First Dinner with Family Since Becoming a Vegan

So last night, I went up to my brother's house to help my sister in law with some homework (she just recently went back to school for her degree in business, so congrats to her for doing that in her 30s). Every time I go up there to help out with writing papers, my brother feeds me, and he feeds me well. He has a little plot where he grows tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and probably even other things I don't know about. My brother has a knack for cooking, too, and loves to season things and likes everything a little spicy, and I do too. So when they said not to eat before I came, that they would be making me dinner, I was a little nervous. What if they made something I couldn't (or wouldn't) eat? What if I sat up there all evening half-starved? Well, we all know that wouldn't have happened, of course. I was afraid I'd hurt their feelings if they made something I wouldn't eat.
So I get up there and my nieces are running around excitedly showing me their new shoes and backpacks and all the back-to-school stuff they've gotten recently. I realized my sister in law, Rhonda, was making chicken alfredo. I could eat the noodles, but obviously not the chicken, and the alfredo sauce was a no-go also, because it's made with cream. Then I got a little nervous. But, my brother rescued me and had a big bowl of grilled veggies for me to eat. Plus, I even put some of them in with some pasta, olive oil, and salt and pepper and had my own little pasta bowl. And, my favorite part of all was the big, juicy, bright red tomato Jason (my brother) had sliced up for me. I could just eat tomatoes all day long, every day (and in fact, I'm having fried green ones tonight for dinner!)
So all in all, my first dinner with family who AREN'T vegan since I have become vegan went pretty darn well, and I made out with a bag full of veggies fresh out of Jason's garden to take home with me, too. 


So, to make all the grilled veggies, my brother uses one of these metal basket things you can put right on your grill. Jason's is a round one, but you can find big square-shaped and rectangular ones, too. My best friend Shelby sells Pampered Chef products and they have one that's rectangular and is only $26.50. She and her husband LOVE theirs and use it all the time. My only problem is - no grill! I'm going to have to invest in one, because I love that smoky flavor you get from a real propane grill and not just using a griddle or George Foreman in the kitchen.

I don't know for certain what all my brother seasons his vegetables with when he grills them, but obviously a little salt and fresh-cracked pepper are good starters. I like McCormick's Bayou Cajun Seasoning, which has garlic, onion, paprika, and red pepper - the spicier, the better.

Another super easy way to give grilled vegetables a lot of flavor is by using Balsamic vinaigrette. My favorite one I've found is Emeril's, from Food Network. But, you can always just make it yourself at home so you can tweak it a little to be more or less tangy, however you like it. You'll need:

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar (option, for people who like sweeter dressings)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup of olive oil

You can play with the ingredients or add other little seasonings, if you like. I tend to add a dash of onion powder and white pepper (for heat). I like using this as a dressing on salads, too. It'll keep in your fridge for quite a while, so you can hang on to it and use it with all kinds of different recipes. It's really yummy for dipping bread in as an alternative to using butter (which is a no-no!). I like it with sourdough bread in particular because the tangy flavors play off each other and taste sooooo good together.

Last night, my brother had some corn tortillas made with jalapeno peppers and I'm kind of wishing I would have tried them. He put a bunch of different things in his, but I would have put my vegetables in them and eaten them just like that. Maybe when I get some vegan cheese I'll make myself some cheesy veggie fajitas - how good does that sound? 

So - on the menu for tonight, as I mentioned before - fried green tomatoes! Now, before you start judging, I already know that doesn't count as a healthy vegetable. Fried ANYTHING isn't exactly good for your, but remember also that I didn't go vegan because of the health benefits, they're just a nice addition to the lifestyle. 

I made this decision because I HATE HATE HATE how poor innocent animals are treated in the meat industry. How could anyone kill a cute little piglet by beating it's skull against a cement floor? You may not realize that things like that really do happen all the time in slaughterhouses all over America, or maybe you do and just turn your head on it and pretend it doesn't happen or it doesn't matter. But to me, it does matter, and I can't eat bacon in the morning knowing that it may have come from some cute little pig who was tortured. I love Wilbur too damn much for that!

I mean really, how adorable is that? I could NEVER eat him!