8 Meatless Dinner Ideas

Stir fry with broccoli, bean spouts, tofu, and red and yellow bell peppers

When the topic of food comes up, I often get a hodge podge of questions regarding being a vegetarian from meat eaters regarding what type of meal I can possibly eat that would be interesting and meatless. It's shocking, I know, but a good meatless meal can be accomplished. I don't say this to be derisive or bitter toward anyone in particular nor would I try to coerce someone to be a vegetarian, but half the time I'm questioned about my food choice in a rude manner (which I feel must be some sort of defense mechanism on the part of the questioner). I can understand the curiosity though- if you are used to doing things a certain way, such as eating meat with every meal, then not having it can be bizarre and feel foreign. I, myself, grew up eating meat at every meal.

 

Pasta alfredo with broccoli, tomatoes and asparagus

My husband and I only became vegetarians a few years ago. But, to be honest, the switch was quite easy. I can't tell you why exactly. It could be a combination of our love of a wide variety of foods from around the world, that we're not picky regarding most fruits and vegetables, our willingness to try new things, or that I can cook anything that I put my mind to. But I can assure you, we have not led a dull life, tastebud-wise, since our switch. As far as I can tell, I haven't starved to death from a lack of meat. And honestly, I'm no pixie.

 

Tortilla soup with cornbread

There are meals that are quick to make, filling, and really quite flavorful and droolworthy that happen to be meat-free.

 

Enchilada Casserole

So, for this entry, I decided to take pictures of all of the awesome meals I made this past week, for dinner, to prove that meatless meals can happen and leave you quite full and wishing that you didn't gorge yourself to the point that you can hardly move, which I am both sad and happy to say, occurs quite frequently with me.

 

Stuffed bell peppers, filled with rice, fresh mint, golden raisins,
sun-dried tomatoes, feta, and other seasonings

Pasta sauted with herbs, Roma tomatoes, Swiss chard, and
beans served with garlic bread

Kung pao tofu with an eggroll

Veggie sandwich consisting of zucchini sauted in herbs with
tomato, cheddar, sprouts and pesto mayo



Publication Party- Harry Potter Style!

I've been published! I wrote the 2nd Chapter in this book!

I could say that I was big fan of Harry Potter from the get-go, but alas, my nose would grow incredibly long from that fib. Not long after Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire came out, I was living in a big ole Victorian house with a group of friends in Columbus, Ohio. I was out of reading material and asked for a book to borrow from my friend Tamika and she handed me the first Harry Potter book, the Philosopher’s Stone. I was resistant, at first, to read the series, brushing them off, like many do, as popular kid’s books and a fad. But after reading the first book, I admit, I was hooked! Not long afterward came waiting in anticipation for the next book to come out, participating in newsgroups discussing the latest theories, writing articles for the popular HP website, Mugglenet, and attending midnight showings of the latest films.

Freshly baked Yorkshire Pudding

In 2010, when I was living in Australia with Nick, I was contacted by a woman, named Jenn Simms, who read an article I wrote for Mugglenet titled, “Sociology of Harry Potter 101,” and asked if I wanted to contribute a writing piece to a sociology book she was putting together, with other contributing authors, about Harry Potter. Naturally, I said yes! I wrote the second introductory chapter, introducing readers to the topic of sociology (with sociological definitions) and using examples from HP. This year, on July 10, 2012, the book hit the shelves!

After going on two vacations and Nick spending the entire month of August in Germany for a philosophy seminar, we finally had time to celebrate! It’s not every day you publish a book, you know! (I can check that one off my bucket list!)

Last Saturday, I had a small (and belated) dinner party at my house to celebrate the publication. What do you serve at a book publication party revolving around Harry Potter? Why you make English dishes that were served at the one and only Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, of course!

 

Yum!

I served a vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie for the main dish and Yorkshire Pudding with gravy and a cauliflower, broccoli, and cheese bake for sides (ok, so the latter dish was not in HP, but I needed another veggie side). For dessert, I served a custard tart and Harry Potter’s favorite, a treacle tart.

I’d like to give a special thanks to my friends Zdravko and Buddha for giving me flowers and to Sandy and Joe for bringing butterbeer fixings!

 

Custard and treacle tarts

 

Bento Art

I saw this picture online when I was trying to find the perfect bento box to take to work and thought it was very adorable while extremely creative. The detail is quite intricate for food being the media used.

They are all too cute to eat!

Bento boxes are Japanese lunch boxes. They are compact and you can get them with (or without) multiple, divided compartments. I just bought one with three sections, that are removeable, so I can take snacks to work with me in small portions that don't touch one another. They're also perfect for portion control.

This is the bento box I bought. Perfect for taking my snacks, like strawberries,
cheese and crackers, and pickles to work.