Stuffed Celery

"Delicious" is not an adequate enough word for these delectable little snacks. I have made these at home just for a daytime treat and an accompaniment to dinner, and I've even whipped up a batch and taken them to work to give my happy hour customers.

I found the recipe for stuffed celery at AllRecipes. The main change I made was using feta-stuffed green olives instead of pimento-stuffed olives, which I have to recommend any readers do as well. It gives the stuffing a saltier, warmer taste that contrasts well against chilled, crisp, and fresh celery. For the garlic, I used a hearty amount (about two and a half tablespoons) of Spice World Minced Garlic. I increased the seasoning, using black pepper, basil, and parsley. The next time I make stuffed celery, I plan on adorning it with chives.

This is probably the best-tasting and most creative way to eat "boring" celery, so it's great to make for party guests, children, or people who are struggling to eat lighter, healthier meals but find regular salads undesirable. Because the recipe on AllRecipes is so barren, it leaves a great deal of room for you to experiment and adjust this to your taste. Just imagine how tasty it'd be with cilantro stirred into the stuffing.

Vegetarian Reuben

Having never tasted an actual reuben, I had long wondered what was the appeal of this sandwich. At a restaurant where I used to bartend, the reuben was among the most requested dishes, and at my current pub job, people always ask why we don't serve reubens. So when I saw this recipe on AllRecipes, I decided to give it a shot.

A few warning signs should indicate that I wouldn't like this recipe. One? I don't like rye bread. Two? Thousand Island is probably my least favorite dressing. Three? I'm not the biggest sauerkraut fan. But this was more an experiment in taste. And no, it wasn't awful, but it did confirm why I veer away from sauerkraut.

For those of you who crave a creamy, tangy, this recipe is one of the easiest and quickest I've ever shared in this blog. Any meat-eaters trying to cross into vegetarianism will appreciate this, too, as it may be a good substitute to a meat-packed reuben. I'd really like some feedback on this recipe from readers, particularly those who have had actual meat-containing reubens before. What do you all think about this recipe?

Faux Meat 101 - What to Buy

As I've mentioned in previous blogs, imitation meat products--also known as soy food--are very handy as substitutes for actual animal products in recipes. They can also make the transition into vegetarianism easier, because they do mock the taste of popular meat dishes and are also high in protein and iron, nutrients that newbie vegetarians often miss out on. Plus, they're handy for those rushed days when you don't have time to cook yourself a big meal.

Many people who have never eaten soy, or have only sampled it, have apprehensions about these products. First, they're afraid they're going to taste crappy. As an experiment once, I brought a variety of soy foods into my workplace--which at that time was a newspaper office--and served them to my coworkers as a snack. Everyone was shocked at how tasty the soy foods were, and several meat-loving reporters actually wrote down the brand names and started bringing in soy dinners for their breaks! I heard from one recently that, a few years later, she and her husband are still regularly eating soy chicken at home. In the weeks that followed, several employees approached me excitedly, saying they had just tried a new soy product, or wanting to asking me a question about my own soy preferences. The climatic moment for me was when I fed soy ribs to the editor-in-chief, who had said he had no interest in trying soy food. Keep in mind, western Kentucky is the world's BBQ capital, and after one bite, he immediately dug back in and said, "Who made these?"--having no idea he wasn't even eating meat. Soy foods are definitely yummy, and they're high in protein, iron, and fiber. They're low in calories (usually less than 100 per serving), and the majority of soy products contain no fat or cholesterol. So even meat-eaters could use some healthy soy supplements in their meals from time to time.

Secondly, people seem to not understand what imitation meats there are out there. Most people have heard about a veggie burger by now, but that's it. So with this blog, I'd like to introduce you to...The Basics of Soy Products! I'll guide you on the brands to choose and those to avoid, the flavors, and even a few recipe suggestions.

1.) Soy Chicken

Hello, my name is Alli, and I'm addicted to soy chicken. I love it. I can't help it. Morningstar Farms Chik'n is the absolute best. Just this morning, I had a Chik Patties Original sandwich--made with a faux-chicken patty, lettuce, and mayo on wheat bread. Delicious! Try their Chick'n Tenders or Chick'n Nuggets with your favorite sauce--those are staples in my own diet. Grillers Chik'n Veggie Patties and Italian Herbs Chik Patties are also tasty from Morning Star.

For a softer-textured faux chicken, try Dr. Praeger's Chickenless Nuggets--I like to eat a few of these sometimes with a bunch of hearty vegetables for a well-rounded dinner. Do avoid Boca Foods's faux chicken products, though--they're not as flavorful as Morningstar Farms's, with the exception of their Spicy Chik'n, which comes in either patty or nugget form.

2.) Soy Beef

You must have a stash of soy beef in your freezer at all times if you plan on cooking vegetarian food. I recommend BOCA Foods Ground Crumbles or Morningstar Farms MealStarts Grillers Recipe Crumbles. I use these for chili, rice and beans, stuffed bell peppers, casseroles, Sloppy Joes, and numerous other dishes. Any vegan or vegetarian chef must have these tasty little fake-beef crumbles for cooking. Several times I've included these in my cooking and had people say, "Alli, you put meat in this? Wow, thanks!" Seriously, if I could only recommend one soy product to you--it would be soy ground crumbles. They're flawless and I can name dozens of recipes you can use them in.

3.) Soy Riblets

Delicious. My only complaint is that I can't have just one! Morningstar Farms sells these already soaked in hickory BBQ sauce. I love to eat these with cole slaw, potato salad, and baked beans--it reminds me of the BBQ meals my parents used to fix as a kid.

4.) Soy Breakfasts: Sausage and Bacon

Thanks to Morningstar Farms, I never have to miss that aroma of a warm breakfast being prepared by my dad. When we eat pancakes, hash browns, biscuits, and other breakfast foods, we always have some soy supplements in our meal. Breakfast Patties made with Organic Soy, Hot & Spicy Veggie Sausage Patties, Maple Flavored Sausage Patties, and Veggie Sausage Patties are just some of the options you have to make a soy sausage biscuit with! There's also the scrumptious Veggie Sausage Links, which even meat-eaters really seem to love, and Veggie Bacon Strips. Be cautious with these bacon strips, though--their hard nature makes it easy for them to overcook, but they are excellent when you crumble them in salads or if you eat them drenched in some maple syrup with your breakfast...yum! My boyfriend even eats these "fake meats" for breakfast with me instead of preparing animal products.

5.) Soy Lunchmeat

Smart Deli, usually located in your produce section (as opposed to frozen foods, where most of these vegan options are), makes a variety of soy lunchmeats, including Roast Turkey, Ham, and Bologna. I love the ham, and I often use it as a pizza topping and to make hors d'oeuvres and other finger foods with. Think about the veggie wraps you can make with these tasty faux lunchmeats!

6.) Soy Hamburgers

Hands down, Gardenburger wins this category. Their hamburger options include California Burger, Veggie Medley, Blackbean Chipotle, Sun-Dried Tomato Basil, and my favorite, Portabella. I love grilling out using Gardenburger products. The picture at the top of this blog is a grilled Gardenburger patty, adorned by grilled tomato slices, two hearty grilled portabella caps, melted mozzarella cheese, and fresh lettuce. Makes me hungry just thinking about it! Morningstar also makes a quarter-pounder and a turkey burger, if those are more your flavor.

7.) Soy Hotdogs & Corndogs

Speaking of grilling out, who doesn't love a grilled hotdog, like Lightlife's Smart Dogs? I love eating these with vegetarian chili. Morningstar also makes soy corndogs, which are a good "TV dinner" style product for vegetarians!

So now that I've given you these recommendations, I hope you decide to try some of these fat-free, cholesterol-free meatless options. I'd love to hear everyone's opinions and even some recipe recommendations. After providing you with this "101" familiarity with soybean alternatives, I am going to start publishing more recipes incorporating these products, particularly the ground crumbles.

Dine on, herbivores!

Creamy Avocado Sandwich Spread

We vegans and vegetarians have to keep our eyes open wide; it's very rare that a fast food restaurant actually has decent meat-free offering. One blaring example is Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches. "America's Favorite Sandwich" shoppe offers a vegetarian sandwich and a gourmet veggie club. I was a huge fan of the club, which features your usual sandwich veggies smushed in between provolone cheese, alfafa sprouts (a nice touch), and a very yummy avocado spread.

Not to knock Jimmy John's--for I do appreciate a vegetarian-friendly restaurant--but I wanted to find out how to make the avocado spread at home; after all, lunchboxing a sandwich is a much cheaper option than purchasing one from a restaurant every day. I actually found a recipe for what is supposedly the exact avocado dip they use at Jimmy John's on a web forum, offered by a user who calls himself "Josh, Jimmy John's employee of the month." And as the Louisville Cardinals have just started their big game against the Kentucky Wildcats, I'm needing a good veggie club right now and am about to whip up a batter of this avocado spread!

I can't even count how many times I've made this spread, which my boyfriend sometimes uses as a chip dip. (Quite frankly, it's just too delicious on veggie sandwiches for me to waste as a dip!) For probably about a year now, there's usually a bowl of avocado spread waiting in my refrigerator. Why not? It's a very quick recipe, one that stores well, and one which has leftovers than can be savored day after day in various ways (on hors d'oeuvres, sandwiches, chips, veggies, etc.).

I've never used the chili pepper this recipe calls for, because I'd rather have a cool, refreshing sandwich than something that sets my mouth on fire. Instead, I just sprinkle some chili powder into the mix. I also often add in an extra avocado or two, along with some minced garlic. Sometimes it also helps to add in about a teaspoon of table mustard for flavor and texture. Be warned if you don't frequently cook with avocados: they are messy.

This is a very yummy and nutritious spread with many uses. People who need lunch on the go will certainly appreciate being able to prepare their own gourmet veggies clubs, as I have for so long. It's a scrumptious copycat recipe worth trying!

Miniature Pear Salads

I am making up for lost time tonight; the holidays have worn me so thin that my cooking, and certainly my cooking-themed blog, have both suffered.

I mentioned, during recent blogging, that I did quite a bit of food preparation for a friend's Christmas party. One other dish I made was an AllRecipes find that satisfied my need to use three pears going to waste in my kitchen. I can't even remember the dish I'd found online that has asked for the damn pears in the first place--a lesson in the importance of bookmarking.

This dish is called "Pear Salad II," but don't let the name mislead you--it's not a big salad; it's several "mini-salads." As I mentioned, I had whole, fresh pears from the produce section, so I didn't use the canned pear halves the recipe called for. I really can't imagine that they would have been good; if you desire to use those because you think canned pears are juicier, believe me, chopped pears with mayonnaise smeared on top of them are juicy enough. I actually quite enjoyed this dish. My dad has grown pears my whole life, and I have many childhood memories of eating sliced pears in Robards with him, just minutes after we'd picked them. But it's important to note that pears have a very unique, and almost tangy, taste. And, just because someone likes pear jelly, that doesn't mean that they'd want to eat a whole pear--think, is grape jam the same as eating fresh grapes? No.

I thought this salad was very sweet and pleasing, and I bet it'd be very refreshing in the spring or early summer. My boyfriend saw it after it was already prepared and said, "Are those apples?" so I labeled it "PEAR SALAD" for the party. I overheard a few people passing by the party's buffet say, "Pears?" incredulously. Apparently, I might as well have written, "RATTLESNAKES" or "WORM DROPPINGS" on a card and attempted to serve that. Meat-eaters get finicky about the strangest things...since when is a freshly peeled and seasoned pear more gross than a slab of red meat?

Never mind the omnivores, my veggie friends...this dish would make a nice little snack or lunch for yourself sometime!