Vegetarian Updates & Lots of New Recipes

My vegetarian streak is going great! I still feel awesome with my decision and going strong with it. I started this mid July and it is now mid September. It’s been two months and I have stuck with it 99%. The few times I have had it has been when some bite with a bit of meat has been offered to me to try (like Spanish croquetas made out of jamon serrano... mmmm croquetas...). However, I have never gone out and bought meat to cook my own meal or ordered anything with meat at a restaurant. I have never craved it or preferred it over a vegetarian option, however, I have always loved vegetarian options because I love vegetables so much so it is pretty easy for me. In Spain it has been a lot harder because Spanish are big meat eaters and vegetarianism is not as big there as in other European countries like Germany or the UK. However I think it is becoming bigger even there as awareness for animal cruelty and the detrimental environmental impacts of the meat industry becomes more widespread. Although I did not eat any meat I did have a lot of fish which is something I want to cut down on my next trip. When I cook for myself or order food at a restaurant I never order fish but it is a bit harder when I am with my family because my mum usually cooks big lunch meals for us all. It is all about the little steps. On this trip to Spain I realized at the end of it that my entire family had eaten almost no meat because of me! It especially became clear when I saw this table setting before lunch

My next challenge is to cut down dairy. So far I have been doing well in replacing cow milk yogurts with soya yogurts (which on the most I find great tastewise if they are fruit flavors… the natural ones I have more trouble adjusting to). In terms of milk, Rocio and I have been making our own almond milk or buying soya milk. I only like soya milk when I make it with maccha tea (below), otherwise I don’t really like it alone.

Other recipes we have been trying out include hummus with beetroot (I forgot to take pictures this time but soon I will make another one with more pictures), several couscous recipes (Rocio’s attempt to recreate some Moroccan magic after her trip to Marrakesh, Agadir and Essouira) and tomato soup (pictures to come).