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Reboot Wrap-Up

July 24, 2011 by epicureanvegan

So I did about 6.5 days of the reboot and I feel GREAT! I won’t lie . . . it wasn’t easy, but it was well-worth it. I’ve lost about 6 pounds, too. This reboot is a great way to jump start you into healthier eating habits. As much as I loved my vino, I actually didn’t miss it since there were so many other things I couldn’t eat. I discovered new foods and learned to love those green smoothies every morning. I also really loved this mango-strawberry-pineapple-avocado smoothie:

This morning, we headed over to one of our favorite restaurants, The Rainbow.


Restaurant breakfasts can be tough since most items have egg, milk and meat in them. But The Rainbow offers some great vegan items.

As you can see . . . about 98% of the vegan items on the breakfast menu are under “Light & Healthy.” Hmmm . . . what does that tell you? šŸ˜‰ Anyway, I usually get Dan’s Groatmeal. It’s amazing! It’s a bowl full of oatmeal, granola, fruit and you can order soy milk to go with it. I highly recommend it! Oh—and they also make a vegan coffeecake that is to die for!!

One thing this reboot taught me, was that I needed a new blender. Mine sucked. I had an old Hamilton Beach and the only good thing about it, was the pitcher was glass. That’s how old it was. Anyway, I went shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond and after talking with the electronics guy who went through all the specs of all the blenders, I settled on the Ninja.

This thing is amazing and highly satisfying to use. For $80 (I used one of their 20% off coupons), it comes with a 1000 watts and features a vertical 3-blade system. It crushes ice like nobody’s business. When I fired it up to make smoothies for a picnic this afternoon, The Husband remarked that it sounded like a jet plane taking off. The Seventh Grader joked, “I thought ninjas were supposed to be quiet.”

Mango-Strawberry-Cherry smoothies

For the picnic, I also made some hummus and crock cheez and instead of eating them with bread or crackers, we brought cucumber slices, celery, and yellow & red bell peppers with us.

We also picked up some noodles with sesame oil, cucumber, and cilantro from Whole Foods.

It’s been a delicious day . . . and Moe enjoyed the picnic, too.


Filed Under: My Vegan Life, Snacks Tagged With: crock cheese, hummus, Reboot, Reboot Your Life, smoothies

Day 5 of Reboot, Plus More Recipes

July 22, 2011 by epicureanvegan

It’s the morning of day 5 of my Reboot and I feel great, especially since I’m even down 5 pounds! I definitely don’t feel as weak and tired as the last few days, not as hungry either. Mentally, I feel clearer and less foggy–able to concentrate longer. Last night we went and saw Harry Potter and we usually go for some popcorn . . . I know, terrible (btw, did you know (according to the latest VegNews mag) that a large movie popcorn–without butter–is 1,050 calories?!) Anyway, the boys finished a vat of popcorn before the movie even started, but I wasn’t tempted to eat any. Wow. That never happens! I’m determined to continue this reboot through Sunday and after that, I plan on making a lot of changes, such as no alcohol, little oil, little gluten, and very little processed foods. That’s the goal at least.

Yesterday, I had a class at the NCW and then worked in the studio for the afternoon, so I needed to come prepared. With salty snacks and soda in the fridge just ten feet from me, I had to arm myself with good food. I made a salad, packed some jicama, yellow bell peppers, and mushrooms and dipped them in dressing. The dressing recipes are from the JointheReboot site. Having both dressings changes things up—it’s great so that you don’t get sick of one.

Ginger-Honey (Agave)-Soy DressingĀ  andĀ  Agave-Mustard Dressing

Ginger-Agave-Soy Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Ginger
2 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Garlic
2 Tbsp. Raw Honey (I used agave)
4 Tbsp. Nama Shoyu or Tamari
4 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients in a shaker.

Mustard-Agave Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Agave Nectar
1 Tbsp. Honey (I used agave)
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1/4 Tbsp. Sea or Celtic salt
1/8 Tbsp. coarsely Ground Black Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a shaker.

For dinner, I made sweet potato “fries” also from the Reboot site. They were delicious!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries -- Epicurean Vegan

INGREDIENTS:

1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into sticks or crescents
1 tsp olive oil
A couple pinches of sea salt
A couple pinches of black pepper
A couple pinches of cumin

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425. Combine the sweet potatoes with the rest of the ingredients and coat well.

Layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

I also made lettuce wraps:

Vegan Lettuce Wraps -- Epicurean Vegan

INGREDIENTS:

1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
5-6 mushrooms, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/2 a large tomato, diced
2 Tbs diced green chilies
3 scallions, sliced
Large lettuce leaves
Ginger-Agave-Soy Dressing
Optional: fresh mint, basil, or cilantro

Combine all the veggies and top the lettuce leaves with a couple of spoonfuls of them. Drizzle with the Ginger dressing. So good!

So this morning . . . I find that fruit smoothies are the easiest way to start the day. I blended up a mango, 1/2 a cup of fresh cherries (I removed the pits first) and about a cup of water. Awesome.

So, I’ll keep going and continue to try different recipes. I’ll keep you posted on my progress—thanks for traveling along with me!

Filed Under: Dressings/Condiments, My Vegan Life, Sides Tagged With: cherries, detox, juicing, mango, Reboot Your Life, smoothies, Sweet potatoes

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Apples, Mushrooms and Sage

July 19, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Apples, Mushrooms and Sage -- Epicurean VeganI found this recipe from the Reboot Your Life website, but I made some changes. First, I reduced the oil from a whopping 6 tablespoons to a 1/4 teaspoon!! I also added the apples, which gave these a sweet and savory flavor. The recipe also calls for salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, but I wanted to let the flavors of the ingredients to speak for themselves—no need for the sodium!

INGREDIENTS:
2 acorn squash, cut in half and cleaned of innards
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 C red onion, diced
1 grannie smith apple, diced
10 mushrooms, diced
2 (heaping) Tbs fresh sage
1/4 tsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450. Brush the cut side of the squashes with the olive oil. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Bake for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the garlic with 2 Tbs of water. Add the onion, apples and mushrooms. Saute for 7-10 minutes, or until the veggies soften. Stir in the sage.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Apples, Mushrooms and Sage -- Epicurean Vegan

I transferred the squashes to a baking dish which made it easier to stuff them without them falling over. Stuff with the apple-mushroom mixture.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Apples, Mushrooms and Sage -- Epicurean Vegan

Bake for another 10 minutes and enjoy!

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Apples, Mushrooms and Sage
 
Print
I found this recipe from the Reboot Your Life website, but I made some changes. First, I reduced the oil from a whopping 6 tablespoons to a ¼ teaspoon!! I also added the apples, which gave these a sweet and savory flavor. The recipe also calls for salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, but I wanted to let the flavors of the ingredients to speak for themselves---no need for the sodium!
Author: Epicurean Vegan
Ingredients
  • 2 acorn squash, cut in half and cleaned of innards
  • 1 tsp garlic, minced
  • ½ C red onion, diced
  • 1 grannie smith apple, diced
  • 10 mushrooms, diced
  • 2 (heaping) Tbs fresh sage
  • ¼ tsp olive oil
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 450. Brush the cut side of the squashes with the olive oil. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Bake for 25 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the garlic with 2 Tbs of water. Add the onion, apples and mushrooms. Saute for 7-10 minutes, or until the veggies soften. Stir in the sage.
  3. I transferred the squashes to a baking dish which made it easier to stuff them without them falling over. Stuff with the apple-mushroom mixture.
  4. Bake for another 10 minutes and enjoy!
3.5.3208

Filed Under: Dinners Tagged With: acorn squash, apples, easy, mushrooms, Reboot Your Life, sage

Time for a Reboot!

July 18, 2011 by epicureanvegan

I recently watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, a film my Joe Cross, who documented his 60-day juice fast. This documentary is fabulous and I recommend it to everyone. Check out the film’s site and watch the trailer. Cross also started Reboot Your Life, a fruit/veggie/juice program to detoxify and energize your body. Who can’t use a reboot once in a while? I sure could. For the last couple of months, I’ve been feeling mentally sluggish and I know I haven’t been eating as well as I could have.

I just got a publisher for my book, so now is not the time to be feeling mentally fatigued—I have a lot of work in front of me and I’m thinking this no-caffeine-no-alcohol-no-processed-foods-all-fruit-and-vegetable reboot is exactly what I need to jump start my drive and motivation. Lucky for me, I love my fruit and veggies.

The Reboot site tells you everything you need to know to get started and includes tons of recipes to help you. My hegans won’t be partaking in this challenge and I promised last week to make them a tater tot casserole, so it will be a true test for me: to not sneak a tot! However, the recipes on the site look amazing: Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushrooms and Sage, Lettuce Wraps, and Pear Squash Soup. Off to the store I went:

Each one of these bags is filled with fruits and veggies. I don’t think I’ve ever bought this much produce in one shopping trip before. And you know what? It felt great. Not one processed, packaged, item to be had. I’m not sure how long I plan on rebooting, but I’d like to set a goal of 7 days and then see where I’m at. So stayed tuned for some new recipes as I take this veggie voyage to Reboot Land!

Green Monster and Carrot-Ginger Juice

Filed Under: My Vegan Life Tagged With: Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, Joe Cross, Juice fast, juicer, Reboot Your Life

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The Epicurean Vegan is devoted to those wanting to eat healthy, save animals, and reduce their carbon footprint. My decision to go vegan started out as a quest to get healthier, but the more I learned about veganism, the more I realized how damaging the meat and dairy industries are to the environment and, of course, the animals. And it is for these reasons, that I would never go back to eating or wearing animal products. Ever.
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