I typically try to maximize the nutritional content in any meal. To me, eating is mostly about efficiency as it relates to both time and nutrition. I'm a fan of the 'all-in-one' meal. To have a complete, healthy, delicious meal in one dish, with only a couple of dishes to wash afterwards is truly a beautiful thing. I was a devout vegetarian for nearly a decade, but I became ill, and was forced to reincorporate seafood and poultry into my diet. This being said, none of my recipes are 'meat-heavy'. Many of my dishes are vegetarian, or contain the lighter meats, such as chicken and seafood. Several recipes use meat substitutes. I have deviated from my families traditions when it comes to cooking, aside from my Nana's peanut butter fudge, or her salmon patties. My vegetarian phase led me to explore alternatives from 'vegetarian-friendly' cultures, and the traditional American cooking of my family does not really show through in my recipes.