About Us
After the posting of my blog last week, I awoke to find my brother schlepping around the kitchen in search of a quick breakfast. Being the helpful sister that I am, I offered to make him breakfast. To this, he shot back a snide remark about my cooking abilities (which was completely unfounded because I am actually a decent cook). Trying to rise above this shot to my ego, I offered him a slice of cold pizza. Skeptical but obliging, he took a piece and retreated to his room. When he emerged and I asked about his breakfast, my meat and potatoes brother suggested that I use more cheese next time. I then informed him that I had in fact used none.
Now, while vengeful in nature, offering this vegan pizza was a sincere attempt to get my extremely picky brother to broaden his horizons. His palate has changed little, if at all, since his sixteenth birthday. Besides the added lettuce to his burgers, my brother’s meals are green-free. Despite my best efforts to get him to see that sacrificing a pig or two is not worth sacrificing his health, he continues to devour meal after meal with greasy cheese and fire-cooked meat.
I would be lying if I said that I think my brother should just stop eating meat and adapt to the vegan lifestyle. I can’t even commit to it. However, I believe that in order to live a healthy life, a person has to make certain sacrifices. This may mean slapping on a Nicotine patch instead of lighting a cigarette, or ordering the salad instead of the prime rib. Our diets affect our health, fast metabolisms or not.
Science can pretty much back up everything I’m saying here. But it’s summer, so this is no time for an anatomy lesson. Instead, let’s skip the boring stuff and get right down to the real life example. Heart Attack Grill is a famous (or infamous) restaurant in Las Vegas. Naming their burgers from single to octuple bypass (one for each slap of meat), they have been recognized by the Guinness World Record book as having the “Most Caloric Burger.” Shockingly enough, the restaurant was put in the spotlight after customers had suffered heart attacks – sometimes just outside of the restaurant after ordering a triple bypass.
Courtesy of Flickr/erangi2
John Alleman was taken off life support at the age of 52 after suffering a heart attack. He was known as the “unofficial” spokesman of Heart Attack Grill due to his visiting the restaurant on almost a daily basis and his picture in the menu. Before this tragic incident, a man suffered a heart attack while still attempting to eat his Triple Bypass Burger.
The Quadriple Bypass Burger holds 9,982 calories. While the restaurant's owner, fondly known as Doctor John, has stated publicly that the burgers are not meant for daily consumption, the connection here is pretty clear. If you still find yourself skeptical, I encourage you to open another tab and find a man that was killed of a heart attack after living a plant based diet or finishing off a lovely tossed salad. One should always be a critical reader.
This week I decided to make something that my brother might eat and actually be able to stomach. Enchiladas, burritos and tacos were a big part of our upbringing as half Mexican children. Staying true to my heritage and the flavor that my father brought into our family is important to me, so I decided to make my own version, which then became fondly known as an Enchurrito.
Photo courtesy of Christie Merino/Gavel Media
The Enchurrito is a cross between a burrito and an enchilada. It combines the simplicity of a burrito with the taste of an enchilada, all without a single bit of animal products. However, buyers beware: when purchasing ingredients for this recipe, it is critical that you check all labels for any dairy products present in the tortillas or meat substitute.
Recipe: Enchurrito
1 Package of Smart Ground Mexican Style
Cheese (I recommend Daiya pepper jack)
1 can of black beans
1 ripe tomato
Tortillas
Bell peppers
1 cup of brown rice
Onion
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Guacamole
1 ripe tomato
2 avocado
Pinch of garlic
1 lime
Guacamole (Unfortunely, my guac was eaten before I could take a picture, but I’m sure you all have a basic idea of what it looks like)
1. Cut both avocados in half and excavate the pits. Use a spoon to scoop out the avocado into a bowl.
2. Chop one tomato very finely and add to the bowl.
3. Chop a quarter of a clove of garlic VERY finely and put in the bowl. Combine all the ingredients until the texture suits you.
4. Add lime to taste.
Enchurrito
1. Heat a large skillet and thinly cover it with olive oil on medium heat.
2. Fill a pot with enough water to cook 1 cup of rice (I usually eye ball this, but it probably is something like 4 cups). Allow the water to boil before adding the rice and stir regularly.
2. Place the Smart Ground inside the skillet and begin to break apart. Make sure this cooks evenly. Use water to keep it from getting dry.
Photo courtesy of Christie Merino/Gavel Media
3. Chop a pinch of onion and put into a small pot with a touch of olive oil.
4. Once the onions brown pour in the can of black beans.
5. When the beans are cooked, mash them to your liking and combine them with the Smart Ground.
Photo courtesy of Christie Merino/Gavel Media
6. Chop the tomato and bell peppers. Open of your tortillas and use a small scattering of cheese for the first layer. Then use the Smart Ground with the beans and spread this over the cheese. Finally, add vegetables to your liking.
7. Wrap the tortilla up and place it in a pan. This recipe will make six tortillas. Once they are all prepped, sprinkle more cheese on top.
8. Place them in an oven preheated to 350 degrees. They should take no longer than fifteen minutes to become crunchy but not overdone. Serve with rice, guacamole, chips and more veggies.
An avid tree-hugger and political junkie, trying to do good for the world one article at a time. Possibly the only student with good things to say about Edmond’s, she can be found in the kitchen or the library.
