Dinner in a jiffy

One of the statements made in my first Compassionate Eating class is that veganism seemed impossible. I heard the word inconvenient a time or two as well. I just finished week 4 with my students and we talked about "Meet Your Meat."

In Colleen Patrick Goudreau's 30 Day Vegan Challenge she discusses taking back the words meat and milk. After all, vegans don't eat fake food--we eat very real food that is made directly from plants. I challenge you to get the following words OUT of your vocabulary: faux, pseudo, mock, et al. As a vegan, I don't feel I'm mocking anything. I'm embracing a life based on the conscious decision to not consume animals or animal byproducts. So call it fried tofu, bean burgers, and seitan nuggets.

I showed them that 1/4c. vital wheat gluten-(the main ingredient in seitan) has 23g of protein! So when someone asks me, "But where do you get your protein from?" I can first a) point out they ended a sentence with a preposition-(((snicker, I kid))), and b) that I get it from (((demonic voice))) SEITAN! The reverend thought this was funny.

Let's get back to inconvenience. You really need to evaluate what is more convenient, good health and well being or shoveling your face with stuff from a drive-thru? Let's face it, most of us eat this way more than we should. And what could be more inconvenient than food poisoning from tainted meat? I personally think heart attacks are inconvenient. Change perspectives.

The dish featured above is from the Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook: the Cheezy Broccoli n' Rice Casserole. This is such a cinch to throw together, even faster if you cook the rice beforehand in a rice cooker. It's creamy, comforting, cheap, and--oops! No broccoli. I subbed with my favorite, kale. Served it with a potato because I lovey-love-love starch like Ron Burgundy loves scotch.