I’m back.
Indeed, it has been quite a while since I last posted. I’ve been busy with oh-so-very-many adventures, ventures, and projects. The big ones are finishing up my master’s degree, earning my black belt in SooBahkDo, and earning my personal trainer’s certification. I earned my SooBahkDo black belt (cho dan rank – actually a midnight blue belt) in October. I’m almost finished with the personal training thing, and will (if all goes well) graduate with my MA in Liberal Studies in May. Whew!
Concerning this blog, I’m considering changing it to a blog about being an athletic vegetarian, rather than just low-carb. I got to thinking about this because I typically only go low-carb for about half the year. I cycle my athletic training to attain certain goals at different times of the year, and I cycle my nutrition to correspond with my training. It’s difficult to write about low-carb stuff when I’m not being low carb. And right now, with the holiday season underway, I’m definitely not low-carb-ing! Making this blog about being an athletic vegetarian will allow me to talk about training as well as food – especially high intensity no-bull training – powerlifting, kettlebells, mountain biking, and martial arts.
For right now, at least until the new year, this will continue to be the low-carb vegetarian. Look out for a name change in January.
On another note…
We all know the big holiday feasts are difficult for the vegetarian outcasts of the family. I’ve been dealing with it for many, many, years, and am pretty used to getting heckled by family members. It’s especially difficult when you’re trying to be low carb AND vegetarian. You end up being left with some crappy iceberg lettuce salad and a pickle. Gross.
This Thanksgiving I took matters into my own hands. My girl and I made the stuffing and brought a Tofurkey to the Thanksgiving feast. I’ve always wanted to try a Tofurkey, but they’re typically crazy-expensive. This year, my food co-op had them on sale! I highly recommend the Tofurkey – it was delicious. The stuffing recipe was veg modified from one she found in the New York Times. …the non-vegetarians loved it!
Stuffin Muffin Pear Surprise
1 can plain refried beans
2 cups cooked whole-grain rice
1 pound mushrooms (any)
1 Package Fantastic Foods Natures Burger (you could probably use any veg meat substitute)
8 tablespoons butter
1 large chopped onion
1/4 cup minced shallots (about three)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup white wine
3 1/2 cups diced pears (about four or five firm, ripe varieties like Bartlett or Anjou) plus one whole pear
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 cup minced chives
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 cups Vegetable Broth
Muffin pans
1. Add 2 tablespoons butter to pan and turn heat to medium high. Add onion and shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft. Do not brown. Add meat substitute and fry it all together.
4. Add 3 tablespoons butter to pan. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and quickly sauté until starting to brown.
5. Add wine to pan and deglaze over medium high heat, cooking until wine reduces by about half. Wipe out pan and add remaining butter. Add pears and sugar and season with salt and pepper. Sauté pears, in batches if necessary, over medium high heat until they begin to brown slightly.
6. In a large bowl or roasting pan, add sautéed ingredients to refried beans and cooked rice. Toss lightly to combine. Add herbs and toss again. Slowly pour one cup broth over mixture and toss. Add more broth to make a very moist stuffing. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter muffin pans and fill each cup with stuffing, pressing down so each cup is well filled. Top each with one tablespoon broth. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, until a golden crust forms on bottom. To serve, use a butter knife to remove each stuffing muffin and invert onto the plate.
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