Cooking: detox diaries - the way forward

Yay!  I did it  - I managed to stick to a vegan, gluten-, lactose- and sugar-free diet for 3 weeks, drinking only tea and water.  And I enjoyed it all!  

But this is not the end of my detox adventures.  I continue to follow for the most part a plant-based diet, but I'm by no means a vegan.  I have reintroduced meat and dairy products (on a very few occasions), but I actually prefer the versatility of the plant-based meals.  I'm still not drinking coffee, but I don't feel I'm missing out on anything. And while I haven't had any real dessert, I'm looking into this area and am gathering ideas for the future...

All in all, the detox programme helped me realise what else there is out there with respect to the healthier lifestyle.  Because this is what I wanted, a lifestyle, not a diet.  Unfortunately, this is as much as the programme proved helpful.  I did not follow the recipes almost from the very beginning (but I knew that, I am very picky) but I'm also not the type to require constant boosting to keep going.  I can motivate myself and I do find it difficult to comply to what someone else tells me is good / healthy / energising etc.  In addition, the price for the programme was a hefty one and I cannot see any added value (again, for me).  My friend who introduced me to this programme had already gone through it last year so, as an alumni, she paid about one fifth of what I would be required to have the same access  rights she had.  That I find upsetting.  I fully understand the right to monetise all the effort, the administration fees and the advice from professionals but such a discrepancy is for me unreasonable.  This is my opinion and that's all I will say on the subject.

But, on to good stuff:  what else did I learn from this detox programme?

Lesson 1: a succulent meal can be plant-based - and it may even taste better!

Lesson 2: there is serious need for meal planning - otherwise it's chips galore! Yep, when I get home from work, I cannot bear to start cooking.  No way.  I can almost bring myself to warm up a cooked meal or else it's hummus with veggies (note:  on the weekends, I make a jarful of both peanut butter and hummus for such occasions)

Lesson 3: invitations to meal gatherings need negotiating  😜😜😜.  While still in week 1, I was invited to a BBQ.  I declined, because I wasn't ready yet to discuss my detox with everyone there.  As it turned out, I did well: there was only meat to eat - no salads, no dips, no side dishes... Since then, of course, I have gone to gatherings and I have had people over - no problem at all!

Lesson 4: when I had a family member staying over, I was certain she would complain about the food - turns out she didn't mind. She actually enjoyed tasting bits of the gluten- and lactose-free meals... This is to say, believe in the taste of the meals you make.  Unless the person is a desperate carnivore, most welcome a change in their diet!

"Omelette" (based on the Easy Vegan's simple vegan omelette)

75g chickpea flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kala namak (black salt)

200ml unsweeted soy milk

1 each red bell pepper and yellow courgette, thinly sliced

1/2 shallot, thinly sliced

1 bunch baby spinach

salt/pepper

My first try at an eggless omelette.  Not bad, really.  I first browned the veggies, starting with the onion.  I used one whole tablespoon of oil, but for all this quantity I think it was well worth it.  Following the onion, the courgette and the bell pepper, it took me about 5 minutes to get a bit of colour on them.  In the meantime, I mixed the rest of the ingredients in a blender.  Removing the veggies from the pan, I used another teaspoon of oil to bake the batter.  After the first 2 minutes, I put the veggies back on top and hoped for the best.  Well, it didn't happen.  The omelette broke and I ended up with scrambled eggs (my fault, chickpea flour tends to stick - next time I will try half bread flour/half chickpea flour).  Do I mind?  nope... 

UPDATE : modified the basic ingredients and my omelettes are now the best!

30g chickpea flour
45g gluten free flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kala namak
1/4  tsp smoked paprIka
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
200ml unsweetened soy milk

Lasagna soup (based on Pick up Limes' one-pot lasagna soup)

1/2 shallot, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp red pesto
200g vegan ground meat
1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder
1 tsp oregano

1 liter tomato soup, bio
10 sheets of mini gluten-free lasagna, crushed
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp vegan cheese sauce

I actually made a non-vegan version of this way back... And I'm really excited that the vegan version of it is equally, if not better, than the original!

Over medium heat, fry the shallot, garlic, tomato paste and pesto in a teaspoonful of oil - if the mixture gets too sticky, add a couple of tablespoons water. After a couple of minutes, add the ground meat and the condiments.  I let it simmer about 4 minutes so that the mince was thoroughly warm.  Add the tomato soup, together with the crushed lasagna, and stir from time to time so that the lasagna does not stick to the bottom of the pan.  After the first 10 minutes, add the cheese sauce so that it is fully incorporated.  The soup is ready in 30 minutes.  About 5 minutes before add the vinegar.  It is so delicious, I've no words...