i made some food this weekend.

hey guys!

hope your weekend was as amazing as mine!

mine was awesome for many reasons, but let's focus on the food, shall we?
as usual, saturday was family dinner night.
but it was an unusually EXCITING dinner.

wanna know why? let me explain...
since i have been eating meat-free, i haven't encountered a single problem. no one thinks i'm weird, there's always food for me to eat, and i get plenty of protein (right girl?).

the cool thing?
my mom has gone mostly vegetarian now! she and i have had a few discussions about why i went veggie, and she's joined me! not only that, but my boy watched food, inc. and has really stepped up his eating habits (and totally supports me meat-free).
both of them are totally transforming their diets, and i'm so proud!

soooooooo, where was i? dinner, right?
for the last few weeks, mom and i have started making more meat-free meals for the family.
as a family that's lived off meat-starch-veggie for all of our lives, this is huge! so saturday was no exception.

and whose recipe did i consult for my veggie venture?

my future hubs, bobby flay of course.

my baked version of bobby's falafel

1 can organic chickpeas, rinsed and rubbed dry with a towel 

4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1/2 medium onions chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin
3 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons smoky paprika
2 teaspoons hot curry powder
Scant 2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- saute garlic and onion until translucent (3 minutes over medium)
- throw everything in in the food processor and pulse until roughly combined (scraping down the bowl when needed)
- form into 4 patties, pressing tightly so they don't crumble
- spray with pam and cook on your grilltop pan (or bake at 425* until brown)
serves 4.

i'm just gonna put it out there - my dad ate one, my mom and i ate one, and my boy ate two.
slam dunk.

also on the menu?

sweet potato fries,

sliced thin, sprayed with olive oil, and sprinkled with garlic powder and steak seasoning (ironic for our veggie meal, no? they're a delicious combo of seasonings!)

i may have made my boy addicted to these :)

aaaaaaaand...

you will never see me post a meal without a kitchen sink salad.

ever.

quick bar reviews:

gnu bar orange cranberry:
not bad. orange tasted a bit fake, but i had to try these for my girl!
my mom and i got a free sample at whole foods, and can't complain.

my favorite part is the bird "it works!"

i think that means heck yes this bar will (...ahem) clear you out.

raw revolution raspberry and chocolate:

my thoughts? if you NEVER eat sugar, you will be fine with this bar (i was).

otherwise? it might be a bit too "earthy" tasting for you.

a word of caution: i think it had 300 calories in it.

that might matter to you if you're trying to lose weight.

it's kinda a "meal replacement," i guess.

do you guys have family dinner traditions?
is it hard for you vegs to eat family meals?
-r