If you're following @the.olive.gardens, you know my mission is to live life more sustainably, more independently, and more earth-friendly with food.
So far on this journey we've left the big city life behind and traded in for the small town charm, crickets and big trees. We've been cultivating rich soil and making food out of it. We've been stretching our resources to live a more simple yet unique life together.
Choosing less meat is just another step in the process. I may not be able to convert everyone to a plant-based diet, but I think making conscious steps about where food comes from and the impact we make by purchasing such products is more important now than ever. Plus, there are some not-so wild ways to incorporate less meat and more alternatives available. Small steps DO make a big difference overtime. In my household alone, I've noticed the meat in the freezer lasts longer, because I use less at a time and thus don't need to buy as often.
Where should a new flexitarian start?
I personally prefer to start something new in baby steps. I also like to get a first win to give me energy and momentum to keep the fun experiments going. Most importantly, switching to meat alternatives isn't as simple as A = B, so there's time to educate before diving in.
I started with Deep Fried Falafels.
I first began with something I've been wanting to try for some time but there wasn't really a meat switch per se..so maybe this is cheating a bit. Deep fried falafels was the first BIG win to get me in the mood to try new plant-based foods. It's incredibly flavorful, easy to make in large batches, freezer friendly and it’s deep fried. I have zero shame deep frying my plant-based meals. After all, they’re already healthy AF. So deep-fry away, fellow foodie friends. You have my blessings!
Then Hamburger to Bean Burger
I replaced the ground beef with black and red kidney beans. I like to use dry beans rather than canned beans, because you know, the environment. It does take quite a bit longer to cook, though. The beans need to cook for 16 hours in a slow cooker, then cooled and drained. Mush up the cooked beans and add breadcrumbs until sticky. Form into patties with your hands or use a hamburger press and place the patties on a sheet with parchment paper. Freeze overnight. After alllllll that, cook from frozen in the oven or even on the BBQ!
What About Sandwiches?
This is just 2 examples of some meals that I regularly eat, but there’s still so much more meat that I was still consuming. For example, I’m a seriously BIG sandwich fan. Sandwiches are easy to make and an intuitive lunch meal. Taking them out of the menu was not going to be an option. So the falafels have come in handy to put in wraps or a smashed pattie when I don’t feel like eating salad. - All this talking about being creative with plant-based food is making me fall into a daydream while I’m sitting here typing on the front porch, btw. It’s when my ideas can come to life. Like I just wrote down some recipe ideas just now!
What other alternatives have I tried?
Tofu. Well, it’s currently marinating THEN I’m going to try it. To be honest I’ve never tried tofu before, and I’m not really excited about it either. I’m very nervous actually. I know it has a bit of a bad rep but it’s made out of soy beans so it really can’t be THAT bad.
I’m not going to go into a big blurb about the different types of tofu out there in this post either. I can tell you there's a variety of many different sorts and textures, with different methods of preparation. Based on my own research, firm tofu is supposed to be the easiest tofu to start with, since the preparation is pretty minimal.
Firm tofu is soy beans condensed together in water. There is less pressing involved, really is what it comes down to. A package of firm tofu cost less than 4$ at the store. With that package, I can confidently say there’s about 4 meals worth of protein in there. So even if this isn’t a win, it’s certainly cheap enough to experiment with! Two batches of tofu are currently sitting in some pesto and two more are in some general tao sauce. I’m also debating whether I should deep fry a batch or two…
As soon as I get comfortable with tofu, I will share it right here on the blog!
But until then, this is what I’ve got to work with.
What's my Next Vegetarian Experiment?
My next plant-based experiment will be with lentils! I’ve seen many posts lately using lentils as masalas, curries, mexican dishes and so much more! I love soups, stews and anything runny that pairs well with rice or noodles. So I just had to get my hands into some lentils and give them a try finally.
I will keep you posted on the works of that.
Final Thoughts
What new plant-based meals are you incorporating into your week lately? Anything easy, toss-n-leave-it, big batchin’, or freezer friendly is a recipe worth trying to me!
Hope you all had a fabulous weekend and an amazing Father’s Day for those who celebrate.
Yours,
Liv
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