“Where’s the beef?” That’s an important question in our household these days. In an effort to shift it off my thighs and my dinner plate, I’ve decided – along with many folks – to go a mostly vegetarian route to meals these days. I say mostly because fish and eggs still have a place in my diet.
This move has made journalists out of many of my friends. The how, why, when and where are what they want to know. Fortunately the who is already answered.
First off, I want to say it’s both easy and difficult to give up meat. Easy because I was finding less and less attraction to animal products for some time and while I could down a rib steak with no trouble when I was nine, such is no longer the case. So unless I wanted my old friend heartburn to take up permanent residence in my body, a change was necessary. The texture and taste of chicken began to turn me off in a big way. And while bacon still sends out its seductive aroma, for the most part, I don’t miss it. So there you have the why – health and little desire for critter chow.
The how can be challenging at times. For the keto member of our household, the idea of eating a lot of beans or legumes for protein was anything but appealing. So we compromised. Cauliflower is the new rice, steak and all-round go-to these days. And as I mentioned before, fish and seafood are definite yeses. For the most part, there’s no recipe that can’t be prepared with veg-forward ingredients, and most of the fun is in trying.
The when came earlier this year after I was diagnosed with high blood pressure for the first time. It was a big wake-up call. I have absolutely no desire to follow in my mom’s medical footsteps. A series of cardiovascular incidents culminated in extensive heart surgery and, finally, a stroke in her early 70s.
The final hurdle is where. The easy answer is at home. While I love eating out in many restaurants, vegetarian selections are often anything but imaginative. If I want a mediocre meal of pasta topped with tomato sauce accompanied by limp salad I’ll make it myself. In fact, I think I have. But the point is it was a heck of a lot cheaper.
So there you have it – the W-5 of Cathie’s almost vegetarian lifestyle. If you want to join me I have some fantastic recipes. And if you don’t, please don’t beef about it.
