From animal to vegan, a challenge.

I love to cook. I have for as long as I can remember. I love the challenge of creating a complicated dish, and getting inspired from someone I admire.

Recently, I love learning about and eating healthy, following a plant-based diet. You wouldn't think the two are natural companions, but I shall make it so. You see, I'm not willing to compromise flavor and creativity when it comes to culinary creations (alliteration alert!). While I am continuously surprised by the scope and breadth vegan fare has to offer (I've made and consumed everything from enchiladas to pizzas and burgers, even!), I sometimes find it stimulatingly lacking. I get that it is totally all in my head, the food is creative and delicious, but for whatever reason I often find myself un-willing to cook, thinking that it will be boring because it's healthy. (Really, what a road block, what is wrong with me? I once made a vegan pizza so good that my mom's friends asked for the recipe, she was going on about it so much!) No longer.

I also love a certain food blogger who now has her own show on the Food Network. The Pioneer Woman lives on a working cattle ranch in Oklahoma, and her food demonstrates it! There is really nothing healthy about it, lots of meat and potatoes going on! I've made a ton of her recipes, all absolutely delicious, all a huge hit with my husband (who definitely has his own preferences when it comes to food!) and 99 percent of them pretty unhealthy. I was watching her show the other day, almost drooling over her Cajun Chicken Pasta. 'Man, I need that in my belly!' I though to myself. I caught myself in time to remember my new healthy eating habits, and reluctantly didn't run to the kitchen to whip it up. A couple days later I was still thinking about it and just HAD to have it! I was upset that I had to restrict myself from something so tasty, and knew there had to be a compromise. There was, and a new era of my journey has been born! I will be taking unhealthy meals, tweaking them a little and re-creating them into something healthful and still delicious, not compromising the integrity of the dish. I am SO excited about this and can't wait to share more!

I'm happy to share with you now my take on the Pioneer Woman's Cajun Chicken Pasta!

The original recipe:

• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
• 3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
• 1 pound Fettuccine
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1/2 whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

What I did:

-Substitute the chicken for 2 bricks of extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cubed.

-Substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock.

-Substitute the heavy cream for vegan heavy cream.

    -Now, this was a real challenge. I spent about an hour researching vegan heavy cream substitutes. I found an extremely simple recipe and went with that, after all, PW is all about simplicity! Two ingredients: 1/2 block silken tofu, and 1/2 cup soy milk. (I used almond milk, it's what I like.) The flavor was fine (non-descript), but took a little longer to thicken once it was in the pan.

I also used quinoa pasta instead of regular. Quinoa has but two ingredients, whole corn flour and whole quinoa flour. It's still high in carbs (though lower than regular varieties) but the quality of ingredients is much better. Honestly, if you didn't know, you wouldn't know that it was any different from normal pasta, definitely switching to quinoa pasta from now on! 

Look at those heirloom tomatoes, mmm I'm going to miss summer produce!

Everything else remains the same. I followed the same methods, the same order. The result?
A dish so delicious you would never think 'vegan' at the same time! It was a direct hit, my dad even high five-ed me he loved it so much! It's already been determined that tomorrow's dinner will be the leftovers from tonight, that's a success if I ever heard one!

ViSalus

It always seems that the hardest part of writing a blog is clicking the button, and putting your fingers to the keyboard. I always feel like I don't have enough to say, or that no one is interested, yet time and again I am proven wrong. When I finally do open up to a new post and put my fingers on the keys, I always have something to say. I have had so much interest in my blog and so much encouragement to continue writing, it has been an eye-opening blessing. 

Today I want to talk more about my food journey, more specifically my journey towards health and fitness, learning about the foods we put in our bodies and what they do (or don't do) for us. 

An old roommate of mine got in contact with me as a direct result of following my blog (again, I never think this reaches as far as it does, it is so humbling.). She and her husband had recently been introduced to a new health product on the market and thought I might be interested in it. Turns out she was on the mark, I have fallen in love! The product is ViSalus, a health and wellness product. In one shake you receive a full day's worth of all of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals, you need. It is a non-GMO (my favorite part!) soy based protein powder. The added benefit? Weight loss! It is not an appetite suppressant, rather an all-natural metabolism booster. It was not originally intended to be a weight loss tool, that just happened to be a happy by-product. 

I'm still continuing my vegan journey (though not eating it strictly, I am committed to education and one day will happily say I am a full vegan!) and learning about what it is exactly that we are consuming. One of the bigger challenges with eating a plant-based diet is ensuring I receive enough of the nutrients I need that I no longer get from eating animal products (calcium from milk, protein from chicken, i.e.). The ViSalus shake ensures that no matter what I eat during the day, I will have consumed exactly what I need. For me, that is is best reason for joining the ViSalus community and incorporating the shakes into my daily regimen. 

For many others, the best reason is the added health benefits...a lot of people suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes; all diseases that are (in part) perpetuated with poor eating habits or not receiving the proper nutrition. Thousands of people who have joined the ViSalus challenge have reported huge drops in the amount of medications they have to take, or reversing their diseases completely! 

My dad deals with high blood pressure, and when I learned just how beneficial ViSalus is to your health, I talked to him about it. Now, my dad is as analytical as they come, let me tell you! He isn't easily hoodwinked, and has made learning about foods for health a large part of his life as well. I told him everything I had learned, he checked out the package to see the nutrition information, and researched it himself, and believes in the product! If nothing else, that gave me the final stamp of approval.

You can not buy the product in stores, only through distributors (it is, at the end of the day, a multi-level market product). I have long hesitated becoming a distributor, I loathe the idea of 'selling' myself, or have others think I'm viewing them through the eyes of a marketer, a potential sale for me (let's be honest, doesn't everyone who knows someone who is self-employed with a multi-level marketing company wonder, sometimes, if someone sees them as a friend or just a market?). I've thought long and hard about it, viewed it from every possible angle, and have come to one conclusion: I have to. I believe in this product so completely, I am willing to put my name behind it. In my vegan journey and learning about food, this aligns so completely with my mission, I can't help but be excited about it and want to share it with others. I realized that at the end of the day, I just want people to be aware of ViSalus and know that it is a realistic option for them, whether or not they buy it from me. If you are interested in the product or want to know more, go here www.rksmith.bodybyvi.com, but better yet, ask me about it, I promise to tell you everything I know without once asking you to purchase. :) I feel like I am quickly becoming passionate about health and true nutrition, and feel it unfair to not share this with everyone I know (I can't even think of the last time I was so excited about something in this way!).

At the end of the day we are all responsible for our own health and doing what works best for us. For me, ViSalus is a necessary and welcome part of my diet! 

Reflections

I have learned so much on my journey towards freedom from food, and learning to love myself enough to eat what is best for my body, I wanted to spend a little time in reflection...

For me, vegan eating is slowly but surely becoming a lifestyle choice for me. No matter what form your healthy food journey takes, it has to start from the inside. No amount of outer motivation will work, really, I tried it all. There are plenty of reasons why we should all eat right, but until something clicks inside, it doesn't matter. I finally got tired of, well, feeling tired. I had no motivation left for anything. I depended on coffee to get me through the day. I started to look as bad outside as I felt inside. There was never any huge 'a-ha' moment, or lightbulb clicking on and suddenly I saw the light. One day I just decided that I had had enough, and was ready to get my life back on track, starting with food. I had been curious with the vegan lifestyle, and it intrigued me enough that I decided to give it a go. Why not start big, right? I decided to eat strictly vegan for one week. That week ended up being the breakthrough I needed, everything about it just clicked with me. 

I found a few vegan food bloggers and prepared all of my meals from their recipes, reviewing each one. Everything I thought about vegan eating was wrong. The range of foods you can have is so broad, that I honestly didn't miss the ones I couldn't have. Everything from enchiladas to pizza and even sorbet, nothing is off limits if you are willing to tweak ingredients and substitute for healthier options.

At the end of the week I had been expecting to want to gorge on all things meat and dairy, making up for the lack of it in my life. To my immense surprise (and pleasure), I found I didn't want anything to do with it, I just wanted to keep eating healthy! I felt so good about myself, I loved that feeling and wasn't willing to part with it. I had so much natural energy from eating the right kinds of foods that I never even reached for coffee! 

That ended up being the biggest lesson I have learned so far; you crave the foods you eat. By turning my back on packaged, processed, GMO laden foods and discovering how great I felt about not just what I was eating, but everything in general, I decided I didn't want to go back to those foods, they did nothing for me and I no longer wanted anything to do with them.

The biggest test for me was a few nights ago. I was having a rough and emotional couple of days, and by that evening all I wanted was a hot bath and some cookie dough. Or brownies. Something sugary and 'comforting'; foods I had always turned to before in an emotional time of need (the night my husband called to tell me he was going to be deployed, I baked and ate almost an entire pan of brownies. No lie). I went to the kitchen but stopped short. I actually really didn't want any of those things, I had been doing so well with my new food habits and didn't want to break them. I knew that I wouldn't feel better afterwords about anything, it would only serve to make me feel worse. So instead of stuffing my feelings down with cookies, I ate nothing and went to my room, choosing instead to confront and work through what was going on. It was the most freeing moment I have had in my journey thus far. 

Researching about the foods we consume has been a huge eye-opening experience for me. I am learning a lot about the benefits of eating gluten-free foods, why organic is best, and especially about GMO's and the toxicity they are in our bodies. As I learn more I will be sharing on this blog.

I am slowly becoming adapted to this lifestyle, I call it 'Vegan Lite'. I don't feel the need to give up all animal products forever, but on a day-to-day basis I am happy with choosing vegan. The more I learn and research about this, the more I know it is for me. And honestly? The thought of eating meat turns my stomach a little, who would have thought! I must admit that I haven't placed chicken into that same category yet, and have had it several times, but am committed to moving forward and slowly phasing out the worst and making room for the best.

To cheat or not to cheat...with food ;)

Breakfast was another Green Monster. Tomorrow I try it with blueberries!

For lunch I...cheated, eek! My mom and I went to Panera Bread and I ordered the Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich and Asian Sesame Salad. If it weren't for the feta on the sandwich and chicken on the salad I would have been golden. Even though I cheated, I don't feel too bad about it, I still had an overall healthful meal, and I don't intend to cut out all animal products for the rest of my life. On a day-to-day basis sure, but every once in awhile, I'm ok with it. And it was so good. :)

I was on my own for dinner tonight, and didn't feel like cooking an entire meal, so I made two Crack Wraps (what a name!) using two different kinds of tortillas. I ended up making the trek aaaaaallll the way to Whole Foods specifically for spelt tortillas, I used them last time when I made enchiladas and no one knew they weren't normal tortillas until I told them! Of course the Whole Foods I went to this time didn't have them (of course!) but I did find tempeh bacon (to be discussed tomorrow), which I couldn't find anywhere else. I went next door to Trader Joe's (favorite grocery store ever!) to see if they had a better selection, and wouldn't you know it, spelt tortillas! They looked different than the other ones I used, but were just as delicious! So I made one wrap using spelt, and the other a brown rice tortilla. Both were totally edible (I know they don't really sound like it!) and had their own distinct texture and taste, so good! The brown rice wraps are gluten-free as well, I like to get gluten-free products when I can, an easy way for a better-for-you food item. In the wrap was simply hummus and vegan cheese. Wrap it up, grill it, eat it! It was so simple, and surprisingly satisfying, exactly what I was looking for in dinner tonight. I was so skeptical about vegan anything-dairy but times, and technology, have changed, and vegan cheese is comparable to dairy cheese, in my opinion. The selection is limited of course, but the companies producing these products do it well. 

I really need to come up with an appropriate way to end my posts...

A little bit Green Monster

This was my breakfast. No joke. I had heard of the Green Monster Movement but was seriously skeptical; how on earth could blended spinach possibly taste good? It was like, too much health for me! I couldn't stop thinking about it though, it was intriguing and honestly a little disgusting sounding, and just like, waaay too healthy, a girl has her limits. 

Until now. 

Curiosity got the best of me and I finally worked up the courage to try spinach and fruit in liquid form. It was...not bad! I fully made it expecting to dump it all out, but instead I drank the entire glass!!

With a basic recipe like this, even the harshest of skeptics can be won over! I would like a membership to the Green Monster fan for life club please! (Did I really just say that? :)

Lunch was leftover tofu from yesterday. Man that I could that stuff everyday, it is so good! 

Tonights theme was Mexican food! I made Chickpea Tacos, Spanish Quinoa, polenta chips (I came up with this one on my own!) and Fire-Roasted Salsa (from cookbook).

After we all finished eating, my family said that it was so good they would have it again! Score! The chickpeas were an interesting (and healthful!) twist on traditional tacos, but made perfect sense, when roasted with a combination of spices, took on the flavor of taco meat and held their own with substance, they definitely have a meaty texture and were just wonderful! I used Veggie Shreds for the cheese, a non-dairy vegan cheese, and was pleasantly surprised! The texture was the same, and my family didn't even know it wasn't real cheese until I told them! The Spanish Quinoa was so good, it tasted exactly like spanish rice, but better! The Fire-Roasted Salsa was a snap to put together, and so tasty that my dad tried hoarding the bowl at the dinner table, lol! The polenta chips were my own design, and were a good first attempt, but definitely need a little tweaking. I sliced a tube of organic polenta into thin slices and put them on a cooling rack I put over a cookie sheet and baked them at 450 for 30 minutes. They definitely needed a higher temp to get truly crispy like chips, but seasoned with nothing but a little salt made them delicious, and addicting like chips are! Overall this was one of my most successful meals! 

Until tomorrow...

Vegan Week Part 2!

I had so much fun during my vegan week challenge a few weeks ago, that I have decided to do it again! I learned so much about the foods we put into our bodies and what they do (or don't do) for us, and so much about new foods I didn't know about before. 

This weeks recipes come from another food blogger, Sarah Matheny. I discovered her website, Peas and Thank You, only recently, but am already loving it! I went to Borders yesterday (I was trying to wait for the next set of markdowns before getting in there, but couldn't wait any longer!) hoping to find some treasures, and I did! As I made my way to the cookbook section, I perused over to the vegetarian/vegan shelfs and found, there on the very bottom shelf, all alone laying face-up, the brand new cookbook Peas and Thank You! I'm not kidding, this cookbook just came out a few weeks ago! I snatched that baby up so fast, and nabbed the last copy! And with the Border's close-out markdown, it was a serious score! I couldn't wait to get home and dig in; in a matter of minutes I had a weekly menu planned out and a grocery list ready to go! Thanks to my previous vegan week, the pantry is pretty well-stocked with the staples, so this list was mostly produce, a fraction of the cost of last time!

Due to a little too much Sangria last night (is there even such a thing as too much Sangria? :), I went to bed last night forgetting to make my overnight oats. A bowl of Cheerios and soy milk did me just fine, however. Simple, that's how I like it in the morning.

Lunch was tofu...don't go running for the hills just yet! This recipe can make a tofu lover of even the harshest critics! One day last week I was craving some good tofu (it's true), and found a dee-licious recipe! It has been such a hit, I've made it three times and yesterday my mom requested I make a triple batch! It is so simple to make: Slice a block of tofu into fourths, wrap in paper towels and weigh down, allowing the water to press out, anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours. Combine marinade in a pot and bring to boil and reduce to simmer until ready. Combine 1/2 c. water, 1/4 c. red wine vinegar, 1/4 c. Tamari (Tamari is similar to soy sauce, it has a deeper flavor but is more healthful, it is both wheat and gluten free), scant 2 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (I think coconut oil would work well here too, to boost the health factor), 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar or mirin, 1/2 tsp. each oregano and cloves, 1 tbsp. sugar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. I added red pepper flakes to mine, I like things spicy! Place tofu and marinade in a shallow dish or bowl, cover and let sit in fridge overnight, stir occasionally. In the morning grill it up, and slice into cubes. I added cilantro and peanuts, and a little reserved marinade back in (just enough to coat, you don't want it swimming) and refrigerate until ready to eat. So simple, so good! I had seconds...and thirds. And by the way, Fresh and Easy has the cheapest tofu I have found, 98 cents! Delicious AND easy on the budget, double win!

I've loved Larabars for a long time, and stocked up on them today as they were on sale. These treats taste indulgent, but are one of the healthiest products on the market, and leave all other protein/energy bars in the dust: every bar is gluten-free, vegan, raw, kosher, low carb (carbs that come from natural fruits and nuts only, I'll take those carbs!) and contain no colorings, additives or preservatives. How they manage to do all of that and still produce a quality product is beyond me, but I am so glad! They actually are the best tasting energy bar out there, in my humble opinion. While I found them on sale today and am happily munching away on one as a snack while I write this, they aren't always budget-friendly, so you can make your own! Oh She Glows has several recipes for the different flavors; each with only a few ingredients, each one so tasty! I would really like to try my hand at making them myself one of these days, if I do I'll let you know how they turn out!

Thai food was on the menu tonight! I LOVE Thai food. It's probably my favorite ethnic food ever, I could eat it every night of the week! I usually refuse to cook anything strongly ethnic (I also adore Indian food but will not ever make it myself, how could I possibly compete with the professionals at my favorite restaurant??), but the recipes and accompanying photos were drool-worthy, so I decided to give it a go...

 Dinner was Seitan Lettuce Wraps and Thai Crunch Salad (from the Peas and Thank You cookbook). The lettuce wraps were almost ridiculously simple to prepare, it took mere minutes! Seitan is a meatless...meat-like...thing. Lol. I guess it's kind of like tofu, but more substantial. I'm actually not entirely sure that I used the right product, but wasn't willing to make the trek to Whole Foods to be certain I got the right product (they always have the name brand or exact product I'm looking for, too bad it's so far away!). Anyway, 

Seitan? Who knows, but it was for dinner in the form of lettuce wraps, and it was actually good! I combined it with chopped water chestnuts and mushrooms in a pan, and added a sauce of Tamari, brown sugar, garlic salt and pepper, and sauteed until done, yum!

The Thai Crunch Salad was so good, but would have made a better lunch than dinner. The crunchy cabbage and carrots and peanuts contrasted nicely with the creamy edamame and Lime Ginger Dressing, it was made with almond butter and again, seemed so rich but was really so light! 

Dessert went out the window when my hubby called halfway through dinner. :) Nothing stops me from Skyping with my love when he's halfway around the world!

Overall, a great start to the week, can't wait for tomorrow!

Vegan eating is here to stay...

My vegan week is over, yet I find myself unwilling to let go. I had chicken for dinner last night, and it was so...blah. I would much have preferred one of the yummy dishes I had last week, or try a new one again. For me, I think this vegan thing is here to stay, at least mostly. I don't feel the need to cut out all animal products forever, but I certainly love the way eating right makes me feel. The alternative just doesn't seem worth it anymore. I had the vegan oats again for breakfast, so good and filling! I love the feeling from eating something so healthy, so tasty, and so filling, it's just so satisfying! And I must say, I haven't had such a natural abundance of energy and drive in a long time, imagine getting that from nature! I definitely plan to pursue a lifestyle of 'vegan lite', we'll call it. Day to day I definitely want to maintain it, but it would be nice to be able to meet friends for dinner at the last minute, or go to a bbq on the weekend, and be able to eat whatever and not make a fuss. Vegan eating, welcome to my life!

Living the Vegan Life - Day 7

My vegan week is coming to a close!
I ate the last of my vegan overnight oats yesterday and forgot to make more for this morning, so for breakfast I had some Special K something or other, and it was...very not-special.
For lunch I ate MORE leftover pizza, and as much as I loved that dish, I need a break!
We had my in-laws and some neighbors over for an impromptu dinner; I only ate salad and a rice dish (very yummy rice dish!), but was still somehow satisfied with it!
I made Blueberry Almond Chia Squares for dessert, dee-licious! It was like a vegan take on the blueberry oar bars at Starbucks, healthy! I made a couple modifications on mine, I mixed the almonds in with the dry ingredients, and packed 3/4 of the mixture in the pan, put the blueberry's on top and sprinkled the rest of the mixture over that, SO good! Everyone enjoyed it, although my neighbor made a joke that it tasted like particle board, lol. Definitely did not taste like that!

Reflecting back on that week, I have learned so much. I have learned about what is beneficial for my body, how to make sure I am getting the right amount of protein, calcium, etc. in the mix. I have learned that being vegan isn't as challenging as I thought, and eating out isn't very difficult to do (limiting, though). The hardest part for me was making the time to cook everything, and to say no when in situations where non-vegan food was present.
I feel great; I have natural energy, I have the will and drive to take on tasks rather than sit on the couch, and the most important thing? I want to make this a lifestyle choice! I can't say that I want to go 100% vegan forever, it can be really restricting, but day-to-day, absolutely. I haven't felt good about myself in a long time, and I'm starting to again. Being conscious of what we put into our bodies is so important, for both the short and long-term, and I want to live a very long, healthy life!
I am so glad I took on this personal challenge, it has done wonders for me!

Living the Vegan Life - Day 6

Breakfast was once again the blueberry oats. The recipe said that it would last 2-3 days, and it did!

My parents and I decided to go tot San Francisco for the day, and once we got there we went to the formerly Taylor's Refresher (as seen on Diners, Drive-In's and Dive's), now known as Gotts (what an ugly new name, lol!). I got the veggie burger, and while it was good, it wasn't nearly as good as the veggie burger at The Counter!

We wandered around the market, and I wish I would have waited because there was a vegan food stand! Ah well, next time...my dad  then pointed out a sign, under which was a beautiful display of organic, vegan...donuts!! I bought the Maple Candy Cap, and it was SO good, it tasted just like a maple donut! Not even lying, if you didn't know the difference, you wouldn't be able to tell! Pepples Donuts use 100% organic ingredients in all of their donuts, and are also all vegan! It was so surprising and cool to see that eating vegan really does cross all spectrums of food, you can find anything, and enjoy it without compromising!

I wasn't very hungry for dinner once we got home, so I just had some leftover pizza...again! Lol, this pizza is just so darn good! And the Peanut Butter 'Blizzard' was good the next day, but definitely is best fresh. 

Until tomorrow!

Living the Vegan Life - Day 5

One work week down, just the weekend to go!

Breakfast was the Vegan Overnight Oats again, and again, so yummy! It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, and that is definitely true. The taste is still just as great, and the texture hasn't changed much, I added a little almond milk to my bowl to thin it out just a little bit, it was great!

I am definitely going to be incorporating this recipe into my daily diet, I'm happy to stick with blueberries for now, while they are in season,

Today has turned a bit into leftovers day, for a snack I had more hummus and crackers, and for dinner I made the same pizza I made on day one, at my sister's request! A delicious pizza that you don't have to feel guilty about eating: Win!

For dessert I made a Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Blizzard, SO GOOD! This was one vegan dish that you would swear was the 'real stuff'. It was SO GOOD! Totally filling, totally decadent, totally delicious!

Short post tonight, it's 9.30 and I'm so ready for bed! I think I've turned into a bit of a spinster with Ryan away, it's Friday night and I stayed home, cooked for myself, read a good book and am going to bed early...somebody save me! :)