Monday Morning Ramblings

A gluten free vegan journey is a different trip. I’m not sure what to call this blog since I still occasionally eat seafood. It’s not vegan, although my intent is still to eat a vegan diet. So, I’m leaving the name and working through the confusion and difficulties that surround food choices. That’s the purpose of my blog; to work through the challenges publicly in support of anyone trying to improve their health, animals’ lives and the health of the planet.

The conversion to gluten free is one of those challenges. The reduction in allowable foods has left me with little variety although I recall feeling the same way when I quit eating meat, dairy and eggs. My goal is to follow through on making new recipes each week.

I rarely ate potatoes and now they are a staple making their appearance on my plate at least twice a day. Saturday I made a pot of blackeyed pea soup in my slow cooker and I decided to throw in a few whole russets to let them cook along with the soup. They were delicious! I’ve eaten all four (they were small) topped with a teaspoon of Earth Balance and coarse ground salt and pepper. Yum!

Another favorite that I can still enjoy is my morning smoothie. Combine a half to three-quarters of a cup of cranberry juice with one peeled and quartered orange, two frozen peach slices, three or four frozen strawberries, a couple of chunks of frozen bananas and a small handful of frozen blueberries. After you make it a couple of times you’ll know exactly what quantity works best for the thickness you desire and for the strength of your blender.

If you’re trying the new Weight Watchers Points program, the only thing you have to count is the juice. Use light cranberry juice for very low points!

The smoothie is easy to change depending on what you have available. When I have fresh spinach on hand I like to throw a handful in, and often throw in a few carrots. You don’t taste the spinach or carrots at all. If you have kids who resist healthy eating, make them a green shake, put on a Shrek video and tell them it’s all Shrek will drink for breakfast! A healthy way to start their day!

This weekend friends and I went to JC Wyatt’s in Saint Joseph, Missouri for dinner. The restaurant is owned by two guys from New York, Jim (front of the house) and Jeff (chef), who go out of their way to please. This place is magnificent! It is a restored Victorian home that’s so beautiful it takes your breath away. I gazed at the ceilings all night. Jim created wonderful designs out of period-correct wallpaper.

We had an email discussion relating to diet a few weeks before our reservation, but since the addition of the gluten free happened rather quickly I decided to have the maple glazed salmon rather than ask them to prepare a gluten free vegan meal at the last minute. The food was divine!

The table is asked to limit their choices to two entrées from their menu of the day. They keep it small so that everything is prepared to perfection. The entrée price includes a first course, (ours was a choice of soup or salad), dessert, iced tea and coffee. You are welcome to bring in your own wine or beer. It is so worth the drive to St. Joe’s!

Since we have plenty of snow on the ground, I am going to forgo the gym and workout by shoveling snow. I love shoveling snow when I don’t have to do it right away to get to work. I can pick the time and enjoy the beauty of nature while working up a sweat! Even snow haters have to admit that the first day of a snowfall is beautiful.

Comfort Food

I have found a less-than-healthy, but not unhealthy, delightfully-decadent comfort meal: Campbell's Tomato Soup made with almond milk and served with Farm to Market sourdough bread and Earth Balance vegan buttery spread. There isn't time to miss the Kraft processed American cheese food because you are dazzled by the deliciousness of the soup. Vegan Heaven!

This defines my problem, though: I am a wing-it eater. I eat what's convenient. I love spaghetti because I can make a ton of it, freeze it, and pull it out on a whim. The same goes for macaroni and cheese. Unfortunately I haven't found a vegan macaroni and cheese alternative. This tomato soup comes close to filling the void though. It's simple and can definitely be served up on a whim. Even without the sourdough, it's great with whatever bread is in the house.

My children and grandchildren thought I was a really good cook, and I was a good cook when it came to the standards. What I am not, is a creative cook. I don't really have that knack of knowing that if I add a touch of mustard to the dip, it will be perfection. And I certainly never got into the science of cooking. I didn't even know there was a science to cooking! That leaves me with coming up with an idea, checking it out online to see if it's been done, and if not then just giving it try. 

Through accident and serendipity I have found out that almond milk is a lot better than rice milk. I made a lovely, easy batch of scalloped potatoes using unsweetened almond milk. I was able to cut the fat in half by using half the butter (Earth Balance to the rescue!). It tasted great! (Another comfort food!)

So, two alternatives to my traditional comfort foods, and I have a plan for a third: Whole Foods has a house brand, ready-to-use, whole-wheat pizza crust that's delicious, but all of the vegan cheeses I've tried have been found lacking the correct texture and taste. So my question was, how can I add the taste/feel of cheese without adding bad taste or texture? I am going to create a thick roux using almond milk and Earth Balance, along with a couple of spices, and try spooning/drizzling it on top of the pizza sauce, and then top it with all my vegan pizza favorite toppings. I like diced onions, black olives, and Field Roast Italian Sausage. I know it won't have the texture of cheese, but I'd rather have a great taste and non-offensive texture than spend life without pizza.

It's pretty rare that what I try is inedible ... Maybe not great, or even something I'd make again, but at least edible. I'll let you know what category the pizza falls into!

Speaking of comfort foods, please read Jonathan Safran Foer's book, Eating Animals. It is his journey to discover the diet he wanted to feed his children. It's amazing. You can purchase it through Amazon by following my Amazon link.