[Meatless Monday] Mexican Cornmeal Pancakes

I officially took the "Go Meatless Monday" pledge today. BUT I definitely just ate half of a french dip sandwich leftover from last night's dinner. Slightly besides the point...

Boyfriend and I at the Richmond Diamond
(Post-BBQ & Hot Dog...Pre-Chicken Tender)

What we have is a bigger personal realization at hand: I like not eating meat. For the most part, that is! I still need my weekend side of bacon. However, since lent ended last Sunday, I haven't been as meat crazy as I thought I would be.

Yes, I consumed a giant bacon cheeseburger from Capital Ale House on Easter and it tasted like the best burger of my life. Then last Tuesday rolled around and I was back in Richmond for the VMI vs. VCU baseball game (which Boyfriend crowned as "the worst baseball game he's ever witnessed"). During the span of the entire evening, I ate: pork barbecue, a hot dog, and a chicken tender. I awoke halfway through the night with the worst stomach ache I've had in, HONESTLY, years. No, I didn't throw up (although I wish I had); instead, I laid in bed for hours, with a hatred for meat growing uncomfortably inside me.

It was traumatizing.

And, I admit, probably to be expected about 60 days of meat-freedom.

But, given my current situation, is meat really worth the pain and irregularity, or the money and effort of preparing?

No. Not when I felt so great eating veggies, fruits, grains, legumes...(oh my?). I learned about new foods and new ways to prepare old foods so that they are delicious, easy, and exciting to eat. So why not continue down this path? I'm not becoming a vegan or vegetarian per se, but I'm now going to try and stick to a primarily vegetarian diet.

Yes. I'll still eat a burger at a summer cookout.

Yes. I'll have a smoked turkey on wheat with sprouts, light swiss, and house dressing at The Cheese Shop.

Yes. I'll still eat my bacon...whenever I feel like it.

And yes: Now, on a regular basis, I'm going to share with you meals that I make and eat so that I feel full and healthy! First up: Mexican Cornmeal Pancakes. Not very attractive, are they? It shouldn't matter, because they are delicious. What's also awesome is you can make a batch of these pancakes ahead of time and freeze them for later, which I recommend if you are a single-dweller like myself :)

The pancake recipe and overall inspiration for the dish came from Kevin of Closet Cooking and his Seven Layer Dip Cornmeal Pancakes. For the pictured meal, I --

• Made cornmeal pancakes, following this recipe. Changes: I omitted the corn and cheese, and substituted the eggs for flaxseed meal/water (1 egg = 2 tbsp meal + 3 tbsp warm water).

• In a bowl, I combined: 
1. 1 diced roma tomato
2. About 1/4 cup cubed avocado
3. 1/2 cup pinto beans
4. 1 tbsp salsa
5. About 1 tsp freeze-dried cilantro
6. Few shakes of cumin
7. Squeeze of lime juice (optional)
8. Salt and pepper to taste

• Top one to two pancakes with pinto mixture and enjoy!

And yes, please exhale a sigh of relief: desserts are meatless the last time I checked!