The Plant-Based Cooking Demo & Lunch

Having shared with you some of the foods I eat on a regular basis, I found this video of reggae artiste, Macka B, singing about the vegan diet:

I really liked this song because of the variety of foods that Macka B lists and the fact that he displays a wealth of knowledge about proper nutrition and knows what essential nutrients he needs to get from his meals.

For some people, even after watching a video, reading an article or meeting someone who eats plant-based, and being convinced that this is the way to go, they still remain confused about what to eat and how to prepare it. This fact has been displayed in the many requests I have had (emails, SMS, instant messages, in-person) for recipes and, more so, a live demonstration of how I prepare these meat-free, egg-free, and dairy-free dishes.

Over time, I soon realised that I had promised quite a few friends that I'd make the time to come by their kitchens and give them a guiding hand in their exploration of the world of plant-based cooking. So, these promises were piling up and my 'available' time wasn't. So, one morning (one of those when your mind is clear and bursting with ideas and strategies), I decided to drop a few lines, inviting a select few - on very short notice - to join me for a plant-based lunch and cooking demo.

Following some initial indications of interest, I scratched out the following menu for our foodie event:

Appetizer

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

Entree

Curried Ackee Wraps

Mini Burgers

Escoveitched Tofu with Bammy

Side

Garden Salad with Tofu Bites

Cool Potato Salad

Dessert

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Soy Ice Cream

Beverage

Pine-Ting Smoothies

Now, I could easily launch my own review of the experience, but my friend, Monique, did a great job in her blog post on IrieDiet.com (I love the fruit and veggie banner that she has!). Please click on the link to share in the event (pics included): Vegetarian for a day....or at least...a meal

All I can say is, everyone had their favourite dishes and I look forward to another demo sometime soon.

Stay Earth Strong!

So, what do you eat?

On those occasions when my plant-based eating habits are observed, the persons enquiring usually seek consolation for the elimination of meat from my diet, by asking, "But, you eat fish, right?!" The expressions of horror that usually follow my denial often accompany the exclamation, "So, what do you eat?"

I have found it strange that so many persons believe the only food options available to us are: chicken, fish, pork, beef, mutton and fish, with the ever-faithful 'side' dishes of rice, ground provisions, bread and vegetables. Capitalist-driven affluence and the misguided pursuit of it, has resulted in voluntary amnesia for many persons. I say this because many people fail to remember that in our traditional diet, chicken was the Sunday dinner 'main dish', fish may have been a treat on Friday, and a little salt meat (beef or pork) would have accented the Saturday Pumpkin or Red Peas soup. Very few persons want to be reminded that most of our 'back-in-the-day' dishes were plant-based and things like (the choice cuts of) pork, beef and mutton, were reserved for family events such as weddings, funerals, and birthday parties. Instead, they wrongly associate meat-consumption with wealth and vegetable-consumption with poverty. (There is so much more that I could say about that... but, that will be addressed at another time.) However, in the interest of our health and the sustenance of our economy, we may all want to consider returning to the 'country-style' eating habits by increasing our consumption of the treasures we reap from soil and decreasing, if not eliminating, our consumption of animal foods.

Below you will find a sample menu of what I may eat on an average day:

	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Breakfast	Oats Porridge with Raisins	Steamed Callaloo with baked beans	Cornmeal Porridge
	Toasted bread with peanut butter	Boiled bananas, yam and potatoes	Fried Plantain with bread
	Orange and banana	Melon and banana	Mango and Pineapple
Lunch	Sweet n Sour Veggie Chunks	Soy patty with lettuce and tomato	Vegetable Chow Mein
	Rice and Peas	Meatless Red Peas Soup	Arranged Vegetable Salad
	Tossed Vegetable Salad
Dinner	Curried Ackee	Cabbage and Veggie Mince	Barbecued Tofu
	Roasted Breadfruit	Spaghetti	Brown Rice
	Avocado Pear Slices	Arranged Vegetable Salad	Steamed Carrots & String Beans
Snack	Sugarcane	June Plum	Coconut Drops
Dessert	Pineaple Upside Down Cake	Sweet Potato Pudding	Soy Ice Cream

These items were not selected with any particular dietary needs in mind. They are simply delicious, easy to prepare and readily available. If you have never prepared any of the meat substitutes e.g. veggie chunks, veggie mince, or tofu before, there are many easy tutorials and recipes available online. Or you may pick up these dishes from a vegetarian restaurant nearby.

Therefore, you have no reason to limit yourself. Try to eat something more traditional and plant-based today.

Stay Earth Strong!