reinventing the side dish

I'm not sharing any recipes today; just some random thoughts I've been having about food this morning. It's been a few weeks since I got back up on the meatless wagon and I've managed to stay there, which I'm proud of. Yesterday, we attended a 50th birthday party for my brother. His wife had ordered all sorts of smoked meats and pulled pork. This is usually what a meatless eater encounters at parties. Thankfully, there was macaroni and cheese, baked beans, corn bread and salads. The meat smelled good but I looked at it and didn't long to have any of it on my plate. I guess I'm making some progress.

This morning I woke up and found myself thinking about food. When I was eating meat, it became the main attraction of my meal and the side dishes took a back seat; almost an afterthought. But now that I'm eating meatless, the side dishes have become my main dishes. I no longer look at a mound of plain rice as a complete meal. I'm almost forced to reinvent the wheel so to speak. I have to find new ways to incorporate more items in to the rice. When I was eating meat, I would get bored to tears if I ate chicken every night. The same goes with tofu. I love it, but I get bored eating it all the time. One thing that has been helping me immensely is to look at meat recipes and exchange the meat for mock beef strips or tofu. I enjoy getting creative with my cooking and finding solutions to keep meatless eating a satisfying and healthy experience.