Salty

After 46 days of being Vegetarian my new eating habits have become normal. Smoothies, nuts, extra fruit & salads have all become daily occurrences. It really would have been harder to give up chocolate than meat. 

Even though I decided to go Vegetarian for 2011, Jarrod & Cadence did not. To accommodate the different eating habits we will make a meat meal one night & then a veggie meal the next. On the meat nights I'll eat leftovers or a salad. It seems that this set up is creating more leftovers in general.

I got a bit salty about this predicament a couple nights ago. Jarrod & Cadence got to hear me go on & on about how I hate to waste food. And they need to eat the meat infested food. Well, that night Jarrod had made his Mom's BBQ. Cadence didn't want anything to do with it. This left Jarrod with a pound of BBQ to eat all on his lonesome. Jarrod isn't usually a leftover fan - unless it is a meal he loves - which his Mom's BBQ is. The next day he packed his bag with a leftover container & a bunch of buns. He figured he would eat some of it & share the rest with his co-workers.

Once Jarrod got to work he went to put the BBQ in the fridge. On the way to the fridge he was marveling how none of it had leaked out during his bus ride. And then he realized the lid was loose. He opened the mock tupperware & to his dismay there was a large red onion inside! No BBQ. Needless-to-say his boss bought him a sandwich for lunch & he ate most of the BBQ for lunch & dinner today.

Speaking of lunch. For four days straight last week I ate an Avocado Reuben. Freakin' delicious. I don't think I've ever had a normal Reuben so I couldn't compare it. I wanted to share the recipe with you. It is actually a Vegan recipe, but I used normal mayonnaise. Enjoy!

Avocado Reuben - Makes 1 sandwich
Give beef the boot and try our take on the classic Reuben sandwich—made with creamy avocado and our tangy, easy-to-make Thousand Island Dressing.

2 slices whole-wheat bread
Thousand Island Dressing (see recipe below)

Mustard (I used honey mustard)
1⁄2 avocado, pitted, peeled, and mashed
1⁄4 cup sauerkraut
• Spread the mustard on one slice of the bread and spread the Thousand Island Dressing on the other slice.
• Place dry side down in a lightly oiled skillet. Top one slice with the avocado. Top the other slice with the sauerkraut.
• Over medium heat, grill for approximately 5 minutes, until lightly browned and hot. Put the sandwich halves together and enjoy!

Vegan Thousand Island Dressing - Makes 2 cups
It has all of the zing of the original without the fat and cholesterol.

1 cup vegan mayonnaise
1⁄3 cup ketchup
1⁄2 tsp. onion powder
1⁄4 tsp. salt
1⁄8 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
2 Tbsp. minced stuffed green olives
 

• Blend all the ingredients thoroughly in a mixing bowl or a blender.