Guacamole Salad

Recipe below

Sometimes I'm nervous to call myself a vegan. In fact, I have a big confession to make: in the past year I have eaten four glazed donuts, two butter-laced pancakes, and a bite of cow's milk ice cream. But I'm grasping my vegan card with an iron fist because I eschew animal products 99% of the time. As Colleen Patrick-Goudreau once said, "Veganism is not about perfection; it's about intention." In other words, gimme a break.

But my epicurean sins are not the reason I bite my tongue in front of waiters. I hesitate to identify as a vegan because, frankly, I'm afraid they won't believe me. You see, according books like Skinny Bitch, vegans are supposed to be runway-model thin. The big names in veganism - Patrick-Goudreau, Kathy Freston, Ellen and Portia DeGeneres - are all quite slim. I've definitely lost a bit of weight since converting, but I am neither skinny, nor a bitch, a fact a playfully pointed out to my mom when when we were back in Indiana visiting my parents two weeks ago. Ever the concerned mother, she was worried that she didn't have anything vegan for me in the kitchen (she did):

"Sweetie, I just want to make sure you're getting enough to eat."

I grabbed my belly and laughed, "Does it look like I'm not getting enough to eat?"

I eat 2000 calories a day of tasty food and am proud to be an immutable example that it is possible to indulge on a vegan diet.

I'm pretty sure all that cute belly pudge I shook at my mom comes from one dietary source: avocados (...and peanut butter...and chocolate). I love that mushy fruit so much that I put on my pasta, on my potatoes, and I'd spread guacamole on my breakfast toast if that wasn't weird.

I've even discovered a way to make a delicious guacamole-like salad. With no added oils and only 4 primary ingredients, this salad is so easy, so quick to prepare, and so tasty. Suffice it to say that if the Muppet's Christmas Carol fruits were talking about me, they'd sing: "If she became a flavor you can bet she would be guacamole."

Guacamole Salad
A big bowl of salad greens (1 serving)
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 tomato, diced
2-3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Add ingredients to large bowl. Mash avocado with spoon or hands until salad leaves are coated.

Teddy Treats

Teddy and I gave these treats away as Christmas presents to our four-legged friends

Teddy loves everyone he meets.  Almost.  Mysteriously, whenever he is spooked by someone, it is almost always a man wearing a hat.  For example, as I sit down to write this post, he is barking quietly at at the TV because Leonardo DiCaprio is wearing a pilot's hat in Catch Me If You Can.  That, or he's upset that Leo didn't get an Oscar nomination for J. Edgar.  Me too, Ted.  Me, too.


Just as confusing for us as Teddy's fear of hatted men, some people are downright terrified of Teddy.  I know, he looks kind of like a black bear, which can be scary.  But, true to his breed, he has an incredibly sweet disposition and never meets a stranger (unless he's wearing a hat).  Admittedly, I take advantage of his intimidating appearance.  I feel comfortable walking in dark alleys in Chicago late at night with him by my side, and I'm happy that he acts - in appearance alone - like a built-in security system for our car and home.

What would-be burglars don't realize is that, if they just gave Teddy the most modest of dog biscuits, he'd probably unlock the door for them.  And if they gave him these homemade treats, well, Teddy would help them hot-wire our car or carry our television out the front door.


I love these treats, too, because the main ingredients are extra nutritious for dogs according to this article.  Plus, they're so easy to make and cheaper than store-bought alternatives.  


Teddy Treats
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix ingredients together.  Scoop in 1/4 teaspoons onto cookie sheet.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden around the edges.
Let cool and serve to your pup!

Chocolate-Dipped Flourless Vegan Cookie Dough

In the enduring battle between chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chip cookie dough, I’m on Team Dough all the way.  Brown sugar is, hands down, my favorite baking ingredient, and no baked good truly expresses the rich sweetness of brown sugar as well as the chocolate chip cookie - especially the dough.  

Last night Ian looked incredulously at me when I declared my intention to make a healthy, salmonella-risk-free version of one of my favorite treats:  “Prepare to have your mind blown by what I’m about to make: cookie dough WITHOUT eggs, butter, or even flour.”

An hour later, I was hanging my head in defeat, convinced my over-enthusiasm had jinxed the entire project.  The cookie dough tasted like garbanzo beans and was much too thin.  Slumping my shoulders, I glopped my too-runny dough onto wax paper and let it sit in the fridge over night, hoping it would be better by morning.

Oh sweet, sweet morning. Ten hours after my self-imposed defeat, my cookie dough globs had hardened up and the bean flavor had evaporated.  Now I’m about to evaporate them.


So, prepare to have your mind blown ten hours after when you make these.  The original recipe is from Chocolate Covered Katie, but this is my adaptation:

Chocolate-Dipped Cookie Dough:

1 can of garbanzo beans/chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried with a paper towel
1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1/4 - 1 cup rolled oats (or more to thicken)
1/2 cup of chocolate chips (or more if you want!)

In a food processor, combine beans, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, vanilla extract, oil, and oats.  Add more oats if the texture is too runny; add a bit of non-dairy milk if the texture is too thick.  Unplug food processor and mix in the chocolate chips manually.

Roll dough into balls and place on wax paper (or just scoop spoonfuls onto wax paper).  Refrigerate for one hour until hardened.

Now you can either enjoy the cookie dough by itself OR you can dip the cookie dough into melted chocolate like I did and re-refrigerate.

Oodles of 'Doodles: Molasses Vanilla

When I made my first batch of snickerdoodles a few days ago, I had a bunch of the tasty cinnamon-sugar topping leftover.  In the spirit of holiday indulgence, instead of throwing the topping away I made an entirely new batch of cookies.  


A day later, I found myself rumaging through the pantry pulling out the panoply of ingredients needed for these snickerdoodles.  I looked at one particularly dark bottle, turned to Ian and said, "I'm a little concerned you won't like these cookies because they have blackstrap molasses in them."  Ian responded astutely: "Um, molasses is in barbecue sauce, so of course I'll like them!"


He did.


These cookies taste like the love child of a traditional snickerdoodle and a ginger snap.   I might even try a 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger next time I make these.  Which will probably be tomorrow.

Molasses Vanilla Snickerdoodles

  Topping:
    1/3 cup sugar
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  Cookies:
    2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1 cup sugar or vanilla sugar
    1/2 cup canola oil
    1/4 cup molasses
    3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon nondairy milk 
    1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a large plate, preferably with high sides or a rim around the edges, mix the topping together (sugar and cinnamon) and set aside.

In a medium to large bowl, combine all the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to get everything incorporated nicely. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil until thoroughly mixed. 

Stir in molasses, vanilla extract and nondairy milk. Mix these ingredients together, then slowly sift in the dry ingredients. Use your hands to get a dough to form. Avoid overworking the dough.

Take small portions of the dough and roll into walnut sized balls. You can make them bigger, if you so choose, but this size usually yields about 20 cookies. Gently press cookie between your palms and fingers to form little disks/patties.  Carefully pat cookie disks into cinnamon sugar topping mix. 

Place on prepared cookie sheets, sugar side up and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges turn a faint golden brown. For a softer cookie with a chewy edge, bake for about 10 minutes. Allow a few minutes for cookies to cool before removing from sheet pan, then transfer to wire cooling rack and allow to completely cool.

Oodles of 'Doodles: Mexican Hot Chocolate

'Tis the season for Christmas cookies, and I've been on a serious (vegan) snickerdoodle kick.  I've made two types of 'doodles in the past 48 hours (stay tuned for recipe #2 tomorrow).  I know it's the season of Giving, but I'm having trouble parting with these cookies because they're too tasty to share.


You know how you sometimes order the caesar salad at the restaurant because, even though you know it's not healthy, hey, it's a salad, so it can't be that bad.  Well, I've been telling myself that it's okay to have four of these cookies in a row because hey, there's cayenne pepper in them:

In addition to their high capsaicin content, cayenne peppers are also an excellent source of vitamin A, through its concentration of pro-vitamin A carotenoids including beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is not only a potent antioxidant in its own right, but can be converted in the body to vitamin A, a nutrient essential for the health of all epithelial tissues (the tissues that line all body cavities including the respiratory, gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts). Beta-carotene may therefore be helpful in reducing the symptoms of asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, its antioxidant activity make it useful in preventing the free radical damage that can lead to atherosclerosis, colon cancer, and diabetic complications, like nerve damage and heart disease.

 So enjoy the sweet and spicy taste of these "healthy" cookies.  (Wink, wink.)  


Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles


For the topping:

1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cookies:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons almond milk (Or your preferred non-dairy milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chocolate extract (or more vanilla extract if you have no chocolate)
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne (depending on your desired level of piquance)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the topping ingredients together on a flat plate. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together oil,  sugar, syrup, and milk. Mix in extracts.

Sift in remaining ingredients, stirring as you add them. Once all ingredients are added mix until you’ve got a pliable dough.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Pat into the sugar topping to flatten into roughly 2 inch discs. Transfer to baking sheet, sugar side up, at least 2 inches apart (they do spread). This should be easy as the the bottom of the cookies should just stick to your fingers so you can just flip them over onto the baking sheet.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, they should be a bit spread and crackly on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Thai Chili Pizza (aka the Cilantro Problem)

Some people think cilantro tastes like soap, but that is not that problem to which the above title is referring.  Nope, this is the Cilantro Problem:

On the upper right is the two teaspoons I needed for my cilantro-lime rice; on the left are the leafy leftovers.  I have no plans to open up a Mexican cantina in my future, so why would I ever need that much cilantro, Whole Foods?  I might as well wrap a ribbon around the stems and walk down the aisle again with an herb bouquet.

This Problema del Cilantro extends to all fresh herbs (bay leaves, anyone?) and menaces all my herb-garden-handicapped brethren.  But I charged forward against this recent cilantro invasion with an army of online recipe resources behind me.  My four star general turned out to be this recipe for Thai Chicken Pizza at TastyKitchen.com, which I adapted it to make it veg-friendly.

Thai Chili Pizza

1 whole Batch Of Your Favorite Pizza Dough

1/2 cups Sweet Asian Chili Sauce

1 whole Onion, Thinly Sliced

1/2 whole Zucchini, Thinly Sliced

1 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes

1/4 cups Chopped Peanuts

2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F with a pizza stone in the oven. If you do not have a pizza stone, put a large baking sheet in the oven (make sure to use one that is large enough to house your dough).

Begin by adding some flour to your rolling surface. Take your dough that has already risen, and lightly knead it. Roll out the dough to about a 1/4 inch thick, or however your like the thickness of your crust.

Spread the Asian chili sauce on the surface of the dough. Not too thick, not too thin. Add the sliced onions and zucchini. Top with the red chili flakes.

Place the pizza into the oven on your cooking surface (stone or pan) and cook for about 15 minutes, keeping an eye on your crust and toppings so they do not burn. Every oven is different.

Once the pizza dough is golden around the edges, remove pizza from the oven.

Drizzle more of the Asian chili sauce over the top, top with the crushed peanuts and fresh cilantro.

Nighttime Granola

Two packages of shredded coconut have been sitting by their lonesome on my gray kitchen counter since Sunday, looking sad next to the cheerful bananas. They've been staring me down every time I go to the sink to grab a glass of water, "Won't you please open us up and make the granola like you promised?"  I'm no promise-breaker, so I gave in to their tropical demands and made my first batch of homemade granola tonight.


Chalk up one more victory for homemade over store-bought.  My granola is so crisp and sweet that even the bulk bins at Whole Foods are waving their white flags of surrender.  Plus, it smells divine.  I just pulled it out of the oven an hour ago, and the warm scent of coconut and brown sugar is still hanging in the air, battling with the apple-cinnamon Glade candle for scent dominance of our apartment.  Granola wins.


Now if only I could transfer smell through the internet.  Work on it, Google. 


Almond Maple Granola

3 cups rolled oats

• 1 cup blanched slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 (14 oz) package coconut - shredded or flaked
• 1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds (optional)
• 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 6 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dried cranberries or raisins
• 
  
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet with sides or a cake pan.
• 
  
• In a large bowl, toss together the oats, almonds, wheat germ, coconut, and sunflower seeds. In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, water and salt. Pour the liquid over the oat and nut mixture, and stir until evenly coated. Spread out on the prepared cookie sheet.
• 
  
• Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until evenly toasted. Mix in raisins. Cool, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Thai Noodles with Kale & Tofu

Do you know what makes cream of mushroom soup taste like cream of mushroom soup?  I do.  It's thyme.  Stuffing and gravy?  Usually sage.  Thai food?  Peanut and lime.

  

Before I started cooking all those dishes myself I would have answered: Campbell's, Grandpa, and the delightful short-order cooks at Star of Siam.  But cooking from scratch has unlocked the gate to the secret garden of spices and seasonings.  So as I've been wearing out my kitchen aprons and scratching up my cutting boards since converting to Veganism, I feel a bit like Willy Wonka in Loompaland, discovering the ingredients that make certain foods taste like themselves.  

And let's all be honest here:  kale tastes gross.  Its taste is as pungent as its curly leaves are dark.  So as far as I'm concerned, the fastest way to label yourself a health nut is to utter the following three words, "I like kale."  Well, get out your multivitamins and safflower oil and prepare to get your health-nut on because this dish might convert you like it did me.  

Honestly, though, peanut butter + anything = tasty.

Quick Noodles with Kale & Tofu

1 bunch kale
1 package rice noodles
about 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 package pre-baked seasoned tofu
1/4 cup creamy all-natural peanut butter
2 – 4 tablespoons organic sugar
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 soy sauce
pinch red pepper flakes

Fill a large pot with water, and place it over high heat to boil.

While the water is boiling, trim the kale, cut or tear it into bite-sized pieces, and give it a good wash.  Set aside.

Prepare the sauce by combining the peanut butter, sugar, lime juice, soy sauce and red pepper flakes in a medium-sized bowl.  Adjust seasonings to taste, and set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat.  Dice up the tofu, and toss it into the pan.  Saute it until the pieces are golden and crispy.  Set aside.

By now your water should be boiling.  Add the kale and boil it for about 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the somen noodles and boil for 2 minutes more, or until they’re cooked through.  Drain the kale and noodles in a strainer, and return them to the pot.  Add your sauce, and toss to coat the kale and noodles.  Add the tofu, and gently toss to distribute it.  Serve immediately, and refrigerate any left-overs.

Cilantro-Lime Rice and Black Beans

You know the big questions in life:  How and why did the universe begin?  Is there life after death?  Do we have free will?  Well, folks, put my face next to Socrates’ and print my name in high school history books because I’ve figured out the answer to one of humanity’s great questions.  No, I don’t know the meaning of life.  Better:  I know how Chipotle makes their rice and beans taste so darn good.

I found a copycat recipe for Chipotle’s rice online, and I improvised the bean recipe after finding out that the secret ingredient in their black beans is (drum roll please)... cumin!

So as we continue to ponder humanity’s existence in the universe, at least we can indulge in a warm bowl of basmati rice and cumin-simmered black beans.  And maybe taking the time to celebrate these little epicurean triumphs and enjoying life’s small pleasures - maybe that’s the meaning of life after all.  


Cilantro-Lime Rice 
1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter
2 teaspoons fresh cilantro
2/3 cup white or brown basmati rice
1-2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1-2 limes

1. In heavy saucepan heat the vegetable oil over low heat. Add the rice and lime juice and stir for one minute.
2.  Add water and salt and bring to a full boil.
3.  Turn heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes or until rice is tender
4.  Add cilantro and fluff with a fork.

Black Beans 
1/2 pound of dried black beans
4 cups of water
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

1.  Prepare dried beans by soaking them in water overnight.  Rinse beans after soaking.
2.  Add 4 cups of water to soaked beans and bring to a boil.
3.  Reduce heat to simmer for 1hr30min or until beans are tender.
4.  Add garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, and salt to beans and bring to a boil.
5.  Reduce heat to simmer for 2 hours until thick.  Adjust spices to taste.  

Maple Peanut Butter Crispy Treats

Ian would make a good hand model, wouldn't he?

Sweet treats + Super easy recipe = Danger ahead

Case in point: Paula Deen.  The recipe below may not be one of hers, but I love Miss Paula anyway.  I love her big white hair, I love her comical proclivity for butter, and I love the way her thick Savannah accent makes words like "oil" have one syllable and words like "pen" have two.  And she has a special talent for simplifying should-be-hard-to-make-food, like the time she showed me how to make donuts with three ingredients:  peanut oil, cinnamon sugar, and store-bought biscuit dough.  Tempted by sweet treats and fearing for my waistline, I watched that episode with the same astonishment as Dr. Frankenstein looking at his beautiful and horrific monster creation. 

Well go ahead and call me a culinary James Bond because I love these kind of dangerously easy recipes.  I obviously can't eat any of Paula's butter-rich recipes during our 30-Day Vegan Challenge, but I've found some great alternatives.  Here's a dangerously easy (and vegan!) treat adapted from Heidi Swanson's website 101 Cookbooks.  

Maple Peanut Butter Crispy Treats

3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegan (or regular) marshmallows
4 cups crisp brown rice cereal



1. Combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and marshmallows in large saucepan over low heat until fully melted, smooth, and bubbling a little bit.

2.  Mix in the rice cereal until well coated.

3.  Scoop 1-2 tablespoons onto wax paper.  Let cool and enjoy!

Roasted Apple, Butternut Squash, and Caramelized Onion Pizza

We're on day three of our month-long vegan challenge, and the plant-based foods we're eating are playing some interesting tricks on our bodies.  No dairy means no clogged sinuses, so my nose is breathing happy through my little bean-shaped nostrils.  And all that plant-based fiber is acting like Draino on my digestive pipes, so I'm starting to understand what my mom meant when she said "fiber will change your life."  My leafy friends are also quickly teaching me the difference between feeling full because I'm bloated and feeling full because I'm satiated. 

But the plants that we're eating played their most interesting trick on our minds.  No, we didn't eat bad mushrooms and go on a psychedelic adventure.  That's much too exciting.  Rather, we've both had dreams about meat and cheese.  Monday night I dreamed I about a piece of pepperoni on a slice of pizza, and last night Ian dreamed about a McDonald's sausage breakfast sandwich.  To our subconscious brains' credits, we were both picking off the meat and cheese from our dishes.  So in the fierce battle being waged in our minds between the Green Army of plants and the Red Army of meat, it looks like the plants are winning.  And with no stuffy noses and clear pipes below, they just might win the war.

The gods of Domino's and Papa John's must have divinely intervened in my dreams on Monday night to project an image of a cheesy pepperoni pizza.  I'm sure it was an act of desperation because the night before I had eaten a truly delicious, cheese-less pizza.  I found the recipe for Roasted Apple, Butternut Squash, and Caramelized Onion Pizza on vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli's website.  I first heard about her after she won Food Network's Cupcake Wars with vegan cupcakes - and she was competing against traditionally-made cupcakes!  Impressive, right?  Well, her other creations are equally praise-worthy.  I've adapted her recipe below.  Be careful - you might fall in love with her Garlic Bean Puree as much as I have.

Roasted Apple, Butternut Squash, and Caramelized Onion Pizza 

Buy or make pizza dough (I used Rustic Crust Tuscan Six Grain) 

Garlic White Bean Puree (can be prepared up to 2 days in advance)

• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pizza Topping

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups (½ -inch) cubes peeled butternut squash
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced (preferred: honeycrisp, gala, or fuji)

1. To make the Garlic White Bean Puree: Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions until soft and lightly caramelized, about 20 to 30 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. In the meantime, toss remaining 2 tablespoons oil with squash and season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 to 35 minutes until squash is fork tender, turning once or twice with a spatula. Remove from oven and set aside. Turn heat up to 450 degrees F.
4. Turn oven heat down to 375 degrees F or pizza dough package instructions.
5.  Spread a layer of the Garlic White Bean Puree evenly over the Pizza Dough. You may not want to use all of the puree, just enough to coat the dough. On top of the dough, arrange the spinach, caramelized onions, roasted butternut squash, and apple slices. Season with salt and pepper, and brush the edges of the crust with olive oil.
6. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes (or pizza dough package instructions), until the crust is slightly browned or golden. Let cool, slice, and devour!

Operation Go-Vegan Begins

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad - See Recipe Below

A few weeks ago when I was applying for a job that I wanted, I made a bet with my red-meat-loving, all-American dad:  I bet that if I didn’t get the job that we’d adopt a plant-based diet for a month.  No meat, no dairy, no eggs; just plants for 30 days.  Making the bet with my dad gave me a double boost:  it would be the silver lining to losing the job, and I’d have a built-in vegan buddy to try it out with me.  So the deal was set, and we sealed our wager with a firm handshake.  Then, perhaps because they felt excluded from our conversations about our vegan prospects, my mom and Ian joined in the wager as well.  Four players at the table, all in.  

My family accepted the bet at least in part because I had been annoying them with not-so-fun facts about animal agriculture. I was quickly turning into an animal rights version of Debbie Downer around my parents, saying things like "Oh you like that Vermont cheddar cheese? Well did you know that veal is a byproduct of the dairy industry?"

I accepted the bet because I harbored a secret desire to go vegan.  Riding the wave of my conversion to vegetarianism earlier this year, and given an extra boost by Ian’s conversion last month, I felt newly empowered to change my dietary habits and lifestyle.  So, faced with the prospect of a full month sans-cheese and butter, I did my research while I waited to hear the outcome of our bet. I practiced a few recipes, studied plant-based nutrient sources, bookmarked some vegan blogs, and learned more about the animal welfare issues in the dairy and egg industries.  Most importantly, I started reading The China Study.  The author, T. Colin Campbell, makes a strong scientific case linking illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and cancer to the consumption of animal protein, including casein in milk.  Increasingly attracted to the vegan diet because of its health, environmental, and ethical benefits, I found that the silver lining to the prospective job loss was quickly turning from silver into shiny sleek platinum.  

When I broke the news to my family last week that I did not get the job and Operation Go-Vegan would be starting soon, they reacted like the mature adults they are, with feigned confusion and desperation:  I can still have tuna, right?  Isn’t chocolate vegan?  Can we please do it in February because it's the shortest month?  Tuna is a fish; only if it’s dark chocolate; and we’re doing it in October because it’s harvest time: apples, butternut squash, and pumpkins.  February only has ice and snow and candy hearts.

Their desperation slowly gave way to acceptance, and my dad even seemed proud - dare I say enthusiastic - when he announced his pending diet shift to his classes:  “I lost a bet with my daughter and have to eat vegan for 30 days.”  The students responded incredulously, “Aw man, what are you gonna do?”  “I’m gonna eat a huge chunk of beef on Saturday night.”  Not quite the enthusiasm I was hoping for.

The family mustered up an easy enthusiasm for Ian’s birthday this weekend, where we dined like fat Australians at Outback Steakhouse.  Even Ian partook in the steak because it was his birthday and he has newly defined his eating habits as “Functo-vegetarian,” meaning that he only eats meat for important social functions like birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  Whatever.  Left to hoist the flag of Vegetarianism alone for the night - and fighting the urge to lean over to Ian and whisper Band of Brothers, you should watch is sometime - I enjoyed my potato soup and no-chicken / no-bacon bits salad.  

So we wished a happy birthday to Ian and bid a warm goodbye to our blood cholesterol because the next day Operation Vegan was set to begin, at the ever-important Sunday Dinner.

24-hours later the four of us had traded in our meat and cheese for legumes and leaves.  For our first vegan meal I prepared a sweet potato and quinoa salad garnished with chives, butternut squash and apple flatbread, and a spinach and cranberry salad.  We weighed ourselves, took our waist measurements, and my parents took their blood pressure - all to see how they compare in 30 days time.  

And so we’re off on our 30-day vegan challenge.  I’ll be posting more on our adventures in plant-based diet-ry over the next few weeks, including recipes of course! Below is the Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad recipe that I served last night, courtesy of food journalist Mark Bittman.  In the meantime, I have to run - I’m hungry!

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa or other small-kernel grain or 1 cup raw
1 large or 2 medium (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes
Salt
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup minced red onion or shallot
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic, sherry, or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced fresh chives or parsley leaves

1. If you haven’t already, cook the quinoa or other grain. Drain in a strainer and rinse. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potato and dice it into 1/2-inch or smaller pieces. Cook it in boiling salted water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes; drain well.
2. Toss together the potato, quinoa, bell pepper, and onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk the oil and vinegar together and toss the salad with about half of this mixture; add all or some of the rest to taste. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the chives and serve (I chilled it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before serving).