Vegetarian
Awareness
OCTOBER 1ST
by Marion E. Wildey
“You know when you suddenly smell something, it smells
so good, your mouth waters, and your stomach churns up
some very active juices that scream ‘feed me some of that,
now!’? Your whole body aches for a bite of that scrumptious
smell, but since you’re a vegetarian, does that happen when
you cut the grass?” Sigh. Just another silly question posed to
vegetarians everywhere, and added to the list of gibes heard
several times before in good fun. All kidding aside, October
1st is World Vegetarian Day founded in 1977 by the North
American Vegetarian Society, designed as both a support
network and to share awareness of the health and environmental
benefits of being vegetarian with the rest of the world.
The month of October is Vegetarian Awareness Month, and
the first note is that people who choose to be vegetarian are
not relegating themselves to bland, unvarying food choices. In
Loaded Spaghetti Squash
with Artichokes
2 med spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise
1/3 cup sour cream/or Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ chopped fresh parsley
1 finely chopped medium sized onion
½ cup rennet-free cheese w garlic, herbs
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups cooked bulgur wheat
1 cup rennet-free mozzarella cheese
1 jar (12 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and
finely chopped
1 can (12 oz) navy/cannellini beans
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place the de-seeded
squash face down on a baking pan with an
inch of water, and bake 30 minutes or until
flesh is easily penetrate by a fork. Scrape
flesh out. Set the shells aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high
heat. Saute onion, oregano, and squash. Set
aside.
3. Saute bulgur wheat, artichoke hearts, beans,
sour cream/yogurt, parsley, salt and herbed
cheese over medium-high heat for about ten
minutes, until golden.
4. Layer the mixtures in the shells. Bulgur
wheat/bean mixture, topped by the squash
mixture. Bake 15 minutes, then top each
with mozzarella, and bake 5 minutes or until
cheese is melted.
This recipe can be an entree dish, or as a vegetable
side for any traditional meal.
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WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE
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OCTOBER 2016
most instances, vegetarian food generally offers a more balanced
dish that is much more flavorful than the usual fare. One of the
most common dishes served across cultures, combines legumes
and grain, balancing protein with starch, a naturally occurring
source of energy, and is a dish that wears a different wardrobe
of spices depending upon the culture. Together the starch in the
rice with trace ingredients of iron and protein combine with beans,
consisting of more iron and protein, form a complete protein
which provides the body two of the amino acids it cannot form
on its own. In actuality, you have heard that a vegetarian diet
helps reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer, due to
its plant-based nutrition, but the larger effect is that a plant-based
diet has less of an impact on the environment, in terms of global
warming, and overuse of resources such as topsoil and water.
Before preparing another jab at your meatless friends’ choice not
to consume anything with a face or cardiovascular system, consider
that each of you is an individual, and that also pertains to what
sustains each of you individually. While your vegetarian friend’s
body craves and needs Brussels sprouts and almonds for nutrients,
you may actually require heartier fare that includes meat. As you
eat for your blood type and your body, understand that each
body is genetically different, which also correlates to the practice
of medicine. The spectrum of differences are as vast as we are a
species across the planet, yet vegetarians have challenges to find
suitable sustenance in restaurants. High priced salads of iceberg
lettuce garnished with carrot and purple cabbage shavings for
color, or side dishes of steamed vegetables pieced together does
not equal an appetizing meal. Thankfully there are more vegetarian
options available now than in the past, however, do not think for a
moment that vegetarians prefer to sacrifice taste on a meal that is
technically vegetarian, yet consists of bland, tasteless vegetables.
If you are considering a vegetarian journey, explore proteinbased replacements for quick meals (Morningstar spicy black
bean burgers, Boca chick patties, Season’s Choice black bean
chipotle burger); they are best prepared in the toaster oven. Probe
deeper into your sojourn with some of the many dishes found in
the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen, it has a plethora of
mouthwatering recipes, and none so bland as steamed vegetables!