Observations - Day #47 as a Vegetarian

Hi everyone!  Let's keep this short 'n simple today, okay?

It's day #47 of my life as a vegetarian.  What am I able to share with you at this point?  Actually folks, it isn't too much at this particular time.  In the Vegetarian Land of my mind, I truly expected tremendously wonderful things by now.  Something beyond achievement perhaps?   Probably.  But, here's what I can say beyond a doubt:

• I cannot see Russia from my front porch.  I can't even see Cuba from here in Florida!
• It was not difficult giving up meat.  Of course, I never really much of a red meat eater to begin with.
• Everything that I now consume is phenomenally better tasting.  I suspect that this may be a result of the body's detoxification process.
• Vegetarianism is not a "magic pill" for immediate weight loss.  I still must closely monitor calories.
• I'm trying and tasting foods that I probably would not have otherwise tried.  I have enjoyed some absolutely delicious dishes.
• Vegans and vegetarians are all very nice friendly people.  Everywhere I go, staff and people in the health market and vegan/vegetarian restaurants are so polite.  They bend over backwards to share their knowledge and lend a guiding hand.
• There is a whole heck of a lot of science behind vegetarianism.  Who knew what enzymes were or what they did for the human body before October 1st?
• I may never learn to chew properly but I keep trying.  Chewing your food 30 or more times before swallowing serves several purposes:  releases hidden desired enzymes inside whole (non-chewed) food particles, converts starches into digestible sugars by use of salivation, and allows the body's chemistry to more quickly announce to the brain, "We're done.  We're full now."
• I am shocked with the abundant use of growth hormones, antibiotics, and such fed to our meat source.  Thereby, passed along to the meat-eater.  But on a good note... our government (FDA, USDA, etc.) will protect us!  Won't it?
• There are no "animals".  There are only "non-human animals".

In summary, I have absolutely no regret for making our change.  Mentally and within my infrastructure, I've never felt better!  I anticipate these feelings to grow and grow and grow.

Hi-dee hi-dee progress towards health-ho my friends!

Quick 'n Easy, Down 'n Dirty Dinner

What's for dinner? It's Sunday.  We had a nice relaxing day.  The weekend is winding down.  And neither Tiffany nor I want to make a fuss for dinner.  What are we to do?

Make it simple, make it quick, and make it vegetarian of course!  Let's use items that we have on-hand and dinner must be easy to prepare.  Tiffany and I made a quick Tomato and Grilled Zucchini Pizza and Spicy Miso Soup with Tofu and Greens.

Tomato and Grilled Zucchini Pizza

(Sorry for the over exposure.)

• 1 pre-made pizza crust
• 3 Tbsp pesto sauce
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 zucchini, grilled slices sprinkled with Bragg's seasoning
• Shredded cheese, miscellaneous from fridge.

Spicy Miso Soup with Tofu and Greens

I've got to give Jenn over at http://jenniechris.blogspot.com/ full credit.  In my case, I used what I had on-hand:  red miso paste, red onion, collard green, fresh ground pepper, nutritional yeast flakes and smoked tofu.  I took liberty to added some seaweed flake into my preparation for added health.  

Jenn, your soup recipe totally rocks!  Thanks!  It's going to be a quick and easy staple in our household.

Mmm... Both were delicious and Tiffany and I have enough left over to reheat for another meal!  I love left-overs.  I've always felt that the spices and flavors have a chance to mingle while resting in the refrigerator.

Hi-dee hi-dee it doesn't have to be difficult-ho my friends!

Donizetti's "Don Pasquale"

Chucky enjoys the opera!

"What?"  "What's this?"  "Just what in the heck is going on here?"  "I thought that this was a vegetarian blog?"  Hmm... Let me check that hyperlink again.  "Nope."  "My browser is linked to http://chucky-thefatvegetarian.blogspot.com/ so what gives?"

Tiffany and I went to see Gaetano Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" and it was fantastic!  Absolutely fantastic.  3-hours and 15-minutes absolutely well spent.

This is why I decided to write this blog.  I wanted to share The Metropolitan Opera's "Live in HD" program.  Basically, you purchase a ticket to your local movie theater, sit and enjoy a live opera broadcast.

This was Tiffany and my fourth opera.  We were introduced to the program in just enough time to catch the last live opera of the 2009-2010 MET Live in HD season (Gioachino Rossini's "Armida" staring Renée Fleming).  We have subsequently enjoyed "Das Rheingold" and "Boris Godunov" during the current season.

I wanted to share some observations that I was previously unaware until we discovered the wonderful program:

• It's very affordable.  Only $22.00/ticket in our hometown.
• Excellent well-behaved theater crowd.  
• All operas are sub-titled in your local language.
• You are offered a scene-by-scene synopsis sheet prior to start of the show.  Additionally, the MET offers synopsis sheets online prior to the day of the event.
• You get live behind-the-scene coverage with cast interviews and all of the gears, wires, cogs, and stage equipment rolled and hoisted to present the show.  I find the behind-the-scene mechanical engineering absolutely fascinating!
• For the longer opera events, there are intermissions.  Today's was 20-minutes as they redid the behind-the-curtain set.
• An opera is a most wonderful blending of three fundamental components:  orchestra, singers, and actors.  So far, every Metropolitan opera singer that we've watched has been an incredible actor/actress.  Facial expression, movement, and total role submersion.

Give it a try!  Keep an open mind and see whether it's for you or not.  Just one try and you might find a special something you are otherwise missing!

Hi-dee hi-dee opera-ho my friends!

Eating Out

Greetings, salutations and general wishes of goodwill to one and all!  What is on Chuckys mind today?  It's day #43 of our newly found vegetarian life.  Today I would like to share my experiences meeting up with friends and dining out.

What is on the menu?  What choices do I have as  vegetarian?  Do I find myself making sacrifices?  I think that the best way to share my experiences is to simply alphabeticaly list the establishment and describe the choices I found.  

Bahama Breeze - For those not familiar, Bahama Breeze is a member of the Darden Restaurants chain (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grill, and Seasons 52).  Bahama Breeze serves Caribbean-inspired food.  Tiffany and I will be going there tonight to meet up with some friends.  My past pre-vegetarian life recalls quite a few choices.  Online I find they have quite a few acceptable menu choices for tonight's dining:  Creole Baked Goat Cheese, Spinach Dip & Island Chips, Roasted Cuban Bread, or Island Tomato & Basil Flatbread.  Mmm... I am getting hungry already!  :)

Update.  Tiffany and I began with the Warm Spinach Dip & Island Chips to share with the table.  For our entree, she and I shared the Sun-Drenched Portobello & Vegetable Sandwich and a bowl of Cuban Black Bean Soup.  Everything was deliciously prepared.  I highly recommend these selections.

Carrabas Italian Grill -  This has always been one of Tiffany and my favorite dining spots.  Recently, following a Saturday afternoon Metropolitan Opera Live HD event (Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov") we visited Carrabas.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that we may continue visiting Carrabas after our vegetarian life change.  We shared wine, small Zucchini Fritte (fried battered zucchini) appetizer, wine, Quattro Formaggi (tomato, basil & cheese) brick-oven pizza, wine, Tag Pic Pac (tomato, garlic & basil) pasta, and more wine.  There are many non-meat choices and we look forward to our next visit.

Cici's Pizza - Cici's buffet has endless possibilities for Tiffany and I.  We start with salad, a little pasta with some meatless marinara sauce, and perhaps a couple of bread sticks.  Then it's time to attack the pizza buffet.  There are almost always several non-meat selections on the buffet:  cheese pizza, veggie pizza, alfredo pizza, spinach pizza, etc.  And, if the buffet is temporarily out of vegetarian selections all we have to do is to flag someone down behind the pizza bar and submit our request.  Within a few minutes, fresh hot non-meat pizza will be served onto the buffet bar! 

Drunken Monkey Coffee Bar - Okay, okay.  "Not fair!"  Although a fresh roasted coffee and fresh juice bar, they cater to vegetarian and vegan diners.  But, you're welcome to bring your meat-eating friends with you because they serve non-vegetarian & non-vegan selections as well.  Tiffany and I have sadly only visited once.  We've been wanting to return but they just aren't that convenient to home.  We began with the most delicious soups.  Then I ordered a wrap. It was spinach tortilla stuffed with potato, sauerkraut, meatless chicken, and creamy vegenaise sauce.  Tiffany ordered a BBQ meatless steak sandwich that was served on a ciabbata roll.  Every single bite and morsel was heavenly!  We WILL be returning soon!

Elephant Bar - EB used to have a much nicer vegetarian menu selection (hummus & world's greatest vegetarian burger).  I don't know what is going on at their corporate office but something has change and changed for the worse.  Tiffany and I recently met her mother and sister at the Elephant Bar and I was actually quite disappointed.  There are pretty much two vegetarian selections, salads and Morningstar burger.  Let me give you a little history lesson folks.  EB used to make the absolute BEST vegetarian burger available.  Then some bright moron at corporate elected to switch to what can best be described as sticky rice colored with red beet.  Absolutely tasteless, disgusting, fell apart with one bite and looked exactly like a Gaines-Burger (I kid you not).  Ha!  That culinary creation did not last very long.  Now?  Simple Morningstar burger on a grilled stale whole wheat bun (includes tomato, lettuce, onion, and pickle).  It was edible but barely so.  Elephant Bar?  No, I cannot in good conscience, recommend them for the vegetarian.  This opinion truly hurts me, my friends.  Elephant Bar used to be a favorite place to dine.

Firehouse Subs - They have but a single item for us vegetarians.  But, trust me, it's killer!  Go ahead!  Dare to enter a Firehouse Subs and order the Veggie Sub on whole wheat (sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers and onion with lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard and italian dressing topped with provolone, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese), hold the mayo please.  But please keep your mouth closed after you chew and swallow each bite.  Else the screams of joy emitting from your taste buds might disturb other patrons.

Phat Thai Café - Simply outstanding.  Like most Thai restaurants, tofu can be substituted for meat.  I did encounter a dilemma though.  The other night I had a craving for noodle soup but they do not offer a non-meat based soup.  So, I caved in and ordered the Beef Noodle Soup.  Substituted tofu for steak.  The server immediately impressed me, "Sir?  Are you aware that this is a beef-based broth?"  After confirming that I was aware and thanking her for warning me, I was then asked whether I would like my tofu fried or steamed.  Oddly enough, I had never been given a choice.  Nice touch!  Tiffany and I had the fried tofu appetizer and she ordered Phat Se‐Ew Noodle with tofu.

La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant - Many non-meat selections off of the menu but Tiffany and I are only familiar with their afternoon buffet.  Endless possibilities.  We've been going there regularly for years and never tire of the place.  Best Mexican food to be found with a staff that cannot be beat!  There isn't a steamer tray of grilled vegetables. Instead, we pick them out of the steak fajita, chicken fajita and grilled shrimp trays.  We create our own burritos and tacos using Spanish rice, refried beans, Mexican corn, grilled veggies, pico de gallo, diced onion, and fresh salsa.  There are fried plantains and tortilla chips on the buffet.  Every visit has a different taste as we continue to get creative.

Subway - Two basic sub sandwich choices:  Veggie Delite and Veggie Patty.  Oddly enough, our local Subway shops offer the Veggie Patty but it's not listed on their web site.  And, of course, they offer any sub made into a salad.  Breakfast?  I recommend the Western Omelet (light English muffin, egg white, cheese, bell pepper, onion and ham), hold the ham.

Loving Hut - We've only visited once and had a wonderful experience.  A truly delicious vegan café.  Tiffany and I had the Sea Wonder (tempura dish with Chinese mushroom, seaweed and soy protein) appetizer.  We then tried the C8 Combo (rice, summer roll, ocean delight, and vegetables).  Freshly prepared and absolutely delicious.  Each bite was a jubilation of flavor.  I look forward to many, many more visits.

SEA Thai - You absolutely cannot lose if you visit this place seeking a scrumptious vegetarian meal.  Almost every dish can be ordered with tofu.  Try the Seaweed Salad.  A delicate delicious combination of fresh seaweed, sesame oil, and sprinkle with sesame seed.  Soups?  Almost everyone is meatless-broth based and can be safely ordered.  Make mine "super Thai hot" please!  You can't go wrong with the Phad Thai, Phad See Euw or any other dish that they serve.  Their menu clearly defines what each dish is composed of making it simple and easy to order.

So, what is the lesson learned?  Wonderful news!  Tiffany and I can continue to dine out and join friends for a meal.

I don't find myself missing the non-vegetarian selections.  Instead, I find myself regretting that there aren't more choices.  Tiffany and I eat out as much, if not more frequent, than prior to fourty-three days ago.  What I consume may have changed but my lifestyle has not.

Hi-dee hi-dee bon appetit-ho my friends!

The Simplicity of Making Fresh Almond Milk

Before I rile the troops, allow me to preface by stating the one very important caveat.  The "simplicity" is largely due to owning a power blender.  The single most important kitchen appliance that Tiffany and I own is our Blendtec blender.  Our "cannot do without" apparatus.  We make milk, soups, creams, dressings, butters, hummus, spreads, salsa, etc. using the miracle contraption.

If you're not familiar with Blendtec you are probably familiar with their competitor Vitamix.  I thoroughly investigated both for a month before deciding which to purchase.  Neither was a loser and each has its' own advantages and disadvantages.  I cannot, and will not, talk down any power blender!  Any good blender is the right blender when you are currently doing without.  Making and eating freshly blended foods using raw ingredients tastes better, has more nutrition, saves money, and simply makes you feel good about what you are doing.

Oh yeah, I am not a spokesperson nor compensated for any product, item or anything that I make reference to throughout my blog.  These are simply my unbiased opinions and things I am particularly fond of.  It doesn't make them right nor wrong.  Eat, live, learn and use the brain that you were dealt with. Besides Vitamix and Blendtec, there are several other blender models on the market that promise nut-milk capability.

Almond milk?  Here is the "official" Blendtec recipe:

• 3/4 cup nut of choice
  
• 3 3/4 cup purified water - room temperature
• 2 tsps molasses
  
• 1 1/2 tsps vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

3/4-cup raw almonds

Tiffany made our almond milk sans added sweeteners or flavors. Although not instructed within the Blendtec recipe book, Tiffany and I soaked the raw almonds overnight in the fridge keeping the water fresh.  Research on the internet told me that this maximizes the hidden nutritional gems lying within the almond itself.  Further research provides many sweetener alternatives.  To name but only a couple, agave or dates may be used to sweeten the milk.

UPDATE:  Tiffany and I improved our modified recipe by adding one (1) single pitted date to the recipe.  This resulted in an added slight sweetness reminiscent of dairy milk and lacking in our original recipe.  FYI, a single date has approximately 10-calories.

After soaking 24-hours, rinsed, and drained

There is also a matter of the consistency.  Like fresh orange juice there are some who enjoy the pulp and others who do not.  The almond milk will possess what could be described a slightly gritty texture. You may wish to strain the liquid through cheese cloth, nut-milk bag, or super fine sieve as we elected to do.

Blendtec does its job

Mmm... pull up a chair and enjoy a fresh glass with us.

In pitcher after filtering.

Hi-dee hi-dee freshly made-ho my friends!

To A Seminar We Go

Hi everyone.  Tiffany and I had a wonderful time last night attending a free seminar by Jordan Rubin at Hoovers Essential Health Market.  In the cool crisp evening air of Central Florida under the big top tent, we enjoyed his 2-hour discussion regarding health, nutrition, and well-being.  Those really fine folks at Hoovers did an excellent job preparing for his visit albeit a few minor technical difficulties with the fluorescent lighting. 

When I RSVP'd to Hoovers to attend the free seminar what did I expect?  "Yes."  Exactly what you are thinking to yourself right now.  I pretty much imagined a dog-and-pony show.

And what did I see during my 2-hours expended?  "Yes!"  "Exactly!"  A dog-and-pony show.

Regrets?  "Absolutely not!"  Jordan was an excellent speaker and had much valuable information to share with the audience.  The actual sales pitch was only but a small part of his overall presentation.  Tiffany and I walked away knowing more about health and nutrition than we brought with us into the big top tent.  Neither of us has an iota of regret.

The single most valuable thing that I learned (coincidentally, the most shocking thing that I learned)?  I was stunned to learn that most of what Tiffany and I had already been doing was nutritionally correct.  What are we doing right?

• We religiously use the Blendtec blender to maintain raw food structure, protect live enzymes, and maximum full nutritional value of the plant (by blending rinds, seeds, and stems).
• We include extremely nutritional grain into our smoothies such as chia seed and cold-milled flax.
• We include live enzymes into our smoothies.  This assists our internal organs to maximize nutritional absorption.
• We include apple cider vinegar into our smoothies to add extra acid and enzymes.
• We include omega-3 fatty acids into our diet.
• We consume plenty of whole grains, seeds, and legumes in our diet.
• We consume only healthy fats (olive oil, grape seed oil).
• We have recently removed hormone laden dairy milk from our diet.  

What are we doing wrong or need to change?

• We (er... "I") need to switch to organic dairy and non-dairy cheeses.  This particular predicament has a name.  This ailment is called "Chucky's Demise".
• We (er... "I") need to add much more seaweed into my diet.  It's an outstanding source of omega-3 fatty acid.  As hard as it might be to imagine, Chucky loves the taste of seaweed.  I can recall eating my first seaweed pretzel as a young child.  "What is this stuff on the pretzel?"  "It's tasty."  Although extensively debated, there are some rumblings that a diet high in seaweed can assist in weight loss.
• We will be switching over to pure coconut oil in lieu of butter and/or margarine.  Primarily because it's far superior on the nutritional scale.  Secondly because it purportedly imparts a wonderfully exotic flavor into those foods it touches.

What did Tiffany and I buy after Jordan's most wonderful seminar?  I know it's just killing you to know.  <hehe>  We purchased Garden of Life's 100% Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Immune Balance Sinus Capsules, and Grow Bone System.  Did we feel obligated to purchase something from Jordan's seminar?  "Absolutely not."  We listened, enjoyed, learned, and trusted his lecture and sales pitch.

If you have the opportunity and an open-mind, both Tiffany and I recommend you attend one of his seminars.  

Hi-dee ho-dee nutritional-high my friends! 

Protein - Where Art Thou?

Hi folks!  I hope that each and everyone of you had nothing short of a truly splendid and healthy weekend!  Tofu mock chicken wings and roasted kale chips during the big game.  And a green smoothie at half time.  Oh... yes... And mock cheese spread to dip your tofu wings in!

Me?  I spent the entire weekend thinking of what my next blog might be.  Yes, this particular blog.  And I decided that it's probably time to answer the most common question that I am asked.  Strangely enough no-one really asks why we chose to become a vegetarian.  Perhaps it's because friends and family have come to expect the unexpected from me?  One of the most common questions?  "What are you doing for a protein source?"  "Are you taking protein supplements?"  "Are you adding protein powder into your smoothies?"

Then I thought to myself, "Hmm...  What exactly are the protein sources that I now consuming?"  I believe that I am consuming lots of protein but from where?  If I were not, the Diet Power software would inform me so.  How much am I consuming though?  Let us lift this little stone in our vegetarian creek of knowledge.  Maybe we'll find an answer or maybe we'll find a crayfish.  If a crayfish, we'll simply leave it alone because we don't consume meat any longer. 

Let's establish a baseline just so we understand what the USDA believes to be the recommended daily allowance of protein.  It's approximately 50g per day.  This value is approximate and other factors affect the specific individual value (age, sex, pregnancy, etc.)

I don't really want to over complicate this so let me keep it simple.  Here is a listing of common meat items that I used to eat and non-meat choices that I now include in my diet.  Perhaps you can clearly see that getting one's daily protein from non-meat sources is easier than you had imagined?

Per 100 gram (3.5274 ounce) portion unless otherwise stated

• Beef, lean, top round - 36 g
• Chicken broiler - 33 g
• Pork chops - 30 g
• Fish, salmon - 27 g
• Fish, tilapia - 26 g
• Cheese, Parmesan - 42 g
• Cheese, Mozzarella - 24 g
• Cheese, Cheddar - 27 g
• Cheese, cream - 7 g
• Milk, dairy, 2% - 9 g per 8 ounce
• Milk, almond - 9 g per 8 ounce
• Milk, soy - 8 g per 8 ounce
• Milk, rice - 0.4 g per 8 ounce
• Yeast, Nutritional - 46 g
• Seed, Flax - 19 g
• Seed, Chia - 14 g
• Seed, sunflower - 22 g
• Rice, wild - 9 g
• Bean, black - 6.4 g per cup
• Bean, kidney - 6.7 g per cup
• Quinoa - 13 g
• Barley - 12 g
• Tofu - 10 g
• TVP - 19 g
• Quorn - 13.5 g
• Egg - 6 g per each
• Spinach - 3 g
• Kale - 3 g
• Pasta, whole wheat - 5 g
• Bread, whole wheat - 4 g per slice

I think that I'm okay.  I just checked my Diet Power food log and so far I've accumulated 46.1 g of protein in my diet today.  This includes:  Tiffany's Smoothie, 1/2 cup egg whites, 1 cornmeal/almond paste pancake, and 6" falafel sandwich on whole wheat sub roll.

Hi-dee hi-dee protein-ho my friends!