Soy Sautéed Zucchini and "Meat"balls

Salty, savory, sautéed vegetables may be my favorite thing in the whole entire world. I had rarely used soy sauce to sauté vegetables before this recipe but from now on, I am using it instead of oil. This recipe puts any spaghetti and meatball recipe to shame! Tasty zucchini "noodles" with fried black bean "meat"balls? Let's get cookin'! So.

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchini squash          ($1.57)
• 1 cup pasta sauce         ($0.75)
• 1 cup black beans         ($0.12)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil       
• ⅛ cup breadcrumbs 
• 4 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 handful of oats
• 2 tsp. garlic powder

Preparation:

Slice the zucchini into strips. 

Sauté the sliced zucchini in 2 tbsp. soy sauce until tender.

Place the black beans, oats, garlic powder, and 2 tbsp. soy sauce in a bowl and smash them all together. If you like your balls with a little texture, leave some of the beans whole while still creating a mostly smooth mixture.

Roll the bean mixture into spheres. 

Coat the balls with breadcrumbs.

Heat the oil on medium and when it is hot, fry the balls for 5 minutes, turning occasionally. For a crispier shell, fry for about 7 minutes, or until dark brown. Be careful of the small breadcrumb debris that will fall off. If this stays in the oil for too long it will burn and start smoking and the fire alarm will go off and a fire truck will come and you will have to say it was a false alarm and you will be embarrassed and dinner will be delayed and everything will be cold. 

Heat the pasta sauce. (Yes, I used the microwave out of convenience, but I would normally place it on medium-low in a small saucepan for 5 minutes.)

Layer all of the ingredients and serve!

For an amazingly low price of $2.49, this flavor extravaganza is well worth the work! The beanballs may actually be prepared ahead of time without the breadcrumbs. Just place in the fridge for up to 2 days. I am going to try this recipe with yellow squash next time. Feel free to send in suggestions or your own additions! 

Did you know?

Going vegan or vegetarian has a plethora of health benefits. Lowering the risk of heart disease, cancer, hypertension, obesity, strokes, osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney disease, and numerous other serious illnesses, a plant based diet has been shown to be key to a long life. Fewer animals are harmed or killed in consuming only vegetables, fruits, and grains. The meat and dairy industry are the biggest drain on the environment and vegans and vegetarians greatly lower carbon emissions, thus having a minuscule carbon footprint. 

As if these benefits were not enough to make any sensible member of the human species convert to veganism or vegetarianism, Australia is now offering discounted health insurance for avoiding meat! Brian Jones, the managing director in Cheltenham of Make a Difference Insurance says, "Life insurance premiums are calculated based on several factors, including family medical history, lifestyle choices such as alcohol and nicotine intake, so surely a vegetarian or vegan diet should be considered, too.” A discount of up to 20% off premium rates is offered for participants with a qualifying dietary intake. 

sources: Ecorazzi and Herald Sun

Couscous Concoction

I have recently discovered and fell in love with couscous, especially Israeli couscous. This pasta-like wheat product is as delicious as it is fun to say! Here is a quick, easy, filling, and hearty dinner idea. 

Ingredients:

• 1 box Israeli couscous          ($1.99)
• 2 yellow squash                     ($1.52)
• 2 zucchini squash                  ($1.52)
• 1 large can of black beans    ($1.75)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Israeli Couscous with black beans, squash, and zucchini 

Preparation:

For the proportions on cooking the couscous, refer to the box. Brown the couscous in (vegan) butter for 5 minutes. Add the water and a dash of salt and bring to a boil. When rolling, turn the heat to medium low and cover for 10 minutes. While the couscous is cooking, heat the contents of of the can of black beans on medium low. Slice the squash and zucchini lengthwise to get thin circles. Sauté in oil or (vegan) butter until tender. When the squash and zucchini are done, drain the beans and sprinkle the garlic powder on top. Serves 4.  

What a colorful couscous concoction! 

Did you know?

WARNING! The following contains mildly graphic content. It is so important to me that I am including this in my recipe blog, but I do not wish to disturb anyone with blood and guts. The images have light blood and that is all. RESUME.

Growing up, the typical quick-and-easy go-to dinner dish was chicken of some sort with [insert frozen or canned vegetable here]. Fast food was another option that was inexpensive, quick, and effort free! I used to love eating chicken nuggets with ketchup, mustard, honey, and even hot sauce! My brother and I had a plan to go to every fast food "restaurant" and order 50 chicken nuggets and devour them ALL! This means 25 little nuggets of chicken "flesh" decomposing in our stomachs. When I think about how much meat I used to eat I cringe. If I had only known the harm I was doing to my body and to the poor animals, I would never have picked up my first "nugget". 

Speaking of nuggets, current standards on chicken nuggets are horrifying. This article from VegNews suggests that there is only 50% actual meat in chicken nuggets, leaving the other 50% for fat, connective tissue, bone shards, and blood vessels. These "nuggets" are consumed daily by young children and adults alike. 

This is just the finished product. The source of these "nuggets" is even worse. Most people like to think the chickens are free to graze about and wander as they please; they eat the best corn meal and have free, unlimited access to the chicken gym, bird pool, and entertainment room. 

"How big is the area where the chickens are able to roam free?"

As referenced in Portlandia, people want their chickens to have led happy, friend-filled, organic lives in a utopian farm setting; with a diet of local hazelnuts, the chickens seem to be enjoying life until it is time to be slaughtered. This is far from the truth. From birth to death, none of the humans in charge of the chickens care about its health or well-being; they even turn a blind eye to unsanitary conditions. If transport is needed, chickens face long, cramped hours on a truck exposed to extreme weather conditions. 

Some cages have 3 chickens, some have 13.

When the chickens get to the farm, if it can even be considered a farm, they are placed in even smaller cages, with chickens literally standing on top of other chickens; they defecate and urinate on each other. 

Factory farming of chickens

If a chicken gets scared it will claw and peck its cage mates, sometimes even to death. This chicken may be left in the cage for days upon weeks. Little attention is given to the horrid conditions; the chickens are just thought of as $$$$$$.

Sometimes, dead chickens are STILL used and processed as "meat"
The workers just throw the dead carcass into the grinder

The slaughtering process is very cruel. Every factory farm performs the murder differently, but common kill methods include submersion in boiling water, decapitation while hanging upside down, and a quick piston shot through the brain. Blood and guts are literally splattered everywhere in these farms and I reiterate that no care is paid to sanitation. 

Assembly line in a factory farm for chickens
Is this what you think of when you eat McDonald's Chicken McNuggets?
Remember that nuggets are only required to be 50% chicken meat

After educating myself with numerous documentaries like Vegucated, Forks over Knives, Food Inc., and Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, I realized that I must push for change; my body is degrading and chickens are being mistreated and contaminated in the "food" we consume. 

If you are interested in any of the topics discussed here or anything relating to veganism, recipes, health, or life in general, feel free to comment and I will gladly have a nice conversation with you! Thank you for reading.

*photo credits* - Chicken Farm Nugget Truck Factory Farm Chickens Dead Chicken Chickens on a Wire 

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