I am so sorry for writing a post so late.  I am still getting adjusted to being back at school. From now on there will be no more excuses! I promise!

While I was at home during winter break, the Food Network was pulled from Cablevision because of a dispute.  It was devastating.  I watch the Food Network practically everyday.  I cannot live without it for one day.  Fortunately my school’s basic free cable provided us with the luxury of the Food Network.

The Food Network currently lacks a completely vegetarian friendly television show.  It’s a dream of mine to be one of the first chefs to have a veggie cooking show.  Right now it seems like a stretch but hey, anything is possible.  I religiously watch the Food Network and am highly offended that no one has dedicated many episodes to vegetarian cuisine. No offense Food Network but one episode per show does not cut it.  Although I feel the Food Network lacks in veggie friendliness I was actually surprised to see one of my favorite chefs dedicate an episode to vegetarians.  It was unexpected but none the less exciting.

Last week while lying on the couch I came across a rare special on Vegetarian cooking.  Giada De Laurentiis, my favorite chef on the Food Network (famous for her shows Everyday Italian and Giada At Home) had an entire episode on Everyday Italian for Vegetarian food.  Although I was groggy from the busy day I sat up immediately and watched closely.

The dishes that she chose were pretty bizarre but that does not mean that I would not give it a try.  She definitely puts an Italian twist on everything she does and being a fan of Italian food I would not hesitate to try these dishes in the future.

For inquiring minds take a look at the website and the recipes she has.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/everyday-italian/giadas-vegetarian-favorites/index.html

Being vegetarian does not mean all deliciousness disappears, as Giada says.

I’ll let you know when I try it out on my own.

Peace, love and no beef.

GK

One of the most difficult things about being in college is the inability to eat well at a decent price.  Dining hall food just doesn’t cut it and sometimes it is really hard to get yourself to cook a decent meal.  Being a vegetarian in college is even more difficult. My mother worries excessively about my eating habits up at school.

I usually lose a lot of weight because I am usually on the go and forget to eat. As a vegetarian college student my two basic staples are cereal and pasta.  I could practically live off of those two things.

No, I do not eat those two things every single day but it is a major part of my diet aside from fruits and plenty of frozen veggies (try Green Giant Steam Bags- really easy to make and so yummy). Cereal and pasta is easy to make and super cheap.  When cereal and pasta does not cut it I go out to eat on Marshall Street or most recently the Inn complete on South Campus (Syracuse University).

Some suggestions for a decently priced veggie meal are  below:

Pita Pit – Try their humus pita, it costs $5 and you can put all the veggies and cheese you like

Samrat- Although the food is mild in flavor for indian food, this is a great place to go if you crave a little spice especially for a lunch.  The lunch buffet costs $7.  Grab a mango lassi (an indian version of a milkshake) and you are good to go.

SyraJuice- located on Marshall Square Mall, they have amazing Smoothies and Burritos for under $5!

Bleu Monkey Sushi- Although I do not eat fish, there are many veggie rolls available as well as salads.  I usually go for the avocado or cucumber,eat go for about $2-$3.

The Inn Complete- on South Campus, it is convenient for people who live nearby and the best part is they take SU Super Card money.  Today I ordered a Veggie quesadilla with a side of french fries (soooo good).  The quesadilla had cheddar cheese with tomatoes, jalapeñoes and green peppers with a side of sour cream and salsa.  It was a tad spicy but I love heat in my food.  The best part was cooling it off with chocolate lava cake for dessert.

Aladdin’s- my new favorite place.  What I like is the variety of foods available from falafel to Pitas to Pasta, Pizza and Salad.  The most expensive dish is $13 but thats probably a meat dish.  I recently tried their Falafel salad. It is $6.95 with your choice of salad dressing and cheese.  It was incredibly filling but also delicious.  For a more middle eastern taste, I chose their tahini-yogurt dressing with feta cheese.  

Compliments of my Blackberry and Aladdin’s Restaurant

If I come across anything new during my first week back I will definitely post it!

Bon chance dans votre classes! (Good luck in your classes, yes I am practicing my french) And remember, you will find no beef here! GK

Hello everyone! I apologize for the lateness but I just returned to school to begin my spring semester.  Leaving home was a bit sad but there is nothing like a new semester to start over.

Since my brother’s birthday is tomorrow and I obviously am unable to be there, we held a little get together on Saturday night to celebrate.  Being on a budget and having a get together is difficult to do, however I was able to make something to satisfy all appetites.

Macaroni and Cheese is a very simple crowd pleasing dish.  I was able to make what I like to call a grown up version using a variety of cheeses that did not include just cheddar and have the guests crave a second helping.

I recently acquired a collection of culinary magazines (thanks to my Aunt Lisa).  In Cooking Light magazine (September 2009 issue) there is a whole section on the basics of Mac ‘n’ Cheese.  I chose a rather complex recipe and altered it to my liking (without meat, pure vegetarian goodness).  The recipe is below along with a few pictures.  Enjoy!

Grown up Mac ‘n’ Cheese

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tomatoes diced

2 teaspoons of salt

2 boxes of macaroni pasta

1 red onion finely chopped

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cloves of garlic

2 cups of half and half

2 cups of whole milk

1 1/2 cups of shredded fontina cheese

1 cup of crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup of cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups of panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tablespoons of butter ( 1 tablespoon for sautéing onions, 1 tablespoon melted)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add Olive oil to a frying pan.  Add thyme and let the flavor infuse in the oil.  Then add the tomatoes and sautee for 4 minutes.  If there is excess juice, strain.  Set aside for later.

3. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil.  Add salt and pasta.  Cook until al dente.  Do not overcook.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to a saucepan. Once it melts, add the diced onion and garlic.  Sautee until garlic and onion softens. Add flour and cook for one minute.  Add 1 cup of half and half.  Gradually stir in the other cup of half and half and the two cups of milk.  Bring mixture to a boil.  Cook for one minute; whisk or stir constantly.  Remove from heat; let stand for 4 minutes.  Stir in fontina and half of blue cheese.  Let thicken.  Add tomatoes salt and pepper.

5. Mix cheese sauce with pasta.  Put in a baking dish.  Add remaining cheddar cheese and rest of blue cheese.  Mix melted butter with panko breadcrumbs and sprinkle on top.

6. Cook for 20 minutes.

7. Eat.

The response to the dish was incredible.  There were no leftovers. I was actually surprised since it was my first attempt at baked macaroni and cheese.  If you ever want to try a new type of mac n cheese, you should go for it.

That’s all for now.  I have my first day of class tomorrow.

Peace love and no beef.

GK

I am partial to purchasing pizzas with veggies as a topping.  However, I am not particularly fond of buying pizza that is supposedly “healthy” with roasted veggies that looks great on the box but tastes like cardboard.  No, I have not really tasted cardboard but I can only imagine.

Tonight my mom thought it would be easier to buy a box of Kashi brand frozen pizzas.  One was Mediterranean veggie and the other, roasted veggies.  At first sight I expected them to be delicious because the images on the box definitely made my mouth water.  Take a look for yourself….

Compliments of Google Images

Compliments of Google Images

The main issue I had was the lack of vegetables and lack of flavor.  If you are looking for something that is good for you and does not taste amazing then this is perfect for you (yes, the sarcasm is intended).

I would rather eat a greasy slice from the local pizzeria than eat this healthy cardboard tasting fake pizza.  One slice of pizza costs around $3 and in New York City, that one slice is HUGE.  Add a few veggies and voila, instant yumminess.  A general frozen pizza pie that is 8-12” costs anywhere from $5 to $9. Kashi brand frozen pizza costs $7.  A small pie at the local pizzeria, $8.

Well, it may not be delivery or DiGiorno (although DiGiorno is probably one of the best tasting frozen pizzas) , it is not as good as delivery. Friendly on the wallet but not on the taste buds.

That is all for now.

Peace love and no Beef.

G.K.

As a child, on numerous occasions,people offered me some chicken, a hamburger or two and maybe a hotdog.  The moment I opened my mouth and said I was a vegetarian I received many confused stares and a flood of questions.  The most popular question was “What do you eat?”

This puzzles many people because in some cases meat is one of the primary parts of a meal. In order to understand what a vegetarian eats it is crucial to know what is not eaten.

According to the International Vegetarian Union, vegetarianism is the practice of not eating meat, fish or poultry as well as products that come from an animal.

There are a few different types of vegetarians and there is a difference between a vegetarian and a vegan.

Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian: A vegetarian that includes eggs and dairy in their diet

Lacto-Vegetarian: A veggie that does not eat eggs or any other any animal product but includes dairy.

Vegan: Complete exclusion of any animal product or byproduct.  This means no dairy or eggs or even any products made using animals.

I would consider myself somewhat of a lacto-vegetarian since I love cheese.  Yet I am unable to drink cows milk so I drink soymilk on a daily basis as a delicious alternative.

Below will give an idea of possible meals throughout the day

Breakfast:

Many mornings I eat some cereal (I’m partial to the Multigrain Cheerios or even Cookie Crisp) with soymilk. It is important to get protein so I usually heat in the microwave Soy Bacon or Veggie Sausages.  Those are available in the frozen food section.  Other options for breakfast are fruit with yogurt, oatmeal, Farina (cream of wheat or rice) or even toast with peanut butter.

Lunch:

Sandwich’s with cheese instead of meat. Try a veggie patty from Subway and try to incorporate as many veggies as possible.
-Soup & Salad

– A Slice of Pizza

– Stir fry greens (garlic sautéed in olive oil with green beans, sugar snap peas, zucchini and broccoli)

These are just a few options for lunch.  Usually people eat a larger meal for lunch than for dinner.

Dinner:

– Tacos or Burritos with Refried Beans and sautéed veggies (any you like)

– Pasta with Veggie Meatballs (YUMMM) and your favorite Marinara

– Sautéed Veggies (another great option) with a Salad on the side

– Mashed Potatoes, Scalloped Potatoes or a Gratin

Tonight for dinner I kind of cheated.  I made a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and cut up vegetables on the side.  I like to personalize my dishes.  For my 15 minutes mac and cheese I followed the instructions on the side of the box for the cooking process.  I then added 1 tablespoon of butter, a 1/2 cup of whole milk (soy just tastes bad in this), the instant cheese packet, 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, a pinch of pepper and a small packet of the Laughing Cow Light Spreadable Swiss cheese.  Sound cheesy enough? For the veggies I chose Green and Red bell peppers.  They are crispy and delicious as a side dish.

I am currently in the process of deciding an amazing meal to cook for my brothers birthday get together on Saturday.  I am really inspired by the mac n cheese I made earlier today.  I might tweak it a little bit and make it more grown up tasting.

Look for my upcoming entries.

Peace love and no beef.

G.K.