A MONTH ago I went on a juice cleanse. You know what it cleans out of you best? The will to live.
– Judith Newman, “The Juice Cleanse: A Strange and Green Journey,” New York Times (October 27, 2010).
I feel ya, sister. I feel ya.
Read the rest of her (very accurate) article about doing a juice cleanse here.
This is the fullest my fridge has ever been. It shocks me every time I open it. My grandmother would be proud.
Versus what it normally looks like…
Hard to decide what to eat when there’s so many options! pic.twitter.com/wifiFwkYeb
— Erika (@Erikaaaa321) May 19, 2014
Today I’m starting a 5-day juice “reboot.” Halloween is on Friday, which basically means a 3-day party and saying goodbye to any healthy habits. Throw in a skintight costume and you can see why I timed my reboot for this week; Better to get my body in shape so it can handle whatever toxins I throw at it this weekend (and look good while doing it!).
I did a reboot at the end of September and it wasn’t so bad, although by Day 5 I was ready for it to end. Like, really ready. But, with that aside, it was completely fine. No starvation, no headaches, minimal grumpiness.
So here I am again. New end-of-month, new reboot.
The benefit of having done it before is now I know which juices I like and which I don’t. The last cleanse got a little painful when I knew a juice I didn’t like was coming up in the meal plan – all of sudden my cravings for solid food ramped up. This time I was able to set up my meal plan to include only the juices I liked and (mainly) avoid the ones I didn’t *cough the beet juices cough*.
My first cleanse was inspired by “Fat Sick and Nearly Dead” after watching it on Netflix. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m interested in nutrition and health so I’ve run through most of Netflix’s health and nutrition-focused documentaries. This one struck a chord with me because it showed how entirely possible and healthy something like this could be.
Before that, I’d always thought of juice cleanses as crazy crash diets that involved drinking nothing but lemon water mixed with a bunch of other weird, gross ingredients. Those sounded like miserable days filled with starvation, deprivation and irritation. No thanks.
This documentary shattered that perception. This juice cleanse actually looked healthy and good for the body. And based on the people profiled in the doc, it seemed like anyone could do it – not just those super desperate for weight loss or people with willpower made of steel.
So I thought I’d give it a shot. I happen to have a juicer at my disposal, so that made my decision all that much easier. I went to Joe Cross’s website and downloaded his “5-day Jump Into Juicing Reboot” plan. I picked my juices, made my shopping list and… got started. The groceries were a little expensive ($125 for 5 days worth of juice ingredients) and the labour involved in making 5 juices a day is annoying (prepping the fruits and vegetables, cleaning the juicer, storing the juices, etc.), but as long as I keep telling myself it’s worth it I don’t feel bad about it.
The best part of doing a juice cleanse? It’s 100% vegan.
One thing rom coms and chick flicks have taught me is that every single girl living in a big city needs to have a go-to Thai takeout place.
I’m pleased to say I have fulfilled that requirement.
The Thai presented itself to me by way of a chalkboard sign outside the restaurant proclaiming, “Try our vegan menu!” Um, done. That was literally a sign telling me this was my go-to Toronto Thai takeout place. I’d be a moron to ignore it.
I went in, grabbed a menu and was pleasantly surprised to see not just a couple vegan options but a whole section of the menu dedicated to its vegan patrons.
We’ve been together ever since.
Working late? Got that baby on speed dial for quick pick-up on the way home. Having a tiff with the Vitamix? The Thai is always there for me with open arms (jk, me and the Vitamix never fight).
It’s quick, easy and always good – like any side restaurant should be.
You can find it at Bloor St. W. and Indian Rd. on the south side of the street tucked between a row of pubs. It’s open until 10 PM and its vegan dishes run between $9 and $12 plus tax. Personally, I find the portion size to be enough for two meals so I’d say it’s worth the price.
Vegan Thai takeout isn’t very different from regular Thai takeout. The main difference I find is the protein; instead of shrimp, it’s soy-shrimp or soy-duck or soy-chicken… you get the idea. Taste-wise I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s pretty much identical — same flavour and seasoning. Again, the biggest difference I notice comes from the texture in the protein since obviously real duck vs soy duck is going to be different.
I’ve had the soy-shrimp Pad Thai and spicy curry soy-shrimp. Both items are good but the soy-shrimp Pad Thai is my favourite. From my go-to Thai takeout place that is definitely my go-to dish. I’ve never had real duck so I think that’s the main reason why I haven’t bothered to try any of the soy-duck items. Or, if I’m going to be honest, it’s probably because the soy-shrimp Pad Thai is so good I don’t feel a need to try anything else.
Ah, young love. So loyal.
If that changes, I’ll let you know. But in the meantime I’ll be happily carrying on this little late night love affair with The Thai and it’s on point vegan Pad Thai.
One of my best friends transitioned to a plant-based diet around the same time I did and we were recently talking about things we’ve discovered since making the switch. One thing that we both agreed on was going vegan had deepened our appreciation for food and made us better cooks.
I’ve mentioned it before in an earlier post, but it’s true. It may sound crazy since I’ve subtracted a lot of society’s favourite foods from my diet (see: bacon, butter, ice cream, steak, most of the McD’s menu, etc. etc.) but hear me out.
Before I went all plant-based all the time, I was focused on eating healthy and avoiding those “bad” calories. Unfortunately, what that usually amounted to was pretty bland food and small portions. Animal food products generally have a lot of calories attached to them so if you’re calorie conscious but really want to have that steak for dinner, it will probably be the size of a deck of cards and with minimal seasoning. Mmmm – NAT.
My pre-vegan meals pretty much went like this:
Breakfast: corn flakes with almond milk and a banana
Lunch: baked chicken breast (boneless, skinless) and a mixed greens salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Dinner: some form of meat with no seasoning (unless it was hot sauce), a side of steamed vegetables and tiny, tiny amount of whatever carb Mom made to go with it.
Yeah, not exactly the best tasting life.
When I switched to a plant-based diet, all of a sudden I had to get a little more creative with my meals. Where was my protein going to come from? Iron? Would I be full?
Nothing ends a new diet quicker than getting bored with your meals or disliking the taste of the new foods. So I focused on making sure every meal I made was the best tasting thing it could be. I bought more spices, I experimented with new vegetables, I became an expert in legumes, I bought a Vitamix, I learned how to make tofu taste good. And in the process I really began to appreciate the way food tasted.
Because most of what I eat is homemade, I know exactly what is going in my foods so I usually don’t need to worry about “bad” calories or portion sizes. I don’t add processed ingredients to my recipes and pretty much everything I eat comes from a plant. Gone are the days of tracking my meals with the My Fitness Pal app and worrying about my daily calorie limit.
So every time someone asks me how long I think this “vegan phase” is going to last, I honestly tell them that I don’t see an end to it. Why would it when all I have waiting for me are those bland, boring meals to go back to?
Taking a page from Oprah’s book, I’m going to occasionally dedicate a post to some of my favourite things. And it only makes sense that my first “Favourite Things” post is dedicated to my Vitamix. Because I fucking love that thing. Pardon the language but the emphasis was needed.
I bought as a little housewarming gift for myself when I moved to Toronto. Hella expensive but worth every penny.
I use it every single day. I try to find a way to incorporate it into every recipe I follow. Chop vegetables? I’ll just throw them in the Vitamix. Food processor called for? Nah, I’ll just use my Vitamix. Flax “egg” needed? Sure, let me just grind up some flax seed in my dry container.
Seriously. I didn’t think it was possible to love an appliance as much as I love this one.
Now I make my own peanut butter, almond butter, oat and almond flours, hummus, soups, salad dressings, sauces… It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
And the company is pretty fantastic too. One time while attempting to make pumpkin seed butter I overheated it and melted a hole in the bottom of the wet container. I was pretty devastated until I called Vitamix and they shipped me a brand new upgraded (!) container in less than 48 hours for free.
So there you have it, folks. If not for it’s magical blending powers, love it for its stellar customer service.
It’s a rainy, grey night in Toronto. Fall may have technically started last month but it’s definitely making itself felt tonight, forcing me to admit to myself that those warm, sunny summer evenings are officially a thing of the past (at least until next year).
So with the weather getting colder and it being a Monday and all, soup seemed like the most obvious choice for dinner. Warm, comforting, simple to make – it is exactly what this Monday called for.
I found a recipe for samosa soup a couple weeks ago that I’d bought all the ingredients for so I even had a soup recipe ready to go.
I’m a huge fan of Indian food. I’d even say it’s my favourite type of food. The spices, the flavours, the heat, the wide variety of vegan and vegetarian dishes… it’s just all so good. When I saw the samosa soup recipe I didn’t hesitate. Hell, I barely even read over the recipe before I pinned it. I just knew I was going to make it. Making actual samosas seems a little out of my league at this point but soup is something I can handle.
And it didn’t disappoint.
It was spicy. It was warm. It was filling.
With the blinds closed and some candles lit, I even managed to trick myself into forgetting it’s a cold, rainy night. So yeah, this soup was exactly what this Monday night needed.
The blended boiled potatoes made it perfectly thick and added a creamy texture. The addition of chickpeas and green peas were reminiscent of eating an actual samosa. I missed having the potato chunks though, so for next time I’m going to reserve a couple potatoes and add it in with the peas to honour the samosa a little better. Oh, and I’ll make sure to pick up some naan bread to go with it. YUM.
I made a few additions/subtractions to the original recipe, so that’s the version you’ll find below. If you want to check out the original just click here.
Mmmmmmmm.
When I first moved to Toronto I never thought such a thing could exist. But now part of me almost wishes it didn’t because I have become waaay too familiar with the restaurant that bestows it.
Located at Queen St. W. and Dovercourt (and open until 3:30 AM on weekends), it has become the regular pit stop for me and my friends after the bar. Depending on what time we arrive and which night we choose to go out on, sometimes there’s a line out the door or sometimes it’s just us, a couple scragglers and the dancing poutine chefs behind the counter. Always, it’s amazing.
A colleague at work told me about the vegan poutine option and when I mentioned it to my Toronto partner-in-crime she was ecstatic because it just so happened to be her favourite poutine place. And just like that, no night out was complete unless we stopped at Poutini’s on the way home.
The vegan poutine is served with Daiya mozzarella cheese and vegetable gravy. Like the other poutines on the menu, it’s available in two sizes: tiny and regular*. It doesn’t mimic the taste of a standard, non-vegan poutine exactly but it comes pretty close and is just as satisfying, so I’m not complaining.
The restaurant itself is a small place, with a couple of long tables and stools to sit at if you desire to stay and eat your poutine there. You order at the counter and, if you’re lucky, can sit at one of these tables as you wait for it to be made. It’s cash only so make sure to bring about $10 (or your debit card to use at the ATM they have); a tiny vegan poutine + a bottle of water comes to $7.50.
It’s delicious. It’s addictive. And if you choose to go on a Friday or Saturday night after 2 AM, you’ll probably see me there.
*Note: those names are deceptive. “Tiny” is actually a normal size, meanwhile “regular” is like an extra-large serving. Depending how hungry/drunk you are, tiny is usually the best option. But I won’t judge if you go for the regular… I’m no stranger to it.
That is the first thought that went through my head when I tasted the finished product of this recipe. So. Good.
Too good, in fact. I made it before heading to yoga and got a little carried away with “tasting” it. Anyone who does hot yoga regularly knows the pain that comes with eating a full meal before class. Needless to say, I spent a fair bit of the class digesting in child’s pose.
I’m avid Pinterest user so it’s where I get most of my recipes. This recipe was no exception.
And what brought me to this recipe?
Well, for a reason I’m still not entirely sure of, this week a guy in my French course brought in squash for the entire class. I missed last week’s class where apparently there was a discussion about why this was a thing that was happening but the gist of it was that he’s a vegetarian and grows his own squash and made a joke (?) about bringing in squash for everyone and then did. Yeah… I don’t know. That was the explanation I got and I didn’t care enough to press it. I was just happy to have free squash!
I took my gift home and immediately began a Pinterest hunt for a recipe to use it in. I pinned a couple options but ultimately settled on this one: Creamy Squash Curry Quinoa. AKA: the epitome of comfort food.
Like, look at that. It looks like a hug in a bowl.
Anyway, it was a breeze to make and now I have enough leftovers to last me a week – not that I’m complaining! I will happily eat that for breakfast, lunch and dinner (will verify the accuracy of this statement next week).
Instructions are below (click image to enlarge). Here are some more of my thoughts on it:
Enjoy!
Welcome to my blog!
This year I became passionate about two things: being vegan and Toronto. Add that to my passion for writing and it seemed only natural to start blogging.
I went vegan in March. It was a sudden change, but a surprisingly easy one. And it’s all because of this book:
I’ve always been interested in nutrition and health so when my mom asked if I wanted to read a book she’d gotten about dieting, of course I said yes. It’s called “The End of Dieting: How to Live for Life” by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. In it, Dr. Fuhrman talked about how a plant-based diet was the healthiest diet out there and went through its various benefits. It only took a couple chapters before I was sold. After reading the last page, I closed the book and reflected on my diet. Could I switch to a plant-based diet? Would it be a huge transition? Mentally running through what I ate on a daily basis I realized that 80% of my diet already was vegan.
Dairy? I had made the switch to almond milk a year earlier when I realized it had less calories than cow’s milk and didn’t taste too bad.
Cheese? Unless it was on pizza, it didn’t make many appearances in my diet (too many calories).
Eggs? Butter? Too many calories, so yep, those items were also rare (pre-vegan Erika was very calorie conscious, as I’m sure you can tell).
Meat? I was never a meat lover. Poultry was my favourite but steak, pork and any other animal I could take or leave (usually the latter).
Seafood? By far the most difficult subtraction. Seafood was always my favourite. And how can you have sushi without seafood?! You can but, I won’t lie, it’s nowhere near as magical without it.
So yep, just like that I decided to no longer eat anything with animal products in it. It was a bit drastic, but if you know me you know that’s how I am; all or nothing.
And now, 7 months later, I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It makes me happy. It’s taught me to be a better cook. I feel good knowing I’m not hurting animals. I like that my carbon footprint is smaller. I love that my grocery bill is cheaper. In summary: it’s great.
The next best decision I made was to move to Toronto, which I did in May. If I thought the transition to a plant-based diet was easy, Toronto proved it could be 1000x easier. Vegan bakeries, vegan ice cream shops, vegan restaurants, vegan festivals and a vegan option on almost every menu… It’s like I moved out of my parents’ house and into (vegan) heaven.
So here we are. This blog will be all about my vegan experiences, many (if not all) of which will take place in Toronto. I’ll write about restaurants, recipes I attempt, and anything else that relates to being vegan in this lovely city I call home.
Happy reading!
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