I think I started this blog in days rather than weeks unsure if I’d get past a day, and also every detail felt significant. Before January 2023, and without thinking much about it, I consumed things that were not vegan virtually every time I ate or drank anything, so to change that meant constant thought. After a week, I was beyond that – I had my routine and so every little thing is less of a big deal. I was feeling good, had lost 4 pounds (without trying to eat less), and my blood pressure has dropped significantly. The only thing I’m hankering after on a several-times-a-day basis is a proper cup of tea. What’s interesting from here in is more experimenting in the kitchen – that side of it has been a joy.
Week 3 brought more weight loss (7 pounds less than 1st January now) and more nice food. And I started inventing my own dishes rather than following recipes.
There have been culinary highlights and lowlights. Let’s start with the good…
Fried potatoes with chestnut mushrooms, mozzarella and pesto
As you can see, I got on a bit of a fried potatoes with… kick for a bit. Presentation is sometimes all. Meat or fish usually takes centre stage on a plate with the vegetables the supporting players. The centrepiece then gets all the nice saucing and presentation. But if you make the main vegetable mix the centre and dress it nicely (I was particularly pleased with the felafel crumb as that added a lovely migas-like crunch), then you have a very satisfying plate of food.
My Ooni outdoor pizza oven wasn’t in good form for this – and on a cold wet night that’s understandable. So the pizzas themselves weren’t technically great. BUT the toppings were excellent. This ‘I am Nut OK’ brand mozzarella is a revelation. Melts nicely, tastes good. Super! At £5 for 200g it’s about quadruple the price of regular mozzarella. But no more expensive I guess than artisan cheese – I would definitely buy again.
And now for some less delicious things – for full disclosure.
Hmm…
The McPlant was… not nice but not disgusting. Didn’t finish. I suspect that will be the only of its kind I eat in my life.
At the start of the month I went mad buying vegan faux-meat products – which then sat in the fridge whilst I enjoyed myself cooking nice fresh dishes that just didn’t happen to have fish, meat, eggs or dairy in them. But these things were coming up to expiry so week 2 I ate them. This was… OK but I would never eat or buy again, even if I was vegan for life.
Similarly this was… OK but as for the faux schnitzel, I wouldn’t buy again. I’d either make ‘meat’ using tofu myself (like with the Vietnamese meatballs) – or just have felafels or similar.
Looks good. Is OK. Is very expensive. Not worth it.
Tried a few vegan chocolate bars – none very nice. But it’s such a shame because good dark chocolate can be naturally vegan and of course absolutely delicious. All the vegan ‘milk’ chocolates I tried have been weird tasting – like they have artificial sweetener in almost.
Bristol’s famous vegan burger joint. This their ‘chicken’. I would have this again but didn’t knock me out. Surely better to have a breaded and deep fried large mushroom, say…
Brizgat 