Meatless For Meatlovers
Granted, I was not exactly a tree-hugging, animal-loving, world-saving sort of vegetarian. Nor was I very stringent with my personal guidelines. For example, butter and cheese were never an issue. To me, vegan-ism seemed like a lifestyle endured only by masochists and hopeless idealists. And although I was loathe to eat even a bite of chicken, I cooked many birds during those days for the enjoyment of my friends and never hesitated to use its stock while making an otherwise "vegetarian" dish.
One might wonder then, what led me to become a vegetarian? Truthfully, I never really liked meat. I am sure a lot of it was due to food psychology, as I like to call it. Eating chicken off the bone I could never quite get past its sinuous strands of muscle fiber. Or gnawing on a bite of steak, all I could think about was that layer of fat that enclosed the bloody meat. Of course, now I realize that it is because of those muscle fibers that poultry develop blood vessels and thus any sort of taste worth mentioning. And it is that very layer of fat around the steak that melts during cooking to keep it moist and flavorful whilst it achieves a perfect char.
One year, when I was fifteen, I decided to give up meat for Lent. If I didn't miss it, I wasn't going back. I didn't miss it.
Although my parents love to cook vegetarian meals (we ate our fair share of tofu in my childhood), I can't say this decision was good for the ease of meal planning. With two meat-loving brothers and a junk food queen for a sister, pleasing a crowd was far from simple. The only time it seemed to work was during that Lenten time of year. My brothers gave up red meat and none of us could eat meat on Fridays.
By Lenten rules, fish is allowed and is often associated with Catholic Friday meals. However, being from a desert region of California, fresh seafood was and still is difficult to come by. Not to mention that buying fresh fish for a family of six can be an expensive venture. The challenge for meal planning during this time was to find healthy vegetarian dishes that were filling and packed enough flavor to satisfy the yearnings of our diverse culinary desires.
I suppose there is a bit of a misconception about vegetarians being healthy. First there is the challenge of going out to eat and finding that the only options are either some soggy grilled vegetable sandwich soaking in oil, or some dish or another laden with cream and cheese. Then there is the frustration of cooking at home when it requires time and creativity to create dishes that are both healthy and filling. Sadly, in the face of such an obstacle, I have known plenty of vegetarians who satisfy their meal requirements with too much Top Ramen and Mac N Cheese.
To provide a sustained sense of "full," you really need protein, some fat, and enough fiber. With vegetarian meals, we tend to fill up on empty carbs that leave us ravenous a few hours later. Legumes, chock full with fiber, protein, and a healthy amount of carbohydrates, are just the ingredient to take your vegetarian meals from rabbit food to omnivorous delight. Lucky for those of us with little time on our hands, canned beans these days are quick, inexpensive, and usually prepare better than taking the time to soak dried beans overnight. Add to these beans a variety of vegetables to provide a colorful palette to please the eye and an array of tastes and textures to stimulate your palate.
And even with a healthy meal, you need fat. Fat makes you feel full. You don't need to break out the tub of lard, but beans and veggies are so low, good fat such as olive oil and avocado can provide both flavor and satisfaction.
So I started missing meat. And my brothers started liking tofu. Maybe years of Lenten compromise paved the way for the middle ground we have found today. Now when we get together, no matter the season, we know how to cook meatless for the enjoyment of the vegetarian and the meat lover in all of us.
Made with garlic, white beans, clams, red onion, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, orange, basil, chives, balsamic vinegar
Serves/Makes: 4
- 1 can (16 ounce size) great northern white beans
- 1 can (15 ounce size) whole clams
- 1/2 medium red onion
- 3 plum tomatoes
- 4 segments canned roasted red peppers*
- 1 orange
- 1 handful basil
- 1/2 bunch chives
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 5 ounces baby arugula
Drain beans in a colander and rinse under cold water to remove starch. Drain water and add to medium bowl.
Drain clams and add to beans.
Finely dice the onion, add to bowl.
Cut tomatoes in half horizontally and squeeze to remove seeds. Discard seeds. Chop tomatoes into a small dice. Add to bowl.
Cut pepper segments into 1/2 inch strips. Cut strip to make 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch dice. Add to bowl.
Remove the zest from one orange and add to bowl. Squeeze juice from half of the flesh to get about two tablespoons to reserve in a small bowl for dressing.
Toss salad ingredients. Continue with dressing.
In a small bowl, to the orange juice, add balsamic, mustard, salt and pepper, and garlic, minced. Whisk to emulsify. Add the olive oil and whisk until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Pour all but three tablespoons of the dressing over the bean salad. Toss and adjust seasoning if necessary.
In a separate bowl toss remaining dressing with arugula. Divide greens amongst three plates and top with the bean salad. Serve immediately.
*4 segments canned roasted red peppers equals one whole pepper (or you can roast your own red pepper by cutting into quarters and removing the seeds and ribs, roast on a sheet pan under the broiler until skin is blackened, remove skin and proceed)
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