Thursday, August 16, 2007

My Vegan and Vegetarian challenge.



I need help. You see, my husband is a completely anti-vegetable. Well, if he is forced to try them, he often is ok with eating them but, if he had it his way all he would eat practically is meat and cookies. (My kids are more open minded as far as food and veggies go.)
I am not a vegetarian (yet) but, I really want to incorporate more vegetarian meals my family would eat. Mainly my husband.
I read many vegan and vegetarian blogs. Sometimes, thankfully they visit my site as well. So, I wanted to ask a little favor. Do you have a few recipes that I could try on my carnivore husband. I am not really trying to fool him, maybe just convert him to the bright vegetarian side a bit more.
(BTW, He said he would try some recipes, so he knows about my challenge here.)

I would probably want to use these recipes in some articles along with my experiences with my husband for my Nutrition column of Suite 101, and of course give you credit as well as a link back to your blog. It could work out pretty nifty for us all.

The idea is to have some recipes that even timid omnivores and carnivores could try. What do you think?

I would also like to do some interviews with veggie bloggers via email for my Suite 101 column.
Again, you would get a nifty link and credit. If you want to send me a few pictures to post with your interview as well, that would be great too. I thought that interviews with true vegetarians and vegans would show people how to do it and give people some inspiration as well.
If you are interested let me know.

The picture is my husband "Simpsonized"!

A little Addition to the Vegan and Vegetarian challenge:

I just want to give you a few clues into my husbands tastes-
He is not a big fan of onion flavor or anything to spicy.
I have grated lots of carrots and zucchini into things to use less meat and he really
seemed to enjoy that and was relieved that it wasn't to oniony.

Another thing that I must mention is that I am gluten intolerant. Most of the time I
can easily convert just about any recipe to gluten free, but sometimes I can not.

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11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I too look forward to seeing some recipes. I love my veggies, but the rest of my family isn't too into them.

Massage Chair

Anonymous said...

I am not a BIG fan , I need more bacon and donuts :)

urban vegan said...

FFV ribs:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/05/barbecued-seitan-ribz.html

Almost Vegetarian said...

Good for you. It is difficult for some people (often the husbands, if you don't mind the stereotype!) to move from a meat-based to a vegetable-based diet. But it is good all around.

I know you asked for recipes (and you can find a ton here: http://almostvegetarian.blogspot.com/search?q=recipes) but the real key to success, I think, is a very slow lifestyle shift.

First, have smaller portions of meat. Add larger portions of vegetables. Keep shrinking meat portion sizes until it is more a condiment (such as a stir fry with lots of veg and just a bit of chicken). Sometimes, have a veg-only meal (something familiar works well, such as pasta with a tomato sauce). Experiment with tofu and other non-meat items. Try new vegetables.

I have been doing this for five years. We are not quite there, yet. But my husband actually requested tofu for dinner last night. So there is hope.

Cheers!

bazu said...

Hi Samantha,

This sounds like a really fun challenge, and I have a lot of recipes to suggest, but first I have some questions about your husband's tastes. Does he like orange veggies like sweet potato and squash? Does he like onions when roasted and caramelized, or not at all? What about leeks and garlic? Does he like fennel (my favorite!)? Does he like the cruciferous family: broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc? If I get a better idea, I'll be able to suggest a few things.

Cool that you're trying to switch over to the veggie side!

Samantha said...

bazu-
I am glad you like my little challenge.
My husband is a bit veggie phobic. He will try something at least once, timidly.
As far as sweet potatoes, I gave him some with some cinnamon and sugar and butter and he really liked that.
He really doesn't like onions very much, not even cooked. He does like garlic though.
Fennel and broccoli are probably out too.
I asked him what veggies he liked and he said (don't laugh) lettuce, black olives, corn on the cob (not off the cob) and pickles.:)
HE does like pasta and he even likes tofu if it is made right.
I think that a vegetable disguised in a sauce or something could work, he would eat that without a problem. I have done that and he didn't even notice.
I hope this helps. I know it is very limiting. On the bright side, if you can convince him with a very creative veggie dish you could probably get allot of other carnivores as well to go more veg too!

bazu said...

Cool- I'll put my thinking cap on! Meanwhile, have you ever checked out the "Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook" by Robin Robertson? Lots of hearty, omni-like meals, not too many weird veggies, it might be right up your husband's alley!

Living to Feel Good said...

Have you checked out my "healthier tacos" video on my blog? I use veggie crumbles instead of meat, and my husband loves it.

I told my husband yesterday on our drive home from Yosemite that I wanted to try not to eat animals for a week, but I've already eaten chicken. I have a hard time eliminating chicken. Beef is not a problem...I eat it, but rarely. I eat the morning star veggie crumbles 2-3 times a week in a meal though.

Anonymous said...

YOYOMy fatha looking diddly whack yo!
I like it a lot mom

Anonymous said...

Hi All,

I went vegetarian while I was living at home with my parents. The first recipe I tried on my dad was Vegetarian Chili (http://vegetariancuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/hearty_vegetarian_chili) and it went over incredibly well. Texturized soy protein (TSP) stands in for beef and keeps the same texture/flavour.

Soups also go over well.

If all else fails, Vegetarian Nachos (http://vegetariancuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_ultimate_vegetarian_nachos) contain all four food groups and generally go over well :)

Cheers,
Jill
Feature Writer, Vegetarian Cuisine
http://vegetariancuisine.suite101.com

Missy said...

Hi---Sam: Jill has three really good tips for you: veggie chili, soup, and veggie nachos.

How about veggie meatloaf? (here is the recipe)If you decide to try it, let me know. Missy.

http://vegetarian.lifetips.com/tip/141802/meat-substitutes/meat-substitutes/vegetarian-meatloaf-a-simple-meat-substitute-recipe.html