Baby Names: I've Been a Bad, Bad Girl

I haven't been eating 100% vegan lately. No, I haven't been eating meat, thank you very much. But I have indulged in some cheese and butter. I've found that one of the hardest things about becoming a vegan is giving up the ingredients often used in cooking and particularly in some of my favorite dishes.

Butter is a tough one to give up, but luckily there are relatively easy replacements for it (olive oil to dip bread in, margarine made without cream, etc).

Cheese is not nearly as easy to give up on. Sure, there are soy versions of cheese that are made completely dairy-free and they promise to melt just like real cheese. But let me provide you with a polite slap in the face: most of that "cheese" tastes like dog shit. There's just no comparison to the real things.

So as I said, I've been a bad, bad girl. I've eaten pizza slathered in melted cheese. And last night, I made a pasta filled with colorful vegetables and a creamy, garlicky sauce. I've eaten several containers of rich, tangy Greek yogurt mixed with sweet fruits. That's right, I admit it openly. I can't lie, the pasta was pretty terrific (and I'm going to give you the recipe shortly). I guess I can't really call myself a vegan because some of these things, I may continue to eat because of their health benefits (Greek yogurt is full of protein, something I have a difficult time getting enough of). Don't worry, I won't be eating meat nor will I be eating eggs (ewww) or drinking milk. But I feel like I will probably let some yogurt and cheese slide now and again. Hey, I never said I was a perfect vegan. This has been a journey for me learning how to A) stand up for my beliefs regarding animals and, B) eat healthy without eating meat or animal by-products. It's not easy, and I think sometimes I probably make it sound like it's so simple to just cut out a shit ton of food from your diet and give up things you normally would eat every day. It's not. This lifestyle isn't for everyone, and hell, even a more laid-back vegetarian lifestyle isn't for everyone. 90% of the time, I feel great about what I eat because it's healthy and it's not affecting or harming any animals. I don't talk enough about how much I really love animals and how much their suffering breaks my heart, so in my next few posts, instead of sarcastic and jabbing comments about celebrities' fashion choices and yummy recipes, I'm going to talk about how animals are treated in the meat and dairy industries and ways you can contribute to helping them have better lives without even having to go vegan. And not just that, I'm going to talk about other animals that aren't used for food but are treated inhumanely regardless.

So before I get to the heavy stuff I tend to shy away from, I'm going to give you a couple of super easy and delicious recipes. First off is Phyllo-Wrapped Asparagus, and then I'll tell you how to make the veggie pasta I had last night (and reheated for lunch today).

Phyllo-Wrapped Asparagus

*I saw this recipe on Paula's Home Cooking with Paula Deen and immediately had to make it. I love asparagus, I love phyllo, so why not blend the two together? They're a really good appetizer and are great for gatherings because they can be eaten with your hands.

Ingredients

8 or 9 asparagus spears
1/2 (16-oz) package frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus. Unwrap the phyllo and cut the stack in half lengthwise. Reserve one stack for later use. Cover the phyllo with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. Take 1 sheet of phyllo and brush lightly with some melted butter. Sprinkle with some of the Parmesan. Place 2-3 asparagus spears on the short end of the sheet. Roll up, jelly roll-style. Place each piece, seam-side down, on a baking sheet. Brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with more Parmesan. Repeat until the remaining asparagus spears are used up. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Veggie Pasta

The good thing about this pasta is you can make it with whatever vegetables you want. I just used what I had in the fridge, but you can play with this and try different flavors. You can use fresh veggies or frozen ones and cook them on the skillet or even the microwavable steamed ones.

Ingredients (The ones I used)

1 green pepper, sliced into strips
1 yellow pepper, sliced into strips
1 red pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 medium white onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
8 asparagus spears, cut into thirds
1/2 medium zucchini, cut into coins (I peel off half the skin, alternating around the zucchini)
4 servings whole grain pasta of your choice (I used linguine)
1 container Philly Cooking Creme Italian Cheese and Herb flavor
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder

Directions

Boil your pasta as directed on the box however you like it (I prefer al dente). Pour olive oil into a large saute pan and warm up over medium heat. Add in all the vegetables, minced garlic, and onion powder, plus a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Continue to saute your vegetables, stirring occasionally - you want your onions to become transparent and then lightly browned, and the rest of your veggies should have a little bit of browning on the edges and be soft. When your pasta is done boiling, drain it and set aside in a large mixing bowl or serving dish. By this point, your veggies should be about ready (they should have cooked about 10 minutes). Pour in the entire container of Philly Cooking Creme and mix in well, cooking another 3 minutes. Pour the veggies over your pasta and toss together. Serve as is or with some Parmesan sprinkled on top.

It's literally the easiest pasta ever, and it was so, so, so good I can't even describe it. Pretty surprising considering the sauce is just a container of seasoned Philly cream cheese.

Don't forget that my next post isn't going to be the norm for me. It's going to be all about animals, and I'm going to prep you for that by sending you off with some pictures of sweet animals.

Baby chicks are some of my favorite animals, thanks to my former pet Chanel.