Yep, you guessed it -- my carnivore husband actually LOVED this vegan stew! And it's a big deal, because he opted to try it with the optional vegan sausage bits (I had served them on the side, since I was sure he wouldn't want them). He did love this Barley Mushroom Stew, from a wonderful blog called "Foods For a Long Life" (http://foodsforlonglife.blogspot.com/), sausage and all!
My husband's reaction to this vegan creation really made my night. He has always enjoyed the "non-freaky" vegan dishes I've made. By "non-freaky" I mean dishes not utilizing meat- or cheese-substitutes. But in the past when I tried serving my husband a fabulous dish utilizing Gardein's "Chick'n" cutlets, he did not care for them AT ALL. He did eat the whole plateful, all the while giving me an earful about his disapproval. So you can see why I've not been eager to foist all my choices on the man. Looking at my vegan journey from my husband's point of view, I can see that the abrupt change that has been so necessary for me must have been threatening pertaining to his own relationship with food. I suspect his dislike for my gardein experiment was due to his being "ambushed" as he saw it. When I served the meat substitute on the side, he could take it or leave it. And he not only took it, but liked it! So I am learning about the psychology of food for certain personalities. Very interesting . . .
"Long Life"'s delicious stew calls for a Field Roast smoked apple sage vegan sausage link, which I didn't happen to have on hand. I did, however, have Tofurkey Italian sausage so I crisped up one of those instead. This delicious stew was very "meaty" wholesome, filling and comforting, and it was instrumental in my learning how to better work the vegan offerings in this household.
Cheryl - well done! That stew looks delicious, and you sound like you are making such a positive impact on your husband!
ReplyDeleteThere's an amazing book out there right now that your husband may like. It's called "Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows" and it delves into the psychology behind carnism. It's a great read and one that may help open his mind to why you're living this way.
Anyhoo - rock on for preparing such a compassionate dish and for your husband giving it a try! :)
Thanks for the recommendation, Lindsay! Yes, it's a journey, huh?
ReplyDeleteNice job Cheryl! When I first went vegan my hubby was also very leery at first so I know exactly what you mean about figuring out how to best manuever. The stew looks great. Those apple sage field roast sausages rock. Next time you make it you'll have to give those a whirl.
ReplyDeleteThanks Melissa! Yes I know I LOVE the Field Roast Sausages! I just have to drive pretty far to get them, so they don't show up in my fridge too often, and when they do, they don't hang around very long!!
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