Seven days without meat, can we do it?

Okay, it should be obvious by now that I love food, and almost all kinds of food.  When I started to feel "not so great", I started taking a look at what I'm eating, and what I should be eating, which are not necessarily one in the same thing.  My naturopath doctor recommended the book Eat Right for Your Blood Type as a good resource.  The premise of this book is that, based on our blood type, we all have different nutritional requirements, and that following these requirements can lead to better health.  I got a copy of the book from our local library and started reading that same day.


I'm a type A blood type, and according to the book, I should be eating a more vegetarian diet, with little or no red meat or pork.  Chicken, turkey and fish are okay occasionally, but the main characters are cheese, eggs, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, and of course, lots of fruits and veggies.  Being that I already discovered that I'm somewhat lactose intolerant, I will stay away from milk, and focus only on yogurt and ricotta, feta, sheep's milk cheeses, and goat cheeses.


So, starting today, I'm putting the theories put forth in the book to the test.  For the next seven days, I will eat within the guidelines of the type A diet.  I'm hoping to lose some weight along the way too.  I'll try to post what's on the menu every day, and how the recipes tasted. Oh, and I didn't tell my family that we'll be eating vegetarian for the next week, so we'll see if anyone notices or complains! 

For today, here's what we'll be having:


Breakfast:
Fruit smoothie made with frozen blackberries, peaches, pineapple and strawberries, thinned out with some almond milk and with a little peanut butter added for protein


Lunch
Vegetarian chili that I made last night.  Loaded with beans, onions, tomatoes, corn, and this soy based crumbled meat substitute that tasted just like ground beef.


Dinner


Spinach and Cheese Burritos - From the Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers Cookbook

Ingredients:

For the burritos

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 bunch scallions, white and light-green parts, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 10 cups (about 10 ounces) loosely packed fresh baby spinach, stemmed
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Pinch nutmeg (optional)
• 3 cups (about 10 ounces) lightly packed Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup cream cheese
• 8 to 10 7- or 8-inch flour tortillas
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

For the sauce

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 can (15 ounces) whole tomatoes, with juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick oil spray.
For the burritos: In a large skillet on medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the scallions, garlic and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the coriander, nutmeg, if desired, grated cheese and cream cheese. Remove from the heat.

To keep the tortillas from cracking, place them on a baking sheet (overlapping is fine) and heat them in the oven for a minute or two.

Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of filling on the lower half of a warm tortilla, fold the bottom up and the sides in to encase the filling, roll it up and place it seam-side down in the baking dish. When all the tortillas are ready, brush the tops with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until hot, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the blender tomato hot sauce: In a heavy saucepan or skillet over high heat, heat the oil until it is almost smoking. Add the onion, bell pepper and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the bell pepper is blistered and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, stirring to combine, and remove from the heat.

Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the tomatoes and puree.
Return the sauce to the pan and add the cilantro, if desired, and salt to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, partially covering the pan to avoid splatters.
Serve the burritos topped with the blender tomato hot sauce.




Happy Eating Everyone


LT