This Saturday will be my last day of being a vegan. I know for many that veganism is a lifestyle choice and I respect that greatly. I am not a vegan right now for a reason that most are…I am a vegan because for 21 days I chose to give up/fast meat and dairy to grow closer to God (kind of like what Catholics do for Lent). Since I am still in my fast, I wont get into what I have learned or am learning, rather, I’d like to share with you the awesome and delicious things I have made as a vegan!

Of course there have been nights were hummus was the main course (but we all know that happens to regular meat eaters too) but other nights were filled with culinary explorations!

My favorite meal I made had to be these vegetable enchiladas by the Novice Chef.

Instead of real cheese I substituted soy cheese from Trader Joes and I also used refried black beans from TJ’s as well instead of regular black beans because that’s what I had in my pantry. Y’all. These were AMAZING. I plan on making them again after these 21 days are up and that is saying a lot!

I even got adventurous with tofu ;). The common response when I tell people I made things with tofu is absolute disgust lol. I will admit that I was scared to try it too, BUT I am happy to report that is was not THAT bad. I buy extra firm tofu (again from TJ’s), drain it, dice it, and then bake it at 350 for 35-45 minutes. This makes it super crispy. I’ve also heard you can batter it in corn starch and pan fry it but I was too lazy most nights to try that.

I made my tofu into a lot of asian dishes. One of which was the Hummusapien’s Northstar Buddha Bowl. 

She posted this recipe in 2013 so the picture isn’t as good as her usual stuff but the recipe makes up for that ;). It is delish! I did double the amount of soy sauce though cause I loveeee soy sauce.

If you can’t already tell, Trader Joe’s has gotten me through these 21 days (#notsponsored).

Some other easy favorites from TJ’s frozen section:

Um, these quinoa cowboy burgers are so good. Will def be making these for my lunch from now on.

Another easy lunch has been these boxes of lentil soup. I add quinoa cooked in vegetable stock to make it more hardy and it is enough for 2 lunches (one for me and one in Tupperware for the hubs).

This tempura cauliflower is the BOMB. The sauce is real spicy so I added honey but I can’t wait to eat this again!

Snack wise, I’ve eaten a lot of hummus (again, normal) and figs. Oh and french fries. Lol, just being honest.

Breakfast has consisted of a lot of overnight oats made with vegan chocolate chips and coconut milk (YUM) and smoothies with Arbonne vegan protein powder.

So I am sure you are wondering, “Tilley, will you be like Queen B and stay a vegan?”

The answer is simply, no I will not continue being a vegan.

Like I said above, I really respect people who are vegan. I love their passion. But I miss eggs…. And chicken. And fish. And while the first two weeks were a fun adventure, I am running out of steam. I want to eat an easy omelette with turkey sausage and cheese in it. I want to be able to grab a Chickfila sandwich on a road trip.

I DO however, plan to instate meatless Monday’s in our home after we get back from our vacation 🙂

Now for the real question…what should be my first meal after my 21 days is up? I am leaning towards pizza or chicken parmesan. Nom.