Eating healthy

Recalling the cuisine of my youth -- pot roasts, meat loaf, lots of Mexican food (always with rice and refried beans) and the occasional fish sticks -- I'm hardly alone in looking back on a diet dominated by beef and starch. But it would be an exaggeration to say I've gone from that to much more varied and healthy cuisine.

You can't be married to a personal trainer and not see your diet change over the years to encompass a lot more chicken, seafood, fresh vegetables and salads. Fortunately, I enjoy and appreciate the healthier eating, especially when it involves ethnic dishes. I've grown to love Thai, Indian and Middle Eastern food in particular.

But I still hesitate when it comes to all-vegetarian or vegan food. So I have to admit I was less than fully enthused when I learned we'd be having dinner one night last week at Blossoming Lotus, a neighborhood joint that offers "organic, vegan, sustainable" fare.

We went with our friend, Colleen, and her daughter, Ryeder, who was visiting from England during a break in school.

I went with the Four Cheese Lasagna, made with layers of fresh seasonal vegetable marinara, semolina noodles, herbed tofu ricotta, roasted garlic & squash mozzarella, and sesame parmesan, served on a bed of steamed kale, topped with lemon-basil cashew cream. It was OK but all through the meal I found myself yearning for the real deal -- Italian sausage and ground beef, nestled between layers of wide noodles, smothered in cheese and a rich tomato sauce.

When dessert came -- a wedge of "live" cheesecake -- I had to ask, "What's a live cheesecake?" Silly me. I didn't know "live" meant "raw" -- as in unbaked. It, too, was OK and I stopped myself from envisioning the real deal.

Listen, I know vegetarian/vegan is a healthy way to eat. And I imagine there are few places where you could get away with charging upscale prices for it, as this restaurant does, and pack the house on a Tuesday night.

I'm sure I haven't seen the last of this type of food. But given the choice, I'll take the traditional recipes every time.

Photo: Grouprecipes.com