Holidays are Almost Over

I don't know about anyone else- but I am glad the holiday madness is almost over.  Don't get me wrong- I love time with family and friends, eating tasty Christmas cookies, getting and receiving gifts, holiday dinner parties- but at the same time always find it so hard to stay on track with my diet and exercise routine.  This year was especially hard because I was traveling and visiting friends I have not seen in a long time.  So on the plane ride home back to beautiful Hawaii I decided I was going to go vegan for the whole month of January. Yes one whole month without eggs, dairy, fish, and meat.  The only thing I will not be eliminating is honey because it is a super food and the benefits are amazing.  Along with going Vegan, I am going to try to stay away from processed foods am much as possible.  Living on french fries, chips, and white bread would be considered Vegan, but would not be healthy at all.  You need to make sure to get the appropriate fats, protein, and other vital nutrients with any lifestyle choice you make  So here is a list of foods you can enjoy during this month.  Also I will be posting a healthy vegan recipe every day for the month as well.  Hope you enjoy!!



Whole grains
oats, rice, millet, quinoa,wheat, rye, barley and many more

Fruits
Any and all


Vegetables
Any and all- especially dark leafy greens


Nuts and Seeds 
Sunflower, hemp, almonds,  macadamia, cashews, peanut or almond butter,

Legumes- (I will have an entry on just legumes in a few days)
Lentils, kidney beans. garbanzo beans, adzuki beans, black beans, edamame, and soy nuts

Dairy and egg replacements

As a binder, substitute for each egg:

• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) soft tofu blended with the liquid ingredients of the recipe, or
• 1 small banana, mashed, or
• 1/4 cup applesauce, or
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch, or Ener-G Egg Replacer or another commercial mix found in health food stores.

The following substitutions can be made for dairy products:

• Soy milk, rice milk, potato milk, nut milk, or water (in some recipes) may be used.
• Buttermilk can be replaced with soured soy or rice milk. For each Cup of buttermilk, use 1 cup soymilk plus 1 tablespoon of vinegar.
• Soy cheese available in health food stores. (Be aware that many soy cheeses contain casein, which is a dairy product.)
• Crumbled tofu can be substituted for cottage cheese or ricotta cheese in lasagna and similar dishes.
• Several brands of nondairy cream cheese are available in some supermarkets and kosher stores.

Here are some great vegan options when dining out
Indian dahl, tofu curry, pizza without cheese, bean tacos without lard or cheese, Middle Eastern hummus or tabouli, falafal, eggplant dishes, portabella mushroom burger, lentil soup, ect



Vegan Recipe


Red lentil soup

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery and carrots
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 cup red lentils (7 ounces), picked over and rinsed
• 3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cook carrots, celery and onion in oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.

Add garlic, cumin, bay leaf, and thyme and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add lentils, broth, water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are very soft and falling apart, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig, then purée 2 cups of mixture in blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return to pan.

Stir in parsley and season with salt.