LunaNik Goes Vegan

Girl Interrupted

2008-04-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

This blog will be on hiatus until further notice.

You see, the weight I gained since going veg has shown no signs of budging.

Until I can perfect a low fat veg way of cooking, I must start eating meat again.

I'll still have days during the week when I don't eat meat at all, but I still feel guilty. I went veg because of the cruelty of the meat industry. To buy meat again, knowing what I know now is difficult, even heartbreaking. However, my weight gain is really affecting me in all aspects of my life. I have never been as heavy as I am now. Ever. In my life. I need to break the cycle now before it gets worse.

Until then...

Frustration...

2008-02-23T15:50:00.000-08:00

Since going vegetarian I have gained weight. About 7 pounds actually. That's a lot to gain over a short period of time.

The problem is that I never seem to be satisfied. When I used to eat a grilled chicken breast and a side of veggies I felt full. The veggies aren't giving me that same feeling. And so, I've been falling back on some old reliables to fill the void. Those being pasta, rice, and potatoes. Three things that while I ate them as an omni, I did only sparingly. Say, once or twice a month. Now, as a vegetarian, I eat them almost daily. Not good. But, if I don't then I'm always hungry!

I'm desperately seeking ways to feel satisfied after eating. I just recently bought some of those vegetarian "meat" crumbles. I put them into a quesadilla I made earlier tonight. It was good. But, loaded with cheese!

I'm frustrated. I know that I have to let my body and lifestyle adjust, but I didn't anticipate this. I've always been very weight conscience and I have to say that this extra weight bothers me quite a bit. I know it's not much weight, but it's enough that I feel it in the way my clothing fits and see it in the mirror. I'm bothered by it.

**sigh**

Anyway...enough wallowing in my self pity...

I made a good, old fashioned, carb loaded stir fry the other day. I threw in whatever veggies I had in the fridge: broccoli, onions, carrots, and edamame. I also made my own stir fry sauce. It wasn't bad, but there was definately something missing. Can't figure out what. Here's the recipe:

1 cup vegetable broth

1 T soy sauce

1 T brown sugar

2 t corn starch

1/2 t salt

2 t vegetable oil

2 t sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T fresh ginger, minced

Beans, beans, they're good for your heart...

2008-02-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

At least that's what I told myself today. I'm feeling blue. And when I'm feeling blue I like to keep myself busy, so I cook. Tonight I cooked beans.

I hate beans. Bleh. Trouble is, being a vegetarian I need to eat them. I mean, aren't they like, the cornerstone of vegetarian cuisine?? So, I threw together a coupla things I had laying around in order to make myself a tasty bean dish.

I sauteed one small onion and two garlic cloves, chopped. Then I added a tablespoon of tomato paste, a can of tomatoes, some fresh spinach that I wanted to use before it went bad, some lemon zest for freshness, a can of cannellini beans, rinsed, and some fresh, chopped parsley. Of course I added salt, pepper, and other spices.

I'm thinking it will be good over rice or possibly tossed with some angel hair pasta. Here's what the finished product looked like:

It was actually pretty good. I'm still not a big fan of beans, but at least this is damn tasty.

Tofu 0, LunaNik 1

2008-02-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

I am funny about the texture of my food. This is why I never really liked eggs, jello, rice pudding, things like that. If it's jiggly, chances are I ain't eatin' it. So, I knew that tofu would be a problem. It's not jiggly per se, but it is a bit egg-like. My first go around was your standard issue stir fry. I did what I could to eat AROUND the tofu. Ok, so a peice or two snuck by, but for the most part, I didn't eat it.

So I started researching tofu. What's the deal with tofu? How do I cook tofu so it won't make me gag? I learned about freezing tofu, soaking tofu, pressing tofu, slicing, dicing, cubing, scrambling, blending, and finally MARINATING tofu. But every marinade involved some sort of asian food theme. Lots of soy, ginger, and garlic. Not that I don't like that flavor component, but it's not what I was looking for in a basic marinade.

So I decided to use a marinade recipe that I used to use for shrimp. Why couldn't it work for tofu?? Here's what I did...I sliced the tofu thin, maybe 1/4 of an inch thick, then I pressed it for about an hour. Why so long? Honestly, because I forgot about it. Then I stuck it in a container full of marinade and let it sit overnight. Today, I coated the slices in breadcrumbs, a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, a spritz of oil, and into a 400 degree oven they went until they were nice and toasty. I didn't actually time how long it took...maybe 20 minutes. Here's what the finished product looked like...

I ate it with rice and edamame. Not bad, eh? And here's the best part, it actually tasted great! The breading was crunchy, the tofu was tasty, even the texture was good. I highly recommend it.

Here's the marinade recipe:

1 cup olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

2 T hot pepper sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T tomato paste

2 t dried oregano

1 t salt

1 t black pepper

fresh parsley, chopped

This is the marinade as I have it written down. However, I always tweak it a bit. I use ketchup instead of tomato paste for a little added sweetness, I add in some lemon zest to really brighten the flavor, and I use red pepper flakes for added heat.

Please let me know if you try it. I'd love to know how you tweaked the recipe, what you served it with, etc. Remember, I'm still new at this so it will be nice to hear some feedback!

I conquer asparagus

2008-01-29T10:15:00.000-08:00

I completely forgot that I took this pic until I downloaded the contents of my camera this morning. Nice, eh? Just look at those veggies!

This was my attempt at cooking asparagus. What you are looking at is lightly poached balsamic asparagus. Delish. At least, the first coupla bites were...then I kinda get turned off. I don't know what it is, but I have some sort of mental block when it comes to eating asparagus. I think it's the whole makes your pee smell funny thing. Bleh.

Anyway. Also on the plate is an eggplant and roasted tomato napoleon topped with roasted red peppers and sitting on a bed of spinach. Again, delish. I have no complaints here.

Along side that is the infamous couscous cake. Dry, bland, boring. I will be reworking this recipe this week and will let you know how it turns out.

When in doubt, make it into soup...

2008-01-26T07:43:00.000-08:00

I have to go grocery shopping. All of the good stuff is gone and only the basics remain. Basics like onions, garlic, carrots, vegetable broth, potatoes, and a half a head of cabbage.

So what's a girl to do for dinner?

MAKE SOUP!

I sauteed the onion and carrot until the onions were caramelized and the carrots were tender. While that was cooking away, I threw in some dried spices. I used parsley, basil, and oregano...nothing fancy. Oh, and salt and pepper of course.

Then, I threw in 2 or 3 cloves of chopped garlic and sauteed until fragrant. After that came about a tablespoon full of tomato paste and 2 tablespoons of flour. Tomato paste for flavor and color, flour for a bit of added thickness.

Once the flour had cooked a bit, I added 4 cans of vegetable broth that I had in the pantry. Add a bay leaf to that and the last of the fresh parsley sprigs before they go bad and whamo. Man, did it smell GOOD. Once that was simmering I added 4 potatoes, peeled and diced. Then I threw in a bit of cabbage.

Let it simmer away so the flavors come together and the potatoes cook thru.

I still wasn't happy. I wanted something more. Maybe a can of beans? That would have been great, if I had one. Hmph. Ah! A handful or two of elbow macaroni! No, didn't have those either. (I told you I have to go grocery shopping.) But I did have alphabet pasta. Good enough for me.

And there you have it. A wonderful vegetable soup. It came out really tasty too, but next time I'll leave out the cabbage and maybe add some zucchini for color.

I wish I could post a pic because it really looks delish. Alas, the battery has died in my camera.

Next time...promise ;)

Two steps forward, one step back

2008-01-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

I have phased out meat completely. That's a good thing. I'm eating mass amounts of veggies. Experimenting with different ways to prepare veggies. That's also a good thing.

But...

My goal was to go VEGAN. So far, only vegetarian. Shit.

I will continue to make a strong effort to phase out all animal products. For example, I'm very interested in learning more about the fine art of vegan baking. Have you seen some of the vegan cupcake recipes that are out there?? Yum...

But, as for going Vegan all of the time...ain't gonna happen...not yet anyway.

I just can't seem to let go of butter or parmasean cheese.

Oh well...not giving up yet. Vegan is still an attainable goal. It just may take me longer than I originally thought.

So, in the meantime, I'm going to change my header. Boo.

My love affair with kale

2008-01-19T10:20:00.000-08:00

Since going Veg and cruising the veg cookin' blogs, I've read alot about kale. Kale seems to be something the meat eating community isn't aware of. At least, no one I know eats kale, or ever has for that matter.

But, I'm glad. Fuck them. More for me!

I love kale. I love kale so much I may eat it every day. I will eat it in my house, I will eat it with a mouse. I will eat it here or there. I will eat it any where. Heh. Seriously...mmmmm.

I bought myself a big ol' bunch of kale not quite knowing how to cook it. I perused a few recipe sites, but in the end, decided to treat it much like spinach.

So, I sauteed up some onion and garlic and wilted the kale in, adding vegetable stock in as needed to keep the pan from getting too dry. It doesn't wilt down to absolutely nothing like spinach does. And, well, it's just fucking delicious!

I came across one recipe that adds it to mashed potatoes. It's some kinda Irish thing. So, I whipped myself up some taters and served the kale over top. Some leftover roasted tomatoes and eggplant on the side and I had myself one hell of a meal.

If you haven't tried kale yet, please do. It's lovely.

Attempting an edible meal

2008-01-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

I cooked my ass off yesterday. Looks impressive, no? It's a mushroom couscous cake with a side of roasted eggplant and tomato on a bed of spinach.

Sounds good, eh? It wasn't. Well...it was edible, not wonderful. The roasted veggies were wonderful, but the cake...eh, so-so.

I bought a boat-load of garlic. So I started by roasting 2 big cloves and then smashing them into a creamy paste. Mmmmm, lovely.

Then, I smeared this paste onto the veggies before I roasted them. Genius. Seriously. I rock.

Onto the cake. I used leftover couscous, 3 eggs, parmesean cheese, sauteed mushroom, onion, and garlic, a bit of balsamic, and of course salt and pepper. I know, I know not exactly vegan. But, I'm trying to cook vegetarian and then totally make the switch over to vegan so bear with me, please.

Anyway...the cakes left something to be desired. I can't really figure it out. I think I needed to let the onions caramelize and sweeten up more...maybe a bit more balsamic...maybe more parmesean...oh I don't know. I'm really a terrible cook, but I try so hard. I just don't have the pallate to be able to taste something and then say..."OH! I know...it needs blank!".

At least I successfully cooked the eggplant. Hoorah, for me. Today I may tackle the asparagus. Or, I may just eat the leftovers from yesterday and tackle the asparagus tomorrow. Hehehe...I'm so lazy.

Kale, and Eggplant, and Asparagus...OH MY!

2008-01-15T08:34:00.000-08:00

So, I go grocery shopping yesterday and load up on veggies of course. One of the things I bought was kale. Kale. What the hell is kale anyway? I keep reading about it on vegan cooking blogs like this one. So, I figured I'd buy some and give it a try.

I also bought eggplant and asparagus. I never eat eggplant or asparagus and have no idea how to cook them. This should be interesting. Thank goddess for the internet, eh!

So...I emailed the chick over at Vegan Yum Yum and asked her to recommend her must have pantry items. Her, being the coolest, nicest chick in the entire world, emailed me back promptly with an extensive list. Seriously, this chick is awesome.

Here's what she recommended:

Always on hand:

Black Beans (or other bean)
Garbanzo Beans (aka chick peas)
Stewed Tomatoes (for pasta/pizza sauces, soups, and other tomato based dishes)
Dried Pastas
Brown Rice (like basmati)
White Rice (like Jasmine, sometimes sushi rice)
Coconut Milk
Tomato Paste
Sundried tomatoes (oil packed in a jar)
Onions
Garlic
Ginger Root
Vegetable Bullion Cubes
Olive Oil
Cornstarch
Nutritional Yeast (Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula only)
Vital Wheat Gluten
A bazillion spices (my favorites are cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, thyme, an "italian seasoning" mix, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, black mustard seeds, cardamom, red pepper flakes, black peppercorns)

Stores well, so it's nice to have it when you want it:
Pearled Barley
Quinoa and other grains
Agave Nectar
Sesame Seeds
Artichoke hearts
Dried Cranberries, raisins, etc
Flours (all purpose, bread, pastry)
Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
Hot Chili Sauce
Powdered Sugar (for frostings)
Brown Sugar
Molasses
Rolled Oats

Stuff always in the fridge:
Earth Balance Margarine
Earth Balance Shortening
Silk Soy Milk
Tamari/Soy Sauce
Fresh Lemons
Lettuce or Baby Spinach
Kale or Collards
Cashew Nuts (they keep longer if refrigerated)
Carrots
Broccoli or cauliflower
Mustard
Vegan Mayo (vegenaise is more like regular may, nayonaise is more like miracle whip)
Peanut Butter
Jams/Jellies
Seitan and/or Tofu
Canola Oil

Stuff always in the freezer:
Peas
Corn
Sourdough Bread
Frozen Pizza Dough
Soy Delicious Ice Cream :)
Tomato Paste (after I open the can, I freeze 1 Tbs chunks in an ice tray)

Anyone have a must-have item that they can't live without? Please, let me know. I'm still a novice cook, especially when it comes to vegan cooking so all suggestions are welcome!!

The Journey Continues...

2008-01-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

So it's a new year and a new start for LunaNik.

My family and I have been sick and so the quest to becoming vegan has stalled for the moment because I have no desire to go grocery shopping for the products I need.

I'm still determined, just side tracked for the moment.

In the meantime, I would like to give some helpful hints to those of you who have applauded my decision to stop eating animal products, yet said stuff like "I could never do it".

Yes, you can. But in baby steps.

For example, strive to make one day a week meat free. Just one day. Once that is easy, go for two, then three. If you don't want to go full on vegan or vegetarian then stop there and feel comfort in knowing that just a couple of days per week of meat free eating is saving countless innocent animals' lives as well as improving your health and well being.

On another note, I came clean to my father about going vegan and gave my reasons why. After I mentioned to him the antibiotics and growth hormones in meat he haughtily said that he didn't believe that stuff was bad for us. He wasn't kidding folks. So, I have decided to withhold any further comment on my situation in regards to him. Some people just prefer to live in ignorance. My father is one of them. Don't get me wrong, he's not a bad guy. Just a man who's a very content meat eater and doesn't want to hear about alternative methods of eating. Case closed.

More soon....

Trader Joe's

2007-12-05T08:26:00.000-08:00

With my next big grocery shopping trip just around the corner, I'm starting to get anxious. My local supermarket is not exactly vegan friendly. Hell, it's not even vegetarian friendly. Let's just say the produce department leaves a lot to be desired.

A little online research and I discover I have both a Trader Joe's and a Whole Foods nearby. Now, as much as I would like to go to Whole Foods, I am aware how expensive they are. So, Trader Joe's it is.

I can't wait. I'm looking forward to a whole new approach to grocery shopping.

Now, I know that buying organic and vegan can be a bit pricey...but surely the cost will be off-set by the fact that I'm no longer buying meant. Hopefully...we'll see.

On another note, I'm very aware how tough this whole going vegan thing will be. But I am committed nonetheless.

I even have an attack plan. Little by little. Ideally, I would like to have some of my favorite foods one last time before I give them up for good, just to cut down on the temptation factor and reducing my chances of falling off the wagon.

I won't be cooking meat at home anymore, so when I do indulge it will be when I'm eating out.

On my list are:
Chicken soup, crab legs, chicken enchiladas, shrimp, lobster, prime rib, crab cakes, salmon, stuffed flounder, tuna steak, fresh mozzarella, my family's tomato sauce and meatballs, chinese takeout garlic chicken.

That should do it. Once I get that out of my system I'm home free.

Why go vegan

2007-12-04T14:32:00.000-08:00

I have always been a meat eater. Correction, a meat lover! A total carnivore.

When I was a kid, steak dinners were my favorite. I would always ask for the juices to be poured on my plate so that I could lap them up after I ate. I was a mini-vampire in the making.

As I grew older, my love for red meat faded, but I was still a massive consumer of chicken. And as for turkey, well, Thanksgiving couldn't come soon enough.

Now as a grown woman (eeekkk, it still freaks me out that I'm a 'grown up') with two children, I have to take into consideration not only my health, but the health of my children as well. And, as an added bonus, I need to consider my impact on the environment and society in general. After all, I don't want my kids growing up on a toxic planet.

I posted on my personal blog about my younger daughter's aversion to dairy. She loves it, but it doesn't love her. Her belly gets bloated and she gets constipated and uncomfortable. A little bit of research uncovered the truth about dairy. Dairy is bad.

Humans lose their capacity to digest milk sometime around the age of 4 when our lactase enzymes have dropped by 90 to 95%. That is why, among many, many other reasons, we do not nurse from our mothers past this age. What this means in essence is that human beings do not need to drink milk. We don't need it! It is pushed onto us as a health benefit by the USDA.

What? What did you say? Oh, the USDA doesn't push us to drink our mother's milk. Well, you're correct. The USDA pushes us to drink cow's milk. WHA???? Let me ask you something. Would you drink, oh, I don't know, cat's milk? How about dog's milk? No? You wouldn't? So why drink cow's milk? I'll tell you why. Because cows are the largest milk producing animal that is also easy to house. It's all about the benjamins baby. That's right. The dairy industry has the USDA in their back pocket. Cow's milk isn't good for you.

A diet high in dairy products has been linked to problems such as allergies, ear infections, colic, obesity, diabetes, autism, arthritis, acne, ADD, ADHD, fibromyalgia, indigestion, IBS, breast, prostate, and ovarian cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and more.

But, the average person doesn't know about the problems with a diet full of dairy because they don't spend much time reading medical journals which publish these facts. No, we spend a coupla hours a week in front of the television where we see the many commercials pushing dairy as a healthy part of our diet.

So then how does the USDA get away with this? By appointing tainted committee members to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Many members are affiliated with agencies such as the National Dairy Council, Dannon Company, and the National Dairy Promotion and Research Program just to name a few. Interesting, no?

This research led me to start researching the vegan lifestyle. And then, karma struck, and this book got put into my hands. This book changed my life. I will never look at food the same way again.

And so, a fire has been lit under my butt. Gradually, over the next coupla months, I will be making the switch to a vegan way of eating and living. No more dairy, no more meat, no more seafood, and no more animal products.

Of course it will be tough, but that's why I started this blog. Hopefully I attract people who are on my path or have gone down this path already. The path towards a healthier, happier me. The path towards a healthier earth. The path towards more humane treatment of animals.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2007-12-04T13:24:00.001-08:00

Coming soon...LunaNik goes vegan!!