Let’s talk Vegetarian

Ok guys! I’m with most of you. There is nothing better than a good steak, BBQ chicken or (lets face it) a good ol’ fashion hot dog.   I love meat. Braised short ribs, Bolognese, BURGERS!…ahhh the list goes on.

BUT……(yes there is a but)

Just recently I went to visit my girlfriend, Jaimee. I was about to hit the grocery store to make dinner  when she mentioned they were on a “meat strike”.

“We started thinking about the amount of hormones added and (lets face it) the inhumane way animals are treated and slaughtered in mass for our consumption.”

Instead, they eat mainly vegetarian, deciding to eat meat while dining out or buying organic local meat when they decide to hop back on the meat train. They weren’t going full blown vegetarian but wanted to start making a difference in their meat consumption.

Now, I don’t go crazy buying organic; I eat my fruits and vegetables as they come,  but I ALWAYS buy organic meat.  Not only does the meat taste better its raised with GMO- and pesticide-free feed, and prohibits the use of antibiotics and hormonal treatments. Having said that, we really don’t know if they are treated humanely.

So, it got me thinking… Perhaps I should go vegetarian for awhile while researching how to buy local, organic and ethically raised meat.  This also gives me the chance to get creative with some vegetarian dishes.

If you are not aware, when going for a tasting menu, I always get the vegetarian option. Why? Because a good chef will have to use more creativity to create a 5 course vegetarian tasting menu than having the protein as the star.  Naturally, you’re paying for good food so they can’t just plop down a cheese pasta and call it a day. I will say, 9 times out of 10, my fellow diners are envious of my decision to do a vegetarian tasting.

Cooking vegetarian, in my opinion, uses way more creativity and is much harder.  You need to ensure the diner is not missing out. You WANT them to forget they are not eating meat.  And this, my friends, has become my newest challenge: cooking and eating vegetarian for 1 month.  Lets see how it goes!

My first recipe:  Sriracha Lime Cauliflower Tostadas. Click the picture below for the details on how to make this flavor packed dish!