Day 12

Day 12. I'm discovering that my old myth that it's too daunting to come up with recipes and cook meatless meals is proving to be completely untrue. For starters, there are thousands of recipes on line and an abundance of books at the local library and book store. There were hardly any good sources of vegetarian inspiration 15 years ago. Now, the Universe is bursting with healthy ideas.

My project this week is to rearrange my pantry so that I have at least one shelf that houses my vegetarian staples like: beans, rice, pasta, curry paste, nuts, olives, dried fruits, cooking oils and seasonings. I truly believe that part of the ease of preparing my meals is directly related to the ingredients being easily found in the kitchen. With that being said, I whipped up a quick batch of pasta last night. Monday and Wednesday nights are softball nights so I don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. I need something quick when we get through the front door at 7:45. I cooked up some medium shells, sauteed some fresh vegetables and tossed it all together with a roasted red pepper alfredo sauce. My sister-in-law told me about a simple salad she makes. She shreds lettuce in to cole slaw style strips and tosses it with lemon juice, a little olive oil, sea salt, garlic and pepper. I had myself an awesome meal and it really took a minimal amount of time to prepare.