Day Twenty-Eight - All's well that ends well...

So I got sick. Or more correctly, I am ill. Supposedly being vegan gives you superpowers and makes you immune to illness. This is not true. There are several suspects, but no convictions as of yet. Maybe my body is finally starting to rebel from my vegan diet. Or maybe I just ate some bad mushrooms. I'm not going to blame it on the ve-ee-ee-eeetables (Thank you, Jamie Foxx and Glee, for destroying my mental soundtrack), but they are not above suspicion. I guess we'll see in a few days.

I went into this month with several expectations and for the most part they were met. I didn't miss meat. Like I said before, that wasn't a big deal to begin with. I only missed eggs and milk if they were in baked goods. You don't think about it until you are staring at a beautiful dessert table and nothing to eat. I really missed cheese, especially on pizza. All the cheese flavored snacks actually contain milk and some kind of "cheese" which I guess is a good thing. Honest advertising and all that. I didn't lose any weight, but I do feel healthier. I also feel more confident about my physical appearance. Odd, right? Other events have contributed to this, but there is something nice about being able to say "no" to something tasty, but probably bad for you, when you really want to eat the whole plate. Something empowering about having self control over what you eat. Sadly, that was the only powers I got. No telekinesis, no psychic abilities. Without all that extra curds and whey in my brain, I was looking forward to some superpower fun. What a let down.

As this experiment has approached the end, there is one question people keep asking, "Will you keep being vegan?" Good, question. I really only intended to eat vegan for a month, then go back to my meat eatin' ways. And I really hate sitting around while other people eat and there is nothing vegan for me. It's lame. But I have seriously considered sticking with a veganish diet. I can see myself eating vegan, when possible, and then not worrying about it when I can't. I appreciate the philosophy behind veganism, but it isn't something that is so important to me. I want to eat the cupcakes that someone bakes/buys for me. I want to partake in social eating events (ie. every church activity I've been to). I don't think eating turkey at Thanksgiving is bad. Especially since it's raised by my adorable cousins and probably had a very good life for a bird. But I could stand to eat more veggies. I do need to eat less take-out. Perhaps, moderation has it's place.

In the end, no, I won't be vegan. We'll call it omnivore with vegan tenancies. OVT. Yeah, that sounds trendy.
"Hey man, what do you eat?"
"Awww, don't you know? I'm OVT, dude!"
"No way man! Me too! Let's go eat a salad and then have some ice cream!"
"Sounds good! Maybe get some grilled tofu on top."
Yep, it happens just like that every day. And it could happen to YOU!

Day Twenty-Three - Time to Shop!

So after 23 days, I have finally gotten around to a second shopping trip. I was really surprised how long the first go lasted. Maybe I can't count the last week, because I have eaten out a few times... Anywho, I went shopping again. It was a little easier than the first time. Less labels to read, which saved oodles of time. I didn't really have any recipes in mind, so it was basic stuff like peanut butter (on sale), bread (on sale),  and apples (on sale). Seeing a pattern? Sadly, the produce section had very little in season/on the cheap. As in, nothing. I think I might need to hit up a farmers market or something and "be inspired" by the plant stuff. Are there rules or something for farmers markets? Haggling strategies? Comments and Advice needed, yo.

Day Twenty-Two - MAIL!

So I got an exciting package in the mail. My favorite t-shirt site had this AWESOME tofu shirt and I had to have one. BEHOLD!

 

 

Tofu, Master of Disguise!

It is tofu and adorable. I had to buy it! So I did, and it came in the mail today. No regrets. Totally worth it :)

Day Twenty-one - Cafe Rrrrrrrrio

Today was a delightful surprise. One of my favorite places, Cafe Rio, has great vegan options. Well, great as long as you like rice and beans. Which I DO!

I got the salad with out cheese (not on the tortilla nor on the top), with black beans, rice, guac, salsa, and the lime cilantro vinaigrette. I didn't really miss the meat. I did miss the creamy house dressing, but the vinaigrette is really good too. What a find!

Day Twenty - Veggie Soup Surprise

I haven't gone shopping for a while. Since the beginning of the month actually. So, now I have a bunch of random stuff left over from the last few recipes. What do you do with random food stuff? Make soup of course! My grandma taught me about "Hobo Soup" on a road trip. You take what you have, throw it in a pot, add water, and eat! So simple. Also, a bit of a gamble. I like to call it Soup Surprise because you never really know what you will get. Luckily with vegetables it's hard to mess up.

Soup Surprise - Vegan Edition
1 can veg stock
1 can red beans
some water
carrots
1 potatoe
frozen peas
celery
onion
chili pepper
salt
garlic powder

cut. mix. simmer for 20 min. Voila!

Surprise! It rocks! (Cue fist pump)

Day Nineteen - Talking food

So I've totally been MIA the past few days. Two reasons. One: I haven't been doing anything very exciting in the vegan category. Lots of potatoes and oatmeal. Not together. Two: I have misplaced my camera and can't show you what the food looks like anyway. Thus, nothing really to write or post.

Today I experienced the worst part of veganism. Social eating events. Example one: That very nice coworker brings in homemade cookies. You want to show her that you think she's great and accept her offering of food, but you KNOW those cookies ain't vegan. Example two: You go to a church activity. If you are Mormon, like I am, then there will be food. And most of the event is centered around eating the food. And the food? A big ball of meat and dairy. So what do you do? Stick to your vegan guns, or partake in the group bonding that is eating?

That's right. Bonding. It's not just a matter of being polite. Sharing food is a big deal. It expresses trust and a general liking for someone. "Breaking bread", sharing of peace pipes, and first date dinners are all about using food to tell someone, "Hey, you are okay. You probably won't poison me. I trust you." For real! It's a ceremony that is seen all through history and across all cultures. So when someone offers you food, they aren't just giving you a cookie, they are giving a bit of their self and asking, "Do you trust me? Do you think I'm okay?"

And that's the problem. Eat the food or shun the giver. Granted you can always say, "thanks, but I can't. I...." (use your excuse of your choice) ...just ate ...on a diet ...vegan. And it probably won't be a big deal. It won't be rude or make them hate you, but you did just pass up on an opportunity to be closer to another person. I don't have the answer. It was hard for be in both situations to say "no." I guess what is comes down to is what is more important to you, the vegan philosophy or using every opportunity to bond with your fellow man. Both sides have their points and flaws. However, it's something to think about.

Day Fifteen - Californian Vegan

So I must be time for me to go shopping again, because I don't want to eat any of the food I have. I have some potatoes, and vegetarian chili and lots of Ramen, but what I really want is something like....take out. Yup, I just don't want to cook. Lucky for me, Los Angeles is full of vegan delivery options. Yay!

Californian Vegan was fast, and the food was good. It was better than most, but no RFD. I got Pad thai and wontons. I don't know what was in the wantons. But it was good. Some kind of veggie paste stuff. Meh, no complaints here. Overall, good food that didn't taste "vegan." So much for less than $20. I'll be eating this for a few more meals.

Pad thai, egg roll (sans egg) and fried rice

Funky Green Wontons...mmmm

Soup and Salad. I'll eventually get to those.

Day Fourteen - Happy Love Day!

Check out the center chocolate...I want.

Behold! The day of love! I hope everyone enjoyed the opportunity to think of all the love they have in their life and how they can give it back to the world.....haha, just kidding. We all know what Valentines Day is really about. No, not romance. No, not flowers either. It's about the candy, yo! This makes things tricky for vegans though. Lots of chocolates have milk. Lots of candies have gelatin. So what is a love loving vegan to do? Don't you fret little animal lover, there are lots of sweets for you, sweet!

Airheads taffy
Blow Pops
Brach's Cinnamon Hard Candy
Brach's Root Beer Barrels
Brach's Star Brites
Chocolove Dark Chocolate bar
Chocolove Cherries and Almonds Dark Chocolate Bar
Chocolove Crystallized Ginger Dark Chocolate Bar
Chocolove Orange Peel Dark Chocolate Bar
Chocolove Raspberry Dark Chocolate bar
Chick-o-Sticks
Cry Babies
Dots
Dum-Dums
Fireballs
Hubba Bubba bubblegum
Jolly Ranchers (lollipops and hard candy)
Jujubees
Jujyfruits
Laffy Taffy
Lemonheads
Mambas
Mary Janes (regular and peanut butter kisses)
Mike and Ike
Now and Later
Panda Licorice
Smarties (U.S. Brand)
Sour Patch Kids
Super Bubble
Swedish Fish
Sweet Tarts
Twizzlers
Zotz

Not a sugar person? I can't understand that. But here are some salty snacks to satisfy yourself.

Bremner Wafers
Cracker Jacks
Famous Amos Sandwich Cookies (Peanut Butter)
Ferrara Wafer Swirls With Chocolate
Fritos
Grandma's Peanut Butter Sandwich Cremes
Hain Apple Cinnamon Rice Cakes
Herr's Salsa and Lime Tortilla Chips
Keebler Club Crackers
Keebler Vienna Fingers
Kettle White Popcorn
Kool-Aid Gels
Krispy Kreme Fruit Pies
Lance Capitain's Wafers
Lance Choc-O Cookies
Lance Peanut Bar
Lance Sugar Wafers (Strawberry Creme)
Lance Sugar Wafers (Vanilla Creme)
Lay's Blue Corn Chips
Lay's Potato Chips (Natural Country Barbecue)
Lay's Potato Chips (Thick Cut Sea Salt)
Lay's Stax
Lay's WOW! Potato Chips
Lay's Yellow Corn Chips
Lundberg Brown Rice Cakes
Manischewitz Whole Wheat Matzo, Unsalted Matzo, and Savory Garlic Matzo
Melba Toast (Rye)
Melba Toast (Sesame)
Melba Toast (Wheat)
Microwave popcorn (minus the real butter flavor)
Munchos
Murray Southern Kitchen Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Nabisco Ginger Snaps
Nabisco Original Graham Crackers
Nabisco Spiced Cinnamon Cookies
Nabisco Teddy Grahams (Chocolate and Cinnamon)
New York Flatbreads (Everything and Garlic)
Nutter Butter Bites
Peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, and Pistachios
Quaker Apple Cinnamon Rice Cakes
Ritz Regular Crackers
Ritz Roasted Vegetable Crackers
Salsa
Skittles' Mints
Snyder's Pretzel Chips (Garden Veggie)
Snyder's Pretzel Sticks (Pumpernickel/Onion)
Soy Crisps (Barbecue, Deep Sea Salt, Garlic Onion, Salt and Vinegar, and Apple Cinnamon Crunch flavor)
Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos
Stacy's Pita Chips (Baked, Cinnamon Sugar, Pesto and Sundried Tomato, Taxarkana Hot, and Tuscan Herb)
Sun Chips Original flavor
SunSpire Organic Dark Chocolate Almonds
Toasteds Crackers (Sesame and Wheat)
Tostitos Bite Size Rounds Tortilla Chips
Tostitos Blue Corn Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips
Tostitos Crispy Rounds Tortilla Chips
Tostitos Dipping Strips! Tortilla Chips
Tostitos Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips
Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips
Baked Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips
Tostitos Multigrain Tortilla Chips
Tostitos Natural Blue Corn Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips
Tostitos Natural Yellow Corn Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips
Town House Original Crackers
Trail mix
Triscuits
Wasa Crispbread (Multi-Grain)
Wheat Thins (Original, Multi-Grain, Reduced Fat, and Sundried Tomato and Basil)
Zesta Original Crackers

So there are some things to watch out for. Those sneeky animal by product you might find in your candy. Gross:
Casein—Whey’s cousin
Gelatin—Made from animal bones
Lard—While this word sounds funny and makes me giggle, pig fat is no joke....lard...heehee.
Pepsin—Lard's neighbor in Pigville.
Rennet—An enzyme from cows.
Stearic Acid—Basically Lard, but from all different animals.
Cetyl Palmitate—This ones from whales and dolphins. Watch out or Shamu will get you!
Urea—It’s used to "brown" baked goods, like pretzels. Can you guess what it's made of? Yep, you got it...that first one that popped in your mind. For real.
So on THAT note. Have a great Valentines Day! May it be full of candy and not urea.

Day Thirteen - Improv Sunday

So I've been doing this vegan thing for quite some time now. Thirteen day, in fact. I'm pretty much a pro/expert. I could probably write a book or something. Obviously. So this morning I decided to try making this "tofu scramble" I'd heard about. It's supposedly similar to scrambled eggs. I looked at a few recipes and seeing that I didn't have quite the right ingredients, I did what any expert does. I figured I could fake it. Yep, it is clear I have no need for silly recipes. I'm super skilled in the kitchen now that I've made three recipes. I need tumeric? What? Pshh. And so Improv Sunday began.

Masterpeice #1 - Hashbrowns
1 pealed potato
1 spoon of flour
1 dash of salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Grate potato and mix in rest of ingrediants. Pour small amount of oil in hot frying pan. Put potato mixture on top. Brown both sides on medium heat. Own those hashbrowns. Rock on!

Masterpeice #2 - Tofu Scramble
1/2 pkg of firm tofu
1 splash of almond milk
3 dashes of cumin
1/8 c. onions
some oil
1 take out pkg of soy sauce
whatever spices you first grab when you open the spice cabinet

Squeeze tofu with some paper towels. Crumble into bowl. Add rest of ingredients except oil and onions and gently toss. Saute onions until brown or clear or you get bored. Add tofu mixture to pan. Cook on med-high heat until liquid is gone. Toss on top what ever you see in the kitchen. BAM! You rock!

So it all looks yellowish. The hashbrowns were great. The tofu had less flavor. Maybe I did need some more veggies, or some turmeric...

Day Twelve - Tofu or not tofu? That is the question.

I finally got around to mixing up a new recipe. This one is not too bad. I'm not the biggest fan of raw recipes. It taste better to actually cook something. But this is good for a summer sandwich. And tofu is pretty much the coolest stuff ever.

BBQ Tofu Salad

1/2 lb. firm tofu (preferably herbed tofu)
1/2 cup green peppers, diced
1/2 cup Spanish onion, diced
2 Tbsp. cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 cup whole-kernel corn
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/4 cup barbecue sauce


• Wrap the tofu in clean towels and gently squeeze the water out. Dice into ½-inch cubes. Dice the green peppers and onions. Chop the cilantro into small pieces. Combine these ingredients in a large bowl, being careful not to break the tofu cubes.
• Combine the cumin, corn, vegan mayonnaise, and barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Mix well.
• Gently combine the tofu mixture with the dressing.

Makes enough salad for 6 sandwiches

Day Eleven - RFD = Really Freaking Delicious

So I just got back from dinner. My good friend, Liesel, told me about this place in Santa Monica that was completely vegan and organic. After several lackluster experiences with vegan options at other restaurants, I was interested to see how an actual vegan restaurant would compare. Thus, we spent our Friday night at Real Food Daily (www.realfood.com). I had seen it before and never realized it was a vegan place. They are committed to serving quality food sans animal product. They also have a bakery connected to the restaurant. Holy uneaten cow! Some of the best food I've ever had! The entire menu is organic, vegan (duh, and yay!) and frequently gluten free. Even the baked goods don't use animal fats or white sugar.  I had a hard time choosing from the lengthy menu. It all sounded so good. We finally decided to get two dishes and a salad and split them.

Caesar Salad

Fettuccine Alfredo

Supreme Burrito

I should probably note that it all looked so good, I forgot to take pictures until we were half way through. The portions were generous and the presentation was colorful. A feast for the eyes! The caesar salad dressing was rich, but not over heavy. It came with croutons that were sweet and tasted like they were made from pumpkin bread or something. Unexpected and it totally worked. The alfredo with spinach fettuccine and veggies was rich and creamy and dairy free! It came with a few slices of divine garlic bread. The burrito was HUGE! There were bean, rice, and avocado inside, as well as tempeh bacon (it actually tasted like bacon).  And it came with a big salad that we didn't even touch because we were so full! We also got some "milk" shakes, that tasted like my mom's homemade milkshakes. Mmmmm.

Vanilla and Chocolate Shakes

All of it was just really good food. Yes it's vegan and organic, but it was flavorful, rich, complex, and AWESOME! Liesel and I liked it so much we both bought the Real Food Daily Cookbook. Even though we were stuffed, it didn't make us feel that "I really shouldn't have eaten that last bite" blahness that can happen after a big meal. Even if I don't stay vegan after this month, I'm definitely going back to RFD. Four billion stars!

Day Ten - PIZZA!

My roommate ordered pizza the other day and I really, really wanted some. I've wanted non-vegan food a little over the past ten days, but oh man! Pizza! One of the reasons I'm going vegan now is so I can take advantage of all the vegan resourses here in Los Angeles. There are several vegan pizza places, or I should say, places that have vegan pizza options. One was close enough to get delivery and they had vegan brownies. Happy Thursday to me!

Behold! The Vegan Pizza

 

 

Vegan brownie? What the what?

In theory, I was craving pizza (this blog is slowing turning into my "cravings journal". Tomorrow I will be writing about pina coladas and bubble gum. Don't judge). ANYWAY, pizza. While this particular mushroom, spinich, and tofu cheese pizza was okay, it wasn't really pizza. Or maybe I just wanted a greasey, cheesy old school pizza. It wasn't bad, but "meh." The brownie wasn't special either. As good as any pizza place does brownies.

Lessons Learned: Get vegan baked goods from a bakery. And keep looking for a good vegan pizza. Maybe in Hollywood...

Day Nine - I'm the kind of Vegan that wears clothes.

While chatting with my roomie Allana (Hey! What's up, girlfriend?) or it could have been Angie (Yo yo, my sistah!) or maybe Annita (Hi, girly! Hugs!), she mentioned the new "wear your own fur" PETA ads. Talk about shock factor (and shameless shout outs)! But seriously, I don't get how nudity helps the animals. There are pleanty of animal-free options for clothing. Here are some T shirts that get a message across (hopefully less annoying, too). The message is "I don't have to choose between naked or fur".

Day Eight - Sometime a girl just needs her cookies

Oreos are vegan. I get the reduced fat kind so I can eat more.

Day Seven - "Exciting" food

Today's attempt at culinary prowess of the vegan kind is from PETA's recipe database. It is full of "exciting" words like "tempeh", "kombu", and "braising liquid." And by exciting, I mean "full of potential for error due to my lack of specialty food vocabulary." So here is the quick guide to this recipe:

Tempeh: A soybean cake. Don't worry if I looks a little moldy. Evidently, it just looks like that. Yeah, I know, weird and kind of gross.
Kombu: a dried seaweed used for soup stock. Afterward, it will be squishy and slimey. Like it's fresh from the sea.
Braising: cooking something, usually meat, by boiling it in a liquid

Ok, so once we understand the exciting parts of the recipe it's fairly simple, but time consuming.

Quinoa and Tempeh Tabouli

4 cups vegetable stock
1 piece kombu
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. crushed black peppercorns
1 pkg. tempeh, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped cauliflower
1/4 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. malt vinegar
1/2-1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste


• Combine the vegetable stock, kombu, minced garlic, chili powder, ginger, and peppercorns in a medium stockpot over medium-low heat to make a braising liquid.
• Add the tempeh and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Put the quinoa in a fine sieve and place under cold running water, gently rubbing with your hands, for a few minutes, until the water runs clear.
• In a small pot, combine the quinoa, water, and 1/2 cup of the prepared braising liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the quinoa is translucent and all the liquid is absorbed.
• In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, tempeh, vegetables, oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to coat.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

There was one more thing. Quinoa. It probably taste great and stuff, but I just made some couscous instead. Final verdict: pretty good. Could have done with out the raw onion. The tempeh has a nice nutty flavor. I don't know what the kombu did, but I totally braised. Exciting indeed. 

Day Six - Cooking without Eggs

Cooking with out eggs, especially for baking, can be tricky. Here are some tips for using your favorite recipes vegan-style.

1. Work out what you want your egg replacement to do. Do you want to replace a whole egg, or just the yolk or just the white? This will help determine what to use in place of the egg product. Eggs have different uses - sometimes they are used for binding, sometimes for leavening (making lighter/fluffier) or sometimes just for the taste. You should also try to be aware of which of these elements you are trying to replace.
2. Fruit makes an excellent replacement for eggs - try bananas, apple puree or any high pectin content fruit. Usually 1/4 cup of banana will replace 1 egg.
3. Tofu is fabulous as a replacement, as it will take on the flavour of whatever you are cooking it with. As a general rule, 1/4 cup of tofu will replace 1 egg. Whip or beat it before adding it to the recipe.
4. Grind 1 tbsp whole flaxseeds (or use 2 1/2 tbsp pre-ground flaxseed) and combine with 3 tablespoons of water to replace one egg. Make sure that the mixture has gelled before using it. Some people recommend simmering the two items together to thicken this mix.
5. For a replacement for just the egg white, mix 1 tbsp plain agar powder (available from health food stores/Chinese stores etc) with 1 tbsp water. Whip together, chill it and then whip it again.
6. Another egg replacement is 2 tbsp water mixed with 1 tbsp of oil and 2 tspn of baking powder. Mix together well before adding.
7. In savory recipes, such as a vegetarian loaf, try binding agents like mashed potato, tomato paste or rolled oats. These agents help to thicken and gel with the other ingredients. Also bread crumbs, cornmeal/flour, arrowroot and whole-wheat flour are good substitutions.
8. Apple sauce, canned pumpkin, mashed canned fruit of choice - all of these can be used as an egg replacement in baked goods. These will leave their own flavour of course, so be sure of the taste you want. Fruit can make the baked item heavier, so add a little baking powder if this concerns you. Try the blends of peach/apple; strawberry/apple etc for delicious muffins.
9. It is possible to make pancakes without eggs. In fact, any flat baked product that requires only 1 - 2 eggs can usually survive without an egg with no problems. The main thing is to substitute a little extra liquid ( 1 - 2 tbsp) to make up for the egg's removal. There are differing recipes (some just with flour, some with fruit such as mashed banana), so it is best to use a search engine to find a recipe you like. They do work, so try them out, just be sure the pan they are fried in is seasoned as you would with normal pancakes.
10. An egg sandwich? Yes! You can use tofu - use a search engine or a tofu/vegetarian cookbook for suggested recipes. It still tastes good, and curried tofu-egg sandwiches are a must.

Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Replace-Eggs-in-Your-Cooking

Day Five - Cravings

So I've gone five days with out meat or dairy. Yay me! And the craving have set in. My apartment smells like bacon, I see cheese everywhere, and the chocolate chip cookies on the counter are taunting me. I got to the stage where I just eat everything I see and hope it will satiate my needs. Nope. All I want is meat with cheese all over it. At least, I'm pretty sure that is what I want. Hopefully I will eat something that works. Until then, don't leave pets or small children in my path!

I went out to dinner with a group, and despite efforts to find something vegan, the restaurant was just too much a meat and potatoes place to have many options. The secret vegan items were soup and french fries. Oh well, the soup was good, and probably a good choice after a day of scavenging.

Day Four - It's not all fancy

Vegan Pancakes
1 c. Bisquick
1 c. Almond milk
1Tbs. Oil
1/2 Tbs. water
1/2 c. Blueberries (optional)

Mix all ingredients well, cook like normal pancakes. There are lot of egg substitutes, oil, flaxseed, bananas, applesause. Depending on what the egg is doing in the recipe. Pancakes are easy, and the egg isn't so important.

Oriental Flavored Top Ramen is vegan! Mix with some veggies, like edamame and you are golden.

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So tonight I went out with a friend. Luckily I was warned where we were going, so I was able to do a little research. Most restaurants have vegan options even if it doesn't say so. Lots of fast food chains have vegan fries, or even salad and baked potato options. Many restaurants put nutritional info online too. While it may be a bit of a hassle, you can figure out what you are going to eat, then you don't have to ask when you get there. I would have taken a picture of the delish veggie wrap with hummus that I had tonight, but it was a date. Are pictures allowed on first dates? Perhaps a bit awkward. :)

Day Three - SUCCESS!

 This little ditty is from PETA.org - great resource for recipes


Eggplant "Steaks"
2 small eggplants (aubergines)
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. minced fresh parsley
1/3 tsp. dried rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste


• Remove the stem ends from the eggplants and trim the skin to square the sides. Slice each eggplant lengthwise into two pieces, each approximately 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle 1 tsp. salt evenly over the slices and place in a bowl for about 20 minutes to draw out the bitterness. Rinse well and pat dry.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp. of the oil and the hot sauce. Brush evenly over both sides of the eggplant slices. Bake on a baking sheet for 15 minutes, turning once. Then broil for 1 minute per side or until the slices are well-browned and tender.
• In a small bowl, stir together the remaining oil, garlic, vinegar, parsley and rosemary. Brush on the cooked eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings.  - Note: Give yourself an hour. There is a lot of time spent preping and cooking. If you are really hungry, make a snack while the eggplant sits.

And the verdict is:
I have finally made a vegan meal, that is fancy and tasty! And most important no mistakes! Granted, it's a novice level recipe, but I still did it! I had one beef (haha, oh, meat jokes are the best). It's called an Eggplant 'Steak.' What? Please. It doesn't taste like steak. It doesn't look like steak. I guess it's made in a similar manner. Come on, folks. It is what it is. Broiled Eggplant. Eggplant du four. I've noticed there is a real market for faux meats. I guess people don't want to miss out on something just because of a few ingredients. However, I think a lot of it is silly. It's not meat. It doesn't ever really taste like meat. Everyone knows it's not meat. Why bother? Embrace your non-meatness. I've never eaten a lot of eggplant, but this is a great way to do it. If you really want a steak, don't bother with this recipe. It's not steak. But if you want a savory dish that has some texture, that doesn't taste like a salad or include super foreign ingredients, this is a good bet. Winner winner eggplant dinner!

Day Two - Excuse me?

As my friend, Cynthia, pointed out tonight, I have become one of those people. You know who I'm talking about. Those annoying people that scornfully glance at the menu, then ask the waiter, "Excuse me, but do you have any vegan food?" Uggh. Really? If you want vegan, go to a vegan restaurant. Yeah, I'm there with you. But if you want to be with your friends (who are graciously humoring you with your weird vegan experiment), and they are all eating someplace new, what do you do?

It's crazy how little we think while we eat. I can't count how many times I've eaten bags of popcorn and been surprised when I reach in to find out it's all gone. This morning I had oatmeal, and automatically poured milk on it. I had to dump the milk in the sink and reach for the almond milk. Oops. Not only when we eat, but especially what we eat. For the past few months I've been looking at vegan articles and info. Funny how a topic pops up more when you are thinking about it. I've discovered a TV show about meat and teaching people how it's harvested. Even Oprah recently had an vegan challenge episode (surprisingly balanced and interesting: http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Oprah-and-378-Staffers-Go-Vegan-The-One-Week-Challenge?FB=fb_feb_020111 ). A big point they both make, is we aren't aware of what we are eating. How did the cow become a hamburger? What is in that bag of cookies? Do you know where your dinner came from? ("The store", is not the right answer) Shopping takes forever because now I have to read the ingredients for almost everything. But I like the idea of being aware of what I put in my body. Sure it's a hassle, but it seems to be a much more honest way of life, at least as far as diet goes. I feel better about what I'm eating. Even if it's PB+B.

So all the new budding sense of "conscious eating" is going through my head, and I'm sitting in between my two friends looking over the menu and feeling my stomach slowly eat itself. There are a few options that could be okay to eat. Hummus (ha), sweet potato fries, guacamole. And that's when I became of those people. "Excuse me, waiter..." Turns out the sweet potato fries are cooked in the same wok as the calamari. We went with the guac and fries. I skipped the fries. Trial by fire, and I guess I passed. Granted, I don't know exactly what was in the food I ate, but I know for sure there were no high fat animal byproducts. I suppose that is something. And now I can look, with practiced scorn and slightly self-righteous confidence, at a menu that is, oh so obviously not vegan friendly, and ask "Excuse me, what do you have that is veeeegan?"

Good friends, good music, and good vegan snacks.

Day One - Learning Curve

I talked to a few vegans before I started this. They all had a similar response, "you should try vegetarianism for a while first." Granted, a vegan diet is very strict, but I have been fairly confident that it won't be a problem to change a few things in my diet. The first day was eye opening. It's not the type food that is so hard. It's the access to it that make it so difficult. Specifically, you have to make. Yes. Food comes in this weird unfinished state and you have to cut, blend, cook, boil, and do all kinds of things to make it worth eating. Crazy, right? The sad thing is, my mother is a family science teacher, so I was raised to know how to cook. I can follow a recipe, but I'm not a domestic goddess. So here is what happened.

Meal One: Breakfast - oatmeal + smoothie.

Oatmeal with dried cranberries and almond milk
I cooked it in the microwave, so it was an easy 2 minutes from start to finish. I love oatmeal, especially with cranberries. The almond milk was new, and is thicker than my usual skim milk. It was kind of like treating myself with whole milk. The texture was a little different, but I was diggin' it. It kept me full all morning, lots of good fiber. Overall, Winner.

Smoothie - AKA the sludge in the cup - (banana, strawberries, blueberries, apple juice, kale)
It took a while for me to find the right blend and consistency, but that was due to lack of practice more than anything else. I'm not going to say how long. Let's just say, it's a little embarrassing how long it took to get it right. Smoothies aren't complicated. I saw an idea to put kale in, so you get veggies, but it tastes like fruit. Sounded great and there was a picture of a cute little pea-green smoothie. I was excited to try it and was fun to watch the blend change from pink to green. Then I realized it was only had fruit and it was way too thick. I added apple juice, but it over powered the taste, so I added more strawberries. And then the smoothie turned to sludge. Despite the appearance, it tasted great. Not a hint of kale. Double rainbow in my mouth. Albeit a brown rainbow.

Meal Two: peanut butter & banana sandwich + homemade hummus w/pita chips.

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich
Not just for children, PB+B is tasty. Easy to make, transports well, totally vegan. 'Nuf said.




Hummus and Pita chips
Homemade Hummus

Ingredients

• 2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch paprika
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Directions: Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the garbanzo bean mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

Another supposedly simple recipe. Pretty much you just throw it all in and blend. For the record, I followed the recipe and the finished result was almost perfect. I made one mistake. But sometimes, one mistake makes a big difference. While shopping, I had a hard time finding tahini. I had to google what it was. Something about sesame seeds. I bought sesame seed oil. 1/3 cup sesame seed oil is not the same as 1/3 cup tahini (which I now know is a sesame seed paste). Luckily I'm okay with the taste, but it is very strong. Not really good dip material. Such a pity. I love hummus.

Meal Three: broccoli + rice + hummus-esque sauce.

I gave up for dinner. Frozen broccoli. Left-over rice. Hummus that tasted like failure. But, wait! I kid you not, it was darn good. The "hummus" was not a dip, but it was really good on the veggies. I think I'm on to something here. It pretty much is just sesame seed oil paste, but with other things, it is like sparkles of excitement to my taste buds. Really!