Not Everything is as It Seems
by Guest Columnist Mindy Johnson
Photo: Pretty Veggie, Sausage & Peppers
Shalom, Bonjour, Guten Tag, Bom Dia, Konnichiwa!
"What's that?" you say.
That's the sound of a New York City girl who's been around the world and back, became a vegetarian, came up with an idea, and decided to get her act together and tell you about it.
I've traveled, lived, and worked in a number of locations around the world, from Israel to Hawaii, speak some Hebrew, a bit of French and German, and pleasantries in a number of other languages, love many different types of foods, and have puttered around with them all. (Of course, I even knew what harissa was when Alton mentioned it on "Next Food Network Star"!)
One bump in the road, though, was when I became a vegetarian a few years ago. Not a vegan but definitely a vegetarian, as I don't eat any meat, poultry or fish, and all in all I'm "Pretty... darn... Veggie"!
I thought I'd be leaving behind so many of the things I loved to eat. Surprisingly though, I've found ways to make substitutions and have come up with veggie variations that are so close to the mark, many times it's hard to tell the difference.
Not ALL of your favorites have to fall by the wayside when you "go veggie" and it's great for Meatless Monday. In fact, not many at all ? it just depends on the dish! "Home-Style," or international, it's easy! And the sworn "meat eaters" in the family? It'll be pretty hard to tell the difference in the recipes I come up with... because not everything is as it seems!
Just take a look at the following meatless miracles ? for SURE they're not what they seem. They're all vegetarian and can be prepared kosher!
Chicken Gyro, Sausage and Peppers, Chopped Liver and Shepherd's Pie
My recipes are written in such a way that you can "tweak" the ingredients as you like. Some suggested kosher, vegetarian brand names for the "meats" are listed below. These "meats" are available in well-stocked supermarkets, Whole Foods, and other stores that cater to "healthy," "vegetarian," or "vegan" clientele.
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