Meltdown!

I got a bit carried away with our "experiment" this weekend ...

As I posted yesterday, we had a delicious, nutritious breakfast, and a yummy lunch ...




We made pita pockets filled with the Caesar dressing we made earlier in the week, veggie burgers, romaine, avocado, cucumbers and heirloom tomatoes.

and then I got overenthusiastic:

I made zucchini bread using pumpkin puree in place of eggs - I've been reading up on different egg replacers - and it was OK, but stodgy, I'll probably throw it away. I'm glad I didn't make two loaves as I'd originally planned! I also made banana muffins using pumpkin puree - critical mistake! They were harder than bricks! Good thing I'd poured the batter into cupcake papers otherwise I probably would have had to throw away our muffin tin!!

In attempt to redeem myself (and my spirits), I then made pizza - whole wheat crust, homemade vegan pesto with basil from our garden, heirloom tomatoes, capers, garlic and vegan "mozzerella". We enjoy the non-vegan version of this pizza a great deal on most weekends ... but this version was INEDIBLE!! It was SO disgusting, SO incredibly gooey and drippy, that we had to scrape the toppings off and eat plain crust with pesto!! I mean, it was like hot mayonaise! YACK!

The brand of "cheese", by the way, was Vegan Gourmet - but (in my opinion) it should be called Vomit Gourmet. Am I allowed to say that?? While at the store today I bought a different brand - Veganrella - David's willing to taste on behalf of us both. Unless he's convincing, I won't go near it - I've been badly scarred!

Moving on to more pleasant topics, I must share the vegan pesto recipe we made - delish. I don't know that we'll ever make pesto with parmesan again! It's from http://vegetarian.about.com/od/morerecipes/r/Veganpestorec.htm

VEGAN PESTO

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups fresh basil
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup pine nuts (almonds or walnuts may be substituted)
5 cloves garlic
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper


METHOD
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until nuts are ground. Pesto should still have texture and not be completely smooth. Add more salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

One variation is to add 1/2 cup rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes.

For a lower fat version replace half the oil with soy milk (we'll try this next time).

Not wanting to experiment tonight, we decided to go with one of our tried and true recipes. It's called Chorizo and Mushroom Fideua and it's from Bon Appétit, May 1992, but I found it on epicurious.com which is a phenomenal website. On epicurious.com you can search recipes or you can type in a single ingredient and it'll pull up every recipe in the database that contains the ingredient!! Liza B turned me on to it a couple of years ago when we were growing serrano chiles and couldn't use them fast enough!

I found this recipe by looking for chorizo after noticing that Trader Joe's carries soyrizo! This recipe is so good, so hearty. I passed it along to a coworker, Carolyn A, who has Mexican roots - after eating this recipe, she's swearing off the real stuff and sticking to soyrizo! She's says that it tastes incredibly authentic, but way less calorific!

BTW, our version isn't truly a fideua - it can only be called a fideua if you use fideo noodles, which are like short pieces of angel hair. The first time we made this recipe we used pennette after reading several reviews on epicurious.com (they have reviews too! brill!) recommending using a stronger pasta. Now we toss in whatever's laying around - giant shells, bowties, etc.

The other thing to note is that you need not have a paella pan - we just use a big ole soup pot.

OK ...

CHORIZO & MUSHROOM FIDEUA

INGREDIENTS


2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound onions, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound mushrooms, quartered (we use more, and cut them in half)
2 teaspoons paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped (we use a 14.5 oz can)
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3 cups canned low-salt veggie broth
1/2 cup dry white wine (we used non-alcoholic of course)
5 ounces soyrizo or other veggie sausage (eg kielbasa), cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (soyrizo is more "minced")
3/4 pound fideo or whatever's clever


METHOD

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat olive oil in heavy deep paella pan skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onions and garlic and cook until tender, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.

Add mushrooms and sauté 4 minutes.

Add paprika and cayenne and stir just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add tomatoes and green pepper and sauté 2 minutes.

Add veggie broth, wine, chorizo. Bring mixture to simmer.

Break pasta in half and add to pan.

Cook until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Set pan in oven and bake until all liquid is absorbed and pasta is crusty, about 25 minutes.



As Jose Andres of Made in Spain would say, "Such a satisfying meal made from such humble ingredients!".

PS. If you don't know Made in Spain, you've got to watch it - so good! Thanks Dan and Linds for introducing us to it, life wouldn't be the same without Jose Andres!

Saturday = Day Six

Week One was a breeze. From a food standpoint, we haven't felt deprived at all. On the contrary, we've felt nourished and well satisfied. Come Thursday, we were no longer pining for morning coffee, and not having alcohol hasn't been a big deal at all.

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.

Hump Day!

This morning we had Trader Joe's Soy & Flax Clusters cereal for breakfast, with blueberries and rice milk. Devout vegans wouldn't consider this a vegan breakfast because it has honey in it, but we've decided not to be that strict. On the box, it boasts 6g Fiber, 7g Protein, 650mg Omega-3s, Low Fat -- per one cup serving. We ate this cereal most mornings before going vegan, and we're glad we can eat it this month because it's mighty tasty!

After dropping David to work, I headed to the dentist's office for my first check up since March 2008! Shameful! Sorry Mum! Despite the overdue nature of my visit, I was given double thumbs up - no cavities - and was praised for my healthy, pearly whites :) Thanks for taking care of me Pat, Dr. Stroup and Tricia! Dr. Stroup asked me about the toothpaste I use (Jason Sea Fresh) and asked me to share some information, so:

An all-natural sea-sourced toothpaste, this formula is made with certified organic blue green algae, sea salts and trace minerals. Not only that, it contains three natural whitening polishers as well, including bamboo powder, calcium carbonate and silica, which help prevent plaque build-up and are more gentle on teeth than other whitening products. Anti-bacterial Grapefruit See Extract and Perilla Seed Extract help block sugar acids and bacteria from forming in your mouth. Certified organic aloe vera gel helps soothe and relieve gums from irritation, and essential oils of mint bring the Deepsea spearmint flavor – this products has been the “Best Taste Award Winner” by the American Culinary Institute in 2003, 2004 and 2005! 6 oz. tube is $6.49. (http://www.veganessentials.com/catalog/jason-sea-fresh-toothpaste.htm)

For lunch, I had a veggie burger like what David had for dinner last night - and it was delicious. I had an apple for "dessert". David had another PB & J. Unlike Monday and Tuesday, we both felt super hungry when we got home - we need to get more snacks to have at our desks. We ate salsa and whole grain tortillas when we got home - such a good snack! Need to always keep salsa in the house - fat free, gluten free, vegan, yum!

So ... dinner. Tonight we had Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing. It was really yummy, and we have enough to make lunch or turn the left over mushrooms into burgers. That being said, I don't know that we'll be in a hurry to make it again. There are so many other really good-lookin salad recipes in all of the books I've checked out, and I have a feeling that others will trump this one. Plus, David found that the mushrooms took on a bit of a steak-like persona that, while super flavorful, was maybe a little too robust for our current taste. I tried to take an appealing photo, but I was too tired and too hungry to go into presentation mode 3000! I'll try and incorporate photos soon ...

Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing
from Veganomicon

Serves 4 as a main course, 8 as a side
45 minutes, including mushroom cooking time

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:
1/4 c. prepared spicy, smooth mustard
3 tbs. grapeseed oil (hooray resveratol!)
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 tbs. pure maple syrup

Mushroom Marinade:
1/2 c. cooking wine (I found non-alcoholic wine at TJ's)
1 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. soy sauce
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 4 portobello caps

Salad: 8 c. mixed greens (we used romaine) 1 avocado, sliced thinly 1 sm. red onion, sliced into v. thin half moons 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed To prepare the dressing: Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Done.

To prepare the mushrooms: Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a shallow dish. Place the mushrooms gill-side up in the marinade and spoon a lot of the marinade into each cap to form a small pool. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and marinate for about 20 minutes. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, flip caps over and cook, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. Let mushrooms cool, then slice thinly on the diagonal.

To finish: Throw together all salad ingredients except mushrooms in a large bowl. Pour dressing on and toss. When ready to serve, place the dressed greens on a plate and add the sliced warm portobellos. Fini!

Over dinner, David and I looked up the health benefits of romaine. We were impressed, so thought we'd share. Rememer, this is referring to lettuces only, not other leafy greens.

This is, of course, from the Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray:

In general, the darker the lettuce, the greater the nutrient content; therefore, romaine > looseleaf > butterhead > iceberg. All lettuce is a good source of vitamin K. Iceberg is a surprisingly good source of choline. Romaine lettuce is generally the most nutrient-dense lettuce and is an excellent source of vitamin A, folic acid, and vitamins C, B1 and B2. It is also an excellent source of the minerals manganese and chromium.

That's the news from London, good night!

Day Two - First Test

I had a rough start this morning - I really could have done with a cup of hot coffee ... but I opted for a cup of hot green tea instead. It took me a while to get into the groove, but I got there. I think it's safe to say that my craving had more to do with the fact I'd taken some kava kava to help me sleep last night than it did with caffeine withdrawal. I only recently started taking kava again, and last night I stupidly took it about midnight, which contributed to my grogginess. Taken at a more appropriate time, you feel no grogginess in the morning. It's a great, natural sleep aid.

For those not familiar with kava, here's some info from www.kava.com:

Kava Root (the only part of the plant that is used) is largely employed as a celebratory drink much in the same way that alcohol is used in the West. It helps mark momentous occasions such as weddings, public festivals, political powwows and holidays, and it is even used in ceremonies honoring the dead. Unlike alcohol, kava does not produce or stimulate aggression. It does not condemn the user to a dreaded hangover, unlike alcohol. Alcohol literally kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, and Kava, when properly harvested, has never actually hurt anyone. Kava has even been known to help reduce alcohol consumption!

Many people find other uses for kava, including many medicinal ones. It’s interesting to note that kava has been shown to help ease anxiety, depression as well as producing a restful sleep. It is used by athletes, businessmen and diplomats to help “take the edge off” and focus concentration. Widely prescribed throughout Oceania and Europe to treat hyperactivity in children, it has also been used to aid children who have difficulty sleeping on occasion.

It's available in different strengths from health food stores.

For breakfast, we had oatmeal. For lunch, I had more of last night's Caesar salad with a side of grapes. David opted to take peanut butter and jelly on whole grain sprouted bread ... only to attend a lunch-time meeting ... with pizza. Piping hot, freshly delivered, good smelling pizza ... heaping with oozy, melty cheese. And ... he ate his PB&J ... good man!

I was tested this evening when I met some girlfriends after work. Yummy cheese and crackers and good looking wine on a hot Summer's night ... and I had an Odwalla green juice. I thought I'd be jonesin' for what they were having but surprisingly I wasn't tempted at all. I felt very satisfied. And now I feel well pleased with myself!

For dinner, David made veggie burgers on a whole wheat bun with a bit of Caesar dressing, avocado, romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes and vegan cheddar cheese. He said it was mighty tasty.

A note about vegan cheese. Not all "dairy free" cheeses are vegan; most contain casein which comprises 80-85% of the protein in cow’s milk. (So obviously watch out for casein in the ingredient list if you're lactose intolerant!) The remaining 15-20% is whey. There is conflicting information available on casein. From what I've seen online, it seems to be popular among body builders primarily because:

An attractive property of the casein micelle is its ability to form a gel or clot in the stomach. The ability to form this clot makes it very efficient in nutrient supply. The clot is able to provide a sustained slow release of amino acids into the blood stream, sometimes lasting for several hours. This provides better nitrogen retention and utilization by the body. (This is from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casein)

It is also controversial because has been linked (most frequently) to the autism spectrum. In fact, a lot of autistic children are encouraged to adhere to a wheat- and milk-free diet. Cancer and elevated cholesterol levels are also mentioned in some articles. Unfortunately, I haven't found an article that explains all of the potential risks of casein ... I'll see what I can find. If you know of a good source of more information, please share it. In the meantime, if you're interested, just google casein, casein-free diet, casein intolerance etc. and you'll find some info. Here's a decent site too: http://www.glutensolutions.com/autism.htm

Onward to day three ...

Day One

Day One was great.

We started the morning by weighing ourselves. We didn't have a tape measure on hand, but we'll measure ourselves tomorrow. We've decided that we'll weigh in and measure up every Monday before breakfast - hopefully we'll see some good results.

For breakfast we had multi grain oatmeal with blueberries, bananas and maple syrup. (Shout out to Carolyn A for the breakfast suggestion!) With OJ on the side and our daily vitamins and flax seed oil, we felt great. My breakfast kept me full until 2pm! Although I need not make a habit of waiting that long as I'm hypoglycemic.

For lunch, I had a facon (Smart Bacon's vegan; Morningstar isn't), lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich on sprouted grain bread - YUM! I brought grapes and an apple to get me through the afternoon, but I only needed the grapes.

At about 3pm, I got a headache and began to crash - that'd be the caffeine withdrawal starting. At 3:30 I made myself a cup of green tea, took a pair of advil and felt markedly better by 4pm.

David was off of work today so he ate some different things. He had the same lunch as I did, but he also had a handful of blackened pumpkin seeds and some veggie chips, as well as some grapes.

When I got home, we made the salad dressing for our vegan Caesar Salad (recipe below) and then headed to the gym - where we saw Liza B and her cute new haircut! We did 30 minutes of cardio and hit the road - not trying to conquer a mountain on day one. We figured if we made it too hard core, we'd have a hard time motivating. So today, we made a good, strong, babystep :)

Seeing as David and I both ate grapes today, I thought I'd share some of the health benefits I read about them in The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray:

Nutritional Highlights: Grapes provide nutritional benefits similar to those of other berries. Their nutritional quality can be enhanced by eating the seeds, which are edible in all varieties. More specifically, grapes are very good sources of manganese and good sources of vitamin B6, thiamine, riboflavin, potassium, and vitamin C. In addition, grapes contain flavonoids and the compound resveratol.

Health Benefits: Grapes are an excellent source of health-promoting flavonoids. Typically, the stronger the color of the grape, the higher the concentration of flavonoids. These flavonoids are extremely powerful antioxidants. They have been shown to reverse atherosclerosis, protect against vascular damage, and prevent blood platelets from clumping together to form potentially serious blood clots.

Resveratol belongs to a group of compounds called phytoalexins that plants produce in self-defense against environmental stressors, such as adverse weather or attack by insects. Resveratol acts as an antioxidant and has also been shown to reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries. In addition to possibly reducing the risk for atherosclerosis, animal studies demonstrate some anticancer effects and anti-inflammatory action.

OK, now the Caesar Salad with Roasted Garlic Crouton Recipe from Veganomicon:

Caesar Dressing (makes lots):
1/3 c. slivered or sliced blanched almonds
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3/4 lb. silken tofu
1/4 c. olive oil
3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 heaping tbs. capers
4 tsp. caper brine
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
salt

Croutons:
1/4 c. olive oil
4 cloves roasted garlic (recipe under this one)
1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 - 3/4 baguette cut/torn into bite-sized pieces
1/4 tsp. salt

Salad:
1 large head Romaine lettuce, chopped
pepper

To prepare the dressing: pulse the sliced almonds in a food processor or blender until crumbly. Empty the ground almonds into a large jar (this is where you'll add all of the rest of the blended ingredients later, so make sure it's big enough to store your dressing). Blend the tofu, garlic and oil until creamy. Add the lemon juice, capers, brine, sugar, mustard powder and pulse. Adjust the lemon juice and salt to taste. Add to the container with the almonds; stir to combine. Cover and allow to chill for 1/2 hour +.

To prepare the croutons: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine olive oil, roasted garlic and lemon juice in a large bowl; mash together until creamy. Add the bread and toss to coat. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and bake for 10-14 minutes - toss a time or two so that they don't get too brown on one side.

Toss greens with dressing. Add croutons, toss again. Sprinkle with pepper. YUM!!

This salad is DELICIOUS. I'm eating it as I type. It has more oil in it than I'd like to use right now, but not if you consider that we'll get several servings from the dressing and croutons we made. I wasn't super keen on making my own croutons tonight ... but it was totally worth it!

How to Roast Garlic: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take one or more whole bulbs of garlic; cut off about 1/2 an inch off the top, exposing the top of each clove. Drizzle with olive oil, about a tablespoon. Wrap tightly in foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. For slightly caramelized cloves, unwrap the top and let roast for 8-10 minutes.

This recipe is not for the garlic averse. It's pretty strong. But we love garlic, so we'll definitely make it again.

Abbreviated info from The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods:

Nutritional Highlights: Garlic is an excellent source of vitamin B6. It is also a very good source of manganese, selenium, and vitamin C. In addition, garlic is a good source of other minerals, including phosphorous, calcium, potassium, iron and copper.

Health Benefits: It is beyond the scope of this book to detail all of the wonderful properties of this truly remarkable medicinal plant. Garlic appears to provide protection against atherosclerosis and heart disease. Garlic has also demonstrated blood pressure-lowering action in many studies. Garlic also has a long history of use as an infection fighter. It's effective not only against common infections, such as colds, flu, stomach viruses, and Candida yeast, but also against powerful pathogenic microbes, including tuberculosis and botulism. Garlic also appears to offer protection against some cancers, including colon cancer. The beneficial effects of garlic are clearly quite extensive. Its use as a food should be encouraged, despite its odor, especially by individuals with elevated cholesterol levels, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, Candida infections, asthma, infections (particularly respiratory tract), and gastrointestinal complaints.

With that, I'm off to bed!

Two Things ...

Forgot to mention two things last night:

1. Every box of breadcrumbs I looked at in Harris Teeter had milk as an ingredient, and some even had eggs!! I find that weird. I shall be making my own.
2. Trader Joe's has beautiful, grape-sized heirloom tomatoes at the moment - purple, red, yellow, green. They're gorgeous. Did I walk straight into a marketing trap? Are they GMO (genetically modified organisms)? Or are they legit and we're just lucky?

The countdown is on!

The alcohol we joyfully consumed with friends last night necessitated that we eat a suitable breakfast ... and we chose a Bojangles biscuit with egg and cheese, and coffee from Starbucks!!! This meal represents the antithesis of what we'll eat over the course of the next 30. Subconsciously, I think our bodies were calling out for a last hurrah ... and we answered the call.

For the rest of the day, I was curled up on the couch with my nose in books. I read through the first half of Veganomicon and one of the best resources in our kitchen - The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray. I wrote down titles of recipes that caught my eye, talked them through with David, cross referenced our schedule this week and came up with a plan and a shopping list.

My first stop was the Healthy Home Market on Independence, formerly known as The Home Economist (same owners, new name ... I don't know why). For those who don't know, this store is a great resource - all of their staff, especially in the HBA section, are super knowledgeable. They have a fantastic, well-stocked bulk section too - I bought smoked paprika for $0.45, tarragon leaf for $0.18 and cumin for $0.52 - it makes for an economical way to try recipes that call for spices you don't anticipate needing much of, or haven't tried before.

Their bulk section has a great selection of rices, grains, flours, sugars, salts, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, teas etc. I bought some six-grain "oatmeal" that has red wheat, white wheat, barley, rye, rolled oats and sunflower seed flakes. I also got some yummy veggie chips, like potato chips but with sweet potato, taro, squash, carrot and green beans. Although, there weren't many green beans in today's mix; I think someone must have fished them out of the bin ... which I don't blame them for, they're the best.

I also picked up some nutritional yeast, which is delicious and essential for vegetarians and vegans. The Veganomicon authors describe it this way: "Not to be confused with brewer's yeast or any other kind of yeast, 'nooch' (as we call it) is great to add an umami (savory) taste to sauces or sprinkle on rice and beans. Most commonly, this mustard-colored yeast comes in flake form ... but sometimes you'll find it in powdered form, which is just ground up flakes."

We also bought a 30-day supply of Vitamin Code - which we've had before and love. They're metabolically active, extreme nutrient synergy, and raw food created. Of the raw food options, they're the most affordable ... but still costly. We wanted to make sure we stayed balanced and supported throughout our experiment, so it was a necessary expense.

Also, because won't be eating seafood, we bought an Omega-3 (6 & 9) supplement - Health From the Sun Organic Flax Oil, which is one of the few pill-form products available in Charlotte that are vegetarian. (FYI, most caplets are made from gelatin, which is usually made from cow bones, or sometimes fish bones.) Omega-3, 6 & 9 fatty acids are essential for brain function, which is why vegatarians and vegans must take a supplement. The best source of Omegas is fish oil, but flax and hemp are also great.

One caveat about Home Economist ... given that it's an independent store, items you can ordinarily get in another store are more expensive there. Smart Bacon, for example, is $4.29 at Home Economist but is like $3.59 at Harris Teeter. The same is true for EarthFare, which is a beautiful store with endless choices. We used to shop there exclusively, but in this economy it's not an option. BTW, there's a second Home Economist location on South Blvd too, near Southend.

My next stop was Trader Joe's, which we love and live by. It was interesting to study the labels of items we frequently buy to find out which were out of bounds this month. One product we love to dip in hummus is their Masala Naan ... which has eggs in it, so ... . Also not an option is their Sesame Honey-Covered Cashews (that's not the exact name) that have butter in them! Y'all, they're SO good ... you have to get some next time you're there. They should give a free bag to people who are on the fence about "switching" ... they're that good.

I got most of what was on my list but, unfortunately, TJ's latest shipment drove up as I was leaving, so I missed out on a number of items on my shopping list ... which meant that I then headed on to Harris Teeter. They too lacked some ingredients, but I was able to fulfill almost my whole list. Will have to pop by another store later in the week to get the rest. I'm OK with that, but I hope this isn't a weekly occurence!!

So, to rid ourselves of the last stick of butter in our fridge, we made a recipe from a cookbook from one of our favorite restaurants called The Grit in Athens, GA. Our dear friends Rebecca and Mark used to live there and whenever they visit America (they live in France now) we always return to The Grit. Rebecca gave me the cookbook a few years ago as a gift - I love it and think of her everytime I use it. Thanks Becs! Here's the recipe for The Golden Bowl, with minor changes based on our experience of making it a hundred times:

INGREDIENTS

Brown rice
Veggies for steaming, like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower etc.
1 15oz block of firm/extra firm tofu
3/4 c. + 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 sticks butter/vegan margarine
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. soy milk
1/2 c. soy sauce +
1 3/4 c. hot water
2 tbs. vegan Worcestershire sauce
Oil

Rice first:

• Throw a pot of water on to boil and get some brown rice going ... we like brown basmati, so aromatic!

To make the tofu:

• Cut firm or extra-firm tofu into cubes just smaller than playing dice. If you haven't made tofu before, our suggestion is to cut it into rectangular "slabs" and then blot both sides of each slab with paper towel to remove the excess water ... and then cut the slabs into cubes.
• Lightly oil a skillet (we like toasted sesame oil best) and heat over medium-high heat; add tofu. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then turn each piece over; it should be golden brown on the side that had been face down ... if it isn't, let it sit a few minutes more.
• Once two or three sides are brown, sprinkle lightly with soy sauce, saute briefly.
• Remove from skillet, draining and discarding excess fluid if necessary. Wipe skillet dry and lightly oil again. (This step isn't necessarily necessary if you have a super-good nonstick pan.)
• Once very hot, reintroduce tofu into the pan; saute.
• Sprinkle with more soy sauce to taste.
• Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to coat tofu cubes; toss vigorously and remove from heat.

Next, throw the veggies in to steam ...

To make the yeast gravy (this makes A LOT of gravy, you probably want to half it for 2-4 people)

• In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of soy sauce, hot water and Worcestershire sauce and set to the side. (Note: Worcestershire sauce is made with anchovies; vegan Worcestershire sauce is available at health food stores.)
• Melt butter or vegan margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Mix together wheat flour and nutritional yeast.
• Whisk into melted butter, whisk constantly for about four minutes, which is the amount of time that's needed to cook the roux to smoothness.
• While continuing rapid whisking, gradually add soy milk (rice milk works too). The mixture will quickly become thick and custard-like.
• Add the soy sauce/water/Worcestershire sauce gradually. Blend well after every addition.
• If the gravy is too thin, cook a little longer and then let cool. It'll thicken up.
• If it's too thick, add a little more water.

Pile rice in the bottom of a bowl, top with tofu and steamed vegetables and top with gravy. Cheese is good on top of the gravy too.