As is the story with most vegetarians, my conversion was a slow one. About two and a half years ago, my husband and I made a conscious effort to seriously cut back on our meat intake for financial and environmental reasons. Where we would cook with chicken, beef, pork or seafood five or so days out of the week, we started eating it 2-3 times per week. Soon, it became 1-2 times per week and then 1 to maybe 2 times per month. For a while, I continued eating the occasional piece of fish, and last summer cut seafood out entirely. I do still eat dairy products (anyone who either willingly or unwillingly lives without cheese leads a seriously depressed life in my opinion) and eggs, and Tim eats meat when he is away from home. The change in diet is for a lot of reasons including the standard humanitarian, health and environmental ones, but my Dad sums it up best by pegging me as an over-educated consumer. :)
It has been an interesting change learning a new culinary style and having a keener eye on restaurant menus. I've grown a serious appreciation for people who have more restrictive dietary limitations like wheat/lactose intolerances and digestive disorders.
Most experts believe that the average sedentary American eats 50% more protein on a daily basis than their body actually needs to function. As a general guide, the recommended adult dietary allowance for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. This means for a 150 pound (68 kg) person, about 54 grams of protein per day are recommended. Here are some non-meat sources of protein that I like to incorporate into my diet listed with their average grams of protein per serving.
Tempeh (1/2 c.) 15g
Greek Yogurt (1/2 c.) 12g
Tofu (1/2 c.) 9g
Lentils, cooked (1/2 c.) 9g
Peanut butter (2 tbsp.) 8g
Kidney beans (1/2 c.) 8g
Cheese (1 oz.) 7g
Egg (3 oz.) 7g
Hummus (1/3 c.) 6g
Raw almonds (1 oz.) 6g
Wheat pasta (3 oz.) 6g
Quinoa (1/2 c.) 4g
Here's what's cooking....
Fettuccine with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts
A serious shout out to Cooking Light magazine. My Gram probably didn't know it at the time, but my subscription was one of the best gifts she ever gave me. Cooking Light does a really excellent job of including healthful vegetarian recipes. I also love that they include the nutrition information and provide simple ingredient swaps to make meat-based recipes into vegetarian ones. This particular recipe is adapted from the January 2011 issue. It is delicious and super easy. I think I've had this issue for maybe 6 weeks and have cooked this dish three times already. Definitely a keeper!
Ingredients:
8 oz. your favorite fettuccine
1/3 c. raw hazlenuts, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped with about 1 tbsp. reserved for garnish if you like
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 oz. your favorite mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried sage or 1 tsp. fresh
freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
kosher salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
When I'm cooking a pasta dish on the weekend, I usually make my own. While labor intensive, we don't have it that often, and when I have the time it is SO worth the effort. When I have a meal planned that calls for pasta during the week, I really like to use Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain pasta. I buy Ezekiel brand bread products as well because, if I am not going to make my own, I find the sprouted grain products a lot easier to digest. They also have a bit more protein and a lot of other nutrients than your standard semolina or whole wheat pasta.
How to prepare:
Heat a dry skillet over medium and add the hazelnuts. Toast, shaking the pan every few minutes, until they are golden brown. Set aside.
Heat a large pot of water for the pasta. While the water comes to a boil, melt the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and garlic to the pan; saute for 4-6 minutes until soft and slightly caramelized.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, reserve and set aside 3/4 c. of the starchy cooking liquid. Return the pasta to the pot and grate the cheese over top. You should do this while the pasta is still hot as it helps the sauce stick once everything is combined.
Add the mushrooms to the scallions and garlic; saute for 5-6 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and golden brown. Add the sage and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Add the reserved pasta water and toss together with the pasta. Plate and garnish with more grated cheese and reserved scallions. Enjoy a warm, hearty and nutritious meal!
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