Month Vegan Challenge: Day 9

   I am posting now and it is very late, when I suppose to be in bed and sleeping: early start tomorrow at work. But I wanted to write a couple of quick things about today and the Vegan Challenge.

   Fist, the benefits that I think I am getting with the challenge. As I said before, I am enjoying this challenge as I am learning quite a lot: cooking new recipes, finding substitutes for meat and diary, knowing new places where to eat. But I was waiting for a health benefit or some physical changes. I noticed that I am sleeping better lately. And that's a big improvement for me! I have sometimes difficulties to sleep: it takes me quite a lot time before I fall sleep, then I wake up a few times during the night and, even though I go late to sleep, I always wake up early: conclusion, many times I don't get enough sleeping hours and you pay that during the day! But since I started the Vegan Challenge, the quality of my sleep has improved. Maybe it is a coincidence, but it has happened, so I prefer to think that the diet has something to do.

   Second and last thing...dinner. It was a quick and different dinner tonight at work: a mix of 'healthy' grilled marinate tofu and salad with the 'mistreated' fries. Yin and Yang. But with a yummy result!

Grilled marinated tofu with salad and fries

   Good night for now, my eyes are getting heavy!

Month Vegan Challenge: Day 8

  Well, it's been a week since we started the Vegan Week Challenge first, that became finally in a Vegan Month Challenge. And I have to say that it's getting easier everyday. First days there were no much things in the fridge, sometimes we didn't know what to make or buy and it was difficult to decide about snacks. But since this weekend things have been easier, both in shopping and cooking, and more than a difficult challenge it's now a pleasure! Learning, changing recipes, enjoying meals, realising that we can cut meat and dairy a lot but at the same time loving cooking and eating! I'm not saying that I'm going to become vegan (though you never know) but the options of spending periods of times being vegan/vegetarian are now very clear. It's true that I am not a person that eat a lot of meat. In my normal diet, days without meat are not rare. I can say that probably I eat more fish/seafood that meat. So I guess that this has helped in this challenge.

   Today one of my chefs made me a real good udon noodles dish with fennel, chillies, menma, tofu and mushrooms. I like the soggy texture of udon, slippery in your mouth. Together with this noodle dish, I had a miso soup.

   Back home, it was time to cook. And tonight I made for the first time something very spanish but in its vegan version: Spanish Omelette (or Potato Omelette).

Vegan Spanish Omelette

   Spanish Omelette is a big institution in the whole country: one of the most popular tapas, eat outside or at home, for lunch and for dinner...and in some regions, like in Madrid, delicious breakfast! I have to admit here that I was a bit worry making this vegan version as I love Spanish Omelette and the idea of replacing one of the 2 main ingredients was a bit concerned.

   This vegan spanish omelette was made with potato, onion and the egg substitute was chickpea flour with water. The process was exactly like a traditional spanish omelette and the result was...amazing! Of course you can say it's not a egg omelette or maybe because I knew that but it was just delicious. Consistency and flavour. So its going to be a must in my home cookbook from now on. Just need to make it a few more times and adjust quantities and cooking times and I'm sure it will be a great recipe!

Good night for now!

7 Days Vegan Challenge: Day 6

   Here I am again after skipping yesterday post, but I was busy day before work,  and after I got back home and collapsed in bed :-) Food wise, it was was good day, having again some rice with vegetables in a paprika stock. But the big news yesterday were about this week vegan challenge: a week might have became a month! After chatting with Maria, a week doesn't feel a big challenge and we want to see the health changes and benefits, so a week is not enough to show real changes. So here it comes the Month Vegan Challenge!

   I had at work today a cold udon noodles salad with tofu, mandarin slices and vegetables with a black pepper and mandarin dressing. Really felt today to get some cold noodles: in Japan, during summer times, there is a popular dish called Hiyashi chūka (冷やし中華), literally "chilled Chinese" consisting in cold ramen noodles with different toppings. This was similar dish but with dressing.

Not mine, but you can get an idea about Hiyashi Chuka

  The other decision I took today, and after extending the Vegan Challenge to a month, was to start taking some vitamin B12. I have being taking some B12 in the fortified cereals and soy milk but I am a bit worried about not taking enough, so I decided to top it up with some tables.

   And dinner was again a cold dish: quinoa, alfalfa sprouts cauliflower, sun dried tomatoes and hummus salad. I don't know if I said that weather is still incredible hot here in Ireland. It supposed to chill down a bit during the weekend but good news came in the morning: another week of summer! So this two extension good news, vegan diet and weather, deserved a proper celebration. And nothing better to celebrate than a cake: a chocolate and lemon cake!

Chocolate and Lemon Cake

   It took me not more than 1 hour to make this vegan cake. You can see I've already tried it, and I can't say no other thing that it was and it is delicious. Chocolate and lemon, what can go wrong? I need a few friends to share it with if I don't want to put a few pounds!

7 Days Vegan Challenge: Introduction

   A month ago, sponsored by Dee's WholeFood, took place the National Vegetarian Week, where they challenge people to eat more plants and enjoy a healthier lifestyle and planet. The mission was to celebrate the health benefits of being vegetarian and encourage to try the Veggie Challenge during the National Vegetarian Week.

   ...so I decided to take the challenge! It was a quick decision with some friends and we have a great week, plenty of cooking and sharing both recipes and food, loads of support from everybody...but it wasn't a big challenge! I mean: I enjoyed the whole week, creating great recipes and cooking for people but, loving as I do so much all kind of vegetables and loving cooking, I didn't feel I was doing a challenge . I loved every single meal and didn't miss (at all) meat. I m surrounding everyday by meat and fish at work, but my body or mind didn't miss it (I had to cook during that week kakuni, a traditional pork belly dish, a dish that I love!). Conclusion: it was too easy! And I like challenges!

   So every "problem" has a solution: in this case, find a bigger challenge! And naturally, following this way after a Vegetarian Week, I didn't have any other option than a challenge me fof a Vegan Week. From tomorrow Monday the 8th of July to Sunday the 14th, it will be nothing more than vegan food for me!

   I am looking forward to go through this experience and see how much of a challenge will be. I am sure I will learn a few things, cook new dishes and share great experiences. I m sure as well this week will have some health benefits. I want to see what I feel during these 7 days. I know it won't be very difficult but I hope there is some kind of challenge, so I will learn more.

   I will share every day here, in Facebook and Twitter this great experience. Feel free to share your own experiences, doubts, thoughts or anything. It will be much appreciated.

Thanks!