I recently finished 49 days of Shojin Ryori dining and while most people would think it was a great sacrifice not to partake in animal flesh or any product that promoted animal suffering or cruelty, it actually was both spiritually and nutritionally cleansing. Along with the personal reflection of both life and death, my dietary habits for the past seven weeks allowed me to lose about seven pounds, mainly as body fat and it also lowered my cholesterol (which normally doesn’t look too good during the holidays).
What’s for Breakfast?
I usually don’t eat much animal protein on normal weekdays anyway so breakfast was still pretty basic. A heaping half cup of dried oatmeal microwaved with ¼ cup of Bran Buds and spiced with a teaspoon of cinnamon. I remember getting my parents to switch to the Quaker Old Fashioned oatmeal years ago instead of the Quick Cook variety since it’s cheaper at Costco and I reminded them that “chewing” was good for the gums – I’m not sure if Dad even noticed the difference between the two. Since I’m a little lactose intolerant, I stopped using regular milk several years ago and only drink soy milk (when it’s on sale). I actually added some extra soy protein to my normal morning routine in the form of soy bacon and unfertilized eggs. While Morningstar Farms “bacon” doesn’t really look like or tastes like bacon, it does have the same chewiness of moderately cooked bacon with a nice smoky flavor. However unlike cold bacon that gets pretty gross as it cools, soy “bacon” retains the same texture in chilled sandwiches and it doesn’t “puff and dissolve” like Baco’s chips. I never tried converting Dad to soy based “bacon” since the differences are readily apparent.
The only change in my weekday routine was eliminating my occasional cup of fat free yogurt. I couldn’t find a fat free yogurt that didn’t contain gelatin – even Kosher gelatin is usually animal based though I did occasionally have “Soygurt” which is a soy based “yogurt” with no animal product ingredients.
During the weekends, I indulged in Morningstar Farms “chicken” nuggets with my own concoction of spiced refried beans – one large can of vegetarian refried beans mixed with one can of chopped roasted green chilis, ½ cans of diced olives and 2 teaspoonfuls of chili powder and 1 tablespoonful of minced fresh cilantro (or dried). I probably could have gotten Dad to try my refried beans… though he probably would only try it as part of a plate of nachos.
What’s for Lunch?
I probably did my palate a favor by changing my usual lunch routine during the work week. Normally it’s whole grained bread with mustard, soy cheese and 95% fat free turkey cold cuts, carrot sticks, an apple and iced tea. While the iced tea, carrot sticks and apple remained the same, the sandwiched changed on a regular basis. On some days it was hummus (either regular, red pepper, garlic & herb or eggplant fortified) with fresh cilantro or cilantro pesto, on other days it was my aforementioned spiced refried beans with pepper “jack” soy cheese or on other days the myriad of soy-based cold cuts available at most supermarkets. There’s “bologna”, “ham”, “turkey’ (also known as Tofu-rkey) and “salami”. Most of these “cold cuts” are both soy and gluten based so you are pretty much getting a complete protein, especially if you add some hummus to the sandwich. I did manage to get Dad to indulge in an animal free Muffaletta sandwich once using those soy based “cold cuts” – I think the strong flavor of the garlicky olive and pickled vegetable relish distracted his taste buds enough that he didn’t realize the “salami” and “ham” were vegetable based.
On days that a sandwich just wouldn’t do, I indulged in either barbecue sauce slathered tempeh with spicy brown rice or plain firm tofu in a sesame based dressing. Between these taste temptations, I also brought leftover dinners to work and amused co-workers with these non-traditional lunches.
What’s for Dinner?
For dinner, the world was mine soyster. Okay, maybe no oyster but a lot of flavor with very little saturated fat and no cholesterol. If you indulge in pure vegan cuisine – no animal products at all – it is cholesterol free as cholesterol is only produced by animals. Lacto-ovo cuisine does include eggs and dairy products so it‘s possible to consume cholesterol and a fair amount of saturated fat.
Dinner usually consisted of roasted vegetables, brown rice or beans and some type of soy based protein. I even made a vegetarian stuffing/dressing for the holidays (I guess it would be a dressing since it wasn’t placed in a poultry cavity) using Morningstar Farms sausage or sausage patties along with a vegetable stock. Dad actually enjoyed my veggie stuffing on several Thanksgiving dinners - either he didn’t realize it wasn’t Jimmy Dean sausage or just played along with the gastronomic charade.
For those evenings where cooking was just a little too cumbersome, I simply microwaved a Morningstar Farms “burger” – and believe me, I tried almost every variety they carry. The Philly Cheese Steak and Chicken Patty were my favorites – just add a little sun dried tomato mayo (place olive oil packed sun dried tomatoes in a food processor and run until it’s finely minced – add a dollop to low fat mayonnaise for a flavorful mayo) and some soy cheese and you’ll soon be saying, “Who cares where’s the beef”?
I also used dried soy based veggie strips rehydrated in either a soy sauce based veggie stock or char siu sauce for my own flavored soy strips. Stir fried with mixed veggies or a little chow fun noodles and I had my own vegetarian stir frys. Add a little more fried tofu for added protein and you won’t miss the shrimp or chicken or pork or beef from your local Chinese take-out joint.
Dad frequently enjoyed my veggie chili with soy granules – once again, I’m not sure if he knew it was vegetarian or simply played along with my culinary experimentation.
Party Food Too?
Morningstar Farms also makes appetizers like broccoli and cheddar or artichoke and spinach nuggets along with “Buffalo Wings” that are crisp like the real McCoy – and even pair with Champagne. I cut smaller portions of their assorted “burgers” with bite sized buns for my version of the Gochiso’s veggie White Castle appetizers.
Most supermarkets also sell veggie spring rolls, burritos, enchiladas and other delicious finger foods. Though they may cost more than their fat laden animal product namesakes, these meatless alternatives are really guilt free – gastronomically and morally - and quite delicious!
I even indulged in vegetarian sashimi during Oshogatsu. What?! What is vegetarian sashimi? Well, its konnyaku that’s specifically marketed as konnyaku sashimi so you simply rinse, slice and serve. While the texture is different than fresh raw fish, it does have a texture resembling fresh raw ika but with no cholesterol and almost no calories at all! While Dad might have tried the konnyaku sashimi, I know that he would have preferred maguro or ahi sashimi.
Is Shojin for you?
While Shojin dining isn’t for everyone and does take time to get used to, I would encourage everyone to occasionally partake in the cleansing properties of animal free foods. Whether giving your body a break from the usual, to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure or if it’s simply to acknowledge and appreciate all life, Shojin dining does satisfy both the spiritual and physical soul. Mahalo Dad, for being part of Mom’s life for more than 50 years and part of our lives for over 40 years. Namu Amida Butsu.
Comments