Eggplant Caponata

I just made the most wonderful eggplant dish. It is so full of flavour!! Go here for the recipe. I think this will quick become a staple here!

Still at it..

Well, I have had some meat over the last couple of days. Mostly some chicken yesterday. I fed a fair bit to the dogs though. I am back to veg stuff for today though. I am going to look in my new books for something new to make. The eggplant parmesan was a hit.

Flexitarian?

I was doing some reading the other day and the author described herself as a ‘flexitarian.’ She defined her eating habits as mostly veg with occasional meat. This seems to describe now. I don’t really eat meat as the centre part of my meal but more as a condiment. I think I can embrace this approach quite easily and my natural inclination will be to include less and less meat as time goes on.

I know that denying myself something never works, it never has. Even when I quit smoking (which is really an all or nothing proposition) I walked around with cigarettes for 2 weeks and told myself I could have one if it was still this bad in five minutes. It never was. I have not had a drag of a cigarette since I quit April 21, 1991 at 10 pm. I have never looked back. I am sure I can do the same thing with meat…over time!

Oh and I made a wicked eggplant parmesan for dinner!

A little meat yesterday but mostly progress…

We went out for chinese food last night as we were kind of celebrating a victory over a major bureaucracy. I had one chicken wing and a few pieces of pork rib but it was not very good and certainly not good enough to keep eating it. It is getting to the point now where the thought of eating a large piece of meat is not really appetizing. I think this is progress.

We went to Costco today and I picked up some quick vegetarian options so that at least I have stuff to eat that is easy and quick. I am going to make soup tomorrow and perhaps some eggplant parmesan when I feel up to it.

things are coming together…

So I have not been cataloguing my meat sins here but I have had a bit here and there over the last couple of days. I have to say that I have not been as enthusiastic about it as I once was. It actually does not seem to taste as good as I think it will. A couple of times it has not been great. The good news is that the cravings seem to be going away as well. I think part of the problem for me is that as soon as I restrict something from my diet that is all I can think about. It is crazy-making. I am also getting some ideas from the new cookbooks I bought. My dish for next week will be eggplant parmesan. I love eggplant!

Last night for dinner I made grilled zucchini pizza with tomatos on a tortilla like base. It worked well except the tortilla went soggy. I had baked it and I think that may have been the problem. So I will broil it next time on something that will allow air to circulate underneat. I also used an Italian cheese blend rather than mozzarella and found that to be too overpowering. I love fresh tomatos on pizza so that part was excellent. I think it would also be good with some cilantro but I couldn’t find any. Maybe I need to grow my own…anyone ever grow cilantro?

More thinking…

Well I have done more thinking about my goal of becoming vegetarian and how I am going to get there. One of the problems I having right now is that I don’t have enough of a veggie repertoire, cooking wise, to be able to do this effectively. My new cookbooks have arrived so I am looking forward to trying out some new recipes. I have a feeling I will be eating alot of egg plant! Meat substitutes don’t do it for me either. I am not sure why but I just don’t like them and they leave me cold and wanting the real thing.

As I try to increase the number of veggie recipes I am going to try and use meat only as a condiment rather than the focal point of meals. i think this is much more doable for me right now. Or trying to be meatless on some days. I have not had any meals in the last couple of weeks where meat has been the main part of it. I have had lots of salads where bacon has been a condiment or little bits of chicken here and there. The one exception may be the burger I had the other day.

So, onward I go…

July 9, 2008

Well, I succesfully avoided the steak last night and had potato salad and grilled eggplant for dinner. Yah for me. I am not sure what today will look like as plans are kind of up in the air as my mother is here visiting. Will keep everyone posted as I can.

July 8, 2008

Well, I did ok yesterday. I did have salad (with a bit of bacon) again as it was so freakin hot. I avoided the chicken and the hot dogs – two of my favourite things.

Today I intend to have meat free as discussed yesterday. I will not be eating steak with everyone and will instead of grilled eggplant – which I love. Deb is also going to make her killer potato salad.

That is it for now, I have a job interview this afternoon. Wish me luck!

July 7, 2008

Well yesterday ended up being an ok day food wise. I did have a little bacon in my caesar salad but that was all the meat I ate. We are still working through that big bag of romaine so I will likely have salad again today as it seems to be agreeing with me ok for the moment. I may also have some chicken today.

Tomorrow my mother will be here and we are having steaks on the bbq. Well, I am not having steak on the bbq. I am having egg plant on the bbq. So tomorrow should be a meat free day for me!

July 6, 2008

Well, we did not end up going out for dinner as Deb was too hot after going to the park. I went and got take out instead. It was great. I ate daal and eggplant and some rice. I did not eat any meat – and I love butter chicken.

Not sure what the plan is today yet. I may have salad again as we have a large bag of romaine we need to eat. It may be too warm to make soup. I can’t wait for my new cookbooks to arrive!