Epiphany: My Life-Changing Decision to Go Macro

I've been inspired.  By Alicia Silverston.  Wait!  Before you start quoting lines from Clueless, let me explain.

Learning of my quest to enter into a vegetarian lifestyle, a friend of mine lent me the book The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet, and that was it.  I am now a convert to the macrobiotic diet.  That's right, I've finally discovered what the theme of this blog should be!  After only 6 posts!  It's enlightening and liberating, to say the least.  I'm thrilled!

So why this book, you ask?

First of all, it made sense.  I actually get why some foods are bad for you and why.  All the other macro books out there were so hard to understand.  Then, once I felt like I was actually getting it, I would think, "Now what?  Tell me what I'm allowed to eat!  And make it sound delicious!"  Alicia did that for me.

Next, the recipes sounded doable, not to mention delicious!  In two days, I've already tried 2 recipes and loved them.  One was Alicia's Magical Healing Soup, and the other was:

Rice Waffle with Vegetable Melange

Quick and easy, these recipes both took about 30 minutes max to make.  Plus, they were both in the Superhero (macro) section of her cookbook.  Huh?  Superhero?  Yes, and that brings me to the next reason I love this book:

Based on your knowledge of the vegetarian, vegan and macrobiotic diet, you can decide where you want to start your journey to healthy eating, and then work your way up from there.  You can start out as a Flirt (low-pressure choice to give veganism a try and see where it takes you), a Vegan (no animal-based products at all), or a full-fledged Superhero (a macrobiotic superstar).  There are enough recipes in each category to keep you interested well beyond a few weeks.

If anyone else is interested, this is her website, and this is her book:
Click here to save a few bucks at amazon.com
I'm buying one for myself and my mother-in-law today.  So, from here on out you'll find recipes and lifestyle tips on this blog that can hopefully help you enjoy eating a plant-based, and maybe even a macrobiotic, diet.  Another interesting thing is that, since macrobiotics has its roots in Japanese cooking, you'll still get to see a lot of Asian-influenced food here!

On a sad note, today was my last cup of coffee...... *sniff*  RIP Espresso Machine.

Like White on Rice

First, I want to say to those of you who decided to follow this blog -- I love you guys!  It absolutely makes my day every time I notice when someone's signed up to follow me or when I see you've left me a comment.  THANK YOU FRIENDS :D

Okay, back to the food!  Today was an asian kind of day for me.  I love when I've got a big rice cooker full of warm rice, ready to be the foundation for my breakfast, lunch and dinner.  It makes life so easy, doesn't it?  Plus, on a chilly morning, it sure beats a bowl of cold cereal.  Bad news is it doesn't really go with coffee...but if you're an asian tea drinker, it's the perfect fit.  Try a mild green tea or jasmine tea if you're new to asian teas.

About the rice: I like to use 2 cups of organic brown sushi rice mixed with 1/2 cup azuki beans.  It's a very mild bean so you don't really notice it's there.  Plus, the rice and beans together make a protein!  It's a beautiful thing.  Remember, though, that when you cook brown rice and beans you're going to need to add more water than you normally would with plain white rice.  Also, brown rice tends to be a little more...how would I say it...rugged?  So I recommend soaking the rice and beans overnight and then cooking it first thing in the morning.

So now that the rice is done, what are you going to eat it with?

That's right, scrambled eggs!  Except I add a little Japanese flair to mine.  

When whisking eggs, add 2 teaspoons soy sauce for every 2 eggs.  

After cooking, top with thinly sliced green onion and sprinkle with

a little furikake, or add umeboshi.

You're not really Japanese if you can't eat natto.  

My husband thinks it's the devil, I think it's heaven.  Who's right?  

Me, of course.  

I grew up eating this stuff so just the thought of it 

makes my mouth water.  

But my husband's mouth waters in another way,

 if you know what I mean...

Poor guy can't even be in the same room as I am when I'm eating it!  

I'm told it smells worst than the stinkiest of cheeses.

I love dark leafy greens, and this is the best way to cook them.  I like to use chard.  It's delicious, and so colorful.  Plus, I found that spinach, as tasty as it is, turns into about 1 bite when cooked.  

For 4 servings:

Chop about 8 to 10 large chard leaves into bite-sized pieces

Mince 2 or 3 cloves of garlic

• Heat 2 Tbs toasted sesame oil in large pan over medium-high heat  
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant, around 30 seconds to 1 minute  
• Then add chard or other greens and saute until wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes 
• In the meantime, whisk 2 eggs with 1 Tbs soy sauce and 1 Tbs agave nectar
• Pour over chard and cook over medium heat, letting eggs set a little before stirring  
• Stir gently until egg is cooked through
• Add 4 to 5 Tbs crushed sesame seeds and stir to combine
• Serve with......RICE of course!