Tofu Chili Dogs

With the warm weather upon us, I've found myself craving hot dogs right off the grill. At first I was skeptical of tofu dogs, but then I realized that I had no idea what the hell was in a real hot dog. Sure, tofu dogs don't compare with delicious processed hot dogs that we've grown up eating. But, once you drown it in fixins, you're good to go.Ingredients -- 2 Tofu Hot Dogs (Available at most grocery stores)2 BunsVegetarian Baked BeansHandful of...

Barley, Butternut Squash, and Portabella Risotto

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but a mouse situation has steered me clear from the kitchen.Put a twist on this Butternut Squash Risotto recipe. Used barely instead of the typical orzo rice. Came out great and made leftovers for the entire week.Ingredients --3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)3 tablespoons olive oil, divided3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided2 cups thinly sliced Portabella mushroom caps...

Not Your Mom's Brussel Sprouts

Typically, when you see brussel sprouts in the produce section, you probably think back to those miserable days when your mother forced you to eat overly cooked green mush balls. (Interestingly though, you'd never actually see her consume them, as well). Little did your mother know that her attempt to provide you with a healthy diet actually scarred you into running far, far away from sprouts.Luckily, we've learned other methods of preparing veggies,...

Olala Chickpea & Onion Salad

Been ultra low on groceries lately, so I made this bomb-shelter friendly salad to go with my dinner tonight. Good way to get your protein in for the day.Ingredients:Can of Chickpeas1/2 red onion1 TBS of Parsley1 TSP of Pepper1 TSP of Salt1 TSP of Garlic PowderSome squirts of lemonSplash of VinegarSplash of Olive OilPreparation:This is an easy one! Drain Chickpeas and rinse in water. Throw in a medium sized bowl. Add olive oil, vinegar, and lemon....

Restaurant Review -- Oleana in Cambridge

Day 57 (Starting to lose track) -- Red Wine, Success by Cold War KidsSo after about a month of drooling over the Oleana menu online, I managed to drag two carnivore pals over to this Turkish, vegetarian-friendly spot in Inman Square. This place is the perfect happy-medium for both vegetarians and meat eaters.Besides having a great selection of vegetarian options, Oleana also offers a menu that changes seasonally. So, you'll always be eating the freshest...

Deli Guy's Vegetarian Caprese Sandwich

After the Deli Guy looked at me in disgust after ordering a half-pound of the questionable egg salad, he asked me if I really wanted something so unappealing. After I told him my difficulty in finding a good veggie sandwich, he wrote me this recipe on some receipt paper. It's a winner!Ingredients:Basil3 slices TomatoesRoasted red peppers3 slices of buffalo mozzarella1 tbs of capers1 loaf of sub breadOlive OilBalsamic VinegarSome salt and PeppersPreparation:This...

Meatless Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Picked up some Boca Spicy Chicken Patties over the weekend. Maybe, I already forgot what chicken tasted like, but I was fooled into thinking I was really eating a chicken patty. Take a look at the below Buffalo chicken wrap I made tonight. It's a bit on the processed side, but we can't be perfect every night.Ingredients:1 Boca Chicken Spicy Patty1 Whole Wheat Flour Tortilla (Burrito Size)A couple squeezes of some Mayo3 Tomato slicesPete's Buffalo...

Vegetarian Trip to NYC

Day 32 -- A Mouth-Watering Trip to New York -- New York, New York by Frank SinatraWas fortunate to take a trip out to New York City this weekend. It was the perfect opportunity to treat my inner-vegetarian foodie. My number one priority when traveling besides seeing the sights is filling my belly with the best food that the area has to offer. As most of you know, New York is the place to check out for any food obsessed individual out there.Before...

Best in Boston Falafels

Day 30 -- Take a bite out of Falafel HeavenAs a big fan of Middle Eastern/Greek food, I struggled with substituting my favorite ingredients, lamb and chicken. My main lunch eatery spots consisted of meat carts in the city. (I may have even reviewed a few of them on Yelp). So when I decided to give up meat, I found myself missing the sight of that lamb carving station. That's where falafels came into the picture. Once considered a great late night...

Restaurant Review -- Christopher's in Cambridge

Day 18 -- A Veggie Burger Come True -- APUNK by Vampire WeekendAlas! I went to a vegetarian-friendly restaurant last week. In other words its vegetarian options didn't taste like a salted foot. (well, not a foot, but you get my point). My friends and I were starvin' one evening at around 5pm. After some indecisive back and forth on where we should grab our early bird special meals, we decided to go to Christopher's in Cambridge, MA. (I may have been...

Kale Chips with Lemon Aioli Sauce

Kale is probably the most underrated veggie out there. People, come aboard the kale lovin' express. Reasons? It's extremely high in calcium, vitamin c, vitamin k, and lots of other stuff I can't pronounce or spell. It's also hella cheap. You can get a bunch for $1.79. This week, I'm stocking up and trying out a few recipes with the Liz twist.If you haven't already noticed by now. I am extremely lazy. I'll only make things that take minimal effort....

The Adventures of Tofu

Day 12 -- Nitemare Hippy Girl by BeckAfter poking and prodding the white glob that's been sitting in my fridge for a week, I decided to finally make tofu. Well, the jury is still out on how I feel about this soy milk creation. Do you even know what tofu is made out of? I didn't until I just looked it up on Wikipedia, "Tofu...is a soft white food made by coagulating soy milk, and then pressing the resulting curds into blocks." Yum, that sounds appetizing....

Are Chain Restaurants Vegetarian Friendly?

Day 9 -- I will Survive by CakeSo for the past week, I've been pretty busy/extremely lazy to cook meals at home. So I took this as initiative to try my new vegetarian lifestyle dining out. Unfortunately, my Italian neighborhood is not the progressive dining capitol of the U.S. a.k.a you'll find a sub shop on every block.Anywho, I decided to try out good ole Bertucci's. Typically, I go to this restaurant for pizza, but having had it a few days in...

Leftover Mini Bean Burritos

This was a delicious recipe I came up with after having enough beans leftover to feed an army from my bean and rice recipe.Ingredients:Leftover Beans from Rice Dish (See below entry for recipe)2 Whole Wheat Tortillas1/4 a cup of Mexican CheeseSalsaSour CreamCilantro for garnishAnd anything else you have in your fridge that you feel like throwing on.Process:Preheat Oven at 350. Meanwhile, spray pan with cooking spray. Place tortillas flat on the pan...

The Processed Food Blues

Day 6 -- Violently Happy by BjorkSo I am approaching a week without meat, which is exactly when everyone expected me to flake out by. Well, I've gone through the withdrawal stages and honestly don't crave meat as much anymore. For example, when my sister got chicken wings last night. The smell was great, but for the first time my instincts weren't to rip it out of her hands and gobble it down. Giving up meat and limiting processed foods have given...

Carnie Turned Veggie

Day 4 -- Good Feeling by Travis Wow, so completed my 4th day yesterday on my meatless experiment. Not going to sugar coat the first few days. I'd compare it with weening oneself off crack...(whatever that must feel like). Just for example, my sister had made a steak and the scent lingered in the apartment hours later. Ordinarily, I'd complain and say use the damn vent. But it was different this time, I smelled it like a canine. I immediately craved...