Four Months!

     Its exactly 4 months today since I started the Vegan diet.  Surprisingly, it has been an extremely easy transition.  I weighed in today and I'm delighted to report that I've lost 35 lbs with no exercise!  Every day I learn something new and find creative ways of preparing food with simple substitutions to maintain my plant based diet.  There are no cravings, no feelings that I'm missing out on something when my companions are eating the things I no longer eat and no desire at all to return to my previous way of life.
     At every restaurant,  including our local Coney Island Diner, Lulu's, I'm finding meatless offerings on the menu that are delicious!  Last weekend for the first time, I even got a salad with farro, butternut squash and kale right off the main menu at Diamond Jim Brady's in Novi!  All I did was ask to hold the Parmesan cheese and I was good to go.
     Now that the weather is getting better its time to start the next phase and actually log some time getting exercise.  There are isometrics that I can do safely while driving and good old push ups that can be done anywhere EXCEPT while driving.  My bicycle named Fuji will get a new wheel soon and my golf clubs that have been patiently waiting for me in their little corner of the garage may soon find themselves outside bringing a non pill based form of Vitamin D back into play.  I'm hoping to be swimming when the pool opens Memorial Day weekend.
     The changes that I've made have been rewarding.  The feedback from family, friends and coworkers has been remarkable.  This is not a fad diet.  The weight loss is definitely a motivating factor, but the benefits reflected in my lab work and blood pressure are stunning!  Thanks to all of you for your stimulating questions, your encouragement and your kind words.  Special thanks to Dr. Joel Kahn for being such an inspiration and allowing me to pick his brain over the oddest details any hour of the day or night.  You DA Veggie Man!
   Everyone needs to buy a copy of his book:  "The THE WHOLE HEART SOLUTION" or follow the articles he writes in Readers Digest.  Even better, attend one of his talks and learn about the simple things you can do to make your life as healthy as possible. 

    

Why Vegan?

     O.K. I admit it.  I'm a Vegan. I don't eat anything that ever had a face. No animal products like milk or cheese either.  I'm one of the people at whom I used to snicker.  
      I've also lost 25 pounds in 2 months without exercise and I'm never hungry. I've also never blogged before, but I've decided to document this new version of me.  So far, my back and shoulder have stopped hurting, all my clothes are too big on me and a few dark hairs have started mixing in with my otherwise white ones.  
     I started on this new path January 1, 2014.  I didn't have any sudden onset of a new medical problem.  There was no warning from my Doctor about my "Omnivore" life style.  I am not a Diabetic and I don't have any heart disease that I'm aware of.  I was just too darn fat and this was my New Year's Resolution.  I made an agreement with myself to eat no animal products for one year and see what happens.  So far, so good.
      Rather than thinking of it as giving up meat products, I prefer to think of it as starting out in a new direction. A direction that has dropped my blood pressure from 148/90 to 112/80 in two months with no medication.   I've discovered that I like things like Quinoa, Farro and Kale; foods I didn't know existed last year.  
     My beautiful wife, who started out skeptical has seen the results and is now supportive.  Her biggest complaint is that I've taken over her fridge.  Veggies take up a lot of room.  But, she's stopped calling it:  "That shit you eat" and has started to keep an eye open at the supermarket for things that I would enjoy.  Since college, I have loved to cook.  Now I find myself making up new recipes and adapting old ones to meet my needs.  Its been pretty easy so far.  Even the restaurants that I love turn out to have vegetarian options or are willing to make substitutions to accommodate me.
     
Let's share some stories and recipes and see where we are a year from now.

Vegan Matzo Lasagna

VEGAN GARLIC MATZO LASAGNA

(not Kosher for Passover)

This has to be the about the most overwhelming garlic lovers dream I ever had.  My daughter wanted to make her own garlic sauce like you find at every Middle Eastern restaurant.  It didn't come out as planned, so I "re-purposed" it.  The tomato sauce is the basic Marinara Sauce that I published previously.  You may need a mint after you try this.  Just don't breathe on anyone for an hour or two after.

Ingredients:

4 Garlic Bulbs (not cloves)

1/2 cup of Oregano

1/2 cup of Parsley flakes

1/2 cup of Nutritional Yeast

1/2 cup of unsweetened Almond Milk

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp of Black Pepper

3 handfuls of Spinach

2 handful of chopped Kale

2 cups (approximately) cheezy sauce

1 box of Plain Matzo

2 cups Marinara Sauce

Boil the spinach and kale in 2 cups of salt water until wilted then drain.  Cut the garlic bulbs in half and roast in the oven until brown.  Peal the garlic and put in a blender with Oregano, Parsley, salt, pepper, Nutritional Yeast, Almond Milk.  Blend it until its creamy.  Mix in the Kale and Spinach then set aside.  Break the Matzo into lasagna noodle size pieces.  Put them in a colander and pour boiling water over it to soften the Matzo.

 Prep a large lasagna pan (I have a 14 x 11) with whatever you use to keep things from sticking.  I use PAM or parchment paper.  Put down a double layer of Matzo on the bottom.  Cover this with Marinara sauce followed by a layer of the Garlic-Kale-Spinach mixture and a thin layer of the cheezy sauce. 

Repeat the layers and this time add a thicker layer of the cheezy sauce over all until its covered.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for an hour or until brown.

Let it cool, preferably over night in the fridge, before cutting.  

Hope you like garlic!

Feedback please.

Before and After

90 days a Vegan.

Pizza! NOT Kosher for Passover.

Matzopizzah!

     With Passover just a week away, I thought it would be fun to come up with a Vegan dish the whole family could enjoy.  Not Jewish?  So what!  Put what ever you want on as a topping, its still going to be delicious and fun!

     I just happened to be wandering through the isles of Costco when I happened across these big boxes of Kosher for Passover matzo and they are round instead of square.  They already look like a pizza to me!  The ingredients are simple enough:  Wheat Flour and Water.  

     So here we go!  Kids, join in!  We're making Pizza!  YAY!

Here's what you'll need:

Matzo

Olive Oil

daiya Shredded Mozzarella 

Marinara Sauce

Nutritional Yeast

Oregano

And your choice of toppings:

Dried Chopped Onion, Mushrooms, Pineapple, Tomato, Chopped Spinach, Chopped Kale, Broccoli, Dried Chopped Garlic, etc.

I like Daiya vegan cheese because it melts and stretches and Debbie P. told me to.  Rub the Matzo with a little olive oil.  Spread your favorite pizza sauce over the Matzo.  I use the same Marinara sauce recipe that I gave you before and I have included it here as well.  Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the sauce.  Add your toppings.  I had some fresh sweet yellow and orange peppers and a portobella mushroom in the fridge so I chopped them up.  Feel free to use what ever topping you like; sliced onions, tomato, pineapple, olives, etc.  Last time I used chopped Kale and broccoli and was pretty happy with it!  Sprinkle on the Nutritional Yeast like you would Parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle on a little Oregano and Chopped Onion or Chopped Garlic for a little added flavor. Bake it in a 400 degree oven for 12 minutes.  You can also put it under the broiler for an additional minute to brown the top.

Spaghetti Sauce Marinara

1 large sweet onion chopped                          4 TBS Italian Seasoning

4 cloves of garlic chopped                             2 TBS Oregano

3 15 oz cans of tomato sauce                        2 TBS Sweet Basil         

3  6 oz cans of tomato paste                         3 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes                      1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt                                      1 cup of water

2 TBS Nutritional Yeast                                2 TBS Brown Sugar

     In a large sauce pan heat the Olive Oil and salt.  Its ready when a small piece of the chopped onion sizzles in the oil.  Add the chopped onion and allow to clarify.  Add the chopped garlic, Italian Seasoning, Oregano, Sweet Basil and black pepper and stir it so it doesn't burn.  Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes and water.  Stir it until it begins to bubble then cover and reduce heat to a low simmering boil for at least 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from burning.  When its about done, stir in the Brown Sugar, cover and remove from the heat.

Add Some Color

    I listened to my Vegan mentor, the brilliant Cardiologist and author, Dr. Joel Kahn (The Holistic Heart Book), and added color to my salad along with some antioxidants that were in the house the whole time anyway.  Easy and tasty!  This is my lunch for tomorrow.  Prep time was all of 8 minutes!
I just cut 6 spears of asparagus in half, placed them in a microwaveable glass bowl with a teaspoon of water, sprinkled it with Mrs. Dash Italian Herb Seasoning and ground ginger and microwaved it for 3 minutes covered.  Let it sit for 5 minutes still covered.   While that was cooking, I made a salad with the usual veggies and added a little spinach with an orange sweet pepper.  Over this I drizzled same Tahini, red wine vinegar and dried onion flakes followed by a handful of blueberries.  Done!  No oil, no fat, just flavors and goodness.
Stent?  No thank you!

Portabella with Marinara and Wilted Spinach with Kale

Lunch time!  In case you actually made my Marinara sauce recipe and have left overs, like me, this was lunch today:

I know, right?

You don't really need to do anything special, since, last time we spoke,  you already made such a HUGE pot of Marinara sauce.  Wilting the spinach and kale are easy enough and that's discribed in my previous blog.  All I did different was wash a Portabella mushroom, sprinkle it with Nutritional yeast, slice it and microwave it on high for 2 to 3 minutes.  I AM SO STUFFED!  Wish I could take a nap.
Enjoy!