DAY SIXTEEN

Can I just say, it's really hard to eat vegetarian and not get repetitive when your family won't eat mushrooms and you won't eat potatoes? I'd say I'm being difficult, except potatoes are EVIL EVIL STARCHY EVIL and mushrooms are healthy and, contrary to what my mother has led my sister believe, actually quite tasty when prepared right. Maybe I should just make a mushroom dish anyway and force them to eat it.

Anyway, despite my handicaps, I managed to plan meals for all the night I'll be home this week, starting with last night, which was Greek hand pies. These were delicious fried half moon pies filled with a spinach, scallion and feta filling, and all of my family enjoyed them, except my poor mother, who couldn't eat them because she's on a no-dairy diet for right now. The conversation in which she revealed this to me went something like this:

Mom: What are you making for dinner?

Me: Greek hand pies.

Mom: Sounds good. What's in them?

Me: Spinach, scallion, egg, fe

ta, parmesan.

Mom: Oh. I won't be able to eat them, then.

Me: *confused* What? Why?

Mom: I'm starting my no dairy diet this week.

Me: WHAT. WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS SOONER. AM I GOING TO HAVE TO CUT DAIRY OUT OF ALL MY MEALS TO BECAUSE IF THAT HAPPENS THEN I MIGHT AS WELL BE VEGAN AND I'M PRETTY SURE I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH DEDICATION.

Mom: No, no, it just means I won't be eating the meals that have dairy in them with you guys.

Me: OH THANK GOD. I THINK I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK.

Yeah. Vegetarianism isn't all that hard, but there's no way I could do vegan for more than a few days. I love cheese and yogurt too much.

Anyway, she probably woul

d have enjoyed them if she'd been able to eat them, and she did say they smelled really good.

Now, in terms of healthiness, this dish looks like it's a caloric nightmare, but that is, in fact, not true. It is heavier on the fat than some other dishes, but most of those fats are healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, especially if you fry the pies in canola oil like I did. Also, though I didn't try this, given the nature of the pies, they could probably very easily be baked. Add that with the fact that they're chock full of nutritious spinach, scallions and egg, as well as naturally low-fat feta and parmesan cheese, they're really not that bad at all. Make the crust with half whole wheat flour like I did, and add a side salad, and you've got quite a nicely balanced meal.

Greek Hand Pies (Pictured Right)

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour (

for a healthier dough, use half whole wheat pastry flour)

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. water

1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. red win vinegar

6 medium scallions, sliced 1/4 inch thick

16 oz. whole leaf spinach, coarsely chopped

1/2 c. dill, coarsely chopped

1/2 c. mint, coarsely chopped

2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, grated

1 large egg

Canola oil, for frying

In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Make a well in the center and add the water, 1/4 c. of olive oil and red wine

vinegar. Mix until the dough comes together; it should be slightly sticky. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer tacky, about a minute or so. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add the scallions and cook over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until

wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the mint, dill and oregano and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a colander and let cool. Once cool, squeeze out any excess liquid. This can be done with paper towels or a clean rag.

In a large bowl, combine the greens with the feta, parmesan and egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the dough into sections for between 4-10 pies, depending on how many you need. Roll the sections into balls, then roll out into circles using a rolling pin. Do this by rolling one way for a few strokes, then making a quarter turn and doing it again until you come full circle. Mound the appropriate amount of filling on the lower half of the circle; this will change depending on how many pies you are making. Fold the other half of the dough over and press the edges tightly together for a good seal, making sure to press out any excess air from the filling pocket before fully closing it. Using a fork, crimp the edges.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of the canola oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add 2 pies at a time and fry, turning once, until deep golden brown. The cooking time will vary depending on how big your pies are; smaller pies should take a minute or two for each side, larger pies two or three. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

DAYS THIRTEEN AND FIFTEEN

So, let's say that, hypothetically, you and your mother are going to be in Egypt this summer. And let's say that because of this, you need to go to the Egyptian Consulate in Chicago to get your visas. And so you get up at five in the morning and drive three hours all the way to O'Hare Airport and then take the CTA into the city, only to discover that that you left your passports at home and cannot get your visas. Your day is now completely ruined and you now have no choice but to drive the miserable three hours back to Madison and curse yourself for forgetting those damn passports.

Or you could, you know, shrug your shoulders, say "C'est la vie", and then spend the day frolicking around Chicago, rediscovering an awesome grocery store, visiting the Art Institute for the first time and eating kickass Indian food for dinner.

That's what happened on Thursday to my mother and I, and as it turned out, even if we did have our passports we wouldn't have been able to get the visas back the same day, which means that they would have had to mail them back to us, and putting your passport in the mail just isn't a good idea. So we'll just have to go back sometime before we leave.

Other than that, it was a great day, except for the part where the weather forecast was a DIRTY DIRTY LIAR and told us it was going to rain all day when in fact it was 75 degrees and sunny, but thankfully I dressed in layers so it wasn't too bad. Although I must say that carrying around my umbrella all day only to leave it at a CTA station on our way back to O'Hare was pretty annoying.

So first we went to this jewelry store that was going out of business and got some very cheap stuff; I got four stainless steel rings colored silver, black and gold for ten bucks. Then we were going to go see the Stained Glass Museum but on the way to Navy Pier ran across the grocery store Fox and Obel, which is kind of like a cross between Sentry Metcalfe's and Whole Foods but fancier, and we remembered it from previous trips so we stopped inside and ended up buying some very delicious multigrain demi baguette and eating it with our packed lunch of guacamole, cheese, and clementines. I was very sad to have to leave, because if I had access to that demi baguette here in Madison, I would eat it every day of my life.

Then we decided to go to the Art Institute of Chicago, which was closer than the other Museum and I'd never been and neither had my mother; plus we saw a sign that said there was a special Matisse exhibit going on and neither of us wanted to miss it. It was pretty cool, although I must say for someone who definitely had drawing skills, Matisse was never much for the technical aspects of art. Next time I turn in something that looks like a child could have done it except for the very obviously thought out color combos and composition, I'm going to say, "If this has Matisse's name on it, you'd be worshipping the ground it walked on." Because really, I'm pretty

sure even I could do some of the things I saw there, and I still suck at art in relation to what I want to be doing.

Then it was time for lots and lots of Impressionism, which of course is my all time favorite art period, next to Surrealism. I was really surprised at the collection that the Art Institute has, which is quite extensive. I'd say it's at least on par with the National Gallery of Art in DC.

After that it was dinner at a lovely Indian Restaurant called the Chicago Curry House, with wonderful mango lassi and creamy vegetable kofta, and of course my mother ordered a bunch of meat dishes in her combo that didn't come with sauce so I couldn't mooch off her, though she did get a vice vegetable curry. Also, naan. Delicious, delicious naan. Well, pharata. Whatever, they're both amazing.

By the end of the day we'd walked about five miles, which was pretty damn good, I thought. Except that apparently if you eat Indian food all that walking means jackshit, because when I stepped on the scale on Friday, I hadn't lost a single pound. I was kind of pissed, but then I remembered that Indian food is delicious and suddenly I didn't care anymore.

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Today wasn't very productive in terms of food; I had to work the closing shift. I did, however, go to Whole Foods in the morning and picked up this delicious thing they call Greek Wheat Berry Salad (pictured right).

Basically all it is is wheat berries, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, pine nuts, feta cheese and dressing, but somehow it is incredibly delicious and I wish I could eat it all the time. I keep forgetting to look at the little card that tells you what the ingredients are though and until I find out what goes into the dressing, I can't make it properly myself. Boo.

Anyway, it's kind of become a semi-staple in my diet; whenever I go to Whole Foods and I know I'll need something for lunch/dinner the same/next day because I'll either be at work or school, I'll pick it up because it travels easily and is a well-balanced meal if you add some fruit (I wouldn't do this if I could eat the tomatoes, but for some reason, I hate cherry tomatoes. I really don't know why). If you're ever there, pick some up. Or keep watching here for the recipe to make it yourself because I will remember to look at the card someday.

So that was dinner. Lunch was a grilled caprese sandwich. Caprese is an Italian recipe that is basically slices of tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil and red wine vinegar, seasoned with salt and pepper. It also makes a great cold or hot sandwich. Normally I eat the sandwich cold, but I'd been to the site Panini Happy earlier and decided I wanted a hot sandwich today. (Also, I really want a panini press. Or a panini pan. Badly.)

Hot Caprese Sandwich

1 ball fresh mozzarella

1 ripe tomato (You can test a tomato's ripeness by smelling the part where it was attached to the stem; if you can smell it, it's good. Out of season, a roma tomato is going to be your best bet.)

1/2 c. slivered fresh basil

4-6 slices crusty bread (I used a country loaf; a sourdough would also work well.)

olive oil for brushing

salt and pepper

Brush one side of each slice of bread liberally with olive oil. On non-oiled side, add one layer of mozzarella and tomato, then season lightly with salt and pepper and add basil. You should be able to make 2-3 sandwiches depending on how much mozzarella and tomato you have.

Put a skillet pan on the stove and add the sandwiches right away, covering the pan; this will give the cheese extra time to get warm and melty. Wait about 4-5 minutes, then remove the cover and check to see if the first side of the bread is golden brown. If it is, flip the sandwiches and recover the pan. Wait 2-3 minutes, then remove the sandwiches; serve warm.

Don't get discouraged if you burn the bread a little by misjudging times; I still do that.

For a cold sandwich: Mix 3 tbsp. olive oil and 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar together. Brush onto one side of each slice of bread. Layer mozzarella, tomato, and basil on the side with the dressing, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve.

Until next time, my duckies!

DAY ELEVEN

I was going to do a rant on how calorie counting is a completely idiotic school of thought and how just because something has a lot of calories doesn't mean it's bad for you, but it's a long, thoughtful piece and I need time to figure out what I'm going to say. Also, research. So look forward to that in the future. In the meantime, remember: if calorie counting was the only thing that mattered, we could eat nothing but junk food and as long as we didn't go over our daily limit, we'd be healthy. But everyone knows that wouldn't work. It's what kinds of calories you consume that matter the most; mainly, nutritious ones.

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So, early dinner today as I had to be at Micah and Jodi's house to see how their daughter, Ella, gets put to bed because I'll be babysitting her next week. By the way, Ella? CUTEST. BABY. EVER. GOD I HOPE I HAVE KIDS THAT LOOK THAT GOOD SOMEDAY.

Anyway, tonight's meal was very simple, even though it sounds complicated: pasta all'arrabbiata. I've seen several recipes for this meal but very few of them are the same, so I decided to do a little research to see what it really is.

Wikipedia defines it as "a Roman sauce of garlic, tomatoes and red chili cooked in olive oil. This dish is usually served with with pasta and chopped parsley sprinkled on top." All'Arrabbiata mean "angry sauce", so named for the heat caused by the chili. So apparently mine wasn't really pasta all'arrabbiata because the recipe I used just used regular marinara sauce with cayenne added to it. Or maybe it's just one of those dishes that can have a ton of different variations and still be called the same thing. Who's to say?

Either way, it was delicious.

I will say this, however. The recipe I used had fennel in it. Now, fennel is very much an acquired taste, because it taste like anise, i.e. licorice (not the Twizzlers kind, either; real licorice). Some people like this, some people don't. Now, this recipe is nice in that you cook the fennel for a long enough time that its flavor subdues quite nicely, but you will still have that underlying anise taste. If you don't like that, I would stay clear of this dish.

Pasta All'Arrabbiata

1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and cut into 1/4 inch wide julienne strips (Here's a handy little how-to on that.)

3 tbsp, olive oil

2-3 c. marinara sauce (It will depend on how much extra sauce you want. A canned marinara sauce would work fine for this, but I'll add in the recipe I use below, if anyone wants to have a look.)

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 lb dried penne pasta (What? Pasta? Evil carb-filled pasta? Yes. Just use whole wheat, Barilla Plus, or Ronzoni Smart Taste; they all have ample amounts of fiber to combat the carbs.)

15 pitted kalamata olives, cut in half (Actually, any kind of black olive can be used here, I just like kalamatas the best. You might want to rise them beforehand though, to get rid of some of the salt.)

1 c. fresh basil leaves, slivered

Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Cook the pasta. Directions should be on the back of the package. Once done, toss with some olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Fennel should be soft and tender. Add marinara sauce and crushed red pepper flakes and stir to mix. Simmer for 10 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently. Add pasta, olives and basil and stir to incorporate everything. Serve immediately with Parmesan.

Marinara sauce

1/4 c. olive oil

2 small onions, chopped (I know there's a normal measurement for that, but I cannot for the life of me remember what it is right now. I'm going to guess a cup and a half, but I really don't know.)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2, 32 oz. cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

1 c. strong red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot recommended. A Shiraz also works pretty well, surprisingly.)

salt and pepper to taste

thyme, oregano and basil, to taste (I like to use fresh herbs, but dried will work fine as well. Usually you'll want more basil than thyme or oregano, both of whom works wonders even in small amounts.)

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)

In a large pot, heat oil. Add onions and garlic; saute until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add celery and carrots and salt and pepper. Saute until vegetable are soft, about 8 minutes. Add tomato, wine, bay leaf and herbs; stir to mix. Simmer covered over low heat until sauce thickens, about 30 minutes to an hour (Really. This time changes drastically ever time I make this sauce, so that's about the best window I can give you). Let cool for about ten minutes, then remove and discard bay leaf. In a blender, and in batches, blend to the desired consistency. Season with more salt and pepper is desired and add cayenne.

This recipe makes a lot and freezes well.

Until next time, my duckies!

DAY NINE

So, here's a lesson for you guys.

When it is Mother's Day, and you offer to make your mother dinner, do not assume that she is simply your innocent mother whom you think will probably be the most supportive out of all your family members in your mission of vegetarianism. Because what you will find is that she is in fact closely related to Satan and is just waiting for an opportunity to mercilessly torture you and stretch your willpower to the very limits of its endurance.

She will do this by informing you that she would like Pepitos for dinner, i.e. Mexican skirt steaks sandwiches, which is one of your favorite dishes in the entire world.

She will also tell you that she honestly wasn't thinking about your vegetarian vows when she requested said dinner, and you will not be able to call her on it even though you know she is a liar and her real name is Mrs. Lying Liarpants of Dishonesty. Because she is a liar. Who lies.

But because it is Mother's Day, you will have to go through with it anyway and of course you will make what your family tells you is the most delicious skirt steak they've had in a long time, even prompting your father to say "Oh my God" when he tries it, when normally his ability to praise doesn't go beyond, "This is good." And they will continue to torture you throughout the meal, making noises and continually exclaiming how good it is, causing you to smile at them pleasantly while part of you is mentally screaming "I HATE YOU ALL", another part is steadily sobbing like a baby and the rest of you just wants to curl up into a little ball and die.

On the plus side, you will be pleasantly surprised to discover that your willpower is indeed that strong.

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I realize that talking about the Pepitos has probably piqued a few curious minds, but since the point of this blog is about being a vegetarian, I'm not going to post the recipe here yet. Someday, though, I promise.

In the meantime, I can post the recipes of the accompaniments. Pepitos are open faced sandwiches that are comprised of thick slices of bread, topped with refried beans, pico de gallo or garden salsa, guacamole, lettuce and skirt steak. My dinner omitted the skirt steak, and I just munched on the guac and salsa with chips.

Guacamole

3 ripe avocados (You can tell an avocado is ripe by pressing on it. There should be a slight give to the flesh. Be very attentive about the 'slight' part; before I knew better, I thought this meant any kind of give and would often pick up avocados that were quite squishy, only to come home and find them halfway bad already.)

1/2 c. finely chopped onion

1-2 tbsp. lime juice

1/4 c. cilantro, roughly chopped

1 tbsp. garlic, finely chopped

1/4 tsp. Mexican oregano

1/2 c. tomatoes, diced to 1/4. inch

salt and pepper to taste

Remove skins and pits from avocados. This can be done by slicing them in half around the pit, and using a spoon to remove the pit and then the flesh.

For chunky guacamole, place avocados in a bowl and using a stiff wire whisk, mash. If you're using ripe avocados they should give fairly easily, and after about a minute or so you can start whipping them a little until the flesh is fairly smooth with some chunks. If you're like me and prefer smooth guacamole, place the avocados into a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Remove to a bowl.

Place all other ingredients except tomatoes in bowl and stir until incorporated. You may have to adjust seasoning to taste, especially the lime juice and cilantro. When the flavor is right, add the tomatoes and gently fold in. Serve.

Garden Salsa (which could also be Pico de Gallo. I' m not sure.)

2 c. tomatoes, diced to 1/4 inch

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vinegar

2 tsp. lime juice

1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano

1/4 c. cilantro, finely chopped

salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well to combine. Seasonings may have to be adjusted to taste, particularly salt, lime juice and cilantro.

Both dips go great with any Mexican food and are, of course, delicious with tortilla chips.

Until next time, my duckies!

DAY EIGHT

Dear Gloria Jean's Customers:

We appreciate your patronage. Really. Most of you are quite pleasant and we are happy to serve you. You understand the concept of small, medium and large and do not stare at us blankly when we don't use the words tall, grande or venti. You understand that we serve chillers and not frappuccino's. You recognize that a caramel macchiato is not listed on our menu and therefore do not ask us to make one.

For those select few, however, that don't seem to comprehend this, I have only this to say.

WE ARE NOT. FUCKING. STARBUCKS.

Contrary to popular belief, there are other coffee companies out there. You would think that you would recognize this by the fact that unlike Starbucks, we do not wear green, and the Gloria Jean's logo is emblazoned very clearly on our aprons, shirtsleeves and the back wall. But no, some of you are apparently unable to pay attention to your surrounding, assume you are in a Starbucks, and ask for Starbucks drinks in Starbucks lingo.

Now, lucky for you, most of us are versed in Starbucks lingo so we know what you are talking about. Unluckily for you, we do not serve Starbucks sizes, although everything else in the world generally comes in small, medium and large, so why you stare at us like we're talking in Russian makes no sense to me. Also, it would be very considerate of you to actually look at the menu before you order, because if you did, you might notice that nowhere on the goddamn menu does it say 'caramel macchiato'. This is because we do not serve caramel fucking macchiatos.

Now, lucky for you, we can make what basically amounts to a caramel macchiato. However when we ask you if you want a Starbucks macchiato, and you stare at us blankly, and then we proceed to tell you what the difference between a Starbucks macchiato and a real macchiato is*, and you ask for the real macchiato, you should not be surprised when what you want is not what you get. This is because, contrary to what your tiny little brain may believe, Starbucks did not invent the macchiato. And just because you think that a real macchiato is what you get at Starbucks doesn't mean it is. You should have figured this out when we explained it to. But you didn't. Because to you, Starbucks is synonymous with the birth of coffee. Coffee did not exist before Starbucks, and coffee cannot continue to exist without Starbucks. Any place that serves coffee must be a Starbucks, because to have it be otherwise would be blasahemey against the One True Creator of Coffee.

Except for the part where Starbucks did not invent coffee, and did not invent the macchiato, and does not make a true macchiato. Therefore when you hand the drink back to us and complain that this is not a caramel macchiato, you should thank your lucky stars that if I acted on my true feelings toward you I would get fired, because otherwise, I would throw your goddamn macchiato at your stupid fucking head.

Because really, you deserve it.

*A real macchiato is espresso with a little bit of foam on top. For those of you who have had the caramel macchiato, I'm sure you can see what the difference is. So why people are too dumb to figure this out when we explain it to them, I don't know. It makes want to cry a little.

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Okay, so now that I've got that off my chest, onto the good stuff. Today I had to work the closing shift, which means that I can't eat dinner at home, so I bring my own. Today, I had mango and bulgar wheat.

Bulgar wheat is one of those amazing grains that taste good and is incredible nutritious for you. When it comes to deciding whether carbs are healthy or not, I follow this rule: for every 10 grams of carbs, there should be 1 gram of fiber. Any less means a higher glycemic index and thus a worser grain. For example, standard white flour has about 20 grams of carbs per serving, and usually less than one gram of fiber; white flour is considered a bad carb. Bulgar wheat, on the other hand, has about 17 grams of carbs per serving and about 4 grams of fiber, which is incredibly good ratio, even for healthy grains. Ergo, bulgar wheat is extremely good for you.

In addition to be good, it's also delicious, and extremely simple to prepare. Here's the recipe we use most often when cooking it as the main carb for our meal.

Bulgar Wheat Pilaf

1 c. onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2-3 tbsp. olive oil/butter (I actually like to use a combination here)

1 c. bulgar wheat

2 c. chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

seasonings to taste (optional; this dish tastes great as is, but you can also use a variety of spices to make it better suited for certain meals. A combination list is available below.)

Heat the oil/butter in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the bulgar and spices and fry, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, season with salt and pepper, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and serve.

Frequently used spice combinations:

1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, pinch of cloves

1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. ground coriander seed, 1/2 tsp. hot paprika

1/2 tsp. hot paprika, 1 tsp. dried basil leaf, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. thyme

Bulgar wheat can be used as a side dish to pretty much everything, though it goes especially well with Mediterranean dishes, particularly Greek and Middle Eastern. Personally, I like to mix in some yogurt, hot sauce and parmesan cheese and eat it like that, which I know sounds really weird, but trust me when I say it's delicious. Also it makes a really good quick but satisfying lunch, especially when you pair it with some fruit and a protein. It stores well as a leftover as well.

Until next time, my duckies!

DAYS FIVE AND SIX

Okay, so I haven't been updating because I haven't actually been making recipes recently, just eating leftovers, and then last night I got side tracked by reading stuff at cracked.com and going to Old Chicago for the weekly Thursday get-together. But I'm back now, so it's all good.

Monday and Tuesday of this week I mainly had leftovers and fruit: I have class on Monday nights so my family gets to fend for themselves and Tuesday I completely forgot to plan a meal so we just had leftovers and some frozen Chinese dumplings.

Wednesday I had class again at night, but my mother and I went down to State Street to do some shopping and I got take-out from Himal Chuli, which is this lovely little Nepalese restaurant that makes not only the best dal in the world, but is pretty much a vegetarian heaven. Almost everything on their menu is vegetarian, and a lot of it is vegan too, and everything tastes absolutely divine. I have never had a bad meal there, ever.

The very slight downside to Himal Chuli is that it is a little expensive: entrees range from about the $7 - $15 range, though it's worth noting that all of the most expensive dishes contain meat, so the solution? Don't order the meat dishes. Otherwise, it's just a little more expensive than say, eating at Noodles and Company, and most of the meals come with dal (a tasty lentil soup) and roti (puffy flatbread made with yogurt, available in white or whole wheat).

My personal favorite dishes are the samosa (triangle potato and vegetable filled pastries that come with this sweet white sauce; I have no idea what it is but it's delicious), kadi (onion dumplings in a yogurt soup served with a side salad) and momocha (shown to the right with a bowl of dal: peanut dumplings with a tomato-cilantro sauce), which is what I had on Wednesday.

Seriously guys, it's the most delicious dumpling meal I've ever had. Including Har Gow (Chinese shrimp dumplings).

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Day six, Thursday, consisted of Kashi Go Lean! Crunch for breakfast, crackers and cheese, grapes and applesauce for lunch (I have a slight addiction to applesauce, mostly because I can rarely find good apples outside of fall anymore) and Huevos Rancheros for dinner.

Huevos Rancheros is and probably will remain one of my favorite dishes in general, never mind as a vegetarian. For one thing, it's Mexican, and there are very few Mexican dishes out there that will not assault your mouth with pure yummy deliciousness when you take a bite. For another, it's really quite easy when you get down to it, but it makes a very filling and very satisfying meal. And finally, it's healthy. Actually, a lot of Mexican food consists of incredibly well balanced meals, which is why I love it so much and eat it so often, but that's a conversation for another time. For now: the recipe.

Huevos Rancheros (Pictured Right)

Eggs (1-2 per person)

1 15 oz. can Refried beans

1 package small corn tortillas (two tortillas per person)

1 recipe Ranchero Sauce, available below

Shredded cheddar cheese (or a "Mexican" blend, if you prefer)

Put refried beans into a bowl; add two tablespoons of water and microwave on high for about a minute. Take out, and using a fork, stir to incorporate the water. Beans should be pliable when they come out; if not, microwave them for another thirty seconds. Continue this process until they are. Once finished, spoon a large dollop of the beans onto each person's plate, and swirl around until it makes a circle about the size of your tortillas.

Steam the tortillas about seven seconds each side over a fry pan of boiling water using a screen splatter guard, or a colander over a sauce pan of boiling water. Be very careful not to let the colander touch the water if using that method. Tortillas should be soft and floppy but not soggy. Place one tortilla over each plate of refried beans and press down gently. Set the other half of the tortillas aside for now.

Ladle Ranchero sauce over tortilla, just enough to cover it.

Turn on your oven's broiler. If it doesn't have a broiler, set it preheat to 300 degrees. Note that you will need to have oven safe dishes for the part that involves the oven, so if you don't have those, skip any parts with the oven. It's not a huge part of the dish anyway.

Fry the eggs, and keep the tortilla plates next to you while you do so. Different people have different ways of frying eggs, but here's mine, and it works pretty well. Crack the eggs into a bowl (this way in case one breaks it doesn't do so on the pan). Heat a fry pan over medium heat until hot, then coat with butter; the butter should sizzle on contact. Pour the eggs from the bowl onto the pan, season quickly with salt and pepper, then wait until the whites harden and cook, about forty-five seconds. Then, using a spatula, cut the yolks separate from each other, and flip the eggs white back over itself on all sides. This will serve to make your surface area smaller, which makes the eggs easier to flip.

Wait another forty-five seconds or so to flip the eggs, but while waiting, ease the spatula under the eggs so you can loosen them before hand. Once everything but the yolk is cooked, quickly move spatula under the eggs, separating completely from the pan, and flip. The first couple times you do this, it will probably break, but don't give up; once you've mastered this method it's almost foolproof. Wait about thirty seconds for the egg yolk to just start cooking through, then repeat the flipping process, only this time transfer it from the pan to the tortilla. The yolk may break when you do this, but in this case, that's okay.

Place remaining tortillas over eggs, then place another ladle on ranchero sauce over the top, then sprinkle with cheese. MAKE SURE YOU ARE USING OVEN SAFE DISHES FOR THIS NEXT PART. OTHERWISE, SKIP IT. Place in the oven: if using a broiler, wait about forty-five seconds to a minute, depending on how browned you like your cheese. If using an oven, keep in mind it doesn't have to be fully preheated, just hot. Wait about two minutes for the cheese to melt properly.

Remove from oven and serve with the any of the following accompaniments:

Chopped lettuce

Chopped cilantro

Yogurt/sour cream

Hot sauce

Salsa (any kind)

Ranchero Sauce

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 c. celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 2 stalks)

1 c. green bell pepper, chopped 1/4 inch dice (about 1 pepper)

1 c. yellow onion, chopped 1/4 inch dice (I have no idea what size onion. Ever notice how recipes always call for a certain sized onion, but when you use that particular size onion, there's either way too much or way too little? Yeah, that pisses me off.)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cups chicken broth (I used vegetable broth this time around; that also works fine)

3/4 c. crushed tomatoes (from a can)

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander seed

pinch of cloves

pinch of Mexican oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Roux (for thickening the sauce)

3 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. four

Stir the flour into hot melted butter in a small pan. Mix until it becomes a very light brown color and there are no more lumps, and let cook for thirty seconds while stirring continuously to keep from burning. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan, saute vegetables in oil until tender, about five minutes. Add broth, crushed tomatoes and spices and stir. Bring to a boil, stir for about two minutes, then take off heat and let cool. Blend in a blender until everything is throughly mixed in; do this in batches as it won't all fit at once. The sauce should become an orange/yellow color, though sometimes it also becomes pink-ish. Transfer back to pan and reheat; add roux, a little at a time, until the mixture takes on the consistency of tomato soup. You probably won't use all the roux, but how much thickening is required will change each time you make it, so it's good to have it all on hand.

This will make more than you need for one recipe of Huevos Rancheros, so put the leftovers in a container and freeze them. They can easily be reheated in saucepan.

Also, when you throw your remaining roux away, do so in the garbage. Butter is solid at room temperature and flour expands and becomes a sticky mess when added to water, so if you throw it down your sink, be prepared for clogging.

Until next time, my duckies!

DAY TWO

So, breakfast was a slice of banana bread. Not necessarily healthy for you, but the one I made had whole wheat flour and the special high-fiber flour my family usually uses. Bananas and nuts provide nutrients and fiber, so all in all, if you're not eating too much of it, it's really not that bad. Also, this is my grandma's recipe, so you know it's good.

Banana Bread

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)

2 eggs

1/2 c. sour/buttermilk (see note for how to make)

1/4 c. plain yogurt/sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour, sifted (for healthier bread, substitute 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour. The pastry part is very important as this will ensure the flour has the same texture and consistency as regular flour.)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. bananas, mashed (an easy way to do this is to take bananas that are bruised and freeze them until you have enough; bruised bananas are much easier to mash. You can just defrost them when it's time to bake.)

1 c. pecans/walnuts, chopped

Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add eggs and mix until incorporated. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to bowl in small batches, mixing until throughly incorporated each time. Add mashed bananas and nuts. Mix well. Pour into a greased and floured meat loaf/bread pan. Bake about 45-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of the bread clean. Let rest and cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.

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Lunch was an unusual affair today. Normally for lunch I don't do anything fancy; a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some applesauce is fine for me. But today Mr. Sullivan, my former Ancient World teacher, was coming over to discuss our upcoming trip to Israel, and since he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes about a week ago, I had to specially tailor a lunch for him.

Which, seeing as my own healthy eating habits actually brought me back from the brink of diabetes, wasn't that hard. We had bruschetta with grilled garlic bread and roasted asparagus.

Bruschetta

3 large tomatoes, chopped into small pieces

2 tbsp. finely chopped shallots

2 tbsp. finely chopped garlic

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 c. chopped basil

1/3 c. buffalo mozzarella, chopped into small pieces

salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix throughly to combine. Chances are you'll probably have to adjust some of the ingredients by adding more, particularly basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. I don't really know how to tell you that it's good, but once you taste it, you'll know.

Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus

salt and pepper

olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the asparagus by breaking off the ends; there should be a natural weak point where they break easily. Arrange them on a cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil over asparagus, making sure to coat each one; I recommend using a pastry brush to help with this as otherwise, you'll probably wind up with too much olive oil. Season with salt and pepper by eyeballing, erring on cautious; you can always add more later if you need. Roast in the oven for twenty minutes.

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Dinner was a delicious spinach and ricotta tart. I love having tarts for dinner because not only are they a perfectly balanced meal in and of themselves if made right, but it's an excuse to make pie crust. What, I hear you ask, pie crust from scratch? That must take hours of hard work! It sounds impossible!

Well that is where you are wrong, kiddies. Making pie crust is actually ridiculously easy, and tastes a million times better than anything you could buy pre-made. The secret to good pie crust actually lies in the technique used to make it; the best pie crusts will be made so that individual flecks of butter are still scattered throughout, so that when it bakes, they melt, giving the crust the desired flakiness. This is achieved by letting the butter touch your hands as little as possible, as your hands have lots of heat and will melt it.

Savory Pie Crust

1 1/2 c. flour (I used half whole wheat, half regular)

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)

pinch of salt

1 egg

Do all of the following on an open, clean kitchen counter.

Using a pastry scraper (or, if you don't have one, a good sized knife), cut the butter into chunks. DO NOT TOUCH THE BUTTER WITH YOUR HANDS. Pour the flour over the butter chunks, and using the pastry scraper/knife, cut the butter into the flour until fairly well mixed and butter chunks are all small and relatively the same size. Sprinkle the salt onto the mixture and cut it in a few times, just to mix.

Gather the mixture into a heap and make a little well in the middle. Crack the egg, and place it in the well. Cut the egg into the mixture with about twenty good strokes. Now comes the hardest part. Using ONLY the palm of your hands, bring the dough together between them and rub in opposite directions in one stroke. DO NOT LET YOUR FINGERTIPS TOUCH THE DOUGH. Continue to smear the dough between your palms, one stroke at a time, until it starts to become sticky and vaguely yellow colored; this will indicate to you that the egg is being properly mixed in. Continue until the dough can hold shape on its own. Gather into a ball-like shape, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until hard.

Dough can be frozen for up to a month.

Spinach and Ricotta Tart (from The Vegetarian Cookbook)

1 recipe savory pie crust

1 lb frozen spinach, thawed.

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 c. ricotta cheese

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the spinach and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and spinach and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool, then beat in eggs, ricotta and parmesan. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Roll the pie dough out (while still cold and hard; this will make it much easier to work with, as rolling it out will soften it quite a bit) between two large pieces of wax/parchment paper. Line a 9 in. tart pan (or, I'm going to assume, a pie pan; I have a tart pan so I don't know how well that will work in comparison) with the dough, letting it hang over the sides before taking off the excess. If for some reason the dough breaks, it can easily be patched up with the excess dough, but use the knuckles of your fingers to press it into place. Spoon in the spinach mixture, spreading it evenly.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Now, the original recipe here has you make a lattice for this tart. This is, while not overly difficult, probably going to be a tricky process for those unfamiliar with making tarts/pies, so I would say it's not necessary. If you want to try it however:

Make an additional half recipe of pie crust dough. Roll it out the same way as above, but make it go really long one way so you'll have good sized strips. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/4 inch strips of dough, then, using a long knife, gently ease them away from the wax paper and lay them over the tart in a crisscross pattern. Don't be surprised if some of the stripes break; just squish the dough back together to repair. Press against the edges of the crust to secure. Brush with an egg glaze to make them nicely golden brown when baking.

Enjoy, my darlings!

DAY ONE

So, breakfast was fried eggs on toast with hot sauce. The fact that I will be eating eggs on this journey official classifies me as Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian. Some people may disagree with me and say that eggs count as meat, but I say no. Eggs as we eat them are unfertilized, ergo there is no life in them, ergo they are not meat. And on the off chance that there is life inside them, you're not going to eat it anyway. And if you do, then there's something wrong with you. Just saying.

Then I had to work, and since it was such a lovely day out I decided to bike there, which was a good idea, but getting there was a pain in the ass because of all the wind resistance. I think I was peddling twice as hard as normal on my route and my poor heart was screaming "OH GOD STOP. IT BURNS. IT BUUUUUUUUURNS" and my lungs were all "STOPITSTOPITSTOPIT JESUS CHRIST" but my stomach was like "STFU GUYS, THIS IS GOOD FOR US. GROW A BACKBONE ALREADY YOU BIG BABIES." Yes, that's right, my organs talk to each other. Because I'm just that awesome.

Lunch was a mango and a slice of banana bread, which was not such a good idea because I was starving by the time I got off, but luckily the bike ride home is all down hill, so it was much easier. By the way guys, if you're ever at Gloria Jean's and want to watch your calories, don't ever order any of our chillers. It's kind of appalling how much sugar they have. Even the so-called "low calorie" chillers aren't that great.

Dinner was leftover tomato soup with some bread. I love the tomato soup my family makes because it's delicious and creamy without being too fatty and ridiculously easy, so for tonight, that's the recipe.

Tomato Soup

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/3 c. finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp. blended italian herbs (I use dried basil, thyme, and oregano)

2 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 c. milk (2% or higher, otherwise the taste gets thrown off)

10 oz. beef or chicken broth

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper/chili flakes (optional)

2 tbsp. freshly chopped basil (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the onions and garlic, and saute until onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Add the dried herbs and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour, and stir quickly to create a kind of paste, also known as a roux. Add tomato paste and brown sugar, and stir until pasty once again. Add the broth; using a whisk, vigorously whisk the paste until it breaks up. Add milk in a slow, steady stream; otherwise it will curdle. Add crushed tomatoes and stir until throughly blended. If using cayenne and/or basil, add and stir. Simmer on low heat for twelve minutes. Serve warm and with garlic bread.

Garlic Bread

1 loaf crusty bread

4 tbsp. butter or olive oil (they both have their benefits. I leave the decision up to you.)

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

(Melt the butter if using.) Add the crushed garlic to butter/olive oil and stir to integrate. Brush onto both sides of the bread. Grill bread in a pan or on a griddle on medium-low heat until browned on both sides; this will take various amounts of time depending on how much oil/butter is on your bread, heat or your pan/griddle, and how thick or warped your bread is. Serve warm.

I'd post pictures, but I don't have any. Maybe next time.