The most challenging aspect so far has been socializing. In making plans for the weekend and the coming weeks, we've had to tell friends, "Don't forget we're vegan, alcohol- and caffeine-free right now", which makes us feel a bit like sticks in the mud ... but it's only for 30 days (or is it?).
We were hoping to have a celebratory brunch with Brownie and Josh tomorrow, but restaurant breakfast is pretty much impossible right now. I mean, what on earth would we get full on? American breakfast is all about eggs, milk, butter, meat products of all kinds, and more eggs. We were thinking of going to Zada's Jane's, but it'll be too crowded on Sunday. I think we'll opt to have dinner instead - our best bets are probably Thai, Indian and sushi. Although, we'll need to be careful with Indian food as most (maybe all?) dishes are prepared with ghee, which is clarified butter. Sushi is great option, especially somewhere with an extensive menu like Ru Sans - they have great veggie options, like garlic, asparagus, spinach and onion maki, seaweed salad, and inari tofu, which is a sweet tofu "skin" (delish!). Be aware that tempura batter has eggs in it, though.
BTW, if you haven't been to Zada Jane's (zadajanes.com), we'd highly recommend it. It's the closest thing to a vegetarian restaurant (that's not "ethnic") we have in Charlotte - great protein alternatives like soysage, tofu scramble, veggie gravy etc. They use organic and locally-grown ingredients where possible. We prefer their breakfast and lunch options over dinner.
I haven't posted in a few days because I've been busy with after work commitments. On Thursday, I hung out with my friend Andrea - we went for a nice long walk together. It was a great way to catch up and get some exercise. Thanks for having me Andrea!
Last night, I babysat and on the way home, I stopped by the grocery store to pick up supplies for breakfast. While there, I found us a sweet treat that is worth writing home about - it's a dairy- and soy-free ice cream called Purely Decadent, Chocolate. The ingredients are simply: organic coconut milk, organic agave syrup, chicory root extract, cocoa, carob bean gum, guar gum and natural flavor (hmm). Y'ALL, it's the best ice cream we have EVER eaten. I encourage you to eat some as soon as possible.
Not knowing what guar gum is, I looked it up on wikipedia, check it out (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guar_gum):
Guar gum, also called guaran, is a galactomannan. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum.[
Guar gum is a water-soluble fiber that acts as a bulk forming laxative, and as such, it is claimed to be effective in promoting regular bowel movements and relieve constipation and chronic related functional bowel ailments such as diverticulosis, Crohn's disease, colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, among others. The increased mass in the intestines stimulates the movement of waste and toxins from the system, which is particularly helpful for good colon health, because it speeds the removal of waste and bacteria from the bowel and colon. In addition, because it is soluble, it is also able to absorb toxic substances (bacteria) that cause infective diarrhea.
Several studies have found significant decreases in human serum cholesterol levels following guar gum ingestion. These decreases are thought to be a function of its high soluble fiber content.
Guar gum has been considered of interest with regards to both weight loss and diabetic diets.
Two Japanese studies using rats showed that guar gum supports increased absorption of calcium occurring in the colon instead of in the small intestine. This means that lesser amounts of calcium may be consumed in order to obtain its recommended minimum daily intake (RDI). This has obvious implications for reduced calorie diets, since calcium rich dairy products tend to be high in calories.
However, guar gum is also capable of reducing the absorbability of dietary minerals (other than calcium), when foods and/or nutritional supplements containing them are consumed concomitantly with it. However, this is less of a concern with guar gum than with various nonsoluble dietary fibers.
Some studies have found guar gum to improve dietary glucose tolerance. Research has revealed that the water soluble fiber in it may help people with diabetes by slowing the absorption of sugars by the small intestine. Although the rate of absorption is reduced the amount of sugar absorbed is the same overall. This helps diabetic patients by lowering the amount of insulin needed to keep the blood glucose at a normal level. It also functions as an adjuvant for diabetic drugs that are sometimes employed for the treatment of noninsulin dependent diabetes. The effect is to help lower blood glucose levels. Thus, diabetic patients who are taking drugs should consult their doctors before supplementing with guar gum.
So, this morning we had Tempeh Bacon with Tofu Scramble - and it was DELICIOUS!! It's from The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. It's divided into sections:
Romantic Dinners for Two
Casual Meals for Four to Six
Formal Dining for Six to Ten
Menus for Special Occasions
Feasts for the Holidays
Buffets, Heavy Appetizers and Finger Food
Each section is divided by Seasons - brilliant! I have the feeling I will be buying this book. Even Mouser's a fan!
This morning's breakfast WAS unforgettable - we will definitely be making it again. Here's the recipe:
Tofu Bacon
INGREDIENTS
1 8 oz package tempeh
1/4 c. tamari soy sauce
2 tsp. liquid smoke
3 tbs. maple syrup
1/4 c. water
Canola oil, for frying
METHOD
Steam tempeh in a steamer basket for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine tamari, liquid smoke, maple syrup and water in a shallow dish; mix well.
Let tempeh cool before slicing lengthwise into strips about 1/4 inch or less in width. Add to marinade and let sit for 30 minutes or less - the longer it sits, the stronger the flavor.
After tempeh has marinated, heat oil (we didn't have canola and so used toasted sesame oil) and fry over medium-high heat until crisp, about five minutes. Turn and fry again until crisp. Sprinkle a little extra tamari or maple syrup on the tempeh while it's cooking. (We sprinkled half with tamari and half with maple and liked them both, but liked the tamari ones a little better.)
Remove from heat and set aside. Blotting with paper towel to remove excess oil if necessary.
Tofu Scramble
INGREDIENTS
2 tbs. water or 1 tbs. olive oil for sauteing
1 med. yellow onion or 3 scallions, finely chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
10 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 bell pepper, any color, diced
1 (16 oz) package firm tofu, drained and rinsed
1 c. spinach leaves, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 tbs. nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
METHOD
Heat water or oil in pan (we used water).
Add onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Add mushrooms and pepper; saute until onions and pepper are tender and mushrooms are golden brown.
Meanwhile, using your hands crumble tofu in a bowl to create the consistency of coarse bread crumbs. Add to saute pan to combine.
Add spinach, turmeric, cumin, paprika, and nutritional yeast and saute for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tofu is bright yellow and heated through.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with tempeh bacon on the side.
This photo isn't the most appetizing, but believe me, it was mighty tasty. I'm not fond of eggs, but David loves a cooked breakfast on the weekends with fried or scrambled eggs. This morning, he said "Who needs eggs? I don't miss them at all."
Patrick-Goudreau offers these additional suggestions:
- To incorporate more veggies, add 1 1/2 cups of whatever sounds good - zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes or more spinach. Throw these in at the same time you add the peppers, cooking them through before adding the tofu.
- For a Mexican scramble, add 1 cup of salsa after the tofu is cooked and allow it to heat through. Make a Breakfast Burrito by wrapping the scramble in a tortilla and serving with chips, avocado, and vegan sour cream.
- For an Italian twist, add fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, or parsley and some finely chopped kalamata olives.
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