Flexitarian, a word coined in the mid 1990s, is a nod to folks who see advantages to a vegetarian lifestyle -- for health or environmental reasons, for instance -- but are not willing to swear off meat entirely. The approach calls for eating mostly food derived from plants, but being flexible about occasionally eating meat.
Vegan, a term that has been around much longer, refers to a vegetarian who forswears eating any food derived from a creature, including dairy products or eggs as well as flesh.
In between are people who don't eat red meat, but will eat poultry and/or fish; vegetarians who don't eat "anything with a face," but will eat eggs and cheese.
And while on the topic of food rules, those who follow a kosher diet do not mix meat with dairy. (Having a strict kosher kitchen involves more than the type of food chosen, but separating meat and dairy is a basic rule.)
Flexitarians are often interested in offering food that their vegetarian, meat-eating, vegan and kosher-keeping friends and family can enjoy without making a big deal.
The Flexitarian Solution is Beans and Rice
Nutritionists refer to the proteins in plants as "incomplete," compared to the more "complete" proteins in meat. But the proteins in rice complement the proteins in beans and other legumes in such a way as to make protein that is as complete as any hunk of sirloin. It's not an accident that dishes of rice with beans or peas are featured in many cuisines arising in poorer cultures that cannot afford to eat the family cow.
Many such "po' folks' food"-- such as the famous New Orleans recipes of red beans and rice or Southern Cooking's hoppin' john, made with black-eyed peas and rice -- also feature seasoning with cheap cuts of meat or animal parts not usually thought of as food (pig lips, hog jowls, for instance).
But with the right accompaniments, beans and rice can make a hearty, well-seasoned vegetarian entree that could cause meat-eaters to forget what's not there. Beans and rice can also masquerade as a side dish, while offering an unobtrusive main-dish alternative to the vegetarian invited to a barbecue.
Umami: Foods That Impart "Meaty" Flavor
"Umami" is a Japanese word that means "yummy," and refers to what scientists now believe is the "fifth taste" -- joining sweet, salty, sour and bitter. For more than 100 years chefs like Auguste Escoffier and scientists such as Dr. Kikunae Ikeda (who examined the chemical compounds in dashi, Japanese seaweed soup) have argued and demonstrated the presence of this "fifth taste." In the last few decades, scientists have found physical evidence that humans have the capacity to taste certain amino acids -- and find that they enhance the flavor of food. Monosodium glutimate is perhaps the most famous of these compounds.
Meat is full of umami chemicals, so it isn't surprising that other synonyms for this basic taste are "meaty" and "savory." But some vegetables also have umami compounds. Mushrooms, tomatoes and seaweed are among those most often mentioned. Corn and bell peppers also offer umami flavor, according to Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered and licensed dietitian and author of the best-selling cookbook, The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease and Add Years to Your Life (2009).
Add umami-rich aged cheese such as cheddar or parmesan, and you have a dish loaded with nutrition and salivating savory taste.
Fiesta Beans and Rice
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1-2 bell peppers (combination of red, green or gold) chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 3/4 cup water
- 3 Roma or plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 2 Tablespoons commercial chipotle salsa
- 1 Tablespoon Southwest seasoning*
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper (optional)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 (15 1/2 oz) cans red or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups instant brown rice
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro
- More seeded chopped tomato
- Grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
- Sliced green onions (optional)
- Salsa or pepper sauce (optional)
- *If Southwest seasoning is not available increase cumin and oregano each to 1/2 Tablespoon or more and add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red or cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika.
- Spray a large non-stick skillet or dutch oven with cooking spray; heat on medium high. Cook and stir peppers and onion a couple minutes until they begin to soften.
- Move vegetables to edges of pan and pour in up to 1/2 tablespoon of oil, keeping it in the center while it heats. Add the garlic to the oil and cook until soft, then stir it together with the peppers and onions.For a "roasted" effect, scorch the peppers slightly and cook the onions until caramelized.
- Add the water, chopped tomatoes, salsa and seasonings (except pepper). Bring to a simmer and add the corn and beans.
- When the mixture begins to simmer again, add the rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes (or follow package directions for length of cooking time). If you prefer to use regular brown rice, cook it separately for all but the last 10-15 minutes and then add to the beans. Omit all but about 1/4 cup of the water from the bean mixture.
Variation: Beans and Rice Burrito or Wrap
This beans and rice recipe can also be made into a wrap or burrito. Line a tortilla with a leaf of romaine lettuce (with the spine removed). Spread with the beans and rice, sprinkle with any of the accompaniment ingredients and wrap.
Virginia Gilbert - A 2007 graduate of Eden Seminary, Gilbert covered education, business and police for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for 27 years.
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