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| Diandra enjoying the meal we just made with Janet DeNeefe |
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| Janet's famous nasi campur at Casa Luna (My favorite Vegan |
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| Philly cooking vegan Balinese for dear Amy + Yvonne (a few years back) |
So many people ask me ,"why are you vegan?"..... or more pressingly, "what Do you Eat"?
The first answer is quite succinct, " I am a vegan to promote the best health possible" then, "I do not want to harm animals", then "To save the planet".
Our first medicine is the food we eat. When I was 12 years old and announced one day to may parents that I know longer wanted to eat ,"animal flesh" the pronouncement came from a credo of pure compassion for animals. I ate a lot of vegetables and big salads and the protein was CHEESE. It was predominately a low carbohydrate diet with High Fat due to the not just the Jarlsberg , goat +Gruyere cheeses but Brie, ......... And I did love ice cream and yogurt and cottage cheese. I did not eat "rice and beans",even though I knew basic nutrition for most of the world was a "legume+ grain" substitute instead of the first world animal protein. I was "afraid" of starches (as we called the carbs back then). I was always battling my weight.
All of that nutritional information regarding the need for complex carbohydrates lending itself to better brain function and sustained energy was buried under the American mythology of that "Food Pyramid" which was actually dominated (still is) by the "research" from the dairy and meat industries.
In the 80's I became an omnivore, still growing my organic vegetables but incorporating All there was to eat. A La Gourmand.
During cancer treatment in 2009 I immediately went vegan. My cancer was "estrogen" sensitive and that meant I needed to reclaim my health by losing weight and all the "estrogens" that are fed in our factory farming system. I also knew about the China Study which had years of research in China during its third world status (and homogeneous population) through its transformation into a developing nation as well as
surge of first world cities (and accompanying migration for jobs). China went from an agrarian society eating a plant based diet (with No accompanying cancer) to a nation mapped by migration into cities/ accompanying wealth and inclusion of animal products into their diet. The results were startling; the map revealed the cancer hubs where people had added animal products into their diet. This was the reason I went Vegan instead of just Vegetarian.
It Was the Easiest Transition of My Life. It remains so. And it's because of All the Yummy things I get to eat; I Never Feel Deprived. (okay, when the good cheeses are offered..... I gotta admit.... there's the urge...... and a couple of times a year I do splurge).
But basically I remain 95% vegan at all times.
Sometimes it's just Too inconsiderate to a host to not eat what they have lovingly prepared. Or sometimes it's just a time to eat yogurt in India or a small piece of local fresh fish, or the apple pie was made with a butter rich crust. (but no animal except fish has crossed my lips).
Do I feel Better?- Hell Yes. But I do refrain from sugar (95% of the time as well as "white products")
So the Irony is that All the Foods that I refrained from Most of my Life DUE to the swallowing (excuse the pun) of American Nutritional Information that our Government sanctioned I now eat.
Avocado(s)(o! too high in fat) Yes, but Good fat .I use this instead of butter or mayonnaise.
Nuts (again the FAT)- true.... but again it's Good Fat and I often substitute nuts for Protein (ie: instead of a piece of cheese/ chicken before I exercise I eat a HANDFUL of almonds. In the morning, I have a few walnuts in my steel-cut oatmeal along with some berries etc (Protein in the morning sustains).
We Never had peanut butter/almond butter growing up. (it was in my Dad's workroom to put in the "havaheart" traps set for the wretched squirrels who ate greedily from the bird feeders) Now I have it on a carrot,celery or a brown rice/seaweed cracker.
Coconut : Now you want to know the Biggest myth perpetuated on the American Public. Coconut and its oil. We were told it's not just FATTENING, but the Worst kind of Fat. (HYDROGENATED) I use coconut oil (it's solid until melted) for my asian cooking and for my baking and pancakes etc. Just as you buy
extra virgin olive oil, use the virgin coconut oil.
Protein: This is "holy grail" of questions! How do I obtain my protein? Well, first let's get one thing straight. In the west, We Eat Too Much Protein.
It's unnecessary. Second, all vegetables and fruits do contain protein. With the addition of nuts, seeds, legumes, Tofu +Tempeh I receive enough protein. (borne out from the 2-3x year I have my blood tested- CBC) By the way, just as I rarely ate any processed foods prior, I eschew the processed tofu
"food products" that try and mimic "chicken", "hamburger", "bacon" etc. If that's what I crave I make a fabulous veggie burger or eat our local Earth, Sky Time veggie burgers. I am not into chemical flavorings; ask my Dad as he used to tease me as an adolescent for rejecting any "chemicals" in my foods.
Substitutions I do make/use: The following are not my ideas. As I seriously began to investigate cooking differently and imaginatively the many vegan blogs suggested these things to me.
Egg substitute- for baking: Ground up flax seeds with water creates a very nutritional binder. I use flax seeds in many things (but you must ALWAYS grind or you do not get that Omega 3 benefit which is HUGE). I always add to a fruit /vegetable smoothie. Sprinkle on cereals,salads + even soup if I want it thicker. I add it to muffins/pancakes also. My dearest mother Zena was eating flax seeds at least 10 years prior to her passing (and blueberries too).
Cream substitute: yep, this past Thanksgiving I made vegan pumpkin pie and whipped cream; only the cream was chilled Coconut cream lifted from the top of the chilled milk. Whip as usual; so sweet, no Sugar necessary. Yummy taste. You can use soft tofu also for blending in soups or pies.
Okay- how is this to blow your mind? Avocado and
soaked, raw cashews that are pureed?
Yep, my daughter is a Chocoholic (Dee sorry to "Out" you on the Web). My greatest excuse to try these things are for her. (ok- full disclosure, I've been known to have a yen or full blown craving myself)
Ya want some chocolate mousse ? Put a couple of fully ripe avocados in the cuisinart, add raw cacao (in a pinch hershey's will suffice) and then add agave syrup for your sweetness. Not low calorie, but healthier. And the texture and taste....tell me this doesn't satisfy.....and it takes all of about 3 minutes (which can really be a downfall for those cravings!)
What about Chocolate Cheese Cake- Basically those cashews replace the "cream cheese". As for crust, a good all round sub for a thin crust is dates+ nuts, again put in the cuisinart (learned that one from Ozlem, from "organico" in Costa Rica).
here's the link:http://www.pure2raw.com/2012/02/raw-triple-chocolate-cheesecake-recipe/
WAY too intense for me..... but for those who love rich desserts.... it's rich without all the cholesterol and the saturated fat, but with all the anti-oxidants that the chocolate has.
I could go on and on...... there are a lot of really good vegan blogs, but most are just mediocre or poor.
I have yet to find the sine qua non of cookies. (although Dee and her friends love being the guinea pigs)
Butter substitute- Well here is where Vegan life gets a bit difficult. For me, no problem subbing olive oil in most things for savories, but for BAKING, especially pie crusts, I have yet to find the Perfect recipe using coconut oil. (i am not much of a fan of the butter substitutes which come in tubs) Sometimes I cave in..(and use butter)... as I am still improvising to create a really good crust/ not just serviceable. Part of my problem of course is that I use whole wheat flour and other flours that are not "white- all purpose", so I am still trying to find the best proportions that will yield a FLAKEY crust
(like me- Dee).
The other great substitution for Butter/Fat is banana and or apple sauce (homemade thank you very much; I am a Vermonter). Not just for health, not just for moistness but for Unbelievable Yumminess.
I am sure I am forgetting some good culinary tips, but start slowly. Add more Red Quinoa (the white i find insipid) another Very High Protein food, from the Andes which in the last few years has become a trend therefore the price has skyrocketed and have left the poor Peruvians/Bolivians with little for themselves) and skip the animal protein for a change. It's great for a "burger" but my most favorite is to mix it with charred vegetables with cumin,turmeric, paprika, parsley, garlic, lemon /oil dressing; eat warm. I also roast All my vegetables. My entire life I steamed vegetables and ate with lemon. Now that vegetables are my centerpiece, I do splurge (+ use olive oil, garlic + herbs) and the leftovers go in tomorrow's salad. And I eat sweet potatoes this way once a month. Use spaghetti squash and make a mushroom ragu; instead of cheese, use capers. Or use one of those "cheese" subs....or just say the I want my 2 teaspoons of Reggiano Parmesano . How about tempeh? Ever used it? The Balinese are MASTERS with tempeh...... but then you'd have to fly to Bali. (yes, this should be on your bucket list- skip the south and go directly to Ubud, actually get in touch me and I 'll direct you to all my Balinese friends).
So simple- the hardest thing about this recipe is getting the F*&^$#@<>$%^@ing tempeh out of the package (in Bali, no problem-Fresh). Tempeh is Fermented soy + brown rice. (and don't worry if it's discolored, looking moldy- it's fine/ check expiration date) A Vermont company makes a nice organic one. Inherently firm, you won't have those problems of falling apart as in tofu. And the flavor- wow!
Slice the tempeh in 1/2 " width slices (1-1 1/2" long).
then- let them marinate in some tamari sauce and sliced chilis (to your heat preference, or sriacha)
Cut up your desired stir fry veggies- broccoli, red peppers,spinach,bok choy,sugar snaps, carrots, chard, zucchini,eggplant..etc..whatever combination is colorful with contrasting textures.
Fry/saute tempeh in medium/high wok or pan with
either coconut oil or vegetable oil of your choice (not olive). Each side will turn a golden brown quickly as you rotate. I don't use a lot of oil, 1-2 tbsp. Place on towel to soak up extra.
Then use Copious Amounts of Fresh minced ginger + garlic (and more chilis if you so desire) and saute each vegetable separately for desired cooked/crunchiness ratio, adding a bit of tamari and/or japanese vinegar (yum on eggplant), and sesame oil. Add fresh cilantro and fresh toasted sesame seeds if you like. Serve on platter, with tempeh on top..... and if you want serve with brown rice or soba noodles.
Okay. I could wax infinitely on this subject.
And I know I've probably forgotten some nugget of important information.
Please share any good tips you've discovered for healthy vegan (ish) eating.
P.S. To further educate yourself get the book, "the china study" (available at whole food stores also) and watch the documentary, "forks over knives" available through netflix. There are so many documentaries on this subject, but i still found this one the best.
pps. anecdotal info, not to be found in the JAMA: but all my numbers in my blood work are better. No medications. No more diabetes, no more high cholesterol (I do ingest Red Yeast Rice as it is hereditary). High HDL's, very low LDL's and the ratio is extremely low as are tryglicerides (3.1-8 ratio; you should aim for below 5) Blood sugar stable.....of course exercise and yoga and meditation help this.
Stress is HUGE trigger for diabetes. I do take 2000 Vitamin D which I think everyone needs in the northern hemisphere ( + no milk with its Vit. D added)
Now, if my portion sizes could be smaller..........
Happy eating and happy health!
travelin' woman
