What I [got him to eat] Wednesday
Some people eat meat, some people don’t. I don’t. And to be honest, I don’t really care if other people do. It’s just not my thing.
But what I don’t understand, is when someone won’t not eat meat.
Some people are literally opposed to eating a dinner without meat. Maybe it’s to exasperate me. Or maybe it’s because some people just love Lunchables (you think I’m kidding? I’m not.), but whatever the reason, it’s quite a challenge to convince some people that a vegetarian dinner can be quite good. I knew I had a challenging mouth to feed.
Thankfully, my twitterbuds came to my rescue, once again. After lots of ideas, one particular suggestion rose to the top:
Mama Pea’s Chickpea Tacos
(Mama Pea also just published a cookbook, so you should totally check that out too.)
My guy friend (who is opposed to all things vegetarian) had never had chickpeas before. So I knew this was a risk. But I did it anyway.
The guy topped his with cheese…
I kept it simple with beans and lettuce. You can’t see the chickpeas, but I swear they’re in there
I liked the chickpeas so much, I ate some on the side.
Although the guy was hesitant, at first, to say anything positive about this dinner, he did go back for seconds. I’d say that speaks for itself 😉
Anyways, vegetarian or not, everyone loves nut butter.
(Actually, that’s not true, but they should.) And last night I was in the mood to make a new kind of almond butter. Don’t get me wrong, I love plain old A-butter, but I was in the mood to spice it up.
Cinnamon Swirl Almond Butter
- 1 cup of almonds
- 2 tbsp date sugar (you could probably use brown sugar)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt (omit if your almonds are already salted)
- pinch of nutmeg
Does anyone have tips to get “totally-opposed-to-anything-not-meat”-eaters to try new foods?
<3 Liz
You and I definitely think along the same lines and I have the exact same issue with my hubby. I was a meat eater when we met and he can’t understand the whole concept of vegetarian. He’s a farm boy and likes his dinners to consist of meat & potatoes I don’t care what he eats although I’d like him to be conscious of where it comes from and to be a little open-minded to meatless meals….we are a work in progress 🙂
I love chickpeas! They’ve been in every other meal I’ve made this week…
My immediate family is still trying to wrap their heads around the fact that I only eat meat maybe 3 or 4 times a week. It’s hopeless!
Those chickpea tacos sounds like a great idea. I often make my mum a 3 bean chilli but she quite likes veggie food.
My boyfriend is the same way. If it’s meatless then he thinks he’s being deprived. I first snuck soy crumbles into his tacos and he was none the wiser. And I’ve found that he’ll eat plenty of meatless pasta dishes.
i’ve started cooking half the amount of meat i used to to help wean my hubby down to a smaller amount. i never said anything and half the time he never even notices he has way less meat. then gradually i’ll start totally phasing it out!
I think the baby steps are a good idea!
My boyfriend was a not so healthy eater before we moved in together. He didn’t really hae choice one we moved in..because I cooked all the time. Now – he actually enjoys the healthy eats!
Chickpea tacos are so much fun! When people hear I’m vegan, they usually mourn my lack of mexican food. Um, excuse me, but veggie tacos, especially using Mama Pea’s recipe, are fantastic! As for the almond butter, you had me at anything with cinnamon and almonds. Hello, favorite foods!
There are SO many delicious vegan foods out there! They’re healthy AND tasty!
My husband is very much the same – I’ve started using quorn instead – I’ve used the argument that its cheaper and easier to cook with (i.e. that you can just use it straight from frozen) he likes it so I must be doing something right!
Yes, exactly! Chickpeas are cheaper than chicken! haha
I eat meat, but I’ve been trying to incorporate other veggie protein sources as well. I’ve come to realize a lot of the alternatives are just as yummy or tastier than some meats! I think if people are open to trying new things, they should totally go for it. By the way, that almond butter looks so delicious 😛
My grandparents are kind of like that too. I just started serving more beans, lentils, eggs for dinner explaining that there is protein in those foods. Sometimes those foods have more protein then meat 🙂 that almond butter looks amazing!