Everyone who lives this lifestyle says that I should keep it simple. Take a few things and just add to them or rotate them throughout the week with a few variations. It's easy to get caught up and overwhelmed, they say. Well, as much as I like keeping it simple, I love food and I love to cook. So if I'm going to do this, I'm not just going to eat a salad or beans and rice, I'm going to go after some intricate recipes in hopes that they are mouthwateringly delicious! It's Day 25 and that still hasn't happened but I'm still trudging along!
In thinking back over what I've made during this challenge, I found some pictures that I don't think I've shared. It was in looking at these photos that I realized that things aren't always as they appear.
For example, take the Polenta Crostini with Chickpea Pesto shown below. I was pretty proud of how this looked. It was easy to make and it looked like it would be tasty. Nope. Completely tasteless. How can something look like this and not have flavor? I was so disappointed and am all over again looking at this photo.
Next are Oil-free potatoes and onions with garlic.
Looks ridiculous. Granted, it's still on the parchment paper which doesn't help, but guess what? It was really good! I love potato chips and Hubs and I don't keep them in the house. Why? For good reason. We'd eat a bag a day! But this recipe was super easy and completely natural with three ingredients! Looks absolutely wretched though.
Lentil and Walnut Taco Salad
I can't tell if this looks yummy or gross, to be honest. It was supposed to be in a lettuce wrap but the lettuce leaves were too small so I turned it into a salad. Peppers, onions, tomatoes, avocado (because avocado makes everything better) and taco "meat" made out of food-processed walnuts and green lentils with seasonings. It was edible which is a plus but it sure didn't make me believe it was good as ground beef.
Tomato and Chickpea Ragu
Now this looks utterly nasty to me but it was surprisingly good. It was spicy which is probably why I was ok with it - because there was some sort of flavor. Chickpeas are completely boring to me but if I can mix them up into a tomato, onion and mushroom deliciousness then bring on those little nuggets of protein!
Now, these!!
These looked good AND were yummy!
Summer Rolls
I love summer rolls.
I often buy them at Wegmans, when I am home, and devour them.
So I figured, we're on the home stretch now and I have rice paper in my pantry, so let's do this thang!
I held my breath, I followed the directions and I was ready for disaster, but......alas! Something finally worked! Am I getting the hang of this now that it's almost over? Ha, that's funny. No, I just got lucky and these really aren't that difficult to prepare.
Pick whatever veggies you want, slice 'em up real thin and roll 'em up in that thing like a burrito. I have to admit, the first one I took out after soaking in warm water for five seconds resembled and felt like a condom. Actually, it was probably a Dollar Store condom because it tore almost instantly.
Dear God, this went downhill quick.
Anyway, carrots, cucumber, red pepper, orange pepper, cilantro, vermicelli rice noodles. Some had shrimp in them. I said that I wasn't giving up seafood - just minimal (tuna and shrimp - no sauces and not fried). I would NEVER give up seafood. Meat is one thing. Dairy is one thing. But I live at the beach and my daddy would instantly strike me down from the heavens above if I committed such a crime!
I even made the WFPB peanut dipping sauce and it wasn't too terrible. There was something there that stuck out that I wasn't fond of but in general, I was pleased. Much better than all that crap you can't even pronounce or understand on a grocery store bottle of peanut sauce!
One thing I've learned over the course of these last 25 days is that you truly cannot judge this food by the way it looks. I mean you can, and I do, but it's not always as it appears!
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