be green

I DID IT! An entire month vegan (with a few minor exceptions).

Honestly, I really enjoy eating this way. My digestive system is functioning far better than ever before and I am finding I don’t swell/ retain water the way I used to now that I have full control over my sodium intake.

I never thought I would make it an entire month if I’m being fully honest. I love cheese and certain meats when cooked. But I realized I do not miss cooking meat and I feel far better eating plant-based “cheese” versus the original stuff.

I would like to continue eating primarily vegan. It’s a savings on my bank account as well as on the planet and it’s improved my mental health even! That being said, I do believe that my protein intake might be suffering a bit so if you have any recommendations I’m all ears!

So, what exactly have I been eating since we last spoke?

No recipe here

Just seasoned jackfruit with chopped up red peppers, pineapple chunks, and sliced avocado on a bed of rice and garnished with green onion. Simple weeknight meal. Apparently jackfruit is supposed to be one of the most sustainable meat alternatives. If you want to learn a little more on the topic, check out episode 3 of Down to Earth on Netflix.

Dairy free ice-cream

I took a look at this recipe (https://happyhealthymama.com/dairy-free-strawberry-ice-cream-no-ice-cream-maker-required.html) and then basically made it my own. I used coconut nectar instead of honey and a frozen berry mixture versus just strawberries. It was delicious. Buddha baby N1 stole half of it and my kitty tried stealing the other half.

Black Bean and Avocado Enchiladas

Black Bean and Avocado Enchiladas

These were delicious and I would highly recommend for a simple and filling meal

Portobello Mushroom Pizzas

No recipe, I just took portobello mushroom caps and added peppers, tomatoes, tofu and vegan ‘cheese’ then baked them in the oven. I’ve always loved making the non-vegan version of these. I wasn’t a huge fan of the tofu on this but I’m sure if I seasoned it properly I’d like it more.

Maca-Banana Shake

This recipe is from the book Find your true fork by Jeff Krasno (https://www.amazon.ca/Wanderlust-Find-Your-True-Fork/dp/1623369657/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=find+your+true+fork&qid=1612551865&sr=8-1) as always I’d encourage you look for this title at your local ma&pa book shop. I honestly have loved this recipe for years now. Not only is it vegan, it’s also raw. I’ve added Vega Protein Powder with Greens and hemp hearts to the recipe to make it even more nutritious. This is my go-to breakfast with a slice of toast with peanut butter or some form of fruit. It’s so delicious even Buddha Baby N1 is all over it in the morning and must have his own cup.

Smoky Black Bean Soup

This is so easy to make and it was hearty and delicious! I will definitely be making it again in future. It almost has the taste of chilli. I will say it doesn’t look super appetizing but I promise it tastes great.

Sweet Chili Tofu Bowls

I’ve made these a few times and my goodness I love it. So easy. So yummy. Would make for easy meal prep for work. I do want to look up a home-made sweet chilli sauce recipe though for next time.

Naan Bread Pizza

No recipe here. I will admit this was not a fully vegan meal as the Naan bread did have buttermilk in it. But otherwise this was made with BBQ sauce, peppers, tomatoes, BBQ jackfruit, and Monterey jack style ‘cheese’.

I made another version of these this month with tomato paste cheddar style ‘cheese’ and vegan ‘pepperoni’. It was equally as delicious and definitely served my pizza craving.

everything bagels and herb & garlic tofu cream cheese

This might be the food I’m most proud of making this past month. I had never made any form of bread product from scratch and it was incredible. I will not be going back to purchasing store bought bagels. I will say the tofu cream cheese is not for me. I did eat it a few times and it’s not terrible by any means but I’ll stick to the store bought vegan alternatives for cream cheese versus making my own in future.

‘nough said…

It’s called so delicious for a reason and my PMS cravings were very pleased with this product.

Vegan Coconut Sweet Potato Cury with Sweet Potato Noodles

This was a friend’s recommendation on my Facebook page. The recipe can be found on the Food Faith Fitness blog (https://www.foodfaithfitness.com/vegan-coconut-curry-with-sweet-potato-noodles/?fbclid=IwAR1kvXElju43uBCpC0K55B2Uour6qmGmx7C8k5cgJKJG6TZB0aWuljQpRsA).

I did make some substitutions in this recipe, I bought spiralized butternut squash so substituted that for the sweet potato noodles. I also had cauliflower on hand and not broccoli so I made that substitution as well.

This was one of my favourite meals. It was so delicious and I love knowing all the ingredients in my food.

Sweet chili stir fry

No recipe here. Just a simple whipped together meal. I definitely got into a bit of a lazy streak this month. Can you tell? haha

Part 1 of 2

Vegan takeout.

OH. MY. GOD.

Seriously, you wouldn’t even know this poutine was vegan and as a Canadian I am all about poutine. This is clearly far from healthy but it was my treat to myself for eating home-cooked meals all month long.

Part 2 of 2

Alright, so the poutine was amazing but these cauliflower wings…. SPEECHLESS!

A long-time friend of mine recommended this restaurant for the best cauliflower wings in the region and they did not disappoint.

If you want to snag some of this absolute deliciousness head over to The Vegan Hippie Chick (www.theveganhippiechick.com)

I will definitely be going back in future and cannot wait until COVID-19 is a thing of the past and I can actually eat in restaurant because it looks so nice in there and sharing a meal with a friend always amplifies the experience.

Vegan Nachos

No recipe but was craving comfort so I made a tofu crumble with chili powder seasoning, then cut up peppers, and spread that on top of tostitos chips, added vegan cheese and some thai red peppers.

*Warning: Thai red peppers are really spicy. To the point where it is ill-advised to touch your eye even after washing your hands twice and waiting like a half hour after handling them. Or, y’know, you can learn the hard way like me. No judgment.

Sweet Potato Lasagna

This was a great recipe. It is filling and delicious but doesn’t give you that heavy feeling in your stomach like after eating traditional lasagna. This picture is from before I baked it because it smelled so good that I forgot to take an ‘after’ photo.

You can find the recipe here (https://detoxinista.com/sweet-potato-lasagna/?epik=dj0yJnU9M0czb01KOHUteGVlekZVTVhtUllJc2I0QzhCZHhQa1ImcD0wJm49M0VKbEJwU1VqdmhyRGxxZEhuLUptZyZ0PUFBQUFBR0FhM3BF)

If you make it let me know your opinion. Buddha Baby N1 really enjoyed this recipe as well!

So there you have it… my month of committing to “Be Green”. I’m so grateful for your recommendations and will continue to seek additional recipes or tips.

I am definitely glad that I made this commitment to myself. I do not plan on remaining fully vegan but I do think I will maintain a fairly vegan diet. A big thing that this commitment has forced me to do is to cook from scratch far more often than I had gotten in the habit of doing. It stopped me from mindlessly grabbing food from the cupboard. I do hope to continue on with this habit of preparing my meals from scratch. Although I don’t adore meal planning and it is a lot of work, the effort is definitely worth the rewards of better functioning digestive tract and better sleep.

So that’s all from me for now.

With love,
Yoga Mama

We live to protect and serve the natural world

The Goal is to take a closer look at what you consume and how we, as a society, treat our planet. Use this project to commit to making a sustainable difference in your environment.

So I’ve decided to go vegan for the month of January. I wanted to reduce my consumption of meat and animal products for a few reasons. First, since my pregnancy with buddha baby N1 I have had a huge aversion to handling meat. I hate it’s smell, handling it, cooking it. Even eating it at times grosses me out. It’s like when I got pregnant all of a sudden my brain made the connection that I was eating muscle and flesh from another animal and since then I haven’t been a huge fan. Now don’t get me wrong, I do still like some things, especially salmon. I just am not so in love with meat that I can’t fathom living without it. Second, I have never been great with dairy. And by not great I mean I was hospitalized after my first birthday because I was choking on my own phlegm. So there’s that. Third, I really don’t like the thought of the entire animal product industry. It makes my stomach churn knowing what they do to those poor animals. I plan on watching the feature “Forks over Knives” to learn a little bit more.

That being said, I was slightly terrified by the thought of drastically changing my cooking habits. The whole meal planning thing has been a little bit overwhelming at times but so far I’ve actually been really enjoying this journey. Once I figured out what I was going to make for the first week and compiled my shopping list things got a lot easier. I’m actually excited to cook my dinners and see how it’s going to turn out. So far I have loved everything I’ve made. I will make the note that I have kept honey in my diet to put in my teas so I guess I’m like 99.5% vegan for the month of January.

Over my first week and a half of switching to vegan living, I have lost six pounds. Now this was not my intention of switching over, and I have a feeling it has a lot more to do with cooking all my food from scratch versus removing animal products. But I do think it’s important to document how the experience has been going so there it is. I’ve noticed I don’t ever get that super heavy awkward feeling in my stomach after eating and I feel satisfied without ever feeling stuffed. It’s like my stomach feels lighter so that’s kind of cool. I’ve also noticed my mood has improved. I’m happy and wanting to do things more and more often.

Here’s a highlight reel of the main meals I’ve made so far and a super brief review. Apologies for my lack of photography skills.

Epicure’s African Sweet Potato Stew

This stew is so delicious. You need the Epicure seasoning pack which you can purchase from their website. It is very filling and perfect for a cold winter evening. It was my second time making this recipe but first time subbing beans for meat. Still definitely delicious.

Red Lentil Curry

You can find this recipe on Today’s Parent website. Here’s the link : https://www.todaysparent.com/recipe/vegetarian/red-lentil-curry/

I’ve been making this recipe since Buddha Baby N1 was old enough to eat and I love it. Super simple and quick but filling. A side salad is definitely a smart idea in order to up the veggie intake. This recipe uses all staples that are already in the pantry so it’s great in a pinch.

Sesame Tempeh Bowl

This recipe was found on Budget Bytes website: https://www.budgetbytes.com/sesame-tempeh-bowls/

I don’t think I have ever had tempeh before but oh my goodness I could have eaten the entire brick in one sitting because it tasted that good! It was my first time cooking with toasted sesame oil and it was delicious. I will absolutely be making this recipe again. I have been using rice as my base but I think quinoa would probably be amazing with this recipe instead.

CHIPOTLE PORTOBELLO OVEN FAJITAS

This is another Budget Bytes recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/chipotle-portobello-oven-fajitas/

It was also phenomenal. I really love being able to shove things in the oven to cook so I am free to do other things in the mean time. Sometimes that’s cleaning the kitchen and doing the dishes and other times is playing with or caring for my kids. Either way, it’s nice to have that time when I’m not stuck cooking.This was a crowd favourite. Buddha baby N1 crushed half a fajita by himself and kept saying “Mmm. Good job mommy” so I’ll count that as a major win. I would say that I suck at portion control so this is a recipe I will also make a side salad for in future.

Felafel Burgers with Cucumber-Dill Sauce

This recipe was found in my new cookbook “Big Vegan” by Robin Asbell. You can find it here (https://www.amazon.ca/Big-Vegan-Recipes-Dairy-Delicious/dp/0811874672/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=big+vegan+by+robin+asbell&qid=1610307363&sr=8-1) but I’d recommend ordering through your local bookstore.

This took me like two hours to make because I’m the slowest person ever. I am definitely going to make some patties to freeze so that it takes significantly less time in future but oh my goodness it was PHENOMENAL. Like holy yum. II will say that the patties were muck when I went to put them in the oven but they crisped up so nicely and had a perfect crust to them. You could totally buy pre-made patties but these really aren’t hard to make.

Sweet Potato and Edamame Shepherd’s Pie

This recipe was also from my Big Vegan cook book. It looks terrible but tastes AMAZING! This was the first time I’ve ever used miso to cook with and it is so great. I also found as I was cooking the veggies to get them ready before baking everything I couldn’t help but think holy shit this smells like a million bucks. I’m wondering if this might be a recipe that I could prepare ahead of time and freeze and then cook from frozen in the oven.

Quick Tofu Stir-fry

This is another Budget Bytes recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/quick-tofu-stir-fry/

It’s perfect for a quick work-night meal. You can have most of the ingredients on hand all the time to make this one of those I forgot to plan food and I only have 20 minutes to get a meal on the table. It was also delicious and I kind of felt like I was eating Chinese take out so that was pretty cool.

Those recipes have taken me from January 1st until today, the 10th. That’s pretty great. As I mentioned, I’ve loved everything I’ve tried so far.

If you have any suggestions for other amazing Vegan recipes I’m all ears!!! And if you try out any of these recipes let me know, I’d love to hear your experience.

With love,
Yoga Mama

Tag: be green

Be Green Continued