Cauliflower & Chickpea Tacos (Vegan Recipe)
So, I've been experimenting with a 7-day vegan diet. My goals are 1. To give my liver a little rest and reset. 2. See how it impacts my energy levels and 3. Become a better support to my vegan challengers and learn some new recipes. I'm 3 days in and actually really enjoying it. It's been an interesting exercise and a great reminder to never say never.
Five years ago, in nutrition school, we were asked to experiment with a variety of diet and nutrition plans. Eating vegan was one of them. I did it for two weeks and I honestly felt awful the entire time. I felt weak, tired and had zero energy. For the last fiver years, I've been adamant that I could and would never eat vegan again. It just wasn't for me. But this experiment has reminded me that we change. Our bodies need different things at different times and I should always remain open to that.
For several months vegan nutrition kept coming up for me...mainly because of my liver. The liver is basically the housekeeping department of our bloodstream. It has the important job of cleaning all the toxins out that we put in. Since I have MTHFR, I have a reduced capacity to process out toxins daily - at least to do so quickly and efficiently. So, I first and foremost try to reduce the toxins I allow in. But second, I make supporting the detoxification process a constant priority. (Dry brushing, epsom salt baths and lots of water are part of my daily routine.) Because some recent blood work revealed that my liver was a little tired and stressed I wanted to give it a rest and give my body a nutrient boost so I decided to try the vegan route for 7 days.
This time around it's been a much better experience for me. I guess my mind and body just needed to be in the right place to embrace and appreciate this way of nourishing myself. I've had tons of energy. I've enjoyed all of the food so far and discovered some delicious recipes that will definitely stay in my regular rotation and I haven't missed meat at all. I even cooked my kids grass-fed burgers for dinner last night and felt zero temptation to have one.
I guess the lesson in all of this is to listen to your body and never say never :)
Here is one of my favorite new recipes from this week's vegan experiment.
Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower chopped into small pieces with as much stem removed as possible.
1 box of chickpeas
2 gluten free tortillas
1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tsp olive oil
1 tablespoon plain coconut milk kefir
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Wet your hands and rub a little water on each side of your gluten free tortilla to make it a little more pliable. Hang the tortillas over the oven rack upside down so they form into taco shaped shells. Let them bake for about 5 minutes or less.
In a skillet, toss the cauliflower and chickpeas with olive oil and the homemade taco seasoning mix. Stir frequently until cauliflower is cooked to tender. About 15 minutes. Squeeze the lime juice into the mix and stir again.
Lay your tortilla shells on your plate and drizzle with coconut kefir. Top with cauliflower/chickpea taco mix, add shredded cabbage and cilantro and other toppings to your liking. Diced tomatoes and cucumbers are great additions. Enjoy!