day 28. june 28. 2010. June 28, 2010

My juicer.

I LOVE my juicer. It was a recommendation from my dear friend and spirit-sister Becca. She has the same one. This thing will juice anything. The week it arrived via a very convoluted journey from the USA (long story) I started a juice fast. And I did a nine day cleansing juice fast and let me tell you I am darn proud of myself because I didn’t think I would last two days. Remember I LOVE FOOD.

This is my juicer.

I’ve been experimenting with lots of different juices, everything from cabbage to kale to ginger… all my favourite fruits, apples, lemons, limes, strawberries (they don’t juice very well) to herbs; parsley and mint, my two favourites.

A glorious way to start the morning:

• carrot
• apple
• cabbage
• mint
• lemon
• parsley
• ginger

A glass of this juice and a glass of water before my yoga in the morning sun and I am so good to go for the day!

day 26. june 26. 2010. June 26, 2010

Not only do I love food, but I have also been afflicted with a wicked sweet tooth. There aren’t a lot of really great vegan sweets, and since I’ve also been avoiding any type of white sugar or fructose-glucose, I have taken it upon myself to make my own!

If you have a food processor these are super easy:

• a bunch of dried pitted honey dates
• raw almonds
• raw pumpkin seeds
• unsweetened coconut
• dried unsweetened cranberries
• unsweetened cocoa to taste
• water

Blend in the food processor until all the ingredients are a wet lumpy mush. (YUM!) Fold in ground flax seed and hemp seeds until the mixture is firm enough to roll into balls. Then roll into balls. Roll balls in shredded unsweetened coconut and place in fridge until firm. Eat when having a sweet tooth craving. Perfect!

day 21. june 21. 2010. June 21, 2010

Cooking.

Have I mentioned I love to cook? I also love to eat. And I really love to eat good food. Really good food. Complex flavours and unexpected combinations. So going vegan was a challenge I was really excited about! It meant that there was a whole new world of cooking opening up for me. I started researching new ingredients and started pouring over recipes online – purchasing new recipe books – adding new iPhone apps – my typical all out reaction to something “new” in my life!

Jumping! In! With! Both! Feet!

Two books I’d like to mention that really helped with the transition:

Becoming Vegan – by Brenda Davis | I was a little apprehensive that I would be able to maintain a very healthy diet as a vegan. Not whether or not it was possible, but only whether or not I could maintain it. This was the most comprehensive book I could find on the subject. It really goes in depth on vegan health, how to get enough protein, eating a balanced diet and the vegan food guide (a new pyramid!). It’s a fantastic reference and I find myself referencing it regularly.

refresh – by Ruth Tal | To be quite honest, if we didn’t have FRESH RESTAURANTS in Toronto I would have been a lot more apprehensive about going vegan and LIKING it. Their food is phenomenal, without a doubt one of my favourite lunch spots in the city, and I absolutely cannot get enough of their Mega Life Salad with Green Dressing. The refresh cookbook is all of their best recipes with gorgeous photos of each dish. They also dedicate an entire section to juicing. More on juicing later.

day 17. june 17. 2010. June 17, 2010

So my first vegan meal after ‘THE VIDEO’ was the most delicious lentil burgers EVER. Homemade. From scratch. YUM. This recipe came to me via my “Whole Foods Market Recipes” iPhone App.

Ingredients

1 pound (1 1/2 cups) red lentils
5 cups water, salted
1 cup minced onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup minced carrot (1 large)
2 teaspoons (2 cloves) minced garlic  (I love garlic so I used MUCH more!)
Olive oil for the skillet
2 cups chopped crimini mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
10 ounces firm tofu, pureed in a blender

Method

In a large pot, simmer the lentils in salted water until tender. Drain and cool.

In a large skillet, sauté the onion, carrot and garlic in 1 teaspoon olive oil until tender, about 2 minutes

Add the mushrooms, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until mushrooms are tender and liquid has evaporated, approximately 5 minutes, and allow to cool.

Add the bread crumbs, lemon juice, pureed tofu, 2 tablespoons olive oil and cooked lentils and mix to combine. Transfer to a large bowl. Chill for 30 minutes and then shape into 8 patties.

Pan fry in olive oil in a large skillet until each side is crisp and golden. Finish in a 350°F oven if necessary to heat through.

day 5. june 5. 2010. June 5, 2010

WOW! Did you know vinegar has been commercially produced for about 2500 years, making it one of the oldest products in use by humans! There are many different types of vinegar out there, all produced by the oxidization of alcohol into acetic acid. Personally, I LOVE a little balsamic on my tomatoes, or a marinade of balsamic and olive oil on rough cut veggies prior to baking. And apple cider has entire websites dedicated to its healing capabilities, but white vinegar is the most useful and the most versatile by far.

Below is great do-it-yourself non-toxic all purpose cleaner.

• 1 part water
• 1 part white vinegar
• 4 tbsps lemon juice
• 10-20 drops tea tree oil (or other essential oil)

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well before using. Safe for daily use throughout the home.

Drink apple cider vinegar with honey for:

• Relaxing Nervous System
• Promoting Deep Sleep
• Relief of Rheumatism
• Relief of Arthritis
• Relief of Bone Pains
• Relief of Heart Ailments
• Relief of Stress
• Insomnia

Recipe:
250 ml (8 oz) filtered water – warm enough to melt honey
1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (organic recommended)
1 to 2 teaspoons wildflower honey (local if possible)

Mix organic apple cider with honey and drink at night before going to bed. Great for calming nerves, promoting relaxation and relief of bone related ailments. I’m going to make myself a cup right now!