I have to decide whether I want to commit to continue writing my blog or let it go the way of so many well intentioned blogs since I am going to be pretty busy in the near future thanks to a new job I started today. Granted, it's a "temporary" position, but every feeling I get is that it will become permanent after the probationary period ends. In addition to a few other dead-end endeavors, I have been languishing away as a substitute teacher, a position I never felt good about, since I obtained my teaching degree a few years ago. I am hopeful about this new position and I am happy to be quite far away from the classroom. So keep your fingers crossed for me. I will still make time to cook. If I'm lucky, I will still be able to chronicle the occasional culinary escapade.
So the fridge is plumb full of fresh fruits and vegetables, and I am determined to use/eat each and every one of them before they go to shite. I have at least two days of dinner planning done and at least two vegetarian cookbooks to reference for the remainder of the week. It was one week ago that I had my last bite of animal protein, and I do not really feel as if I am missing a thing, other than blood and the occasion bad conscience that has grown slightly over the past few years that has been accompanied meat eating. I cannot say that I will never eat meat again, but we are enjoying our veggies enough to continue with our new lifestyle for a spell.
This evening, I knew I had four poblano peppers that needed to be eaten very soon, so I roasted them in the oven for a bit until the skin crisped and blackened. Usually I would stuff the peppers with cheese and onions, but tonight I did not feel like doing that, so I made a layered hot dish, let's call it a casserole, composed first of tomato sauce spiced with cumin, onion and garlic powder, salt, chili powder, and red-pepper flakes. In my small pan, I sauteed an onion and a container of cremini mushrooms just until the mushers were cooked a little. Before I ever threw the peppers into the oven, I started my brown and wild rice since it takes about 45 minutes.
So now I am ready to make my layers: sauce, one pepper de-skinned and de-seeded, rice, mushroom-and-onion mixture, cheese, and then repeat. I also added a little cilantro to the layers. I will admit that the dish was not as good as battering and frying the stuffed peppers (that sounds delicious) but the cut in calories will help me in the long term.
Into the oven until my cheese browned a little, and my Monday Meat-Free Meal is ready to eat. Not bad. I could stand a bit more heat in the dish, but not bad.
2 comments:
First of all, I completely understand about not knowing if you should continue b/c I have had similar feelings- I think my last post was like 2 weeks ago or more?! (although I will actually be cooking on Thursday!!!) and I just decided that this is like any hobby- you do it when you have free time, and sometimes we have more free time than others.
SO... what is the new job???
I will be checking back regularly looking for your latest posts regardless if they are daily, weekly, or less often!
I'm excited to hear about your meat free eating. It really isn't hard at all once you just get to it. You get creative. Scott wanted "gravy" on Sunday... like Italian gravy... with meat. But a couple crumbled seitan links and a little butter for fat worked a miracle into the tomato sauce and he was beside himself happy with the outcome- there's always a substitute!! I'm proud of you and Janet for jumping in to yet another level of healthy eating!!
KB, the job is working in the shipping/receiving department at a company that buys and sells steel coils.
Thanks. We do not miss meat so far. You're my hero, you know.
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