Spicy start to a vegetarian quest
She said she would no longer use styrofoam packaging...she didn't think it was right to use paper towels or paper napkins...air conditioning was ridiculous when there were windows to be opened...things are way over-packaged for marketing...plastic bags are choking both the landfills and critters of all sorts...and meat...never mind the health issues, commercial farming is just destroying our planet...
About this time, she noticed me looking at her with quite the quizzical expression.
Has there been a paper towel or napkin in this house in your lifetime? Do you see any styrofoam? Do we run the A/C except on the hottest, breezeless days? Have I carried the groceries home in a plastic bag at any time that you can remember? As for meat...have you seen my website, Vegetarian On A Budget?
Uh...I guess that is what we've been living all along.
Why does it take someone else telling your kids the same things you've been saying all along before it sinks in? We laughed about this and she said she wanted to try a vegetarian lifestyle to see if she could do her small part.
So, I gave her my card and made her some veggie treats she could enjoy in her stoveless dorm room...it's a start.
Everyone loves hummus, so I made a basic hummus with a sort of Mexican twist with jalapenos and cilantro that I thought might be something a little different to show that all vegetarian food isn't bland beans and rice.
Jalapeno and Cilantro Hummus
1 16 oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/4 cup liquid from the can of chickpeas
5 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 jalapeno, seeds removed
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil (don't use other kinds of oil, this is one where substitutions won't do)
1 tablespoon of cilantro, finely chopped
Drain the chickpeas and set asidethe liquid from can.
Combine the beans with the remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas.
Blend for 3 to 5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
Vegan.
