It’s Lent so I’ll start this blog by saying back in college, I attempted to go vegetarian for the duration of Lent. Back then I assumed that being vegetarian was all about salads soy products. I made it through but I wasn’t too happy. I would have soy cold cut sandwiches that were just nasty & I had to douse them in ketchup just to mask the taste.

I clearly needed more education in what being a vegetarian was all about. I admit that since I moved out here & have been cooking more, I have a better appreciation, but I still have a long way to go. With that being said, I was more than happy when Michael of South Bay Foodies asked me to be a judge at a Vegetarian cook off he was hosting.

First up was a homemade egg noodle pasta with marinara which had a hint of brown sugar which gave the sauce a sweet taste to counter the spiciness that it also gave off. Yes we were off to a good start.

Next up was a Greek salad which was very fresh but I thought could use just a little bit more flavor. Nonetheless it was a good effort. I’ve never met a Greek salad I didn’t like!

The next dish was one of my favorites for the evening. A vegetable curry over rice. I liked this dish because not only could the vegetables be switched up to your liking, but it gave me a new appreciation for curry. I have never been a fan of curry until that evening when I found out that there’s in fact different types of curries out there: Indian, Thai, Japanese & more than likely a lot more too.

Up next was the first prize winner, a smoothie made from baby spinach, bananas, and strawberry. What was cool about this drink is that it used no milk so it’s a go for those of us out there with sensitive stomachs. Also the smoothie was guaranteed to keep you full since there was a cup of spinach in there to begin with. It definitely refreshed the palate after the curry dish.

Another pasta dish which included sun dried tomato, onions, artichoke, Parmesan cheese, and broccoli was next. I really liked how colorful this dish was. All the different veggies definitely made it healthy. Like the curry, the veggies here could also be switched out to the diner’s preference.

The final dish of the evening was an apple with wild rice stuffing. This was like Thanksgiving in the off season. All the aromas and flavors of one of the biggest holidays of the year were present, but without all of the bloating and regret that it comes with. Instead, just a slice of the feast that could be enjoyed all year round.

I really enjoyed being a part of this evening. It was nice to taste different vegetarian food & in turn, learn more about it. I’m glad to know that you can in fact get full after eating vegetarian food, that it’s not just salads! It was also neat to see what each participant came up with.

Thank you once again Michael at South Bay Foodies for inviting me to participate!