FINIS

Well, it's all over. Yes, I cheated a little (especially on the "detox" half of it), but for someone who really likes their meat (hahaHA!) I think I did pretty well. I learned all about the virtues of tofu, I introduced several new meals to my repertoire, and I discovered a newfound respect for those who live their lives absent of macaroni and cheese. In addition, I lowered my cholesterol and kick-started my energy. (Now I can stay on the elliptical for twenty minutes without even getting tired. Before, I was so out of shape that a mere five would do a number on my calves.) And I saved a little money, believe it or not. Meat works out to be pretty expensive. I am however a little disappointed that I didn't lose more weight (about 4 pounds total).

Could I seriously recommend it? For a short while, yes. Could I do it forever? NO!!! For Easter I joined my family for a delicious meal- perfectly cooked ham, green beans cooked with ham, corn cooked with ham, and a chocolate and peanut butter cream pie (and there was no tofu cream on that particular pie). Later on that evening, I watched "Animation Domination" with leftover ham, Ritz crackers, and that gross rain slicker- looking sliced cheese. How was my indigestion the next day? Both dreadful AND abominable.

Is This Blog Dead?

Yep, I'm still off the baloney pony (hahaHA!) and will be until April 12th, when I shall enjoy a delicious and juicy Easter ham. But lately I haven't had the time or energy to record everything I eat for dinner every night. Especially since my dining habits have become rather prosaic; I recently ate the fabulous kung pao tofu that I recorded some weeks ago again, as well as the tofu manicotti and others. Also, my efforts have turned to another ambition- going back to school for the first time in seven years. If all goes well, I shall be accepted to the graduate art history program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. And if all really goes well, I will be able to enter it too. There may even be a PhD somewhere in my distant future. What I'm going to do with it, who knows, but it's something I've wanted for some time now. 

Right now I'm off to the library to spend the day doing research for my scholarly writing sample. And maybe I'll break for a falafel at the downtown Purple Onion sometime in the day.

Chicken and Dumplings

(I have given up on numbering the days. I've finished my original commitment, after all.) Even when made with seitan, and even with dumplings made with soymilk mixed with vinegar instead of buttermilk, chicken and dumplings is good ol' American  comfort food.

You definitely don't want to make the dumplings too big. They will take too long to cook, and may also take up your entire bowl when you go to serve. But this is overall a very easy dish to cook- enjoy.

• 1/4 cup margarine
• One large onion, chopped
• One cup celery, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 package chicken-flavored seitan

And for the dumplings:

• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 2 cups flour (self rising)
• 1/4 cup margarine

1. Saute the onion and celery with margarine in a large dutch oven. Add bay leaves and flour when tender. Slowly mix in the broth, bring to a boil, and add seitan.

2. While simmering, make the dough for the dumplings. Combine soy milk and vinegar, and allow to sit for a few minutes. In a bowl cut the flour and margarine together until crumbly. Add the milk mixture and stir until combined. 

3. Drop the dough into the soup by spoonfuls. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes (don't overcook- the dumplings will be rough).

Soy yogurt makes the BEST muffins!

I used to do a little baking, but I obviously haven't done much over the past couple of months. I decided to change that today. Here we have carrot spice muffins- NO eggs, NO dairy, and NO oil. Woohoo! I will probably take these to work tomorrow and leave them in the break room; otherwise I'll be tempted to eat them all tonight. The main tip I can give is to go easy on the ginger. You really don't need the full amount called for here.

The recipe:

• 1 3/4 cups self-rising flour (whole wheat if you can find it)
• 1/4 cup natural sugar (dehydrated cane juice)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/8 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened natural applesauce
• 1/2 cup soy yogurt (I used vanilla because I couldn't find the plain kind)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 grated carrots
• 1/4 cup raisins (I used golden raisins, but you can use either kind)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray the cups of your muffin tin with vegan cooking spray.

2. Mix the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry in another. Blend the wet with the dry and stir just until combined. Add carrots and raisins.

3. Spoon into muffin cups, about 1/2 to 2/3 full. (This recipe will make 12-15 muffins. Don't use paper liners unless you spray the insides first- they will stick.)

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, more if you like them slightly brown on the bottom.

Day 54: Dinner

Oh yeah! It looks delicious, and it was delicious. Black eyed peas, short grain brown rice, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, and the perfect blend of seasonings. 100% organic and certified vegan. Unfortunately, I can't give you the recipe. In fact, I didn't make this. It's an Amy's frozen dinner- one of the bowls. 

Am I getting lazy or what? Will this website come down to nothing but reviews of frozen vegan dinners? Nah... but I haven't felt like cooking lately.

So this blog will look good on the read-through, let me rant about something else that's not food-related, but is related to a conversation I overheard today at work. It pisses me off when someone says a child is "brilliant" just because they prefer reading over watching television or playing video games. I was one of those kids, and everyone (all the way up to my parents) thought I was antisocial and weird, yet today reading is so remarkably unpopular among the younger set that any kid who likes reading is a genius. Geez.

Let's put it in perspective. If your eleven year old child reads AND understands Pynchon, Balzac, or A Brief History of Time, it is safe to say that you've got yourself a genius. (The "understands" part is important. I read Crime and Punishment when I was twelve. Did I "get" it? Not for about five years.) If the child can put down Poe, Dickinson, and maybe some of Mark Twain's more elusive works, they have potential (but don't get your hopes up). A child who likes Louisa May Alcott, Judy Blume, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the Harry Potter series is about where they need to be- and where your kid should be if they're not. But if your child reads nothing but Goosebumps, Sweet Valley High, and those obnoxious manga novels, then sorry, but they're no better than the neighbor's kid who spends seven hours a day with their Xbox. Some people really need positive assurance that they're good parents, but don't delude yourself. Okay, that's all.

Surprise! Whole Foods is NOT a grocery store.

Recently I took out a credit card because it offered rewards points, which could be redeemed for airline miles, gift cards, etc. What really impressed me was how this particular card offered five points for every dollar spent on groceries and gasoline. The way I see it, I can use it to buy all of my groceries and gas, pay it off every month, and rack up about 2500 points a month. That really adds up.

So why so sad? Purchases at Whole Foods don't count. Nope. It's not a grocery store. Sorry, but if I'm going to spend $93 on tofu and edamame, I want 465 points, not 93. I'm a big fan of getting something for nothing.

Since I'm obviously insane, this was enough to compel me to attempt to do all of my grocery shopping at Publix. (Unless of course I'm in the mood to get some marzipan for $1.75 a bite.) I'm getting that $250 Amazon gift card by God! I went shopping there this evening- and want another surprise? When it comes to the sort of stuff I've been eating, Publix is no cheaper. They sell tofu and tempeh, but only the more "gourmet" varieties, which are twice what Whole Foods charges for its store brand. Cedarlane and Amy's Organics microwave dinners (which I have been eating many of, hence the lack of posting recipes) are five to six dollars each. You can eat lunch at a restaurant for not much more. 

Life and veganism are full of surprises. Yes, I'm aware that this is a rant. I'm furious.

OOOOO... Scary.

So I have recently taken on the hobby of calculating the caloric content of my food. All I can say is , "Yikes." Who'da thunk a half cup of olive oil would pack over 900 calories? (That's how much I used in the marinade for my kebabs yesterday.) In fact, each of those kebabs had 228 calories (and I ate three for lunch today)! A full recipe of hummus contains 800 calories, without the bread to dunk in it. Of course, I'd never eat that much hummus at one sitting... no way...

Day 50: Dinner

Vegan kebabs are self-explanatory. I mean, geez. Drain your tofu, slice into large chunks, and skewer the pieces with your vegetables instead of meat. These are designed to be cooked on the grill, but it's not grilling weather, and besides, I have no grill. (Well, the thought of putting these on a George Foreman is hilarious.) So I broiled them in the oven and they still turned out fabulous.

You definitely don't want to make tofu kebabs without marinating the tofu for at least eight hours because they'll taste like putty. Also, if you're using wood or bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water for a couple of hours. Otherwise you'll run the no fun at all risk of their catching fire.

How to make 'em:

• Eighteen cherry tomatoes (for nine skewers)
• One green bell pepper, chunked
• One red onion, chunked
• One package button mushrooms
• One package extra firm tofu, drained and cut into chunks
• One zucchini, sliced

And for the marinade:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 tbsp. lemon juice
• 5 tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 tbsp. sesame oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning or basil
• salt and pepper
  

1. Make marinade by mixing all ingredients. Marinate tofu and vegetables for eight hours or overnight. 

2. Preheat oven to broil. Thread your kebab-making material on skewers. (You'll have about nine.) Don't add tomatoes yet.

3. Place skewers on sprayed cookie sheets. Broil for 6 minutes, then remove from oven, turn, and baste with remaining marinade. Broil 6 more minutes. Remove from oven, thread tomatoes on kebabs, and broil 3 minutes more.

Delicious with pita bread and hummus.

Chickpeas Done Right

So it's Saturday afternoon, sixty degrees outside, Stravinsky's on the iTunes, and I'm STILL a mite depressed. So why not make something beautiful? Of course. 

This was the first time I have ever made hummus, and to be frank it's not the best I've ever had. But hummus is one difficult dish to screw up completely, so I still scarfed it down. Next time I'll add a little bit of cumin, some parsley, and some more garlic and olive oil. And a little less liquid. It was awfully thin.

Making hummus is easy if you have a food processor, and impossible if you don't. Look how easy it really is:

• 1 can chickpeas (16 oz.)
• 2 tbsp. tahini
• 3-5 tsp. lemon juice (according to taste)
• 2-4 garlic cloves (again according to taste)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

1. Drain chickpeas, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.

2. Place everything in your food processor (including chickpea liquid) and blend until nice and creamy. Serve with pita bread wedges.

It is a good idea to keep a few cans of chickpeas and some pita bread in your kitchen, because this can be made in the drop of a hat if company comes by or if you have a Mideast hankering at 3 a.m.

Day 46: Dinner

In the ambit of veganizing your old faves, you're going to have hits and misses. Vegan beef stew- hit. Vegan mac 'n cheese- miss. Vegan fish sticks- well, let's just say the jury's out for the time being. (But they sure do look like fish sticks, eh?)

My vegan friend Travis recently told me that when it comes to a dish like mac 'n nutritional yeast, you have to look at it as a completely different food product. You can't make it taste like the traditional stuff, and you shouldn't expect it to. So that's how I looked at this fish-fried tofu. Or tried to.

If you're making fish sticks with no fish, and you want them to taste even remotely like fish, then you're going to have to use something... fishy. Seafood's off limits, so how about seaweed? The recipe called for kelp powder, but since I had a whole bag of kombu sheets in the cupboard I decided to shred them up and use them instead. Not a good idea. If you make this dish, use kelp powder; kombu is too tough and hard for the food processor. It will grind it into smaller pieces but not a powder, and you'll have to constantly be spitting the little pieces out that end up in the batter.

I would also advise you to cut them into smaller strips than I did, and to not batter them as heavily as I did. Ever had those chicken strips from McDonald's? The ones that are about 90% batter and hardly any actual chicken? Yeah, I know.

I also made sweet potato fries, and with much success, seeing as I have an obscene amount of difficulty baking sweet potatoes in the oven. To make these, cut up a sweet potato into wedges and soak them in salted water for an hour. Then cook at 425 for 45 minutes, turning after 30. Spray the potatoes and cookie sheet with vegan butter-flavored spray (Spectrum makes a good one). To make the vegan tartar sauce, stir together a couple of heaping spoons of Vegenaise with a spoonful of relish and add plenty of freshly-ground pepper and a little lemon juice if you like.

One thing more- these fish sticks were made with tofu from Whole Foods' store brand, 365 Everyday Value. They apparently just entered the tofu market, and their stuff is a whopping fifty cents less per pack, so I thought I'd give it a try. And while draining tofu is never all that much fun, this stuff soaked six layers of paper towels on the second pressing. It didn't taste any different though- just a lot tougher to prepare.

Anyway, here's the recipe for vegan fish sticks.

• 1 lb. firm tofu, drained
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. kelp powder
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. dill
• 2/3 cup unsweetened soymilk
• Cooking spray for pan

1. Preheat oven to 425. Spray cookie sheet with oil.

2. Combine flour, almonds, kelp powder, and all spices in a food processor. Pulse until all is a finely ground meal (don't let the motor burn out!).

3. Slice tofu into small strips (about the size of standard fish sticks). Dip in soy milk and dredge in flour mixture one at a time. (You can also use a fish-shaped cookie cutter- that would be a big hit if you're preparing these for children.) Lay on baking sheet and spray with more oil.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn and bake for another 15 minutes.

Vegan Nutrition For Dummies, Part Two

A couple of months ago, after I first started this blog, I wrote an entry on vegan nutrition- the vitamins and minerals that are deficient in a plant based diet and that vegans need to supplement themselves with. Sadly, I did not heed my own advice. Drats.

The other day I complained about my jaw aching. It does hurt quite a bit, and I dare say it's gotten worse since the beginning of the year. (I definitely do not have TMJ. I spoke to my dentist about just that only a few weeks ago, and she checked me for it. That's not the problem.) Someone told me that my perpetually sore jaw could be a result of a calcium deficiency. I had a great aunt who had severe osteoporosis, so I can concur that it's no fun at all- but it's the sort of thing that a not yet thirty person sees their self as being invincible to. Let's not be foolish here.

So in addition to my daily multivitamin (which in spite of being a women's multivitamin doesn't have the full RDA of calcium) I have begun taking calcium (fortified with Vitamin D), Vitamin B complex (vegans never get enough of those), and Vitamins C and E. This will strengthen my bones, enrich my blood, and improve my immune system (it's a sign when I actually get sick twice in one winter). I feel better already.

Day 45: Dinner

So I am starting to accomplish my "short-term goals." The first was beef stew (lately I have had a dearth of freezer-friendly leftovers, and I must have something to eat for lunch). Although the recipe called for chunky "beef-style" TVP, I gave into the urge to use Boca crumbles- they're made from the same thing as Boca burgers, just in ground beef form. I do wish they made vegan beef tips, but these did the trick.

You have probably noticed that I'm drinking a beer. I don't drink beer a whole lot but yes, Guinness is my favorite beer, and I prefer it at room temperature. (There's nothing on God's green earth sexier than a woman who drinks thick, dark, warm, cloudy, bitter beer. Fellas, am I right or am I right?) But Guinness is not vegan (isinglass). This recipe called for half a cup of stout (I had to buy a whole bottle, and I elected to drink the balance rather than pouring it down the sink) and unfortunately, Guinness is the only brand of stout sold at the Birmingham Whole Foods on a piecemeal basis. Can you believe that?! There ARE vegan stouts, but the most common is not among them.

Anyway, this beef stew is thick, rich, and hearty, just like a regular beef stew. I suggest serving it to your favorite carnivore and not telling him until he's done. I like to eat mine over rice, but it's a matter of personal choice- you can do it either way. Between the rice, the potatoes, and the high glycemic carrots and peas, it's an Atkins follower's nightmare. Enjoy!

• 1 large potato, chopped
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1/3 cup soy sauce or Bragg's
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 cup "ground beef" crumbles (or TVP)
• 2 tbsp. non-hydrogenated margarine
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (yeah, I know)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. dry mustard (I omitted this because I'm allergic)
• 1/2 tsp. ground sage
• 1/4 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 cup stout beer
• 1/2 cup frozen peas

1. Boil potatoes in water, soy sauce, and onion powder until tender. (If you do this first they'll be ready about when it's time to add them to the stew.)

2. Saute onion, carrot, and leek in a stockpot with margarine until tender (about 10 minutes). Add flour, yeast, salt, pepper, mustard and sage.

3. Gradually stir in potatoes and the liquid they're cooked in. Heat until simmering.

4. Add "beef," tomato puree, beer and peas. Simmer, stirring often, 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Happy Hallmark Day!

Well, I know this is supposed to be a food blog, but I just wanted to take a second to let everyone know that I have a man who has taste (and not just in women). These are the most beautiful roses I've ever received (no offense if you've given me roses in the past).

Anyway, back to food. I'm not going to be vegan tonight. I'm having sushi! And it will be the best sushi I've ever had, I'm sure. If you think I'm cheating, let me add that I've decided to extend this "diet" through Lent. I don't cheat when my faith's involved.

Day 40: Dinner

My late Aunt Vivian was both an avid cook and gardener. She always made a point to cook up several dozen gallons of her signature vegetable soup (which I'm pretty sure was vegan) every year so that everyone in the family could have a few jars. She'd use the vegetables from her garden, so the composition would depend on the year's harvest. And was it ever good. Unfortunately, her recipe died when she did.

This vegetable soup recipe was almost as good (although in the case of the beans and corn, I added a little more than was called for- you can do the same). Here it is:

• 3 cups vegetable broth (the recipe called for beef broth, but that's not how I roll)
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup tomato juice
• 2 smallish potatoes, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen green beans
• 1/2 cup soybeans (recipe called for limas, but again, that's not how I roll)
• 1/2 cup corn
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt

1. Combine broth, water and tomato juice in a large kettle, and bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, saute carrots, onions, and bell pepper with olive oil.

3. Add sauteed vegetables to broth mixture along with other vegetables and salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 45 minutes.

4. Toward end of cooking time, remove 2 cups of soup and process in a blender until pureed. Add back to the soup. (This will thicken the soup.)

5. Remove from heat. Ideally, you should let it sit for about an hour, so that the flavors can meld. But if you just can't wait, you can go ahead and eat.

This soup supposedly gets better with time (and I believe it). So the plethora of leftovers you'll have will be even better.

Day 39: Dinner

This is a terrible picture, but these were some good fajitas. I've made vegan tacos and burritos, but fajitas haven't been in the mix yet and it's about time.

A word to the wise: Don't wait to buy tortillas on or around Superbowl Sunday. Apparently there's a major run for them around that time- hey, quesadillas are the quintessential Superbowl snack. (How's that for alliteration?) Yes, Whole Foods was completely out of tortillas. Except the mega-gourmet kind, which were five dollars for a pack of six; I wasn't paying that much, so I got lavash bread instead. Lavash bread is a standard of Persian cuisine, and while it's best served with cream cheese, dates and walnuts, it tastes just like the ol' Latin American tortilla. Except rectangular, not round. You'll need to tear them in half if you're going to use them for that purpose.

Here's a few words about poblano peppers. On the heat scale they're somewhere between bell peppers and jalapenos, and they have a very distinctive flavor. You're going to want to peel them, because the skins will give you indigestion. The best way to do this is to roast them over a gas grill or burner; just hold them with tongs over the direct flame until they blister and blacken. Yes, this is a little scary, but it's also kinda fun. When they're all black, put them in a ziploc bag for about fifteen minutes. This will cause them to sweat, which will make the burned skin soft and easy to peel off. Rubbing them under running water will facilitate this. If you can't find them in the store or just don't want to go through the trouble, you can use bell peppers instead.

Here's how to make these:

• One large onion, sliced
• Two roasted and peeled poblano peppers, sliced
• One pound mushrooms, sliced
• One cup of corn (I used frozen)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 lb. cubed firm tofu (you really don't even need to drain it)
• Generous splash soy sauce or Bragg's
• Shredded vegan cheese
• Tortillas
• One cup cooked rice
• Salsa, for serving

1. Heat the oil in a skillet or wok. Cook onions for about 3 minutes, then add peppers, mushrooms, corn, tofu, and soy sauce. Cook until all is done, and then maybe a little longer to strengthen the flavors.

2. Heat the tortillas in the microwave until warm.

3. Serve with rice, cheese, and salsa.

Short Term Goals

Here are the dishes I want to try my hand at veganizing in the coming weeks:

• Biscuits and gravy
• Kebabs
• Spaghetti with bolognese sauce
• Spaghetti with alfredo sauce
• Fish sticks with tartar sauce
• Chicken Waldorf salad
• Kafta (or baked kibbee)
• Chicken nuggets with Polynesian sauce (just like at Chick-Fil-A)
• Mashed potatoes
• Shepherd's pie
• Cream chowder
• Hashbrowns
• Lasagna
• Beef stew
• Chicken and dumplings
• Vindaloo
• Spring rolls and summer rolls

Day 37: Dinner

My Pasta Della California didn't look nearly as appetizing as the picture from Post Punk Kitchen, but it was very tasty. (It got its name from the avocados it contains- that's what "California" means, obviously.) This was a very good meal, and one where you could really taste the B vitamins and monounsaturated fats. I would recommend chopping and zesting all of your goods beforehand, though.

The recipe:

• 1/2 pound linguine
• One large bunch broccoli, florets only
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• Zest and juice of one lime
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Generous dash black pepper
• One large bunch arugula, chopped (leaves only)
• 2 avocados, peeled and chunked

1. Cook your linguine according to package directions (about 10-12 minutes, usually). Add broccoli one minute before finish. Drain in a colander.

2. Meanwhile, saute garlic, lime zest and red pepper flakes in olive oil in a large skillet for about 2 minutes. Add wine and reduce by about half. Add broth, lime juice, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and add arugula.

3. When arugula wilts add the broccoli and pasta. Stir to coat until fully warmed. Add the avocado and turn off heat. Gently toss until avocado is fully incorporated. Serve with extra black pepper.

Moe's for Vegans

Today I went on a five mile hike. That's right, I hiked in the woods (at Tannehill State Park) for five miles. About two and a half hours of solid walking. Despite the slightly sore leg muscles, I haven't felt this good in a while. And I got to see lots of that beautiful February foliage.

I felt I needed to reward myself afterwards, and the first instinct I felt was "about five chicken soft tacos from Taco Bell." But I resisted the urge, and went for a burrito at Moe's instead. My usual at Moe's is chicken with lots of cheese and that spicy ranch sauce on top. Not today, of course. I ate a tofu burrito with lots of pico de gallo, and no cheese. And it was a junior; to eat the big 'un wouldn't be good for the liver. The worst thing you can do for your liver that doesn't involve bourbon or Loritabs is to overeat.

We all know by now that Moe's burritos are never vegan; the tortillas contain eggs, milk, or both, or something like that. But dammit, I did the best I could. And their tofu is pretty darn good.

Day 35: Breakfast

I was feeling a little creative today, so I decided to pull out the ol' juicer and blender to make something I could drink for breakfast. YUM! If you have some bananas that are going brown (and banana bread is not currently on your diet) then try blending them with two juiced navel oranges, soy milk, and a tad of vanilla extract. There are other things you could add to a drink like this, such as spirulina, ground flaxseed, or wheat germ, which would increase its protein and fiber content. 

By the way, don't dismiss this as an easy breakfast. If you drink it too fast you'll get indigestion, and cleaning a blender and juicer first ting in the morning is no fun at all.

Day 33: Dinner

Tofu vs. Ricotta: The Final Showdown

Round 1: Calories (per 3 oz. serving)

Tofu, 117; Ricotta, 117 (Dead even! Wow!)

Round 2: Total Fat

Tofu, 7.1 grams; Ricotta, 6.6 grams (Ricotta wins, but just barely)

Round 3: Saturated Fat

Tofu, 1 gram; Ricotta, 4.2 grams (It's a bloodbath!)

Round 4: Dietary Fiber

Tofu, 1.9 grams; Ricotta, 0 grams

Round 5: Cholesterol

Tofu, 0 mg; Ricotta, 9 mg

Round 6: Protein

Tofu, 12.8 grams; Ricotta, 9.6 grams

Round 7: Calcium

Tofu, 55% RDA; Ricotta, 24% RDA

Round 8: Iron

Tofu, 12% RDA; Ricotta, 3% RDA

Before you say "I'm not making my grandma's recipes using THAT weird treehuggin' crap!" let me tell you: finely processed tofu is identical to ricotta in texture, flavor and substance. It's also a little healthier (who'da thunk tofu would have so much more calcium?) and it relieves you from the guilt of realizing that you just ate a lot of cheese. This manicotti was one of my biggest successes yet, and I now realize that my food processor was one of my best investments of all time.

I'm feeling inspired. Next week's battle: Tofu vs. Mascarpone. I'm itching to cook up a vegan tiramisu.

Here's the recipe. My advice is to add a little onion and garlic to the tofu mixture. Also, I boiled seven manicotti shells but only had enough to stuff five; if you're a big eater or cooking for a crowd, I'd advise you make more.

• About 5 manicotti shells
• 1/2 package firm tofu
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 package frozen spinach
• 16 oz. tomato sauce (jarred is okay)
• 4 oz. mozzarella flavored rice shreds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Boil manicotti shells until done. Set aside to cool.

3. Crumble tofu and add to food processor with olive oil and salt. Process until creamy.

4. Thaw spinach by running under hot water for a few seconds. Drain completely (give it a good squeeze) and add to food processor. Process until mixture is a pleasant green color.

5. Stuff mixture into manicotti shells. (This is a pain in the ass; if you have one, use one of those icing pipers and it will make the job much easier. I didn't, so I just used a spoon and my hands.)

6. Coat bottom of a casserole pan with tomato sauce. Place shells on top and cover with more sauce. Sprinkle rice shreds on top of sauce.

7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes more, or until the cheese melts. Then enjoy!

Day 31: Dinner

The term "Ethiopian food" sure sounds like an oxymoron. We've all heard the jokes concerning this, especially those from the mid-eighties when the East African famine made them particularly tasteless. (Hey, what do you call an Ethiopian with sesame seeds on his head? A Quarter Pounder! Hyuk hyuk.) The epicurean progression benchmark of any city is usually measured by whether or not there is an Ethiopian restaurant in town. Birmingham, of course, doesn't have one.

 The first time I ate Ethiopian food was at Meskerem, in Charlotte, North Carolina. It's a buffet, filled with lentils and greens (have you ever seen an edible looking cow in any of those documentaries?), and the foods are largely flavorless, which is typical of African food in general. (The ancient Africans traded gold for salt.) The most distinctive trait of Ethiopian cuisine is that no silverware is involved; the idea is to take a sheetlike roll of spongy bread, cover your plate with it, spoon your food on top, and eat with your hands, by tearing pieces of the bread and wrapping the food with it. I was not extremely fond of Ethiopian food, though Charlotteans who are will usually say that Meskerem is the place to go. 

This stew was much better. I put the onion and carrot in the food processor (which I bought just today) rather than chopping it, which gives the stew a thicker consistency. Also, I would have gone without the peas; I don't really like peas.

Here's the recipe for Ethiopian lentil stew (with 21 ingredients- wow!)

• 1 cup brown lentils
• 1 large yellow onion, diced small
• 3 carrots, diced small
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• 2 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
• 1/4 cup peanut oil (I used cooking spray instead)
• 10 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup vegetable stock (or water with two veggie bouillon cubes)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. Hungarian paprika (I used the plain kind)
• 1 tsp. fenugreek
• 1/2 tsp. ground thyme
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/8 tsp. allspice
• 1/8 tsp. cloves
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt

1. Boil lentils until tender; drain.

2. Saute onions and carrots in a large soup pot with oil for 10 minutes.

3. Add garlic, ginger, and spices and saute 5 minutes more.

4. Add tomatoes and cook 5 more minutes.

5. Add tomato paste and broth and bring to a simmer. Add lentils and peas, and simmer covered for 15 minutes more.

I advise you to eat this with some chewy whole wheat bread. Ethiopian food is meant to be eaten with bread, of course.

Day 30: Dinner

There ain't nothing like macaroni and cheese... at times I would go as far as saying it's my favorite food. I like to bake mine in the oven, with gruyere, grated parmigianino, and lots of crunchy bacon. In fact, Kraft mac and cheese in the blue box with Bacos on top isn't all that bad either. But I will tell you one thing about vegan "macaroni and cheese"- it sucks like a tornado.

Don't ask for the recipe; I can't bare to reprocess it in my mind. But I did use quinoa noodles, which would have been yummers if eaten with only a little butter, and as far as the nutritional yeast that gives it its distinctive chreese texture and "flavor," it can be mistaken for parm when sprinkled in moderation atop pasta salad but one should never- NEVER- make any recipe that calls for a full cup. So if you can't live without your mac 'n cheese, don't become vegan. Cruelty-free should be about ending misery.

Day 29: Dinner

I always load up on the kung pao chicken when I go to the Chinese buffet, where sodium and MSG are used more liberally than they should. Now that those days are over, I really enjoyed this fresh kung pao tofu. One of the best Chinese meals I've had in a while.

Here's the recipe:

• 12 ounces of tofu, drained (you can also use seitan or tempeh)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup peanuts (or cashews)
• 1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. sugar (I used agave nectar)
• 2 tsp. cornstarch (or arrowroot)
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1. Stir fry tofu and garlic in a sprayed skillet (I used sesame oil) for about three minutes. The tofu will begin to brown.

2. Add bell peppers and onion. Stir fry until soft.

3. Mix last six ingredients and add to skillet, stirring until sauce is thick.

4. Add peanuts, stir to coat, and serve over brown rice.

You will definitely like this recipe!

Day 28: Dinner

Is it at all possible for pizza to be a health food? Let's see the stats on this twelve inch pie:

• One 12" Rustic Crust Organic whole wheat pizza crust: 780 calories, 10 grams fat, 32 grams protein;
• One 8 ounce package Galaxy Nutritional Foods mozzarella flavor "rice shreds": 560 calories, 32 grams fat (8 grams saturated fat), 48 grams protein;
• Olive oil for brushing: 120 calories, 14 grams fat (2 grams saturated);
• 6 ounces Enrico's All Natural Pizza Sauce: 120 calories, 5 grams fat, 3 grams protein;
• One half of a large tomato: 17 calories;
• One third of a large purple onion: 15 calories;
• Garlic, oregano, and fresh basil: negligible

Total intake for entire pizza: 1,612 calories, 61 grams fat (10 grams saturated), and 83 grams protein; for one slice (1/8 pizza): 202 calories, 7.625 grams fat (1.25 saturated), and 10.375 grams protein. Not bad for pizza, I'd say. Especially since a Meat Lovers' of the same size and similar crust will give you 310 calories and 17 grams of fat per slice (and only 14 grams protein- not much more for a pie laden with processed meats).

This is the first pizza I have ever made from scratch, not counting those Chef Boyardee kits that come with the too-thick sauce and powdered mozz. Wanna make one yourself? Making a pizza with a prepared crust is not rocket science, but just in case you were dropped on the head as a child, here goes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush your crust with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped garlic (I used about four cloves; you can use as much or little as you like). Spread about 3/4 cup of pizza sauce on top. Sprinkle with 4 ounces of soy or rice mozzarella (the pre-shredded kind) and top with sliced tomatoes and diced onions. Sprinkle with dried oregano and then another 4 ounces of cheese. Top with torn fresh basil (about five leaves will do it). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted (it'll melt somewhat) and nosh! It also reheats beautifully. This pizza was good!

Reflections On a Simpler Time

Today I'm celebrating one month of self-denial by having my first cup of coffee in four weeks. It's not decaffeinated or fair trade either- it's good ol' Red Diamond, packaged right here in Birmingham. With all fairness, I'm drinking it with soy milk, not the macadamia nut flavored creamer that I still have in my fridge. I thought I'd be jittery but I'm really not. It is probably the best cup of coffee I've had in my entire life though.

It makes me think of the days when I'd go to Books-A-Million on a Sunday morning and order a venti dark roast, load it down with half-and-half and cinnamon, and sip whilst reading the New York Times and perusing the art books. When it ran low, I'd bring my cup back to the barista and get a discounted refill. I was ruining my circulatory system and didn't even realize it. And let's not forget the high school days, when I thought my ubiquitous cup of gas station cappuccino paired with my heavily dog-eared copy of On the Road made me better than my peers. (We didn't have Starbucks in Alabama until my first year of college, and at that point those were only found in Barnes and Nobles.) Whatever happens, I really don't ever plan on returning to those days.

Even more disconcerting, I remember a time when I worked a third shift in the IT department of a printing plant. (That's 6 pm to 6 am, by the way.) I never got used to it. The days when I didn't work were harder than the ones that I did. Try staying up all night and going to bed at seven in the morning on your day off; if you're a club kid I'm sure it's great, but for me it was quiet, dark, and lonely. Even worse, I worked the shift alone, and there would rarely be any actual work to do. Someone had to be there just in case something went wrong- and rarely did that happen.

Oftentimes a 500 page Atwood novel or a twelve hour Internet surf wouldn't do the trick, so I had to have a Snickers bar from the vending machine. Or two. Or three. And about ten Cokes to wash them down with. I'd feel no guilt at all for loading my system with preservatives and refined sugars. Not to mention empty calories and unhealthy fats. Ehck, bad Nicole. Strangely enough, I actually lost weight during that period in my life- that was sadly all that I was eating.

I go on to reflect on people I have known who eat like this all the time. College is one thing- when you're forced to eat dorm food your palatable options are usually limited to burgers, fries and the dessert table, and some kids can't resist the privilege of eating six brownies in one sitting. (Hey, all you can eat means all you can eat!) And we all know that the "Freshman 15" (or 20, or 30) is from alcohol and ordering pizza at 2 am when you're stoned, not cafeteria food. I utilized the salad bar more than most Montevallo students, but I'll admit to eating several bowls of Cocoa Frosted Flakes for dinner more than once. (As a side note, my school had about 3000 students, which made it too small to have a food court and too large to really give the food attention, so it wasn't all that great. I envied my friends who attended the University of Alabama, where one could have Chick-Fil-A or Pizza Hut for lunch, or Judson, which had a student body of 500 and REALLY good meals. Whenever I come back to visit my campus I eat in the cafeteria and wonder how I made it through four years of that junk.)

You also have to consider the poor. I live in a state that has one of the highest obesity rates in the nation, and also a very large poverty rate, especially in the rural areas. These two facts are interrelated, and a lot of people even here cannot figure out why poor people (and even homeless people) are fat. It's easy- if you can't afford fresh fruit and a bagel, which is what you should be eating for breakfast, then you tend to gravitate towards biscuits and sawmill gravy. (That's one dish I have been trying to find a vegan recipe for- if you're not eating it out of economic necessity, it's indulgent and it's good.) One of my least favorite things to hear from people is "She can't be that poor- she must weigh 300 pounds." Think before you speak, people.

But what about those who have better options available and can afford them, but still eat nothing but junk? I used to have a co-worker who was in her early to mid forties, but who looked ten years older. She was obese, albeit not "Why doesn't she join the circus?" such, and she took no fewer than a dozen medications (I know this because they were piled in a corner of her desk). What was her diet like? She ate five or six items from the vending machine a day, bragged about chugging a minimum 64 ounces of coffee a day, and made me hate lunch hour because of the ever-present odor of KFC chicken livers that would inevitably waft from her cubicle. And I would be willing to bet she hadn't exercised since high school gym class. I'm a Libertarian and all, but this woman made me not at all opposed to limiting civil liberties concerning personal health habits.

Day 26: Dinner

So I had a bit of a junk food night. Shoot me.

I finally found a brand of vegan buffalo wings. They're made by Health is Wealth, and they're all natural enough to find a place at Whole Foods Market. Unlike Morningstar Farms, Health is Wealth makes an effort to form their goods into actual buffalo wing shapes. Or little guitar shapes, you be the judge. Also unlike Morningstar Farms, they're not really all that good. Very tough and sinewy, like the gristle on a real buffalo wing, and not nearly spicy enough for my taste. I really wouldn't recommend these, to tell the truth. 

What was much better about the meal was the homemade almost fat free french fries. They were delicious. And simple to make; cut up a couple of potatoes into french fry shapes, spray with vegan butter-flavored spray, douse with salt and pepper (I used paprika too), and broil for 20 minutes, turning after ten. Yummy with ketchup! You can also experiment with garlic, Italian seasoning, or any spices you prefer.

I also succeeded in making a good homemade vegan ranch dressing for the wings. Whisk together 1/2 cup of vegan mayonnaise with about 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk, and sprinkle in a generous amount of pepper, onion flakes and garlic powder. Better than the real thing, and much fresher.

Day 25: Dinner

Ah, cooking for the first time in three days. And wondering why all Creole rice-based dishes tend to look the same. This is jambalaya, if you can't tell.

It wasn't spicy enough in my opinion- I'd throw in more cayenne and file powder, for one. And maybe some of that stuff Emeril makes. Also, even though the recipe called for two large tomatoes, I saw fit to add some tomato paste. I'm not sure how much, just one generous squirt. I'm still getting used to this low-sodium thing. I also finally got to use TVP, although in this recipe it really can't be tasted. It gives the dish bulk- I always find myself searching for a chunk of ham or a shrimp when I eat jambalaya.

Here's the recipe for vegan jambalaya:

• 1 cup rehydrated TVP (soak 1 c. of TVP in 7 ounces of boiling water or vegetable broth for about 5 minutes)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. file powder
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth (you may need more to keep vegetables from sticking to the pan)
• 3 cups cooked brown rice

1. Cook the rice while you're doing everything else.

2. Saute TVP in olive oil until it looks slightly crispy and brown. Then add vegetables and spices; saute for about 10 minutes. Add water or broth and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes (or until the rice is done). 

3. Add rice slowly and mix in. Cook 10 minutes longer.

4. Serve with hot sauce.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I considered having blood work done before and after my vegan experiment, to see if it affected me health wise. I chose not to because my insurance doesn't cover that sort of thing just for the heck of it, and it's kinda pointless to spend several hundred dollars for a service that I can get for free from my employer once a year. Today we had health screening day.

The nurses and lab techs on hand assured me that my health is nothing to worry about. Lose a little weight if you can, exercise a little more if you can, good job quitting smoking, etc. They had this BS scale that said I weighed 167 pounds. I told the girl manning it that earlier that morning I weighed 160.5, and that was after breakfast. She told me in return that some other people had been reporting it weighing a little heavy; however, if their calculations were correct my BMI (body mass index) is 26.2. The ideal BMI is between 18.5 and 25; 25 to 30 is overweight; 30 to 40 is obese; and 40 and above is morbidly obese. So I am slightly above my healthy weight. Gotta work on that.

My blood pressure was perfect, at 112/73. Anything less than 120/80 is good, and it is possible for your blood pressure to be too low. Blood sugar was also in the healthy range- it had been about two hours since I had eaten, and it clocked in at 95. For two hours after a meal, a healthy range is 70 to 145 (a pretty wide range) and it usually takes a 200 to warrant any serious concern. So I'm good there too.

My cholesterol is what was a little confounding. A little over two years ago I had my cholesterol checked and it was a 195. Which is a tad high, but not unhealthy. Today it was 137. Huh?! The nurse congratulated me- "Wow! Have you been eating better, or exercising more often? Have you lost a large amount of weight?"- and I merely explained that, while I was on a perpetual quest to better myself, I had done nothing major enough to merit a nearly sixty point drop in only two years. Of course, this isn't all good. My LDL (bad cholesterol) was at 106 when it should be less than 100, and my HDL (good cholesterol) was 31 when it should be at least 40 and optimally about 60. Also, my ratio of good to bad cholesterol is 4.4, when it should be less than 4.0, and optimally 3.5.

What did they advise me to do to raise my good cholesterol and lower my bad, to make the ratio a little more in line?

• Eat red meats 3 times a week or less. (Shuh)
• Ease up on the high-fat luncheon meats, such as bologna, bacon and hot dogs. (Double shuh)
• Avoid organ meats such as liver and kidney. (I have never eaten these by choice.)
• Limit or avoid egg yolks and butter
• Limit or avoid whole milk, cheeses, and dairy products made from whole milk
• Eat more soy products, nuts, and garlic, as they are found to be beneficial to people in my situation.
• Eat foods high in monounsaturated fat, such as, say, olive oil. (Lately I have practically guzzled that stuff.)

So next year when company health screening day comes up I'll rock the house, eh? EH?

Day 22: Dinner

This caribbean vegetable stew was one of the most unusual dishes I've ever prepared. Its incongruous ingredient list consisted of foods I'd never think of eating together- three kinds of beans, sweet potatoes, apples, tomato sauce, and a melange of spices- convinced me to try it. It's very easy to cook, very healthy, and very delicious. You'll also have enough leftovers to bring to lunch at work for about a week.

The recipe, everyone:

• 1/3 cup water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (I used half a red and half a green, but you can use either)
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked
• 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 15 ounce can diced tomatoes (with jalapenos, if you can find)
• 20 ounce can pineapple chunks with juice
• 2 green apples, unpeeled and chunked
• 4 ounce can green chilies
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 15 ounce can black beans
• 15 ounce can kidney beans
• 15 ounce can pinto beans (drain and rinse all beans)
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar (I used agave nectar instead)
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1. Boil water in a large pot; add onion and bell pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add sweet potatoes, tomato sauce, tomatoes, pineapple, apples, chilies, and vegetable broth. Boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add beans and spices. Mix well and continue to cook 10 minutes longer.

4. Serve over brown rice.

Day 21: Dinner

Burritos are among the easiest dishes in the vegan kingdom. Simply mix together one cup of cooked rice, a can of black beans, and 1/4 cup salsa (I also added in some leftover seasoned tofu from last week's tacos) and heat. Microwave your tortillas and assemble the burritos the regular way, with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, vegan cheese, and a little more salsa if you like. Cooking the rice takes about 30-45 minutes, if you're using the long grain brown rice that I prefer, but except for that you can throw these together in five minutes or less. The leftovers make a great snack or lunch for the next day.

The Origin of Root Beer

When I first started this diet, I brewed myself two cups of dandelion and burdock root tea a day. It's pretty nasty stuff, but very good for the kidneys. Today I only brew it with burdock root, the less nasty of the two.

Today when surfing the web I found out an interesting factoid- dandelion and burdock is actually a popular drink in the United Kingdom, where it's even sold commercially as a soft drink (usually carbonated and sweetened). There are a number of probably apocryphal stories concerning its origin, the most popular being that it was created by Thomas Aquinas. After a full night of prayer, he "trusted God to provide" while walking through the countryside and made the drink from the first two plants that he saw. (Guess which ones.) This same formulation was later made using sassafras root, today known as root beer.

I love root beer, though I could probably count on one hand the number of times I drink it in an average year. Another interesting factoid is that root beer greatly increased in popularity in the United States during Prohibition, when it was seen as a popular alternative to regular beer. For this reason it isn't nearly as popular in European countries, where it's always been legal to drink alcohol.

Three Weeks Later (Almost)

Oh boy. I think I have gotten to the point where I'm not craving meat. The occasional cheese craving I have not become elusive to yet. In fact, today I really had a hankering for a goat cheese, pear and walnut sandwich on cracked sourdough, like they serve at Chez Lulu. I know such a thing sounds bizarre, but I ordered one on a whim once and I was hooked. I went and bought a wheel of extra-creamy fromage de chèvre and a loaf of extra-fancy bread so that I could have one at three in the morning whenever I felt like it. I just want to spread that buttery soft cheese on a slice of bread and then lick the knife clean. Oh well... it'll pass.

I am not cooking tonight. I have so many leftovers that I'm going to just save some money on groceries next week. On a positive note, someone at work today asked me if I had lost weight. Woohoo! I have made the plunge from 164 to 158, though my clothes don't fit any better yet. I have also made it my goal to hit the YMCA every day instead of just whenever I feel like it, even if it's just for fifteen minutes on the elliptical. And tomorrow I'm waking up early for the 8:30 am Pilates class. Okay- now that I've written it I had better do it.

Day 19: Dinner

Well, I loved those lentils soooo much that I thought I'd have them again. This is another one of those healthy as they come dishes, dhal.

I've had dhal before, and it's a quintessential Indian food, but this recipe wasn't really where it was at. I mean, kidney beans, tomato, cumin, chili powder and onion? This more resembled lentil chili. As with last night's recipe, this one, in spite of its plethora of herbs and spices (what the hell IS fenugreek anyway?!), didn't have a whole lot of flavor. It mainly tasted like... lentils.

It was very simple to make, however, and again it was healthy to the core- no oil was used. Here's how to make it:

• 1 cup brown lentils
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. fenugreek
• 1 tsp. chili powder

1. Boil lentils until soft, about 15 minutes.

2. Fry the onion, garlic, ginger, and spices in a little water, then add enough water to cover. Cook on high until this mixture thickens. 

3. Add lentils, kidney beans, and tomato, and cook for about 20 minutes.

4. Serve over brown rice.

Day 18: Dinner

Is anyone wondering why I haven't posted for a couple of days? Simple- I haven't felt like cooking. In fact, I haven't felt like doing anything. It's been too cold! When Birmingham's temp dips below 20 degrees it's the local equivalent of the 105 inches of snow that covered Oswego, NY a couple of years ago. We view it as a natural disaster, and no one does anything but stay indoors under the electric blanket. It sure doesn't help that the first floor of my drafty old townhouse is incapable of a temperature above 63 degrees.

Tonight, however, I enjoyed a dish that I haven't eaten as much of as the standard vegan- lentil soup. Actually, Provencal lentil soup. I'll eat at Highland's or Cafe du Pont whenever I can afford to, but I've never actually cooked French food myself. All that makes this soup French, however, is its use of leeks rather than onions and the addition of that elusive herbal blend, herbes de Provence. So it's no fondue bourguignonne, but it's a good start.

This soup is as healthy as it gets, but has little flavor. The herbs add aroma but little flavor; it does smell awfully good. It's also VERY simple and freezes well. Here's the recipe:

• 5 cups water
• 1 tbsp. vegetable bouillon (or two large cubes)
• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 cups chopped leeks (you can use onions in a pinch)
• 4 carrots, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp. herbes de Provence (the masochist may make his own, using equal parts tarragon, basil, summer savory, marjoram, rosemary, chervil, and lavendar flowers)

1. Boil water with vegetable bouillon.

2. Add lentils, leeks, carrots, and herbs. Return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for about 20 or so minutes (a good gauge is when the carrots are tender). 

That's it! Simple, huh?

Vegan Options at Chain Restaurants

A vegan can still dine out at chain restaurants- some of the time. According to Vegan Eating Out, here are the restaurants that have vegan options, and what they are. (I am not including the ones with the disclaimer "without cheese or chicken;" Chick-Fil-A has a plethora of vegan options if you order them without chicken, and where's the fun in that?)

Applebee's- salads with oil dressing

Atlanta Bread Company- Garden Vegetable Soup, Veggie Sandwich; vegan breads include French, Nine Grain, Pumpernickel, Rosemary Tomato Onion Focaccia, and Rye
Sourdough

Brixx- Pasta Pomodoro, Artichoke Pizza (with Soy Cheese), Margherita Pizza (with Soy Cheese), Pear & Gorgonzola Pizza (with Soy Cheese), Wild Mushroom Pizza (with Soy Cheese), Wood-Roasted Vegetable Pizza (with Soy Cheese)

California Pizza Kitchen- CPKid's Salad, Grilled Vegetable Salad, Steamed Vegetables, Tuscan Hummus with Neapolitan Crust, Wok-Stirred Mixed Vegetables, Dakota Smashed Pea & Barley Soup, Lettuce Wraps with Chinese Vegetables

Carabba's Italian Grill- Capelini, Cavatappi, Linguine, Penne, Rigatoni, Spaghetti, Pomodoro Sauce

Chick-Fil-A- Fruit Cup, Side Salad, Waffle Potato Fries, Hash Browns, Plain Bagel (kudos to Chick-Fil-A for not frying their fries in chicken grease, as KFC does.)

Chili's- Black Beans with Pico de Gallo, Broccoli (without Oil or Butter), Corn on the Cob (without Oil or Butter), Rice, Steamed Fresh Veggies (without Oil, Butter or Cheese)

Chipotle Mexican Grill- Chips & Guacamole, Chips & Salsa, Vegetarian Burrito (without Cheese or Sour Cream), Vegetarian Fajita Burrito (without Cheese or Sour Cream), Black Beans

Cracker Barrel- tossed salad, oatmeal, baked potatoes

IHOP- fresh fruit bowl, oatmeal

Johnny Rocket's- American fries, bananas, Streamliner Burger

Longhorn Steakhouse- mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette, Fresh Seasonal Vegetables, Fresh Steamed Asparagus (without Butter), Plain Baked Potato (without Butter or Sour Cream), Plain Sweet Potato (without Butter)

Manchu Wok- Mixed Vegetables

Moe's Southwest Grill- Chips, Personal Trainer

Olive Garden- Minestrone Soup, Capellini Pomodoro, Steamed Veggies

Outback Steakhouse- Classic Wedge Salad, Jacket Potato (without Butter), Steamed Green Beans (without Butter), Steamed Vegetables (without Butter), Sweet Potato (without Butter), Eggless Pasta

P.F. Chang's China Bistro- Garlic Snap Peas, Shanghai Cucumbers, Sichuan-style Asparagus, Spicy Green Beans, Spinach Stir-fried with Garlic, Vegetable Dumplings, Chang's Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps, Harvest Spring Rolls, Buddha's Feast, Coconut Curry Vegetables, Stir-fried Eggplant, Vegetable Chow Fun, Vegetarian Ma Po Tofu

Panera Bread- Low-Fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup, Low-Fat Vegetarian Garden Vegetable Soup, Portobello & Mozzarella Sandwich (without Cheese); vegan breads include Ciabatta Bread, Country Bread, Focaccia Bread (Plain only), French Bread (Artisan only), Sesame, Semolina Bread, Sourdough Bread, Stone-Milled Rye Bread, Three Seed Bread

Qdoba- Tortilla Chips, Mango Salad, Vegetarian Taco Salad (without Sour Cream or Cheese), Tortilla Soup

Red Lobster- Garden Salad (without Cheese), Baked Potato (without Butter), Fresh Asparagus (without Butter), Fresh Broccoli (without Butter)

Ruby Tuesday- Fresh Garden Bar, Veggie Burger (without cheese)

The Cheesecake Factory- Guacamole, Tossed Green Salad, Vegetable Chopped Salad (without Pomegranate Vinaigrette), Asparagus, Edamame, Snow Peas & Vegetables, Spinach

The Melting Pot- California Salad with Raspberry Black Walnut Vinaigrette (without Cheese), House Salad with House Dressing (without Cheese or Egg Slices), Spinach Mushroom Salad with Warm Burgundy Shallot Dressing (without Bacon Pieces)

Zaxby's- Basket of Celery (without Ranch Sauce), Crinkle Fries, Pickle Spear, Tater Chips (without Ranch Sauce)

Pitiful, huh? I guess if you're vegan and are going to eat at chain restaurants, you'd better like salads and steamed vegetables. Even worse, here are the chain restaurants that have NO vegan options:

Black Angus Steakhouse
Buffalo Wild Wings
Denny's
Hooters
Logan's Roadhouse
O'Charley's
Red Robin
T.G.I. Fridays

And if you're lucky enough to live in a city that has one of these (I'm not), here are the 100% vegan chains:

Blossom
Candle 79
Food Swings
Herbivore
Horizons Philadelphia
Lov'n It Live
Loving Hut
Native Foods
Real Food Daily
Spiral Diner & Bakery
Vegan Village Internet Cafe

I'm not a big fan of chain restaurants, to tell the truth, but I am a little disappointed that the tofu burritos at Moe's are not vegan. That's life, huh?

Day 15: Dinner

Tonight I just ate leftovers from lunch, with some steamed zucchini. Geez, this picture looks better than the one I took earlier today, eh?

Day 15: Lunch

I grew up with my grandmother's recipe for sauce Bolognese, so I have trouble eating Ragu. Likewise, my Russian-American friends have given me a look of utmost repulsion when I tell them that my only experience with stroganoff has been the Hamburger Helper kind. They'd probably really hate me if I told them I made the beef, sour cream, and egg noodle classic with chicken-style seitan, rombi (the closest egg-free pasta I could find to those wavy egg noodles), and such cultural anachronisms as soy sauce and tahini.

Nonetheless, it was a keeper. Tahini is a great component for a creamy, thick gravy, and while the seitan tasted a lot like turkey (no wonder it's the basis for Tofurky) vegan stroganoff is a hearty and tasty dish. It contains a LOT of onions. While chopping them we elected to open the back door, which is an option now that the freeze has passed over us. (It got down to twelve degrees here in the Ham last week! Of course, I know the folks in North Dakota are laughing at us for complaining, eh?)

The recipe for vegan stroganoff:

• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 1/3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups sliced mushrooms
• one package sliced seitan
• egg-free noodles

1. Make the gravy: Stir the cornstarch and soy sauce together in a small saucepan, being careful not to burn. Once you have a thin paste stir in broth and two cloves of garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in tahini. Cover and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Saute onions and remaining garlic for 10 minutes.

3. Add mushrooms and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes.

4. Add seitan and gravy. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, or until seitan is heated through. 

5. Serve over egg noodles.

I REALLY Cheated This Time

Remember when I said that I just can't read my Sunday paper without a cup of coffee? Well, the boyfriend can't see a movie on the big screen without a bag of popcorn. So when we went to the movies last night he asked me, "Can I PLEASE get some popcorn? PLEEEASE?" I made it clear to him that his choice to follow me on this diet was his, and he was free to eat whatever he wanted. It's just too bad that I can't sit next to someone with a bag of popcorn and not eat a few bites. What am I saying, I probably ate at least a third of his popcorn during the movie.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest published a famous report in 1994 about the dangers of movie theater popcorn, which stated that a large popcorn had the saturated fat of six Big Macs (eight if you order it with that greasy fake butter liquid poured on top). This was mainly due to the fact that it's typically popped in coconut oil, which gives it its distinctive flavor. Oddly, in countries where coconut oil is a staple (such as in the Philippines) heart disease rates are relatively low. But here in the States, it's dangerous.

Well, once I got home I thought since I'd cheated once I may as well again. So instead of cooking a full meal I heated up a box of Morningstar Farms buffalo wings and ate them with ranch dressing. I still haven't eaten any meat, but the original pretense of my resolution was temporarily abandoned.

What concerns me a bit is that this morning I don't really feel that bad. My boyfriend called me earlier in the week to confess that, while hungry and in a hurry, he stopped at Wendy's and ordered a #1 Value Meal. He couldn't even finish half of it, because it tasted so horrible, and when he got out of his car he vomited in the parking lot. Why am I not vomiting?!

So I made a mistake. All I can do is pick up and continue the original course.

Day 14: Lunch

I had my first restaurant meal in two weeks today, and I forgot to bring my camera. (Too bad- it was pretty.) It was at the Golden Temple (of course), and I had kitcheree, a green salad with Goddess dressing, and a decaf sweet tea.

What is kitcheree? It's a vegan Indian dish, which was very similar to the Indian food I have eaten in Britain, where I fell in love with Indian food. Due to the high Anglo-Indian population, Indian restaurants are as ubiquitous there as Mexican restaurants here, and for some reason we just can't get a handle on it stateside. I love Taj India, and I'm itching to try the Hyderabadi restaurant that just opened in the old Pyramid's, but American-Indian food isn't the same. Kitcheree is a stew-like dish of mung beans, rice, chopped vegetables, and garam masala. It's "very good for the digestive system" (as one of the employees told me) and is traditionally served with yogurt. Of course, I had to stop them from putting yogurt in mine; they substituted vegan sour cream in its place, which when mixed in gave the kitcheree a creamy texture that was most palatable. (If I use the word "palatable" too often in this blog, somebody please stop me!)

Day 13: Dinner

I noticed a long time ago that all taquerias (or at least the ones I have encountered in the Southeast) have one of a dozen common names. Let's see here... Guadalajara, Jalisco, Azteca, Acapulco, Jalapenos, Habaneros, et al. Sometimes a Peruvian-flavored spot will have a name beginning with "Sabor." Very occasionally you will find one that has a name like "Two Pesos" or something else more creative but lame.

Well, tonight I tried my hand at tofu tacos. The technique for cooking the tofu was similar to making the perennial vegan brunch classic Scrambled Tofu, so the filling has a distinct egg-like taste. Not bad though. Very heavy on the cumin, chili powder, and a little oregano and soy sauce (seriously). Vegan cheese isn't bad on these.

I also had some pinto beans (canned- I'm a bit of a sellout) with some chopped serrano peppers. As spicy as they are, they imparted little flavor to the beans- I will just know to use more next time.

Day 12: Dinner

Compared to last night's feast, its leftovers look rather sparse. However, I made the decision to try amaranth again, this time as a side dish. I followed some tips for amaranth "grits" and added onion and garlic as well as plenty of salt and pepper. It really DOES taste like grits. GOOD grits. As much as I've complained about amaranth, I have finally managed to make it palatable. I think I could have eaten more. Woohoo!

Day 11: Dinner

Yep, that's manicotti, and yep, that's eggplant that it's wrapped in. Woohoo! In addition to making a very nice impression, it's very good. It's a little extra work but for a special dinner it's worth it. The hardest part is slicing the eggplant into 1/4" strips. You should be able to get at least ten good slices from it, but do the best you can. DON'T attempt to do it while drunk. (I wasn't the drunk person who cut this eggplant, I might add.)

Here's the recipe:

• 1 large eggplant (biggest and straightest you can find!), sliced into 1/4" slices
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning (or oregano and basil mixed)
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder or flakes
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• small sprinkle of nutmeg
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 2 cups marinara sauce (jarred is okay)

1. Cook both sides of eggplant in olive oil until tender.

2. Heat 1/4 cup water in a skillet and cook onions until water is evaporated. Stir in 1/4 cup more, and add spinach and seasonings. Stir in flour and cook two more minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Preheat oven to 350. Place a spoonful of spinach mixture on each eggplant slice, then roll around filling, beginning at narrow end. Arrange in an oiled baking dish seam side down and top with marinara sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes.