Vegetarian?

So, The Boy and I are currently on the cusp of vegetarianism.

We have been doing our best to eat both locally and organically since even before we were going out, but recently The Boy felt as though being a vegetarian was the next step.

Frankly, I was scared I would miss meat. Sorry to all you vegetarians out there, but I loved me some steak, chicken was my stand-by, and pork products were heaven. Fish was only on occasion and a fully vegetarian meal meant pasta.

Then, I started talking to my cousin who is vegetarian, and she was able to siphon off some recipes on the spot which she loved. Next, I read Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals- which I reviewed for y'all about a month ago. After reading his novel, I began to realize that vegetarianism is not just a "animal rights" issue- eating animals (conventional animals, especially) creates an environmental impact as well: communities, human health, animal health, and more.

In short, things started falling into place and The Boy and I are now making a conscious effort to eat vegetarian about 4 or 5 days out of the week. It isn't a lot but it is something. And usually, those other two or three days, we are eating fish. Chicken is now a treat- only occurring once a week (if that) , and beef and pork are almost unheard of in our diet.

And, I have to admit: I Don't Miss Meat. I love Vegetables. I feel as though I have more energy, I feel healthier, more alert and I have been loosing weight with speed.

One more admission: I love finding new vegetarian recipes,making dinner for friends and family who are not expecting a vegetarian meal (tell someone who eats meat the meal you will be preparing is vegetarian and they assume they will be eating rabbit food)- and everyone ends up LOVING it.

I feel like I am converting people every day.

In any case, so today I will share with you one of my favorite quick and easy vegetarian meals:

BLACK BEAN AND TOASTED CORN TACOS

1 cup cooked organic black beans
1/2 cup prepared organic salsa
2 cloves of organic garlic, minced
2.5 tsp. ground organic cumin, divided
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup frozen organic corn kernels, thawed.
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 6-inch whole-wheat tortillas (Whole Foods carries a 365 brand)
12 organic baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup jarred organic roasted red pepper strips
1/4 cup coarsely chopped organic cilantro
2 small organic green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)

1. Bring beans, salsa, garlic, and 1 tsp. cumin to a simmer in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft.

2. Heat skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with olive oil cooking spray. Wrap corn in paper towels, and squeeze out excess water. Add corn to skillet in a single layer, then sprinkle the remaining 1.5 tsp. of cumin, as well as the black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Cook 5 or 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy, stirring frequently.

3. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350. Toast the tortillas for one minute to soften. Fill each tortilla with 1/4 beans, 1/4 cup corn, 4 spinach leaves, red pepper strips, cilantro, and green onions. Top each taco with cheese, if using.

((per serving -2 tacos- 362 calories, 14G protein, 4G total fat, 74G carbs,, 0 MG Cholesterol, 904MG Sodium, 14G Fiber, 9G sugars))

This recipe & picture are courtesy of Vegetarian Times.