Day One

After a Shrove Tuesday of bacon topped pancakes, Ash Wednesday brought with it a commitment to forty days of vegetarianism in observance of Lent. No bacon, no burgers, and no beef broth. I hope that sharing this adventure will make it a little easier and so, here is how it began.

Today I ate:

A bean burrito from Quesada - Very satisfying and filling. Having both types of beans (black and pinto) certainly makes a difference because you get the contrast of textures which is often missing in bean burritos. That being said - I've decided that black beans just aren't my bag (baby). Outside of Chinese cuisine, I don't really enjoy them. They seem to be a little springy and without much flavour. Also, it was undercooked. The moustached gentleman at the checkout seemed to be in a great hurry to move me and my vegetarian-friendly burrito along and so it was a little mushy. Non-melted cheese has no place in my burrito. Perhaps that is also partly to blame for my black-bean-abhorrence.

Broccoli and blue cheese gnocchi (with additions)

 This flashed up on my 'Recipe of the day' widget that I have on my Google homepage. How fitting - a vegetarian recipe on the first day of veggielent! I decided to add a bit of nutritional content so I included peas (you can never have too many), mushrooms and a little garlic for flavour. I also fiddled around with the quantities a bit - doubling the amount of gnocchi, reducing the amounts of cream and blue cheese - to make a meal that would go further and be slightly less fatty. It was very filling, and there is tonnes left for lunches which I am happy about . It ended up being a little dull though, even with the addition of garlic. It was rich and delicately flavoured but quite a one-note experience. The addition of a splash of balsamic vinegar on the plate lifted the whole dish. Expect to see it popping up again in the near future.

Snacks:

One Nature Valley almond granola bar - purchased by Sam (I was extremely skeptical) but I quickly decided that they are delicious and our box of 64 may not last very long!

Day one was a decadent success. Easing myself into a vegetarian regime with some big, hearty dishes, packed with beans, cheese and other vegetarian stereotypes was a good idea so that I finished each meal full and satisfied, without feeling like anything was missing. The days to follow will most likely include some effort to grasp the opportunity to eat a little more healthily but, for now, melted cheese eases the transition away from meat.

John