Aux Vivres inspired me

So Friday night was the Aux Vivres night. And Saturday, I wanted to cook. Fully inspired by Aux Vivres, I got cooking!

The Vegelox we had the previous evening was just so crazy good that I had to figure out a way to make my version of it. I did some research online and although I was missing a really important ingredient (seaweed), I tried to make this vegan-version of smoked salmon. I mixed carrot pulp with capers, olive oil, green onions, salt and pepper. It wasn't as crazy as the one we had on Friday but it was more than just edible :P. I didn't stop there: I wanted to try making a cheese-like dip, something with herbs. I took out the tiny little food processor I have and mixed tofu with chives, olive oil, salt and pepper. It turned into what you can see on the right in the picture. It was really tasty! I could totally imagine this spread in a sandwich or something.

 And for my main course, with the peanut sauce that was in my meal at Aux Vivres, I wanted to do something that used peanut butter.

How about a spicy peanut butter marinade? Sounded promising! I mixed peanut butter with soy sauce, garlic, chili pepper flakes, a bit of olive oil and water. I marinated thick slices of tofu in it for a couple hours. Before cooking, I breaded my tofu in unsweetened coconut and sesame seeds. In the pan for a couple minutes on each side and BAM! Really flavorful tofu, with Thai aromas. I served it with whole wheat spaghetti with carrots, spinach and edamame, and a drizzle of sesame oil. Mmmmm!

Aux Vivres: Montreal's first vegan restaurant

I love HappyCow.net and its recommendations for vegetarians and vegans. That's where I read about Aux Vivres. Located on the Plateau, it's a really cute plate with a fully vegan menu. Kris and I gave it a try last Friday.

What we had:

Drinks: a cocoa-based smoothie, and the other one was made with berries. 

Starters: We went for the selection of cold starters. Cream cheese-like dip, vegelox (absolutely amazing), hummus, vegepate, tapenade, pickles and really good bread. 

My main dish: the Thai bowl, with tempeh. It came with peanut sauce, vegetables and rice. Mmmmm peanut sauce...

Kris' main dish: the Indian dinner; rice, a chick pea curry, chutney and a salad. 

For dessert, we shared a fake-cheesecake that was surprisingly creamy and moist. 

We asked for a table outside; they have a cute patio in the back of the restaurant. Aux Vivres seems like a good place to have a casual meal with friends, or on a double-date. I would definitely love to go back.  

Best. Burger. Ever.

The title says it all.

Kris and I went to the Jean-Talon market last Thursday to get inspired for our dinner. I was buying my usual tempeh and nuts and goodies. I also bought Blue Style Sheese, a 100% dairy free alternative to blue cheese. We ran into BBQ Tempeh Burgers and we had to give them a try, and Oh, My, God. Those turned out to be the best burgers we had ever had.

Imagine a really good quality bun with nigella in it (mmmm), the BBQ tempeh patty, the blue sheese, tofu-bacon (tofu marinated in soy sauce, liquid smoke and maple syrup), nayonnaise, tomato, spinach, and sprouts. It was... I don't know how else to describe it but to say that it was out of this world. We had it with a store-bought canned mixed bean salad that was really good.

If our dinner at Crudessence was described as a foodgasm, this had to be another one.

Vegan Dinner for Two

Before I talk about the food, I gotta tell you guys about Colleen Patrick Goudreau. Founder of CompassionateCooks.com, I think it is pretty safe to say that she is the reason why I am vegan. She opened up my eyes (and my heart) to the reality of the animal industry. She is very articulate, very smart and never uses a condescending tone when she talks. I beg you to check out her Podcasts, Vegetarian Food for Thought. After listening to all of her podcasts in a matter of days, I knew I was ready to follow my heart and make the switch. She also used to be a cooking instructor, and one of her videos on YouTube demonstrated her Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe. I knew I had to give it a try; it looked so simple and delicious!

Anyway, so... A lot has happened to me in the past week. Without really getting into details, I have a new guy in my life, and I'm glad to say that he's vegan too, so it was with a lot of pleasure that I prepared us a really, really gorgeous vegan dinner!

The stuffed squash came out beautifully. I changed the recipe from the video a tiny little bit, using a butternut squash instead of an acorn squash, and changing the spices and herbs as well. But believe me guys when I tell you that it was simply incredible, and so so so easy to make. Plus, it makes a very elegant meal. I served mine with a mixed green salad topped with soy nuts and squash seeds. 

And now, the dessert. Isn't this sexy? It's a raw vegan brownies, topped with coconut, served in a mango-peach soy dessert you get from grocery stores and blueberries. The raw vegan brownies are crazy simple to make:

In a food process, mix 1 cup of dates, 1 cup of walnuts, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and a table spoon of coconut oil. Mix really well and press into a pan. Let it cool in the fridge before serving. Top it (or not!) with coconut. DONE!

J'avais amené des brownies crus végétaliens chez mes parents le weekend dernier, et ma mère les a particulièrement aimé. Je pense l'avoir rarement vu aimé autant un petit plaisir sucré. Et ils sont tellement simples à faire!

A newly vegan girl back in her hometown

I spent last weekend over at my parents' house in Loretteville, a beautiful suburb of Quebec City. As a newly vegan though, I was a bit nervous about going back home and having to deal with questions and concerns about my new way of life.

Everything went really well! My mother showed some sincere interest into what I had to say about veganism. My dad took me to the grocery store so that I could buy food I would want to eat, and I had brought a huge bag full of vegan basics like nutritional yeast and dates and nuts.

I was lucky enough to be there for a really warm and sunny weekend; I got to use the pool and go on bike rides. It felt good to be alive! I also made this little video to show you guys what it's like to live with my new body.



And nooowwww, the noms!

I made this delicious iced chocolate and coffee drink. I simply blended cold coffee, vanilla soy milk and cocoa powder into this smooth, sweet and decadent treat!

The best meal I had over the weekend was definitely my tofu skewers. I marinated the tofu in orange juice, tahini, soy sauce, chili pepper flakes and garlic. I had the tofu with cumin vegan sausages, bell peppers, eggplant, butternut squash and onions.

Mes soeurs se sont bien amusés à mettre leur grain de sel dans mes vidéos ;) Mais à voir leur réaction devant mon hummus de fèves noires, je pense qu'elles ne peuvent pas juger mon végétalisme :P

Letting go of the scale

Over the past year, my scale has been my biggest "friennemy". I was obsessed with the numbers that would show up whenever I would step on it. Often times, I would weigh two times a day to see how my body would react to my daily routines. I know how my weight changes through the week, how the lowest numbers would always show up on Sunday mornings, and the highest on Thursday nights... Don't know exactly why, but it was always like that! I know how my weight goes up right before my period too. (Oh the joy of being a woman!)

I have stopped counting calories a while ago, and I actually completely stopped looking at calories last week when I became vegan. I am ready to look past the numbers in food and just see food as food and not as a bunch of numbers. And I'm also ready to let go of the scale... 

I am not going to judge how I am feeling and how my body is feeling by numbers on a scale anymore. I have learned what I had to learn about food. and I have learned what I had to learn about staying active. I feel good in my body. My appearence matches who I've always been on the inside; I am a strong, confident woman who knows what she wants for her life. 

It is time to move on! I am no longer a loser; I am a maintainer. As long as my current clothes fit and I feel comfortable with the way I live my life, I'll still have reached my "goal weight". The only difference now is that that goal weight is not a number; it's a state of mind, and I've reached it.

Tonight, I had a foodgasm, at Crudessence

Yes, a foodgasm. The food was that delicious.

Kris and I went to Crudessence. In their own words:

An expression of respect for all living things: a healthy body in a clean environment and a strong, sustainable ecosystem. With the knowledge that every food choice carries an impact, Crudessence hopes to instill in others the happiness of conscious eating, support for local agriculture and, most importantly, a sense of abundance in the heart of the city.

Live Sushi: Coloured vegetable mouthfuls, sprouts and pâtés rolled in nori sheets.

Om Burger: A burger made of mushrooms, sundried tomato, flax and various vegetables served on a chapati. Garnished with fresh tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, home-made ketchup and mustard and our famous caper based aïoli sauce. Served with greens.

Pizzuchi: Cheese Pizza : A duo of our famous macadamia nut and cashew cheese, topped with capers and olives, sprinkled with Crumesan.

Add a really gooey, dense and thick brownie to all that. Oh, and I didn't take pictures of Kris' Protein Elixir (banana, chia seed, maca, hemp protein, hemp milk) and my Vert Doux Smoothie (kale, banana, mint, cayenne, pepper, almond milk).

Heaven. On. Earth. Seriously!

Running and Veganism

Happy birthday, new life!

May 14th, 2009. My sisters and I had booked a Walt Disney World vacations for early June. On that day after work, excited about my upcoming trip, I went shopping for summer clothes to wear over there: t-shirts, cute sleeveless tops, shorts and skirts. I headed over to Place Alexis-Nihon, a mall right next to where I work, and went to Zellers and Reitmans, the only two stores there where you can find plus-sizes clothes. Limited choice, but it’s affordable.

I went to Zellers first and bought a couple pieces without trying them on; I knew for a fact that I was a size 24 and that I could just grab a XXXL top and it would fit me. Then, I went to Reitmans and walked to the back of the store where they have their plus-size stuff. I picked a few items: a pair of Bermuda shorts, a sleeveless top, some tank-tops, and I went to a fitting room.

Before trying on the Reitmans picks, I dug into my Zellers bag to try on my first purchases. Top number 1: a beautiful magenta shirt. I put it on: it fit, but I could totally see my fat roll underneath the fabric. “Ok, not too terrible, I’ll just hold my stomach in.” Next, I tried on some beige Capri pants. As I thought, the 24’s fit me just fine, but I couldn’t take my eyes away from my calves. They looked so big… Anyway. I then proceeded to try on the Reitmans items. Jeans bermuda shorts, a sleeveless top, those XXXL cotton tank tops… Everything “fit”, but I couldn’t stop staring at all those “little things” that you hope nobody else sees… My arms looked so big… Those fat rolls that even the biggest size of clothing couldn’t hide anymore… My neck, or should I say lack-there-of; I just had a really big double-chin instead… And I looked at my face. Boy, did I look tired and unhappy.

I was wondering: is this the woman people see when they look at me? Do they see me as an obese, tired, unhappy woman? I didn’t even look my age; I looked at least 10 years older… And why did I look this way? Yes, I knew I ate a lot but could it really be that bad?

As I stared at myself in the mirror in the store, with tears rolling down my cheeks, I thought: “That’s it… I’ve had enough of this.”. I didn’t want to be this miserable anymore. I bought the clothes and headed home.

When I got home, I sat in front of my computer and Nathalie, my sister, was online. I opened up a chat session with her to tell her that I had just gotten back from the mall and that I had bought new things to wear in Florida for our trip. It sounded exciting, but really, it wasn’t. And I told her that I couldn’t live like this anymore, that I was unhappy, and that I had to change this situation. She was a good listener; she read my messages with interest and compassion, and she asked me what I was going to do. I didn’t know yet.

The following day was a Friday, and it was my usual grocery day. So I went to my grocery store and browsed through the aisles. I didn’t get my usual Haagen Dazs, I didn’t get my usual salt and vinegar chips, I didn’t get my usual Oreos. I got fruits and vegetables and whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta and nuts. I read the nutrition facts for everything I was putting my cart. When I wasn’t sure about an item, I would just not get it. I went back to the basic: I just had to eat better.

I thought that I would be doing this until my trip to Walt Disney World so I could at least feel a little better about myself while I was over there. When I got there with my sisters, I didn’t stop: I didn’t have all the “bad” food I thought I was going to have. When I was not hungry anymore, I would stop eating instead of emptying my plates. We did have one big dinner at Planet Hollywood; I felt so full afterwards that I told my sisters that I would never do that again. When I got back home, I kept going… I went back to the grocery store, got more fruits and vegetables and so on and so on…

July came. By that time, I had started to notice that my clothes seemed to fit a little better. Now, I didn’t have a scale so I couldn’t know for sure that I had lost weight, but I sure felt like I had. I decided to get a scale to see how the way I felt in my clothes reflected in numbers… And I was right. I had lost 20 pounds in two months.

I called my mom. I was ecstatic. I had lost 20 pounds, on my own, with no miracle diet or pill or weird hormone injection. I was doing it the “right” way and it was working! So I kept going. I kept watching my calorie intake. I would get low-fat, low-sugar, low-calorie options. The pounds were just melting away.

I was moving a little more too. I would take the steps whenever I could and I would walk to the subway station to get to work instead of taking the bus there. It wasn’t much but it was a big improvement.

On a hot August evening, I was bored at home. I looked outside the window and thought: “It’s such a gorgeous evening… I should go for a walk.” And I did! That was the very first time I had decided to get up and move just because “I felt like it”. From that day on, walking has been a very important part of my life. Whenever I need to get somewhere within a reasonable distance, I walk instead of getting on the bus or taking the subway.

Over time, I’ve added more exercise to my life. I bought a Pilates DVD in November, along with a mat and some free-weights. My parents spoiled me for Christmas and got me a Wii Fit Plus that I’ve quickly added to my routine. I even started jogging back in March, and although I do not run as often as I would like to, all because of Montreal’s super amazing weather, I really love it and I have an immense feeling of satisfaction whenever I think of how better my cardio has gotten.

My diet has changed too. Instead of purely focusing on calories and the amount of fat, carbohydrates and protein in my food, I simply go for whole foods, as unprocessed as possible. Of course, I do treat myself every now and then for special occasion, like for the Holidays (where I bought a bag of chips and actually made a promise to my boyfriend that it would be the last time in my life that I would have chips) or for my birthday, when Sean and I had a glorious feast of Indian cuisine and Deep ‘N Delicious cake. High class stuff, I know…! Except for those special occasions, for the most part, my diet is now mostly plant-based.

With this new life, I’ve found myself a new passion for food, nutrition and well-being. I’ve always loved food, but I have a new perspective on it. I’m always on the lookout for new healthful options I could integrate into my diet. I read books by authors like Michael Pollan. I listen to Podcasts by people like Compasionate Cooks creator Colleen Patrick-Boudreau. I visit websites like VeggieBoards.com and FatFreeVegan.com on a daily basis. I give myself little cooking challenges, like how can I take this recipe I used to love and turn it into something I could love and crave now.

It’s been a year now. My life has completely changed. I feel like my appearance finally reflects who I am on the inside. I have gained confidence, knowledge and faith. I believe in myself. I even feel sexy for the very first time in my life! (Swimsuit season, here I come!).

I keep saying that it wasn’t tough, that I did it on my own. Yes, I did do it on my own, but it wouldn’t have been possible without all the support I’ve gotten. I’d especially like to give my most sincere thanks to the following people:

-          À mon père, Fabien. Mon père est un homme fort et aimant, dévoué au bien-être de sa famille. Il est le premier à dire que ce n’est pas facile de perdre du poids et qu’il a perdu 800 livres dans sa vie! Je pense qu’il est très fier de ce que j’ai accompli et je le remercie pour sa générosité et ses mots d’encouragement. Je t’aime papa! xxx

-          À ma mère, Marjo. Ma mère a souvent pris le temps de me parler pour me dire que je devrais me prendre en main. Elle le faisait avec beaucoup de délicatesse, car elle savait que c’était un sujet tabou pour moi et que je ne voulais pas en entendre parler. Même si je ne voulais pas l’avouer à l’époque, ses mots m’affectaient beaucoup et aujourd’hui, je suis fière de lui dire que je l’ai fait. Ta fille a regagné sa santé, maman! J Je t’aime!

-          À mes sœurs, Nathalie et Isabelle. Les filles, vous êtes les amours de ma vie. Vous le savez en plus; j’ai juste à regarder un de vos vidéos pour me redonner le sourire. Maintenant que j’aime mon apparence et que je n’ai pas honte d’être prise en photo, à quand notre prochain trip à Walt Disney World? J 

-          To my boyfriend, Sean. We started dating when I was already down 50lbs and a changed woman, but your love and attraction to me boosted my self-confidence like nothing else. I’m glad you’re in my life. You are such a big motivator. Thank you for your kindness, your support, but mostly, for putting up with my self-questioning and mood swings :P Ilu.

-          To my buddy Kris. K-guy, you are such a good friend. Thank you for the help throughout this journey. Our friendship is a precious gift.

-          À mes collègues de travail. Vous avez vu ma transformation au quotidien plus que quiconque. Anne-Marie, je suis vraiment contente de pouvoir te compter parmi mes amis. Tu m’en fais voir de toutes les couleurs et dans le fond, j’aime ça! Un merci tout spécial à Katherine, qui partage si gentiment ses fruits avec moi le matin et qui prend le temps d’inscrire les informations nutritionnelles sur les biscuits qu’elle amène. :P

-          To everybody on FatSecret.com. You cannot imagine how many messages I’ve gotten from people who want to lose weight, telling me that I’m an inspiration for them and congratulating me. Honestly, if I can help one person realize how “easy” this is, my work is done. By getting those messages almost on a daily basis, you guys are MY inspiration and you keep me going.

-          To all my Facebook friends. I’m kinda sorry for all the spam about weight loss and nutrition and food you have gotten this past year! :P But most of all, thank you for all the sweet comments I’ve gotten on all the progression pictures I’ve posted. <3 Franchement, un gros merci pour les commentaires! Particulièrement à mes vieux amis et à ma famille; vous me faites chaud au cœur.

There you have it. I thought I was going to last for a couple of weeks only, and here I am, one year later. I am 125 pounds lighter. I am healthier. I am happier.

Happy birthday, new life! It’s good to have you!

The 5 things that make my mornings

The five things that can really boost my mornings:

1. A warm, cuddly kitty to hug when you wake up;
2. A phone call from my boyfriend, or even better, having him in my bed to cuddle with;
3. The thought of wearing "those cute little pink shoes" or that "elegant black and white dress";
4. A cup of almond-chocolate coffee;
5. A deliciously healthy breakfast.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my quinoa porridge, and it perfectly fits the description of a deliciously healthy breakfast. It has to be the most comforting breakfast I've ever had. It's warm, just gooey enough and sweet, sweet, sweet! I'm warning you though: you might get addicted to this.

In a microwave safe bowl, mix 1/2 a cup of cooked quinoa, 1/3 of a cup of your favorite dairy drink, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a couple of dried fruits and something to sweeten it up. Put in the microwave for 2 minutes and you're done! I recommend using something like vanilla soy or almond milk; it gives it even more flavor and sweetness. And when it comes to fruits, be adventurous! Raisins, cranberries, figs, apricots, dates!

J'aime vraiment le gruau traditionnel, mais faire un "porridge" avec du quinoa plutôt que de l'avoine, c'est carrément meilleur. En plus, je prépare le mien avec du lait de soya ou d'amande aromatisé à la vanille et des fruits secs. C'est sucré, chaud et réconfortant. À essayer!

Seeing is believing

This post is purely for me.

Vero, whenever you look at yourself in the mirror and are not pleased with what you see, or whenever you "feel fat", take a look at this picture.

 

Look at you. Look at that small waist, those well defined leg muscles, the thin neck! Look at what you have accomplished this past year. You look fantastic and it's all because of the changes you have made to your life. 

You won the most important battle of your life. Be proud!

Huge salad is... well... huge!

Pretty simple meal tonight: a huge salad. I just threw all the random vegetables and fruits I felt like eating into a big bowl (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, yellow bell peppers, blackberries) and drizzled a little olive oil and lemon juice on top. Yes, it's simple, and that's why I love it! The picture doesn't do justice to how big the salad is!

I prepared the salad and left it in the fridge while I went for a jog. I ran 2.5km, thinking about my salad the entire way! Ahhh well... what can I say... I just LOVE food, especially when it's tasty, colorful and healthy!

Le Commensal

I love the Commensal. Affordable vegetarian food in convenient locations? Yes please!

I had dinner there tonight with my buddy Jim. I kept it simple with some raw vegetables, a quinoa salad, a chickpea salad and some mushrooms. He, on the other hand, opted for heavier options with long noodles, lasagna and quesadillas. It looked delicious!

For the love of good bread

I've been craving the bread Sean and I had gotten at the Première Moisson bakery at the Marché Maisonneuve; it's an olive oil bread with herbs. It's not exactly a focaccia, not exactly a ciabatta either. Although I can't really figure out what it is, I decided that I should still make something similar to it to satisfy my craving. So, armed with a lot of research on the fabulous Internet, I decided that today would be the day I'd make my very own focaccia.

Like I said in my last video, I got myself a Larousse Gastronomique, often referred to as THE book any aspiring cook should have in his kitchen. Here is what the Larousse Gastronomique says about "focaccia":

An Italian olive-oil flat bread, of very ancient origin, since it dates to bakestone days. It is a hearth bread, traditionally flung into the oven just after the fire has been raked out, when the temperature is still too high to bake a larger loaf without burning the crust.

I made my focaccia with part whole wheat, part white flour and I added some dried herbs on top. Other than that, I pretty much followed the recipe on HubPages. Making bread is a labor of love; it takes time and a bit more effort than if you were just grabbing a slice of bread from the fridge. The kneading, how you wait for the dough to rise, the baking, and mostly, the anticipation...

When I took the first bite from my homemade herb focaccia, I understood how worth the efforts all this was. I enjoyed mine with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and some leftover smoked salmon from dinner last night. What a perfect way to spend this warm Sunday afternoon!

Je n'aurais pas pu trouvé meilleur compagnon pour le saumon fumé qu'il me restait du repas d'hier soir avec mes parents. Mon focaccia est bien croûté avec un centre moelleux, les herbes et le sel relèvent son goût de farine de blé parfaitement. En plus, il faut avouer qu'il est vraiment beau, non? :)

Rewarding myself with a couple additions to my kitchen!