Semi-veganism, Italian style

Since my resolution last winter to only consume meat from sustainable sources, my meals of cheeseburgers, chicken pot pie, and even meatballs, have been few and far between. Going “almost meatless” wasn’t a drastic step for me, considering that I’ve tended toward meat-free meals since I started cooking for myself. As the New Year arrived, I started itching for a new challenge.

Around the same time, Mark Bittman of the New York Times wrote a short piece on “semi-veganism.” For better health, he wrote, try to avoid all animal products just once a week. Not only is meat off the menu, but so are milk, eggs, cheese, and more. This is not a lifestyle I could sustain long term (some of my favorite foods are ice cream and peanut butter!), but I loved the idea of incorporating vegan meals into my diet.

That wasn’t enough, though, to motivate me to find and make a vegan recipe. I needed another push to get onto the semi-veganism bandwagon. It came a few weeks later when I read Having Faith by biologist/ecologist Sandra Steingraber. The nonfiction book tracks Steingraber’s first pregnancy through her scientist eyes revealing the many environmental dangers that threaten the baby. One fact from the book that I can’t get out of my head is the status of breast milk as “the most contaminated of all human foods.” Environmental toxins concentrate as they move up the food chain. We ingest more toxins eating animals and animal products than we do eating vegetables, which are lower on the chain. (You can read my full review of Having Faith on Goodreads.)

Inspired — and more than a little alarmed — I referred back to Bittman’s piece to review his recipes for the semi-vegan. I found the most familiar recipe (Pasta, Beans and Tomatoes) and tweaked it based on ingredients we already had at home. Here’s how I made it last night: Sauté a clove of minced garlic in olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup of canned tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, or until saucy; add 1 cup of cannellini beans and heat until bubbly. Add another clove of minced garlic, then half a box of cooked elbow macaroni. Add some dried basil and a bit more oil and serve. Makes enough for two big dinner portions and is best eaten with a spoon.

(Note: I used Muir Glen canned tomatoes because they don’t contain BPA. See my earlier post on BPA in canned tomatoes.)

This was an Italian-style dish — though the cheese is notably absent. Andrew added some to his dish, but I didn’t even miss it. Without the cheese to overpower the other flavors, I enjoyed the light and delicious tastes of tomatoes and garlic and basil. If every vegan meal tasted like this, I might (might!) be tempted to ditch cheese altogether.

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