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Meatless May (Maybe)

Earlier this month, a friend and I shared a vow. We would try to eat healthy. For just one month! To see if we could do it! While there are many ways to tune up your eating habits, we opted to try one month eating vegetarian. Notice I keep using the world “try.” As I write this, it is May 1. As you read this, by the time the paper is put together and printed, it will be May 10 or later.

My co-workers doubt I will make it ’til then.

Skeptical journalists, they are. And, they know me.

Still, because it’s always easier to stick to something when someone is looking, I put it out there not only to my co-workers, but also to family, friends, and neighbors. Here are some of their tips. Michelle Anya Anjirbag, who used to work here as the Valley Courier reporter, recommended stocking up on halloumi, a semi-hard brined sheep’s and goat’s milk cheese that can be fried or grilled. It’s delicious drizzled with pomegranate molasses. It goes great with fruit and in omelets. It can be deep fried to look like French fries. And, stacked with fried red peppers, eggplant, and onions, it makes a great burger-like sandwich.

My neighbor Anna Perry says she just picked up some Beyond Meat “chicken” at Big Y for herself and her daughter. In addition to Big Y, Beyond Meat products are also sold at Stop & Shop, some Walmart stores, Target in North Haven, and Fresh Market in Guilford. And, of course, Food Works, with locations in Guilford and Old Saybrook, has a wide variety of creative vegetarian and vegan meat substitutes as well. Perry also recommended Shoreline Diner & Restaurant in Guilford, which recently revamped its menu so that it’s clear, for every item, what is vegetarian, or vegan, or suitable for those with various food allergies. She says the diner’s breakfast wrap with “fake bacon” is surprisingly good.

Another neighbor, Tonya Kershner, says she prefers to skip the meat substitutes, instead opting for Indian, Asian, and Latin cuisine, and their spices, to boost flavor.

My friend Leslie Singer had this advice: she says discipline is called for but that “the trick is not to deprive yourself, but to find satisfying substitutes.”

Discipline.

Not deprivation.

Sounds good to me. I think our timing is good. My town’s farmers market opens soon, and I’ve just signed up for a summer share from my local farm. I’ll let you know how it goes.

If you have any recipes you’d like to recommend, send them along to me at p.mcnerney@shorepublishing.com or by regular mail at Pem McNerney, 724 Boston Post Road, #202, Madison, CT 06443.

Here’s a recipe I plan to try soon from a new cookbook I recently purchased, Feed the Resistance: Recipes + Ideas for Getting Involved, by Julia Turshen. The recipe, of Middle Eastern origin, makes about two cups and goes well with bread, roasted or raw veggies, or crackers. It also can be used as a sauce for kebabs, fish, and grilled meats, if you’re eating those. Which I’m not. At least for May.

Go-To Muhammara Dip

From Feed the Resistance, by Julia Turshen

One 12-oz jar roasted red peppers, drained

¾ cup walnuts, lightly toasted

2 small garlic cloves

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoon pomegranate molasses (or fresh lemon juice), plus more as needed

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse until thoroughly combined and spreadable, but not completely smooth (this is nice with a bit of texture). Season to taste with salt and/or pomegranate molasses (or lemon juice) as needed. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week, but bring to room temperature and season to taste before serving.