How to Beef Up a Not-so-Beefy Vegetarian Meal

The common questions I have been asked all my life when people find out I’m a vegetarian go along the lines of “O-M-G where do you get your protein?!” and “How do you stay full?!”  Well, being a vegetarian is pretty easy when you’ve been brought up as one.  I’ve never given any thought to finding the right food, eating the right amounts, and adding the right embellishments to my meals – those things just occur naturally, as I have never eaten meat and was never taught ways in which it was necessary in a meal.  Therefore, the whole “meat = essential protein intake” never ever occurred to me either.  However, there is a fraction of validity to the above concerns, and not everybody was born and raised vegetarian like me.  So, today I will be giving some tips to those people who are interested in the vegetarian diet/lifestyle, but are worried about protein intake and staying full.

While it’s true that some vegetables are light and not filling, there are many vegetables and additives that can beef up a beef-free (get it?) meal!

Here are some things you can add to almost any meal that will give it some protein or fill you up:

TIP #1:  Starchy or Fatty Veggies

Vegetables like potatoes, yams, plantains, and squashes (like butternut squash) are all rich “beefy” veggies that can be added to or mixed in with any meal.  For example, boiled potatoes can be added in a blender with soup to make a creamy and filling version of what was once a light broth (or simply add diced potatoes).  Also a baked yam can be treated as a side with any meal that may not be filling enough.   Another option is to incorporate a high-fat vegetable to the meal.  For example, eggplant is extremely absorbent and can be lightly soaked in oil to attain the necessary fattiness.  Avocado (which is technically a berry) can be diced into a salad, or eaten as a side dish with olive oil and salt.  That’ll definitely fill ya up!

TIP #2:  Cheese or Tofu

Adding any type of cheese to a meal will make it more filling while simultaneously providing some protein.  Cheese is pretty standard and can be peppered on top of just about any savory food.  Now let’s talk tofu (ew).  I personally hate tofu, but I know it is a go-to for many vegetarians!  Tofu is a great way to add protein to a relatively lacking meal, and possibly create an exotic twist.  Growing up, my mom would always give us sliced raw tofu to dip in ketchup (sounds pretty disgusting, but it was a childhood favorite).

TIP #3:  Various Nuts

Nuts can be tossed in salads and (in rare cases, depending on your culinary prowess) added to more complex savory dishes.  Nuts provide a fair amount of fat, which can beef up any meal or even snack.

TIP #4:  Almond Milk (or dare I say) Soy Milk

Quite frankly, drinking a tall glass of almond milk (or soy milk) with a meal can make a world of difference in terms of how quickly you fill up.  These days I personally drink almond milk because it’s creamier, but I grew up on soy milk (before everyone started avoiding it). 

TIP #5:  Coconut Oil or Olive Oil

Coconut oil or olive oil (depending on your preferences) go really well drizzled on top of soup to make it more filling.  My brother and I didn’t eat much growing up, so my mom would add oil to our soup in order for us get more fat into our diets.  To this day it’s a great way to fill up.

TIP #6:  Hemp Seeds

Hemp seed hearts (which can be purchased at Walmart) are protein-packed seeds that can be sprinkled on soups, pasta, salads, yogurt, smoothies, and much more! When added to soup, hemp hearts are very creamy and rich.  Hemp hearts are by far my favorite way of adding protein and “beefiness” to meals.

Tell me in the comments below, which of these tips do find the most useful?  Are you considering trying out vegetarianism?  Do you think your journey to vegetarianism will be a little easier with these tips?

MY Truth About French Food

When I reminisce back to when I was taken to Paris, I wish I could say my mouth waters.  But it doesn’t.  Here is my truth about Parisian cuisine.  In this post I will not judge all French food, but merely judge what I had experienced through the perspective of a vegetarian. 

A vegetarian in Paris, France – How does that work?  Well, thinking that France was the food capital of the world (or at least just really well-known for it), I assumed I’d be fine dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  However, upon our arrival, my former boyfriend and I truly struggled to find quality vegetarian food.  We found ourselves frequently “feasting” at Starbucks and Quick (the French and Belgium Burger King equivalent).  Though I would’ve been content eating like that in the U.S., I was pretty disappointed that that was the majority of our food intake in France (France, for gosh sake!). 

Me in a restaurant in Paris

For dinner, we’d search all over the city for palatable chow – but to no avail.  One time we went to a relatively fancy restaurant and there were legitimately no vegetarian options whatsoever!  My former boyfriend ordered risotto, and we had to get the chef to throw something vegetarian together for me.  Results:  The rice in the risotto was undercooked, and I was served mushy veggies as the “vegetarian option.”  I was pretty disappointed, as I consistently was offered the options of either a salad or mixed vegetables.  These options have always been extremely boring and unimpressive to me, since growing up in a family of vegetarians meant everyone was skilled at cooking unique meat-free dishes. 

On another occasion, we decided to try out an actual vegetarian restaurant tailored to people like me.  I ordered stuffed avocado.  Yet again, I wasn’t thrilled.  It was the typical bland snack I could’ve ordered at any vegetarian joint; it wasn’t very filling; and I could’ve made it better at home.  I don’t know, I guess I was expecting more from Paris.

Lastly, we went to a bistro super late at night…and that ended up being the best food we got out of our entire trip to France.  I ordered a multi-layered egg salad sandwich with a side of mashed potatoes and a lemon tart for dessert.  My taste buds were finally satisfied, but my mental image of how French food was “supposed” to be wasn’t.  Despite truly appreciating one of the last meals I had there, I really could have gotten the same thing anywhere else.  I had hoped for the food experience of a lifetime, but instead was repeatedly left hungry and/or dragged to French McDonald’s.  This has nothing to do with France as a country, but just my own personal opinion of the lack of vegetarian culture and appeal.

Me chillin' by the Louvre

Needless to say, my food experience in France wasn’t all that (and a bag of chips).  Or maybe I was too food-snobby to appreciate it (as my former boyfriend was a professional chef). 

What are your thoughts on French food?  I’m especially curious to know about any fellow vegetarians’ experiences.  Let me know in the comments below!

My Korean Store Experience (Reviews)

A while back I was exploring some markets downtown with a friend.  I came across two awesome markets:  an adorable little Korean market and a pretty spacious Chinese one.  We were searching for some interesting things to munch on… and let me tell you, what we found certainly was interesting… 

Let’s start off with the Korean market.  The store’s shelves were stocked high with cutely packaged cookies, candies, marmalades, chips, and teas.  The fridges were loaded with exciting drinks that I have never even heard of prior to entering the shop.  There were things like variously colored and flavored milks, juices, and corn drinks.  I purchased quite a bit of snacks after perusing the bountiful market, and to my surprise, everything was relatively reasonably priced if not very cheap!  Huge plus for a college student!

When we headed over to checkout, we were greeted by an overtly friendly Korean woman.  She rang up our items and then graciously handed both me and my friend a piece of Korean candy (free).  I ended up buying “Milk Candy,” rice pudding, aloe vera juice, “Pepero,” and something called “Healthy Snack.”  I still haven’t tried everything I bought.

The “Milk Candy” was exactly what it was advertised to be.  It was a hard white candy that tasted like sugary milk.  That was pretty much it.  On a scale from one to ten, I would rate the tastiness of it a six.  Moving on to Pepero:  Pepero are basically thin, crunchy cookie sticks dipped in or filled with something (usually chocolate).  I purchased dark chocolate Pepero.  If I must be honest, it wasn’t thrilling.  The stick part was chalky and the chocolate dipped part tasted low quality.  It wasn’t disgusting, but it certainly wasn’t worth chewing (yeah, I know I’m a food snob).  I’d rate it a three.

If you wanna talk disgusting, let me explain the rice pudding that I bought.  This rice pudding was what I was most excited about.  The pudding was supposed to have pine nuts mixed in and sesame on the top.  However, when I opened it, it was nothing but translucent goop with a tiny bag of sesames for sprinkling.  I reluctantly started eating it, digging in to try and find some texture.  Where were the rice granules?  Where were the pine nuts?  Where was the flavor?! I felt like I was eating glutinous saltwater.  Totally threw me for a loop.  I give it a zero.

The last thing I purchased that I tried from the Korean market was “Healthy Snack.”  I had no idea what I was eating because legitimately all it said was “Healthy Snack.”  I’ve got to be honest, it was pretty delicious.  They were little individually wrapped rice tubes filled with something black.  Sounds weird, but they were amazing.  The rice cake part tasted like cheerios and the filling was kind of creamy.  I rate it an eight.

I did purchase one food item from the Chinese market:  Seaweed chips.  It was my first time trying seaweed and I didn’t know what to think.  The Seaweed chips were essentially spongy, spicy, relatively fishy strips of green stuff.  I rate them a five.  We had a love-hate relationship.

Overall, I didn’t particularly like most of the snacks I purchased.  However, I think I will find myself returning to those markets, because the packaging on everything was just so irresistibly adorable that it was good enough for me.  Even though I am essentially giving bad reviews, I still highly recommend stopping by one of these Asian shops and trying out the goodies for yourselves!

The Low-Carb Diet + Recipes!

Today I’m going to be talking about a diet that I lived by before coming to Penn State – the low-carb diet.  My dad got me on this diet when I came back from Europe where I gained a ton of weight.  He had been on it (and still is) for years and it completely transformed him!  When I started eating low-carb, I felt almost instantly better and was capable of dropping weight in a few short weeks.

The low-carb diet is pretty strict, but manageable if you like to cook and be creative.  On this diet, you must eat high fat foods, while significantly restricting carb intake and completely eliminating gluten, starches, wheat, and sugar.  That means no potatoes, no butternut squash, and no fruit.  Yes, I said no fruit.  The abundance of natural sugars in fruit can (and likely will) interfere with the process… The process of your body converting fat (instead of carbs) into energy – that’s what the low-carb diet is all about.

With that in mind, on the diet I typically only eat vegetables, dairy (No milk.  Milk has about 12 carbs per cup…which is a lot), and fats.  It is crucial to remember to eat copious amounts of fat, because if you don’t, you will be extremely hungry and will probably resort to eating something unhealthy to satisfy that hunger.  In moments of desperateness I snack on Atkins bars.

Now that I have explained the diet a bit, I will provide two simple low-carb recipes below.  So, if this type of diet tickles your fancy, you can try it out immediately!

It’s very difficult for me as a vegetarian “low-carber” to stick to my diet at Penn State.  There are very few low-carb options here, and with the absence of a kitchen it’s nearly impossible to stick to the diet.  As a result, I typically feel awful.  So, it was a relief coming home to my kitchen over spring break and resuming my lifestyle!  Below are two low-carb staples I made over break, (plus a special cooking tip!).

Low-Carb Pizza Dough and Low-Carb Bagels

Ingredients:

• 3 cups mozzarella cheese
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese
• Spices to taste (salt, pepper, basil, oregano, etc.)

This dough recipe is quite versatile.  I used it to make pizza and bagels on the same day!  Just double the recipe and there will be enough dough for one medium pizza and 6 bagels.

Instructions:

Heat the cheeses over stove and mix thoroughly until dough-like texture forms.  Remove from heat, add eggs, and mix thoroughly.

My Very Special Tip:  (I actually stole this tip from my dad. J )

You will need to spread the dough out.  This will be quite difficult.  A rolling pin won’t particularly work, and the dough is too greasy and sticky to comfortably handle.  So, take a piece of plastic wrap and cover the dough with it.  Then, use a rolling pin on top of the plastic wrap to roll out the dough mess-free.  Once the dough is sufficiently spread, you can use your hands over the plastic wrap to shape the dough further into a pizza (or whatever desired shape).  Lastly, peel the plastic wrap off of the formed dough and, voila!  Not only does the plastic wrap keep your hands and rolling pin clean, but it gives the dough a smooth finished look.   

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Finally, add desired sauce (this can be anything from mayonnaise, alfredo, tomato sauce, or pesto!), toppings, and light sprinkle of cheese (the entire base is made from cheese, so you might want to go easy on it as a topping…).

Bake in oven at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

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For Bagels:

Use same dough, but create long cylinders and connect them to make a bagel shape.  Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Very easy.

I hope you all enjoyed this post!  See you next time with more food and cooking content!

Potato-Filled Weekend

Vareniki as I made them in Russia

So, I spent last weekend on the outskirts of State College (aka the middle of nowhere) at my best friend’s house.  He lives on a large stretch of scenic farmland.  I could seriously see the outline of jagged mountains rising from the horizon – it was gorgeous.  The coolest part was that all of this could be seen from his kitchen window.  The goal of my visit was to cook a feast for my Slavic-obsessed friends.  They had recently restocked their kitchen for my arrival and provided me an environment that fostered true culinary creativity and freedom.  I was thrilled!

My friend desperately wanted to try some Slavic staple foods, so I decided to make my favorite:  Vareniki (as discussed in previous posts, it is kind of like a Russian ravioli).  I have no measurable recipe, as I just used to watch how my mom made them.  (Making Russian food is literally throwing ingredients into bowls and mixing them, often without using the trusty measuring cups many Americans rely on.)  Using my taste-buds and intuition as a guide while cooking instead of a solid recipe, was what brought the dish into a pleasant existence. 

Do you guys like to work with your hands?  If so, making vareniki is a great activity to do in the kitchen, as the dough for them is completely handmade (like pasta dough).  Below I will share my general “recipe”/guidelines for making them.  Be prepared, this took me all day (because I also made borsch from scratch)!  If you make the vareniki without any help, it should take about 3 hours… which is still pretty lengthy!

Vareniki with Potatoes

Ingredients w/ Approximate Measurements

Making vareniki in my home in Russia

Dough:

-2 cups flour

-Pinch of salt

-3 egg yolks

-1 spoonful of sunflower seed oil

-A few spoonfuls of water

In a medium or large bowl, mix 2 cups of flour with salt; then thoroughly mix in 3 egg yolks; the oil; and finally, some splashes/spoonfuls of water and start to kneed.  Then voila! You have dough!  If dough is too dry, add some more water.  If dough is too wet, add more flour.  Easy!  Now, split the dough and keep one half in a cool, moist place while you work on the other.  Take the one half and roll it out very thin (like pasta) with a rolling pin. 

Now that the dough is nicely thinned out, take a cup and flip it upside-down.  You’ll use this to cookie-cut circles into the dough.  Place the circles of dough aside, and then proceed to repeat the process on the second half of dough.

Making vareniki (photo from last weekend!)

Potato Filling:

-5 potatoes, boiled and peeled

-1 medium or large onion sautéed/fried in a stick of butter

-Sour cream to taste (I used 1 small container of it)

-Salt to taste

For the filling, simply mash the potatoes and mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Now dab each circle of dough with a heaping spoonful of filling, and seal it by making a swirly design on the edges. 

Prepare a pot of boiling water and drop the sealed vareniki into it.  Wait a minute or two (or until vareniki float to the top), then remove and place into serving dish. 

Final product from last weekend!

Serve with melted butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, and crispy fried onions!

My friends were shocked that I had spent an entire day cooking (well, except for when we took breaks to play guitar and banjo!).  At one point my friend asked me, “Do you actually enjoy all of this?”  I couldn’t help but smile and reply with an honest “Yes!” My enthusiasm never dies in the kitchen.

We eventually sat down to vareniki, borsch, and black bread.  Best.  Weekend.  Ever.  I hope you all will try this recipe during spring break – it’s definitely worth a shot!

The last feast I prepared before I left Russia

*Note:  Here are some random pictures of food I prepared in Russia.  This will be my last post about Russia/Russian food, because I tend to ramble on too much about it!  Variety is in the near future, stay tuned! :)  

My last Russian feast

The Best of Local and Street Snacks

Cities all over the world are set apart from each other by the local and traditional foods they sell on the streets and in small markets.  Trying out street food and local go-to treats is a great way to get in touch with the people and culture of wherever you happen to be.  It’s also just an excellent experience for your taste buds (most of the time)! 

It’s always interesting to test popular food from the cultures of domestic and foreign cities.  So, here I am going to share and review a few location-specific treats that I’ve tested out over the years.  I’ll start off with a brief description and then rate each food/treat from 1-10 (1 being the least delicious, and 10 being the most).  Perhaps it will inspire you all to travel and look around for these goodies!

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NYC, USA

Candied Roasted Nuts

During past trips to New York City, I always saw these carts on the street selling candied roasted nuts (or whatever you call them).  I’m not sure if they’re still a popular street food, but I frequently enjoyed them as a child.  For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about or have never tried them, let me explain:  This treat is a nut mix (of what I remember to be peanuts and cashews) heavily roasted in sugar and spices until super crispy and sweet.  It is then handed out in small paper bags.  I absolutely love this NYC street food. 

Rate:  9

Antwerpen, Belgium

Street Waffles

I’m pretty sure everyone’s heard of the famous “Belgian Waffle” …But has anyone actually had an authentic Belgian waffle before?!  Go to Belgium for the waffles (everything else is kind of boring there…but the waffles, guys).  It was unforgettable.  When I lived in Belgium, we would go to the city quite often solely to get waffles.  (We were lazy and didn’t ride bikes like 90% of the Belgian population… so it was a waste of gas and parking money, but well worth it!)  These exclusive waffle runs happened almost every day – They were that amazing.  Basically, authentic Belgian waffles are sold on the street freshly made.  They are rich, yet fluffy, and taste like fried cake.  In Antwerpen, Belgium, they provide two options to accompany the waffles:  Whipped cream or chocolate sauce.

Rate:  10

Fries

When I say fries, I mean “French fries”.  However, no one says “French fries” in Europe, because the Belgians are known for their fries, not the French.  At home, it is common to have a meal of fries served with a sunny-side-up egg (whose yolk is quite raw) for dinner.  On the street, fries are sold topped with a ketchup, mayonnaise, and sautéed onion mixture.  In Antwerpen, Belgium, there are also designated fry shops that only sell fries and fry accessories (special fry sauces, etc.).  The fries in Antwerpen were honestly the best fries I’ve ever had.  

Rate:  10    

Barnaul, Russia

Gematogen (Гематоген)

Gematogen is a Russian bar that is sold at the local pharmacies in Barnual.  It is made of mainly cow’s blood, milk, and sugar.  It is the go-to bar for any illnesses, but is commonly used to treat an upset stomach.  Gemotagen tastes pretty good, despite its contents.  It is sweet, chewy, and black/brown/red in color.  In Barnaul, many people just eat it because it tastes like a candy bar.

Rate:  6

Barni Bear (Барни)

While I was in Russia there was a huge hype going on – Eating baby food.  It was kind of odd.  One of the trendy children’s snacks was Barni Bear.  Barni Bear is a cheap packaged cake filled with jam or milk.  It is similar to what we call a “Tastykake” here.  It was legitimately considered “cool” amongst us 16-year olds in my class in Russia to eat this all the time.  It was yummy, but not really anything spectacular.

Rate:  7

Shawarma (Шаурма)

I’ve actually never heard of “Shawarma”, as we pronounce it “Sha-oo-rma” in Russia, but apparently (after looking it up) everyone else says Shawarma.  Anyway, shawarma is my all-time favorite street food – ever.  It is a ridiculously huge wrap filled with cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, cheese, onions, garlic, mayo sauce, and French fries!  I always thought it was an authentic Russian street food (and it still is in my heart), but apparently it’s actually Middle Eastern!  I tried it out in Belgium once, but hated it.  The city of Barnaul, Russia clearly makes a way better shawarma, and I’d do anything to get my hands on a SHA-OO-RMA again!  Maybe they'll be just as good in Saint Petersburg when I go this summer.

Rate:  10

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I hope I have sparked an interest to get out there and try all the special foods that cities have to offer.  Let me know what you would want to try!  What sounds good?  What sounds gross?  Comment below!

Test-it-Out: Russian Pirozhki Recipe

Continuing in the vein of Russian comfort foods (vital during Siberian winters), here are two of my favorites that I mentioned in my previous post.  I’m here to give you the details on the dishes, so don’t be afraid to roll up your sleeves and get your hands “dirty”!

Recipe for Wild Garlic and Egg Pirozhki («Пирожки с яйцом и чесноком»)

*Note:  Measuring tools (for baking) are not used in Russia.  We use usually do what everyone says not to do when baking – “guesstimate”.  We use terms such as “big spoonful,”  “small spoonful,” and “cup” (as in a cup that you’d actually drink from).

For Dough:

• 2 cups of milk
• 1 spoonful of sugar
• 1 big spoonful of active dry yeast
• 2 big spoonfuls of melted butter
• 1 egg
• A generous pinch of salt
• 6 cups of white flour

For Filling:

• 6 hardboiled eggs, cubed
• Multiple sprigs of wild garlic, chopped (*“Wild garlic” is NOT garlic.  If you cannot find it in the grocery store or it does not grow in your backyard already, use green onion instead.  Use the green part.)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sunflower seed oil (for frying)

(*After trying this recipe once, I encourage you all to experiment with different fillings!  You can either use Russian flavors/common combinations, or create your own filling completely! Imagine pizza-stuffed pirozhki! J)

Place half of the required milk in a bowl, stir in sugar and add yeast.

Then proceed to pour the remaining milk into a different bowl.  Stir in the melted butter, egg, salt and 1 cup of flour with the rest of the milk.  Slowly add the remainder of the flour until everything is well mixed.

Throw a paper towel over the dough mixture and let it sit out for a while until it visibly appears larger in size.

Lightly sauté the wild garlic (or green onions) in a skillet with sunflower seed oil.  Add the salt and pepper, and then mix the cubed hardboiled eggs off the stove to create the filling.

Once you are done making the filling, take the risen dough and form a long cylinder.  Cut the cylinder of dough into as many 1 inch pieces as it allows for.  Press down slightly on each piece and proceed to add the filling.  Don’t forget to pinch the edges closed so that the filling doesn’t leak when you fry it.

Lastly, return to the stove and prepare a liberal amount of sunflower seed oil in a skillet to fry.  Once the oil is sizzling, carefully place 2-3 raw pirozhki (depending on size) in the skillet.  Let them fry on both sides until golden brown and fairly crispy.

Now don’t forget to have some sour cream and mayo ready to complement the pirozhki!

I hope you all get a chance to try this recipe out and get a feel for the foods of a different culture! 

Stay tuned for more food ideas, food culture, tips and cooking info!