Ja cię kocham…

It’s confession time.

Ever since I saw a certain show on the Travel Channel, I have been unable to eat meat.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not necessarily against eating meat, but I just can’t bring myself to do it.  I thought it was just a faze that would pass but it’s been a month, and I can’t bring myself to be carnivorous.  Believe me, I crave steaks and burgers but I cannot follow through with eating it.  I just can’t.

Meat is a tough subject.  Many animals are injected with hormones so they grow much faster than what nature has intended.  They are fed foods that they don’t normally eat, which leads them to falling ill, which leads to antibiotic injections.  And yes, if it’s in the animal, we are eating it.   Some people aren’t bothered by this.  I, on the other hand, would rather not fill my body with hormones and antibiotics unless I have a prescription.

My suggestion with meat is go organic.   You’re not ingesting hormones and antibiotics that are not intended for your body.  It’s more natural.  More healthy.

As a wife of a very carnivorous man, I have a challenge when it comes to planning meals.  He eats meat.  I don’t.  What is a woman to do??

Lucky for me I have a really awesome husband that is willing to try anything.  This means he can park his manhood for a bit and try foods that I like – without meat and with tofu.

Yes ladies you read this correctly.  Jay ate tofu.  And he liked it.  A lot.

Told you I’m lucky )

Of course I also made him chicken to go with this dish, but I was able to eat the stir-fry as my main course.  And it was to die for.   The recipe called for kale and since I’ve been using it for the past few days I say, why not!?  Kale has tons of fiber and iron, which is especially important for me and my herbivore ways.  An added bonus is the chickpeas and tofu that also provide me with fiber and iron.

I didn’t have the summer squash that the recipe called for but since I bought a HUGE bag of peppers from Wegmans I figured it wouldn’t hurt to throw them in for some gorgeous color.

This meal was a hit for carnivores and herbivores alike.  I highly recommend it.

Lemon Chickpea Stir-Fry

Source: 101 Cookbooks

Yields 2 (as Main Dish); 4 (as Side Dish)

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
1 small onion or a couple shallots, sliced
1 c. cooked chickpeas (canned is fine)
8 ounces extra-firm tofu, diced
1 c. of chopped kale
1 c. red, orange, and/or yellow bell pepper, chopped
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in a big pinch of salt, the onion, and chickpeas.

Saute until the chickpeas are deeply golden and crusty. Stir in the tofu and cook just until the tofu is heated through, about a minute.

Stir in the kale and cook for one minute more.

Remove everything from the skillet onto a large plate and set aside. In the same skillet heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, add the peppers and saute until it starts to take on a bit of color, two or three minutes.

Add the chickpea mixture back to the skillet, and remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, taste, and season with a bit more salt if needed.