Veg Girl RD - Vegetarian food...in your home, your neighborhood, your region, your world.

May 4, 2013
by Kristine
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My 5 Favorite Recipe Blogs That Might Be Your Favorite Too

I was taking a peek at my site the other day, trying to look at it critically and with fresh eyes, when I realized my blogroll was woefully out of date. I made the list when I originally started this blog, which was over a year ago. Since then, I’ve subscribed to, stumbled upon, looked forward to and become a fan of some new favorites. So, I started a list and updated the links for my favorite recipe blogs. While I was at it, I figured a recommendation from a friend for good reading or good eating is nearly always appreciated, so I decided to turn the new list into a post of its own. That way I can highlight them for you and really give them the attention they deserve. Continue Reading →

Chipotle vegetarian bowl to go with chips and a drink

April 21, 2013
by Kristine
6 Comments

My Top 5 Picks for Mostly Healthy and Vegetarian Fast Food

I’ve been waiting a long time for this. For years I’ve been wishing that someone would come up with a fast food restaurant that serves healthy stuff. I’m not the only one, of course. As the connection between diet and disease gained more footing in the health community, more of us started getting hungry for tasty, convenient options that weren’t so closely tied to obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure. But, there was always the argument that when push comes to shove, no one really wants to choose salad over French fries just because they should, which meant no one would buy it. Well, the winds of change must be blowing in the right direction, because I can think of 5 great options for meatless (and mostly healthy) fast food meals, easy. Continue Reading →

Carmelita special with Brussels sprouts and house made sriracha

April 11, 2013
by Kristine
4 Comments

A Vegetarian in Seattle: Carmelita

“What do you eat?”

That’s the standard question you get when someone finds out you’re a vegetarian. In a country where most people survive on the S.A.D. – Standard American Diet – of fried meat, processed meat and lunch meat, envisioning a dinner plate without beef or pork seems an impossible task. If you tell someone you’ve eliminated the standards like hamburgers, chicken breast, and meatloaf it’s hard for them to imagine what’s left.

I think the natural assumption is that if there’s no meat, there must not be much to choose from and what is available is boring and unsatisfying. Of course, if you’re the vegetarian, you know that’s not true. There are tons of wonderful things to eat. But sometimes it’s hard to explain without a little show and tell; seeing is believing. That’s why I wish I could take everyone I know to a place like Carmelita Vegetarian Restaurant and Bar. If everybody could experience the incredible way this place creates a meal with no meat in sight, they’d never look at vegetables the same way again. (Maybe we need a slogan: Beets. It’s What’s For Dinner.) Continue Reading →

April 2, 2013
by Kristine
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A Vegetarian in Seattle: Rione XIII

The best food I ever had, bar none, was in Italy. My eating life so far has been made up of about 2,000 weeks and I can still remember nearly every bite of the one in Italy. Someday I’ll have to write a post about all that glorious food from our trip in 2009, but today I’ll just focus on one of the standout dishes we were introduced to in Rome: cacio e pepe. Cheese, black pepper, olive oil and al dente noodles come together in one mouth-watering dish. Jeff and I ate it every chance we got in the Eternal City and dreamed about it after we got home. My homemade attempts were close, but no cigar, so I am thrilled to tell you that I found a restaurant in Seattle that makes the most authentic version of my beloved peppery pasta this side of the Atlantic: Rione XIII.

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Piece of cauliflower on fork with tahini sauce

March 21, 2013
by Kristine
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A Vegetarian in Phoenix: Pita Jungle

I hold side dishes in high regard. This is because I know I can nearly always make myself happy with a meal built of a side of this and a side of that. I even have a bit of a reputation among certain friends for taking the longest to order. They wait good-naturedly while I’m listing off sixteen (or so it seems) side dishes, pausing in between each one to give the waitperson enough time to get them all scribbled down. It probably started back when I first tried eating out as a vegetarian. Pulling together some acceptable items piecemeal was the norm at many meat-centric American eateries. You have to be willing to look a little deeper into the menu to find them, but you can discover some side dishes that really standout. Continue Reading →