The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
As a child, I didn’t accept the fact that humans weren’t carnivorous. I didn’t know that vegetables weren’t out to poison me. It took me quite a few years to understand that there are some people that didn’t eat like I liked to eat and now in college, I’ve actually made friends with some of “them.” They are, gasp, vegetarians!
Initially when I learned about vegetarians, it was in my eighth grade health class when discussing “what we’re supposed to eat,” the food pyramid and all that jazz. I learned that there are different types of vegetarians–some eat fish, others don’t eat chicken eggs, and yet some go further and abstain from consuming any animal products and are labeled vegans. That blew my raptor-like middle school mind.
It is important to understand vegetarianism and veganism as someone that cooks for others. For me, learning to cook for vegetarians became important because I started to make friends who were vegetarians and I wanted them to eat what I would make, instead of being hungry while I tried to eat a ham by myself.
When making food for a party or potluck, I would make one vegetarian dish and one dish with meat.
In reality, the cuisine isn’t at all different. There are black bean burgers, soy hot dogs, tofu and other meat-like materials made from soy that can replace meat in recipes. And if you’re really missing meat after eating a single vegetarian meal, I think you need to get your cholesterol checked because not having meat in one meal is the least of your problems.
This recipe is an altered version of a chicken potpie that I threw together in desperation before a friend’s potluck. It’s so wickedly simple because for the pastry we’ll use Bisquick so we don’t have to bother with making a proper pastry crust. There was success in the simplicity of the dish so I pass on the recipe for you to try.
Though I’m still an omnivore with carnivorous leanings, I have sympathy and respect for those who choose an herbivorous lifestyle. You just have to think though, “Thank goodness we’re not dinosaurs.”
Tofu Pot Pie
Ingredients:
1 package firm or extra firm tofu
2 c. of assorted frozen vegetables (I recommend peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and green beans)
1 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. Bisquick baking mix
½ c. milk
1 egg
2 tsp. butter
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the tofu into cubes and mix with the frozen vegetables, cream of mushroom soup, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spread the mixture on the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan (or you could use multiple loaf pans).
3. Mix the Bisquick with the milk and egg (use a splash of milk if the Bisquick appears too dry) and pour on top of chicken mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until top turns golden brown.
4. Melt the butter a couple minutes before the pot pie is finished and drizzle on top of the crust.
Jordan Lorraine
Reporter
