Guys this is just alarmingly easy. Veganism is suiting me down to the god damn ground. I’ve tried to pack this post with lots more information this week (here’s last weeks if you missed it) because I’m finding loads of really helpful and interesting stuff during my own research. If you’ve got your own tips and discoveries and hilarious vegan anecdotes (do they exist?) to share, please please do so in the comments!

The closest I’ve come to cheating this week..

I regret to inform you, dear friends, that I did have to cheat this week. This wasn’t a hands trembling, beads of sweat down the forehead “I must eat butter with a spoon” cheat, it was the kind I mentioned in my pledge at the start of this challenge. I develop recipes for a handful of clients, and most of them were on board with going vegan for January, but one of them involved chicken. My hand was forced.

The best thing I ate this week

Why is this such a difficult question? My takeaway from Sabai Thai was pretty good.. but then so was my vegan cooked breakfast.. and the delicious delicious curry I made on Wednesday night.. I might drop this category, it’s too much pressure.

My biggest cravings this week

This week I’m really craving eggs. It’s annoying me that I can’t boil an egg as a quick snack, poach an egg and slop it into some soup, fry an egg to serve with my greens or scramble some eggs for breakfast. If you’re a long time reader of my blog, you’ll know that I love eggs dearly, and I’m really starting to miss them. Another simple pleasure I’m longing for is far too much goats butter on a fat hunk of fresh bread. Interestingly, cheese has hardly crossed my mind, and I really thought it would, on a regularly basis, come to me in my dreams.

A few basic meals from week 2

Top left: A tortilla wrap filled with houmus, kale, baked chestnut mushrooms and sweet chilli sauce. It was good, but I think I’m gonna cool it with the wraps next week unless I can find some super-organic-fancy ones because they’re not agreeing with my stomach at all..

Top right: Stir fried kale and ready to eat lentils with probably-too-much-salt and a sprinkling of garlic granules. This has been a really common breakfast for me this week, it’s surprisingly filling.

Bottom left: Breakfast for dinner. Beans, Linda sausages, potato waffles, avocado and mushrooms.

Bottom right: Udon noodle soup with mushrooms. I’ve had a very mushroomy week, I hadn’t noticed that until just now.

Vegan finds worth sharing

• Bon Appetit have covered some great ways to use the nutritional yeast that you may well have in your cupboard if you’ve really committed to Veganuary this year.
• After reading “Why Does Everyone Assume Vegans Are Health Nuts?” on Serious Eats, I found this entire corner of their website called The Vegan Experience which is something of a goldmine.
• This Food52 article gives 10 tips on going vegan or incorporating more vegan food into your life and does so in just the kind of down to earth way that I like best.
• Also from Food52, this 7 herb soup is bound to be so easy on the digestive system consisting solely of white rice and greens, I’m saving it for a day-after-a-food-binge emergency.
• I am very interested in this special sauce recipe on The First Mess.
• I made this oat milk and it was delicious, and so much cheaper than shop bought.

In the world of food, I ate 5 vegan millionaire’s shortbread squares in a space of time that will remain undisclosed. Consider them very highly recommended. I also discovered Alpro soya single cream which makes for a fancy coffee and a creamy pasta sauce (that’s all I’ve tried it in so far, I’ll be buying another carton and experimenting further). I also ordered a totally vegan takeaway from Sabai Thai and talked about it here.

Anything else to note?

Yes. I’m getting a bit annoyed with people who are stubbornly against the concept of veganism, and want to pick a fight with you purely because there isn’t any meat on your plate. I’ve always found that (even though it’s so fashionable right now) some people are a bit spiky about vegetarianism, but when people see the word vegan they really start popping off on one. I’ll be writing a more articulate and comprehensive post on this at the end of the month I think, but that’s what’s been very much on my mind this week.

Also, I bought more vegan cheese. This time a soft cheese that came very highly recommended. Look out for a deep exploration into its taste this week (and read about my first vegan cheese experience too).

How are you all getting on? Link me to your update posts if you have them and leave me lots of advice!

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