On being an Omnivore

So, since E was in the womb and I found myself needing LOTS of protein, I started to eat more meat. But pregnant women are not supposed to eat a lot of canned tuna (for possible mercury, I believe), which is the only fish I can stomache, and pregnant women are also supposed to avoid deli meats for fear of listeria (and nitrates), and we can't afford to eat out too much. . . which means I, a mostly vegetarian since adulthood, have had to actually cook meat at home (and it says something about my relationship with flesh foods that I actually lump fish and poultry and pork and beef together as all "meat."). There are two problems with this:

1) I loathe handling raw meat and am completely paranoid about raw meat germs (bacteria? again, not familiar enough with the whole meat landscape to know the lingo).

2) I have no idea how to cook it.

So I got a recipe for crock pot beef a few years back from the savingdinner.com chef, which is really easy: bottom round placed fat side up in the crock pot, sprinkle with Lawry's Seasoned Salt, top with chunks of onion and carrot and red potatoes and cook the whole thing until done (the cooking time being relative because of course time varies by each crock pot and if you are using the high or low setting). It sounded really easy and homey, which I like, and I don't have to touch the meat--just slice open the package, carefully place the meat in, and throw the wrappings immediately into the trash. I have made this recipe a few times and the flavor is nice--but the meat seems tough. I thought I was just cooking it to death at first (see #1 above--trying to be sure all germs are cooked out), and cooking it for less time did help. Then too I have tried to get good cuts of meat (like I know!) because my dad said anything labeled "stew meat" is always tougher. But he also said he sears his meat first before cooking. . . but that sounds like it would involve more handling and dirtying a second pan, which, again, I am loathe to do. So the meat still seems really chewy--is that just what beef is like?

The only other meat I have cooked with is ham, since it is already cooked and thus less freaky to me. I sometimes cube it in green pea soup, or in omeletes, or my mom used to make really yummy sandwiches with cubed ham, cheddar, chili powder, onion and green olives and mayo--mix up the ingredients, put into hotdog buns and individually wrap and freeze, then can thaw a few at a time when you need them. The obsessive recycler in me can no longer do this, since the cheese melts onto the foil and then you have to throw it into the trash (I am way too lazy to scrub foil for recycling), but you can also just heap the filling onto slices of good bread and toast open-faced in the oven until warm through--yum.

But, honestly, while those of you who have known me for a while know that pork is my one carnivoristic weakness (the worse for you the better: bacon, barbeque. . . to quote Homer Simpson, "Mmmmmm, sacrilicious!"), I am actually a little disturbed by the Old Testament ban of it. Deride me as you will, it seems like usually God had really good reasons for telling His people not to do something. Was pork considered unclean just because wild pigs will eat refuse, carcasses they stumble upon, even dead people? So if the unclean status came from the unclean foods the pigs may have been eating, what about modern pigs, who--while surely fed hormones and genetically-altered grains and other less-than-desirable things--are not fed anything the USDA would consider unclean. But who do I trust: God, the USDA, or my own easily justifyable appetites? I know salvation does not come from what we put into our bodies but from the condition of our hearts--but how is it wise-hearted to eat something Jesus would not have eaten?

Ok, enough of the philosophical trails. Down to the practical reasons for this post. I need more meat recipes! I have decided I need to start eating more meat regularly, and want to start feeding it to the girls. I know that sounds strange for a (I guess former) vegetarian, but I have realized that my parenting abilities are so dependent upon how my body feels at any given moment--whenever I start yelling, if I can step back and analyze the situation, low-blood sugar is always at the root of it. Pathetic! I cannot stand being so controlled by my blood sugar, and want to start eating in a way that will help me feel better and keep my blood sugar steady throughout the day. Also, I have started to wonder if my girls ever feel the same way--how can I deny them the protein that their growing bodies might need? So I think I am going to have to start cooking meat at least once a week. So I am asking all of you who might read this entry to consider what meat-based family recipes you enjoy that meet the following criteria:

1) involves minimal handling of raw meat

2) is easy (don't worry about recipe needing additional stuff like veggies--we get plenty of those! I just want the meat)

3) is not seafood based.

Please feel free to post any recipes that come to mind as a comment to this thread, or email me. I SO appreciate any advice/help you can give. Thank you in advance, my friends!

graphic Jane Clarke, daily mail online