{FOOD} EATING PESCETARIAN AT THE CASA

The week before we left for New Orleans (a post coming on that soon, I promise), we ate only vegetarian. Since coming back from vacation, we've been eating pescetarian and enjoying it quite a lot. The problem is that I am a meat cooker. The majority of my tried and true recipes center around pork, chicken, and beef. I don't really know how to cook hearty, healthy meals that don't have a major meat component. I've asked my friends on Facebook and Twitter to point me in the right direction, and with their help I've managed to find a number of recipes (both meals, side dishes, and snack items) that I think are worth looking into.

Veggie-Packed Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup | Amuse Your Bouche

Slow Cooker Black Bean Pumpkin Chili | Kitchen Treaty

Southwestern Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing | two peas & their pod

black beans with roasted tomatoes and feta | Annie's Eats

Cumin Lime Black Bean Quinoa Salad | oh she glows

BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS WITH AVOCADO SAUCE | Amuse Your Bouche

Shrimp Dumplings | Damn Delicious

Paprika Parsnip Fries | a house in the hills

Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties | a house in the hills

One-Pot Vegan Pasta | Minimalist Baker

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI WITH BALSAMIC-SAGE BROWN BUTTER | Aida Mollenkamp

SPICY MISO RAMEN-EXPRESS | We Are Lady and Pups

Loaded Sweet Potato Rounds | A Couple Cooks

Mozzarella Arancini with Spicy Marinara Sauce | What Jessica Baked Next

STIR FRIED SINGAPORE NOODLES WITH GARLIC GINGER SAUCE | Pinch of Yum

FIREY COLD SICHUAN SESAME NOODLE | We Are Lady and Pups

Crispy Baked Parmesan Green Bean Fries | Dashing Dish

Mushroom Quinoa Burgers with Roasted Garlic & Thyme Mayonnaise | Delicious everyday

Apple and Poppyseed Coleslaw | Damn Delicious

Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese | The Comfort of Cooking

Spinach Artichoke Pesto Pizza | two peas & their pod

sage polenta bowls with roasted brussels sprouts & wild mushrooms | Oh My Veggies

Vegan Wontons with Tofu Crumbs and Shiitake Mushrooms | divine healthy food

cheese tortellini bake with roasted broccoli | Oh My Veggies

African Peanut Soup | Oh My Veggies

Cod With Asparagus En Papillote | yumsugar

One thing Alan asked me to focus on with this new way of eating is to go light on the carbs. As you can see from the recipes above, that's not exactly an easy thing to do. Yes you can have a salad - we love salads! - but you can't really eat salad for every meal and still love them. So, we need to be smart about this so that we're not packing on the pounds from a bunch of carbs. 

I shouldn't have to say it, but I think it's pretty obvious that this way of eating is not about getting skinny for me. For the past five years I have had a lot of dietary and gastro problems. I've tried a lot of other "diets" that have been successful for people with similar ailments to myself, but so far have not found the magic bullet. I don't know that eating pescetarian is going to be something we do long term, but I'm interested in seeing what health benefits we can derive from it. I can tell you that with the few weeks we've been doing it that I have noticed some changes that I don't think are safe to chalk up to coincidence. For the longest time we thought gluten was a problem for me, and while I do have an intolerance to it in some form, it's not the killer that it can be for others I know. And all that meat in Paleo? Well, it's fun but it caused its own problems for me. This pescetarian diet is having the exact opposite effect on some of my gastro problems, so it's definitely safe to say that my issues can be controlled with food. I just need to find out which is the best method of control.

I'm in the process of looking for a naturopath - I need one that isn't a kumbayah hippie (I'm kind of with Cartman on that), but also someone that respects the idea that the body is a profounding complex thing that can be nourished or starved based on what you give it. We'll see. In the meantime, if you have any pescetarian, vegetairan, or vegan recipes that you've tried and loved, I'd love for you to post them in the comments to be added to this post.