Turning Veganese

Tofu and Mushrooms in Green Curry

For dinner last night, I was in the mood for something with a kick, so I decided to cook some tofu with Trader Joe’s Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce.

I minced 2 large garlic cloves, threw it in a pan with some canola oil (I would have used sesame oil if I had some), and then browned firm tofu cubes. I added some mushrooms and salt, and let it sautee for a bit. When the mushrooms were about halfway where I wanted them to be, I added about a half cup of the curry sauce and coated the tofu and mushrooms. Then, I added about a cup of frozen peas, covered the pan, and let it all simmer. I served it to myself with some white jasmine rice.

I give this dish a B. The sauce does have a kick but is otherwise pretty bland; I had to add more salt as I was eating. The mushrooms took over the dish. I’m thinking that it may work out better if I sautee them a bit in garlic first, drain any liquid, and then add the tofu and more garlic. Fresh chili peppers would have done wonders for the dish, too, as well as some fresh ginger.

The challenge going forward will be to find non-Asian ways to cook tofu. I’m Asian myself, so I can do Asian everyday, but I know tofu is versatile and I’d love to cook it in pesto or something.

Another note on tofu: my sister has a soy allergy and so she avoids tofu, soy bean sprouts, soy milk, and even edamame. So I’d love to find non-tofu and non-meat protein sources so that we can enjoy vegan and vegetarian meals together.

It All Started With That Third Piece of Chicken

I am not a vegan. I am not a vegetarian. I am not an animal rights activist.

I love meat. I love cheese. I love fast food. I once went a whole month without eating a single piece of fruit.

Until a week ago, my diet was horrible. I overloaded on Halloween candy, potato chips, and deep-fried goodness. Fruits and vegetables were missing from my diet. I ate way more than I should have. Maybe it was psychological, like I was eating emotionally. Maybe I was just really hungry. I knew I was eating too much, but I couldn’t help myself… until, finally, I could.

I decided on Monday that I was going to avoid dairy. I also decided to eat more fruits and veggies. I only ate meat for one meal a day. I haven’t had any meat for the past two days.

I never thought I could go without meat. Even during Lent when, as a Catholic, I don’t eat meat on Fridays, I have had difficulty. I tried to give up dairy once before and was horrified to realize that I ate cheese in some form or another EVERY DAY.

There’s a sense of accomplishment that comes with knowing that, if I put my mind to it, I CAN make better food choices. I can live without dairy. I can live without meat or fish for a few days. I can even live without eggs.

Finding meatless and dairy-free ways to get nutrition has become a fun exercise. I’ve tried new recipes, new food products, and have found a culinary creativity in myself that I didn’t know I had.

So that’s what this blog is about: trying new recipes and foods and overcoming the desire (yes, desire) to have unhealthy foods. It’s only been a week. It’s possible that I could abandon this healthier diet. But I don’t want to! And I’m looking forward to learning how focusing on a plant-based, dairy-free diet will change me physically and emotionally.