I have been posting here on CliqueClack Food for a while now. I have really enjoyed bringing my simple recipes to everyone, and I have gotten some really good replies and suggestions from many people. I have promoted the site on my blog and on twitter — you can follow me at jelo45110 if you like — and I have brought CliqueClack Food to several people that probably would not have found it. I have had my differences with Kona and her crazy ideas about chili with no meat. I have also gotten requests from people I know at work and from people I know on Twitter, so this has got me to thinking.
Up until now I have been writing my posts using the recipes that I like. I have not paid attention to how healthy or unhealthy my recipes are. I just cook what I like and share those recipes with everyone here. After reading Kona’s post, Why don’t you just eat a burger?, I really got to thinking. My parents raised me to respect other people’s choices in life. Just because you don’t agree with their choices does not make them wrong. I certainly have not been as bad as the jerk mentioned in Kona’s post, but I have been pretty close.
So I have been looking into Vegetarians, low carb, diabetic restrictions and I have come to the conclusion that none of it makes any sense. I am totally lost. I want to expand my repertoire and maybe I will learn something in the process. So I am asking you, the readers and writers of CliqueClack, to help me out. What are your dietary restrictions? What will you eat? What won’t you eat? I have made it clear that I will eat pretty much anything slathered in bacon grease.
I know that Kona and Cate have restrictions on what they will eat because there are some vegetables that they just do not like and will not eat. As summer is fast approaching and the fishing season is beginning to pick up, I intend to have some good fresh fish recipes coming up soon. I know some vegetarians that will eat fish, some that will only eat certain kinds of fish, and some that won’t eat any fish. As a confirmed and life long meat eater I am not looking to change. I do, however, want to be able to invite a vegetarian to dinner and offer them something more than a bowl of lettuce or a mushroom sandwich.
I have some members of my own family that have type 2 diabetes and have to watch what they eat so I have some experience with that.
I know that Keith and Debbie have restrictions on goat’s milk and gluten because of food allergies their son has. I have known others that have been gluten intolerant and have tried some of the food they ate. It had very little flavor and I would rather eat cardboard than some of it. I know I am supposed to be writing recipes but this has been bothering me for a while and I really need help from all of you so, thanks for reading my ramblings and helping me out.
Thank you.
Clacked by Jeff Love
on Jun 04, 2009 @ 12:01 EST5EDT
Feeding a vegetarian is not something to stress over. It can be as simple as having the meat be a separate part of the meal with a few meat-free side dishes and maybe a salad. That said, if you wanted to try something fancier you could start with that stuffed zucchini recipe Kona posted a while back. I made it with orzo because I didn’t have quinoa, and it was really good (and easy!).
The secret to a good vegetarian main dish is legumes… lentils, black beans, canellini beans, etc. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s the textured soy protein crap that’s out there… use real food!
I was (mostly) vegetarian for a few years, too, and I hated it when anyone went to too much fuss on my behalf. Keeping the meat as a separate part of your meal like Cate suggests is probably easiest. (You might even keep some Quorn or gardenburgers in your freezer for occasions such as these.) If you do want to try a vegetarian meal from time to time, legumes really are a great way to go for protein, as are eggs, for most people.
But no eggs for me! Not allergic, per se, but eating more than a little makes my tummy very unhappy. And they’re totally ubiquitous. Breakfast foods, potato salad, mayonnaise, and desserts of all flavors. I wouldn’t dream of asking someone to cook without them–but it is helpful to know in what dishes my host has used them, so I can be careful about what I eat.