Cooking vegan and KLP

Passover is always a trying time for anyone who enjoys carbohydrates in their diet, but for vegetarians and vegans it can be extremely difficult as many vegetarian forms of protein are not kosher for passover (KLP), including soy-based products. Thankfully quinoa is deemed KLP and as it's relatively high in protein is a good substitute for both rice and protein.

My first attempt today at a vegan, low-fat, low-carb, (relatively) high-protein, KLP dish was actually a success, and also extremely quick and easy. I'd also like to note that I'm not the biggest fan of quinoa and would usually prefer to use brown or wild rice instead, but this time I really like it! I think I'm going to make a non-KLP version next week, adding tamari-marinated tofu or maybe tempeh.

"Stir-fried" vegatables with quinoa:

1/4 cup quinoa
1 small onion, diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
6 broccoli florets
6 cauliflower florets
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp basil flakes (optional)

I cheated and cooked the quinoa in the microwave according to the directions on the packet. While it was cooking, I "stir-fried" the vegetables.

In a large saucepan, add water to line the bottom of the pan. Once water starts to heat up, add the onion and let cook until almost translucent and fragrant. Add diced zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower. Stir and let all vegetable steam until the broccoli and cauliflower have a bright color. Add garlic powder, ginger powder, turmeric and salt and stir through. Add a little water if necessary. Stir until flavors are cooked through the vegetables. Add to quinoa and eat.

Challenge time - Day 1!

Honestly, I've not been practicing yoga every day over the past 2-3 weeks and I am really feeling it. Lethargy is a big consequence and I can see my toned yoga muscles becoming, well, not very toned. While I was doing my workstudy shift today at the studio, I decided that I am in need of a challenge right now. The last time I undertook a dedicated 30 day Bikram Yoga challenge (November 2009), I informed the then-manager, lovely Aimee who has since opened the amazing Sun In Bloom restaurant, along with some of the teachers of my decision. This was a great way to practice every day as I would regularly be asked how many days into the challenge it was and would not have wanted to admit challenge defeat. This time I'm putting it out here as well as having a chart up in the studio lobby. That only makes me accountable to myself for finishing the challenge but publicizing it will involve my pride therefore not allowing failure. Even on those days where it feels impossible to find the time or energy I will practice, because I know that achieving this goal will empower and strengthen me. Namaste.

Food is your friend

Eating healthily was a challenge for me for many years. I didn't listen to what my body found nourishing and what it rejected, which resulted in various weight gains, difficulty with weight loss and general poor digestions. Perhaps it's a sign of maturity, or just simply aging, that I now do notice what does and doesn't work for me. This has culminated in an 18 year shift from vegetarian to ovo-vegetarian and now to a vegan diet. Although daily yoga practice has most certainly sped up my naturally slow metabolism, I am aware that paying attention to fat content, sodium levels and carbohydrate intake is important. This can be a challenge with many vegan substitutes often containing high levels of two or more of these. Cooking for just myself can seem so pointless and wasteful. I've been finding exciting recipes that are small in quantity and easy to prepare, because honestly, it's the preparation not the cooking that is time consuming, and eating just salad every day is not a sustainable option for me. So, in addition to having a creative writing outlet, I want to use this blog to detail highlights and challenges of my vegan lifestyle. Where possible, I will include accurate nutrition information and otherwise I will include estimates. For my own information, I may include weight and measurements from time to time, as I'd like to track this lifestyle's effectiveness from a weight management perspective (not necessarily weight loss, although 5lbs off wouldn't hurt).