No Meat - Once a Week

[pacanis]

Yeah, I don't know about that..... chickens don't bear their young live, and chicken is meat.

 

[PanchoHambre]

Hmm I have gone without meat quite often... I have lived with vegetarians for one and also just never felt meat was essential. They key to to make rich flavors using more spices and to think more about the textures you create. Meat adds texture and flavor easily without you just need to work it harder and get good flavor combinations. As mentioned by someone else Indian and other eastern cuisines do this wonderfully. You can do great mexican too a taco or burrito of quessidillas/nachos etc really dont need the meat to be rich and tasty... the spices from salsa and pepeprs as well as the combination of cruchy, smoothe, warm, cool all still works great without the meat.

One think I dont like is meat substitutes.

 

[CharlieD]

Last night we simply did not have any meat in the house, so I made vegetarian soup, and meatless spaghety with garlic bread. I loved it, but was hungry in no time. I just love meat. But what is 30 days and why "no meat", what is the purpose?

 

[pacanis]

Don't worry Charlie. I'll be sure to make up for sattie and her husband on my, Nothing but meat day.

 

[sattie]

Last night we simply did not have any meat in the house, so I made vegetarian soup, and meatless spaghety with garlic bread. I loved it, but was hungry in no time. I just love meat. But what is 30 days and why "no meat", what is the purpose?

30 Days is a show by Morgan Spurlock. This particular episode had to do with a tiny community living green. Making their own power, growing their own food, they lived a vegan life style. I don't think it is neccessary to live a vegan life style to be green, but I do think they had some interesting ideas. I know the production of meats can be a drain on nature if not done in harmony with the earth. I buy most of my meats from local farmers that grass feed their livestock. Then after watching this episode, I thought... what the heck, lets try and have a no meat day. Another tiny step for the environment... and for my health. So anyhow... that is how it all started.

 

[vyapti]

Last night we simply did not have any meat in the house, so I made vegetarian soup, and meatless spaghety with garlic bread. I loved it, but was hungry in no time. I just love meat. But what is 30 days and why "no meat", what is the purpose?

Environmentally speaking, eating meat is one of the worst things you can do, worse than driving your car. The mass production of meat (including food grown for livestock and transportation costs) negatively contributes to global warming, air and water pollution, land degradation, deforestation, and biodiversity.

The UN published a report (Livestock's Long Shadow) outlining the environmental effects. You can download it here for more info.

Animal suffering and welfare is another issue, which I won't get into because it is definitely political, but many don't eat meat just because of the cruelty aspect.

I also feel that a vegetarian diet is healthier and certainly better in terms of saturated fat and cholesterol.

 

[CharlieD]

Okay you've lost me right there, I can understand health issues or personal preferences but all that "peta" like propaganda/garbage, I can't stand it.

 

[sattie]

Charlie... I don't think it is peta propaganda... there is lots of good info you can find about how commercial farming is hurting the environment. And there are ways to avoid it.

Anyhow... what were we talking about in first place???? Non-meat meals! And thanks to all the ideas and recipes that were posted here!

 

[larry_stewart]

Eggplant Rollatini

Panini including marinated portabello, provalone, sauteed spinach & garlic

Guacamole Taco's

Burrito stuffed with beans, spanish rice, guacamole, tomatoes, onions, beans

Spinach-Feta Calzone - spinach,onion ,dill, ricotta, feta, garlic, egg

Spinach pie w/ Greek salad

Provolone Hoagie- Italian bread, tomato, lettuce, provolone, pickle, hot peppers, sweet peppters, onions, oregano, mayo, good season italian dressing

Corn chowder w/ fried potatoes and onions thrown in

Pasta with feta , spinach garlic and oil

Stuffed artichoke ( pain in the butt to make)

Moo shu vegetables

Felafel w/ greek red lentil soup

potato blintzes w/ matzoh ball soup

Pasta with garlic/ oil and grilled vegetables

 

[LibraryLady]

There are some really yummy sounding suggestions on this thread!

I just made a big batch of red beans and rice with corn bread last week.

My medical minded DH tells me it has all the necessary parts for complete proteins, whatever that means.

I do add bacon fat to my cornbread and a little to the red beans, but it's not necessary.

LL

 

[BrazenAmateur]

I've found it surprisingly easy and enjoyable to cut out meat once in awhile.

I am absolutely not a vegetarian. On the contrary, I'm a veal stock swilling, bone marrow gobbling, steak tartare munching meat-o-phile.

That said, many of the most delicious foods this world has to offer do not fall under the confines of "meat".

For what it's worth, when I cook "vegetarian", I don't cut out all meat products. I will still, for instance, fry potatoes in goose fat, or something similar.

Why the poo-pooing of the veggie stew? One of my favorite things! Make vegetarian chili, it's delicious.


Anyway, here are my favorite "meatless" items:

-Eggplant (parmesan, or grilled and topped with brown butter sauce and truffle oil, or any number of other ways. Eggplant is life)

-MUSHROOMS (mushroom ravioli, sauteed oyster shrooms, roasted maitake, mushroom terrine, chanterelle quiche, mushroom crostini, etc. Can't go wrong)

-Terrines (aforementioned mushroom, or tomato and mozz terrine, or squash, or whatever. Have fun with it)

-Soups (I like my apple & rutabaga and my celeriac & stilton. Millions of dynamite veggie soup recipes out there. Serve with warm bread)


Oftentimes, I prefer something very simple actually, simpler than any of the above. Very little compensates for a hard day at the office quite like some roasted asparagus, olive oil, and a poached egg. Simple roast cauliflower is also a big favorite of mine. In season, I eat a TON of sweet corn, just grilled, most often.


EDIT: OH, and WILTED GREENS! I eat wilted spinach or tatsoi 2-3 times per week. With the Tatsoi, I like to eat it with some shoyu, lemon, and siracha. The Spinach I do in the "catalan" style, like the tapas, with lemon, pine nuts, et cetera. Delicious and good for you!

 

[Lizannd]

One of my favorites is Beans and Greens , over rice.

It makes a very filling meal. I like lots of garlic in mine. This also uses no meat products like chicken broth, and no eggs or cheese.

 

[sattie]

Many of the veggies I don't like after they have been stewed. Like carrots and celery love them fresh, hate them cooked. DH and I both hate peas. I do not like the texture of squash after it has been stewed. Soups are great, I just have never cared for veggie stew. But that is not saying that there could be one out there I would like!

Eggplant is another one DH and I are not real fond of. As much as I like veggies, we like certain ones and we are pretty much on the same page as to which veggies we like.

I have gotten some wonderful ideas... so I am looking forward to Wednesday!

 

[LibraryLady]

... we like certain ones and we are pretty much on the same page as to which veggies we like...

That's a very good thing. Makes it hard when a household has radically different food likes/dislikes in it.

LL

 

[DramaQueen]

DramaQueen - your reasoning isn't correct.

An animal is an animal - from insect through fish through birds through mammals. Period. It has absolutely nothing to do with the color of their "flesh" or whether or not they lay eggs or bear their young live.

There are many different variations of "vegetarianism" ranging from those like vegans who eschew virtually anything & everything animal based (including eggs, milk, cheese, etc.) to those who simply do not eat red meat (i.e. from mammals) products, with many variations inbetween. One variation isn't anymore "authentic" than the other.

(Oh - & while whales are mammals, sharks are not. Sharks are fish. And many, many, MANY fish bear live young - not that that has anything at all to do with whether or not they should be considered "animals".)

Hey, quit beating me up. I'm not looking for an argument and I didn't make this stuff up out of my head. This isn't my reasoning. This is what I read and a recent special on TV said just that. Do you have an expanation as to why some flesh is considered meat while other flesh is considered seafood or fish? Share.

 

[fireweaver]

DQ et al, i'm pretty sure the whole "what counts as meat" thing is rules from Jewish kosher traditions (i.e., you'd have to know what counts to avoid that whole cooking meat & milk in the same dish restriction) and Catholic traditions (i.e., no meat on fridays either year-round or just during lent). sattie, i see you're from TX, like i was originally, and we sure didn't have the fish-fry on fridays at curches/restaurants like the do in the midwest and to a lesser extent on the east coast here - i guess it just depends on how big of a catholic population you have in the area.

but yeah, i'm with you, animals are made of meat, plants are veggies, regardless of type or species. and the average american definitely has WAY too much animal protein in their diet. no peta-propaganda, just a health thing. i tend to eat meat maybe 3 nights a week myself, but my boyfriend is way more of a carnivore and wants meat of some sort nightly...i'm working on him.

which is to say, my fave non-meat things:
i know you just said you don't like stewed squash, but what about baked squash? those big acorn squashes are in season right now, and they're lovely halved & de-seeded, and packed with nuts & dried fruits, a little salt, a little butter, baked until done. they cook quicker if you microwave them for a bit, then fill and finish in the oven.

my quick & easy fave is twice-baked potatoes. bake your potatoes however you regularly do, then mash into an oven-safe dish. put fresh broccoli, onion, and cheese on top, then pour a hearty broccoli-cheese soup on there too. put it back in the oven for a while until it all bakes together, yum!

the pasta offerings are infinite. saute your fave veggies (for me, this is baby spinach, onion, mushroom, and red bell peppers) then add either pesto or alfredo sauce before covering the pasta.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Okay DramaQueen - so what did you read & what "TV special" did you see that supported your incorrect statements that there are different kinds of "flesh"? Because frankly, popular media these days is pretty accurate re: this stuff.

There isn't anything I can supply to support your incorrect statement that some flesh is meat & some fish & some poultry, because it's way too wide a field. Again - FLESH IS FLESH. IT'S ALL THE SAME. Unless you're speaking religiously, & you have yet to state that that's what you're talking about.

It's up to the individual to decide whether they wish to not consume ANY animal flesh (mammal, poultry, seafood), or to not consume any portions thereof.

Beef is flesh.
Veal is flesh.
Pork is flesh.
Chicken is flesh.
Turkey is flesh.
Fish is flesh.
Shrimp are flesh.
Clams are flesh.
Mealworms are flesh.
Crickets are flesh.

Get the idea?

 

[pacanis]

Wiki says: Flesh is the soft part of the body of a person or animal which is between the skin and the bones.

So I ask, can an insect, which has an exoskeleton, really have what is considered flesh? Me thinks they have innards.

 

[LibraryLady]

Wiki says: Flesh is the soft part of the body of a person or animal which is between the skin and the bones.

So I ask, can an insect, which has an exoskeleton, really have what is considered flesh? Me thinks they have innards.

Flesh = muscles and insects have them in order to move. They's just tiny little muscles.

LL

 

[jpmcgrew]

Well I posted this a while ago and it did not come up. So here it is again. Why don't you do what the Romans did first take a calf then stuff with a pig then a lamb then a chicken then a rabbit then a dormouse and so on and roast it. You wont need a vomitorium since it's just you so your bathroom should be quite adequate that way you can eat meat all night long. LOL.