A Reader's Request:

One of my avid readers (and a very dear friend) has asked that I touch on the subject of vegetarian menus, and keeping it interesting. My very simple answer is: creativity. Now anyone with a vegetarian in their household knows how hard it is to cook for everyone, and keep everyone happy! Without the usual proteins to mix it up at dinnertime, it's difficult to always find new and exciting things to put on the table, but not if you use your imagination!

There are so many people that are vegetarian now, it seems that a lot of places are finding more and more ways to make delicious dishes, using only what comes from the ground! It used to be that if you wanted a vegetarian meal, you got some bland tofu on a plate with some snap peas and broccoli and called it a meal. I don't think so, that's not the way I eat anyway...and I've been known to choose the vegetarian option over a protein one sometimes.



Nowadays, there are plenty of main ingredients that you can choose from, to build your menu around. Some examples that I gathered while I was in Whole Foods on this fine snow day here in Massachusetts are as follows:

• Quinoa
• Cous cous
• Portobello mushrooms
• Tofu
• Pasta
• Rice
• Beans

By the way, that's seven ingredients. There are seven days in a week, and you now have a menu for an entire week with no repeats!


Now, the question you ask may be: "What can I DO with these things though?"

My answer to you all is SO MUCH. How about stuffed Portobello mushroom caps? You could use cous cous or quinoa as the base and load it up with delicious herbs, diced peppers and onions, and maybe even a little parmesan cheese. That was just off the top of my head! Veggie fajitas are another good one, because the tortilla gives grilled vegetables a bit more substance, making it into a meal. There's plenty you can do with tofu if you master the art of cooking it. Believe me when I say, tofu will pick up ANY flavor you put on it...it won't taste like tofu if you cook it in some Sriacha and soy sauce, or try a teriyaki and honey marinade...see how that works out!

For more exotic inspiration, look to the Indian cuisine. They do so much with lentils, potatoes, okra, and chickpeas, and so much of their flavor comes from herbs and spices. It's very inspiring to see a dish with such bland main ingredients turn into something so vibrant and flavorful.



As a last little tidbit, I came across a cookbook at Whole Foods, which I noticed (upon looking through it) contains a TON of vegetarian recipes. Now, I don't claim to know if they are good (although I would bet money that the majority of them are delicious) but I thought it was worth mentioning as I happened upon it today, and it seemed apropos of the topic at hand. It is called The Whole Foods Market Cookbook, and I just added one to my Amazon cart as well! Next time I place an order, it will be on it's way to me! :)

In the future, I will try and include vegetarian equivalents of recipes that I discuss. We have to keep it interesting for everyone!

And to my Lauren - I hope this helped. Keep us all posted on your vegetarian endeavors, and I'll keep the ideas comin' for you! Thanks for the post idea! xoxo

The Menu - The Focal Point of your At-Home Culinary Journey

When it comes to planning my meals, I make a menu, and it comes in handy for numerous reasons. First of all, never again will you ask the question, "What do you want for dinner tonight?," only to be answered by "I don't know." Yea - I know, you ALL know what I'm talking about!

Second, it makes going to the grocery store a helluva lot easier, don't you think? A list of things you'll need to make meals for numerous days in a row - it's a brilliant concept, right? More on that in a later post, I promise!

You can plan a menu by day, or by type of food, or by country of origin, you can do it anyway you like...but here's how I do it: I make a list of different main ingredients and I pick ONE recipe for each of those main ingredients. You can't get bored if you're only eating chicken once every 2 weeks! My categories are as follows: Fish, Shellfish, Chicken, Beef, Pork, Lamb/Veal, Soup/Sandwich, Risotto, Pasta and Breakfast for Dinner. My husband especially likes that last one...

This little tip will help you plan ahead for your meals. You can prep things ahead of time if you know you are going to be home late one night. Marinating something overnight, and then just throwing it in the oven when you get home is the easiest way to get a great, home-cooked meal without all the fuss!

I normally just spell it all out on a piece of paper, which I then check off when I make one of the meals. Sometimes the menu lasts longer than other times, just based on things that come up - did we meet someone out somewhere for dinner? Did we both feel like sushi one night? Did I just SERIOUSLY not feel like cooking - because that happens once and awhile...and that's okay!

Whichever way you plan your menu, I promise you will find that it helps you immensely in the long run. It's much less stress to just know what you have to cook when you get home - and sometimes, even get excited about it! :)

I'd love to hear your feedback - if you try my tips and think they are good...or even if you hate them...leave me a comment and let me know! It will definitely help me figure out what road to take this blog on!