ME = Meat Free Monday

So I finally saw Julie & Julia.  A very sweet film about a young woman [Julie Powell] who was inspired by a woman whom she didn't know [Julia Child] and in spite of their never meeting one another, Julia Child inspired Julie Powell to change her life by thinking out of the box and doing something new in order to find self actualization.  Well as I've said before, I am carnivorous but I do enjoy the occasional vegetarian/vegan meal.

I am consistently surprised by the fantastic meal alternatives to meat.  Today in my support of the Meat Free Monday campaign that was initiated by Sir Paul McCartney [a long time vegetarian] I am going to share a recipe and a restaurant.  Now, I'm not a vegetarian so I'm not trying to convert you all into becoming one either.  I just love veggie recipes.  So I share my new passion with you.

Try this meat alternative meal tonight for you family - recipe I copied directly from the Meat Free Monday web site www.supportmfm.org

Spinach Pie ( Enough to serve 7 people)

Ingredients:

Pastry:
plain flour - 340g
butter - 170g
iced water to bind

Mix:
Onion, peeled and sliced - 2
Butter - 30g
Potato, peeled 2cm cube & par cook - 1ech
English spinach, picked & blanched - 180g
Montgomery cheddar, grated - 285g
Eggs - 3
Double cream - 6tblsp
Thyme/ parsley - few springs
Nutmeg - trace

Method:

Caramelise the onions with thyme. Cool. Rough chop spinach and add to onions and potato once cooled. Add remaining ingredients and season maybe with a little pepper easy on salt as cheese is salty.

Roll pastry out and line a mould as you would for a pork pie.

Bake 200c for 25 minutes

SERVE WITH PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI TOSSED IN EVO & LEMON JUICE ON A WOODEN BOARD.

THIS DISH IS TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SHOT OF ASPALS APPLE CYDER.

Also my friend T recently introduced me to a fun joint in L.A. called Pure Luck whose logo is a cute pig [of all things.]  I was intrigued when T told me that I had to try their sandwiches/wraps because they were made from a fruit that when prepared  correctly, looks like meat. You all know that I had to try this meat-fruit.  So, I did and was very impressed because after some research this meat-fruit is actually Jackfruit.  Jackfruit can simulate the LOOK of pulled pork or shredded beef.  But it tastes like what it is cooked in much like escargot (snail).  If you cook them in butter or in my case BBQ sauce, it tastes like BBQ'd meat.  That may be a tad hard to picture so I've provided a photo of a BBQ Jackfruit "pulled-pork" sandwich:

Well I can confirm that it is delicious.  I even took a piece of the fruit, rubbed off the sauce and ate it 'plain.'
it was tasty without sauce as well.  Those are sweet potato fries, pinto beans, onions, cilantro and pickles on a gluten free bread.  So for the nay-sayers out there, you CAN have thoroughly satisfying vegetarian and vegan meals without missing the taste and effects of meat.  FREE YOUR MIND today and an animal while you're at it.

[Disclaimer: I have no relationship of any kind with Pure Luck or the Meat Free Monday organization.  I'm just spreading the word.]