Redirection Road

It has been an eventful year and I will break it down in other posts. I thought I would just talk about some current life changes.

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In an effort to create a better life with better health, I have added a more plant-based diet. Yes, Vegan, but I don’t consider myself a vegan as I still eat fish and lamb.

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What a learning curve!!! I try and balance my diet, but am still figuring it all out. That is why I drink lots of protein shakes. Vegan diets are mostly carbs. Lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. This is a weighty carb diet. Currently, I have whey protein shakes to get my balance on complete proteins. However, I just discovered several vegan protein powders I am experimenting with. I will keep you posted on those. Mostly, my daily diet is vegan except for the protein shakes. I need to get off mountain and make a fish run.

I’ll dial back to the beginning……

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Yes, it all started with a documentary….lol. It lead me to some articles on the NIH (National Institutes of Health) website on nutrition studies. Basically, the research I am interested in is auto-immune diseases and health benefits of plant-based diets. Actually, 15 years ago I was doing research for an article on milk processing that led me to the guidelines for meat and dairy processing. It was pretty scary what the acceptable level of impurities is. The things allowed in milk at lower percentages is not good. There isn’t any nice way to present that. Things like puss, low levels of antibiotics and such surprised me. This is on the big dairy farms and meat processing plants. Grass-fed, local green farmers have a different process. I do not know exactly how they keep their animals or what their process is for producing milk and meat products.

At the time I did this research, I went to organic only milk while still being a bit uncomfortable about it all. Still, I love milk, drink lots of milk, eat lots of cheese and dairy products. So, this was the first thing I removed from my new diet. I make my own nut milks. I like soy and almond, but use oat and cashew also. They are delicious and work in cooking and baking just as well. Butter is a little harder to replace. I do have vegan butter, but use a scant amount of real butter. I also cannot give up my parmesan cheese. Good concessions overall for me.

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Chicken and eggs are off my current plan. Though, if I was out at a good restaurant, I would partake. How chickens are processed and treated is just a nightmare in the big poultry producers. Mostly, I would like to not participate in bad treatment of animals and try to live more sustainably. I am about shrinking my footprint.

Before all this, I was cooking Mediterranean-style meals for a healthier diet. I still cook Mediterranean meals. The anti-inflammatory effects are great. I do feel the difference. Another reason for the change, the meat available on the mountain is not right. It doesn’t look right or taste like it should. Off mountain things are different. A perk is my food bill is better as meat prices are off the charts. It is fifty-fifty on digestive benefits as you eat a major amount of beans and veggies. Much of my dishes use superfoods so I am getting over my daily fiber and other nutrients. I do feel overall changes in my joints, GI (gastrointestinal) tract and energy. My runner’s knee has resolved. Ever since moving here I have had trouble with one knee after I twisted it running. It has finally healed and doesn’t bother me anymore. I believe the anti-inflammatory foods I am eating have helped with that. That and a new exercise plan that includes strengthening the area around the knees.

At events I covered I tried the vegan options and found much of the food bland and not too tasty overall. My first attempts at vegan cooking were scary. I threw out so much food. I still haven’t mastered vegan pavlovas. If I make one, it will be with eggs from a local farmer. I just couldn’t figure out the substitutions.

The nice thing about both these books is they have sections on how to cook vegan. What to use for eggs, butter etc….Basically, you can’t use the same things universally. There are about eight different options for eggs. One is for leveling, one for adding moisture, etc….. Since you are not using dairy, how you cook is different for each dish. In this way, substitutions can be tricky. Now, my meals are delicious….and my desserts.

I love sweets so the baking book has been hit hard. All the recipes I have tried are wonderful and you wouldn’t know it was vegan. I made lemon bars using tofu silken and you cannot tell they are vegan! The pastry crust is so delicious I had a hard time not eating it on its own. I made peanut butter cookies, Mexican wedding cookies that melt in your mouth and jam.

• Chickpeas (a staple)
• Beans (various)
• Lentils
• Peas
• Rice (brown, white basmati
• Quinoa
• Tofu (multiple types including silken)
• Nutritional Yeast
• Brown Rice Syrup
• Sugars (various coconut, castor, monk fruit, cane, maple)
• Vegan Butter
• Vegan May (you can make your own)
• Nuts (all kinds, but raw cashews are a must for sauces)
• Brown Rice Flour
• Grapeseed Oil
• Coconut Butter, Oil, Milk, etc…
• All sorts of flour
• Red Curry Paste
• Curries
• Tumeric and various warm spices
• Tahini (a must if you are making hummus)
• ….and bunches of fresh ginger, onions, peppers, etc….
• You get the idea………a slow climb upwards to creating a new pantry.

Why the food in these recipes is so yummy starts with spices, lots of spices. The combinations have surprisingly flavors. In the last couple of months I have burned through spices both fresh and dried. Ginger and Turmeric are in many of the dishes. Lots of warm spices help to make flavorful combos.

Before I got the recipe books, I was making bits and bobs here and there…..

I recommend both cookbooks highly. One thing I was not aware of is how time consuming vegan cooking can be. It is a lot of making the elements that go into the dish. Lots of chopping of fresh ingredients and complex cooking and blending to get the delicious complex flavors that are so wonderful to eat.

I am in the beginning of my journey, but I am sure I will find many new recipes to sample.

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Good food brings friends and family together to make some memories. I wish everyone good food, good memories, good health and peaceful times.