Vegetarian, Week 3

Sausages in tomato and red wine sauce – keeping King Daddy happy

So I am heading into Week 3 of being vegetarian for three days for Lent. I am not comparing myself to the people I know who became Vegans for Lent because they are truly insane. But this vegetarian thing has been harder than I thought. It was truly excruciating to watch Mark eat a Polish dog at Costco while I “enjoyed” my cheese pizza. It was no fun at all at the kick-off party for Oyster Easter to leave all those delectable oysters on the half shell alone. And I will just wallow in the unfairness at the CRC board meeting Thursday as our board enjoys turkey and ham sandwiches from Jimmy John’s as I tuck into my cheese-only version.  But I brought this on myself. Lent is supposed to be a season of self-denial. And I am being denied by my own hand.

The hardest part, though, is making sure King Daddy is not denied. He’s been a trooper so far. He has eaten more cheese and nut loaf than I have and he hasn’t gagged once (that I saw). So I feel compelled in the run-up to my Wednesday-Friday vegetarian stint to stockpile meat units for him. Here’s what I’ve got:

• One serving of meat sauce spaghetti
• Two servings of fried chicken with mashed potatoes
• Two servings of Sloppy Joes
• Two servings of sausages in a tomato red wine sauce

I figure that will keep him busy until Saturday morning when I will watch the clock until 11 a.m. and then run to Five Guys for a burger.

I take particular delight when I can turn odds and ends in the fridge into something memorable. So here was the process for the sausages with tomato and red wine sauce. First off, I have a sizable stash of West Wind Farms sausage in the freezer. If you live in Tennessee, seek the sausage. It will change your life. Then I had a green pepper and a half a container of sliced mushrooms in the vegetable bin. Garlic. One must always have garlic. Saute the sausages in a little oil. Remove and saute the green peppers and mushrooms. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Never burn the garlic.

I had half a jar of prepared spaghetti sauce in the fridge. Add that to the pan along with a healthy dose of dry red wine. Taste. What does it need? A little salt, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a bit of smoked paprika. Add the sausages back in. DONE!

Tomorrow, I will be looking forward to some yogurt with granola for breakfast, buttered spaghetti (naked, no sauce) with some Parm for lunch and maybe cheese enchiladas for dinner. Oh, joy.