Not Missing the Meat

I do not intend to deceive.  We have not gone vegetarian, we still like to eat the odd hamburger, roast of pork butt, or butifarra (local sausage) around here, that's for sure.  But on the whole, we are finding it super easy and delicious to eat a mostly veggie based diet.  We are also getting better at coming up with our own recipes.

I'll call the following series: I'm Turning into a Cruciferous Vegetable!

Recently in our CSA basket we've been getting tons of gorgeous cabbage, cauliflower, and romanesco broccoli (these are visually beautiful and also super tasty) every week along with spinach and collards--yum!

When we get spinach and pears in the same week it is necessary to buy our favorite local goat cheese and make the kids' favorite salad (okay, mine too).

Oh, it's so good.  I'm getting hungry!

I'm also really into tarts right now.  There's something therapeutic about making pastry, I really like pinch, pinch, pinching the butter and flour together and then working the dough.  Plus, the fillings can be just magic.  The tart below started with the onions and cabbage above.  The trick was cooking the onions and cabbage super slowly--like 45-50 minutes for the onions and 25-30 for the cabbage.  Then, throwing the veg in with some eggs and emmental cheese and finally all of it into the oven.

 So easy, so delicious.

Sometimes we get a veggie we're not sure what to do with like a kohlrabi.  I say, when it doubt, fry.  We grated the kohlrabi, some carrot, and added a touch of paprika and a couple of eggs. 

 And fried them because, like I said, we were in doubt.

The result, topped with an avocado cream sauce, was crazy.  So good.  I need 5 more kohlrabies! ; )

The girls eat all of this happily.  In fact, on Tuesday when their dad told them that dinner would be cabbage rolls stuffed with lentils and quinoa they were delighted--and ate seconds.  I mean, I think they were actually more excited than when they get to eat it with meat.

 Happy Girl #1.

 Happy Girl #2 -- "Me too, Mommy.  Take my picture, it's my turn."

In all seriousness James makes the most AMAZING cabbage rolls--pigs in a blanket, as he calls them.  I didn't think they could get better (from his meaty-deliciousness version), but they did.  The lentils and quinoa are actually better than with pork/beef.  I told him he has to write this one down so that it's not forgotten.  The tomato cream sauce with mushrooms he makes for the topping kinda makes me want to weep...{sigh}.  So ready for the repeat of this meal!

Below is the roasting pan we use for cooking our cauliflower and broccoli (otherwise I make them into Parmesan, lemon, cauliflower soup or something--okay, I still roast the veggies then).  Last night we did simple roasted potatoes (we gave these guys a head start) and the romanesco broccoli in a very tiny bit of oil and made veggie tacos.

The veggies start to dwindle quickly.

 James has managed to find some amazing tortillas recently, that helps A LOT!  Okay, it's probably the "secret ingredient." Damn, I miss real Mexican food.

The tacos also had an avocado-yogurt-lemon sauce, grilled onions and mushrooms.  More please!

Tacos have been a "go-to" recently with the new tortilla find and because they are dead easy.  Below, more roasted cauliflower and grilled cabbage tacos with a dollop of yogurt and hot sauce and avocado, of course.  I am going to be so sad when avocados are out of season : (.  I'll just relish it while they are [in season].

 Happy again.

 Yum, yum!

We love to eat.  My next post will also be about eating.  This time local onions and butifarra because, like I said, while this veggie thing is pretty easy we do still like meat.  I mean, it's calçot season, who doesn't like a good "buti" with their calçots?

Until then, be happy and be healthy.

Love, love, love!