Day 23! Going Strong!

Hello!

It has taken me forever to find the time to post my Sushi recipe!  Now I am in love with this recipe! Absolutely vegan, and you can put whatever you want into them.  It was pretty straight forward to make it.  I do not have a rice cooker to make the sushi rice, but it wasn't a problem as long as you have a pot and a wooden spoon you are all set!  I went to a Japanese supermarket about 20 minutes away from my house and everything was easy to find, I am sure if you find any Asian specialty markets around you they will have everything.  You will also need a bamboo mat for this, easy to find and cheap around $2-3.

So here it goes:
1 1/2 Cup Sushi Rice
1 square of the kombu (Seaweed you use to roll Sushi)
3 Tablespoons of this seasoned rice vinegar recipe:
4 1/2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Salt.

Package of kombu to roll Sushi, there was a whole aisle dedicated to it, so pick whatever you want

For fillings  I did a belle mushrooms, sauteed.  Avocado, and cucumber.  Pick anything you want and add siracha if you want the heat.  Siracha has become my new best friend!

To make the mixture just add to a small sauce pot and heat on stove on medium and mix well, bring up to heat.  Add the kombu when heating up, remove afterwards.

So you are going to want to put the rice in a mesh strainer and rinse the sushi rice until the water doesn't come off murky anymore. about 3 or 4 times.

After you wash the rice add to a pot and add 2 1/4 water for every 1 1/2 cup of rice, let sit in the water and absorb for 30 minutes.

When 30 minutes is done cover and cook on medium, bring to a boil.  Then crank heat for 1 minute, bringing to a higher boil.  DO NOT UNCOVER AT ANY TIME.  Turn to low and cook for 20 minutes, without lifting the lid.  Once done move to side and let sit 10 minutes, still not lifting the lid.

Once done transfer to a bowl, and slowly pour the rice vinegar mixture over your wooden spoon the is hovering over the rice so everything gets coated.

Keep a bowl of cold water nearby to coat hands with, as this will stick to your hands like there is no tomorrow.  Also to clean your knife when cutting, you will want to stick in cold water and wipe off after every time for clean cuts.

Lay bamboo mat done onto a cutting board, you will want a flat surface.  Place a piece of plastic wrap over it and then place kombu on top of that.  Take a small handful of rice and spread on top leaving edges a bit open, do not put a lot of rice on,  I know it sounds weird, but it is harder to roll and will be really heavy to eat.

Add Filling at the bottom of the rice, don't overcrowd.  Make a good line of it, and then start to roll over, be careful not to roll plastic wrap in it, before its completed wet the edges so that the sushi sticks together.

Then do a clean cut through the sushi.

And Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and siracha.  Pickled ginger to if you like that.

And that is it!  I ate with Kikkoman low sodium soy sauce, my favorite kind.

Just remember, that practice makes perfect.  A few rolls won't come out to pretty and you will learn the ratios as you go.  Just remember how good it will all taste in the end.

More recipes to come tomorrow, along with a vegan rice pudding I made from sushi rice!

Namaste,

V

Day 18

Hi everyone!

I tried agave the other day, and I actually like it.  Agave is like a sweetener made from plants you use in tea and baking and other things along that nature, and I absolutely love it!  I had no idea that this even existed until I went out to eat and the waiter brought it to me when I ordered tea (I love chamomile tea).

 Anyways I made a sweet potato lentil soup yesterday that came out phenomenal and I thought I would share it with you all. It is really easy, don't let it intimidate you.  Some people have never worked with lentils before, and its really so easy and nothing to even fret over.  Also, sometimes I use spices that most people would not have in your pantry and that is fine, I use whatever I have on hand so if I put an odd ingredient, I will put maybe a substitution in the recipe  or maybe its okay to even omit it from the recipe.  Also, if there is something you like as a spice that I did not use and you would think would go well with it.  Go right ahead!  There is nothing set in stone and all my recipes are based on my preferences and resources, so do as your heart desires, it will made the dish all the more better.

So here it goes:
Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

2 Carrots, Peeled, and small diced
2 Onions, Peeled, and small diced
2 Celery stalks, Peeled and small diced (Peel a celery you say?  Yes!  It gets rid of the outside layer that has been laying around in grocery stores and gets ride of the stringy things!)
2 Cups Lentils
2 Tbsp Fresh Minced Garlic
10 Cups of Water
1 Can Marzano Tomatoes - Food Process them/Puree
3 Large Sweet Potatoes, Peeled and large dice
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1 Tsp dried Anaheim green chilies (This is an odd ingredient if you have them use them, if not you can use dried chipotle or another pepper, or you can even omit)
1 Tsp Smoke Paprika
Vegetable oil to coat the pan

Get a pot on the stove to medium high heat and coat the pan with the vegetable oil ( don't use olive oil, it has a high smoke point)  Add the carrots, celery, onions and cook until tender.  Add the minced garlic, oregano, thyme, chilies.  Cook for a 1-2 minutes, until bitterness is out of the garlic.

Add lentils, tomato puree, and water.  Simmer 45 - 1 hour.  Stirring occasionally.

While that is cooking, get a pot of water on the stove, bring to a boil and add the sweet potatoes.  Cook until tender, strain and rinse in cold water.

After the soup is done simmering.  Season with salt and pepper, and adding anymore seasoning you like.  Add the smoked paprika, Add sweet potatoes, let sit in the soup for 5 minutes, while it is on a simmer.  Serve hot and enjoy!

Easy right?

( I garnished with micro greens)

So next is a salad I thought was simple and refreshing and thought everyone would enjoy!  So recently, I have been obsessed with avocados, so they go in every salad I make!

1/2 Tomato, diced

Handful of Mixed Greens

1 Avocado, chopped

1/4 Red Onion, peeled and thin sliced

Juice of 1 Lime

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Toss all together

So easy and refreshing.  Something about the lime brings out these great flavors in the avocados!

That's all for now!

Namaste,

V

Day 16

Hey there!

I have been trying so hard to take pictures of some of the things I make.  I believe today is Day 16 as being a vegan, I still feel great and going strong.  I really don't tell alot of people at work I am a vegan, mainly they wont understand, but I have been good, I am very proud of myself for doing this, and I really want to share my recipes with you.  I want people to find turning vegan as easy as I did, see food does not intimidate me, I will try everything and experiment, so maybe this blog will help ease some people into veganism.  I did go out to a vegan/vegetarian restaurant the other day and was blown away by how amazing it was, it was this little hole in the wall, with a max of 13 tables, and the food was out of this world!

  So I am going to tell you at a ratatouille recipe I made with polenta, and I also made kale!  Now I had never tried kale before, and was a little nervous, but I absolutely loved it! ( I put a quick veg stock recipe in)

So let's start with the ratatouille, and for those who don't know what that is here is the definition

Noun "A vegetable dish consisting of onions, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers, fried and stewed in oil and sometimes served cold." Now I did not use eggplant in the recipe, because I did not have one, but I recommend you use one, peel first!  The peel of an eggplant is bitter and unappetizing. So here it goes:

2 green peppers. thin sliced 2 red onions, peeled, thin sliced 10 crimini mushrooms, quartered 1 zuchini, sliced down legnthwise then cut into thin sliced

2 red peppers, thin sliced
1 eggplant, peeled. and quartered (make them small. dont want them to be massive and not cook)
1 can sans marzano tomatos
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups red wine (any vegan one will do)
Salt and Pepper to taste (for a kick add anything with heat, I like red pepper flakes in this)

After everything is cut, get a pot hot on the stove on medium- high heat, coat bottom of pan with the vegetable oil and then add green/red peppers, onions, mushrooms, zuchini, eggplant and sautee and cook down for 5 - 10 mins, yoiu want them to be soft.  Add the red wine to the pot and reduce down a little bit, cooking off the alcohol.  Add the sans marzano tomatos, and turn heat down to low-medium and bring up to heat, stirring once in awhile making sure nothing sticks to the pan/burns.  Add salt and pepper to your liking. Serve hot.

                                                      (Just after tomatoes were added!)



That is it! Wicked easy recipe to follow and super quick to make at home, you can serve over pasta or with polenta, which I will tell you how to make next or just by itself, really this dish goes with anything to your liking

So polenta is kinda tricky, you dont wan't it to be grainy.  So when I made I used vegetable stock I made but you can just use water, I am not sure if you can buy vegetable stock, I hope they do.  All it is, is vegetables in a pot of water cook for a an hour or so, any vegetables you want, I usually you the basic carrots onion celery and left over scraps of stuff I am  using, cook for a bit and then just strain, saving all the liquid.  Easy right?

So polenta

4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup coarse grain italian polenta
1 cup chopped herbs ( I used chives, but you can use anything I.E rosemary, thyme etc.)
This recipe should be done a few hours before, so it can set, you re heat the polenta when you make dinner.

Get a pot on the stove on high, add the stock or water and bring to a boil, slowly whisk in 1 cup polenta, turn heat down to medium and cook for 5 - 10 mins (  read directions on your polenta, there are many variations, and could require more or less cooking time, this is just how the polenta I used cooked)

Once done cooking add the herbs, and stir them in.

 Transfer the polenta to a flat sheet pan and let cook, making sure the surface is flat.  I took a piece of parchment paper, and smoothed out the top of it.

Allow to cool.  Once it is done cooling, take a large mug, spray it with pan spray and punch out circles, if polenta gets stuck just take a butter knife and stick inbetween mug and polenta and it should just pop out.

When you are making the ratatouille, heat oven to 450 and spray a pan and put the polenta on it, popping it in the oven to heat up and voila! Its done, super easy to make.

So the other night I made kale and it was super easy

1/2 bunch kale chiffonaded, 

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

To chiffonade means: 

"A preparation of shredded or finely cut leaf vegetables, used as a garnish for soup."

So lay the kale directly on top of each other, and roll up tightly and then thinly slice the rolls.

Get a pot on the stove on medium high heat. Add the oil and then add the kale and cook it down until it softens up a bit, and salt and pepper it to taste, I know its so basic, but the flavor is so good and I have made it three times already!  

That is all for today!  I hope you enjoy!

Namaste,
V

Day 12

Hello there!

Today is day 11 of my journey as being a vegan.  It is quite odd to me now, the smell of meat cooking almost churns my stomach, I had to make a vats of different stocks at work and I almost couldn't stand the smell.  That is a good thing though.  

I want to share some of the recipes I have done for myself and what I eat, I do not find it very difficult to be a vegan, mainly because I am a chef and I can cook pretty much anything you ask me to.  I went to whole foods the other day and felt like a little kid in a candy store.  I couldn't contain myself.  What I made myself for dinner the other night was I Poblano peppers stuffed with a sweet mashed potato and I bought Soba Noodles and made a ginger soy scallion sauce.  Not to hard at all and for all other newbie vegans, it should be quite easy

For the Poblano stuffed sweet potato

I hollowed out the poblano peppers, about 2 its 4 halves it is a very mild pepper I wanted it mainly for the size.

I boiled and then mashed sweet potatoes, about 1 Large sweet potato adding in a 

Tbsp of cinnamon, 

3Tbsp of maple syrup (Try not to use imitation, it just doesn't do anything besides add a fake sugar taste)

1/4 C Almond Milk ( You can use soy, but I like almond)

1/4 tsp cayenne

5 Dashes Tabasco sauce ( I am in love with Tabasco, you could also omit if you don't like spicy or small dice a jalapeno for that kick )

Just mash the sweet potato and just stir in the rest of the ingredients, Simple right?

I baked the poblano with some olive oil and salt and pepper by itself at 400 for I would say 10 - 15... till they softened, just keep an eye on it all ovens are different and the one I have in my tiny apartment is awful.

Once the pepper is softened, stuff the peppers with the sweet mashed and put back in the oven for another 10-15 mins, you want the tops to turn a light brownish crisp. 

Your done with the Poblano stuffed peppers! They are so good, I wish I took a picture though but I didn't even think of it at the time, next time I make them I will definitely do it!

So now onto the Soba noodles.

This was my first time cooking soba noodles since culinary school, its pretty much like a pasta, except I didn't want them al dente, I wanted it medium, not to soft, but no crunch to it.  So easy to make to

I made about 1/2 a box for me a husband and that included leftovers for the next morning (soba noodles can also be served cold, it is pretty normal to have a cold soba noodle salad in restaurants, but this recipe calls for them hot)

So boil 1/2 a box and while you are doing that

cut up about 2 oz of ginger very small and fine dice and sweat them in oil in a sauce pot, I used EVOO, but you can use vegetable oil or anything you have on hand, its your preference.

Add 2 cloves fine diced garlic cloves to that and cook to just get the bitterness out.

Then I added about 

5Tbsp Rice wine vinegar

5 Tb reduced sodium soy sauce ( You don't feel bloated with reduced sodium and its the same flavor)

2 1/2 Tbsp 

1 Tbsp water ( so the soy is not so strong)

beyond easy and then I thin sliced about 4 scallions

So cook the pasta and toss it into the sauce and then throw in the scallions, super easy recipe, beyond good.

(I also made about double the recipe of sauce and saved and the next day I made white rice and steamed broccoli and tossed the broccoli in it, I felt like I had takeout, it was so delicious!)

So I also want to talk about what I have made myself for lunch its super easy salad

its 

1 Endive cleaned, cored, and 1 inch diced

a handful cleaned spinach

3 beets, cooked, peeled, cut into quarters 

a sprinkle of dried cranberries

Half an avocado cut up

1/2 a tomato diced

(My actual picture, yay!)

dressing was 1 Tbsp white balsamic, 1 Tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper  just toss together super easy.

I'll continue tomorrow

Good Luck and Namaste,

V

Newbie Vegan

Hi there!

My name is V, and welcome to my blog about being new to veganism, where I will talk about my journey with veganism.

 I will tell you a little about myself, about how I started my new life with veganism and how wonderfully different it has become in my life, so maybe its not all so confusing. :)
I live in a itty bitty tiny town on the east coast, and I am a chef, and I decided to go vegan...odd I know.  I was always preaching about how food is wonderful and how we are meant to eat proteins and that is how it is supposed to be.  Now mind you, I do still believe food is wonderful and exquisite, and so beautiful, that is why I got into the culinary industry in the first place, but one day I was talking about vegans and how odd their life style choice was, but yet I knew absolutely nothing about it, all I knew was what I was taught in school and heard in numerous restaurants about vegans and saw the eye rolls of servers when vegans were in a five star restaurant asking to change our "brilliant" menu around, and we all just went along with it, and yet we barely catered to them.

When I was in culinary school I had a teacher in one of my advanced classes, telling me how awful it was that the food industry didn't help cater to vegans and vegetarians, and that they deserved so much better than what restaurants were putting out, because they believed in something worth while and none of us understood.

So anyways, I was one day talking about veganism and thought to myself on how clueless I was, so I went home and watched a few documentaries on netflix, and I was immediately hooked on it.  I couldn't believe what was going on in slaughter houses, I mean I always kind of had an idea, but never really paid much mind to it.  These poor animals were treated so inhumanly and what good was it really doing for our bodies.  How actually not eating proteins was better for you, and not eating any animal products, was to.  Helped your heart, weight, etc.  So I decided to go for it.

A little more about me is that I am a very spiritual person,  I am reiki certified, practice yoga, meditate, and I thought veganim would enhance all of these aspects of my life too.

Today is day 7 of my journey, and I want to document it all.

I haven't have the time to start a blog in the past week, I have been so busy with work and what not, but I do want to talk about what has been going on the past week.

Well, I feel wonderful.  I cook all day with different proteins and now it just seems so cruel to me, and bothers me, but it is work and I have to.

I will continue tomorrow, and tell you all more.  Thank you so much for your time!  Keep in tune!

Namaste,
V