mizchef

Hi, all. Today, October 1, is World Vegetarian Day, and it kicks off Vegetarian Awareness Month.

People become vegetarians for different reasons—ethical treatment of animals, environmental concerns, health issues—and people also don’t become vegetarians for, oddly, the same reasons (except that those reasons are on the opposite side of the spectrum).

But whatever your feelings about vegetarianism, it doesn’t hurt to change things up a bit now and then. So, I throw out a challenge: Become a vegetarian for one month. Think you can do it? Can you do it for a week? I know some people who would be hard-pressed to do it for a day. But I have faith in you.

Think of it as a reason to try all those recipes you’ve been dying to try but kept pushing aside. There are so many fabulous ways to cook vegetables and fruits, and you can experiment with tofu, tempeh, seitan, and textured vegetable protein, or TVP (although, I’d use TVP on a limited basis because it’s actually a processed product).

Tempeh

And if you’ve been ignoring those recipes because of your family, make it a group effort. Tell your family that you’re all going to go veg for the month of October. And for the kids, make it like a special holiday (which, technically, it is anyway). Tell them that after they’ve vegged all month, it will culminate in a day of goodies with Halloween. You know, sort of like how they do it with Ramadan. Sort of.

To start you off, here’s a recipe from my cookbook, What, No Meat? Traditional Italian Cooking the Vegetarian Way. I’d love to know how you do, so come on back and leave a comment.

Have a great week, everyone.

Linguine with Creamy Leek and Sage Sauce

1 pound linguine
1 tablespoon salt for water
3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup chopped leek
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 cups cherry tomatoes, peeled and halved
¾ cup chopped mushrooms
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh sage OR 2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup heavy or light cream
Grated parmigiano or pecorino romano

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the linguine and salt for the water and cook, stirring often, until al dente, about 10 to 13 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium pan. Add the leek and garlic and sauté over medium

heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and

cook 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, sage, salt, and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and let it simmer over low heat for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and keep it covered.

When the pasta is done, drain well and transfer to a serving bowl. Pour the sauce over the linguine and mix. Sprinkle on the parmigiano or pecorino, stir again, and serve hot.

Store leftovers tightly sealed in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Copyright © 2008

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