Brussel Sprouts & Bulgur

In preparation of changing the way I eat, I have been researching various vegetarian & vegan recipes...one of my employees loaned me a bunch of books that she had and boy, what she right! So many of the recipes call for weird ass shit--excuse my French, but that's the best way to describe it! Honestly, if I can't pronounce it, I'm not eating it. Kari's advice was to use the books for inspiration, but learn how to substitute your everyday ingredients if you want something that tastes good. For example, vegan baking uses maple syrup instead of cane sugar or honey. The reason? Bees have to work to make honey and that's not ethical...personally, the only time bees aren't ethical are when they sting me! I could care LESS about the ethical part of it all and overworking insects--I'm only trying this whole diet change in order to find a less refined, less processed way of eating that will make me feel better and provide healthier protein sources. I realized that our typical foods such as Chili Soup can easily become vegan-ized very easily. Replace your ground beef with a plant based meat alternative (such as LightLife Smart Ground brand sold at Hy-Vee), use V8 juice for your tomato sauce, add onions, beans, seasonings and you have an awesome Chili that's totally vegan! Come breakfast time, I'm always craving protein...I'm the cheesy-egg sandwich type of gal, but that's not vegan. It's definately vegetarian, but how much fun is it to experiment with recipes that already fit your criteria?! Justin created an AWESOME chorizo-based breakfast burrito when we first started dating and it's become our weekend staple...I decided to try making it vegan today and it was AMAZING! I could not tell a difference at all! In case there's any other brave souls out there, here's the recipe: SPICY SOYRIZO BURRITOS 1 lb potatoes, diced 1 onion, diced 1 lb. soyrizo (Hy-Vee carries the Melissa brand in their produce section) 1 can diced green chilies or 1/2 C. green salsa 6 eggs (this will make the recipe vegetarian, not vegan) 1 can refried black beans (the Rosarito brand is great) Guacamole Tortillas (Jalapeno & Cilantro taste yummy) Shredded Cheese (this will make the recipe vegetarian; using non-dairy cheese will make it vegan) Saute the potatoes & onion in skillet until cooked through; set aside. Cook soyrizo in skillet over high heat until brown & crispy, stir in chilies or salsa. If you want eggs, scramble eggs into the soyrizo and cook until done. Combine potatoes & onion mixture with soyrizo and salsa. Spread refried beans, gauc & soyrizo mixture into tortillas and top with cheese...Ole!