Mega Meat Eater Goes Meat-Free: Day Two. (+ Romesco Sauce)
It’s Day 2 of going Meat-Free. This calls for Celebration Brownies!
Last night, as I was snacking on some mochi, it suddenly dawned on me that tomorrow would mark the longest time I’ve gone meat-free since…toddler-hood.
Growing up in a Chinese family, pork was basically a food group. I remember the first time I brought my then-boyfriend, now-husband home for dinner, and we stopped by the Cantonese BBQ shop for a couple pounds of roast pork and a BBQ duck to bring home.
“Your family doesn’t have to go all-out with so much food just because I’m here,” he said, politely.
I stared. “We’re not. This is how my family eats all the time.”
There was a bit of shocked silence.
“Uhm…this is actually just a side dish,” I said slowly, gesturing to the several pounds of pork the butcher had chopped up with his cleaver, then scooped into a styrofoam box. “My mom is at home cooking.”
“Oh my god,” I heard him mutter a short while later, surveying the platters of food set up on our kitchen table and kitchen counter (because there would never be enough room to fit everything on just the table, obviously), “You weren’t joking.”
That was dinner for six.
***
Day One of the Meat-Free challenge was a tough one for me. When I go meatless one day a week, I tend to daydream about the dishes I’m going to eat the next day. I must admit, I was craving meat pretty badly by late afternoon. I started furtively looking at various food blogs, shutting my laptop whenever my husband poked his head in the bedroom and asked me what I was up to. Looking at, well…this seemed almost…smutty.
See, my husband enjoys eating meat as much as I do. I didn’t ask him to join in on Meatless Week, but he volunteered.
“I’m not doing it for the full seven days, though,” he warned. “I’m going to have pulled pork at Mardi’s house on Friday.”
For some reason, I feel almost obligated to make Meatless Week “fun” and “easy” when I’m around him, because I know he is making such a sacrifice in order to be a supportive husband.
“Hungry?” he asked last night, when he caught me in my boxers at midnight, spooning gobs of Nutella straight into my mouth.
“Nope. I feel fine,” I lied. Truth was, I ate half a jar of Nutella last night. I ate a huge spoonful every.single.time. I thought about steak. Or bacon. Or pulled pork.
One of my motivations for doing a full vegetarian week, as opposed to a day, was to see if it’d get easier. I already know one Meatless day a week is tough. I’ve been there. A week seemed more of a challenge. I love challenges.
At least, I thought I did…until this morning. When I spent *ahem* considerable more time than usual in the bathroom.
Truth is, I eat a typical North American diet most of the time–low in fiber, high in saturated fat. A lot of meat. A lot of delicious carbs, usually in the form of desserts. Few vegetables. I didn’t know my body was retaining so much waste. And would expel it at the first sign of a healthier diet.
(My husband is suffering the same consequences. This is not going to be a sexy week at the Yee-Lo household.)
My husband’s lunch pick: a falafel from Mr. Gyro (in Greenwood, Seattle)
My lunch! Falafel plate. (Not pictured–two enormous, grilled pitas for sopping up all that baba ganoush.)
Today, my husband suggested we meet for lunch at Mr. Gyro, a tiny little blip of a shop that sells gyros and falafel. We didn’t have much choice on what we could order, seeing our restrictions for this week. But we had a delicious lunch. (I was the creepy person trying not to stare at all the other patrons digging into their lamb kebabs.)
I feel this week has taught me to differentiate between true hunger, and emotional hunger.
“I feel full,” I wrote to a friend last night who was curious about my progress, “but I’m constantly craving meat. I think about it all the time.”
How many of us eat when we’re not truly hungry? I know I do. (It is especially easy, when you work mostly from home.) But in the past two days, I feel I’ve been more mindful of what I’m putting in my mouth–firstly, because I don’t want to absent-mindedly eat something that contains meat, and blow my experiment.
One of my favorite recipes from The Newlywed Kitchen–romesco sauce!
Dinner consisted of some lovely appetizers put out by Taste at SAM–beet salad with feta and watercress, polenta with morels, purple potato chips with edamame purée, chocolate-espresso Whoopie Pies. And wine. I had seconds of it all. And came home, and fixed myself another snack. I’m still feeding that emotional hunger. I’m hoping by tomorrow, the cravings will have abated a bit.
Today marks the end of Day 2, and I’m hanging in there. Tomorrow, I’ll show you what I ended up making with that sweet and tangy romesco sauce. We also have dinner plans with some friends at one of my favorite restaurants in town.
I guess I’ll be having the tofu.
***
Romesco Sauce, from The Newlywed Kitchen cookbook
During grilling season, there is absolutely no vegetable dish more delicious than charred leeks smothered in this bracing romesco. This sauce is a lovely thing to make when one of you starts complaining about those jeans feeling a little snug–chock-full of vegetables, nuts, and olive oil, it’s quite possibly one of the healthiest things you two can eat! The sauce keeps for up to five days, so try the leftovers on grilled shrimp, pork, pasta, or simply on some bread for a light and delicious snack.
2 medium tomatoes, quartered 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil 1/3 cup cubed stale bread 1 roasted red bell pepper 4 cloves garlic, finely diced 8 almonds, finely chopped 1/4 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Small pinch of red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprikaPreheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, or until softened.
In a large bowl, combine the vinegar and olive oil. Add the bread and soak until softened, about 3 minutes.
Combine the bread (including the vinegar and olive oil used for soaking), roasted tomatoes, red bell pepper, garlic, almonds, hazelnuts, salt, red pepper flakes, and paprika in a food processor and process until smooth.
****
Bloggers, how has Day 2 been for you? Are you finding this challenge an easy one?
Posted: May 25th, 2010 under Uncategorized.
Tags: meatfree, meatless, meatless week, vegetarian
Comments
Comment from Dana
Time May 25, 2010 at 9:39 PM
Hang in there! A lot of veg food can be difficult to digest – especially the soy family. Beano is your friend. Take it.
Comment from Noelle
Time May 25, 2010 at 11:44 PM
Hey! I stumbled upon your blog yesterday via tastespotting. Love that you review asian restaurants in Richmond as I am always looking for someplace new to go with my mom and sister. If you do happen to be in Richmond/Vancouver during one of your meat free days you should try Simply Vegetarian Restaurant if you haven’t been already, it’s usually pretty tasty. Good luck!
Comment from Anna
Time May 26, 2010 at 4:23 AM
Hang in there! You’re halfway through the week already!
I just started my own diet experiment on Monday – a detox suggested by a teacher at my yoga studio. I’ve cut out coffee, red meat and chicken, dairy/cheese, and as much white sugar and processed foods as I can. It is a challenge! And you are so right on the money – being more conscious of what you eat makes it much easier to differentiate between emotional cravings and actual hunger.
But I think I miss coffee more than meat 
Comment from Grace
Time May 26, 2010 at 5:23 AM
I really appreciate your honesty. I was a pescatarian (no meat, but yes fish) for 3 years, and I didn’t miss meat all that much. But when I did, I just went for the meat-free substitutes like mock chicken patties and such. It’s interesting to see how much of a struggle it is for someone like you who eats meat all the time- and craves it endlessly when it’s missing. Is there a way you can look at this challenge with a different lens? Rather than focusing on what is missing (like when someone tells you not to think about an elephant, and all you can think about is an elephant), maybe try to focus on all of the amazing things that you can try for maybe the first time! Also, is it the salty-ness of meat that you miss? Perhaps add more salt to your veg cuisine? I am just brainstorming here…
Also, sometimes it’s easier to start slowly- I like the Meatless Mondays idea b/c it’s not so overwhelming. Perhaps making 2 days a week meatless would be less stressful for you? And when you are eating Nutella for emotional support, remind yourself of the reasons why you chose to do this in the first place- sometimes going back to our original goal can help to motivate us.
Kudos to you for being so brave!
Comment from Renée
Time May 26, 2010 at 7:25 AM
I’m already impressed you put one Meat-free day in your repertoire; this full week is a true challenge of strength and endurance. It’s hard for me not to consider a bit of meat or animal-based product at each meal, the same way it’s difficult to dissociate carbs. Knowing how you value both, this challenge is probably your Everest (thank goodness you haven’t gone raw vegan)!
Hang on a little longer, at least for some of us to live vicariously through you. 
And if you think about it, it’s a bit of detox and a true test of your creativity. Would I be mean to tease that this is probably the most vegetables you’ve consumed… ever? (I do recall Ms. Lorna stating her detest for vegetables a number of years ago. Do you think it possible that you would come to love them after this week?) 
Comment from Colleen
Time May 26, 2010 at 9:54 AM
Hey Lorna!
Sometimes it is good to deprive ourselves of something that we enjoy so that we can appreciate it all the more when we can have it again. However, I do know all about emotional eating. Working in the food industry, I got used to grabbing what bites I could during my long hours, as I never knew when I would have a chance to actually eat. That sometimes leads to eating when I’m not really hungry! I also find that I eat more when I am stressed or really busy! AAAAAGGGGHHHHH! I sympathize with your plight.
So here is where I will try to be helpful. What I have found when I am designing meat free items, is that I like to cook them or flavour them as if I were cooking meat. For instance, I really like bacon. I know you like it too. I used to do this fantastic tomato and bacon risotto with green onions for a dish. So instead of having the smokey bacon flavour, I smoked the tomatoes instead and added something for crunch to the risotto….like fried shallots. I have also been known to smoke almonds, and add them instead of the tomatoes.
Anyway, it looks like you are already well on your way to experimenting. Good luck! And try to have fun with it!
Comment from lorna
Time May 26, 2010 at 10:09 AM
Hi everyone! Thanks for all your lovely comments.
Brooke: Yes, I will make it all week. I am determined to see this through. Thanks for your support!
Dana: Yes Beano is definitely my friend…hahah!
Noelle: I am in Vancouver about once a month visiting family and will be sure to try Simply Vegetarian. I love Chinese vegetarian food. We used to go to this one called “The Rainbow” near Richmond Center but it closed years ago. It was so good!
Grace: Thank-you! Yes, trying to think more about the different things I am trying at home this week. I am going to make falafel for the first time, and I’m making Japanese curry udon too. Excited about trying these dishes, but still find myself thinking about meat all the time. I had a very big and satisfying breakfast though and today (Day 3) seems to be going a little easier. =)
Anna: ahhh I can’t imagine not starting my day with coffee! Kudos to you!
Renée: I’ve changed my mind about vegetables in the last few years hehe…I like them when they are prepared well. I think I am just not as creative with them. Raw vegan would be so tough. I don’t know if I could last one day! And yes, this is definitely the largest amount of veggies I have ever consumed. No wonder my stomach can’t handle the fiber.
Colleen: I mindlessly eat a lot when I’m stressed (on deadline) but find it difficult to eat when I feel anxious. Thankfully, I have only felt really anxious maybe twice in my life that I can recall. How do you smoke tomatoes? They sound incredible. I have woodchips at home and have smoked Hunan bacon at home. Would I set it up the same way in my wok for the tomatoes?
Comment from stephanie
Time May 26, 2010 at 10:19 AM
Did meatless Tuesday, unintentionally. I made pizza last night – pretty darn good. Had no-knead dough in the frig, tomato sauce in the freezer, leftover kalamata and frozen artichoke hearts, and bought some fresh mozz. Looked good, tasted great. Handful of trail mix late in the evening.
Comment from Kairu
Time May 26, 2010 at 10:42 AM
You can do it! It’s Wednesday, you’re almost halfway there!
For me, making the vegetarian dishes I had in almost daily rotation while cooking for my mom, I find that – and someone mentioned this earlier – it takes me longer to put a meal together. I have to do more prep work to put together something that feels like a balanced meal that will satisfy me. Instead of a one-dish meal, I make a protein-veg dish and a veg side dish.
I find myself thinking more carefully about what I am eating, which is something I hoped for going into this experiment. I also find that there is a difference between feeling satisfied and feeling full; after a meal of fried eggs with tomatoes & asparagus, I felt satisfied, but not as stuffed as I do after a steak or a pile of chicken wings.
Twitter jokes aside, though, I’m not really craving meat. I’m looking forward to my garlic-soy eggplant and my stir-fried pine-nuts and corn over rice.
Comment from lorna
Time May 26, 2010 at 12:08 PM
Stephanie: I actually prefer meatless pizzas, as much as I love meat. Meat has such a strong flavor and overwhelms the crust so often. Your dinner sounds fab.
Kairu: Not “almost halfway”…I finish on Sunday night. So I have 4 more days to go… Like you, I feel satisfied (i.e. never hungry) after these meals, but you seem to be handling the cravings better than me.
Comment from Steph
Time May 26, 2010 at 4:58 PM
Im going on month 3 of no meat (I am going pescatarian for a year, then slowly incorporating meat back in my diet only once per week) and I feel your pain. I crave juicy burgers and usually pork. But the feeling eventually goes away. I know you don’t need too much advice, as you’re an amazing cook but I thought I’d throw some tips out that have helped me.
Eating chickpeas really fills you up, you’ll definitely want to utilize things like quinoa, wheat berries, orzo, baked beans/kidney beans. If things get really bad you can pick up some Quorn “chicken.” As a new cook, I focus a lot on new vegetables I’ve never tried, such as fennel, portobellas, kale, leeks, etc. I find myself making a lot of soups, pasta filled with veggies (broccolini, sun dried tomatoes, arugula..). It gets really hard to find new things to eat, but your body will thank you.
Comment from tea_austen
Time May 26, 2010 at 6:54 PM
Good for you for hanging in there, Lorna. I was cracking up at your meat cravings. And here I am, trying to summon up the courage to cook steak (need to for a photo shoot, keep putting it off).
For what it’s worth, I have never liked tempeh. The only tempeh recipe I’ve enjoyed has been this chili with tempeh that Bryant Terry made. It breaks down in the stew and has a lot of flavor from the chipotle. It’s good.
Hang in there!
Comment from tea_austen
Time May 26, 2010 at 6:55 PM
Whoops, here is the link. Meant to post it:
http://www.thetakeaway.org/2009/oct/21/unconventional-ways-cook-chili/
Comment from Carrie Oliver
Time May 26, 2010 at 6:55 PM
Every time I have attempted to follow a diet I have found myself craving whatever wasn’t allowed on that particular diet and then made it as soon as the diet period was over. One time it was chocolate chip cookie dough, another time pasta and yet another time, meat (I went vegetarian for about 3 weeks when I was overseas. All I could think about was a steak, specifically, dry-aged Porterhouse, which is what I had nearly the moment I returned home.) What I’d like to see people do is place more value on meat, to consider the source and how it was raised and by whom, and importantly, to waste less of it and frankly food in general.
One thing that I’ve noticed during my many travels these past few years: at some well known fast food chains (e.g. Bob Evans, Denny’s), every or almost every menu item – including salad – has meat in it, typically chicken. I’m not opposed to adding meat to salad, but this is a bit extreme.
Comment from San
Time May 27, 2010 at 11:00 AM
LoL. Hilarious post, especially the Nutella story. And hooray for such a supportive husband.
I don’t have a problem in going meatfree all week. Now, Chocolate, that’s a totally different story. I’d get violent at the second day!!!
Hang in there girl, you can do it!!!
Comment from Brooke
Time May 25, 2010 at 9:21 PM
Oh, Lorna, I feel for you! I am not having any trouble with it, but then I am used to eating mostly veg meals. I hope you can make it all week!