egg Salad, adding turmeric to the mayonnaise to give the yellow egg color.
Quinoa*with
Edamame Beans
(*Quinoa is pronounced keen-wa)
Quoting from the Quinoa Corporation: ”Quinoa stands alone as a complete protein grain. It supplies all the essential amino acids in a balanced pattern.” It also is a good source of calcium, phosphorous, and iron. Coupled with green soybeans, also known as Edamame beans, this dish is packed with high quality amino acids. If you add the arame seaweed, you also get a goodly portion of minerals.
Ingredients:
One c. quinoa
2 c. green soybeans, shelled (Edamame) 1/4 c. plum vinegar
1/2 c. grated organic carrot
1-2 organic scallions, minced
Dressing:
1/2 c. toasted sesame oil
dash of mustard, ginger, and soy sauce
2 pinches of Arame seaweed, soaked (optional)
Directions
1. While the quinoa and Edamame beans are cooking in separate pots according to package directions, soak the Arame seaweed , if using, in warm water.
2. Then grate the carrots and minced the scallions. Set aside.
3. Whisk together dressing ingredients.
4. Remove quinoa from stove and transfer to a large bowl.
5. Drain soybeans and add to quinoa.
6. Finally, stir in dressing and add onions and carrots gently.
7. Can be served hot or cold. Serves 4-6.
