Forays into Vegetarianism

I know, you don’t have to tell me that the posting has been light around here lately. We apologize. It’s just that there was this big lion and a rhino and they came into the garden and… ok, ok, no excuses!!

But actually we have been busy around here. You’ll note from the links to pictures on the right we have been venturing out of town a couple times, we’ve been chasing down war criminals, raising a future Nobel laureate and adjusting to life without Nana (i.e. Becky is rediscovering her love of cooking). While meat of all shapes, sizes and breeds is widely available here we have been trying to cram in as many fruits and vegetables as possible in between bites of crispy fried plantains and sips of Amarula (for Becky) and Kili’s (for Roger). Moreover, with such an abundance of locally grown produce available, it would be a shame to pass it up – not to mention the bonus points we get for mitigating our carbon footprint (Land Rover, disposable diapers and *ahem* trash burning!)

So with that in mind, Becky has taken to the many food blogs that abound in search of tasty, healthy and filling recipes. Many of the outcomes have been quite delicious (as voted on by an impartial panel consisting of Roger) so herewith I share some of the top contenders:

We really enjoyed the Warm Ginger Carrot Salad from Nami Nami and believe me its better cooked with butter (which obviously seems to defeat the purpose)! From A Hungry Bear won't Dance, Swiss Chard with Lentils and Bulger kept us filled up for weeks! It made so much we had to add chicken broth, Kielbasa and zucchini just to mix it up. Also, I wasn’t a fan of the garlic yogurt she made with it so we used homemade tzatziki instead. Epicurious did not disappoint with this recipe for Eggplant Ratatouille. And I am loving 101 Cookbooks, although the first thing I made from it was very labor intensive (yet she made this for camping trip - ??!!) but the many complex flavors made it very enjoyable (and no, I did not make my own labneh!). Angry Little Chef really delivered on this Pineapple Salad although I opted to caramelize the pineapple which I don't recommend. I guess this salad would not be seasonal for you northern hemisphere dwellers, unless you buy canned pineapple like she did.

Who knew that September was Whole Grains Month! I feel as though we are ahead of the curve because one of the many staples in our house has been bulger wheat. It’s amazingly versatile, especially with a little cheese (feta, fresh mozzarella, paneer OR queso fresco), tomato, red onion, a green vegetable (cucumber, green pepper OR avocado) and herbs (cilantro, parsley OR mint) on hand. If you want to hear more about my global take on tabbouleh, let me know!

My next culinary challenge will be to figure out various ways to incorporate the one kilo of dried figs I just saw at one of the stores!