Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 16

in

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

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

Tofu asparagus marinara with quinoa

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 15

in

Well, the final week of the vegan sugar detox is finally here. I'm feeling great, my clothes are fitting loosely and comfortably (I no longer feel like I'm being vacuum-sealed into my clothes), and I'm actually kind of sad that this sugar detox is winding down. While I will go back to occasionally eating foods with sugar, I am feeling confident that I can stick with my vegan lifestyle.

More importantly though, my diet is now completely aligned with my beliefs ... and it feels freakin' good. (There's something to be said about the constant inner turmoil of living a contradiction and how it adds to the stress.)

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

I've been meaning to try this recipe from Diane Sanfilippo's 21-Day Sugar Detox book. Since it's Sunday and I have more time on my hands, I figured I should try something new. Plus, I'm sure you're all probably tired of seeing the same pics of food on this detox.

Ingredients I used for this particular recipe (adapted from Diane Sanfilippo's recipe):

Prep Time: 10 minutes     Cook Time: 30 minutes     Servings: 7-8

  • 2 cups of raw pecan pieces and raw almonds slices (this will be partially ground)
  • 1 cup of raw almond slices 
  • 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, unsalted
  • 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tbsp raw hemp seeds
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 2 green-tipped bananas 
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp raw cacao powder (I used Sunfood Super Foods Raw Cacao Powder)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Use a food processor (I used a Ninja) to partially ground the 2 cups of pecan pieces and almond slices into small chunks. Pour the ground nuts into a large mixing bowl and add the other cup of raw almond slices, seeds, raw cacao powder 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.

Scoop the nut mixture onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. You can either drop dollops of the mixture and flatten each one out like a cookie, or you can smooth it all out into one thin, flat layer (as pictured). 

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Check on them every 7-10 minutes, especially in the beginning since oven temperatures vary. Turn them over once or twice to ensure they're dry on all sides. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Diane's recipe says you can eat it plain as a snack, or with your favorite milk alternative as cereal. I actually enjoyed the taste and texture before I baked it. It was like a cinnamon banana pudding with granola. Yum!!  

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

This soup looks nothing like the one featured in Diane's book even though it's adapted from her recipe. She uses bone broth, but I used vegetable broth that included ingredients like carrots and tomatoes, hence the reddish color. I also added asparagus because I needed to use it before it went bad. 

Here are the ingredients I used:

  • 1 bag of cauliflower florets
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil, divided
  • Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
  • Garlic powder to taste
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 2/3 cup diced carrot
  • 3 1/4 cup vegetable 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread a thin layer of the cauliflower over a baking sheet (I lined mine with aluminum foil). Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and drizzle over the cauliflower. Liberally season with Himalayan salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast the cauliflower for about 30 minutes until lightly brown around the edges.

While the cauliflower is in the oven, prep the rest of the ingredients. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a pot over medium heat, and add the onions and carrots. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the carrots are soft. Add the asparagus and sauté for about 2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Set aside about 1/2 cup of roasted cauliflower for garnish. Put the rest of the roasted cauliflower in a blender along with 2 cups of the vegetable broth. Make sure not to fill the blender too much because hot liquids expand. Cover the blender firmly with the lid, but remove the center "valve" and use a thick kitchen towel to cover the hole. Blend on low, and just before it's done, blend on high to create a creamy texture. You can either add this blend to the soup that's simmering, or you can blend the rest of the broth in small batches. I ended up blending the rest of the soup. 

Serve the soup with the reserved roasted cauliflower as garnish. You can also drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil or truffle oil.

Snack: Japanese Sweet Potato Fries

Japanese sweet potato fries

Japanese sweet potato fries

Dinner: Tofu Asparagus Marinara with Quinoa

Tofu asparagus marinara with quinoa

Tofu asparagus marinara with quinoa

  • 1 bottle of Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce
  • 1 can of organic fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 1/2 bundle of asparagus, chopped
  • 1/4 container of Trader Joe's organic sprouted tofu
  • Himalayan salt to taste
  • Garlic powder to taste
  • Onion powder to taste
  • cooked quinoa, seasoned

Put the marinara and fire roasted tomatoes in a pot. Slowly bring it to a light boil. Add the asparagus and bell pepper, stir, and increase the heat to low-medium. Let it simmer for about 5-8 minutes. Add the tofu and let it simmer until desired thickness. Serve over a bed of quinoa or spiralized zucchini.