Vegan Holiday

I will be going on a Vegan holiday for several days.  I am entertaining my BFF from NYC and we have a lot of trips and activities this coming couple of weeks and then I will start again.

No Name

The restaurant near Rockwell and Metroclub is more known by the name, No Name but its business name is You Jie Xiao Chao.  It is just a hole in the wall but they serve very good and simple Chinese food.  Not the usual Cantonese fare, a bit different.  Most of the dishes were spicy but we just got the mild ones or not spicy at all.

PD invited me for dinner after her Saturday Beading Class.  She ordered mostly vegetables for us, a change from our carnivore fare although the vegetarian dishes were not low fat but I have to give her A for effort.

My favorite was the Steamed Fish Head!!!!



It was not spicy at all and I loved all the jelly like bits and parts of the head!  It came on a very big platter, we had half a head each!!!  I missed my mom for an instant last night because she would have loved the fish head.

I ordered the tofu soup with pechay.



We had the dumplings!



I loved it also but I think it has bits of pork in it so I cannot order it again if I am aiming for a vegan meal..

The fried green beans was good but not healthy because I think it was deep fried??  But PD liked it.



She also ordered the Kuchay with Egg.



I just tried a forkful because I cannot have eggs.

PD also got the Sweet and Sour Pork.



It was an interesting dinner for me.  Not the usual suspects but I do not mind going back for the fish head even if I am not supposed to eat fish.  Celine would have loved it, maybe when she is my house guest we will eat there again and enjoy the yummy fish jelly like bits and pieces.

Minced Vegetables in Lettuce Cup

Finally, I was able to buy canned water chesnut in Market!Market! supermarket.  I also asked Jing to buy for me in Cash and Carry.  Good thing I have a spare can in my pantry now. Thanks, Jing!

I experimented with Minced Pigeon sans the pigeon.  It is somewhat similar in taste when you eat the Peking Duck a second way.

Minced Vegetables in Lettuce Cup



6 pcs. dried winter mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes then water squeezed out, stems removed and caps minced finely
8 pcs. water chesnuts, minced
2 T. cashew or walnut, toasted and chopped
1 T. light soy sauce
1/2 T. dark soy sauce
1/2 T. Vegetarian Strir-Fry sauce
1 t. sugar
1 t. cornstarch dispersed in 1 t. water
1/8 t. salt
pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk leek, white parts only, sliced thinly
1 t. oil
1 t. Chinese cooking wine

Heat oil in a non stick pan.  Saute the leek and garlic until fragrant.  Add the vegetables and nuts, toss around the pan.  Add the Chinese wine and continue cooking until the sizzling dies down.  Adjust the seasonings according to taste.

Transfer onto a serving dish.




hoisin sauce
iceberg lettuce



Separate the iceberg lettuce leaves, rinse, spin dry and refrigerate until ready to use. Trim the curly edges until the leaf forms a cup.

Spoon the minced vegetables into the lettuce cups and top with hoisin sauce.

The recipe actually calls for minced pigeon, chicken or duck but I omitted it.  You can also add fried rice stick noodles(bihon) but then it will not be low fat anymore.

Broccoli with Tofu and Shitake Mushrooms

A very easy vegan dish to make .... my dinner ....

Broccoli with Tofu and Shitake Mushrooms



Broccoli florets
canned shitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced



Tofu, cut into cubes
garlic, sliced
ginger, sliced
1 T. Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry sauce
1 T. light soy sauce



1 T. dark soy sauce



1 t. white sugar
water
1 t. cornstarch

Boil water in a pot.  Add the broccoli florets, cover and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cold running water.  Set aside.

Mix all the sauces, cornstarch and sugar in a bowl.  Add a little water and adjust according to taste.

Heat oil in a wok, saute the garlic and ginger, add the broccoli and mushrooms.  Then the sauce.  When it boils, add the cubed tofu.  Be careful the tofu is very soft.  Transfer onto a serving dish.

Stir Fried Vegetables with Glass Noodles

I am back to my vegan diet again because it really is very effective in controlling my blood sugar.  My lunch was:

Stir Fried Vegetables with Glass Noodles 



150 g. spinach leaves
2 T. Canola Oil
1 T. sesame oil
garlic, pounded
red pepper, cut into strips
1 chile pepper
6 pcs. woods ears mushrooms (tenga ng daga), soaked for 30 minutes in hot water then cut into strips
6 pcs. canned shitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps cut into strips
carrot, cut into strips
2 leaves Chinese cabbage, cut into strips
2 stalks leeks, sliced diagonally
80 g. glass noodles (sotanghon) - Long Kow Sapporo brand is the best, soaked for 30 minutes then drained
2 T. soy sauce
2 t. sugar
salt

Boil water in a pot.  Add the spinach leaves and cover for 2 minutes.  Drain and rinse the leaves with cold water.  Squeeze the water from the spinach, separate the leaves and add to the carrots, 2 kinds of mushrooms, Chinese cabbage and leeks.

Heat the canola and sesame oil in a wok, saute the garlic, red pepper and chile pepper (mash wile cooking) for 10 seconds.  Add the rest of the vegetables and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.

Add the glass noodles and season to taste.

I thought that after my Vegan diet I can eat normal, regular food.  Yesterday, my friends and I had lunch with our balikbayan classmate, Barbie, at Aristrocat in Jupiter. 

Jodie, Lia, Tricia and Barbie

 We ordered the Chicken Barbeque with Java Rice

 

Pancit Canton



Honey Fried Chicken and Fresh Lumpiang Ubod (forgot to take a picture).



We even had the Torta Delos Reyes.




When I checked my sugar this morning, it went up to 194!!!!  I just realized that it can go up so high so fast for eating non vegan food.  So, I suppose this is a lifetime commitment unless I am attending a special occasion or when I go on trips. 

I am going to Boracay and Cebu with my BFF soon!!!!  Vegan diet will be on hold.  That will make my blood sugar spike but will make up for it.

PS.  I love this tea! 



Rustans Rockwell has a French Food Festival.  It tastes as good as the TWG Caramel tea and the aroma is sooooooooooo ..... two thumbs up!!!!

Vegan Report Card

I just finished my  21- day Vegan Diet... well ... shy of 2 days but I am not going to beat myself on my head just because I did not complete.  I am very happy with the results and have learned a lot. 

My blood sugar went down to 119 from a high of  254 before I started the diet on January 4.

I can wear some of the shorts I could not before for fear of getting gangrene!!!  Hahahaaha Because they were too tight.  Now I have to use a belt to hold them up.

I can now distinguish what kind of food will make my blood sugar spike.  Animal products and all kinds of fat including Olive oil.

Carbs are not the enemy if you choose your battles well.  Good carbs  in its natural form are corn, sweet potatoes, brown rice, al dente pasta, etc.

I will not eat meat as much as possible but I will indulge occasionally, especially when I am out of town or celebrating an important event.

I would like to continue to live a healthier lifestyle.  I am happy and excited for what the future will bring.

Final Grade : 92%   Not bad at all!!!

Chinese New Year - Diet Holiday!!!

I declared today a Diet Holiday!  Tomorrow is the last day of my 21-day vegan diet but will  extend it up to the 25th to make restitution for my sinful ways.

It started last night during the Post Homecoming get together with my classmates and I had 3 pieces of Chicharon!  They left 2 more bags here, I invited Mona and Jing for lunch and we had it for appetizers!!!  I also ate fishballs and the vegetables with kare kare sauce.  ARGGGGHHHH!!!!!  I felt physically ill after lunch.  I suppose my system cannot take food high in fat anymore.

Then Merienda time, PD invited us to eat at Lugang, Greenhills!  Jing could not join us anymore because she had to go home to her boys.  So, it was just Mona and I who got lucky.

I forgot to bring my camera, I only used my Blackberry.  The pictures are not as bright and clear as I want them to be.

I was looking forward to my Vegetarian Dumplings with Truffle Oil but they ran out of stock!!!!

I got the Steamed Angled Loofah (patola) with Shrimp Xiao Long Bao instead.



I also ordered the Hot and Sour Soup and requested for a vegetarian version.



We also got the Steamed Crab Roe and Pork Xiao Long Bao. 



I tried one piece and the filling had orange crab fat!

Taiwanese Stir Fried Rice Noodles with Pork.  I had a forkful of the noodles but not the pork.  



Taiwanese Stewed Pork in Steamed Buns.  I did not try anymore.



Pan-Fried Dumplings



We ordered our favorite Mango Flavoured Shaved Ice



I realize that my body cannot tolerate fatty animal products anymore.  Maybe after my vegan diet I will convert to Pesco-Vegetarian .... but I will see. 

Surprisingly, after eating 3 pieces of Chicharon last night, I had my lowest blood glucose reading at 119 this morning!  My lowest ever in the past 5 years.

There is life after CHICHARON!!!  Hahahahahaha! NOT!