If you haven't heard already, it's World Vegetarian Day. This awareness day is dedicated to espousing the benefits of a vegetarian diet on the environment, personal health, local and national economics, and the lives of harvested animals across the country. There is much controversy over diets that exclude meat (and even those that discourage eating specific types of meat). On the surface, raging against some of the most peace-seeking people on the planet seems insane, but it's important to look deeper to get a full understanding of why some have such intense reactions to herbivorous humans.

It is thought that the basis of these trends in media and acceptance of vegetarian lifestyles is rooted in our culture of speciesism. Speciesism is the tendency of humans to view themselves as being a life form that is more deserving and important than all others on the globe. It is a very common prejudice to hold, and pointing it out in people who view themselves as just and responsible individuals can make for a very uncomfortable situation. Simply the knowledge of the existence of a vegetarian is enough to set most people off, both online and in person.

In our short stay on this planet, humanity has thus far destroyed a third of the forests, polluted 99% of habitats, and created a vast food system that benefits greatly from the mistreatment of all other life on earth. The goal of our food system has always been the same: to provide food for a large population. It seems a simple enough task, but as with every industry, after a while, cost-cutting, the desire of business owners to maximize profits, and the ignorance of a vast majority of the consumer population has led to a horrible situation for animals. If just the clearly erroneous idea of people eating their neighbor's dogs and cats is enough to cause bomb threats in Ohio, it seems strange that anybody would be unbothered by the way cows, pigs, chickens and other animals are treated in this country. As it is with many other injustices in the United States, it seems that either cognitive dissonance or just plain stubborn delusion is at work, perpetuating strong feelings in certain populations that keep these machines of torture running.

But I've digressed, because what World Vegetarian Day is really about is the sharing of positive changes and trends pertaining to a lifestyle that we should all be striving for, not for our own image but for the future of the planet (and by extension, those who come after us). Vegetarianism (and veganism) is the smarter, more peaceful and sustainable choice. Period. It is what all the cool kids are doing. It is a future-forward way of eating, and it is a simple step in the right direction for our entire species to lessen our ongoing damage to the world. So, in the spirit of the holiday, I'd like to share one of my favorite vegetarian dishes with you:

And there you have it: a delicious, existential guilt-free steak recipe to make for the holidays. By building yummy recipes like this one into our go-to cookbooks, we can start to take small steps to lessen our impact on the world and the suffering of animals. On average, a human eats about 700 animals in their lifetime. By lessening this number on an individual basis, we can lessen the overall demand for meat, and the more people that can be encouraged to do this, the more an impact we can make.

This is one of the best recipes I've discovered so far on my journey to become a better cook! These fantastic tasting shrimp are great for appetizers, to bring to dinner parties, or to have as a meal all on their own. And the bonus is, they're so quick and easy to make that everyone will be wowed when you whip them up on the fly. I really hope you'll all try this one. This recipe makes two servings of shrimp, and is fantastic when served with sliced french bread to soak up all that yummy sauce! 

1. Prep your ingredients! This step is key, as once everything is ready to go this recipe takes just a few minutes to prepare. 
   1. If you're starting with frozen shrimp, your first task will be to defrost them. This can be accomplished by putting your shrimp in a bowl of cool water, covering and letting it sit for 10 minutes. Dump the water out and test your shrimp. If they are not defrosted completely, repeat the process. Continue until your shrimp are defrosted. For me, this process usually takes about a half hour. 
   2. Peel and devein your shrimp.
   3. Pat shrimp dry, toss into a bowl and season with Kosher salt to taste and the smoked paprika. 
   4. Rinse, pat dry, and chop your parsley. 
   5. Peel and slice your garlic cloves. 
   6. Measure out your sherry wine and set aside.
   7. Measure out your EVOO.
2. Set a pan over Medium heat on your stovetop, then add the sliced garlic and EVOO to the pan. 
3. Cook the garlic in the oil over medium heat until it just starts to turn golden. The goal is to get the garlic to soften without adding too much color. 
4. Add your shrimp to the pan and turn the heat up to High. Stir the shrimp constantly for two minutes over high heat. At the end of two minutes, they should be starting to curl up nicely, but still not be completely cooked through. 
5. Add your sherry, and continue to stir constantly for another minute, until the sauce boils and the shrimp is cooked through.
6. Remove the pan from the heat, and add most of the parsley in. Stir to combine.
7. Split your shrimp in two, and serve over toasted sliced French bread (optional, but it's so good you're going to want to try it at least once!). Top with parsley. I also like to add a baby shake of cayenne over the top for a little spice!

I really hope you guys try this recipe. It's such a great summer dish, and so very tasty! 

This recipe is a great, light dinner with tons of flavor and Spanish influences.
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* Note: You can use any flaky, white fish for this recipe.

I love this recipe because it's simple, beautiful to look at, so yummy, and it makes you look like a fantastic chef to dinner guests! It also gives you a great excuse to have a glass of white wine. So, try it out and let me know how it goes in the comments below.

Until Next Time!