New Years Eve Dinner at Sage Organic Vegan Bistro

I didn't have any firm New Years Eve plans ... but one thing was for sure ... I was going to say goodbye to 2015 with a party in my mouth. My boyfriend and I had dinner reservations at Sage Organic Vegan Bistro.

It was only my third time there because that place gets so packed all the time. However, New Years Eve dinner was probably the slowest I had ever seen it. Almost all the tables outside were empty, and there were still a few tables open inside. 

We were given a prix-fixe menu for a $40-45 five-course meal, but none of the options really stood out to me. Among the items was tomato bisque, cauliflower steak (this one did sound interesting), and brownie. They also offered a free alcoholic beverage and a $5 house margarita. 

We opted for the regular menu so that we could eat to our stomach’s content.

Appetizers: Jackfruit Nachos and Crispy Samosa Rolls

Jackfruit nachos from Sage Organic Vegan Bistro

For starters, we got the jackfruit nachos, which turned out to be way too spicy for me. I even asked the server if I could substitute the jalapeño guacamole for regular guacamole and he said it was hardly spicy. What he didn’t tell me was that the entire contents of the nachos was spicy--not just the guacamole! I risked ordering it because I’ve been meaning try savory jackfruit after reading an article about how jackfruit can have the taste and texture of pulled pork. That was a fail, but my boyfriend was at least able to eat most of it (resulting in total food coma). I am now, however, a fan of savory jackfruit and would like to try making it one of these days--maybe with tacos.

Crispy samosa rolls with tamarind sauce and mango aioli

We also ordered the crispy samosa rolls served with tamarind sauce and mango aioli. I thought it was delicious, but tasted even better with the tamarind sauce. The mango aioli was a little too bland for my taste.

Entrees: Bun-less Bun Bowl and Spinach Basil Ravioli Pomodoro

Since my boyfriend and I had trouble narrowing down our options for entrees, we decided to split with the bun-less bun bowl and the spinach basil ravioli pomodoro. 

Bun-less bun bowl with breaded and pan fried tofu, kale and quinoa

The bun-less bowl contained breaded and pan fried tofu with kale, quinoa, avocado, basil, carrots, sesame seeds, crispy onions and a side of lime and garlic chili sauce. I stayed away from the chili sauce, of course. I thought it was good overall, but maybe I’ve had one too many quinoa dishes (especially during my vegan sugar detox) that it didn’t really ‘wow’ me. It was also a little on the salty side, which some people might enjoy.

The spinach basil ravioli pomodoro was also good if you like the tomato soupy type of dish. It was more like comfort food than a culinary adventure. I think the main reason we weren’t blown away is because we really wanted to get the butternut squash ravioli that I got the last time I was there, but we wanted to try something new. I don’t want to completely discredit the dish though. I would still recommend it to people. What really made it stand out was the flavorful melted cashew cheese that you can drizzle on top to your liking (they serve it on the side). I also like that they used almond cheese for the ravioli filling.

Since my boyfriend ate the nachos for the both of us, he could barely breathe by the end of the meal. Dessert was out of the picture because I couldn’t eat it all by myself. 

If you ever eat at Sage, it would be wise to leave room for dessert because they have a mouthwatering display of baked goods and a colorful array of KindKreme vegan ice cream (although they do use honey in some of their flavors).

Vegan in Vegas: What and Where to Eat On and Off the Strip

When I think of Las Vegas, I think of excess everything ... excess extravagance, entertainment, gambling, shopping, and of course ... FOOD. I mean, it's called Sin City for a reason. In Vegas, practically every hotel has a buffet, each trying to one-up the others.

So I was slightly apprehensive when my family decided that we would go to Las Vegas for the holidays. Me, a new vegan, in Vegas. I Googled "Vegan food in Vegas" and came up with a few resources: The Vegas Vegan, Vegas Veg and Vegas.com's Top 10 Vegetarian [and vegan] Restaurants. (I actually found even more vegan options just writing this blog than I did before I went to Vegas. At least now I know where to dine next time I go there.)

Best Vegan Pizza in Vegas

On the first night there, my boyfriend and I decided to take our chances on 800 Degrees Neopolitan Pizzeria at Monte Carlo, since it was right across from Polo Towers where we were staying. What's cool about this restaurant is that everything is customizable and made-to-order. When I asked them if they could make a vegan pizza, and they said yes, I felt like I had won the jackpot. Seriously. Forget gambling, although we did lose $80 on slots that night. And when they asked if I wanted vegan cheese, I felt like I was on a winning streak; I assumed they didn't have that option and was just going to order pizza without cheese.

My boyfriend and I split with the Zucca pizza, one of their specialty pies with butternut squash, caramelized onions and rosemary oil. It originally comes with bacon but we substituted it with sweet corn and green peppers. We didn't realize how light it would be, not knowing that neopolitan pizza has a super thin yet chewy crust. Each pie is only about 12 inches, so if you go there, get your own pizza. 

It was so good we ended up going there again the next day for lunch with my sister and brother-in-law. My boyfriend and I each ordered a vegan Margherita pizza but I topped mine with olives, mushrooms and green peppers. YUMMMM!!! They use Daiya mozzarella (vegan cheese), which melts heavenly, just like regular cheese.

We also ordered their broccolini side dish, but they forgot we were vegan and topped it with cheese so I didn't get to eat it. They offered to give us a new one but we didn't want to waste food. I was told it was delicious. It's cooked with wood-roasted garlic, Calabrian chiles and olive oil. They also have salads that could be easily altered to be vegan-friendly.

Being Vegan at Buffets

Before I share my buffet experience, it's important to note that if you're vegan, it's best to stay away from buffets. You just won't get your money's worth. However, because I was with my family and it's our tradition to dine at a buffet at least once on our Vegas trips, I didn't really have a choice. 

Feast Buffet at Green Valley Ranch Casino

On our second night, we met up with my uncle and cousins who live in Henderson, just 15 miles southeast of Las Vegas. They treated us to dinner at Feast Buffet, which is in Green Valley Ranch Casino, the locals' favorite. It was also voted as "Best Brunch Buffet" by readers of Las Vegas Review Journal. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of options available. I thought I would be limited to just salad and fruit but I didn't even make it to the salad bar.

I believe they have six food stations to choose from, but I pretty much stuck with the Asian food ("Dynasty Grill"), which includes a Mongolian grill. I put together a big bowl of water chestnuts, baby corn, snow peas, broccoli, carrots, bean sprouts, fresh ginger and garlic, which they stir-fry in front of you. I didn't realize until after they used soy sauce on mine that there were about 7-10 sauce options. If you get it with soy sauce, make sure to tell them to go easy on it because my veggies came out a little too salty.

I also got a big serving of stir-fried bok choy. It's kind of sad that I didn't even go up for seconds. But I guess it's also a good thing that I got full off of that meal. I picked some watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple off my boyfriend's plate for dessert. I thought the fruit was perfectly ripe and sweet, too. Surprisingly, I didn't feel like I missed out on the dessert spread. Maybe my palate is changing and I'm actually OK with just fruits for dessert.

Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace

On our last night in Vegas, we ate at what was once my favorite buffet: Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace. It was named Best Buffet in 2013 by USA Today. I knew from eating there before as a vegetarian that I would be even more limited on options as a vegan. And wow, was I right.

It was a bit of a roller coaster of emotions. I was skeptical that they'd have good vegan options. But then I asked the hostess about it and she said to just tell them that I'm vegan, and someone would give me a tour of the vegan options. So that led me to believe that they actually did have a substantial vegan selection.

When it came time for the tour, I quickly realized that was not the case. First, I had to keep repeating to the person giving me a tour that I couldn't have anything with dairy or eggs because she kept pointing at things with cheese. When we got to the fried food section, and I spotted french fries, I thought, well there's at least one thing I can have. That bubble burst pretty quickly when I was told everything was cooked in butter, even the fries and carrots. The person behind the counter looked like she felt bad for me so she offered to cook the carrots in just oil. 

Every station I walked through felt like one rejection after another. I finally came upon the Japanese food section, and was relieved to see the vegetable rolls, edamame sesame seed salad and seaweed salad. On the way back to my table, I spotted salad with vinaigrette dressing so I scooped up some of that and grabbed a guava juice as well. There was also one station that had a slice of tomato with olive oil, cracked black pepper, salt, sugar and a white chocolate horseradish sauce. I asked the women behind the counter if they could prepare one without the sauce and they obliged, begrudgingly. 

I also took a gamble on the taro bao (steamed bun filled with taro paste). To my knowledge, it should be vegan. I was determined to eat whatever I could to make the $60+ my dad spent on my meal worth it. Once I ate that, I was officially full and felt less like I had wasted my dad's money. I guess the carbs from the bun really made a difference. 

Since I was sitting right next to the dessert section, I had to do one lap around it. I was shocked and annoyed that even their sorbet had milk. Really, milk in sorbet?! Why not label it "sherbet" instead of "sorbet" then?! So I ended up having some strawberries and pineapple for dessert. 

I'm sad to say that that will be the last time I'll eat at Bacchanal Buffet. 

Wynn Las Vegas, the Culinary Haven for Vegans

After researching vegan restaurants in Vegas, I soon found out that Steve Wynn, owner of Wynn Las Vegas, is vegan himself. Thanks to him, there has been a shift toward high-end vegan-friendly restaurants on the Strip. That means every restaurant at Wynn and Encore caters to vegans. Do I hear angels singing and trumpets sounding? If I weren't with my family on this trip, I would've dined at every restaurant there.

Instead, I chose Allegro since it happened to be open while we were there. (The other two I checked out were closed: Tableau was only open for brunch and Lakeside didn't open until 5:30 PM.) They served an assortment of breads with a white bean garlic parmesan dip, which I accidentally took a bite of because all I heard was "white bean and garlic". So my boyfriend and I just ate the ciabatta bread (since it was the only vegan option) with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. For appetizers, we split with the vegan bruschetta, which had some kind of olive tapenade spread, arugula, tomatoes and vegan ricotta. Delish! I'm going to try making it one of these days.

For our main course, we split with the vegan pizza and Gardein™ Chick'N parmigiano with linguine. The vegan pizza featured vegan ricotta, paprika almond slivers, kale and tomato sauce. It didn't have enough of a flavor kick like the pizza from 800 Degrees Neopolitan Pizzeria. I guess our expectations were too high because of it.

Overall, I was happy with our high-end vegan dining experience at Allegro. I appreciated the fact that they had a menu section for vegans as well as other dietary restrictions. My boyfriend and I agree that the vegan chicken parmigiano with linguine and the bruschetta were our favorites. Oh, and their white sangria is also good--it was white wine mixed with vodka. I'd definitely go back there again after trying all of the other restaurants at Wynn and Encore.

Surviving Vegas as a Vegan

In the City of Sin--and excess--it's a relief to know that there are actually establishments that cater to people with dietary restrictions. All is not lost when you're a vegan in Vegas.

Vegetable Black Bean Spaghetti: Packed with Protein and Fiber

The one question vegans and vegetarians get all the time is, “Where do you get your protein?” I totally get it though. Before I quit eating meat, I didn’t really pay any attention to the alternative protein sources out there. Now that I’m vegan, it’s one of the first things I look for when I read nutrition labels.

And today I present my latest discovery of a vegan protein- and fiber-rich food source: Explore Asian’s Black Bean Spaghetti. People with gluten intolerance or sensitivity will rejoice knowing that it’s also certified gluten-free.

One serving has 25 grams of protein, 12 grams of fiber, and 26% iron. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Basically, to figure out how much protein you need per day, multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36. For me that’s about 37.8 (105 x 0.36). So just one serving of this black bean spaghetti already puts me well over half my recommended daily value for protein. 

Here's a recipe for black bean spaghetti with vegetables that I made for dinner last night. It was delish!

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of Explore Asian’s Black Bean Spaghetti
• Trader Joe’s Organic Tomato Basil Sauce
• Half bag of baby zucchinis (I used this from Trader Joe’s)
• 1 box of organic mushrooms
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1/3 cup sliced onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• vegan cheese, optional (I like Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Shreds Cheddar Cheese Alternative)

Instructions:

Boil 8 cups of water. Add the black bean spaghetti and simmer gently for about 5-6 minutes. Stir occasionally. Use a strainer to drain and then rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Wash and cut all the veggies. Put about 2 tbsp of coconut oil (or whichever oil you prefer) in a pan on medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic, and stir around. Just before the onions become translucent, add the sliced zucchinis and stir for about 3 minutes. Next, add the bell peppers and mushrooms. Seasib with salt and pepper to taste. Pour in the tomato sauce and let it simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes (just long enough to heat up the sauce). 

If you want to reheat the spaghetti and you don’t mind it already mixed in with the sauce, you can stir it in. I like them separate so I just put the spaghetti in a bowl and poured the sauce over it. I topped it with Follow Your Heart’s vegan cheddar cheese because the vegan mozzarella I got from Trader Joe's isn't very good. (That might be a first--something from Trader Joe's that I actually don't like!)

My Latest Vegan Obsessions: LÄRABAR, Pure Bar and Santosha Chocolate Coconut Creme

It has been a while since I posted about my vegan journey. I'm proud to say that it's still going strong! I've now been vegan for one month and 11 days. In addition to Thanksgiving, I've survived several other social gatherings in people's homes and at restaurants. It IS possible to be vegan and have a social life with non-vegan friends and families! 

I have to admit, it has actually been fun shopping for specialty vegan items, especially now that I can at least have stuff with sugar. I've continued to keep my sugar intake at a minimum and have found myself sugar counting instead of calorie counting. 

I discovered a couple energy bars that have been a lifesaver for mornings when I don't have time to eat breakfast or for those afternoon hunger pangs. Best part is that they have very few ingredients, which means they're healthier than the ones with ingredient lists that go on and on and on.

LÄRABAR: My #1 Vegan Obsession

LÄRABAR flavor varieties sound like a list of desserts, but they use dates as a natural sweetener instead of icky refined sugar. Regardless of whether or not you've already eaten, this list of LÄRABAR flavors  will make you salivate:

• Apple Pie
• Banana Bread 
• Blueberry Muffin
• Carrrot Cake
• Cappucino
• Cashew Cookie (yum!)
• Cherry Pie
• Chocolate Chip Brownie (yum!)
• Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (yum!)
• Chocolate Coconut Chew (yum!)
• Coconut Chocolate Chip (yum!)
• Coconut Cream Pie (yum!)
• Gingerbread
• Key Lime Pie
• Lemon Bar
• Peanut Butter & Jelly
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip (yum!)
• Peanut Butter Cookie
• Pecan Pie
• Pumpkin Pie
• Snickerdoodle

The only reason not all of them have my "yum!" stamp of approval is because I haven't tried them yet. I am determined to try all flavors available at my local health food stores, and will let you know how they are. I mean, really, with protein, fiber and potassium (those are just saw of the major nutrients in them) rolled into a vegan, gluten-free bar with no more than nine ingredients, can you really go wrong with any flavor??

Pure Bars - Pure, Organic Ingredients

Should you need more flavor variety than what LÄRABAR offers, Pure Bars also offer delicious, good-for-you treats. Their Fruit and Nut Bars are soft and chewy and deliver 5-6 grams of protein and 3-5 grams of fiber. For those of you counting calories, you'll be happy to know that there are only about 200 calories in each bar. They come in the following flavors:

• Chocolate Brownie (yum!)
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip (yum!)
• Cherry Cashew
• Wild Blueberry
• Dark Chocolate Berry
• Banana Coconut
• Cashew Coconut
• Cranberry Orange
• Apple Cinnamon

Santosha Chocolate Coconut Creme: My #2 Vegan Obsession

At around $8-9, this little gem is well worth every penny, especially after reading up on how the company processes its cacao. Santosha Chocolate is essentially a process in which the living enzymes and other micronutrients are preserved in the fair-trade, organic, raw cacao beans used. It uses organic coconut palm sugar that’s both sustainable and safe for most diabetics. You can read more about the process here.

Their good-for-you practices are consistent with the product as well as the packaging—using environmentally-friendly recycled materials and vegetable-based inks.

For anyone with strict dietary restrictions, you’ll be happy to know that Santosha Chocolate has:

• NO soy
• NO nuts
• NO dairy
• NO gluten
• NO emulsifiers
• NO fillers
• NO cacao butter
• NO animal products

And if that’s not enough to sell you on it, you’ll love why the company chose Santosha as its name. Here’s the definition they provide:

\’san-tō-shə\संतोष 
1. Contentment, not requiring more than you have to achieve contentment
2. Having peace with what is, in this moment

You can contact them to see if the 200+ stores they sell their products are near you. Or you can buy Santosha Chocolate Coconut Creme and their other products online.

BTW, these product reviews were published solely for the benefit of vegans and non-vegans alike. I was in no way paid to post about these products, especially with my little blog just getting started.

How to Celebrate Thanksgiving with Non-Vegans

Thanksgiving with my family this year is going to be pretty interesting now that I’m vegan. It was challenging enough last year when I was limited to salad, mashed potatoes, veggie sides and desserts (well, the desserts part wasn’t bad).

This Thanksgiving will be the first time I’ll have to bring my own food since I won’t be able to eat anything my family brings or makes.

Since I don’t have time to cook a complete Thanksgiving meal for myself, I ordered food from Veggie Grill yesterday to bring with me today. Sad? Kind of. But here's what I got, and I have to say, my first vegan Thanksgiving meal is going to be pretty darn delicious:

My First Vegan Thanksgiving Meal from Veggie Grill

• Tempura Green Bean Stack with a grilled lemon and an onion-garlic ranch dipping sauce
• Golden Beet Salad with vegan ricotta cheese, dates, almonds, basil and orange vinaigrette
• 2 Cauli-Mashed Potatoes with porcini mushroom gravy
• BTLA spinach wrap (with smokey tempeh bacon, cilantro-pesto arugula, avocado, tomatoes and aioli mayo)

My Vegan Thanksgiving Desserts

And just so I don’t feel left out when it gets to the dessert portion of the meal, I also ordered Veggie Grill’s vegan carrot cake. I had to break it to my mom that I will no longer be able to enjoy her delicious blueberry cheesecake and carrot cake. Telling her that was almost as hard as knowing that I will never be able to enjoy her specialty desserts again. I also got a couple cupcakes from Native Foods Cafe yesterday since I went there for lunch. I got their peppermint chocolate cupcake (with frosting that had real chopped peppermint!) and carrot cupcake. 

Key Tip to Surviving Your First Vegan Thanksgiving with Non-Vegans

So if this is your first Thanksgiving as a new vegan like me, the key to celebrating it with non-vegans is to come prepared. Make sure to have your own delicious spread of food, from sides and entrees to desserts. This way you won't feel left out because you'll still be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal, the vegan way. 

To all you veteran vegans, what are some of your tips to celebrating Thanksgiving with your non-vegan friends and family?

First Day After My Vegan Sugar Detox

I may have gone overboard in introducing normal foods to my diet on the first day after the vegan sugar detox. I figured since it was a celebratory day, it was OK to indulge. Yes, it is a slippery slope, and once you stray, it's way too easy to go downhill. But I really don't want to lose the benefits I got from the detox. Plus, eating out twice today was almost equivalent to a week's worth of groceries. That alone should motivate me to continue cooking meals as opposed to dining out frequently.

First Meal After Vegan Sugar Detox: Brunch at Bottega Louie

I met up with my former coworkers for brunch at Bottega Louie in downtown LA. First, let me say that this had become my favorite restaurant in recent years primarily because of its lavish displays of colorful confections, decadent pastries, towering gift boxes and most of all .... their French macarons. So to come here as a new vegan was an intense test of willpower and restraint. Everything, of course, had dairy and eggs, which meant they were off limits. It was like putting a recovering alcoholic 3-weeks sober in the middle of a bar surrounded by the world's top-shelf liquor with a no-drinking policy. You get the idea. 

Image by Phil Dokas via Flickr

Image by Jennifer Chong via Wikimedia Commons

Luckily I had done some research before going and found another vegan's experience at Bottega Louie on quarrygirl's vegan forum. Someone had ordered a marinara pizza--so basically a cheese-less pizza. So I Googled to see if pizza dough has eggs, and I read that real pizza dough doesn't. When I asked the server at Bottega Louie about this, he kindly checked with the kitchen staff and confirmed they didn't use eggs in their pizza dough. So I ordered the Napoli pizza (red onions, mushrooms, olives and tomato sauce) without cheese.

After taking my first bite out of the cheese-less Napoli pizza, I concluded that the measure of a quality restaurant is if their pizza tastes amazing without cheese--no easy feat. Bottega Louie had passed my tastebud's test with flying colors. 

Then came the dessert: beignets with raspberry sauce. Again, a challenging but necessary training for willpower for a new vegan. I glanced at the soft, pillowy, doughy goodness in front of me as my friends dug in. I just made sure not to stare at it too long and distract myself by people watching. I felt pretty accomplished after getting through that meal at what was once my favorite restaurant--and perhaps, still is ... just from a distance. 

Breakfast for Dinner at LA Vegan

One of the things my boyfriend and I had been craving throughout the detox was the pancakes at LA Vegan. For a primarily Thai food restaurant, they serve ah-mazing breakfast food: light, golden pancakes (that taste just as good reheated the next day), tofu scramble (infused with curry for that scrambled egg look) topped with dairy-free cheese and a side of soy bacon strips. Oh, and before that, we ordered another favorite of ours: soy chicken sate with peanut sauce. It's  hands down the best appetizer there. It looks and tastes just like chicken ... without the guilt.

I wish I had taken pictures of my meal but I was too eager to eat it. I did get a bit lightheaded, probably because I shocked my body with too much sugar. Luckily the lightheadedness went away about half an hour after dinner. The food made it worth it!

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 21

Day 21 of the vegan sugar detox came and went without any pomp and circumstance. It's not that I wasn't excited about it, it's just that it happened to be a Saturday and I was too busy to really give my last day a grand finale. I would've liked to have ended it with some fancy sugar-free, vegan meal.

Here are the positive changes I experienced on the vegan sugar detox: 

• Clothes are loose-fitting and comfortable again
• Lost a few pounds (not as much as the 10 lbs. I lost on my first sugar detox; although my brother-in-law lost 25 lbs. and my boyfriend lost 10 lbs. doing the detox with me)
• No more stomach bloating (bye-bye muffin top!)
• Healthier digestion (You know those fiber commercials where people are happy and carefree? That's how a sugar detox will help you feel.)
• More confident about my body
• Greater appreciation for the healthy foods I put into my body
• Healthier relationship with food
• Feeling at peace both spiritually and physically now that I am vegan
• Being more in tune with my body and knowing the difference between snacking out of hunger vs. boredom
• Pride knowing that I can commit to something despite temptations
• Knowing that by being vegan, I'm doing my part in reducing the pain and suffering of animals

I'm sure I'll experience more positive changes as I continue on my vegan journey, which I will happily share here. 

Without further ado, here were the last meals I had on the final day of the vegan sugar detox:

Brunch: Avocado Tomato Salad

Avocado tomato salad with lemon juice

This is something I made the other night. I had avocados that I needed to use before they became overripe. 

Ingredients:

• 4 avocados
• 1 organic tomato, diced
• juice of 3-4 lemons
• Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
• Garlic powder to taste
• Dried thyme to taste

First, cut up all the lemons and remove the seeds. Cut the avocados into cubes. Immediately squeeze the lemon juice all over the avocados, mixing it to ensure the lemon juice coats the avocados (to prevent them from turning brown). Add the tomatoes and seasonings, and mix well. Place in the refrigerator to chill before serving.

Snack: Diane Sanfilippo's Grain-Free Banola (Raw)

Dinner: Vegetable Coconut Milk Curry

Coconut milk curry with vegetables

This turned out a little oilier than the night it was first cooked. It may be that I put a little too much coconut oil when cooking the quinoa. It was still very delicious though! 

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 20

Day 20 on the vegan sugar detox didn't feel that different from the days leading up to it. What I did feel was excitement about being so close to the finish line. And yet, it was also bittersweet knowing that it was coming to an end and feeling like this was the pinnacle of eating healthy in terms of not eating sugar--the culprit of many ailments. Even though I'll still be sticking with my vegan diet after this, there's nothing quite like constantly seeing and feeling the positive effects that abstaining from sugar has on your body. (I know I've said this many times, but you really do wake up feeling lighter and lighter, even if the weighing scale doesn't always reflect it.)

Breakfast: Diane Sanfilippo's Grain-Free Banola (Raw)

Diane Sanfilippo's  Grain-Free Banola (raw version)

Lunch: Vegetable Coconut Milk Curry

Vegetable coconut milk curry

Snack: Green Banana and Almond Butter with Cinnamon and Pumpkin Pie Spice

Green banana drizzled with almond butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice

Dinner: Marinara with White Beans and Asparagus

Marinara with white beans and asparagus served over quinoa

My boyfriend and I were too tired to cook yet again, especially on a Friday night when the temptation to eat out is just too great. But of course we couldn't break the streak after getting this far on the detox. So we decided to cook a really simple meal: pre-made marinara sauce with asparagus and canned white beans over quinoa. I was actually surprised that this dish surprised me: the white beans actually tasted like a creamy cheese when mixed with marinara. Now I'm wondering if the white beans could be used as a cheese substitute for other dishes, or used to make a vegan creamy alfredo sauce. Hmm...

Ingredients:

• 1 jar of Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Basil Marinara
• 1/3 bushel of organic asparagus, chopped
• 1 can of white kidney beans
• Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
• Garlic powder

Pour the marinara into a pot and simmer on low heat. Put the chopped asparagus in next, then add seasonings to taste. Add the white kidney beans last, just long enough to heat them up. Once the asparagus has softened, remove from heat and serve over quinoa.

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 19

One of the changes I’ve been noticing during this sugar detox is that my dreams are more vivid and I can remember them when I wake up now. Before the detox, I felt like I didn’t have dreams anymore because I couldn’t recall any of them. Who knew that sugar could really have that affect? It probably means I’m getting better sleep quality and actually reaching the REM stage.

Breakfast: Diane Sanfilippo’s Grain-Free Banola (Raw)

Grain-Free Banola Mix

Grain-Free Banola 1

Grain-Free Banola 2

As I was making this last time, I thought it tasted great raw. So I made another batch last night without baking it. The flavors, especially the vanilla extract and cinnamon, are more prominent. I think the only thing that would make it taste even better is adding more bananas so that the portions are more like 4 parts banana, 2 parts nuts and seeds. That would make it taste more like pudding with banola. Or another version could be baked banola sprinkled in a separate banana mixture as the pudding. Either way, you can’t really go wrong--it makes for an amazingly sweet-ish sugar-free treat!

Ingredients for this raw version of banola:

• 2 green bananas
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• ½ cup seeds (equal parts raw pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds)
• ½ cup almond meal
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Use a food processor to partially ground the 2 cups of cashews and almond slices into small chunks. Pour the ground nuts into a large mixing bowl and add the seeds and almond meal. *Note: If you don't have almond meal, simply use the food processor to pulverize the almonds into almond meal consistency. 

Put the bananas, vanilla and cinnamon into the food processor and blend until all the ingredients are pureed into a smooth, creamy consistency. Pour the puree into the bowl of nuts, and stir until the nut mix is completely coated. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Easy peasy.

Lunch: Spiralized Zucchini Pad Thai

Pad Thai using spiralized zucchini as noodles

Appetizer: Fried Japanese Sweet Potatoes

Dinner: Vegetable Coconut Milk Curry

Vegetable coconut milk curry

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 18

I accidentally fell asleep super early last night before posting about my Day 18 on the sugar detox. I'm really amazed how much my body has adapted to not eating as much. You may have noticed that I've been posting fewer snacks because I don't feel the need to graze all day, unlike the first week on the detox. Now I can go a full night not eating anything until breakfast, which was just an apple yesterday. 

Breakfast: Green Apple and Almond Butter with Cinnamon

I feel like it's been a while since I've had this, but really, it's only been just a few days. Oh how I've missed it!

Green apple and almond butter sprinkled with cinnamon

Lunch: "Not Your Momma's Black Eyed Peas" Part 2

It took me 3 hours to eat this because I ate lunch at my desk at work. It always takes me forever to eat whenever I do that--at least it helps with the digestion!

Dinner: Spiralized Zucchini Pad Thai

Pad Thai using spiralized zucchini as noodles

I haven't made this dish since the previous detox, which was back in March. If you love peanut-butterlike sauces and Thai food, then you'll enjoy this one. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 jar of Trader Joe's Creamy Almond Butter, Salted
• 5 organic zucchinis, spiralized
• 1/3 bag of shredded organic carrots
• 1 container of Trader Joe's Organic Sprouted Tofu
• Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Aminos
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
• Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
• Garlic powder to taste
• 3 tbsp of organic coconut oil

Using a wok, sauté minced garlic in about 2 tbsp coconut oil until the garlic is a very light golden brown. Add the tofu and sauté for about 1-2 minutes. While sautéing the tofu, generously drizzle it with coconut aminos. Place the cooked tofu in a bowl and set aside for later. Heat the remaining coconut oil in the wok on light-medium heat. Once it gets to a smoking point, add the spiralized zucchini and keep stirring to ensure that it's cooked evenly. After about a minute of cooking the zucchini, add the almond butter and seasonings. Keep tossing the zucchini until it's evenly coated with almond butter and the almond butter has melted. Taste and add more seasonings and coconut aminos to your liking. Just before turning off the stove, add the tofu to absorb some of the almond butter sauce. Remove from heat and sprinkle the dish with shredded carrots. You can cook the carrots, but I like it raw--just like how it's served with Pad Thai at Thai restaurants. 

About coconut aminos: 

Coconut aminos is a great and healthy alternative to soy sauce. Made from coconut tree sap, it's gluten-free, soy-free, mineral-rich and contains 17 naturally occurring amino acids. For those watching their sodium intake, coconut aminos has 73% less sodium (about 270 mg per tablespoon) than soy sauce. You can find it at health food stores like Rainbow Acres and Whole Foods.

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 17

With just 4 days away from the end of my vegan sugar detox, I'm starting to feel the drudgery of cooking. I would say that that has probably been the biggest challenge on this detox--not being able to order takeout after a long and exhausting day. The temptation to just grab food at Veggie Grill is greater than the temptation of desserts, savory snacks and Starbucks hand-crafted lattes.

This usually results in late dinners because I don't like to jump right into the kitchen when I get home from work. But since I'm never completely stuffed, I don't feel so bad about eating late at night.

Breakfast: Diane Sanfilippo's Grain-Free Banola (Vegan Version)

Next time I go grocery shopping, I'm going to load up on bananas so I can double up on the ingredients for this recipe. I was so sad when I got down to the last bite. The 7-8 small servings the recipe yields just isn't enough.

Lunch: Diane Sanfilippo's Roasted Cauliflower Soup (Vegan Version)

As always, I ate this with quinoa to make the soup more filling. Either I'm just used to being hungry or this soup really kept me full up until dinner at around 10:30 PM. 

Dinner: "Not Your Momma's Black Eyed Peas" Part 2

Tonight's meal was more of a mix of whatever I had left in my refrigerator and pantry. 

Ingredients:

• 3 celery stocks, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 1/4 cups of black eyed peas
• Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
• Paprika to taste
• Onion powder to taste
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

Fill a pot with black eyed peas and cover with water. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit for 60-90 minutes. Drain and refill using 3 cups of water per 1 cup of black eyed peas (about 6 3/4 cups for this recipe). Bring to another boil, then partially cover, lower heat, and let it simmer for 60 minutes.

Add the garlic, vegetables and seasonings. Stir in pot until warm. Serve over quinoa and top off with a dollop of guacamole. 

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 16

I woke up feeling light, refreshed and healthy on Day 16 of the sugar detox. My clothes just keep fitting looser, which is a great affirmation that I’m on the right track. It feels good knowing that everything I’ve been feeding my body has been nothing but beneficial and nutritious for it. I'm sure my body's thanking me given my junk food binge streak just before the detox.

Breakfast: Diane Sanfilippo’s Grain-Free Banola

I was excited to eat the leftover banola. It tasted just as good the next day as it did out of the oven. Next time, I plan on making it like pudding (basically the recipe's same steps except I won't bake  them).

Lunch: Diane Sanfilippo’s Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I ate this with quinoa for a hearty meal since soups don’t normally fill me up. Now that I’ve made this, I’m inspired to make other homemade soups, like recreating Trader Joe’s roasted red pepper and tomato soup or butternut squash.

Appetizer: Fried Japanese Sweet Potato

Fried Japanese sweet potatoes

I found that these were easier to fry since you only had to flip them once. Just like the fries though, these were baked first for about 45-55 minutes, cooled, and then fried. (But it's a lot easier if you bake a few potatoes the night before and store them in the fridge if you know you're going to fry them up the next day.)

Dinner: Tofu Asparagus Marinara with Quinoa

Tofu asparagus marinara with quinoa