Oink, Oink (save the pigs)

My very Midwestern husband and I decided to dabble in vegetarianism shortly after the Christmas Holiday. His "bad" cholesterol was steadily rising, and his triglycerides were through the roof. Needing to bring these numbers down (um, hello, not about to be a single mom to two if I can avoid it), I suggested trying our hand at no meat. We had been doing the moderation thing for some time (little to no red meat, avoiding meat some nights of the week), but it just wasn't working like we needed to. So, I looked a few things up online, discovered some research supporting vegetarianism, and presented it to my husband. I asked him to give me a month, he obliged. Unhappily.

Although it was feared to be a painful transition, it turns out that it's not that hard to give up meat. I got really good at cooking up beans: black, red, pinto, and even black eyed peas. We realized that (in most things) we didn't miss the meat. In fact, we recently went to a favorite Japanese Steak House - the kind where they cook your meal in front of you. We ordered the vegetable dinner and found ourselves barely able to complete the meal. On our way out I asked "how did we ever finish all that food!?" Neither of us knew.

After a month, we both felt better. We had more energy, and found our digestive tracks working a bit cleaner. We went to a church function, ate pot roast, and it felt so heavy in our stomachs. If all that wasn't enough, we have the chemistry to prove this lifestyle is better for us. J's triglycerides went down by some 50 points, his "bad cholesterol" is down to normal, and his overall cholesterol is down to 159 (from 180). No meds, no increased exercise. All we did was cut out the meat.

The only problem in this whole plan is that I now have to "reinvent" holidays. We have created some yummy traditions here. This includes ham on Easter, and it's one of my husbands most favorite meals.

For Easter this year, I combed the web for a suitable alternative. Of course, it occurred to me that I could still make eggs (we eat animal products - just no meat). What's more Easter than eggs? So, I found a quiche recipe, cheesy potatoes, and a spring salad. I then planned on carrot cake for dessert, and deviled eggs for a tasty after-church snack (I only had...oh...two dozen brightly colored hard boiled eggs to find a use for).

The quiche recipe wasn't all that great. I'd never made a quiche before, so this was a first. I don't think I cared for it all that much. It was had too many flavors competing for the same palate. I think the pesto and goat cheese would have been plenty. Or the pesto and tomatoes. Or the goat cheese and tomatoes. Not all three. I also wanted something meaty - like mushrooms - to balance all the flavor. I will say that my crust turned out amazing. Light and flaky. At some point, I will give my pie 101 course, and I will detail the ins and outs of a fantastic crust. In the mean time, I have to go against the perfect 5 start rating at all recipes and say this will not be a return show for us. At least not in it's current form.

The potatoes were "eh" as well. I love a good cheesy potato, and this just didn't do it for me. It was done before the potatoes were, and when I eat potatoes I like them really cooked. I like more creamy, less oily, and got the opposite. It also needed a lot of salt to be tasty enough. The salty flavor just didn't add the depth that I wanted from that heavy of a dish.

The salad was really good. Who would have thought that a dressing from ketchup would have been so tasty? We left out the bacon bits and croutons. Not only is it healthier that way, but I think there are more than enough flavors to make that salad without those two additives.

Finally, the carrot cupcakes. These were really good - full of good ingredients and tasty morsels. You mix the dry ingredients, wet ingredients + sugar, and all the additives (pineapple, walnuts, carrots, raisins, and coconut) in separate bowls. The bowl with additives was as large as the other bowls. It was all "guts" and I feared they would be too much for the batter. I was wrong. I topped with a very basic cream cheese frosting: stick of butter, 8 oz brick of cream cheese, cream with mixer. Add 4 cups confectioner's sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla, blend with mixer until creamy. I added frosting to a piping bag and swirled it on the top of each cupcake. Tasty AND beautiful! When I make them for guests in the future, I will need to add some sort of garnish. A beautiful orange twirl of carrot anchored in the frosting would be perfect.

So, I think it will be "back" to the drawing board next year. On the plus side the egg salad sandwiches have been OH so tasty. I also have a last minute tip for using all those hard boiled eggs: to add zip to your potato salad, egg salad, or deviled eggs: Tabasco sauce. It really gave a nice "punch" to the flavors that I wasn't expecting.