I guess my most exciting news for today is my decision to (once again) become a vegan. What do I mean once again?
Well...last year, I embarked on a vegan adventure from October 2009 - March 2010. In all honesty, it was not a healthy time. I didn't know much about nutrition; I was eating alot of processed crap and far too much soy-based proteins. At the end of March, I caved in and ordered a bacon, sausage, and pepperoni pizza. And that was the end of it.
Now, I have been studying nutrition and understand more about eating and how the body uses food to nurture us. The recent (second) decision came after seeing a shocking video about - believe it or not - sheep sheering. I don't really want to link the video to this blog, but I'm sure you can find it if you so choose. It showcases the horrible conditions under which animals can be treated to make our food and our clothing.
I'll definitely never be one of these Nazi vegans that preaches the evils of industrial farming and the FDA. I actually see people's decisions about food just as personal as decisions about religion, orientation, and other "hot topics." I just feel that veganism is - for me - the right decision. I've actually not eaten meat in a few weeks, but I wanted to really deliberate over this commitment before I made it common knowledge.
Many people imagine vegan food to be boring, tasteless, and lacking in nutrition. This is completely untrue! One of my favorite foods is pizza - and I'm sure most people would assume that vegans can't eat pizza. But, once again, this is completely untrue! Below is a delicious, easy, vegan pizza full of protein and flavor. You'd be surprised how yummy and fulfilling this kind of recipe can be =)
Tuscan White Bean Pizza
This recipe is adapted from Robin Robertson's Vegan on the Cheap. She gives instructions for a homemade pizza crust, but I didn't have time. Pillsburby makes a great refridgerated dough that - surprise surprise - is vegan.
- 1 lb. refridgerated thin-crust pizza dough
- 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 tablespoons basil (I like the fresh, refridgerated kind that comes in a tube)
- 2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes, until soft and golden. Add the cannellini beans and begin to smash them with a spoon or spatula. Add salt and pepper to taste, as well as the water. Bring to a bubble and stir to combine. Cook until thick and creamy (about 8 minutes). Stir in the basil and remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Roll out the pizza dough to a long rectangle and drape across the baking sheet. Evenly spread the bean mixture over the crust. Top with the tomato slices and sprinkle with additional salt and pepper. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until crispy and hot. serves 4-5
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While meditating on my decision to go vegan again, I read quite a bit from a book called 1,001 Meditations compiled by Mike George. It is a little book...about the size of a deck of cards. But it is filled to the brim with meditations, visualizations, affirmations, and quotations. We often think of meditation as sitting in lotus pose with our eyes closed and our palms in our laps. But, sometimes, a meditation can simply be time spent contemplating a reading or visualization. Here is one of my favorites from the book:
"We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects." - Herman Melville (1819-91)
Isn't that a lovely quotation? Sometimes, we get so centered on ourselves that we forget about the "universal" self and the fact that we are all interconnected. It's such a comforting and peaceful thought. I think that - for me - the choice to be vegan is somehow connected to my own relationship with animals. You might think this thought is ridiculous - and that's okay. We are all entitled to our own feelings! And we are all connceted, so there ;)
I hope to be posting over this busy holiday week from Pittsburgh - - where I'll be spending some time with family. Have safe travels to your holiday destinations and enjoy a few days of rest!
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