Protein Pie

After an overnight shift at work (which itself followed a busy stretch of time) I find myself exhausted today, not to mention sore and achy. Truth be told I am not sure that I would have made it through an eight hour shift of moving and lifting, cleaning and purging, organizing and fluffing without a secret magic weapon: protein pie!

Okay.

Not so much protein pie as Chocolate Tofu Pie. Approved by my sister and her boyfriend, as well as my coworkers I can say that this particular stab at vegetarian dessert was a success. Even if the above mentioned people weer simply being polite, I love the stuff.

I have made Chocolate Tofu Pie before, but not directly. A friend of mine was making it for some dinner party and I vaguely remember helping out. I do recall the basic premise, though, which is to combine a ratio of melted chocolate and silken tofu and allow to set in some kind of crust.

In order to gain some more details about this baking adventure (which I have been set on creating for weeks) I consulted several recipes. Many of these add bits and pieces to the basic formula I laid out; maple syrup, peanut butter etc. I elected to combine the amount of tofu I happened to buy (3 packs of blue menu President's Choice silken tofu, unflavored) with the amount of chocolate chips we had in the house (1 package of President's Choice Decadent milk chocolate chips and around 60% of a package of Chipits).

I am slightly ashamed to admit that I bought two premade Graham Cracker pie crusts both 7 inches in diameter. To the basic ingredients I threw in my own twist of a handful of fresh mint finely chopped (by my boyfriend and his new mini food processor/hand mixer/immersion blender) with two teaspoons of vanilla extract. Once the chocolate was melted it went into the tofu along with the mint and voila! Two pies fulls of fat-free, proteiny, vegetarian goodness.

Seriously, a slice of this stuff can keep you going for hours.

Pictures to follow with John's assistance!

Breakfast

I don't believe in breakfast.

I know that there are those out there who have a 'nutritious breakfast' at times, even on a regular basis. In the search for this elusive thing full of 'food groups' and 'balance' I have only ever found this that were "part of" but not the whole. My stomach, so often abused with heavy dinners followed by hours of snacking before bed time, has never been willing to digest so much as a grapefruit- let alone the contents of a Cheerio's Ad- prior to 11 am.

Growing up with this anti-breakfast ideology in my family was difficult at times. My mom always had a rule that no one could leave the house before they had eaten something and although she was not particular about what exactly we ate (high fructose cereals, left-over birthday cake etc) she was adamant about it. My father, on the other hand, relishes every opportunity to compose a new meal from the hodge podge of left overs in our fridge. Since these either include something just on the edge of food safety or an omelette of what ever treasures has found, his suggestions for breakfast have never held any appeal for me.

Breakfast is also difficult for me because I don't eat eggs. I don't have any particular problem with eggs on a moral or a creepiness level but I understand there are those who do. My problem is not a textural one, since I like all sorts of eggish textures like custards, tofu, etc. I just can't stand the taste.... the odd sickly bitter after taste of the whites and the sharp, grainy sweetness of the yolks. Gross. Not eating eggs limits pretty much all worthwhile breakfast meals, and the one mainstay of an egg-less breakfast, Bacon, is currently lost to me.

Luckily, vegetarianism encourages a type of breakfast rarely appreciated in North America cuisine. That is, the non-breakfast food breakfast. My breakfasts can include foods like Watermelon and Feta salad, or any combination of cheese and bread products I feel like. I have even had some hummus for veggie breakfast. I feel much more comfortable with the small meal type of eating that has developed with both John and I. It reminds me of French eating (though not so much French cooking which values a very large sit down meal). I mean specifically the type of French eating you experience on an average day tromping around Paris. Begin with a piece of crusty bread and some cheese, nibble something fruit-based around 10 or 11, have a soup OR a sandwich OR a salad for lunch then a one-dish dinner and, always, something for dessert.

In a much less romantic fashion, this also reminds me of the appetite of Hobbits in the Shire.

Weekend Eating

A busy weekend requires a single-post roundup of my vegetarian adventures for the weekend. I hope you will all forgive me .

Falafel Friday:

Boringly, I had the same food as Sam on Friday. Having received the daily phone call asking for lunch advice, I quickly dispensed with my plan of going to freshii to sample their overpriced salads. Whilst thinking of lunch ideas, I realised that crunchy, hot falafel smothered in hummus and accompanied by that pickled purple vegetable that nobody knows what it is (I think it's turnip but it could quite easily be pickled  Snozzcumber [see above] for all I know/care. It's just SO purple and pickly) was exactly what I wanted. I've discovered a little underground food court between Yonge-Bloor Subway station and Holt Renfrew so a quick trip there resulted in a styrofoam container loaded with all the veg, rice, beans and falafel I could possibly manage in one sitting. In fact, I didn't manage it in one sitting. I ate it all afternoon and had just half a Ristorante pizza for dinner. A good day's eating.

One thing that I have certainly noticed, even in the short time I've been vegetating, is that I am less full after eating and hungry more often, but I can actually only eat quite small portions because the foods I am eating are so filling. Beans, gnocchi etc really fill you up quickly without seeming to eat that much. The outcome of this is that I'm eating small amounts and more often which is probably much better for me than having massive feasts at irregular intervals! I'm sure this is more a result of a more considered approach to what I am eating than anything else. Consciously attempting to meet my daily nutritional requirements with limited resources is resulting in some well rounded meals. I'll have to see if I can find a way to keep that up beyond Easter because I find that I'm not so tired after eating this way.

Sandwich Saturday:

Saturday was a day of food adventures. I went to Chinatown and Kensington Market to pick up a few ingredients to use in future vegetarian cooking including: tamari, tahini, quinoa and of course, cheese. Cheese shopping whilst vegetarian is dangerous, especially in Kensington Market. One cheese very quickly turns into 5 when a middle aged Eastern European lady is force-feeding you sample after sample, barely giving you the chance to mutter muffled protests through mouthfuls of smoked gouda and gorgonzola when you only came in for some olives in the first place! But, I love cheese...so I guess it's not the end of the world.

I took the opportunity to swing by the Urban Herbivore - little brother of Fressen vegetarian restaurant - which serves vegetarian salads, bowls and sandwiches. I picked up one avocado sandwich (picture above) and one grilled celery root (celeriac to the British) sandwich. I had half of each, reserving the other half for Sam to eat when she got home from work. A full review of these will appear shortly on my much-neglected blog In Search of a Sandwich. Needless to say, they were delightful, filling and lasted me much of the day. A few boiled Chinese vegetarian dumplings dipped in apricot mop (what else?) with a splash of soy sauce rounded off the day nicely. 

Something Sunday:



Today I nibbled on various leftovers throughout the day - sandwiches, salads and other bits and pieces that were left from the week. I'd been planning to do a big cook some time this weekend but work, shopping and general tiredness appear to have gotten in the way slightly. I managed to find some energy this evening to experiment with my newly purchased immersion blender. So, I made hummus with sundried tomatoes, and a broad bean and pea hummus-type dip which is called Bisarra (well it's usually just broad beans but I think I've made my thoughts on peas clear). The thing I like about hummus is that it can be whatever you want it to really. As long as you have:

Chick peas
Garlic
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Tahini (this sesame seed paste is a traditional but not an essential ingredient of hummus. It adds quite a nutty, savoury flavour and reduces the amount of oil needed because it's moist and quite oily itself. It is a little unpleasant on it's own because it's so intense. If anyone wants to try some, I have tonnes)

You can really add anything you want or adjust the proportions to your own tastes. I go quite light on the oil, one fat clove of garlic, a couple of tablespoons of tahini, quite a hefty splash of lemon juice, and finish with salt and pepper. This gives me a nice tangy hummus that is a bit thicker than most of the ones that you buy. Adding some sundried tomatoes just makes it even tangyer (or is it tangier? That's in Morocco isn't it? How fitting) which is how I like it. Using roasted garlic makes it quite rich and delicate which people often prefer because the raw garlic does slap you in the face a little, and then slaps everyone you talk to for the rest of the day in the face as well. Really any of those flavours you associate with the Mediterranean can be easily incorporated into hummus. I wonder how it would be with apricot mop? Why didn't I think of that earlier?! It could only be amazing.

The Bisarra was more of a spicy dip - with some smoked paprika, cumin and a little cayenne thrown in. Otherwise, besides the tahini, the basic recipes are pretty much the same. It's amazing how far the spice goes though - the beans really take on strong flavours well. I'm not sure how much I enjoyed the Bisarra - I think it needs a little work but I liked the bean/pea combo and I'm always a fan of spice. More work to be done on that one.

These two, served with a rosemary focaccia, some olives and a watermelon and feta salad (cubed not crumbled feta though - crumbled feta annoys me) and I was a very happy, slightly more Mediterranean, temporarily vegetarian, chap.


John

Snack My Life

So it should be abundantly clear by now that John has a much easier time with food than I do.

Comparing our 'Day One' food totals and having to call him every lunch (not just vegetarian ones!) to get ideas on what to eat has taught me that he is a food natural. I am certain that scientific study of John would reveal that he thinks about food more than he thinks about me, and I have long made my peace with this. For my part, I don't think a lot about food unless I am cooking it. I eat a lot, or at least I eat a lot more than people expect given my size. I am prone to mindless snacking, impulse food court decisions and eating deli meats straight out of the pack. I am not the type to realize that I am hungry, nor that I am full... I just munch. Munch things here and there without any conscious brain activity about what I am doing. But what I really love about food is the experience I have with it when I am aware of it, so part of the idea of a Vegetarian Lent was to get me thinking about food again.

And I am happy to report that I have had my first great Lent Epiphany on Food. As I got more and more defeated about John having such a yummy first day and always being able to scratch a positive food experience out of any situation (including poverty- birthplace of the condiment sandwich) a familiar saying of mine floated through my head, FML. I puttered about the Kitchen having eaten nothing all morning and grumpily shrugged off all my options. F granola bars. F toast. F kiwis! Then an idea formed in my brain...

Toast One Poppy Seed (or equivilant) Bagel. Ensure toaster is clear of dust and debris due to neglect. Also ensure Bagel is properly defrosted and will not end up a horrible burnt/ice combo. Chop (aka. randomly attack with knife) Sun-dried Tomatoes which lurk in the back of the fridge soaking in olive oil. Spread these onto warm Bagel in random but balanced patches. Unwrap one wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese for each half of Bagel, mmm gluttony. Spread on top of Tomatoes. Finish with generous sprinkling of Italian Herbs Mix.

At this moment, this was the best snack of my life. All the flavour of naughtily eating the Sun-dried Tomatoes straight out of the jar, all the energy of eating real food, all the pleasure of Laughing Cow. All grumpiness gone, my love of desperately created snacks was instantly rekindled.

Snack My Life.

Food Tallying

Sam Day Two:

1 Left over portion of Broccoli and Blue Cheese Gnocci

1 Bagel

2 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges

1 ish Sun Dried Tomato

1 Tofu and Zen Garden Frozen Vegetable Stir-Fry with Apricot Mop

Plus Tea-Infused (not successfully though... will continue work on this) Couscous

2 Bowls President's Choice Blue Menu Key Lime Ice Cream

1 Handful of Chocolate Chips

1 Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte, Starbucks

Sam Day Three:

1 Nature Valley Granola Bar, Almond Crunch (already sick of these)

1 Medium Caramelo Coffee, Second Cup

1 Vegetarian Plate from Shwarma King including:

-2 falafel balls

-rice and lentils

-tabbouleh (aka. parsley salad)

-loads of green salad and tomato

-loads of hummus (aka. chickpea mush)

-pickled turnip

-1/2 pita bread

1 Can of Coke 341 ml

1/4 cup Almond

1/2 Frozen Pizza, Mushroom Dr. Oetker

A Touch of Tofu

Veggie day two food intake:

Footlong veggie sub from Subway - Wholly unsatisfying. Whilst it was an excellent opportunity to have a different sauce with my Subway (I just can't escape the killer combination of hot sauce and ranch during omnivorous Subway visits), I ended up disappointed for a number of reasons. First of all, I didn't get the Subway-standard 6 slices of tomato. Someone didn't successfully completed their Sandwich Artist training. Having worked at Subway for 6 months, I am now one of those annoying people who knows exactly how many meatballs should be on a meatball sub and will tell you if you short change me (but won't say a word if I get an extra one). Maybe I should get a job as a Subway mystery shopper.

Secondly, there was no meat on it. To make up for this I considered blasting it with salt but thought that would defeat the point of having a sandwich made entirely of salad and so decided against it. I should have had cheese though - the salvation of the vegetarian. There's always cheese to take the edge off! Being a vegan must be a living hell.

Tofu and vegetable stir fry with tea-infused couscous - Amidst the jars of things in the fridge that I have made and then forgotten about are two jars of apricot mop - basically apricot jam boiled with some vinegar, ginger and sriracha (chinese chilli sauce). Apparently it is the perfect accompaniment to crispy deep fried chicken wings but I never got that far in the recipe. However, the apricot mop is the ultimate condiment for all occasions, including dipping pitta bread, using as the base of a salad dressing and, of course, splashing over meat. Yesterday it formed the base of this tasty stir fry cooked by Sam. She also had the genius idea of cooking couscous in minty tea rather than the usual boiling water or stock. I don't think the flavour of the mint came out as much as I would have liked but you could certainly taste the tea and I think she's on to something interesting. Imagine couscous cooked in apricot mop! It can't get much better than that.

Much as I enjoyed this meal, there is definitely something odd about tofu. I haven't had much experience with it in the past, despite having been vegetarian for lent once before. It has only appeared in my life in small pieces in hot and sour soup, or as a barely noticed component of a Pot Noodle. In both of these cases, the tofu was soft and wet and slurped down with everything else in my bowl/pot in big, mushy spoonfuls. So this was really the first time that I've chewed tofu and it took me some time to come to terms with the texture. It's not quite meat, it's not quite cheese, it's not quite mush. It's just somewhere close to each of these without sitting firmly in one camp. I found that a little disconcerting so perhaps I would enjoy softer tofu more as it would be further from familiar textures. I will investigate and keep you posted.

President's Choice Blue Menu Key Lime ice cream - Mmmm fake-sugar delicious

John

Day One

After a Shrove Tuesday of bacon topped pancakes, Ash Wednesday brought with it a commitment to forty days of vegetarianism in observance of Lent. No bacon, no burgers, and no beef broth. I hope that sharing this adventure will make it a little easier and so, here is how it began.

Today I ate:

A bean burrito from Quesada - Very satisfying and filling. Having both types of beans (black and pinto) certainly makes a difference because you get the contrast of textures which is often missing in bean burritos. That being said - I've decided that black beans just aren't my bag (baby). Outside of Chinese cuisine, I don't really enjoy them. They seem to be a little springy and without much flavour. Also, it was undercooked. The moustached gentleman at the checkout seemed to be in a great hurry to move me and my vegetarian-friendly burrito along and so it was a little mushy. Non-melted cheese has no place in my burrito. Perhaps that is also partly to blame for my black-bean-abhorrence.

Broccoli and blue cheese gnocchi (with additions)

 This flashed up on my 'Recipe of the day' widget that I have on my Google homepage. How fitting - a vegetarian recipe on the first day of veggielent! I decided to add a bit of nutritional content so I included peas (you can never have too many), mushrooms and a little garlic for flavour. I also fiddled around with the quantities a bit - doubling the amount of gnocchi, reducing the amounts of cream and blue cheese - to make a meal that would go further and be slightly less fatty. It was very filling, and there is tonnes left for lunches which I am happy about . It ended up being a little dull though, even with the addition of garlic. It was rich and delicately flavoured but quite a one-note experience. The addition of a splash of balsamic vinegar on the plate lifted the whole dish. Expect to see it popping up again in the near future.

Snacks:

One Nature Valley almond granola bar - purchased by Sam (I was extremely skeptical) but I quickly decided that they are delicious and our box of 64 may not last very long!

Day one was a decadent success. Easing myself into a vegetarian regime with some big, hearty dishes, packed with beans, cheese and other vegetarian stereotypes was a good idea so that I finished each meal full and satisfied, without feeling like anything was missing. The days to follow will most likely include some effort to grasp the opportunity to eat a little more healthily but, for now, melted cheese eases the transition away from meat.

John

Ash Wednesday

Sam Day One:

2 Kiwi's

1 Nature Valley Granola Bar, Chocolate

1/2 Bioprotein Protein Bar, Toffee

1/4 Almonds, Raw

1 Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks

1 Banana (also from Starbucks)

1 Serving Broccoli and Blue Cheese Gnocci

So yesterday began the first day of forty days of vegetarianism with Ash Wednesday. My day was occupied with sleeping in and eventually getting myself to work for a 1:30 to 10 pm shift. I did not buy anything from the food court (this being one of my major goals of the whole lent experience) That being said, by day's end I had eaten almost nothing, putting our plan to track our eating habits and food choices over the month into serious jeopardy. How interesting could it possibly be to look back over these forty days and see nothing but "1/4 cup almonds"? Luckily I found myself home around 11 pm eating a very tasty bowl of Broccoli and Blue Cheese Gnocci, which was full of delicious Rosenborg blue cheese in a creamy sauce. Seeing as it was made by my extremely British boyfriend, it also had quite a large number of peas for a 'broccoli' focused dish. The whole thing was like real food after a day of eating things which closely resemble cardboard, so I won't complain about the peas. They were lovely... as was the drizzle of balsamic vinegar on top of the dish at the end. mmm.

Having the same thing for lunch today, haven't eaten otherwise. Is there a link between vegetarianism and anorexia ? I want bacon.

Sam