Question of the month: how has your veg lifestyle influenced others?

Chloe Vazquez

Via email

I have been a vegetarian for 24 years. When I first met my boyfriend, he ate the typical American diet, fast food and all. When we moved in together, we agreed that our kitchen would be veg, but he could eat as he pleased elsewhere. After a month of exposure to tasty veg food and various animal rights/ environmental literature, he decided to try going veg. He's been a committed vegetarian for five years, works as a veg cook and has helped encourage others to go veg.

Erika Goldstein

Plymouth, NH

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Reader Recipe

PORTOBELLO-SWISS CHARD SANDWICHES

Serves 4 * Vegan

Pete Solomita of Brooklyn, NY, teaches public and private cooking classes. He developed this recipe to showcase how tasty veg food can be. Swiss chard is a good source of vitamins and minerals, including iron and calcium, and is delicious in this sandwich.

4 large portobello mushroom
  caps, stemmed (1 lb.)
4 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
  (about 2 tsp.)
1 large bunch Swiss chard,
  coarsely chopped (4 cups)
1 small Vidalia onion, thinly
  sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 medium-size yellow
  tomato, thinly sliced (1 cup)
4 crusty French sandwich
  rolls, split

1. Preheat oven to 400E Place mushrooms, stem side up,
on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with
1 Tbs. oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 20 to 25
minutes, or until tender. Cool to room temperature, then cut
into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp. oil in large skillet over medium-high
heat. Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Add chard and
2 Tbs. water, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until leaves begin to
wilt, turning frequently with tongs. Cover; remove from heat.

3. Whisk remaining 3 Tbs. oil with balsamic vinegar in small
bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Divide mushroom slices and chard among bottoms of
rolls. Top with onion and tomato slices, and drizzle each with
1 Tbs. oil-vinegar mixture. Cover with roll tops, and serve.

PER SERVING: 353 CAL; 8G PROT; 19G TOTAL FAT (2.5G SAT. FAT); 38G CARB; 0MG CHOL; 525MG SOD; 5G FIBER; 6G SUGARS

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