Back on Track?

Allright all my loyal readers. Today I get back on track and introduce you to Week two of my experiment. Week two was actually extremely easy. I got on my bike, rode to safeway and hit the vegetable isle. It was a little overwhelming at first, I wandered the shelves and stands, and I remember my cart being filled, but not how. Luckily I do have a prior background in cooking and realized my mistake before hitting the checkout stand.

With a sudden change like becoming a vegetarian you may feel like it's a good idea to pickup all those vegetables with exotic names that you've never seen before; but please listen to a down to earth cook, don't! Choose one or two after looking up recipes with them, or you could try it my way and hit up the restaurant scene. The cooks in these kitchens are professionals. There are all sort of places with vegetarian menus and or items to choose from and you'll get to experience first hand what these vegetables can do when cooked to perfection.

A sleeper hit for me was the bean sprout. I had overlooked it because of it's plain look, it just doesn't stand out much. But it is in fact an incredible vegetable! You miss that satisfying chew of a fresh steak? Well boy do I have something for you to try. It's a simple mix, and can go into just about anything to replace meat with a satisfying substitute. You take bean sprouts and you put them in a hot pan, with a small amount of oil (one or two teaspoons) and add to it an equal amount of thinly sliced mushrooms. Saute these and add what spices you like. I personally will add an extra step before the saute to get a real flavor kick. Add a clove of fresh garlic, minced, and an appropriate amount of onion. For a pound of bean sprouts and 8 ounces of mushrooms (roughly equivalent in size) I add half of a large onion. This will result in one great base, but if you're not up for the extra slicing and dicing, you can always just add garlic powder and minced onions flakes. Lastly remember to add some salt and pepper, mix it in and you're done!

Now if you want a demonstration of this base with a recipe it goes along great with leave a comment and request it. If there is ever a recipe I mention that you want to see and cook along with me just ask, I'll be more than happy to grab the ingredients, pick up my camcorder, and record it, step by step. We're in this together everyone so don't be afraid to ask. Over and out everyone, best of luck to you.