So over Christmas, each of our family members were reading away. I was trying to read the Road (notice I said trying, I am no longer. ugg) and Jack picked up our sister-in-law's book, The China Study. He did not put it down. If you know Jack, once he gets onto something he is excited about or truly believes in, he is on the ball.
China Study is described as book that "reveals the truth behind special interest groups, government entities and scientists that have taken Americans down a deadly path". One of the authors is Dr T. Colin Campbell who is a nutrition and health researcher. Some of the book talks about how animal protein stops and starts the growth of cancer cells. His charge to his readers is to try a vegan diet for 30 days and see how you feel. Jack was on it. He immediately wanted to try it and asked if I would do it with him so I could help. I said "why not?". So this is day 15. It's actually been great. I've always kind of wondered about vegans... what do they eat? Well, I've been going on a great blog that my friend, Mary, told me about called
helloveggie and she has lots of links to other vegan blogs. Who knew this whole world was out there? As a cook lover, I was especially excited to try different recipes and be creative in my adventure. I think this is why I have liked it so much, well, besides losing weight and feeling great.
Another reason I wanted to try going vegan was after watch Food, Inc. Here's a little excerpt about it:
"In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults."
I was stunned after watching this film and didn't want to ever eat again. I was convinced to start an organic garden immediately (which I haven't done yet, but you get the point) and never eat cheap meat from Kroger or Publix again. It is just really shocking and horrifying to know what you didn't know all this time. So seeing this also jump started my enthusiasm to start the vegan thing.
I have been enjoying it and I have mostly been cooking every night. I'm trying to bring home a new veggie that we've never had once a week. So far, kale, bok choy, and brussel sprouts. Jack had never had any of these and mostly liked them all. Here are some of my favorite meals I have made so far, mostly I have gotten them from hello veggie. All this to say, being Vegan for 15 days has enlightened me. I have a new vision for our meals. I still haven't decided if I'm going totally vegan after this whole thing, but it has taught me to instill more veggies, be creative to be healthy, and think about what you are eating. It really is a change of your mind to really change your eating habits. Let me know if you have any great recipes or if you try any of these. Oh, I have loved all the recipes I've tried, but one, the black bean brownies. I will try again and I'll let you know if I find success. So don't be scared, try a recipe! If you don't like it, at least you can say you've tried.
Breakfast Scrambler
Ingredients:
1 package/block of firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
3 cloves garlic, minced/pressed
1 cup diced bell peppers (red, green, yellow)
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup chopped, cooked, vegan sausage (I recommend toyfurky sundried tomato and basil)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric (I bought for the first time ever)
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
1 heaping handful of fresh spinach (or other veggie of choice)
How You'll Do It:
Start by getting your tofu pressed. Place a drained block of tofu on a plate, with another plate on top of the block. The point of the stacking is to apply low but steady pressure to your tofu, so the liquid inside drains off with out causing your block to break or crumble. I put my tofu on a plate, with one plate and two or three bowl on top of it. If your dishes are light (mine are heavy), you can put something heavier, such as a small pot or a can of beans, on top of a plate on your tofu. Or if you want to be really fancy and awesome, you can buy a tofu press.
While your tofu is being pressed, prepare your veggies if needed. In a large saute pan, on medium high heat, start to saute your vegan sausage, peppers, and garlic in a tablespoon or two of water. Once your tofu has pressed (for at least 15-20 minutes), add in your tofu to the saute. Crumble the tofu apart with your hands as you add it. Once tofu is in, stir it together with your veggies and add fresh spinach. Add all seasonings together with the scramble. Taste it once everything is thoroughly incorporated and continue to season as needed. Once your scramble has cooked on medium high for at least 8 minutes and is hot and seasoned to taste, remove it from heat and stir in fresh tomatoes. Serve with fruit, toast or bagels, or eat on a sandwich for a healthy protein packed meal.
*My notes: I could not believe how good this was to what I thought it would be. Although, I told my sister in law about it and she made it, but Jack's brother didn't like it as much as we did. Jack put his in a spinach tortilla with salsa. It really did look like eggs.*
Pepper Yaki Udon Noodles
What You'll Need:
1 package of udon noodles, cooked according to package directions
1/2 T of fresh cracked black pepper, more or less to taste
1 large zucchini, cut into half moons
1 cup of mushrooms, criimini or shiitake
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 T olive oil or 1/2 t sesame oil, optional
1 cup of additional vegetables of choice, optional
1 batch of Everyday Teriyaki Sauce, see below
*omit scallions
*add 2 T corn starch
How You'll Do It:
While you're preparing your noodles (boiling water and letting noodles cook), prepare you teriyaki sauce mixture. Once it's prepared, heat a large saute pan or wok on medium-high heat. Add oil or water to the hot pan or wok, and add vegetables and garlic. *She didn't finish the recipe, but I assumed to just put everything together. It was a hit. I had our friends, Brett and Katherine, over for dinner and they said they liked it. I think they told the truth. It was really good and easy.
Everday Teriyaki Sauce
2/3 cup soy sauce (regular or low sodium)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh, grated ginger (optional)
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
How You'll Do It:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Heat in a medium sized pot, on medium heat, until the mixture boils. Stir continuously to ensure your sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl again. To use for stir fry, as a Teriyaki Sauce, pour the sauce into the vegetables while stir frying in wok or pan. To use as a marinade, allow veggies, tofu, or tempeh to soak for at least 20 minutes before grilling.
Vegan Cupcakes
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups almond milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid (my favorite new find!)
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 12 cup muffin pans or line with 18 paper baking cups.
Measure the apple cider vinegar into a 2 cup measuring cup. Fill with almond milk to make 1 1/2 cups. Let stand until curdled, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk mixture, coconut oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter. Frost with desired frosting (I used one from helloveggie)
*these were delicious!! I couldn't believe it.*
