Are you going to become a Vegan?

On a recent trip to what I call home, New York, my younger sister asked me if I was planning on entering the vegan food world. I have to admit, it is pretty enticing. Although many would probably feel it is a constricting diet, I have come to realize that it is actually quite inspiring and creative. Every day I scout all the vegan blogs that I have gathered in my bookmarks. Reading about Banana Rolls with Coconut Pecan Filling and Lemon Scented Quinoa Salad makes my stomach growl. I truly feel that it is the blogging world that has opened up my eyes to new ways of eating, not only by including different ingredients (i.e. almond milk, kale, tahini) in my menu’s but also challenged my conventional thoughts on nourishment. Eating healthy does not have to be boring and that is why I have determined to redesign my dietary future.

I will be incorporating fresh fare in my everyday meals and hopefully I will be able to share some exciting new spins on ingredients we may already be familiar with. The plan is to eat mostly vegan and definitely vegetarian at home, however, I cannot promise at this time that I won’t stray from eating some fresh seafood this summer. It has been many years since I have eaten red meat, and a few months since eating poultry but I have no desire to return to either. Sadly I am lactose-intolerant so my dairy intake has been limited to greek yogurt and goat cheese the last few years as well. I have been experimenting with all alternatives and favor unsweetened almond milk in vanilla and silk yogurts.

The best wrap I have been having regularly for weeks now is a spin on the classic BLT. Tempeh Bacon is a new favorite and I even brought a piece with me out the door this morning in a hurry to get to class. The Sprouted Grain wrap is stuffed full with halved cherry tomatoes, 1/4 of an avocado, some alfalfa sprouts and nayonaise. In the future, I will venture out with more exciting recipes but this is a classic that never fails my stomach.

The Vegan restaurant, Candle Cafe, in the Upper East Side of Manhattan is a place I loved right away. It was bright and clean inside with a juice/bar to the left upon entering from 3rd Avenue. I shared a Soba Noodle Salad and Smoked Tempeh & Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with my lovely sister. When finishing our healthy meal, we knew it just wouldn’t be right if we didn’t subject our taste buds to a vegan dessert. The Chocolate Mousse Pie was unbelievably tasty, with the perfect smooth texture you would ask of from a mousse. This is a place we will certainly revisit in the near future. I already know what I will be taste-testing, and here is one preview:

Crystal Roll
Cucumber, cabbage, avocado, rice noodles, cilantro and barbecue grilled seitan wrapped in rice paper with a spicy peanut sauce.

YUM!

*Sorry I never got around to mentioning some favorite shopping spots in The Nine Streets of Amsterdam. I don’t even have time for excuses right now. My new computer and camera will be sure to create some more photo heavy posts soon.