Vegan Kickstart: Day 20 (Almost There!)

Just one more day, y'all. One more day and I go back to my normal chocolate-eatin', beer-sippin', processed food-eatin' ways. I love the healthy eats and all, but a girl needs her junk food too. Day 20 of the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart plan began with a hearty slice of Spinach & Mushroom Frittata with Rye Bread:

Now I'm well aware that this may be the ugliest tofu frittata ever photographed, but it was pretty tasty. Lots of spinach! I seasoned it with black salt to up the eggy taste. This was five million times more satisfying than yesterday's breakfast smoothie.

Lunch was three Quickie Quesadillas made with corn tortillas, roasted red pepper hummus, green onion, tomatoes, and salsa:

It started snowing here around noon! This has been the craziest winter ever for Memphis. Snow twice is January .... unheard of! Most people left work early to pick up kids from closed schools or just because, hey, it was snowing. Snow day! But I had lots to do so I stayed at work all day and enjoyed my snack of Cheezy Dill Popcorn in the peaceful, deserted office:

Dinner was one of my top faves of the cleanse — Mung Bean Pasta with Chunky Ratatouille Sauce and White Beans:

The sauce was made from red wine, eggplant, fire-roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, celery, onions, and garlic. So tasty! And the mung bean pasta is so ridiculously good.

I skipped my dessert on Sunday because I just wasn't feeling it, so I made up for that lost dessert tonight! This Chocolate Banana Smoothie was everything a smoothie should be — a snack (not a meal), banana-y, and heavy on the chocolate soymilk. No fancy health powder add-ins here. Just yummy bananas and chocolate.

Before I close out, I want to let y'all know about an exciting event. From February 25th-27th, the Farm in Summertown is hosting a Vegan Cooking Retreat and I'll be doing a presentation. I'm planning to demonstrate several dishes from my upcoming cookbook, so if you're in the area (or if you feel like a road trip), come on down to the Farm!

Other presenters include Louise Hagler (Tofu Cookery!), Alan Roettinger (author of Speed Vegan), Barbara Bloomfield (one of the Farm's best cooks! I know from personal experience), and Cynthia Holzapfel (managing editor of the Book Publishing Company). Click here for more info.

Vegan Kickstart: Day 19 (with Taste!)

I have my sense of taste back! Well, at least in the eating sense. I've never really had the best taste for style. But you know what I mean. I'd lost my ability to taste yesterday as a result of a nasty case of bronchitis, but I'm feeling much better today.

Breakfast on Day 19 of the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart plan was a Green Goodie Smoothie — pineapple juice, soymilk, frozen peaches, raspberries, and Amazing Grass Superfood powder. The recipe suggested using spirulina, but I couldn't find small sample packets of that stuff. I didn't want to buy a whole jar of spirulina because it's pricey and I know it will go to waste. But the Amazing Grass contains spirulina and lots of other healthy stuff, so I grabbed a one-serving packet from Whole Foods:

Lunch was a simple Tomato, Cucumber, & Basil Salad. I wasn't all that excited about this dish because I'm tired of salads. But it was tasty dressed with a little fig balsamic vinegar:

Although the salad was the only item listed for lunch, that wasn't enough for my massive appetite. Thankfully, I had lots of Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Pita left from Monday's snack, so I added this to my lunch:

I had a meeting after work, and I was glad to have some homemade Berry Applesauce to tide me over until dinner. This was made from cooked-down Fuji apples and frozen mixed berries:

Dinner was Dining Out: Italian Night, the last dining-out day on the cleanse. So many Italian joints serve fresh pasta (made with eggs), but according to Vegan Express, several of Macaroni Grill's items are vegan so that's where we went. The boyfriend and I made a dinner date of it. I started with a bowl of Mediterranean Olives:

And I ordered the Capellini Pomodoro — the same dish I always order here. It's baby-fine capellini noodles tossed with extra virgin olive oil, fresh tomatoes, and basil. I normally only eat half and save the rest for later, but I downed this whole plate! I was hungry.


What vegan items do you order from Italian restaurants?

Vegan Kickstart: Day 18 (and No Tastebuds)

I've been sick with a nasty case of bronchitis now for 5 days. Over the course of this illness, I've had a nagging cough, a slight fever, body aches, a runny nose, a stuffy nose, you name it. And all of that sucked. But nothing sucks worse than losing my ability to taste and smell. That's what happened today — ALL DAY!

I'm on Day 18 of the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart plan and I was pretty stoked about breakfast — Van's Gluten-Free Buckwheat Waffles with homemade Berry Applesauce:

Unfortunately, I took one bite only to realize that I couldn't taste a thing. The dish had a nice texture though. Bummer. I was sure my tastebuds would be back in time for lunch, and I was pleased when I could sort of taste my leftover Buckwheat Pasta with Seitan:

But only sort of. I had to blow my nose between bites to really catch the flavor. Since I ate at my desk today, I didn't want to blow my nose every five seconds lest I gross out my co-workers.

My snack today was Grapes, and though my sense of taste was mostly gone again by snack time, I enjoyed the squishy texture.

I was way excited about dinner — a wholesome bowl of Zippy Yams and Bok Choy Over Brown Rice:

Okay, they were actually sweet potatoes, but the recipe called them yams so I'm doing it too. These were seasoned with soy sauce and curry paste, and thankfully, I was able to vaguely taste the first few bites. But then my sense of taste died again. So sad. I don't see much point in living if you can't taste. I would rather be blind or deaf than lose my tastebuds. Let's hope they're back tomorrow so I'll have a reason to go on (and yes, I am kind of a drama queen).

Which of your senses is most important to you?

Vegan Kickstart Day 17: Asian Day!

So I'm still sick. But I'm feeling just a tad better. Lucky for me, we had the King holiday off from work and that meant an extra day to recover. Day 17 also happened to be an awesome day of eats on the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart plan.

I felt awful when I first woke up, but this warm bowl of Steel Cut Oats with Peanut Butter and Maple Syrup soothed my sicky soul:

After breakfast, I went right back to bed and slept until about 11:30 a.m. That's when I forced my stinky sick self into the shower. Today was Dining Out: Chinese day for lunch, and I wasn't about to miss that! I made myself look somewhat presentable and headed to Pei Wei Asian Diner. Not my first choice for Chinese, but the Kickstart plan instructs you to seek out healthy Chinese food with brown rice and no MSG. The only place in Midtown that offers healthier Chinese fare is Pei Wei.

I settled on the Spicy Korean Vegetables & Tofu with Brown Rice:

This was damn good y'all! Best thing I've ever tried from Pei Wei. It featured a generous amount of baked tofu, carrots, mushrooms, and green beans in a spicy white pepper sauce.

My snack was supposed to be soy yogurt, but I had lunch so late (around 2:30 p.m.) that I just wasn't hungry at snack time. So I waited until the evening meal to eat again. This Lentil Artichoke Stew really hit the spot. Perfect sick day food!

Red lentils, fire-roasted tomatoes, and tender artichoke hearts. It doesn't get much better than that.

Vegan Kickstart: Sick Days

So remember when I called my boyfriend a big baby for whining about his 102-degree fever? Well, I'm eating my words. Turns out, he had a really bad case of bronchitis, and now I have it too. On Thursday (Day 13 of the Vegan Kickstart Plan), I woke up feeling just fine. I ate this bowl of Fruited Breakfast Quinoa, and it was just okay. Kinda plain. The only sweetener was dried apricots and raisins, so I added some maple syrup and that helped:

Lunch was this lovely Ethiopian Tomato Salad (cherry tomatoes, onions, jalepenos, and lemon juice) and Pita with Asian Guacamole. The guacamole had ginger and Thai chili oil, and it was tasty. I prefer regular old guac though:

My snack was edamame, but I forgot to take a picture. I never made it to dinner though. According to the Kickstart plan, I was supposed to have Black Bean Chili and Easy Cornbread Muffins. I was really looking forward to that chili, but when I got home from work, my boyfriend's fever was back. The night before, the doctor at the minor med mentioned that he should go to the ER and get checked for meningitis. The boyfriend was having neck pains along with the fever, and those are symptoms of meningitis.

Unfortunately, getting checked for meningitis means getting a freakin' SPINAL TAP!! Like in The Exorcist! He chickened out that first night, and after his fever went down, he figured it was just a cold. But since his fever was back the next day, he thought he really might have meningitis. So we went to the ER on Thursday night, and he got his spinal tap. The good news? He was negative for meningitis. The bad news? He has a really bad case of bronchitis and he got a spinal tap for nothing!

As for dinner on Thursday, I grabbed a Sunshine burger on the way out the door. We were at the ER for 5 1/2 hours and I was still hungry after my burger, so I hit up the vending machine for some pretzels. Not the best dinner, but pretzels were the healthiest option in the snack machine.

Friday
I woke up Friday morning feeling fine. But since I'd stayed at the hospital so late the night before, I opted to swap out Friday's tofu scramble breakfast for Saturday's easier oats. I added raw Macadamia Nut Butter and Maple Syrup to my bowl of Oat Bran:

Lunch was Pasta Salad made with whole wheat shells, kidney beans, artichoke hearts, red pepper, and sundried tomatoes:

By mid-afternoon, I was starting to feel a little icky. I had been so sure that I wouldn't get sick. I thought my Kickstart diet of healthy foods and my regular workout routine would act as some kind of shield. But not even this DIY Fruit Salad of pineapple, honeydew, and strawberries could ward off the impending sickness:

By the end of the work day, I was full-on sick. I rushed home after work to take some Thera-flu, and that made me feel a little better. I was thankful that my Kickstart dinner was this bowl of DIY Beans, Greens, and Grains. You pick your favorite bean, green, and grain and make a meal of it. I chose brown rice, collard greens, and black beans. This wholesome dinner made me feel a little better:


Saturday
On Saturday morning, I awoke feeling like complete ass. But I had all the ingredients to make what was supposed to have been Friday's breakfast — Zucchini Scramble with Corn Tortillas and Homefries. Both dishes were oil-free, and while that worked for the scramble, the homefries were a little blah. You really shouldn't make homefries without oil:

Lunch was leftover Pasta Salad, which was still pretty tasty despite my sicky tastebuds. Dinner couldn't have been more appropriate for a Saturday night with bronchitis — Spicy Thai Soup made with fresh ginger, garlic, jalepeno, bok choy, broccoli, and mushrooms:

I made the Easy Cornbread Muffins that I was supposed to have with Thursday night's chili. They were oil-free and really, really dry. I wouldn't recommend this recipe at all. But they were sorta decent dipped into the spicy broth. I made quite a few of them so like them or not, I'll be eating them for a few days:


Sunday
Sunday morning started with another bowl of Smart Bran with soymilk and blueberries. It didn't taste so hot with my messed up tastebuds. But my lunch of leftover Spicy Thai Soup and a Baked Sweet Potato really hit the spot:

Sunday's snack was Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with Pita. If there's one thing I love to do when I'm sick, it's eat. So I appreciated this hearty snack:

And dinner may have been my favorite meal on the Kickstart plan to date — Buckwheat Pasta with Seitan. I used my own seitan recipe for this stroganoff-like dish. The creamy gravy was the perfect match for chewy seitan, tender mushrooms, caramelized onions, and buckwheat soba:

I was also scheduled for a dessert on Sunday night, but I didn't eat dinner until 9 p.m. So I'll save my dessert for tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll feel better by then.

Vegan Kickstart Day 12: Sushi Night!

Day 12 of the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart plan started with my least favorite breakfast — a smoothie. Nothing against smoothies, but I view them more as snacks than meals. No matter how much I cram into a smoothie, it never fills me up for more than 2 hours.

Anyway, my Mango Delight Smoothie of mango, banana, orange, soymilk, and hemp protein was pretty tasty:

But my tummy was growling by 11 a.m. Even still, I waited until lunch for this giant Baked Potato with Coconut Butter and leftover Farmhouse Salad:

The plan didn't suggest coconut butter, but I feel like I could really use some good, healthy fats. I haven't even had peanut butter in 12 days! That might be a record for me. I believe the Kickstart plan is designed for people looking to lose a few pounds, but that's the last thing I need. Besides, coconut butter makes the world's best topping for a sweet potato.

My snack was Curry Popcorn, but I forgot to take a picture. I'd never thought to season popcorn with curry powder before, but it was delightful. I'll be subbing curry for nooch next time I make popcorn.

Dinner was Dining Out: Sushi Night! My boyfriend and I had plans to eat at Blue Fin sushi lounge downtown, but he called after work saying he didn't feel so hot. He had a 102 degree fever, and seeing as how he's a dude, this meant he thought he was dying. Guys are such babies when they're sick. So we went to the doctor instead of going out for sushi.

The doctor visit lasted 2 hours and I was starving! Luckily, I packed a Ginger Snap Larabar in my purse. Not in the plan, but since it's just dates, nuts, and ginger, it seemed perfectly appropriate. And it held me over until dinner. By the way, the boyfriend's fever went down and he was negative for the flu, so it's likely just a bad cold.

We were both famished after the appointment, so we swung by Midtown's Sekisui for to-go sushi. I ordered a warm bowl of Miso Soup:

And a Veggie Roll and Soybean Roll:

God, I love sushi! I would eat it every day if I could. But I'm always too lazy to make it at home. Inari is my fave but I didn't see it on Sekisui's menu. The soybean rolls, also called natto rolls, are a close second though.

What's your favorite veggie sushi?

Vegan Kickstart Day 11: Money Talk

Though the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart Plan utilizes leftovers, as you'll see again in today's post, it's definitely cost me way more than I typically spend on groceries in the average week. I usually spend about $85 or so for two weeks worth of groceries, but I've spent closer to $100 or more for the ingredients in weeks one and two.

Some of the extra expense has gone to pantry staples that I just didn't have, like buckwheat flour and oat bran. But I've shelled out the most on fresh veggies and fresh or frozen fruit for the varied meals and snacks throughout the cleanse. In a normal week, I might make two or three large meals and eat the leftovers for lunch and dinner all week. But the Kickstart plan has me making more dishes per week than usual. I enjoy the variety, but I couldn't afford to eat like this all the time.

Luckily, today was mostly a leftovers day, and that means saving money. Breakfast was the same old Smart Bran with Blueberries and Soymilk:

Lunch was leftover Creamy Broccoli Soup from last night and the last of the Missing Egg Sandwich spread on rye:

My snack was grapes — a new snack on the list. I ate lots of these at my desk and again after dinner during True Blood Tuesday:

Dinner was a little new since I made this Farmhouse Salad — a lettuce-less salad of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, capers, and chunks of multi-grain French bread:

I enjoyed my salad with more leftovers of last night's Quinoa Pilaf:

How much do you spend on groceries in a week? Do you rely on leftovers or do you cook every night?