Vegan Ultramarathoner Jurek Sets 24 Hour American Distance Record

Ever heard of the "ultra-marathon"? It's for people that think the 26.2 Mile "regular" marathon is simply not enough.

An ultra marathon is any race over 26.2 miles. They may be a fixed distance like 50, 100 or 150 miles or within a fixed amount of time, such as 24 hours. For the former, racers try to finish the distance within the shortest amount of time. For the latter, racers run as far as possible within a certain amount of time.


These races take place in all types of climates (from desert to snow) and all types of terrain (from mountains to sand). Now that I would classify as an extreme sport!
And guess who just broke the record for the 24 hour ultra-marathon on May 14, 2010? Vegan athlete Scott Jurek. He covered 165.7 miles in one full rotation of the earth. This guy eats between 5,000 and 8,000 calories a day is the 150 mile and upwards ultramarathon champ of our day.

Yes indeed boys and girls. Durek, as many vegan athletes before him have and after him will, once again breaks the stereotype of vegans being weak. It ain't no measily diet that fueled him for 24 hours!

Rock on, Jurek.

Another Almond Milk Recipe

Some people who read my blog have tried my almond milk recipe! I am curious to find out how it went for you, whether you used a cheesecloth to strain it, whether you added anything different, etc.? Please feel free to comment!

I came across a new almond milk recipe today, that I would like to try:

- 1 cup almonds, soaked overnight
- 3 pitted dates
- pinch of salt
- 3 cups water
1. Combine almonds, pitted dates, salt, and water in a blender and blend on high for two minutes.
2. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into a large measuring cup or bowl. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Bon café!

The Social Vegan

One of the top reasons why I always felt resistant to become vegan was that I felt it was an “anti-social” endeavour. I envisioned vegans as never going out for dinner or going to friends’ homes for dinner, and essentially tucked away under their rock of a homestead, eating dinner alone at home every evening.

But since becoming vegan, my vision of what “vegan dining” means has completely unravelled and been re-knit into a beautiful tapestry of layers, colours and tasty delights. Never would I have guessed that I would have so many sensual treats and savoury adventures after only one month into my Vegan Adventure.


Here is a breakdown of some helpful tips I have learned through personal experience about how to be an awesome social vegan, who has fun all the time, no matter whom they are with!

Restaurants:
The following types of cuisine have tons of vegan options:
- Indian
- Thai
- Mexican
- Sushi/Japanese
- Chinese
- Ethiopian
- Middle Eastern
- Italian
- even good 'ol SAD (Standard American Diet) food

I love thinking about this because the first four have always been my most favourite cuisines anyways (in descending order of importance). So, eating at these types of restaurants is easy peasy for a vegan like me. Remember, never be afraid to call ahead of time and ask the restaurant what options they have that do not contain meat, dairy or eggs. Also, don’t be afraid to substitute out certain ingredients when you order.


So, for instance, if you go to a sushi joint, you can order vegetable roll (knix the mayo), vegetable gyozas, spinach gomaae, miso, yam or veggie tempura, teriyaki vegetable don, edamame, salads, agedashi tofu (knix the fish flakes), etc., etc., etc! The macrobiotic diet, which is pescatarian and emphasizes whole grains, legumes, fresh vegetables, etc. was invented in Japan many moons ago, and so this is why so much of their food is still veg today.

Thai food is easy, half the Thai are Buddhists anyway! Choose red, yellow or green tofu-coconut curries, sweet and sour tofu soup, stir-fries, coconut or ginger tofu, noodles pad thai or fried rice but knix the egg, soups, tempeh, peanut sauce, mango salads, veg spring rolls, etc – go crazy!

Indian food is easy peasy too, because “ahimsa” which is a policy of non-violence to all living creatures, is a practice that many Indian cultures follow. Go for curries like bhindi curry, dals, dosas, roti, chana masala, veggie samosa or pakora, aloo-gobi, veg stir-fries, as well as a multitude of dips like chutneys and spicy sauces, and savoury snacks like bhel puri.

Many Chinese (as well as Vietnamese and Korean) restaurants, like the popular “Hon’s” chain in Vancouver, have a variety of faux meats – you’ll be shocked! Faux beef, chicken, pork, fish, shrimp and even goose, duck and oyster! If that’s not your bag, you can always opt for veg stir-fries, chow mein, chop suey, veg spring rolls and gyozas, noodles, sweet & sour and black bean sauces, bean curds, soups, bok-choi, hot-plates, rolls, casseroles, tofu dishes, Buddha’s feasts, the list goes on …

At a Mexican (or Latin) restaurant, you can basically order anything bean based, just knix the cheese and sour cream – so enchiladas, tacos, burritos, fajitas, tostadas, veg chilli, taco salads, tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, and wash it down with a sangria, margarita, or mojito! Mmmm

When you go Italian (or Mediterranean), order pastas and knocchi with tomato sauces, risotto, pesto, eggplant, salads, soups like minestrone or sun-dried tomato, antipastos, veg pizza (knix the cheese), etc.

A myriad of Ethiopian vegetarian dishes evolved because of a tradition of abstinence from any animal products during the Orthodox Christian fasting days. Try the Aterkik Alitcha (split peas prepared with light sauce), Atkilt Wot (cabbage, carrots, potatoes simmered in sauce), Atkilt Salata (boiled potatoes, jalapeno mixed in salad dressing), Buticha (chickpea dip mixed with lemon juice), Inguday Tibs (mushroom sauteed with onions), Fasolia (string beans and carrots sauteed in caramelized onion), Gomen (collard green and spices), Misir Wot (pureed split red lentil are simmered berbere sauce), Misir Alitcha (pureed split red lentil are simmered in mild sauce), Shimbra Asa (chickpeas flour dumplings & cooked in wot), Shiro Alitcha (mild split peas are milled together & slow cooked), Shiro Wot (split peas are milled together and slow cooked), Salata (Ethiopian salad, dressing: lemon, jalapeno & spices), Timatim Selata (tomatoe salad, onions, jalapeno & lemon juice)

Middle Eastern food is fun times both on-the-go or for a long and special meal: falafel, donairs (falafel), dolmades, Tabouleh, grilled vegetables, couscous, hummus & pita, koshari (lentils and rice with tomato sauce), soups like fava bean and chick pea soup, veg & lentil & rice dishes, spinach pie (knix the cheese), salads like fatoush, tahini & Baba ganoush, pita chips…

Even SAD food can make a vegan happy! Go for garden or portobello mushroom burgers, veg subway sandwiches, fries, salads, and lots more!

Dinner at a Friend’s Home:
If they are not vegan, you can say something along the lines of
“Thank you so much for inviting me. I am really excited about coming to your place for dinner. I am really trying hard not to eat meat or dairy, but I would like to bring a dish or two that would be tasty for everyone. Is there something I can make that would compliment your meal?”

Happy dining!

A Mother's Day story about milk cows and veal calves

Here is a lovely story from the Georgia Straight newspaper, Vancouver's urban weekly:

A Mother's Day story about milk cows and veal calves

The true story of Mario, an extraordinarily lucky calf and the extraordinarily terrible world he comes from.

Peace & love,

Jewely

Dinner in a Snap: Mexican “Chicken” Tacos & Organic Bean Sprout Salad

So, Monday night, I had dinner at a friend’s house. This friend is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, a staunch “meatitarian”. I don’t think he’s ever tried vegan in his life, nor thought of it. His idea of our “dinner together” involved two separate menus, one with grilled prawns (for him) and one with something else (for me) that he wasn’t quite able to conceptualize. Ha! I showed him.

We started by doing a quick survey of what his kitchen already had in stock. Not much in the home of this bachelor: taco shells, Aunt Jemima pancake mix, mustard, a whole bunch of meat in the freezer (which he kindly apologized about). That was about the extent of it. I felt that the taco shells were a good start, so we decided to work with that.

We went to the local Caper’s in Kits and picked out our filler for the tacos:
- Yves Ground “Chicken”
- Avocado
- Tofu-rella Jack Cheddar “Cheese”(see NOTE )
- Salsa
- Taco seasoning (we found it in his cupboard and fried it with the “chicken” in olive oil)

Then we proceeded to make:
- Organic Spring Bean Sprouts
- Crumbled Organic Corn Tortilla Chips
- drizzled with Olive Oil and Balsamic

For dessert, we enjoyed:

- Coco Orbs (raw, chocolatey balls of vegan goodness, brought to you by Caper’s) (see PS below)

- Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake (again, brought to you by Caper’s)

We topped it all off with a glass of Cabernet-Sauvignon.

This kick-ass dinner was quick, healthy, and tasty to boot.

NOTE: I am mad at Tofu-rella cheese and here’s why: the same company has other cheeses called “Vegan-rella” and they are all stacked together in the vegan cheese section of grocers. This blinded me. The following morning, low-and-behold, my clever roommate, who seems to have an unconscious ability to always know everything about what’s going down, alerted me to the fact that Tofu-rella contains “Casein” – a milk protein and one of those evil hidden ingredients that bites us vegans in the bum when we least expect it. At Caper’s I had had my cheese-tinted glasses on, too excited about all the vegan cheese options I saw to realize that the one I chose, nestled amongst them all, was not vegan at all. Boo.

PS: The deli girl at Caper’s was stoked when we asked her what vegan desserts she had. Turns out, she was a vegan too. She was also a fellow ginger (we gingers have a certain unspoken ‘understanding’). She had sampled each and every one of the vegan delights there, and was able to direct us to the yummiest.

Always Opt for Almonds

I want enlighten you about the magical healing powers of almonds.

Basically, in a nutshell (touché) almonds keep you young and skinny and strong! So if you drink almond milk everyday, you will be getting all of these wondrous benefits. Hurrah! Here's a quick run down:

Almonds are a great source of vitamin E, with 25g providing 70 percent of the recommended daily allowance. They also have good amounts of magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, fibre and are a good source of healthy monounsaturated fat. They contain more calcium than any other nut which makes them great for vegetarians who do not eat any dairy products. They also contain amygdalin, also known as laetrile or vitamin B17, the an anti-cancer nutrient.

Almonds contain several phytochemicals including beta-sisterol stigmasterol and campesterol which is thought to contribute to a healthy heart. A handful of almonds a day helps reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering LDL, or ‘bad’ blood cholesterol by as much as ten percent.

Their high monounsaturated fat content, a key fat found in many Mediterranean diets, gives them much greater benefits than simply being cholesterol-lowering. Nearly every research study shows those who eat a traditional Mediterranean diet not only have a lower risk of heart disease and cancer, they also live longer.

Weight Loss Aid

For many years almonds were considered ‘fattening’. However, studies, including the Nurses’ Health Study and the Physicians’ Follow-up Study showed those who ate the most nuts tended to have lower body mass indexes [think squirrels!]. Although almonds are high in fat and calories, eating them in moderation can actually help with weight loss.

Read more at Suite101: Health Benefits of Almonds: High Protein, Heart-Friendly and a Good Diet Aid http://food-facts.suite101.com/article.cfm/top_healthy_foods_almonds#ixzz0n0Mp4QTF

And ... here's how I get my almonds each and everyday: Almond Milk! I think I drink about 500 ml daily, which is equal to a quarter cup of almonds. You can also buy almond milks fortified with B12, A and D. My cube mate at work (we share a grey cube wall and chit-chat about natural things to eat/put on yourself/wash yourself with) just traded in cow's milk and has gone to the dark side with me! She just started buying Earth's Own Almond Fresh and she swears by it. It's on sale right now at Caper's! There's also a coupon for it on their website.

À Bientôt!

First Fancy Dinner

It feels like so long ago that I first embarked on my Vegan Adventure. It's only been 3 weeks, but already I feel like I have grown substantially from it, and it has certainly been fruitful (so to speak), full of many "Ah ha!" moments and vegan epiphanies.

I made my first full blown vegan dinner for my gracious Mom and Aunty two weekends ago. They were both shocked that no animals were harmed in the making of this delicious and moral meal. Here's the yummy low-down of our dinner menu:

- Garlicy Falafels

- Baked Plantaine Chips

- Silian Greens with Pine Nuts & Raisins

- Miner's Lettuce Salad

- Foccacia Bread dipped in Balsamic & Olive Oil

I'm not going to lie to you and pretend that I am some contemporary goddess who fell into the female realm of domesticity with ease and grace. For instance, making falafels, in and of itself, should not be a tricky task. But for someone who has never cooked much more than toast in her life, it proved to be a puzzle. It took me three tries to get falafels right!

Attempt #1: I added the vegetable stock to my falafel dough, not realizing that the recipe called for veg stock in order to soak the chickpeas in, and then to drain them from (ie. the veg stock was to be drained!) Soooo, attempt number one turned out to be a soupy mess.

Attempt #2: I used canned chickpeas this time instead of cooked, because that's all we had. I idiodically thought that if I added some veg stock powder straight to this falafel dough, it would be tastier. WRONG! It turned out so salty that our blood pressures were all probably dangerous high. Oops.

Attempt #3: Perfecto! Here's the scoop:

Garlicy Falafels*

Yields 2 dozen

Ingredients:

• Chick peas (2 cups dried, or 6 cups cooked/canned)
• Stock or water (5 cups)
• Whole wheat flour (1/2 cup)
• Garlic cloves (3 diced)
• Parsley (3 tablespoons chopped)
• Sea salt (1 tablespoon)
• Basil (1/4 cup)
• Olive oil (2 tablespoons [for lighter frying] or 3-5 cups [for deep-frying])

1. Cook the dried chick peas in stock or water (1 – 1.5 hours or so simmering in a covered pot). After they have been cooked, drain them and mash them well.

2. Add the rest if the ingredients to the mashed chick peas, except for the oil. The mixture will be medium-hard. You can try kneading it. Form 1-1/2” balls. You can roll them with your hands, then roll them onto some flour.

3. In a saucepan, heat the oil on high. The pan should be so hot that water droplets on the frying pan should sizzle. Either lightly fry the balls until they looked toasted and golden brown (you may need to flatten them a bit for this, as I did) or deep fry them in lots of oil until they are light brown. If you deep fry them, drain them on paper towels.

We dipped in the falafels in "Nayonaise" brand vegan mayonaise. Delicieux!

* from The Cookbook for People Who Love Animals


 

Sicilian Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins*

Serves 3

Ingredients:

• Greens like collards, kale or bok choi (a stir-frying pan full)
• Pine nuts (2 tablespoons)
• Garlic cloves (3 peeled and chopped)
• Olive oil (1 tablespoon)
• Raisins (3 table spoons)
• Balsamic vinegar (2 tablespoons)

1. Dampen your greens in a bowl. Chop them in large chunks. 

2. Toast the pine nuts over medium heat on a dry skillet until golden. Shake the pan often to keep the pine nuts from burning.

3. Place the garlic and oil in a separate skillet and sauté over medium heat for 1 minute. Add dampened greens and stir, then cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the raisins and pine nuts and stir. Cover and cook for two minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, cover, and continue to cook for 1 or 2 minutes longer.

** adapted from The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

 

Baked Plantaine Chips***

Ingredients:

• Plantains (2 medium-large)
• Olive oil (1 1/2 tablespoons)
• Salt (1/4 teaspoon)

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Trim the ends from plantains. Peel the plantains (I failed to do this) and toss them in a large bowl with the oil and salt. Lay them out on a greased baking pan. Bake the slices for 15 minutes then remove them from the oven. Place a few slices on a cutting board and press gently with the bottom of a glass. Turn them over and return them to the baking sheet. Gently paint them with some olive oil and sprinkle some more sea salt on them. Bake them for another 5 minutes, and voila!

 *** from RecipeZaar.com

Miner's Lettuce Salad

Pick some miner's lettuce and put it in a bowl. Voila!

Foccaccia Bread

Buy some foccaccia bread and warm it up in the oven. Cut into slices and serve with small plates of olive oil and balsamic. Bon appetit!

The Feminist's Dilemma

With everyone up in arms about Boobquake - I thought it would be fitting to post an article about feminism and dairy cows:
The Feminist's Dilemma
It's written by a guy. I love it when guys call themselves feminists!

Bliss

Let me tell you about something that has come about since I embarked on my Vegan Adventure and became a full-fledged, happy vegan. It is purely metaphysical. It can be encapsulated in one word:

Bliss.

This feeling of bliss is difficult to describe using written or spoken language. It is the intangible, the transcendent, the abstract.

Have you ever been all by yourself, and cried tears of joy? Tears flowing from your face not caused by any particular person or being, or any one thing, that you can precisely put your finger on? I don't know whether or not Nirvana exists, but if it does, perhaps this is the feeling of being one baby-step closer.

Or perhaps its just hormones.
OH I don't know. Yes, I am female. Yes, I am still of a hormonally charged age (early 20s). But I have difficulty attributing these moments of sheer bliss to mere chemistry, biology, and mathematics. I feel that there may be more at work here.
...
Bliss is a state of extreme happiness. Happiness is the carrot at the end of everyone's stick. That thing we're all working for, waiting for.

To be human is to be wrought with dissatisfaction - always searching for more, more, more in order to feel fulfilled. It is thought that once we find full satisfaction in our lives, we will be truly happy. And once we are truly happy, our lives will be complete. But what happens when you feel this way in the middle, or even the beginning of your life? What's next?

These moments of bliss scare me a little bit. I want to keep this! What happens when this feeling goes away?? And when I have bliss, it is almost paralyzing: What else is there to do if, at this moment in time, I am completely satisfied?

 

Then, usually shortly afterwards, my state of bliss crumbles due to some minor sundry event: I lose my bus pass, someone in my family yells at me, I hit my funny-bone, I catch a cold. It's the sort of stuff that bogs people down day-to-day, and makes them feel as though they haven't gotten the carrot. 

But sure enough, once these minor hiccups pass, my state of bliss reemerges.

...