Upon arrival, my friends and I noticed that The Diner was packed and in full swing. You know the place is popular when there is a waiting list on a Tuesday night! We put in our name and waited in the heated waiting area located behind the restaurant. To our surprise there was a plate of homemade Snickerdoodle cookies waiting for us to munch on! Wow, they were awesome. Soft and chewy, just what I like in a cookie. I had to resist the urge to grab the entire plate. It was tough, but somehow I managed. Meanwhile, we looked at menus and decided on what to order. After 5-10 minutes we were led back into the restaurant and seated in one of the booths.

My friends and I started with the Special Recipe “Wings” appetizer, opting for them to be coated in BBQ rather than Spicy Buffalo Style sauce. There were seven seitan “wings” which were accompanied by celery sticks and ranch dressing. The ranch was amazing (I could eat that stuff plain) and the “wings” were sweet, with a chewy, yet firm, almost crunchy texture. They were devoured in no time.

For my entree I chose the Pesto “Chicken” sandwich, with Macaroni & Cheeze as my side dish. I’m not sure what type of “cheese” was used in the macaroni but I feel it could have been better. It had more of a mild, subdued flavor (I could be biased because of my own recipe). It clearly wasn’t bad though because I ate it! The sandwich, however, was delicious. It consisted of breaded chicken-style seitan, roasted red bell pepper, melted vegan cheese, and arugula, topped with a concoction of pesto and ranch dressing, all on artisan flatbread. YUM. This sandwich is packed with flavor and offers both soft and crunchy textures, bursting with flavor. I would definitely order this again and recommend it to those who like pesto!

My friends ordered The Radical Reuben™ and The Titanic BLT Burger with sweet potato fries and black bean and corn salsa, respectively, as sides. Needless to say, both sandwiches were devoured with nothing left to take home. The reuben comes with thinly-sliced corn beef style seitan stacked high on marbled rye and topped with onions, peppers, sauerkraut, melted vegan cheese and then covered with vegan Thousand Island dressing. This sandwich is messy to say the least, but it is delicious and is sure to please even those whom eat meat! The Titanic BLT Burger consists of The Diner’s own burger patty topped with vegan bacon, french-fried onions, lettuce, tomato, and vegan BBQ mayonnaise. There is also the option to add cheese which I recommend. They don’t call this the Titalic BLT Burger for nothing. With so much flavor, this burger seems to be among the favorites. The addition of french-fried onions makes it outstanding and provides a nice crunch.

Polishing it all off (as if I needed the extra calories), I indulged in the Cookie Dough Peanut Butter shake which features Chicago’s own Temptation frozen dessert by Chicago Soydairy. This shake is AWESOME and with the combination of cookie dough AND peanut butter, it is very difficult to pass up! My friend enjoyed a slice of the Cookies & Cream cake which tasted fresh and had a pronounced vanilla flavor with crunchy cookie crumbs.

I recommend The Chicago Diner to everyone, whether you consider yourself to be omnivore or herbivore, as it offers many options to choose from and is decently priced. With generous portions, The Diner ensures you don’t leave hungry!

NOTE: Vegan Food Addict is in no way affiliated with The Chicago Diner. The views and opinions expressed herein are strictly my own and do not necessarily reflect that of others.

• high blood pressure reduction and blood sugar regulation
• protection from sun damage to the skin, cell damage, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease
• reduced risk of heart disease, ovarian and digestive tract cancers, as well as asthma, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease and osteoporosis
• vision improvement

Furthermore, tomatoes are said to help reduce the frequency of migraines as well as help boost immunity, preventing colds and flus (source).

To help you enjoy these benefits, I’ve created this recipe for Corn and Tomato Salsa Fresca. A nice spin-off from your typical Pico de Gallo, it too, is made with fresh ingredients, and is perfect as a light snack or appetizer. Black pepper is added to provide a nice little kick. This Corn and Tomato Salsa Fresca is delicious when served with tortilla chips, but can also be used in burritos or as garnish for fajitas.

Corn and Tomato Salsa Fresca

2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
3 small tomatoes, diced (or 2 medium)
2 tablespoons minced, fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium-size bowl and carefully stir until combined. Drain and discard any excess liquid then serve.

Whip yourself up some of this sweet deliciousness and enjoy the game!

Butterscotch Puppy Chow

2 cups powdered sugar
5 cups rice cereal (such as Chex)
¾ cup semi-sweet non-dairy chocolate chips
¾ cup non-dairy butterscotch chips
½ cup creamy peanut butter

Place powdered sugar in a large airtight container or plastic zippered bag; set aside.

In a large pot, heat chocolate, butterscotch chips and peanut butter over low heat. Stir often until mixture is melted and thoroughly combined, approximately 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in cereal until evenly coated. Pour mixture into prepared container or bag, seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour out onto a large piece of wax paper and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

My friends and I began our meal with chips, guacamole and salsa. What meal at a Mexican restaurant is complete without these appetizers? Now I’m no expert on Hispanic cuisine, but I do know what I like. I felt the guacamole was a little heavy on the lime but other than that it was good (perhaps I’m biased because of my guacamole). I could tell it was freshly-made which is always appreciated. The salsa also had a nice, fresh flavor with just enough kick. I can’t handle a lot of spice (I know, I’m a wuss) so I really enjoyed it.

For my entree, I chose the Fajitas de Proteina Vegano (Vegan protein fajitas). They consisted of vegan chicken strips, green and red bell peppers, garlic, onion and tomato, and were served with both corn and flour tortillas. It’s nice to have a choice between the two tortilla types if you’re not big on white flour. Though I was hoping for a little more flavor, I enjoyed the fajitas, especially because they weren’t spicy! The menu mentioned, however, that the fajitas would be served with pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole and quinoa, but instead they came with beans, rice and guacamole. Perhaps El Nuevo didn’t have vegan sour cream? I’m not sure why I didn’t receive pico de gallo or quinoa though. Regardless, I enjoyed what I received, and the rice was especially tasty as it was prepared with carrots and peas and just enough salt to make it pleasing to the palate.

My friends had the Enchiladas de Chorizo, Papa y Zanahoria en Salsa Tomatillo (Enchiladas with vegan chorizo, potato and carrots) and Flautas de Verduras con Papa y Chorizo Vegano (Flautas with potato and vegan chorizo). Both were enjoyed and had no lack of spice. If you are one who likes a bit of kick to your food, you will definitely find it at El Nuevo. Having had the Flautas on a previous visit, I know by experience as my tongue was on fire! El Nuevo Mexicano is clearly creative with their dishes, as they provide food that you wouldn’t find on your typical Mexican restaurant’s menu (i.e. plantains and sweet potatoes).

Too full to indulge in dessert, we settled on just dinner and drinks. To wash it all down we enjoyed some sangria. Any red sangria I’ve previously had has been heavy on the dry wine flavor with just an accent of fruitiness. This sangria, however, was lightly sweet with just enough alcohol to do the job. I found it rather refreshing and it didn’t take long for the sangria to disappear! Garnished with fresh orange slices, this sangria gets a thumbs up from me!

I recommend El Nuevo Mexicano to anyone who wants to try fresh, eclectic Mexican fare. Whether you are anti- or pro-spicy, El Nuevo is sure to have options that you will enjoy. Not to mention the waitstaff are very friendly and accommodating.

NOTE: Vegan Food Addict is in no way affiliated with El Nuevo Mexicano. The views and opinions expressed herein are strictly my own and do not necessarily reflect that of others.

And finally, my last 5 days on The Classic Reboot detox. As I believe I mentioned briefly before, this detox is, for the most part, allergen-free. It is free from dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts and wheat. There are a couple recipes that call for soy sauce, however, so you can either just do without or substitute the soy sauce with something else (perhaps a little balsamic vinegar and salt but don’t quote me on that).

Also mentioned before, I’ve noticed that I have much more energy than I did before I started this program. I can’t even think of a time when I wanted a nap. I’ve been alert and focused all day, every day, and sleep well at night. What you put into your body affects everything about you. This concept is so simple, yet it works. Your energy, your hair, your skin, your nails…even your clothes will fit better. When you feed your body the fuel it needs, it responds in a positive manner.

This program has taught me more about healthier cooking; that food doesn’t need to be salt or sugar-laden and drenched in oil in order to taste good (though, let’s face it, sometimes that really hits the spot). At the same time, however, I have to admit that I am looking forward to eating beans and flour again along with my beloved mock meats and cheeses! The goal though is to decrease my intake of refined foods, so I hope to create more recipes which will reflect this.

Without further adieu, below is a slideshow of some of the meals I ate this week along with a recap of my last 5 days on the detox:

Day 11:

Breakfast: Apple Peach Bake and Lemon Lime Juice
Lunch: Apples, Parsnips & Sweet Potatoes
Dinner: Harvest Roasted Veggies

In case you haven’t noticed, this detox calls for a lot of apples and sweet potatoes. I’m not complaining though (yet) as I happen to like both, I’m just not sure if I like them together (i.e. Apples, Parsnips & Sweet Potatoes). I had one of those days today where nothing really tasted good to me so I didn’t eat much. I didn’t have a big appetite either so that wasn’t a problem. Dinner, however, was pretty good. It was nice having something again that was a little more on the savory side. The Harvest Roasted Veggies consisted of butternut squash, baby bella mushrooms, sweet potatoes, onion and garlic, and was seasoned with basil, thyme, salt and pepper. I’m a mushroom fan so this recipe is what I needed.

Day 12:

Breakfast: Apple Peach Bake and Apple/Beet/Carrot Juice
Lunch: Sweet Potato & Bok Choy Soup
Dinner: Harvest Roasted Vegetable Comfort Soup

For breakfast and lunch today, I had leftovers. Not much to say about them except that they are good leftover! Dinner was pretty easy to make as it called for 4 cups of the Harvest Roasted Veggies from last night’s dinner. The recipe also called for an apple which I wasn’t feeling so I skipped it. I’m glad I did because the soup ended up being pretty good. I really haven’t been feeling the sweet and savory-in-one dishes lately. Give me one or the other and I’ll be happy.

Day 13:

Breakfast: Melon Medley and Purple Power Juice
Lunch: Apples, Parsnips & Sweet Potatoes and Harvest Roasted Vegetable Comfort Soup
Dinner: Harvest Roasted Veggies and Sweet Potato & Bok Choy Soup

What a simple, yet, delicious breakfast. The Melon Medley included cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon, and the Purple Power Juice had lots of grapes and a touch of ginger. Both were refreshing and plenty sweet on their own. Once again, lunch and dinner consisted of leftovers since some of these recipes make so much food! I’m looking forward to eating up the leftovers in order to make way for something new and different.

Day 14:

Breakfast: Melon Medley and Apple-Cabbage-Carrot-Swiss Chard-Ginger-Lemon Juice
Lunch: Parsnips & Sweet Potatoes and Grapes
Dinner: Seasoned Sweet Potato “Fries” and Garam Masala Swiss Chard

Juice this morning consisted of, well, apple, cabbage, carrot, swiss chard, ginger and lemon. Lots of good stuff. It was a little heavy on the cabbage flavor but other than that it was sweet and pleasing to the palate. Lunch again was leftovers along with some red grapes. For dinner, since I had some extra sweet potatoes laying around, I decided to make “fries” and give the Garam Masala Greens another go, this time with swiss chard and about half the salt. The result? Pretty darn tasty! The spice adds a nice kick. My only gripe though is that there was a bit of a grainy feel to them. Must have been my spices because that chard was rinsed well!

Day 15:

Breakfast: Coconut Melon Mint Smoothie
Lunch: Garden Blend Juice and Salad

Today started off with a new creation, the Coconut Melon Mint Smoothie. This smoothie consisted of cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, fresh mint, and coconut water. It was a lightly sweet and refreshing drink, not to mention filling. For lunch was another new creation, Garden Blend Juice. Consisting of tomato, carrot, celery, cucumber, ginger, parsley, radish  and zucchini, this is not your typical sweet juice but full of flavor and nutrients. The salad consisted of butter lettuce, avocado, cucumber, tomato and fresh dill. Light but filling and delicious.

Did you notice that dinner is missing? I’ll admit, I was bad and broke my detox a meal early in order to indulge in some Mexican food with friends. Hey, it’s Saturday night so why not? These detoxes are not about being perfect, but about educating yourself and taking steps to eat healthier. For some, making it through a couple of days on a detox takes some will power, but any effort that is made should be considered progress.

Well, that concludes my Reboot Your Life journal/review. I hope you’ve learned a couple things along the way and will give this detox a shot if you’re so inclined! I recommend it. Though I got a little tired of apples and sweet potatoes, I feel absolutely wonderful, increased my energy, and lost a little weight. Score!

NOTE: Vegan Food Addict is in no way affiliated with Reboot Your Life. The views and opinions expressed herein are strictly my own and do not necessarily reflect that of others.

Here it is, my second 5 days on The Classic Reboot detox. I still can’t believe this is actually a DETOX. I guess it makes sense though, considering I’m not consuming alcohol or refined foods to name a couple. If you are one of those people who don’t find the regular old juice detox appealing, this program may be for you as it allows you solid food. It is a nice middle ground between a juice detox and eating your typical American meal, and it allows for a little sea salt and cold-pressed, unrefined oils.

Below is a slideshow of some of the meals I had this week, along with a rundown of my second 5 days on the detox.

Day 6:

Breakfast: Apple/Beet/Carrot/Kale Juice
Lunch: Carrot and Sweet Potato “Fries” and Vegetable Soup
Dinner: Refreshing Cucumber Salad and Baked Zucchini with Tomatoes and Herbs

I should have made something in addition to the breakfast juice, and would have, had I followed the detox menu as recommended, but I didn’t, so I was hungry today! Luckily, however, I had some apple chips (just dehydrated apple slices and cinnamon) in my desk, which tied me over until lunch, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Baked Zucchini with Tomatoes and Herbs, which I had for dinner, tasted especially delicious to me. Fresh basil and sea salt really make the other ingredients pop with flavor. Not to mention, the dish has leeks in it. Love it!

Maybe it’s just my imagination but I feel as though my taste buds are changing. I’m able to notice more of the natural flavor of these foods and appreciate how they mesh together. I hate to say it though, but I still love salt.

Day 7:

Breakfast: Maple & Cinnamon Baked Pear and Sunset Blend Juice
Lunch: Refreshing Cucumber Salad and Vegetable Soup
Dinner: Salad and Leftover Baked Zucchini with Tomatoes & Herbs

Today is leftover day with the exception of breakfast. The baked pear is a clever idea as you remove the core, filling the pear with raisins, ground cinnamon, pure maple syrup and water, then bake it in the oven until tender. Pretty tasty, and sweet enough so that you don’t even need to add sugar. Nuts are not a part of this detox, though, should I have been eating my regular food, I probably would have added some roasted pecans. Yum!

Day 8:

Breakfast: Tasty Tart Treat and Mexican-Style Jugo
Lunch: Guacamole & Salsa Dip for Veggies
Dinner: Baked Zucchini with Tomatoes & Herbs and Garam Masala Spiced Collard Greens

For breakfast, I modified the recipes slightly. I’m not a grapefruit fan and didn’t have kiwi so I mixed together cherries, mango, orange, pineapple and fresh mint. Sweet and refreshing! I’m getting use to this raw food thing and I must say that I really don’t mind it. Natural sugars in fruit are becoming sweeter to my taste buds so that when I eat anything with agave, it’s almost too sweet.

I wasn’t a fan of the Mexican-Style Jugo though as it had too much lime. However, with the addition of a couple green apples, the flavor was much more appealing. Lunch was delicious, though the guacamole also called for too much lime — I used 2 teaspoons instead of 2 tablespoons. The salsa was super fresh and was tasty when served with fresh veggies. I found myself wanting tortilla chips, but I was strong and resisted the urge to eat any. Dinner was also good although the Collard Greens had too much salt (my fault). Other than that, they were delicious! I really liked them with garam masala and thought it was a nice touch. I’ll likely make this recipe again and try it with swiss chard and LESS salt!

Day 9:

Breakfast: Apple-Beet-Carrot Juice
Lunch: Spinach, Broccoli, Orange & Arugula Salad with Ginger Soy Agave Dressing
Dinner: Apple, Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes and Leftover Garam Masala Spiced Collard Greens

Breakfast was simple today — just juice! Apple, beet and carrot is always a good default juice to enjoy. Warning though…beet juice stains and will make your mouth a magenta color! The salad for lunch was refreshing and had leftover Hijiki seaweed on top, which gave it more nutritional value. For dinner though, the Apple, Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes really didn’t have a lot of flavor in my opinion. Sure, the dish was naturally on the sweet side because of the apples and sweet potato, but I felt it could’ve used an additional seasoning or even a sprinkle of salt (maybe that’s just my love of salt). Regardless, I ate some of them with the leftover, overly-salty, Garam Masala Spiced Collard Greens from the night before which balanced out the sweet and savory flavors.

Day 10:

Breakfast: Great Green Fruit Blend Smoothie and Sweet N Tart Citrus Juice
Lunch: Veggies with Salsa
Dinner: Sweet Potato & Bok Choy Soup

It’s weird, today I really haven’t had much of an appetite. Maybe it’s the weather, or simply because this detox is feeding me plenty, but I really didn’t feel like eating that much.

The Sweet N Tart Citrus Juice was WAYYYYYYY too tart! The recipe originally called for grapefruit, which I didn’t use as I’m not a fan. Had I done so, the juice probably would have been even more tart. With a name like Sweet N Tart Citrus Juice, I should’ve known. I guess I was expecting a little more “sweet” to balance it out. However, with the addition of a little agave, it became more palatable though it still had a bit of a kick at the end. The Great Green Fruit Blend Smoothie, however was pretty good. Though it looked a little gross, it had good flavor and was filling. I ate the leftover Salsa with raw veggies (broccoli, cauliflower and snow peas) for lunch. Just opening the salsa made me hungry as the aroma of fresh tomato, onion and cilantro filled the air. Finally, for dinner was the Sweet Potato & Bok Choy Soup – lightly-flavored but at the same time showcasing multiple flavors.

NOTE: Vegan Food Addict is in no way affiliated with Reboot Your Life. The views and opinions expressed herein are strictly my own and do not necessarily reflect that of others.

Happy Friday!

As mentioned in my previous post, I am taking part in a 15-day detox. This specific detox is one of multiple offered by Reboot Your Life, based out of Australia. The specific detox I am taking part in is called the Reboot Entry Program (now called The Classic Reboot) and involves not only consuming fresh juice, but also eating healthy, solid foods; many of which are raw and none being refined. You have the choice of either using the provided menus or choosing which particular recipes you want from their compilation of recipes. It is nice to have the menus/recipes online so that you can grocery shop ahead of time (though I would recommend not getting everything at once as your produce needs to last throughout the 15 days).

Most of these recipes are fairly easy to put together, but a couple (i.e. the Raw Carrot Ginger Soup) take a bit of time as they require a few time-consuming steps (i.e. juicing, chopping then blending). One gripe I’ve had so far about this detox is that a few of these recipes need a bit less of certain ingredients than what is called for. Some recipes call for a whole tablespoon of ground cinnamon, while others call for 4 tablespoons of minced garlic and 4 tablespoons of minced ginger. HOLY FIRE BREATH, BATMAN! And, to my surprise, a few of the recipes call for oil and salt. What!? Not what I would expect from a detox. Granted, cold-pressed oil and sea salt are specified, so the food is healthier than it could be. It is also free of alcohol, beans, and anything refined such as flour and sugar.

The Reboot Entry Program not only provides healthy, tasteful recipes to prepare, but it also educates you on what to do before and after your detox. Furthermore, this specific detox is actually recommended for those who are new to a plant-based diet.

Below is a slideshow of some of the meals I had this week, along with a rundown of my first 5 days on the detox.

Day 1:

First Thing in the Morning: Herbal Tea or Hot Water with Lemon
Mid-Morning Juice: Green Juice
Lunch: Arugula Spinach Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing and Raw Carrot Ginger Soup
Dinner: Reboot Green Salad and Steamed Snow Peas, Broccoli and Green Beans with Ginger Agave Soy Dressing
Before Bed: Herbal Tea

I’m sad to say that as a vegan, I have never purchased Jicama until today. I didn’t even know how to prepare it! Don’t judge me okay!? Needless to say, it is pretty tasty stuff. It looks like a larger, cream-colored turnip with a texture similar to that of a potato, and a lightly sweet flavor. Jicama can be consumed either raw or cooked. It was pretty good on the Arugula Spinach Salad and it helped mute the ass-kicking flavor of the Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing. The Steamed Snow Peas, Broccoli and Green Beans with Ginger Agave Soy Dressing were tasty, although, as mentioned above, called for too much garlic and ginger (in my humble opinion) so I cut those amounts in half. I love my salty foods so the soy sauce in this recipe was an excellent addition.

Day 2:

First Thing in the Morning: Herbal Tea or Hot Water with Lemon
Breakfast: Blackberry Kiwi Smoothie
Mid-Morning Juice: V28 (with red beets, carrots, celery, tomatoes, parsley and radishes)
Dinner: Reboot Green Salad
Night: Herbal Tea

I realized today that this detox really doesn’t feel like a detox. I’m already vegan so eating this food isn’t much of a deviation away from normality, but I find it exciting to try new food, not drink alcohol, or eat any refined foods.

Being that it is Sunday, I had some errands to run and shenanigans to get into so by the time I woke up, I had the breakfast smoothie and then was out the door. Upon my return, I enjoyed some leftovers from the day before, as well as the V28 juice. For dinner was a tasty arugula salad with avocado, tomato, cucumber, radish, fresh dill and Ginger Agave Soy Dressing. It is nice to be able to carry over meals into the following days as it saves time.

Day 3:

Breakfast: Minty-Fresh Berry Juice
Lunch: Raw Carrot Ginger Soup and Steamed Snow Peas, Broccoli and Green Beans with Ginger Agave Soy Dressing
Dinner: Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushroom and Sage and Green Vegetable Soup

So let’s get real here…this detox recommends hot tea or water each day, first thing in the morning and last in the evening, but I really haven’t been drinking it. Instead I’ve been drinking regular water. Since I was a little unprepared at the beginning of this detox, I fell a day behind with regard to my menu. SO, since today is Day 3, I made food from Day 2′s suggested menu. Many of these recipes take time (especially if you’re preparing them after work) so for me, it makes sense to chop and do some prep work the night before.

I’ve got to say that I really enjoyed dinner. The Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushroom and Sage was delicious, and the Green Vegetable soup to accompany it was light and healthy. I can feel good about eating this stuff although it contains a little oil and salt. The squash recipe is definitely something I plan on making again after the detox!

Day 4:

Breakfast: Cherry Cinnamon Apple Bake and Cherry Nectarine Juice
Lunch: Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushroom and Sage and Green Vegetable Soup
Dinner: Seaweed Salad and Steamed Cauliflower and Green Beans

I’m not really a seaweed fan unless it in my miso soup and sushi, so the particular Seaweed Salad I ate wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t as bad as I had feared either. I used Hijiki which has a bit of a fishy taste. This type of thing normally grosses me out a bit, but when combined with avocado, carrots and onion, with a little fresh lemon juice and sea salt, it’s really not that bad. Seaweed is super healthy for us and is rich in B vitamins, calcium, iodine and omega-3  fatty acids.

Day 5:

Breakfast: Gazpacho Juice and an Orange
Lunch: Seaweed Salad, Steamed Cauliflower and Green Beans, and Green Soup
Dinner: Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing and Sweet Potato and Carrot “Fries”

Well here it is, Day 5 of my detox — I’m a third of the way done! The nice thing about this detox is that I haven’t had the headaches, etc. that is normally associated with other kinds of detoxes, so I’ve felt good the entire time. The bathroom trips have also been regular, if not increased a little (getting rid of those toxins!). I’ve also noticed that I have more energy. Looking forward to what the days ahead have instore for me.

NOTE: Vegan Food Addict is in no way affiliated with Reboot Your Life. The views and opinions expressed herein are strictly my own and do not necessarily reflect that of others.

For the New Year, once again, I will be taking part in a detox. This time, things are different. It will involve actual food! Pictures, etc. to follow in the following weeks. But for now, I’d like to share with you a simple recipe. If you like rosemary, I think you’ll really enjoy it!

Fresh garlic and rosemary are a match made in heaven. Native to the Mediterranean, rosemary is said to improve memory. (source) It is also a very good source of Calcium, Dietary Fiber, Folate, Iron, Manganese, Vitamin A and Vitamin C (source). These tofu bites are a delicious accompaniment to any Mediterranean-inspired meal. For a chewier texter, freeze and thaw tofu before preparing.

Garlic & Rosemary Tofu Bites

1 (14-ounce) package extra firm tofu
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
¾-1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
pinch pepper

Drain tofu and wrap in a towel. Weigh down with something heavy (such as a couple of plates) for 15-20 minutes in order to remove as much water as possible.

Slice tofu into ¾-inch cubes and place in a bowl along with remainder of ingredients. Stir to combine. Cover, place in refrigerator, and allow to marinate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400º F. Lightly grease a small, rimmed baking sheet. Spread tofu mixture in a single layer on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until tofu turns golden brown, stirring halfway through. Add pepper to taste.

Fruit & Vegetable Juice
To remove pulp and other solids from juice, place a paper coffee filter inside of a hand strainer and rest on top of a large bowl. Slowly pour juice into filter, discarding the pulp left behind. This process can be slow depending on how much pulp and solid matter are being separated from the juice, so you may need to replace your coffee filter should it be filled with pulp.

Gravies & Sauces
It is all-to-easy to create clumpy gravies and sauces (as previously mentioned here). To remove such clumps, place a mesh colander, sieve, or strainer over a large bowl. Pour gravy into colander and discard solids left behind.

Used Cooking Oils
After deep-frying foods, there are usually small particles left in the oil. Should you be one who likes to reuse your oil, these fine particles may be strained out using a paper coffee filter. Place a coffee filter inside of a funnel (if you don’t have a funnel, use a hand strainer), then place over the opening of a bottle or jar. This method tends to take a little while as oils flow less quickly than juices and should therefore be poured in a little at a time.

WARNING: May be addictive and cause stomach expansion if consumed too often!

Bacon, Green Onion & Cheddar Cheese Fries

Fries:
1 (28-ounce) bag steak cut french fries
½ cup green onion, thinly sliced
½ cup tofaken, crumbled (recipe here)
1-1½ cups shredded vegan cheddar cheese

Dipping Sauce:
1 cup vegan ranch dressing (recipe here)
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon oregano

Prepare sauce by mixing together ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.

Next, prepare french fries according to manufacturer’s directions, baking 5 minutes less than recommended. Remove fries from oven and sprinkle with green onion, tofaken and cheese. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before consuming. Serve with dipping sauce.