opening the floodgates

After a week of strict restrictions, week two seemed like a breeze because I slowly introduced wheat, eggs, soy and dairy back into the diet. Added sugar was still out but that was okay because I had Flying Apron’s book, which was gluten free, vegan and used barely any sugar.

I’ve been really enjoying her savoury section in particular her soup one. I made the Potato, Leek & Sorrel soup and it was delicious! It had subtle yet complex layered flavours it also had spinach blended in it with our 80’s immersion style blender called Robot Susan (that’s what the package called it).

By mid-week I was ready for something sweet so I made the Wondie Bars. GF oat, mixed with raspberries and blueberries, olive oil and some corn flour. It was a little crumbly but was sweet and crunchy all rolled into one.

When the week drew to a close I kicked it off in my usually weekend bake style and tried the Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes. I used no eggs, butter or processed sugar (the holy trinity of baking). Instead the substitutes were banana, olive oil and a maple syrup, agave nectar combo. I brought it to a friend’s house and didn’t say a word. It was big hit! The texture was crumbly (a common occurrence in Flying Apron’s book) but the cupcake had a nice chocolate depth and richness I didn’t expect from a vegan recipe. I’m not saying I’m converted because I love eggs, butter and sugar, I just thought it was a nice alternative for those with food restrictions. And of course it was gluten free.

Flying high from my past successes I tried to up the ante and make the Blueberry Cinnamon Scones. I used garbanzo bean flour, my first mistake. It smelled a little like peanut butter but had none of its texture and binding power. I was not impressed because they came out dry, crumbly and a little lack luster in flavour. Thumbs down for sure on this one. J said they were fine but every time I picked them up they would explode in a crumbly mess and left a sticky dry texture in my mouth upon eating them. Ho hum indeed.

Next up the Indian Pockets (Gluten free bread wrapped around a warm yummy filling, two recipes in one). I think I like the savoury more than the sweet. And even though I had a few successes I really think baked goods need a little egg and butter to hold it all together.

week one complete

When I first started this plan I thought how hard could it be to give up added sugar, wheat/gluten, eggs, corn, soy, fruit juices and processed food for one week? The first day I was patting myself on the back, the second day the reality hit. While I made a few meals including Flying Apron’s Fennel and Carrot soup I was not prepared for how hungry I would be or how much I would crave chocolate and bread. I packed my meals for the day but found myself wanting more despite great food options. This week I made Martha’s millet bowl, blended healthy shakes every morning, snacked on a handful of mixed nuts (minus peanuts), I had quinoa and salmon, lentils and salmon, salad after salad and fruit snacks. While all of them were delicious I really felt I needed more. I was a healthy bottomless pit. But as the week progressed I became less hungry and by day five I no longer craved chocolate even when J waved a one kg Dairy Milk bar from the UK at me (he’s been doing it as well but had to break it when that sucker came out. Chocolate is a hard thing to resist).

I’m now on day seven and tomorrow wheat gets to come back in (for J not for me, back to gluten free) and the restrictions loosen up. I have to say that the food was delicious but it was hard preparing everything for the day and making sure I had options so that I would not give in to a flaky chocolate croissant (best of both worlds I gave it death stares but didn’t pick it up). I do feel better physically and I’m finding it easier now, but I definitely need a snack that is not a fruit or some nuts. This next week should be easier with eggs coming back in. What I’m really excited about is finally being able to do Flying Apron’s recipes especially since I had such success with the soup.

The Fennel and Carrot soup was made out of necessity instead of want. I had a bunch of carrots about to go off and I knew I could make a soup out of it. I picked up a fennel bulb and went to work. What came out was something both unexpected and delicious. I was never a big fan of fennel but have come to appreciate its light flavour and what it brings to a meal. The combination of the fennel and the carrot was amazing. It had a nice balance to it and when you incorporate coconut milk in and you’ve got probably the most grown up soup I’ve ever made. I’m glad I had those extra carrots otherwise I would never have had the joy of drinking this soup. This simple to make soup definitely gave me confidence in the rest of the book and it also made me jealous that I don’t live in Seattle. And now it’s time for the baked goods!