El Gaucho...a very veggie happy hour

_M and I recently celebrated our wedding anniversary with dinner at El Gaucho in Bellevue.  We love the steakhouses at Bellevue, and it is still one of my top o'list date nights ^__^

El Gaucho has a great happy hour with tons of veggie choices...various flatbreads, appetizers, and my favourite happy hour vino!  We arrived before our reservation to grab some happy hour goodies, and settled on "Fried Mac & Cheese Bites".  They were served with a spicy currant jam, and it was pretty good for five bucks :)  I want to return and try out their flatbreads, as I find the El Gaucho Bellevue happy hour less of a feeding frenzy compared to Daniel's Broiler or John Howie.

After we were seated for dinner, I glanced at the menu and there was a good selection of various veggie sides, and a main course of a cremini mushroom risotto served with grilled veggies.  Interestingly there were no veggie appetizer choices, but that is no love lost as it just means more space for garlic cheesy bread!  (One of my fave reasons for coming to El Gaucho)

I ordered the risotto, _M ordered a nice rib chop, and we shared the Gaucho Salad, with a side of scalloped potatoes.  I have a secret love affair with scalloped potatoes...growing up I always ate the "make 'em out of a box" variety, never realizing that the non-dehydrated potato version existed.  When the salad arrived, they served it table side, and _M benefited by having my portion of the shrimp.  By this time I had 3 portions of the garlic cheesy bread already, so I was pretty stuffed (hmmm...is this much garlic at an anniversary dinner really a good idea???).

The risotto was served with lovely veggies, and it was a genuinely good risotto!  The taste displayed to me that they actually cared about making the risotto a good dish that stands on its own.  (I had the veggie ravioli at Daniel's and the ravioli was undercooked and crunchy, with a heavy bland cream sauce splotched on top.)  The portion of the risotto was also huge, so I doggy packed enough for dinner for the next night :)

Dinner was capped off with the complimentary blue cheese and dates, and the fruit and nut platter.  We splurged by ordering the banana bread pudding a la mode - highly recommended!

Happy Anniversary _M!

Veggie Bolognese!

_M is an amazing cook, and he makes a mean turkey Bolognese. One of my struggles with going veggie is the idea that I won't be able to savour as much of _M's chef skills anymore. He surprised me one evening by converting his Turkey Bolognese into Veggie Bolognese, and I was over the moon!

Given that it was a wet and dreary day in Seattle yesterday, I requested it for dinner. I asked him for the recipe so that I can blog about it, to which he replied "It is an Eng Family Secret". I ended up savoring a glass of cabernet as I spied on him cooking.  A disclaimer that this recipe will read like a police stake out report…

Ingredients

1 medium sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1.5 28 oz. cans of peeled Italian whole peeled tomatoes (we used Bella Terra Organic Italian Whole Peeled Tomatoes)
1 package of vegan ground beef substitute (we used Trader Joe's Beef-less Ground Beef)*
Couple pinches of dried oregano
2 bay leaves
Fistful of Basil leaves, chopped
Half package of your favourite spaghetti
Bottle of your favourite red wine (you only need 3/4ths of a cup...most will be for enjoying with the meal :))

*I usually am not a fan of meat substitutes, but I do love this Veggie Bolognese

4:49pm
_M heat olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven, and adds the chopped onions and sautés them until they are softened and translucent. He lowers the heat to medium.

4:59pm
Onions are done, and _M adds 3/4ths package of vegan "beef" and combines it with onions.

5:00pm
_M add two generous splashes of red wine and combine with onion/beef. I think he added about 3/4 cup. He lets the wine reduce for about 1 minute.

5:01pm
_M adds 1.5 cans of the peeled tomatoes to the pot and combines it with the sauce. He helped the tomatoes break down by scooping them up individually in a wooden spoon, and carefully slices them with a steak knife. He stirs the sauce to combine.

5:07pm
_M said "Opps, I forgot the garlic after the onion!" He added about ~20 shakes of garlic power, a pinch of oregano and two bay leaves to the sauce. _M being a perfectionist, he chopped 4 cloves of garlic and sautéed them over a small sauce pan, before adding it to the sauce. (I think if you want to try this recipe, you should stick with adding 4 cloves of chopped garlic after the onions, and skip the garlic powder)

5:17pm

_M adds one tablespoon of tomato paste, and stirs to combine. He sets the heat to low, and cover the Dutch oven.

5:20pm
Given there is half a can of peeled tomatoes left, I steal two for a snack.

5:22pm
Ok, make that three peeled tomatoes that I pilfered (who knew peeled tomatoes out of a can taste so good!) At this point, _M chops one big fistful of basic leaves. The house smells amazing.

5:27pm
I just want to give _M credit that he is now doing the dishes while the sauce further reducing...I am so lucky...

5:53pm
_M has checked the pot from time to time, and stirs the sauce. He now starts filling a pot to boil the pasta, and I'm enjoying my 2nd glass of cab. I love it when _M cooks with wine ^__^

6:30pm
_M adds salt and pepper to the sauce to taste, and stirs it to combine. He takes the cover off to further reduce the sauce

6:54pm
_M pulls out the two bay leaves, and the sauce looks almost ready! The pasta has been cooking and I'm drooling with anticipation

6:58pm
_M removes the Dutch oven from heat, and adds the chopped basil. He serves over pasta and dinner is served!

We used about half of the sauce, and saved the other half for leftovers.  The sauce only gets better in the fridge, and they make a great Veggie Sloppy Joe!


Curious about the nutritional content of the sauce, I uploaded this recipe to livestrong.  I guessed that the sauce made about 4 big servings, and the verdict is pretty good!  Less than 200 calories per serving, with 11.77 grams of protein but no cholesterol.

I word smithed the recipe to turn it more traditional in case you want to try it out


Preparation:
Chop onions, garlic, and basil.
Roughly chop the whole peeled tomatoes, but retain the sauce inthe cans. After chopping the tomatoes, place them back into the can with the sauce.

Directions:
Heat a dutch oven over medium heat, and add some olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sautee until the onions are yellow and translucent.
Lower the heat to medium, and add the beef-less ground beef, combining it with the onions. Cook for 1 minute.
Add 3/4th cup of red wine to the mix, and let it reduce for 1 minute.
Add the peeled tomatoes including the sauce, and combine it to the mix. Let this cook for about 10 minutes.
Add the dried oregano and two bay leaves and one tablespoon of tomato paste to the sauce, stirring to combine. Set the heat to low and cover the dutch oven.
Let the sauce cook for about 30-40 minutes, stirring it from time to time.  If the sauce starts to dry out, add some water
Remove the cover and add salt and pepper to taste. Now let the sauce reduce to your liking. Before serving, remove the two bay leaves.
Serve over your pasta of choice! Left overs make a great veggie Sloppy Joes

Happy Cooking!

Diet on a typical work day

For most of the work week, I like to find easy grab 'n go options as I'm usually too busy to cook.  I have been on livestrong for about 5 years now, and I thought it would be fun to share the nutritional info from a typical work day diet.

BREAKFAST

I love a good, honest to goodness farm fresh egg.  Now that the Redmond Saturday Market is in full swing, I count my lucky chickens that I can get my eggs from Sky Valley Family Farm.  They look gorgeous and taste even better :)  Breakfast is one large hard-boiled egg, served with a side of sliced tomatoes (which I get from the "Tomato Guy" at the Redmond Saturday Market).

LUNCH

The Whole Wheat Pita Pockets from Trader Joe's is my absolute staple...I go through a couple bags a week.  They make a super easy lunch as you can stuff them with everything from hummus and salad greens, to peanut butter with freshly sliced strawberries (my version of a healthier pop tart).  Lunch today is half a pita pocket stuffed with Trader Joe's Eggplant Hummus and two fistfuls of red leaf lettuce.

AFTERNOON SNACK

I love PB & J, and I make a version using a Whole Wheat Pita Pocket with two teaspoons of peanut butter and two teaspoons of jam.  I am currently in love with Trader Joe's Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds.  The ingredients are simply dry roasted Valencia peanuts, roasted golden flaxseed, and sea salt.  The flaxseeds add a lovely flavour, and a boost of Omega-3.

DINNER

Finally, it is dinner time!  This is when I splurge and enjoy myself :)  Tonight I had Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Shells, some baked potato chips, a champagne mango, and half a milk chocolate bar :)  The Stuffed Shells were ok...I much prefer Trader Joe's Vegetable Garden Lasagna.  The baked potato chips from Trader Joe's is one of my favourite snacks, I love the taste and now find regular potato chips too greasy.  I wish they came in a salt-free version...

SUMMARY

Drumroll please...how did I fare nutritionally?  A common concern about a veggie diet is whether or not you get enough protein.  I hit 49 grams of protein today, which is over my recommended 40 grams.  I was happy to find that my usual go-to staples met my nutritional needs for both protein and fiber, while keeping me below my recommended allowance for fat, cholesterol, sodium, and carbs.  Hey, I even have a little calorie left to spare...perhaps I will enjoy a glass of wine :)

Summary of daily intake totals from livestrong

Complete breakdown of my log from livestrong

Voila!  A day of easy veggie dining in the middle of a busy work week :)  As you can tell, I am extremely addicted to Trader Joe's.  I love their selection, great prices, and most products are natural (ie their chocolate is made from sugar instead of highly processed corn syrup).  Thankfully there are two Trader Joe's near our house!

Happy Eating!

Hello World!

I have always wanted to say that outside of writing that first computer program in a new language :) Some of you may know that I have recently decided to switch to a vegetarian lifestyle. I have been asked questions about this change, and given I'm testing out the waters myself; I figure I finally have enough content to finally start my first blog...welcome!

After living my whole life as a BIG meat eater, why the switch? This hasn't been my first attempt...as a precocious child I tried it multiple times, but growing up in a Chinese family is not conducive to a veggie life style. "You want no meat?!?!" After I met _M, I tried to give vegetarianism a go again at which time he bought a rack of ribs and my resolve went out the window.
This spring, I did a 49 day vegetarian "fast" in honour of a loved one. Since I had a higher goal to strive for, the question of whether I could cheat never came up. Seattle is awesome for vegetarian choices, and I found that I had no trouble with a veggie diet. During the "fast", I found that my body felt a lot better. My yoga practice improved as I lost a few pounds (which make those arm balances a lot easier). The only tough part during the "fast" was during our trip to Kauai, where even the restaurants that were labeled as vegetarian restaurants served mostly fish. But there were lovely local greens and fruits, so I was a happy camper. Plus after the trip I didn't gain the usual 5 pounds vacation bulge :)

In Kauai, there are a lot of wild roosters and chickens everywhere, and a flock of orphaned chicks started hanging around our vacation condo. I know I shouldn't have, but they were too cute so I would sneak them little bits of bread. I found that I no longer had a feeling of self-conflict. Previously, I always felt guilty that to some selected animals I would show love, but still was not able to hold back from eating the same species at dinner time. Once, I snorkeled in Maui and loved the sea life, and that night at a seafood restaurant I asked lame questions about whether I would have run into what I was eating during my snorkel excursion.

After the 49 days were over, I asked myself "What now?” When I first started the "fast" I thought I would celebrate the end with a big beefy dinner at Daniel's Broiler. However, I felt that I have finally been able to practice Ahimsa (do no harm) to my fullest capability.

Watching a couple of documentaries on the food and meat industry further cemented my choice.  Apart from the welfare of the animals, I never thought about the carbon footprint it took to raise livestock for meat.  I always considered myself as an environmentalist, and all along it turns out if I had skipped meat for a year, I would reduce my annual CO2 emissions by ~one ton a year, more than if I were to trade in Mr. MINI for a hybrid car.

So here goes! I am now continuing my veggie quest, looking for a sustainable, veggie lifestyle, all while loving and sharing my life with a meat eater. _M is of course still a big fan of meat (in fact he jokes that now he has to eat extra meat to offset my "hippie no more meat" lifestyle). I don't want to enforce my choice on him or anyone, so I'm now always on the lookout for how I can integrate my choice in a "no fuss" manner.  I don't want to be that high maintainence dieter who complains loudly when their veggie/vegan/gluten-free choices are not available, making the rest of the dining party roll their eyes.

Lucky for me, there are tons of great restaurants around here that offer a great mix of both meaty and veggie dishes, not to mention the farmers' markets and of course my favourite Trader Joe's! I will strive to keep this blog updated with good finds, tips, status updates, and any other tidbits that catches my fancy.

Thanks for reading :)