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the same happened to me when I ate red meat after a long period of not eating it. Your body just got used to a more natural, less difficult way of digesting food. red meat is very tough for your body to digest... and you only find out about it when your body takes a break from it.

my reco... delete red meat from your diet alltogether now. your body evidently does not need it and does not agrees with it anymore.

i like the idea of integrating more vegetarian recipes into your rotation... people think that vegetarians meals might be boring, but apparently chicken is boring too because people get tired of eating it the same way over and over...

visit some blogs or websites to gather some ideas on how to mix and match what you already love into different, interesting preparations. Also, explore your local market and try new ingredients you might have never tried before... look for recipes using these new ingredients to enlarge your recipe repertoire.

Try new things! Different cuisines. We make a lot of veggie burritos, rice and beans, fried rice with seitan, risotto with veggies. Vegetarian proteins like tofu and seitan (and veggie sausages, burgers and the like if that's your thing - it's definitely mine) keep much longer than meat, so they're easy to throw in the fridge for pantry meals. Beans keep even longer. There's great meals based around eggs - frittatas, eggs in purgatory, breakfast burritos.

Also, if there's multiple members of your family and some are less enthusiastic than others (or less willing to go cold turkey), you can try a "kosher kitchen" type approach. Make and stock vegetarian food around the house, but don't enforce rules outside of the house.

Neither me nor my partner is vegetarian, but we're both former longtime vegetarians (20+ years in his case, veganism in my case). We're at the point where most of our weekday meals are vegetarian simply because it's easier.

I would have to say that the most important thing is to keep a balanced diet eating a variety of vegetables, grains, and legumes prepared in a variety of ways. The worst thing that people can do is assume that as long as they are eating vegetarian it is healthy. Also, I eat beans in some form pretty much everyday. I could never tire of them. They are delicious and you can do so many things with them. YUM!

@therealchiffonade While I am inclined to agree with you, it is strange that we feel tired, or think we will feel tired, of beans/tofu, but never seem to think that way about chicken/beef. I think most people's meat consumption is probably as unvaried as the popular, but perhaps incorrect, view of a vegetarian's protein consumption.

I would also recommend taking a multivitamin if you don't already. It's not hard to get enough protein from vegetable sources, especially since you'll probably replace the meat you're used to eating with other protein rich foods. But it can drive you crazy trying to remember which foods have good amounts of vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, zinc, etc, and making sure to get enough of those every day.

Some folks find it easier to go "cold tofurkey," as it were, rather than being gradual. I've cut way down on meat, but I've never succeeded in becoming vegetarian, even though I often think I'd like to. Eating meat is a habit.

I agree with KarynMC - most of us eat way more protein than necessary. Not good for our kidneys, in fact. If you're eating plenty of legumes and whole grains you won't need to worry about protein at all, and you don't have to make sure you have complete proteins in one meal.

I think that personally I wouldn't want to think of this as a "lifestyle," but just as the choices I'm making about what I eat (but maybe that's why I haven't become a vegetarian).

Find some really appealing recipes, here and in books. Laurel's kitchen and Sundays at Moosewood are old favorites. I've just gotten a new cookbook called "Rice, beans and grains," by Andrea Chesman that I am loving - lots of food that a nonvegetarian would be/would get comfortable with.

Broccoli and nuts are very high protein. Combine with rice and you're all set. Make stir fried veggies and rice, top with nuts. Add curried sour cream or yogurt and you won't notice it's a vegetarian meal. How about that sweet raw broccoli/raisin/nut salad? Chances are that a lot of family favorites would fit right into vegetarian meals. Don't rely on cheese too much.

@b0tn0t - I agree, the tubes are much better. I always use the Korean soondooboo tubes.

I guess I was born into it :). Both of my parents originally came from Manado (North Sulawesi), a region in Indonesia well-known for its spicy, hot dishes loaded with herbs, aromatics and LOADS of chilies. Even some of the 'snack' dishes are spicy! There are also many variations of homemade sambals to accompany every meal.

Though I was born and grew up in a different city in Indonesia, Manadonese dishes were often part of the family meals. When I moved to the U.S. as a teen, the food I grew up with became a scarce commodity, but when there's a will, there's always a way! I don't remember a time when I didn't like hot, spicy food, even as a kid.

Continuing the legacy, my two young sons are growing up eating spicy foods. My youngest, a few months shy of turning 3, would specifically ask for something hot: so I'd dab some Sambal Lampung (Indonesian version of Sriracha, and yes, it's hot!) on his plate. He'd sometimes cry from the heat, but that never stopped him from coming back for more!

My mum told me: 'You can't call yourself Malay if you can't stand the heat of chilies.'

Designruby: Yes, use your enameled cast iron. Whenever I am serving guests and I run out of tofu pots, I bust out my little Descowares and they do the trick. I wouldn't use a raw cast iron pot, though - that spicy broth would wear down your patina.

can this be made without a claypot? I want to make it for me and my husband, can I do it in a cast iron pot or a enamel coated cast iron dutch oven/pot? I have everything to make this at home already, just need to figure out the cooking part...

Thanks! This recipe looks yummy!

Back from lunch and it was F#$&*@ng Fantastic!! Picked up a small chunk of ib eye at he market in my building and have everything else at home. And you're right, the homemade Soondubu paste was perfect. Thank you again.