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When I fell in love with my current partner years ago, I had no idea that this relationship would drastically change my outlook on life. Not only the usual ups and downs of living together but also my lifestyle and perspective on life were affected.

Always Ready To Help

My partner carries some childhood trauma with him, which has shaped his view of life, people, and animals. He does not expect help from others but is always ready to help others selflessly. Although he is always there for everyone, his compassion for animals is certainly greater than for people. Even a fly in the house is caught and released outside instead of being fought with a fly swatter.

Meat and fish have no place on his menu. The thought that an animal had to die to make his meal possible is just not acceptable to him.

Two Major Changes For Me

This led to two major changes in my life. Before I met him, I was naive, believing in the absolute goodness of people even after repeated disappointments. While I still want to spread goodness, I no longer believe I will receive the same goodness from others.

The second change was my diet. Before I met my partner, I loved all animals, except those annoying flies in the house. Unlike him, I used a fly swatter. However, eating meat and fish quickly disappeared from my menu as I learned more about the hidden animal suffering in the meat industry.

I Did My Homework

My choice for a vegetarian diet was not merely an adoption of his eating habits. After learning about the animal suffering behind the meat industry, the health benefits and environmental concerns, I was able to fully support vegetarianism and veganism. I noticed positive changes in my health, such as more energy, stable weight and better digestion.

The environmental problems later came to light, with reports of impending drinking water shortages and increasing environmental problems. The awareness of the enormous livestock population in the Netherlands and its impact on the environment contributed to my belief that my choice of vegetarianism made a positive contribution.

Industry or Livestock?

Although recent attention has been paid to drinking water shortages, this must be put into perspective. The biggest threat appears to be pollution from industrial waste in rivers, not the livestock themselves. Nevertheless, intensive agricultural practices contribute to water consumption and environmental pollution.

Completely Gone Astray

However, my blog was not intended to highlight these issues. I've completely strayed from what I wanted to write about. What I wanted to share was a favorite vegetarian recipe I've discovered over the years. I used to hate Brussels sprouts, but now my favorite recipe is one with that very vegetable!

Simple But Tasty

The recipe is simple: whole wheat penne pasta, sprouts, crème fraîche, blue cheese, fried onions and sambal. This forms the basis, and you can add other ingredients to taste, such as chickpeas, green pesto, olives, artichoke hearts, cucumber, or meat substitutes such as tofu or tempeh.

How do you prepare it? You cook the pasta as you always would, but 2 minutes less! This is very important. When you drain the pasta, make sure you keep a little water in your pan and add the crème fraîche and the blue cheese. Stir well until everything has dissolved into a nice white sauce.

The sprouts are not boiled, but fried! You can pre-cook them for a few minutes, but the baking is what is important. Add the fried sprouts to the penne pasta and stir everything well so that the sprouts are also covered with the sauce.

Then it's simply a matter of serving up the fried onions and sambal on top to your own taste. And the additions you want...

Never Expected This But ...

This recipe is my personal favorite, ever since my partner made it for me for the first time. It is a reflection of my changed perspective on nutrition, health, and the environment, all influenced by the extraordinary journey I have taken with my partner.