Vegan Adventure: Day One

As I write this post, my husband is busy in the kitchen, preparing this evening's meal: Jalapeno Mac & Cheese with Brussels Sprouts. As hard as it is for me to simply be an observer, I'm letting him do his thing. [Update: IT WAS AWESOME. I'll definitely be requesting it again!]

I successfully avoided snacking on delicious non-vegan treats at work today. Hurrah! It wasn't as difficult as I imagined it would be, but that may also be because I actually brought some veggies and fruit to eat during the day.

When I got home from work, I made a batch of homemade tomato soup that will last a couple days and I also made a big batch of Vegetable and Lentil Stew. Shoot dang, it is tasty! I didn't follow a specific recipe, but here's approximately what I did:


Vegetable and Lentil Stew
1lb lentils, rinsed well
1/4lb quinoa, rinsed well
2tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3-5 stalks of kale, chopped or torn into pieces
4 medium/large tomatoes, diced
3 medium carrots, chopped (or one HUGE carrot, like I used)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
3 banana peppers (fresh), chopped
1/2 can of pumpkin puree (about 7oz)
1tbsp parsley
1tsp cumin
1tsp coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Grab a big soup pot. Over medium, saute the onion in olive oil until it starts to become translucent. Add the garlic and saute for a minute. Add the tomatoes and kale. When the tomatoes start to break down a bit, add the peppers. Add water until the pot is about half full, then stir in the lentils and quinoa. As it simmers, you will need to add more water until it is the consistency you like. Add the spices, salt and pepper, and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. At this point, add half a can of pumpkin. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Serve with bread or crackers of your choice. This is a very hearty soup and you can put any veggies or seasonings you like! Adjust it to your preferences!!

Now that our bellies are full of delicious and healthy food, we're kicking back and watching Zombieland. I'd say that our first day has gone well!

Thank you, everyone, for the love and support while we venture down this road. We're feeling positive about this change! We haven't decided if this will be long term or not, but we'll see what happens!

Sending positive vibes to you all!