Happy World Vegetarian day and the start of Vegetarian Awareness Month!  Obviously, October is one of my favorite months where I let my veggie flag fly high.  World Vegetarian Day and Vegetarian Awareness Month can be celebrated by everyone, vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.



In case you wanted a more information, here you go!  October 1st was recognized as World Vegetarian Day by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977 and endorsed by the International Vegetarian Union in 1978.  This day is “to promote the joy, compassion, and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism.”  It brings awareness to the ethical, environmental, health, and humanitarian benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle.  Go veggie heads!

Needless to say, I make sure that all my friends and family are aware of this great month.  My non-vegetarian friends and family often ask how they can partake in this day and month if they have no desire to become vegetarian…the answer is simple, keep an open mind and try new things.  I believe it is a great time to encourage others to try a new way of living and raise awareness.

I challenge my friends, family, and readers to do little things this month that make you more aware about a vegetarian lifestyle.  Here are my five challenges for you this month…

1. Visit the official website of World Vegetarian Day to understand and learn why this day was created and how you can help.  There are so many useful resources on this site I still visit it!

2. Take some time to learn about the health, environmental and financial benefits of becoming a vegetarian.  In the US we don’t take enough time understanding where our food is coming from.
 When I take the time to learn how my food was created, what ingredients were used, and how it got into my hands, preparing it becomes an entirely new experience

3. Attend a vegetarian food festival.  With it being a dedicated month to vegetarians there are many festivals and expos everywhere.  Do a quick Google search or look in a local newspaper to see if there are any nearby.

4. Visit a vegetarian restaurant.  I might be a little biased on this one… :) but I believe when non-vegetarians visit a vegetarian restaurant they expect lettuce dishes and leaving hungry.  That is not the case at all, a vegetarian restaurant experience is unlike any other.  You’re most likely not going to be leaving hungry but with a fully stomach and a sense of satisfaction.

5. Last challenge; host a meatless dinner party!  If you are not the dinner party type, try doing Meatless Monday with your family during the month of October.  Check out my post about Meatless Monday here.



The food possibilities are endless.

I could not be happier with my decision 5 years ago to become a vegetarian.  I hope that I am able to encourage everyone to learn a little more about a vegetarian lifestyle and how it benefits you and the world around.  Raise your inner veggie flag.

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie

Happy National Mushroom Month! It is the best time of the year, mushrooms are so abundant and it is my excuse to use them this month as much as I can!  Mushrooms have such a unique taste and distinctive texture that makes them wonderful to cook with. 

Some people are mushroom “haters” and refuse to give them a try, I say put your hate aside and try some of my favorite recipes that showcase September’s featured veggie, MUSHROOMS! :)


Portobello Red Pepper and Pesto Pizza- very easy!
Serves 6
Ingredients-
•    Your choice of pizza dough, either homemade or premade
•    2-3 Portobello mushrooms with the stems removed
•    5 canned roasted red peppers, sliced
•    ¾ cup of parmesan mozzarella blend
•    ¼ cup pesto, your choice either homemade or store bought
Instructions
•    Prepare the dough according to its specific directions, then place in a pizza pan.
•    Chop the Portobello mushrooms into long thin slices.
•    Spread the pesto on the pizza dough, top with Portobello slices and roasted red peppers then sprinkle the parmesan mozzarella blend on the top.
•    Bake at 425 for about 10-15 minutes; the time will depend on the dough and your personal crispy taste.



Easy Mushroom Stroganoff
Serves 2
Ingredients-
•    1 tbsp. of oil
•    1 medium onion, diced
•    4 cloves of garlic, minced
•    17 oz. mushrooms, sliced or diced
•    3 tbsp. vegetable stock
•    1 tsp. paprika
•    Black pepper, to taste
•    3 tbsp. sour cream
•    4 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
•    Heat oil in a large frying pan, cook the onion, garlic, and mushrooms over medium heat for 5-10 mins until slightly softened.
•    Add vegetable stock and paprika and season to taste with black pepper.
•    Before serving, stir in the sour cream and half the parsley.  Once heated through, serve topped with remaining parsley.


Portobello “Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich”
Serves 4
Ingredients-
•    2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
•    1 medium onion, sliced
•    4 large Portobello mushrooms, steams and gills removed, sliced
•    2 tsp. dried oregano
•    ½ tsp. ground pepper
•    1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
•    ¼ cup vegetable broth
•    1 tbsp. soy sauce
•    3 oz. thinly sliced provolone cheese
•    4 buns, split and toasted
•    (Optional) ½ medium green pepper, sliced
Instructions
•    Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until soft and beginning to brown.  Add mushrooms, green pepper, oregano, onion and pepper. Stir often and cook until vegetables are soft and wilted, about 5-7 minutes.
•    Reduce heat, sprinkle the vegetables with flour and stir to coat.  Add broth and soy sauce and bring to simmer.
•    Remove from heat lay cheese slices on top of vegetables, cover and let stand until melted.
•    Divide mixture into 4 portions in each toasted bun, and serve.





There are so many ways to prepare mushrooms and add them to your favorite recipes, you could spend the entire month finding different ways to savor the taste of mushrooms.

If you are a lover like I am, I suggest following @MushroomChannel on twitter or the Mushroom Channel on Facebook.  They post great recipes and interesting facts about one of the best veggies.  Join me in hashtaging all your wonderful mushroom creations this month, #MushroomMonth, for the Mushroom Council :) As the mushroom council says, “Let your friendly fungi flag fly.”

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie

I have been a vegetarian for more than 5 years now and it was the best decision I have ever made.  Becoming a vegetarian isn’t for everyone but I highly encourage you to join the movement of Meatless Monday.  One day a week skip the meat and see how you feel.




Going meatless on Monday’s was is an idea by a non-profit initiation called, Meatless Monday.  They have been spreading the meatless word for over a decade, encouraging people in more than 34 different countries to go one day a week without meat.  Meatless Monday has become such a big deal, there are even restaurants and schools that are partaking in this movement.





Skipping meat one day a week can reduce risks of chronic conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.  According to Meatless Monday’s website, “going meatless once a week can help reduce our carbon footprint and save precious resources like fossil fuels and fresh water.”  Not only is skipping meat one day a week good for your health, it helps animals, the planet, and those around you.






When going meatless, you are opening up a completely fresh cookbook.  There are so many recipes and possibilities.  I grew up eating meat and have found delicious recipes that are even better.  There are vegetarian equivalents for just about everything.  The options are endless!

If you are still questioning if you want to participate in this movement, take a moment and think about it; when it comes down to it is only one day a week, only 52 days out of 365 day year.  It is worth giving it a try and seeing the benefits of going meatless for yourself.  Why not try getting the whole family to commit too.  After a while they just might prefer meatless meals :)

If you have questions about a vegetarian lifestyle or meatless recipes do not hesitate to aks and comment.  For more information on Meatless Mondays visit their website, Facebook, twitter, or Pinterest.

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie

About a month ago, I was excited and sad to hear when my beloved chef at the restaurant had been offered an incredible opportunity to be the head chef at a very well-known restaurant in Chicago.  As sad as I was to see my personal cook book leave, I was so happy for the advancement in his career.  He is destined to do big things in Chicago.



As the manager I had to post the chef opening and begin reading resumes so we could hire a new chef and have them trained by our one and only.  We had quite a few applications come into the restaurant that looked marvelous.  Over the past couple weeks I have been interviewing candidates for this position with my dear friend and our current chef.  It is refreshing hearing all the great ideas and the ambition from new chefs.

This was my first time going through the hiring process from the other side of the table.  It was interesting listening to everyone’s back story and why they wanted to be a chef at a vegetarian restaurant.  They all had their own unique answer and reasoning.

Most of the candidates were vegetarians and were passionate about expanding cuisine standards.  But I guess there always has to be someone unlike all the rest…  One interviewee had some very bizarre questions for us.  First off, they were not vegetarian and kept asking if we missed eating meat?  If that wasn’t strange enough, they suggested we incorporate meat into some of our dishes?  At first I thought they were being funny, but after a while it became too much.

After two weeks of very interesting interviews we had to pick a new chef to fill the big shoes at the restaurant.  It was a very difficult decision, we finally decided to offer the job to a young innovative chef from Seattle, Washington.  He had previous experience working in an organic restaurant and was very passionate about our values and our menu that welcomes everyone.

He accepted the position early last week and begun training at the restaurant.  The dynamic between our new chef and our wonderful cookbook is incredible.  They complement each other so well.  He is beginning to catch on to the way the restaurant runs and has already made a few new dishes for us to try…Yummy.  I have a feeling he is going to be great!

I haven’t gotten to know him that well yet, but I hope to do so soon.  It is exciting seeing a new face in the kitchen working to fill the big shoes of my dear chef.

Good Luck in Chicago Mr. Cookbook, I can’t wait to see all the big things you are going to do! We’ll miss you and always remember GO VEGGIES! :)

Go Green and Staying Keen,

Julie

To be or not to be…To grow to not to grow, that is the question; I may not be Shakespeare but I am contemplating a very important question.  Should I plant an herb garden at home?  My fabulous chef at the restaurant was kind enough to bring me some of his fresh basil and cilantro from his garden and got my herb garden bug acting up again.  There is just something different when you use fresh herbs from the garden or ones from the store.
I always try using fresh ingredients and herbs whenever I can.  I have tried growing herbs at home before but most of them have never really turned out to much.  I would love to say I have a green thumb…but I don’t…not yet at least!   Last year, I bought a couple different types of herb seeds from the store and put some effort into planting them.  Four little sprouts came up and the other seeds must have disappeared into the soil. I really want to try it my herb garden again soon!



I notice a much more distinct and potent taste from fresh herbs.  When I use herbs from a garden in my food, it just tastes better…simple as that!  You are eating a natural product that you created from a simple seed. I love buying local and I know I could go to the farmers market to get my herb fix, but having your own garden at your cooking disposal is so much nicer.
There are so many pros of growing your own herb garden, it’s hard not start growing one.  I have to be doing something wrong when planting the seeds or I just have a brown thumb…the opposite of a green thumb.  I really want to try growing one again, so I did a little research and on almost every site I visited it said how easy it is to grow one.  Maybe if I think positive thoughts and sprinkle a little veggie love on them when I plant them, they will grow.
When I decide to grow my herb garden, what herbs should I plant? And how can I help each one of them grow?  Basil, chives, dill, mint, oregano…? Sunlight, shade, water, little water, inside or outside…?   There are so many options for growing it makes it even harder to decide.  I know that having my own herb garden would be so convenient and make my food even more delicious, I just need to get them to grow.
I clearly have a lot of questions about growing an herb garden.  This is something that I will probably end up doing, so I just want to make sure I understand it all so I don’t get disappointed again.



Advice about herb gardens are more than welcome!  I will keep you updated on any good advice I receive, so maybe you can have a successful garden too!

Go Green and Help Me Stay Keen,

Julie

Looking back a couple months ago, I would have never thought I would be in the position I am today.

Yesterday I was offered a managerial position at a fabulous vegetarian restaurant near my neighborhood.

This morning, after discussing it with my family, I have decided to take on this new chapter of my vegetarian life. Unexpected moments like this make each day of my life something to look forward to.

Okay, now let’s rewind a little bit to where the seed of this fabulous opportunity was planted.  Last year I was at the World Veg Fest, one of the best events put on by the San Francisco Vegetarian Society, I met a brilliant woman very similar to myself.  She too, decided at a more mature age to become a vegetarian primarily because of her love for animals.  It also just so happened she owned a vegetarian restaurant near my neighborhood.  I had worked at a restaurant and always dreamed of managing or opening my own.  We got to chatting and it turned out we had a lot more in common than I expect.



We chatted all weekend at the fest.  She gave me some good cooking advice, ingredient suggestions, and we also exchanged different recipe ideas.  We had an instant connection from our vegetarian background to working in the restaurant industry, I knew she was a new vegetarian friend I wanted to align myself with.

Throughout the year I visited her restaurant quite a few times…maybe a little more times than I should have, but it is so delicious I couldn’t resist.  We also met up for coffee regularly and exchanged ideas on the latest veggie gossip…ha :)

Now we speed up to yesterday afternoon, I was having coffee with my dear friend just like any other day.  We were chatting about the days when I worked at a restaurant while in college.  She was oddly interested and asking a lot of questions about how quickly I rose in the ranks to become head waitress and assisted in small managerial tasks.  I assumed she was just comparing me to someone else who worked in her restaurant.  She began asking if I had spare time and if I was still interested in pursuing a manager position at a restaurant.  She explained she was looking for help in her restaurant because it was expanding so quickly and becoming very popular.  She continued to propose that I join her restaurant’s team and assist in managing her vegetarian restaurant!!

I was speechless!  It had always been a dream of mine managing or owning my own restaurant and now it could be a reality for me!  Dreams really do come true!  I was so excited I wanted to accept the position right away, but I knew I had to talk with my family about it this next venture.

Later in the day I discussed the proposal with my husband and he was all for this incredible opportunity.  It didn’t take much more discussing or contemplating until I decided to call my friend and accept the offer!  I found out I get to begin the next chapter of my veggie journey NEXT WEEK!  Words cannot describe how thrilled I am to start.

I am still in shock! I am so excited!! I can’t wait to pursue one of my lifelong goals, and be of help to such an incredible friend.  I can’t wait to share my continuing journey with all of you.  It’s going to be an exciting year, I can feel it already!

Happy thoughts and green vibes,

Julie

Greetings cyberspace! I am very excited to share my crazy vegetarian life with you. I hope that through my experiences you can learn from my lifestyle change and incorporate some of my changes into your life.

Being a fairly new convert to vegetarianism, I am continuing to learn and grow into my new lifestyle.

It was difficult at first passing on some of my favorite comfort food, but the rewards I am feeling from the change are incredible.

I believe that I have found a new path and continue to love embracing a vegetarian lifestyle.

I believe that you are what you eat, so why wouldn’t you want to be something that comes from the earth.

Many people have the misconception that vegetarians eat like rabbits; only lettuce and carrots. That is not the case at all, we eat like kings.

 Vegetables like squash, eggplant, pumpkin, and mushrooms are some of my favorite meal starters and are so filling. I have been experimenting with new recipes for a while continuing to find delicious recipes my non-vegetarian family will enjoy.

I truly believe that everyone should try to incorporate a little bit of vegetarianism into their lives. My children are not vegetarians, but they prefer my eggplant lasagna over a burger any day.

If you have never tried a vegetarian meal or restaurant, I highly encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and immerse yourself into a whole new realm of food, you will be happy you did! I believe it is important to learn how food effects the body and take charge of the body we were given.

I hope to continue my journey with you through my blog and keep learning along the way.


Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie