Impossible Task

Well I hope your Earth week was wonderful.  I discovered Impossible meat this Earth week.  As you may or may not know, Will and I have been trying to eat vegetarian more this year (specifically 2 days a week minimum).  It’s going pretty well so far, but I got into a rut over the last month by making the same 4 things over and over again because they’re quick and easy and I have most of the ingredients on hand.  So back to the impossible meat scenario – while I am cutting down animal meat consumption, I’m really not sure I can give meat up forever right now and succeed (unless forced to).  I have an attachment to food.  Eating comfort foods from my childhood and cooking Will’s favorite meals to perfection are two of the reasons I don’t think I could become a full blown vegetarian.  Something like impossible meat could help me here.  The main thing I’ll have to get over is that I pride myself on being a fairly daring, non-picky eater.  On the days of the week when I eat vegetarian, I get that FOMO feeling when someone orders an exotic sushi dish and offers me a bite.  On top of all that, sometimes the way I do vegetarian is not particularly healthy!  I really hate when manufacturers of a vegetarian product replace a natural ingredient with partially hydrogenated so and so or more sugar to replace the meat flavor.  Gross.

All that being said I salute all of you who have gone full vegetarian!  Thank you for saving the world.  Someday I’ll need some advice on how to make the transition myself, but I’m not there yet.  Meanwhile if any of you vegetarians or non-vegetarians want to try a meat lover approved version of vegan lentil soup, please give the below a try.  The best part of the recipe below is it’s one of those “fix and forget” recipes that you can throw in the crockpot in the morning, and come home to for dinner in the evening.

Vegan Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 14.5oz can tomato sauce + 4 cans water
• 2 tsp dried oregano 
• 3 bay leaves (remember not to eat these)
• 3 tsp of veggie better than boullion or 3 veggie boullion cubes (better than boullion imparts a very tomato-ey flavor to the soup.  
• 1 lb bag of lentils, soaked overnight then rinsed.  
• 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 sticks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped

Mix all ingredients into a crock pot.  Cook on low for 10 hours.  Stir then add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with crusty rolls topped with butter (or earth balance vegan butter spread). 

After I wrote this blog post I somehow can’t find any pictures of my lentil soup, even though I am positive I took some.  I will update with some photos in the future.  In the meantime, here’s little bear: