The Thrill of the Grill

Due to the incredibly hot weather recently, the grill has become the preferred venue for cooking. Tonight for example, I grilled a salad (though not what you are probably visualizing right now) and it was delicious, fit the ol' diet as well as the tastebuds of everyone in the family.

Grilled Corn Salad
4 ears of corn prepped for grilling
1 large red bell pepper
1 zucchini sliced in half long-ways
1 Anaheim green chile
1/4 c. chopped red onion
1 tomato, chopped
2 T. olive oil
2 T. fresh lime juice
Salt & pepper

To prep the corn you can either strip the husks & silk off and wrap each piece in foil or you can use the method which results in very tasty corn but more work (I learned this from yet another in-law, my brother-in-law Robin). Robin's method involves pulling the husks down but not off the ear of corn and removing all the silk, then putting husks back up around corn. Soak in water for at least 30 minutes before putting on the grill.

So get the grill going and grill corn, red pepper, zucchini, and green chile. Cook red pepper and green chile until they are charred and blistered, then peel and remove seeds before chopping. While still warm, remove kernels from corn, chop peppers and zucchini. Combine in bowl with red onion and tomato. Add olive oil, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temp.

This salad was so good--there was not a bite left in the bowl after dinner. In fact, I'm going to make it for the Fourth of July when the masses of Will & Ross's friends descend on the house here in Dripping Springs. Though I'm going to add more zucchini. The above recipe would have been a bit better with 1 ear less corn and maybe another zucchini.

Who (Re)Moved My Cheese?

The title of this should be Who Replaced My Cheese? And the answer would be "I did." I've mentioned before that Rip Esselstyn, whose book moved me to start a vegan diet, is not a fan of cheese replacements. They are still high in fat and some have caseins. However I found one that is pretty durn good melted--in fact I could not really tell the difference when it was melted on my chalupa (or tostada for those of you with New Mexico/California roots).  Here is how it stacks up with regular cheese. The vegan one I chose was Vegan Gourmet's "Monterrey Jack." It is made from soybeans and has no casein. I didn't have any regular Monterrey Jack so I'll compare to the cheddar I had around in the fridge. Here are the stats:

Vegan Gourmet (1 oz) Regular Cheddar (1 oz).

70 calories 110 calories

7 gr. fat 9 gr. fat

0.5 gr. saturated fat 6 gr. saturated fat

0 trans fat 0 trans

0 cholesterol 30 mg. cholesterol

150 mg. sodium 180 mg. sodium

2 gr. carbohydrate >1 gr. carbohydrate

2 gr. fiber 0 fiber

0 gr. sugars 0 gr. sugars

1 gr. protein 7 gr. protein

So it is lower in calories but only a little lower in fat--however no saturated fats, no cholesterol, and it has a smidge of fiber. The chalupas were divine (corn tortillas, vegetarian refried beans, cheese, avocado, tomato, onion, and chopped romaine). Though technically vegan, probably not a Rip Esselstyn approved item because I did fry the tortillas in canola oil. He suggests brushing with oil and baking--which I will try soon. Some things are just hard to give up--like crispy golden tortillas and a Saturday evening vodka and tonic on the back porch. 

Deception never tasted so good

Last night I made a vegan spaghetti sauce by sauteing finely chopped onion, carrot, & garlic, adding Morning Star meal starter (which is crumbled textured vegetable protein) and then a jar of Seeds of Change marinara. Served it the breadwinner and didn't tell him it was vegetarian until halfway through the meal when he mentioned how good it was. Served with romaine and tomato salad with lovely divine tomatoes from Gretchen (my nextdoor neighbor and a really really good and generous gardener). Topped the salad with balsamic dressing made just how my sister-in-law Elizabeth taught me. It is a very good, forgiving, salad dressing and every batch comes out slightly different.

E's Dressing
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 T. brown sugar
juice of one half of a lemon
3 T. olive oil
3-4 T. balsamic vinegar
pinch of kosher salt and a couple grinds of pepper

Whisk together dijoin and sugar, then add everything else, whisking well. You can adjust ingredients to taste. Some days we feel like a sweeter dressing add more sugar; other days we feel like going heavy on the balsamic with almost no oil. You also can substitute the juice of half an orange for the lemon for a little bit different flavor.

Be Prepared!

This morning was a good lesson for me. Like the proverbial scout--I should be prepared! I left for work, forgetting my cereal, but figured it was okay because I was going to stop at Fresh Plus and get an Amy's frozen dinner for lunch. But Fresh Plus wasn't open yet. I am starving...where to go that has vegan offerings? That's right someone told me about a vegan bakery, supposedly wonderful, just off Guadalupe on 29th St. So I head that way. In the maze of the little businesses jumbled together on 29th St., I finally spy it (after turning around once) but it is closed and from the looks of things maybe for good. That leaves my breakfast option oatmeal at Starbucks, which I'm sort of tired of. It has been a standby breakfast for a couple of years now, even before I started this diet. When I get to desk after checking email and voicemail, I google Starbucks trying to find other vegan offerings. The Vivanno can be made with soymilk so it could be vegan only the Starbucks on campus doesn't offer it. By now it is nearly 9 a.m. and I'm really really hungry. And not even lunch in sight because I've got a meeting from 10-noon and another from noon-1:30. Despair. I should keep nuts at my desk, a Lara bar, ANYTHING. Coworker Erica suggests Jamba Juice--yeah Erica. Berry workout boost made with soy milk--yes! It is perfect and wonderful and maybe I'll survive 85 degrees at 9:30 a.m. after all.

Mindfulness or lack thereof

Sunday I cooked a big father's day dinner. My parents came, and there were the four of us and Ross's friend from Tacoma. For the meat eaters I cooked 2 pork tenderloins and made lots of vegetable side dishes for Will & I. While cleaning up, not paying any attention, not thinking at all, I took a little bite of the tenderloin. Oops. But it made me think about how mindless I really am--I just don't pay attention to a lot of things. Not being mindful is how I got to be 30 pounds overweight. Not being mindful is how I spilled a cup of coffee on myself as I walked out the door to go to work (Joyce, you'll be happy to know I still keep stacks of little shout or oxi-clean packets spread around home & office for just such emergencies).

So that tiny bite of pork was an aha moment for me. I will try to be mindful today (that should become my mantra everday)--to think and pay attention before I eat, speak, load up to walk out the door to go to work.

At least the tiny bite did not taste heavenly.

Bread & Pudding

My youngest came home from college this week--the day I had brought home a loaf of vegan friendly multigrain bread. It was 2 a.m. and he was starving after a day on the plane and in 3 different airports. He wanders into kitchen and spied the bread.

Ross: You know you can buy four or five loaves of white bread at the grocery store for the price of this.

Mom: Yes, but this is so much better for you, it tastes better, and besides I haven't been working for nearly 40 years to eat 79 cent a loaf white bread.

Ross: Yuppiedom has come full circle. (this from a kid who went to private school and is attending college on my nickel). He says this while slathering with my hummus.

Next day: I come home from work. There is one--count them--one slice of multigrain bread left.
After accusing dog of getting loaf, I learn that yuppiedom or not, son does not go buy 79 cent white bread but eats all of mine--in one day (with a little help from older brother). Proof is in the pudding, as they say--multigrain vegan beats the other stuff any day.

Speaking of pudding, about a month ago Mark Bittman published a chocolate vegan pudding recipe in NY Times. I made it then and thought it was way too sweet but definitely good. I made it again today for father's day dinner tomorrow but have tweaked it a bit so it isn't so overpoweringly sweet. Next time, I'm going to cut back on the chocolate as it is pretty decadent as is. I'm not sure this recipe would be E2 diet approved because of the sugar. Esselstyn includes a similar recipe in his book with 3T. cocoa and agave sweetner. On his Web site, reviewers gave his version a thumbs down for being too grainy. The tweaked Bittman version is as follows:

Mexican Chocolate Pudding (Really more like mousse)
12 oz. silken tofu (I used Lite)
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. water
4 oz. semi sweet chocolate
4 oz. 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Make a simple syrup by combining sugar and water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool. Melt chocolate in microwave and cool. Put tofu in blender; add simple syrup, chocolate vanilla and cinnamon. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape sides as needed. Pour into 8 small ramekins and chill for at least a couple of hours (overnight better).

First Few Days

After finishing The Fire Engine 2 Diet on Sunday, I was ready to start the E2 plan immediately. One problem--hadn't been to grocery store and it is obvious that planning ahead is required for following a new eating plan. Second problem--I have issues. Issues with dairy for one. Love butter and cheese, both of course not vegan except for soy cheese which Esselstyn advises to use in moderation because of casein in it and the fat. And butter is the double bad--fat and dairy. As for milk, I have been a fan of soymilk for a couple of years so no problem switching strictly to soy option. Other issues: caffeine. E2 advice--lose the caffeine. Alcohol: ditto.

For this first week I had already previously scheduled several lunches and one drinks/dinner with friends. So I decided my first week would be easing into the E2 way of life (which Esselstyn offers as an option though his cuts out dairy and includes fish). So butter and all dairy out except for fresh mozarella (which I have a minor addiction to thanks to the salad at Wheatsville Co-op which has little chunks mixed in with the greens); alcohol either wine or vodka, limit to 2 servings per week, and caffeine--we will deal with that next week. I began to feel like Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones (1 vodka, v.g.)

But you know what by Day 3 I felt lighter. Day 4 I hopped on the scale and had lost two pounds. I haven't missed not having meat, cheese or butter. I did have mozarella on a squash/mozarella sandwich at Foodhead on Tuesday but the rest of the week I have been vegan baby.

This blog is a first for me. I've always thought blogs are a tiny bit self-centered and narcisstic but there are a number that I really enjoy reading (Yo's Kitchen Counter, Orangette, Zen Habits) that convinced me to try it myself.

I decided to start a blog to chronicle my effort to become vegan, based on Rip Esselstyn's book The Engine 2 Diet. Esselstyn is a firefighter, a triathlete, an FOL (friend of Lance) and most of all, a convincing motivator. He is also the son and grandson of doctors. He lays out the case for eating a plant-based diet in understandable terms. His book has an easy-going tone--it makes it sound like the simplest thing in the world. He has turned an entire Austin fire station vegan and run his own trial study of the diet.

In truth, I had begun moving toward being a vegetarian lately, just sort of naturally. As this humid, hot spring has progressed I've eaten less and less meat. It just seemed too heavy. Then my good friend Carolyn and I headed to Port Aransas to relax on the beach for a couple of days and she had a copy of The Engine 2 Diet. I picked it up and started reading it and didn't want to put it down. The day we got back from our trip, I ordered my own copy. After reading it all the way through, I was convinced it was right for me to follow Esselstyn's four-week plan. He has such an easy-going approach, it seems doable. And he gives meat eaters a couple of weeks to ease into it if they desire by first cutting out all fats and dairy but allowing some fish and chicken.

So armed with Esselstyn's advice, I'm on my way.