I knew navigating the holidays as a vegan would have it's challenges and pitfalls. Especially with all the family having very limited notice of our new lifestyle. So here is a recounting of my holiday adventures in veganism!
First up, I was nervous and excited about sharing my vegan lifestyle with the family. I felt that I had to represent and make some fabulous vegan dishes to share. This was a little overwhelming as I don't really cook. I decided to try and make a simple quinoa with kale. This time I didn't blow up the quinoa and the kale came out completely delicious! Here's the very simple recipe I used for the kale:
SIMPLE
GARLICKY GREENS (KALE, COLLARDS, OR CHARD)
This is a
basic way to prepare sautéed chard, kale, or collard greens. Sometimes simple
is best —definitely true when it comes to something as good as leafy greens!
Serves: 4 to
6
1 large
bunch greens of your choice
(chard,
kale, or collard greens)
1 tablespoon
extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4
cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1/2
lemon or apple cider vinegar to taste [ * I used lemon juice]
Salt and
freshly ground pepper to taste
Remove stems
and thick mid-ribs from whatever type of greens you are using. Wash the leaves
thoroughly, dousing a batch at a time in a large bowl to make sure that all
sand and grit are removed.
If you’d
like to use the midribs, slice them very thinly. Otherwise, discard them (you
may want to discard collard stems in any case; they’re pretty tough). Stack a
few leaves atop one another and cut into wide strips.
Heat the oil
in a soup pot or steep-sided stir-fry pan [*I used a deep frying pan]. Add the garlic and sauté over low
heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden.
Add the
greens to the pot and stir to coat with the oil. Add just enough water to keep
the bottom of the pot moist. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until
the greens are bright green and just tender. Swiss chard takes 3 to 5 minutes;
kale and collards about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the
lemon juice or vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve at once
straight from the cooking vessel, or transfer to a covered container to serve
from.
The day got even better as my shirts I'd ordered arrived from The Herbivore Clothing company! I also found an adorable fox stuffed animal at Powell's to keep me company in the kitchen ^_^
Not ready to tackle desserts yet, I was able to find a vegan pumpkin pie at New Seasons. However I did put together a delicious mashed potato dish with corn, green beans, and gravy. I also tried to make tofu and failed miserably- which sent me into a fit of giggles. A vegan who can't cook tofu...
We arrived at my brothers house the next day and I was incredibly nervous. I felt awkward when we arrived and I laid my dishes on the table. However, something amazing happened. All of the sudden, my brother brought out an incredible spread of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, nuts, hummus, chips, salsa, and yams. He also mentioned that he was relieved, because he only had to cook half the dishes he was planning on making and got to relax more and enjoy the holidays. I felt so incredibly loved, supported, and grateful. We all were so full after dinner- we never even made it to the pie. He also sent us home with some wonderful bars of dark chocolate from Trader Joe's, which he was excited we could eat since they were vegan. A truly wonderful Christmas eve!
The next day was of course Christmas and we usually spend it with my fiancee's family. I'm very lucky in that I adore my in-laws and love being around them. Upon arrival, the very first thing my mother in law asked me to do was take a picture of her with her turkey she had very proudly cooked. I was completely disgusted and baffled that she wanted a picture with this bird carcass. I hoped my face didn't reflect my feelings. I tried to remember that it was just at Thanksgiving we were exchanging turkey recipes and that I hadn't had a chance to really share my motivation behind becoming vegan with her. I snapped the picture, texted it to her, and deleted it off my phone. I felt a deep sadness thinking about the cruelty that turkey had suffered before meeting an abrupt, violent death. She had also prepared a wonderful rice and black bean dish for us as well as potatoes and a beautiful salad. I tried to swallow my nausea as everyone commented on how good the turkey was or how great their meatballs tasted. These were people I've known and loved for years, but suddenly they felt a million miles away.
I also hit a pitfall when I scarfed my mother in laws caramel and then found out it had dairy in it. I felt awful, but mistakes will happen- especially when I've only been vegan for 2 weeks!
After dinner, the family put on their Christmas movie "Napoleon Dynamite"- I say their because I never could stand that movie. This year I found it particularly awful as they alluded to a cow being shot in front of a bus full of children. My heart dropped as everyone laughed at the main character trying to stuff a chicken into a tiny wire cage at a factory farm. A factory farm that even my fiancee agreed was not an accurate representation of what they are really like. I kept these feelings to myself, but just felt sick most of the night. I felt lonely there. I knew my fiancee wouldn't really understand either as he isn't vegan for the same reasons I am.
On the way home I - in a silly attempt to comfort myself- drew a picture of a happy pig on my window in the frost. In an ironic twist of events, we were pulled over on our way home for expired tags on my car. After the cop very sweetly let us off with a warning- I laughed and pointed out the picture to my fiancee- wondering if the officer had spotted my innocent doodle if he would have let us go without a ticket.
After a roller coaster of a day, we finally made it home. I curled up with my fox stuffed animal and fell asleep.
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