Update on our vegetarian adventure…

Well, we’re not even remotely vegetarian and likely never will be, but I HAVE managed to reduce red meat meals to only one per week, plus we have incorporated 1-3 vegetarian dinners into the meal plan each week. This represents a significant improvement in the healthfulness of our diets!

Also improved is the variety in our meals. My husband is really enjoying this. He loves trying new things - the more exotic the better (franky, more exotic than he’s ever likely to get from me; I’ll never make food with tentacles, let alone eat it!). I’m a midwestern-raised girl, so my food tastes and experiences have long been quite midwesternly conventional (cow, pig, chicken). I don’t think I even tasted my first gyro until I was in college - and I never even considered ordering something as strange as falafel!

So my husband was a little surprised when he saw falafel appear on the menu plan for this week. He was also a little uncertain. He was pretty sure he wasn’t in love with falafel when he tried it in the past. But my research indicated that it is a mainstay for vegetarians and reading various recipes, considering the ingredients and how they blended - I was pretty sure I would like it.

I wasn’t so sure about the kids, though. However, they LOVE hummus, so I presented this as something “kind of like hummus, but cooked differently.” It didn’t hurt that it smelled wonderful as I was preparing it. Garlic and cilantro, cumin and coriander. Cucumber, yogurt and dill. Yum. It was so fresh and delicious - a real pleasure to prepare!

Anyway, we ALL loved it so much (hubby included) that the only problem was I didn’t make enough! I would absolutely double the recipe next time, so everyone got enough for dinner and there would be some leftovers for me and my boy the next day.

Kids in the kitchen: Have them mash the chickpeas for heaven’s sake! An older child could be entirely responsible for making the cucumber sauce. It’s very simple, but so satisfying because it is an important flavor contribution to the meal!

Also, keep in mind the teaching opportunity present when you prepare a meal from a different culture. In researching falafel recipes, I learned all kinds of things about the dish and its popularity in the Mideast. (So popular that McFalafel is on the menu at McDonalds!) I didn’t plan it at all, but having this for dinner last night was a nice segue into a discussion about other cultures and their foods.

Making it healthy: Most of the recipes I found called for frying the falafel balls (as is traditional). But it seems tragic to make something with such healthy ingredients - and then plunge it into a bath of fat! I also read many comments from newbies like me that if they didn’t get the texture of the batter just right, the falafel fell apart in the oil. I’m sure I would love these things fried, yummy yum! But I chose to bake these instead - healthy AND foolproof. If you want to make them the traditional way, disregard the baking/broiling instructions below and instead fry them in a skillet (1 inch of oil heated to 375F) until browned on both sides.

Side dish: Fresh strawberries.

Pita Falafel

Cucumber Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 cucumber - peeled and diced
1 teaspoon dill weed
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, cucumber, dill, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Healthy Falafel
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 handful fresh parsley
1 handful fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic
1 egg
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 pinch (or more) cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry bread crumbs (you can also use flour)

1. In a large bowl mash the chickpeas until they are thick and pasty. Alternatively, you can (gently!) mash the beans in a blender, but take care you don’t over-mash. They should have a coarse, broken texture. If you choose this method, remove mashed chickpeas from the blender to a large bowl.

2. Add the onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro to the blender and process until smooth. Stir into mashed chickpeas.

3. In a small bowl whisk egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil. Add bread crumbs or flour gradually until the mixture is holds together - firm but malleable. It should form a small ball in the bowl and not stick (too much) to your hands. Add more or less bread crumbs or flour as needed to achieve the proper texture. You can do this step in advance and refrigerate the dough until mealtime.

4. Form falafel dough into balls approximately 2 inches in diameter and gently flatten into patties. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375F for 20 minutes. (I flipped the patties halfway through for even browning.) Next time I think I will broil them instead! To do this, brush both sides of the patties with olive oil and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes per side until golden.

5. Stuff pitas with lettuce and falafel. Drench generously with cucumber sauce. Top with any or all of the following:

• Chopped raw peppers (red, yellow and/or green)
• Chopped or sliced onion
• Diced tomato
• Bean sprouts
• Tahini

Deep in the back of my cookbook cupboard, I unearthed a long-forgotten gem: Best of the Best from Arizona Cookbook. I’m not even sure where this came from, but I browsed through it the other night and my mouth was watering. We are huge Mexican, Tex-Mex, southwestern fusion, etc. food addicts here.

Last week we tried a new enchilada recipe that was a hit! This week we had a enchilada variation that I found in the Arizona cookbook. The recipe may call itself tacos, but this is more like an open face enchilada or enchilada casserole - or even an enchilada pie. Personally, I prefer to make enchiladas this way - so much easier than the hassle of rolling flaky corn tortillas (a task I just hate).

Unlike the previous enchilada recipe, this, um, is not particularly… healthy. It is, however, nutritious and creamy and comforting and OH-so-delicious. Another rave-worthy hit in our household! The kids, the husband - they were all nuts for it.

Kids in the kitchen: It was a gorgeous day yesterday and the kids were outside on their bikes and scooters playing in the park with friends. I was perfectly happy for it to be that way. Had there been a child around, cheese shredding would have been a useful occupation.

Tip: That does remind me, though. I used to always keep packaged shredded cheddar on hand for the convenience factor, but the kids LOVE to shred cheese and it’s such a useful way for them to be involved with me in the kitchen (without being underfoot or otherwise a nuisance) that I’ve taken to buying blocks of cheese just so they can help out. It’s cheaper anyway, and personally I prefer the texture and flavor of freshly grated cheese.

Side dish: I kept it simple… steamed asparagus and some orange sections. I also served this with fresh, chopped jalepeño on the side, because my honey likes it that way. He sprinkled them on top of his portion for the additional flavor - and some heat.

Planning ahead: I’m so organized! (For once!) As I was planning my menus this week, I decided I would work smart. Last night we had the cream taco casserole. I grilled and chopped twice as much chicken as I needed and stored half in the fridge for dinner tonight (which is Jen’s BBQ chicken rollups). Hoo-ha! Thanks, Jen!

Cream Taco Casserole

12 corn tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 pint light cream or half-and-half
1-4 oz can diced green chilis
2 tablespoons southwest seasoning (cumin/chili powder mix) or taco sauce mix
3 cups cooked chicken, coarsely chopped
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish with butter or cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Grill boneless, skinless chicken pieces (I use frozen breast tenders) until no longer pink in the center. Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. Once cooled, coarsely chop into bite-size pieces.

3. Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a medium skillet and heat tortillas one at a time, just until softened. Cool on a paper towel. Slice into thirds and lightly salt. Place loosely in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.

4. Sauté chopped onion in a small amount of vegetable oil. Add the cream and stir over low heat for 5 minutes. Add chiles and southwestern seasoning and stir to blend.

5. Layer chicken over the tortillas, followed by a layer of the shredded cheese. Pour the cream sauce over the top.

6. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Serves 6.

Mmmmm, make it for dinner tonight!

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The end of the day is always a rush, isn’t it? At a time when we parents might prefer to sit down for just a moment and take a breath before the second half of our very full days get underway, the kids are hungry. Mom sitting down just won’t do.

Invariably while I am trying to make dinner, one or more of the kids is underfoot asking for a snack, or when will dinner be ready, or something. I can stave them off during most of the prep time, but as dinner time gets close and aromas fill the house, they become even more insistent.

One way I keep them occupied at this critical time is by having the kids make salad dressing for the evening’s salad.

Salad solution
The kids started eating salads more regularly at dinner a couple of years ago. At some point, Alfs decided he loved Caesar salad and started being more adventurous with greens. Woody followed shortly thereafter. Sunshine is still a work in progress. She says she likes salad, we put a little on her plate, she’ll taste a little, then declare she doesn’t like it. Oh well.

I started buying prepared, washed salad greens in bags and that changed our life. I know it’s not particularly cost effective. I know I could get two or three salads for the cost of one bag if I’d just make a little effort to wash some lettuce. But on those busy days, that salad bag makes all the difference. It means we actually eat salad.

Salad dressing, on the other hand…well, there aren’t many bottled dressings I really like. And as long as I keep some decent olive oil and vinegar in the house, we have salad dressing.

About a year or so ago, Woody decided he’d like to learn to make salad dressing. I taught him the basics: three parts oil to one part vinegar, pinches of salt, pepper, garlic powder and maybe an herb, whisk it up and pour it over. How this evolved to three kids arguing over who gets to make the salad dressing on any given night, I have no idea. Even Sunshine wants in on the action! But after a system of taking turns was established (with Sunshine’s turn heavy on the supervision), it all settled out.

Healthy and helpful
Now, when dinner gets close, after the kids have set the table, I get out the salad bag, the salad bowl, servers, the special salad dressing bowl Woody made at the pottery place, and the salad dressing ingredients - and one of the kids gets to work. Each of the kids has their own variation. Woody prefers red wine vinegar and tends to go a little heavy on the salt (we’re working on that). Alfs always goes with balsamic vinegar, and could stand to be a little more generous with herbs. Sunshine goes heavy on everything.

There are some wonderful citrus infused olive oils out there, and some lovely vinegars. They are worth stocking for some great salads. They also make great hostess gifts! You can stretch the pricier infused oils by using a tablespoon of an infused oil for flavor with two tablespoons of an everyday oil.

My Kids’ (Current) Favorite Salad

1 bag spring green salad mix
Crumbled goat cheese (you can get it pre-crumbled)
One blood orange, sectioned
Toasted almond slices
3 tbsp (about) blood orange infused olive oil
1 tbsp (about) good dark aged balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Dried thyme

Combine the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and add the salt, pepper and thyme to taste. I tend to go light on them for this dressing as the olive oil has such lovely flavor on its own. Let the dressing sit for a few minutes to let the flavors come together.

After a few minutes, whisk the dressing again, and toss with the salad greens. Sprinkle the goat cheese, blood oranges and almonds on top.

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This week’s meal plan was made slightly easier by hiccups in last week’s plan. On Thursday we went to a friend’s house for dinner at the last minute, so that night’s meal was pushed out to this week. On Friday I was sick and my husband fed the kids leftovers, so Friday’s meal was pushed to Saturday, and Saturday’s to Sunday.

Sunday: Roast Chicken and Root Vegetables, salad

I like making real sit-down significant meals on Sunday evenings. I think it sets a good tone for the week ahead. Roast chicken is so simple, but so good.

Monday: Pasta with Sausage and Spinach

This is one of my favorite meals. The kids try to pick out the spinach, but I know they get some. You can make it with any sausage you have on hand, really. Sometimes I used chicken sausage with sun-dried tomato and basil; sometimes I use sweet Italian sausage.

Tuesday: the ever exciting leftovers, salad

We have leftover chicken, leftover pizza and leftover macaroni and cheese from last week. Surely we can get through some of this. I really don’t like to waste food.

Wednesday: BBQ chicken rollups for the kids, pasta with potatoes and rosemary for the parents.

(See below for recipes.)

Wednesday is a tricky night at our house. Alfs needs to be at choir practice at 6:30PM, and my husband doesn’t get home until 7:00PM-ish, so I feed the kids first, and my husband and I eat later. The rollups are oh, so simple: warmed tortillas, chicken from Sunday’s roast chicken, some shredded cheddar, and a little BBQ sauce. That’s it.

The pasta with potatoes and rosemary is also a favorite of mine. The kids think they don’t like potatoes (unless it’s in French fry format), so I save this recipe for when my husband are eating as a couple.

Thursday: Hot dogs and bratwurst, baby carrots, salad.

The hot dogs are Sunshine’s request. A simple, quick meal.

Friday: Pasta with Pancetta, salad

(See below for the recipe.)

This is Woody’s request. It’s a family favorite, although we do not make it frequently because it’s a tad high in fat an calories. But dang it, it’s good. The entire ingredient list is pasta, olive oil, pancetta, tomatoes, heavy cream, and Parmesan.

Saturday: Burgers, cheesy pasta

(See below for the recipe.)

This was Alfs’ request. We’ll perk up the burgers with some bacon, avocado, and so on. The cheesy pasta we make with it is a super-easy husband-created family favorite.

BBQ Chicken Rollups

Leftover chicken of any kind, for example a home-roasted chicken or a store bought rotisserie chicken
Tortillas, warmed in the oven
Cheddar or jack cheese, shredded, or a mix of the two
Barbeque sauce

Spread a little barbeque sauce in the warmed tortilla. Lay down some chicken pieces. Sprinkle with cheese. Wrap. Eat.

Pasta with Potatoes and Rosemary

Linguine or other long pasta
2 or 3 potatoes, julienned. I prefer Yukon Gold.
3-5 tbsp olive oil
1-2 shallots, minced
3-5 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Kosher salt

Cook the pasta and potatoes together until the pasta is al dente and the potatoes tender. Meanwhile, sauté the shallots and rosemary in 3 tbsp of olive oil, taking care not to let the shallots brown. Drain the pasta and potatoes, and toss with the shallot rosemary mixture, adding a touch more olive oil if necessary. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt (it really needs the salt).

Pasta with Pancetta

Pasta shape
1 tbsp olive oil
Pancetta, an inch or so cut off a log, then chopped into about 1/8 inch dice
Tomatoes, four or so, seeded and chopped
1 cup cream, can be heavy or light, but NOT half and half or milk. Must be cream.
1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan.

Sauté the pancetta in the olive oil for about five minutes, until the fat in the pancetta starts to render. Add the tomatoes, reduce the heat and let simmer about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Add the cream to the tomato-pancetta mixture and bring it to a simmer for about five minutes, stirring all the while. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, making sure it all gets mixed up well. Serve with Parmesan sprinkled on top.

Cheesy Pasta

Orzo, about 1/2 pound
3 tbsp butter
Fresh grated Parmesan or Romano to taste.

Cook the orzo until al dente. Drain. Add the butter and stir until it’s melted. Then start adding the cheese, stirring as you go, until it looks good to you.

My 12 year old fancies cooking. It started about a year ago. She likes heating up a can of soup for lunch or making the macaroni and cheese side we’re having for dinner. Helping me chop veggies for dinner. Stuff like that.

When her baby brother was born last August, Grandma Karen flew into town to help us out for a few weeks and they bonded over baking. Cookies and brownies and crumb cakes. Yum. This new mama was really spoiled.

Cooking is good for ADHD
Lately she has become interested in more complex recipes. She loves to watch me make dinner and her ability to help with more challenging tasks has increased with her maturity. She struggles with ADHD and we have found that confidence in the kitchen breeds confidence in general. And she needs all of that she can get. As a side benefit, learning to cook is a fun exercise in problem solving, organization and math.

Why should I do all the work?!
I started daydreaming yesterday about how someday she can fix dinner and I can have a little break. Then I started thinking, wait, someday is… now! Besides, one of her best middle school friends loves to cook and apparently cooks often, so - hurray for desirable peer influence - she perceives cooking is a “cool” thing to do. I need to strike while the iron’s hot!

Seriously, I don’t think she can put an entire meal (that I’m interested in eating) together all by herself yet, but now is certainly the time to start cultivating belief and skills. So last night I casually asked her how she’d like to plan and prepare a family meal all by herself. (With help from mom only when she asked for it.) “Really? Can I??” She was so excited! I invited her to find some recipes online (the computer and Internet is another top-ranking activity), but she was overwhelmed and asked if she could browse my cookbooks instead.

She has a few meal ideas, but hasn’t narrowed it down yet. Of course, I will keep you posted on her progress!

We had this for dinner last night. You should have it for dinner tonight!

My 12 year old watched me prepare this meal and asked, “Mom, are enchiladas hard to make?” In fact, they are not difficult, but they have quite a few steps and dirty a lot of dishes/pans. Plan on needing about an hour from start to dinner plate.

Kids in the kitchen: My 10 year old shredded cheese. My 12 year old opened the cans of enchilada sauce and green chiles, plus she set the table and moved all the lunch/snack dishes from the counter to the dishwasher. Next time I’ll probably also have her chop the chicken and assemble a few of the enchiladas, but with time a-wastin’, that’s requires a more leisurely day, like a weekend meal.

Husband in the kitchen: My wonderful husband washed up the bowls and pans as I moved on to the next steps, which helped keep the overall mess at a minimum. <smooch>

Family review: It was a hit! The sauce was a little bit spicy - perhaps a bit spicier than the kids preferred. We had this with steamed corn and tortilla chips and sliced strawberries on the side. The kids used the chips to “dip” into the enchiladas and that helped them deal with the heat. These were super yummy. I loved the chicken rub and the hint of cilantro. My husband was so happy. He loves Mexican and spicy foods and he was SO happy to have something that wasn’t vegetarian or pasta or beans for a change and that actually had MEAT in it. He said “dinner was so good tonight!” at least five times throughout the evening, including right at bedtime. Would I make this again? You bet!

Here’s the recipe:

Grilled Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons Southwest seasoning (mix some cumin and chili powder if you don’t have a premix on hand)
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 - 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1-1/4 cups canned red enchilada sauce
• 1-1/4 cups canned green chile enchilada sauce
• 1-3/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons canned green chiles, drained and chopped
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Directions

1. Preheat grill to high heat. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Mix the seasoning, garlic powder and salt in a small bowl and rub on both sides of chicken breasts. Grill the breasts on medium heat for 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove chicken from grill and let cool for 10 minutes.

3. Combine the enchilada sauces in a saucepan and heat to a simmer.

4. In a medium bowl, combine 1-1/4 of the cheese, the cilantro and the chiles. Set aside.

5. Coarsely chop the chicken breast. Divide into eight small piles.

6. Spoon 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce evenly over the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish.

7. Wrap the tortillas in a damp towel and microwave until warm and pliable - about 1 minute on high.

8. Assemble the enchiladas by placing 1/8 of the cheese mixture in a strip down the middle of the tortilla. Top with 1/8 of chopped chicken. Fold edges of the tortilla so they overlap in the middle and place them side-by-side, seam side down in the baking dish.

9. Ladle the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle the tops evenly with the reserved cheese.

10. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until all the cheese is melted, inside and out.

Serves 4.

I love pasta, but I don’t usually have a lot of variations - most of my creations are some combination of noodles, ground beef, red sauce and cheese. Sometimes I’ll get crazy and alfredo it up. I’m a busy working mom. I love to cook, but I just don’t have enough time or energy to play in the kitchen. Besides, my family is picky and they don’t want to try new foods.

Isn’t that lame? Because, really, there is no excuse! Going (somewhat) vegetarian has forced me out of my comfort zone with food and I’m finding it’s incredibly fast and easy to discover new recipes. We’ve had a couple flops, but we’ve also had some interesting successes. I’ve been impressed by how my family has taken to this culinary adventure.

This week so far we’ve tried two new pasta dishes.

Garlicky White Beans, Sage and Orecchiette

[Click for recipe]

This recipe would have been a direct hit, but I screwed it up a little. Because I was cooking for the WHOLE family (which includes 3 girls ages 8-12 and one 15 year old boy, plus one hungry daddy and one always-ravenous nursing mama), I made TWO packages of the orecchiette. That was all well and good, but I only doubled the bean mixture portion of the recipe and I probably should have tripled it. It didn’t quite stretch and it needed to.

With that said, however, the beans had a wonderful flavor and everyone enjoyed this dish! It was fast, unusual and filling. As a bonus, it’s a “pantry recipe,” meaning that you can have no idea what the heck you’re going to have for dinner tonight and make the decision about this recipe 30 minutes before dinnertime without any emergency run out to the grocery store. (Don’t have orecchiette? Use whatever pasta you DO have. Don’t have fresh sage on hand? Dried is fine.)

By the way, when cooking this up, the aroma was divine. I love recipes that start off with garlic and herbs sauted in olive oil. Add the white wine and a simple beans-and-noodles dish goes gourmet.

The funny thing is, this meal was as fast and simple as making hot dogs and Kraft macaroni and cheese - yet so much tastier and a million times healthier!

Kids in the kitchen: My 12 year old drained and rinsed the canned beans, chopped the red and yellow peppers and set the table while I did the rest of the preparation.

Whole-Wheat Pasta with Broccolini and Feta

[Click for recipe]

Wow. Just wow. This was another simple recipe, but the flavors - feta and orange vinaigrette - were so intense and complex. You can serve this up hot, room temperature - or cold as a pasta salad. We had it warm and I loved the texture and flavor of the melt-y feta on the pasta.

One slight variation I made… no shallots on hand, so I threw some thinly sliced sweet onion into the pot when I blanched the radish slices. I think you also couldn’t go wrong with a handful of pine nuts tossed in.

And let’s talk about the radishes - I eat them VERY rarely; usually just a few raw slices in a salad mix. I’m surprised this recipe even appealed to me because of the radishes, but they had a wonderful mild flavor and tenderness when slightly blanched. Even the kids liked the radishes!

On the side: We had raw red pepper slices and orange segments (my husband peeled and segmented the orange I had used for the zest).

Family review: The verdict? Well, I loved it! My husband was skeptical, but decided he really liked it after a few bites - he took it to work next day as a cold dish, too. My 12 year old mostly liked it. I think the flavor overwhelmed her about halfway through, however. My 8 year old LOVED it. My 10 year old was completely not interested. She opted to reheat some leftovers for her dinner. Because of that, I probably won’t make it frequently as a family meal where it is the primary course.

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As Betsy tells us about her vegetarian adventure, I was reminded of a time that my husband and I decided to try a vegetarian diet.

We did not approach this idea of a vegetarianism from a moral point of view or philosophical reasoning. It wasn’t cute faces or factory farming that drove the decision. It was far more pragmatic than that.

He was in graduate school, and the household budget was tight. I realized at some point that the amount of money we were spending on meat was high, and we were getting a little too dependent on high-calorie, high-fat meat and potato type meals. The kinds of meals that were okay once in a while were our norm. We discussed a vegetarian diet as a way to break out of our rut, get healthier, and save some bank.

We already had a couple of good vegetarian cookbooks, relatively unused, so I searched them for a dozen or so recipes. We decided to try it for a month and reassess. We went to the grocery store and sadly bypassed the meat section. Steak never looked better. The final total at check out helped us feel better about the test, but oh, that steak.

For a couple of weeks it went really well. Yes, I missed meat, but we were eating enough of a variety of new things that I was okay. I felt pretty good. I thought this might be something we could stick to.

About the third week of the test, I was out at lunch with my boss. He ordered a cheese burger. Oh, man, it looked good. Really, really good. I was salivating, almost drooling. My vegetarian sandwich was not the same caliber. I wanted that burger.

But I resisted. I was so proud of myself. I almost forgot about that burger by the end of the day. Not quite, however.

That evening at home, I told my husband about my lunch challenge. He kinda looked at me funny.

“What?” I asked.

“I, uh,” he hestitated, “didn’t think we were being that serious about this.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

He said, “I’ve been having burgers at lunch this whole time.”

I looked at him, stunned. Then I left the apartment, drove to the nearest fast food joint and ordered myself a cheeseburger.

And that, my friends, was the end of our vegetarian test.

The abbreviated test did have the effect of expanding our repertoire of recipes. While we didn’t maintain a vegetarian diet, we did eat less meat, we did eat healthier, and we did reduce the food budget a bit. Overall, it was a good thing to try, I think, and I think back to it whenever we get into a rut now. I go back to the same vegetarian cookbooks to see what might be interesting now. Cheeseburgers, though, still happen.

One of our favorite recipes from that time was this black bean soup.

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

2 c dry black beans
3 1/2 c water
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium to large onion, chopped
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 oranges, peeled, sectioned and seeded
1/2 c orange juice
1 tbsp sherry
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
Sour cream for garnish

Soak the beans in water overnight, changing the water several times.

Put the beans in a saucepan with the water and salt. Simmer for about an hour and a half.

Saute the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, coriander and cumin in the vegetable oil for 5-10 minutes. Add the beans and water and continue to simmer a while - maybe 30 minutes or so. Add the oranges, orange juice, sherry, peppers and lime juice. Cover and let simmer 10 minutes.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.

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Four or five years ago now, I gave my husband a small home coffee roaster and some green beans as a Father’s Day gift. Some friends had introduced us to the idea, and it seemed like something we could really get into. We do love our coffee.

To say that we have enjoyed it is an understatement. While I admit I am not the actual expert roaster or green bean selector, I am an enthusiastic gifter of items coffee roasting-related and happy taster of all roasts. It’s not particularly hard to learn how to do, either. I could learn to roast quickly, but my husband already is so good. Why mess with perfection?

It took some initial testing to find the right roast level. We burned our share of beans – no, scratch that. We did not burn them, we created extremely dark roasts with hints charcoal. We learned about first crack and second crack and letting the beans cure for 12 hours after roasting before brewing. And we have enjoyed some really delicious coffee.

We have given home roasted coffee as gifts – to friends, neighbors, the kids’ teachers. When friends come over, some will ask timidly, “Do you, uh, have any of that home-roasted coffee, by chance? Please?” before we even have a chance to offer it. Others just chime in with a firm and enthusiastic, “Yes!” when we do offer it, and usually before the word have fully left our mouths.

We are also thoroughly spoiled, it’s true, but in a good way. I think I drink less coffee overall because so few sources out in the world beyond our front door can live up to what we have at home. And on the rare occasions we don’t reorder beans in time or don’t realize we don’t quite have enough beans roasted for the morning? We do have a stash of commercial roast beans in the freezer, but it’s not quite the same.

If you want to try it yourself, there are more and more websites devoted to home-roasting at which to learn more. Sweet Marias is our favorite, but there is also Coffee Bean Corral and U-Roast-Em and Burman Coffee.

Good luck and have fun!

Yes, you read that right. My very first pot roast. I made it Saturday for dinner.

I should clarify, I guess. It was not my first time eating pot roast. It was my first time making it. No, it was not hard. The only reason I have for not making it before is childhood associations.

My mother made pot roast often when I was growing up. A couple of times a month, at least. She was a tad heavy on the salt, maybe a little less than careful on balancing other flavors, and as such I didn’t like it much. As I became an adult, this was my association, and I had no interest in making it myself. None at all. My husband tried to suggest it several times over the years, but I dismissed it without due consideration.

So what changed? I’m not sure, really. I was flipping through cookbooks and saw a recipe that looked straight-forward, and beef was on sale at one of the local markets, so I decided to get over my negative association already and try it. You know, grow up.

Mid-afternoon on Saturday, I browned the meat, added the other ingredients and put it in the oven. The aromas emanating from the kitchen the rest of the day were lovely. The boys commented on it and asked repeatedly when dinner would be ready.

Finally, it was time. I pulled the pot out of the oven, and the meat out of the pot. It was extremely tender and hardly required slicing. The sauce was lovely and savory. It was nice. It was better than I remembered. It was good comfort food for a cold winter day.

At dinner, the kids ate well. My husband ate very well. I ate well, too. But while my kids rated the meal definitely “make again” and my husband enthusiastically agreed, I wasn’t wholly won over. I can’t say precisely why.

I can say one thing, though. It turns out my pot was not quite big enough, and the sauce boiled over a fair bit. My oven required cleaning that night (thank goodness for that self-cleaning setting!). The pot soaked for a full day.

Maybe the clean up factor is just an excuse. Maybe I just can’t get past that childhood association. Maybe I need to try a different recipe or get a bigger pot. I don’t know. If and when I do decide to try again, there are plenty of variations. This one for example: Crock Pot Tender Roast. Or this one: Red Wine Pot Roast with Porcini. They certainly sound yummy as a read the recipes.

I’m glad, at least, that I tried it.