Happy Herbivore Tendencies

There’s been a lot going on lately, a lot of great things, and it means that posting has been rather slack for a few days. I’m going down to North Carolina on Thursday for a long weekend to celebrate Father’s Day with Grandpa B and Grandma D, so I wanted to do as much as I could on Meals with Morri until then. The FAQ page is almost completed and ready to be published in a day or two, and there are a number of recipes I’m very excited to share with you all before Thursday.

If you have ventured to my Recipe Index page, you’ll see quite a collection of lacto-ovo vegetarian and vegan delights to enjoy. On a quite a few occasions my wheat-free lifestyle has been confused with a meat-free one. Maybe it’s because “wheat” and “meat” rhyme, or that both lifestyles can be considerably healthier than the Standard American Diet (SAD). But I do consume dairy, eggs, and meat on a daily basis. On some days, I have vegetarian meals with some egg, milk, and cheese in the mix. And then there are days where my herbivore tendencies shine.

Now, although I’m not a full-throttle vegetarian (lacto-ovo or otherwise), I do enjoy such dishes immensely. Some of my favorite foods are not animal derived, and I usually only notice this fact after eating it with vigor. It’s when I try to make things herbivore (i.e., vegan) friendly that it doesn’t turn out as deliciously as I’d hoped.

Remember my muck monster muffin flop? Well, let me introduce you to its cousin, muck monster smoothie. It essentially had the same components: vegan, with banana, spinach, and almond milk. And it tasted okay, but I wasn’t in love with it. With a packet of the chocolate-flavored (not big on the taste) protein powder and over 240 ml of almond milk, there was a serving of fruit (banana), vegetable (spinach), and grain (brown rice). It did keep me full until lunchtime, so it fulfilled its job in that aspect. I think I just tried too hard to keep it vegan and that’s what did me in. After receiving my tub of Vega One protein powder (the natural flavor), I want to continue trying to make total meal shakes with the specifications of having every food group presented (save the ones from animals).

Learning from that flop, I'm starting to see it’s when I don’t think of making it vegan is when I truly enjoy it… like socca. You can never go wrong with socca. After my vegan breakfast attempt not going as well as I’d hoped, I was in the mood for socca in the form of a wrap. But we didn’t have any leftover meat on hand, and I wasn’t hankering for a slice of Gouda. We did, however, have plenty of fresh vegetables and the ingredients to make guacamole.

Thus, the socca GLT (guacamole, lettuce, and tomato) wrap was born! It’s the type of vegan sandwich that is easy to make, with simple ingredients that come together beautifully. And if you feel it needs some extra oomph for your taste buds, feel free to add some seasoned quinoa, buckwheat, or rice to the mix. You won’t be thinking “vegan” while you’re eating this, only that it’s delicious.

Socca GLT

For the socca wrap:
60 g Garbanzo bean flour
90 ml Water
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1/8 tsp. Poppy seeds
1/8 tsp. White sesame seeds
1/8 tsp. Caraway seeds
1/8 tsp. Whole cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. Black sesame seeds, to garnish while cooking
Coconut oil, for greasing the pan

For the filling*:
Guacamole
Baby lettuce leaves
Tomato, thinly sliced

Combine the ingredients for the socca (with the exception to the black sesame seeds) in a measuring cup that can contain at least 240 ml.
Let it sit for thirty minutes on the counter until thickened.
Place a large cast iron skillet pan (or a stainless steel pan if you prefer) on medium heat.
Melt the coconut oil and at its smoking point, pour in the batter across the bottom and as thinly as possible.
Once the bottom has set, sprinkle the sesame seeds on the uncooked side and place it under the broiler until fully cooked.
Remove the socca from the pan and let it cool before adding the guacamole, lettuce, and tomato.
Slice in half and enjoy with an equally delicious smoothie, vegan or otherwise.

 Makes 1 serving.

* The filling isn’t measured out because you can add as much of the ingredients as you want in the wrap. I just made some guacamole on the spot with 1/4 avocado, juice from half a lemon, and cut up some jalapeños and white onion for some crunch.