I just watched a four part series on Netflix called, You Are What You Eat. (Definitely click on that link and check out the trailer.) If we are what we eat, I should be turning into a Costco rotisserie chicken soon. Typing won’t be easy.
But it made me realize I could easily live with fewer and maybe no Costco chickens, ground turkey, pork chops, pork roasts and my beloved goat cheese. Quitting cold turkey (pardon the pun) feels like losing dear old friends and my mother’s way of cooking, so I’m going to inch into it.
The show was remarkable. It has scientists follow four sets of identical twins as they change their diets and exercise habits. The scientists monitored the results and those results made my head do an exorcist spin.
The twin who was the vegan, was healthier at the end, in every way, even sexually – that was a stunner. And this was even when the other twin was exercising too and not eating poorly, but consuming meat products. According to this show, going vegan can make you live longer, make you age less quickly, make your body function better and possibly ward off illnesses. It was a lot to take in.
It also offered eye-opening insight into how pigs, chickens, fish and cattle are raised – and not in a good way. I can’t just say I care about the planet and global warming and then keep doing what I’ve been doing and expect things to change. As Gandhi once brilliantly said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” So, I’m going to give this a shot.
I went vegan years ago for a month…it was the longest month of my life. (To be fair, I did lose seven pounds – so that’s pretty impressive.) Back then, I had one vegan cookbook with recipes that were a lot of work, but that was before I was aware of so many great vegan options. In fact, I just ate a meal tonight that was absolutely scrumptious and vegan. I made it from stuff I had in my pantry and fridge. I’d eat it again tomorrow if I hadn’t wolfed it down.
It was roasted cauliflower and zucchini, mixed with Greek style Chick Peas from Trader Joes that I sauteed in garlic and parsley. Then I boiled a few gnocchi and threw it all together with a squeeze of lemon and some lemon zest. I am honestly in awe of how much I enjoyed it.
And I’m feeling a little more optimistic that I could actually be vegan most of the time with an occasional lapse in a weak moment over something special like ribs or a Wholey fried fish sandwich.
If you’re vegan or vegetarian and are willing to share a recipe with me, I’d love to see it! In the meantime, I’m going to see how creative I can get with what I have in my refrigerator and pantry. Part-time vegan is better than no vegan at all.
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Gnocchi with Greek Style Chick Peas, Roasted Zucchini and Cauliflower
Put the cauliflower and zucchini in a large bowl, drizzle it with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix it well and spread it out on a greased cookie sheet. Roast it in the oven at 450 for about 20 minutes or until it begins to brown.
Place the other tablespoon of olive oil and garlic in a skillet and stir for about a minute. Then add the can of chickpeas and the parsley. Saute until the garlic is incorporated and the chickpeas are heated through then keep the heat on low.
When the zucchini and cauliflower are almost done, heat water to boiling in a medium saucepan and add the gnocchi. Remove gnocchi from the pan as soon as the gnocchi float to the top. Set the gnocchi aside in a covered bowl.
When the zucchini and cauliflower are done, add them to the chick pea, garlic and parsley mixture. Add the lemon juice and zest. Then add the cooked gnocchi and toss to mix. Serve hot.
