East Village Vegan

What a trip!

2011-08-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Vietnam Day One: Flight Meals

Delta: JFK-->Tokyo

When purchasing my tickets on Expedia, I made sure to request a Pure Vegetarian meal. Knowing ahead of time that pure vegetarian=not necessarily vegan…I knew I had to pack my normal snacks and sammies. Therefore before heading to the airport, I made 4 mini pita whole wheat sandwiches with mustard, (2 with romaine), and tofurky. I also packed almonds, cashews, 2 larabars, pretzels, carrots, and a bag of veggie booty.

Once on board the first meal to arrive was the “dinner” service, which consisted of the following:

Pure Vegetarian Meal

Brown Rice and Mixed Veggie Curry (frozen peas, corn, carrots, string beans, cauliflower)

Roll

Salad with tomato, romaine and topped with shredded cheese (not vegan)

3 shrimp cocktail (not vegan)

butter (non vegan)

ceasar dressing (not vegan)

cocktail sauce

cream cheese brownie (not vegan)

I attempted to eat the rice and veggies, but it was so bland that I couldn’t take more than two bites. I nibbled on the roll, but was turned off at the shrimp on the tray. Oh well, good thing I brought the sammies.

A few hours later came the Midflight snack=another disappointment!

Midflight snack:

Apple

Water in a plastic carton

veg sandwich (crustless wheat bread, tomatoes, and cucumber)

pepperidge farm milano cookie

Notes: water tastes like plastic

Apple: saved for later

Veg Sandwich=soggy bread, mealy tomatoes…I also found two pieces of turkey in the sandwich and couldn't eat the cookie...again good thing I packed food!

The menu for the pre-landing meal reads option of veggie fried rice…please be good.

The arrival of the last meal was another sad disappointment.

Pre Landing Meal:

Fruit Salad

Roll/Butter

Hersheys Bar

Veggie Fried Rice with baby corn and red peppers

I took one bite of the veggie fried rice and noticed that there was egg in the meal. I was skeptical at first, but then thought it was tofu. Wrong, I bit into a small piece of egg and there goes another Pure Veg Meal. The oj and a piece of pineapple was all that I ate. I’m ready for some homemade Vietnamese food already!

Vietnam Day Two: Flight Meal

Vietnam Airlines: Tokyo-->Ho Chi Minh

This was by far the best meal on board

Dinner Service:

Roll with margarine

Garden salad with cucumber, peppers and a lite vinaigrette

Fruit salad (apples, kiwi, and pineapple)

Sushi rice with 3 different mushrooms (oyster, shiitake and straw)

Tofu with snowpeas, bamboo and peppers

I felt like I was almost home. I’m looking forward to my first bowl of veggie noodle soup and fresh summer rolls. Oh and the fresh sugarcane juice too.

After settling in to my grandmother’s house, I went and had my first homemade bowl of rice porridge. The rice was mixed with red beans (sort of like azuki) and topped with coconut milk. It was served along side a small dish of spicy pickled gourd. I also nibbled on a few rombutan. Love the fruit here. Can you believe the last time I went to Vietnam, I bought apples, grapes and oranges? I know right? I’ll stick with the local fruit for the rest of the trip.

After breakfast, we walked to the market. We picked up some fresh tofu, chopped lemongrass/chili peppers, fresh coconut juice, a green vegetable (reminds me of chayote), and fresh cilantro. Ba Ngoai is going to make me a soup with sautéed lemongrass tofu. Time for a nap while it’s hot out!

Didn’t get a picture of the soup or lemongrass tofu dish:(

For a light snack I had veggie summer rolls with brown rice noodles, lettuce and fresh mint.

Breakfast the next morning was a traditional veganize version of Bun Bo Hue. It had rice noodles, bean sprouts, scallions and veggie meat. The hot bowl of soup was a bit difficult to eat in the humid weather, but most of the locals eat hot soup or rice for breakfast so I’m just going with the flow.

For lunch, grandma made sautéed (scallion like) greens with fresh tofu and peanuts.

Snack…lychee and mini-grapefruit. I also had some fresh sugarcane juice.

More delicious Vietnam eats to come...

On a trip...

2011-07-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

Going on vacation and will have plenty of adventure stories from my travels! See you all soon.

I'm back!

2011-07-12T15:59:00.001-07:00

It has been a while, but I'm glad to be back and look forward to the many posts in the coming days and weeks! Just to wet your appetite a little...here are a few pics:

Pure Food and Wine Zucchini Local Roma and Heirloom Tomato Lasagna

Whole Wheat Roll Ups

Dark Chocolate Covered Organic Strawberries

Vegan Italian Hoagie

2011-04-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

Vegan Deli Slices, organic tomatoes, onion, shredded lettuce, and Vegannaise. The sandwich is topped with with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano.

Organic Red Quinoa

2011-04-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

I had brunch last weekend at the newly opened Le Pain Quotidien in Center City, Philadelphia and ordered on of my favorite dishes the Organic Red Quinoa Salad (their menu indicates all vegan dishes with a (v) and a carrot symbol). The salad consisted of arugula, chickpeas, and artichokes in a lemon vinaigrette. Delicious and very light. After coming back to New York, I was inspired to create new meals with red quinoa. First, I made a quinoa, kale, and cilantro salad. The next day, I made another quinoa salad with peas, onions, and vegan chicken. I served it with raw zucchini pasta (zucchini spirals, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, braggs apple cider and sea salt).

Organic Red Quinoa

Quinoa with organic kale and cilantro

Quinoa with peas, onions and vegan chicken

Raw zucchini pasta

CookFest!

2011-04-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

For the last few months, I've been preparing meals for the week on the weekend. It takes me about 3 to 4 hours, but I don't have to think about what to eat for the rest of the week. Here are some photos from last month. *By Friday I'm ready to dine out, which is a nice treat!

Pasta Night!

2011-02-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

Tagiatelle and Arrabbiata Sauce served with Fresh Garlic Bread

Ponti Italian Pasta Sauce

Tagliatelle

Great finds from EATALY

100th Post!

2011-01-31T15:19:00.000-08:00

For my 100th post, I'd like to share one of my favorite Sunday morning meals:

Breakfast Sandwiches!!

Whole Wheat English Muffin-Seared Tofu with Daiya cheese, Lightlife Gimme Lean, sauteed onions, nooch and avocado. Served with roasted potatoes.

Caramelized Seitan Banh Mi

2011-01-30T11:43:00.000-08:00

Toasted Banh Mi with sauteed seitan, pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro, cucumber and Vegannaise.

1/2 seitan Banh Mi with sweet and sour veg, rice, and carrot salad

Seitan Banh Mi with hearts of palm salad and avocado

Additional Photos...

mmm....

Vegan Pho

2011-01-29T06:49:00.001-08:00

There's nothing like a hot bowl of homemade Veggie Pho.

Marathon Update

2010-11-22T15:31:00.001-08:00

Although it has been over a month, I would like to share that I finished my first marathon:)

Photo Recap 1 of 4:

Chicago Marathon Expo goodies

Larabars!

Go runners!

Chi-town

Chicago Marathon Update

2010-09-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Training for a marathon takes a lot of motivation, strength, and time. Before I began my training back in June, I read a book by Haruki Murakami titled, "What I talk about when I talk about running." In the story, he discusses his journey of long-distance running, from running his first marathon, to re-creating the first historic run in Greece, to running his first ultramarathon. His journey has given me motivation throughout these last few months. My strength comes from hard work, dedication, and balanced nutrition. Eating delicious homemade vegan food has kept me on the right track! Lastly, with the help of a proper marathon training schedule(Hal Higdon's marathon training guide), I've been able to manage my time . I'm well on my way to reaching my goal of completing a marathon.

One more month until 10-10-10 !

Any suggestions for pre/post run meals? I definitely want to go here:

Homemade Blueberry Crumb Muffins

2010-08-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

Acai Fruit Bowl

2010-08-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

EastVillageVegan's Acai Fruit Bowl

While vacationing in Hawaii, I discovered this amazing frozen treat...an acai fruit bowl. As soon I returned to New York, I tried making it with my Vitamix. The all organic smoothie consisted of the following;

Acai smoothie (acai, bananas, blueberries and ricemilk), topped with frozen and fresh blueberries, raspberries, sliced bananas, shaved coconut, almond granola, and agave syrup. Delicious!

Acai Warrior Fruit Bowl from Down to Earth Honolulu, HI:

Acai Warrior Fruit Bowl

Daiya Cheese Pizza

2010-08-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

A craving for pizza=homemade Daiya cheese pizza

Here are the before photos:

Half Daiya Cheese, half vegan ham, peppers, mushrooms, and onion

Vegan BBQ chicken Pizza

Last shot before the oven...

Here are the results...

Melted Vegan Cheese and a crispy crust!

Mmmm....Haven't had Vegan BBQ chicken pizza since Gianna's Grille in Philadelphia.

Recipes for Vegan Daiya Pizza:

One package of Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough

One jar of Trader Joe's pizza sauce

One package of mozzarella Daiya Cheese

1/4 chopped onion

1/8 cup chopped mushrooms

1/8 cup of chopped peppers (red or green)

2 to 3 slices of Vegan Ham (Yves)

4 to 5 pieces of Vegan Chicken (Golden Chicken Nuggets from May Wah)

2 tbs. BBQ sauce

extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to packaged dough directions.

Let dough sit at room temp. for 20 mins. Next, split the dough in half. On a floured surface shape each dough ball into two thin circles. Brush with extra virgin olive oil and garlic powder. Bake for 5-7 mins. or until slightly brown. Remove pizza crust and begin adding your toppings.

Pizza #1: Half Daiya Cheese, Half Vegan Supreme

Add just enough pizza sauce to lightly cover (*note too much sauce=soggy pizza). Then add Daiya cheese and toppings; peppers, onions, mushrooms, and vegan ham.

Pizza #2: Vegan BBQ chicken

Add BBQ sauce and then top off with Daiya Cheese and vegan chicken. Add additional sauce if desired.

Drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil on top. Bake pizzas for additional 10-15 mins. or until Daiya Cheese has melted and you have a nice crust on your pizza. Bon Appetit!

MORE PIZZA PHOTOS:)

Vegan Daiya Cheese Tacos and Quesadillas...

2010-07-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

Vegan Taco with smart ground, avocado, lettuce, onion, cilantro, tomatoes, Daiya cheese, tofu sour cream, and toppped with fresh lime. Vegan Quesadilla with Daiya cheese and a little Earth Balance.

Vegan Taco

The Spread!

Quesadillas!

Toppings plate

Adzuki bean tortilla chips with two kinds of salsa

I love taco night:)

Freshly picked fruit...

2010-07-12T01:51:00.000-07:00

I've been enjoying fresh fruit on a daily basis. Handpicked from my friend's backyard. The different kinds of fruit include mangoes, filipino lemons, and guava.

Pure Food and WIne

2010-06-30T16:26:00.001-07:00

Dinner at Pure Food and Wine is not to be missed. This was my first time at PF & W and I thought it was spectacular! I skipped appetizers and went straight for the entrees. See photos below:

Zucchini, Local Hothouse and Heirloom Tomato Lasagna

(Basil Pistachio Pesto, Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce, Macadamia Pumpkin Seed Ricotta)

Sweet Corn and Cashew Tamales with Chili Spiced Portabella

(Salsa Verde, Cashew Coconut Sour Cream, Avocado, Raw Cacao Mole)

Pure Food and Wine

54 Irving Place

New York, NY. 10003

212-477-1010

Website: http://www.oneluckyduck.com/purefoodandwine/

Raw Dinner...

2010-06-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

Going to Pure Food and Wine tonight! Full recap coming soon:)

Tofurky Sandwich and Fresh Berries

2010-05-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's lunch consisted of a toasted tofurky sandwich. Next, for dessert, I had a bowl of fresh organic berries.

Whole wheat toast, vegannaise, dill tofu spread, oven roasted Tofurky, red onion and organic lettuce

Fresh Berries-Strawberries, Blueberries, and Raspberries

Go Japanese Restaurant-East Village

2010-05-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

Kanpyo and Avocado Roll (Each Veggie Roll here is $2!)

Green Salad with Ginger Dressing

Kabocha Squash with Watercress

St. Mark's Place is a great street for affordable dining here in NY. There are may authentic Japanese restaurants as well as other types of cuisine including Thai-Klong, Vietnamese-Baoguette-Pho, Middle Eastern-Mamouns and much more. Last week, I stumbled upon Go Japanese Restaurant. On a recent visit, I ordered two veggie rolls, a salad, and a side of squash (see photos above). If you're looking for something cheap and quick, go to Go:) (*Restaurant is veggie friendly~Note* they serve meat and fish, but if you're looking for the best vegan sushi try Soy and Sake in the West Village)

Caravan of Dreams

2010-04-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that there are so many vegetarian/vegan friendly restaurants in the neighborhood. Just to name a few, here is a short list; Quantum Leap, Curly's Vegetarian, Angelica Kitchen, Organic Grill, Counter, Pukk, Lan Cafe, and Caravan of Dreams. After a long week of making meals at home, dining out seemed like a great idea.

Dinner took place at Caravan of Dreams, which is located on 6th St. between 1st Ave and Ave A here in the East Village. I ordered the small unchicken caesar deluxe salad for my main dish and could not pass on the berry almond live chocolate cake for dessert. What a nice treat to end the week!

Unchicken Caesar Deluxe-black beans, seitan, croutons, tomatoes, olives, caesar dressing

Berry Almond Live Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Caravan of Dreams

Organic Vegan Cuisine

405 East 6th St.

New York, NY. 10009

212-254-1613

Website: http://www.caravanofdreams.net/#/Home

Raw Food Monday

2010-04-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

Raw Food Monday from last week:

Before: Raw Blueberry Date Cashew Smoothie

After

Romaine, avocado, mushroom and carrot salad with fresh fruit

Go Raw Spicy Seed Mix

Fresh Organic Fruit (Strawberries, pineapple, grapes and raspberries)

Raw Flax Rye Bread

Love the Chicks Pate with Raw Flax Bread

Pate served over organic spinach and carrot strips

Passionberry Kombucha and a fuji apple

A little bit of Raw Kim Chee

Today:

Breakfast-Organic Banana

Lunch: Fresh blueberries, Go Raw Banana Bread Bar, spicy seed mix, and a Kombucha

Snack-Handful of Raw Cashews, organic pear

Dinner-Take out from Caravan of Dreams

Live-Avocado Soup

Live Flax Crackers

Live-Meatballs

Raw Food Mondays

2010-04-11T14:02:00.001-07:00

So I've been thinking...Why not try Raw Food Mondays? Starting tomorrow, I'm going raw one day a week. Here is the menu:

Breakfast-Banana

Lunch-Organic romaine with beets, mushrooms, carrots, cucumber, flax seeds in a raw tomato provencal dressing.

Fresh Fruit-strawberries, apple, raspberries, and pineapple

Snack-apple or Larabar

Post Run-Raw Blueberry Smoothie from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen

Dinner-??

Any ideas for dinner?

Fresh Summer Corn and Bean Salad

2010-04-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

After a long run today, I came home to this delicious salad. I added fresh herbs and tossed everything in a red wine vinaigrette. Mmmm good.

Today's Lunch

2010-03-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

Homemade raw pasta with zucchini, squash, carrots, pinenuts, basil, tomato, spinach, garlic, cashews, and ground flax seeds.

Sacred Chow-Vegan Bistro NYC

2010-03-29T15:46:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I went to Sacred Chow, a vegan tapas bistro located in Greenwich Village. The menu has an assortment of protein rich plates, complex carb plates, heroes, salads, fresh juices, smoothies, and desserts. If you go, defintely try the 4 seasons salad (seasonal greens, shredded beets, carrots, apples, and crunchy yuba strips in a dijon vinaigrette). YUM! What else did I order? Scroll down to find out:)

Fresh Carrot Juice w/ ginger, 4 Seasons Salad

Vegan Tapas

Grilled Western Tofu w/ Side Salad

Orange Blackstrap BBQ Seitan

Korean Tofu Cutlets

Be sure to try Sacred Chow if you're in the area.

Sacred Chow

227 Sullivan St. (btwn W 3rd and Bleecker)

212-337-0863

Website: http://www.sacredchow.com/

1st Marathon!

2010-02-01T17:09:00.001-08:00

I registered for my first marathon today. I'll be running the Chicago Bank of America Marathon on 10/10/10. Let me know if anyone out there has any training, nutrition, or other helpful tips.

Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-01-31T14:53:00.000-08:00

Again, it's been a while

2010-01-24T14:36:00.001-08:00

I've been busy baking in the kitchen:) Here are some scrumptious chocolate chip cupcakes from VCTOTW.

Zucchini/Chicken Parm

2009-12-30T12:33:00.000-08:00

I was in the mood for vegan chicken parm and ended up making this dish. The recipe was adapted from the "fried chicken" in the Vegetarian Starter Kit (PETA staffers have compiled their favorite recipes in this kit). I made a few changes to the original recipe by using 1/2 cup oil (shallow pan-fry) instead of 3 and 1/2. I also added fresh parsley, thyme, and used unsweetened ricemilk instead of water. This turned out to be a great winter meal. Yum!

Thanksgiving Recap

2009-12-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

Before

After

From bottom center (clockwise): Tofurky roast with mushroom gravy, sauteed swiss chard, homemade vegan stuffing, roasted corn, brussel sprouts with shiitake mushrooms, baked sweet potatoes and in the middle mashed potatoes with gravy.

Cook Fest!

Leftovers:)

I Love Tofu Scramble Sundays

2009-11-24T17:55:00.000-08:00

A nice quiet birthday...

2009-10-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

Although the weather was miserable, I had a pleasant day. Off to one of my favorite restaurants (Soy and Sake) and then Lula's for dessert:)

Mugshots CoffeeHouse and Cafe

2009-10-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

I was excited to make a trip back to Philadelphia to visit family and friends. One of my friends recently moved to the Fairmount section of Philadelphia. After walking around the neighborhood, we stopped by Mugshots CoffeeHouse and Cafe. They serve sandwiches, salads, smoothies, desserts, and of course coffee. Many of their selections are vegan:) I had an acai Smoothie (yum!) and an everything bagel. The bagel was perfectly toasted, filled with tofu cream cheese, and had fresh sliced tomatoes. Both the smoothie and the bagel sandwich together cost only $5.50. What a steal!

Mugshots

2106 Fairmount Ave.

Philadelphia, PA.

(267) 514-7145

Website: http://www.mugshotscoffeehouse.com

Raw Cashew Hummus Wrap

2009-10-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

For lunch today, I made a wrap with raw cashew hummus, beets, carrots, cucumber, sprouts, and mixed greens. Simple, fresh, and delicious!

Linguini with Market Fresh Vegetables

2009-10-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

After my visit to Portland, I came back inspired to cook. After restocking my refridgerator with market fresh ingredients, I decided to make some pasta. I made linguini with broccoli, peas, tomatoes, and vegan chicken. Very simple and very tasty. To flavor the pasta, I used extra virgin olive oil, nutritional yeast, fresh garlic, salt, black pepper, and a little vegan margarine. Buon Appetito!

That's all folks!

2009-10-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess that sums up my trip to Portland, Oregon. Below are some items I brought back, most of which I bought at Food Fight! On the right, you will find earrings and an Indian spice blend from the Saturday Market.

Portland Vacation: The Food, Part 3

2009-10-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

Van Hanh Vegetarian Restaurant

Bun Rieu-Vietnamese Tomato Rice Noodle Soup

Tofu with Broccoli and Lemongrass served with Brown Rice

Blossoming Lotus-Pearl

Cashew Hummus Wrap

Soy Curls

Green Salad

Portland Vacation: The Food, Part 2

2009-10-04T06:15:00.001-07:00

SweetPea Vegan Bakery

Bacun Scallion and Veggie Cream Cheese

Chipotle and Bacun Scallion Cream Cheese

BBQ Seitan Sandwich

Vegan Creme Filled Chocolate Doughnut

_____________________________

Laurel Thirst Public House

The Breakfast Spread

Vegan French Toast

Tofu Scramble Burrito with homefries

______________________________

Hungry Tiger Too

Portland Tofu Scramble with Biscuits and Gravy, served with a housemade "Cheese" sauce

Vegan Taco

Homefries

______________________________

Portabello Vegan Trattoria

Arugula Salad with Fresh Figs and Pecans

Gauo Cheese with Figs and Green apples

Vegan Gnocchi with Pesto and Zucchini

_____________________________

Jasmine Thai Restaurant

Summer Rolls with Tofu and Peanut Sauce

Massaman Curry with Tofu and Curry Vegetables with Rice Noodles

Portland Vacation: The Food, Part 1

2009-10-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Vita Cafe

Mexican Corn Cake-corn, roasted peppers, salsa, guacamole and vegan sour cream

Denver Scramble-homemade seitan, peppers, onions and mushrooms

Portland Vacation: Part 4

2009-09-24T19:03:00.001-07:00

Chinatown

Pioneer Square

Multnomah Falls

Last morning in Portland

Portland Vacation: Part 3

2009-09-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

Next stop, the Oregon Coast.

Portland Vacation: Part 2

2009-09-19T17:28:00.000-07:00

The next part of my visit to Portland required a nice hour long drive to the Dundee Hills, the heart and soil of Oregon wines. After doing a lot of research, I settled on visiting Sokol Blosser. This winery is known for producing world class Pinot Noir. Sokol Blosser was the first winery to receive the prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Here are some photos from the winery:

Winery...

Pinot Noir...
More Pinot Noir...

Pinot Blanc and Gewurtztraminer...

Chardonnay

Portland Vacation to be continued...

2009-09-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

Wow. I haven't posted since last week!

This weekend Sometime in the near future, there will be plenty of posts with a full recap of Portland, including all of the delicious vegan fare:) Stay tuned...

Portland Vacation: Part 1

2009-09-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

The first day of vacation, I went to the Vegan Mini Mall. The shops in the mall include; Scapegoat Tatoo, Food Fight! Grocery, Herbivore, and SweetPea Bakery. I didn't have a chance to visit Scapegoat, however I had breakfast at SweetPea, shopped at Herbivore, and browsed the vegan junk food isles at Food Fight! Here are a few photos from the mall.

Vegan Mini Mall

SweetPea Baking Co.

Herbivore

Food Fight! Grocery

Portland Vacation Preview

2009-09-07T11:35:00.001-07:00

Apple Galette from Veganomicon

2009-08-31T12:16:00.000-07:00

With an abundance of leftover apples, I decided to make dessert. Searching through my cookbook collection, I came an apple galette recipe from Veganomicon. The directions were to make individual heart-shaped apple galettes, but I only made one (they were tough to make). Therefore, I made a few other shapes. I also made a mini baked apple pie. See all of the photos below:

Baked Apple & Seitan Phyllo Purse Recipe

2009-08-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

Baked Apple & Seitan Phyllo Purse by Julie Tran ~ Recipe serves 4

Ingredients:

For fresh apple juice:

9 fuji apples

2 gala apples

For homemade seitan:

1 box of Vital Wheat Gluten (Arrowhead Mills)

2 cups of water + water for broth (about 3 cups)

3 tablespoons tamari (low sodium)

1 teaspoon sage

¼ teaspoon thyme

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

For butternut squash & apple puree:

1 butternut squash (halved and deseeded)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cup fresh fuji apple juice (juicer)

For apple and sage stuffing:

5 slices Ezekiel bread (cubed and toasted)

2 small carrots (peeled and diced very fine)

2 celery (diced)

½ onion (diced)

1-2 tablespoons earth balance margarine

¾ teaspoon sage

¼ teaspoon thyme

salt to taste

1 granny smith apple (peeled and cubed)

Marinade for seitan filling:

1-2 tablespoons Bragg liquid aminos

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

½ teaspoon sage

1/8 teaspoon thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 onion sliced, *to be sautéed later

Phyllo purse:

Vegan Phyllo Dough

Seitan filling

1 granny smith apple, peeled and cut into cubed strips

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

paint brush (for kitchen use only)

Directions:

Step 1: Prepare fresh apple juice.

Juice fuji apples, transfer to container. Juice the gala apples, transfer to a bottle, and refrigerate.

Step 2: Prepare the seitan dough. Combine 1 package of the vital wheat gluten with 2 cups of water. Mix and knead until dough is formed (3 minutes).

Cut the dough in half and let sit uncovered for 5 minutes to rest (you will only need half of the dough for this recipe, place the other half in a container and refrigerate). Meanwhile, prepare the seitan broth.

Combine 3 cups of water, tamari, sage, thyme, garlic powder and salt into a large pot and bring to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, cut the seitan dough into strips (2-3 in long, ½ in wide). Add seitan strips to boiling water, one at a time, stirring occasionally.

Place the lid on the pot, but do not cover completely. Lower the heat and simmer for one hour.

Check every so often and stir to make sure the seitan cooks evenly.

Drain and let cool. Once cooled, marinade the seitan (12-14 pieces).

Add bragg's, nutritional yeast, sage, thyme and salt.

Step 3: Preheat oven to 375. Prepare the butternut squash. Wash and dry the skin.

Cut the squash in half and scoop out all of the seeds. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Place skin side up, on a sheet pan, lined with a silpat. Bake in the oven for 45 mins or until tender with a fork. Remove from the oven and let sit until cool. Once cooled, use a spoon to scoop out the squash into a small pan and combine with ½ cup of fresh fuji apple juice.

When ready to eat, just reheat in a small pan.

Step 4: Prepare the stuffing. Cut the Ezekiel bread into small cubes and place on a separate sheet pan.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and toast for 5-7 minutes (375 degrees), until lightly brown on all sides (move the bread cubes around at 3 mins to prevent burning on one side). Meanwhile, cut the veggies. Clean, peel, and dice carrots, celery and onion.

Add margarine to a medium size pot and add diced veggies. Cook for 5 minutes. Add fresh fuji apple juice (1/4 cup at a time) to the veggies and cook until carrots are tender. Add sage, thyme and more margarine. Add the toasted bread cubes and more juice. Once the mixture has the consistency of stuffing, set aside while you prepare the diced apples.

Peel and cube one granny smith apple. Cook in 2 tablespoons of fresh apple juice for 2 minutes.

Add the apples to the stuffing and cover to keep warm.

Step 5: Prepare the seitan filling for the phyllo purses. Place the heat on med high. Add extra virgin olive oil to a sauté pan. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes.

Drain the marinade liquid from the seitan, and then add the seitan to the pan. Cook on both sides until lightly brown. Remove from heat, and add to a mini-food processor (or large). Pulse (30 seconds) until seitan and onions are coarsely chopped.

Remove mixture to a small bowl and set aside.

Step 6: Preheat oven to 375. Prepare the phyllo purses. Start with one sheet of phyllo dough and take the other sheets and cover with a towel to keep from drying out. Brush the phyllo with extra virgin olive oil and cut to make two large squares. Take one large square and cut into a medium square. Layer the medium onto the large. Add one spoonful of the seitan mixture to the center and pat gently to form a circle. Add 3 pieces of apple and top with a bit more seitan.

To make the purse shape, start with one corner. Carefully pinching together the sides to make the purse top. Brush with a little extra virgin olive oil and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat for the rest of the purses. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until phyllo is lightly brown.

Step 7: Prepare your plate. Layer the 3 components. Start with a layer of butternut squash and apple puree, then layer with apple and sage stuffing and top with the baked apple and seitan phyllo purse. Finish with micro greens and serve along side a nice glass of chilled fresh gala apple juice. Enjoy!

What to do with leftover apples...hmm?

Veggie Conquest Challenge Photo Recap

2009-08-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the photos from the very first Veggie Conquest Challenge.

Jessica Mahady-Creator of Veggie Conquest

Brian-MC

All entries for the competition. Plates 1-9.

The all-vegan buffet (round one, unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of round two...think of walnut-mushroom pate, baba ghanoush, toasted crostini, mini whole wheat crackers, pretzels, lentil stew, bean salad, endive with sun-dried tomato dip, chocolate fondue with bananas, strawberries, and bread cubes)

My tasting plate.

The tasters

I didn't get a chance to take a photo of the judges, but you can visit judge Kathy Patalsky's website here for a full review.

For the event, I made a baked apple & seitan phyllo purse pictured below:

It was the winning dish:)

I'll post the recipe very soon.

Veggie Conquest Challenge Today!

2009-08-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited for the Veggie Conquest Challenge (vegan cooking competition), which takes place today. I can't reveal my dish (for fairness sake), but will have a full review after the event:) Off to the kitchen for a cookfest!

A Quick Post

2009-08-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

New shoes! A recent purchase from Mooshoes (J-41 Vegan *Adventure On).

Vita-Mix Review

2009-08-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

5 out of 5 stars *****

The Vita-Mix is my new favorite kitchen appliance. This spectacular blender comes with an assortment of goodies, which include the following:

1. Whole Food Recipes For Better Living Cookbook (full of recipes from appetizers and soups to dips and desserts).

2. A DVD on how to get started with the Vita-Mix

3. Getting Started Guide Step-by-Step

I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but I'd like to soon. The only recipes I've tried are ones that I make up depending on what kind of fresh and frozen fruit I have on hand. The latest concoction can be found below.

Banana, blueberries, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, and ricemilk (not pictured)

Before

After

Ahhh...how refreshing. Ok...Ok enough about the Vita-Mix. On to more interesting news.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I entered a vegan cooking contest called the Veggie Conquest Challenge here in NY to take place in a week. One week before the event, the secret ingredient is revealed along with which course you have to prepare. Yesterday, I received an email revealing the ingredient and course. All chefs will be making an entree dish featuring apples. Hmmm...apples?...entree? This is definitely a challenge!

The winner is...

2009-08-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

The lovely Hannah from Bittersweetblog. (Hannah, please send me an email with your info and your vegan package will be in the mail:)

Vita-Mix 5200

I love my new Vita-Mix. Stay tuned for a full review of this amazing machine in my next post.

Now, as promised, a recap of meals from this week.

Breakfast

Smoothies: 1. Strawberry, banana, and mango

2. Kiwi, strawberry, and banana

3. Blueberry, peach, and banana

Tofu scramble, avocado, and wheat toast

Lunch

Quesadilla with vegan chicken, green peppers, onion, and vegan cheese

Tempeh bacon sandwich

Garden Salad

Garden salad with goddess dressing

Dinner

Souen-Chef Salad

Vegan Chicken capellini with broccoli and tomato sauce

Soft tofu with mushrooms, onions, seaweed salad, and white rice

Guess the Appliance Contest

2009-08-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

In two days, I will reveal the winner! So you still have time to guess. (See previous post for contest info.) Also, since I haven't posted about meals lately, I'll make sure to recap with an extra long post when I reveal the new kitchen appliance.

I received a package...

2009-08-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to share with you (very soon) my new kitchen appliance.

If you would like to guess the appliance, just leave a comment. I'll select one random person (with the correct answer) to receive a small package, which will include some of my favorite vegan products. Happy Guessing!

I've been cooking a lot!

2009-08-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Breakfast/Brunch

1. Pineapple Banana Smoothie

2. Garden tofu scramble with roasted potatoes, vegan sausage, and toast

Lunch

1. Griller's Vegan burger with special sauce, pickles, onions, and lettuce

2. BBQ vegan chicken with Tofutti cheese on a toasted mini whole wheat bagel

3. Mini penne with vegan chicken, zucchini, tomatoes and peas

Dinner

1. Kale green salad with peppers, cucumber, red onion, and tempeh bacon.

2. Roti with curry potatoes, carrots, tofu, and seitan

2. Curry with brown rice

3. Noodles with seitan, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, and carrots

Seared Tofu with Mashed Potatoes and Swiss Chard

2009-07-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

This week, I bought a beautiful head of organic green swiss chard and baby red potatoes and couldn't wait to make dinner using these ingredients. As you can see above, nothing beats a dinner made with fresh ingredients from the farmer's market.

Zojirushi Rice Cooker

2009-07-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

Neuro Fuzzy Zojirushi

For dinner tonight, I trusted my rice cooker to help me prepare a meal in no time. Did it do the job? Why yes indeed, it did. In twenty minutes (quick cooking option), I had perfect, fluffy white rice.

I can't just have plain white rice for dinner, therefore, I made sweet and sour vegetables. The ingredients for this dish included mushrooms, snowpeas, tomatoes, vegan chicken, pineapple, onions and garlic. If you want to make the dish spicy, just add a little siracha and you're all set.

Kappa Maki

2009-07-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

For dinner tonight, I made two cucumber rolls (Kappamaki). The rolls were served with low-sodium tamari and seaweed salad.

Melon and Cherries

2009-07-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

Fresh fruit for the week!

Summer Vegetable CousCous Recipe

2009-07-20T21:09:00.001-07:00

Summer Vegetable Whole Wheat CousCous with Vegan Chicken

Whole Wheat CousCous (1 cup)
Crimini mushrooms
Zucchini
Grape Tomatoes
Pinenuts (lightly toasted)
Vegan Chicken I used this brand (http://www.vegieworld...)
Fresh Parsley

Seasoning:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Nutritional Yeast
Garlic Powder
Dried Parsley
Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

1) Bring 1 and 1/2 cups of water to a boil (drizzle in a little olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of salt). Add 1 cup of dried couscous and stir until water comes to another boil. Turn off the heat, remove the pot to another burner and cover with a lid. Let the couscous sit for 5-7 minutes. (See this post)

2) Meanwhile, chop all of the ingredients

3) Next, add olive oil to another pan and saute mushrooms first, then add zucchini. Once the zucchini is cooked, add the grape tomatoes, pinenuts, vegan chicken, and fresh parsley.

3) Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the seasonings to the couscous, then fold into the veggie mixture. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!!

On a different note, need new ideas for making salad? Then check out this article I just came across by Mark Bittman (NY Times) titled 101 Simple Salads for the Season (mostly vegan).

NYC Vegan EatupTown Picnic Potluck

2009-07-19T21:04:00.001-07:00

This afternoon, I went to a wonderful picnic potluck at St. Nicholas Park here in NY. After a long ride on the subway, it was time to EAT!!!

The great vegan feast! (Clockwise from the bottom: broccoli/cauliflower/cabbage slaw, Multi-grain tortilla chips and homemade guacamole (Thanks Betty!), orzo/beans/rice, summer vegetable whole wheat couscous with vegan chicken (I made this one), green lentil salad, fresh berries (blackberries, strawberry and blueberries), chocolate cake, tofu/broccoli with pasta, quinoa with apples, tomato salad, mint tea, ginger/carrot and sesame noodles, medjool dates,black bean salad, blueberry/radicchio/romaine/peas and onions, haricot vert with chickpeas and fresh oranges.

All of the attendees brought a vegan dish (enough to share for at least 8 people). Undecided on what to bring, I searched through my vegan cookbook collection for inspiration. I finally settled on making a summer vegetable couscous.

Summer Vegetable Whole Wheat CousCous with Vegan Chicken

More pics...
Carrot ginger sesame noodles

Tomato bean salad
More pics...

And more...

Broccoli Slaw

My plate: Green Salad, ginger sesame noodles, tofu broccoli pasta, bean salad, and guacamole with chips.

Everyone was asked to bring their own reusable plate, utensil, and cup. Therefore, I brought my laptop lunch container, which was perfect for the potluck!

Leftovers that I brought home.

Great food, great people, and lots of fun. Next post...the recipe for my Summer Veggie CousCous:)

Lastly, at the picnic, I found out about a great opportunity to participate in a cooking competition called the Veggie Conquest Challenge.

To participate in the Veggie Conquest Challenge #1 click here. I think I'm going to try it:)

Lula's Sweet Apothecary

2009-07-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

Brownie Sundae from Lula's Sweet Apothecary

Lula's is an all vegan ice cream parlor. Located in the East Village, this place serves up frozen confections that will make you swoon. With a difficult decision to make (since there are so many wonderful flavors) in choosing what to order, I finally settled on the brownie sundae with peanut butter chocolate fudge and maple nut ice cream. The sundae was topped with caramel, chocolate chips, coconut whipped cream and a cherry. Ahhhh, what a nice treat. I just love NY.

Go Max Go's Twilight Bar

While at Lula's Sweet Apothecary and couldn't help but buy a Go Max Bar. All flavors were available including the Jokerz, Maholo, Twilight, and Buccaneer. As you can read on the label, the following are listed; dairy-free, vegan, no trans fats, no hydrogenated oils, no cholesterol, and no artificial flavors. I opted for the Twilight Bar, which is very similar to a Milky Way Bar, but vegan (caramel, chocolatey nougat, rice-milk chocolatey coating). After taking one bite into this chocolatey goodness, I was very happy with my selection. Can't wait to try the others soon.

Here's an inside look...

Lula's Sweet Apothecary

516 East 6th St. (Between Avenues A & B)

New York, NY. 10009

Website: http://www.lulassweetapothecary.com/

Omega Juicer and the Liqueteria

2009-07-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

After doing a lot of research about the different kinds of juicers, I finally settled on the Omega Juicer. This masticating-style juicer extracts essential vitamins and nutrients from whole fruits, leafy greens and much more. Lately, I've been making a lot of green juice (romaine, kale, parsley, cucumber, ginger, and apple). See the making of the juice below.

Ingredients for green juice...

After the carrots...

After the greens.

I didn't take a photo of the finished product, but take a look at Liqueteria's All Greens Juice and that's basically what the outcome looked like.

Liquiteria is a place that sells organic juices, smoothies, soups, sandwiches and snacks. I recently bought these three juices; The Killer, Immune Rocket Booster, and All Greens. I would have to say that The Killer was the best of the three, followed by All Greens, then the Immune Rocket Booster.

After buying these three bottles and trying the different combination of ingredients, next time, I'll opt to go to the farmer's market, buy the fresh organic ingredients, and make the juice at home with my Omega Juicer:)

Liquiteria

170 2nd Ave at 11 St.

New York, NY. 10003

212-359-0300

Website: http://www.liquiteria.com

Summertime Meal

2009-07-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've been eating a lot of salad, smoothies and fruit the last few days. Here is a photo of my lunch from yesterday; a berry smoothie, melon and a simple garden salad.

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-07-08T16:08:00.001-07:00

I made these cookies for work last week and they were a hit! The recipe is by Dreena Burton, the author of Eat Drink and Be Vegan, Everday Vegan and Vive Le Vegan. Click here for the recipe. Trust me, these were delicious:)

Souen Part II

2009-07-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

During lunch hours, you can choose any combination of three items from Souen's lunch menu for $7.50. They also have soup and sandwich specials for $8.00. I opted for the former and ordered the sushi roll (avocado, carrots, lettuce and cucumber), a leafy green salad with a sesame vinaigrette, and tofu in a ginger soy sauce. When it comes to lunch specials, many restaurants serve the food all on one plate. However, at Souen, each component was served separately. My leafy salad was delivered first. Next, came my sushi roll, then tofu. I felt like I had a three course meal for only $7.50. With such great deals, I'll be sure to return very soon.

Souen Part I

2009-06-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Souen is an organic vegan macrobiotic restaurant just south of Union Square. According to Souen's website, "The idea of macrobiotic is very simple. It is thought that by eating balanced foods such as grains and vegetables that are more local and in season, we can maintain good physical and spiritual health and live in harmony with nature"

Souen's menu includes balanced foods such as soup, salad, basics (noodles, tofu, tempeh, seitan, pickles, steamed vegetables, hijiki), planet platters (see below), small plates, sushi, chef's specials, vegetarian plates, tempura, and a favorites section. For non-vegans they also serve fish and seafood. To visit their website click here. There are three locations in New York; Union Square, Soho and the East Village. I usually frequent the original location at Union Square. On a recent visit, I ordered the following items for take-out:

Chef Salad

Broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, daikon, avocado, cucumber, sprout, yam and seaweed on a bed of mesclun. Served with choice of carrot dressing or oil-free sesame vinaigrette. I really enjoyed the chef's salad with carrot dressing. The combination of all ingredients created a nice balanced salad.

Sesame and Carrot dressing

Small Planet Platter

Brown rice, bean (navy), hijiki seaweed, and steamed vegetables (kale, kabocha, carrot, taro, and cabbage). I almost always order the small planet platter because I love kabocha squash. One of my favorite root vegetables.

Yuba

Fine tofu rolls marinated in light soy sauce, then steamed. Very light and tasty.

Goma-ae

Steamed greens (snap peas) with black sesame sauce. These greens were steamed perfectly. I liked the crisp texture of the snap peas. I hate it when greens are steamed or cooked too long. When that happens, I feel like I'm eating baby food. Not here though!

For more delicious healthy food stay tuned for Souen Part II.

Viva Herbal Pizzeria

2009-06-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

Viva serves kosher vegetarian and vegan food including salads, soups, pizza, sandwiches, and pasta. They also have a selection of Vegan Treats dessert such as cake, brownies, cheesecake, cookies, and whoopie pies. They offer between 6-8 vegan options on three different types of crust; cornmeal, spelt, and whole wheat. You can also add Chicago Soy Teese for an extra $1.50. The pizza slices at Viva are equivalent to two slices, therefore I usually ask the nice people behind the counter to cut them in half. Below are some of the slices I've tried. (Rating on a scale of 1 to 4 Stars)

Picante Slice ****

Whole Wheat crust with soy sausage, roasted red peppers, onion, and crushed red pepper flakes. This is by far my favorite slice. I love anything spicy, so this pizza is right up my alley.

Zen Slice ***1/2

Spelt crust with green tea herbed miso tofu, green tea basil pesto, shiitake mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, sundried tomato, roasted garlic. There is a lot going on with the Zen, but amazingly enough, it was actually quite tasty.

Santa Cruz Slice ***

Spelt crust with fresh tomato, broccoli, mushrooms, red onion, and tomato sauce. I love the combination of broccoli and mushrooms, but the tomato slices were just okay.

Santa Cruz with Teese ***

I've never tried Teese until now. I have to say that it was alright. I had high expectations for this vegan cheese product, but it didn't blow me away. I'll give it another try soon because we all need second chances right?

In the photo you will find Viva's address and phone number. To view their menu click here. Definitely give this place the next time you visit NY.

Tofu Stir-fry

2009-06-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

I was craving white rice for lunch today, therefore I made stir-fried veggies with tofu. The meal consisted of pan-seared (cubed) tofu, french green beans (haricot vert), shiitake mushrooms, and onion. The sauce was made with tamari, sesame oil, sugar, salt, vegetarian mushroom seasoning, water and a little Bragg Liquid Aminos. For some added heat, try adding Siracha to the dish.

Saturday Brunch and More...

2009-06-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted tofu scramble or pancakes, therefore I made both! I made a lot of food, but wanted a little sample of everything (I love a variety when it comes to brunch). Plus, extra food=leftovers:)

Sunday Brunch Plate

Clockwise from the top; pan-roasted organic fingerling potatoes, smoky tempeh bacon strips, garden tofu scramble, 5-minute pancakes with maple syrup, 1/4 slick of Ezekiel toast with earth balance, 1/4 of a mini-whole wheat bagel with scallion Tofutti cream cheese topped and sliced cucumbers, organic blueberries, and an organic tangelo slice. This was a nice to treat to a gloomy NY day.

Mushroom Pasta

For lunch, I enjoyed this simple pasta with crimini mushrooms, petite peas, zucchini and Tofurky Italian Sausage.

Vegan Chicken Caesar Salad

Lastly for dinner, I had this vegan chicken caesar salad topped with nutritional yeast.

Fresh Fruit and Flowers

2009-06-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

I always like to keep fresh cut fruit in the fridge for a quick snack (see another post about fruit here). Pictured above are oranges, lychee, watermelon, blueberries and cantaloupe (all organic except for the lychee).

I also brightened up the apartment with these flowers today:)

Hope you're enjoying the end of spring. Summer is right around the corner!

What's In Your Fridge/Freezer?

2009-06-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to do a post about what's in my refrigerator and freezer. So without further ado...
Top (Left to Right): Almond Breeze Original, Organic Unsweetened Rice Drink, OJ, Cranberry Juice, Organic Kiwi, Organic Tangerines, Oranges, Canteloupe, and Ezekiel Sesame Bread

Middle (L to R): Organic Heirloom Lettuce, chopped lemongrass, leftovers (portobello mushroom gravy, rice, pancakes and vegan chicken), trader joe's roasted pepper and eggplant spread, Newman's Own Salsa, Hickory Smoked Tofurky, crimini mushrooms, zucchini, gimme lean sausage, three grain tempeh, vegan stuffed chicken, and organic extra firm tofu

Bottom (L to R): Organic carrots, bell peppers, organic cucumber, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, baby spinach, organic hummus, and avocado

Top: Trader Joe's Soy Yogurt (Peach and Raspberry)

Middle: Earth Balance, Vegannaise, Organic Grade A Maple Syrup, Organic Unsweetened Applesauce, Annie's Shiitake Sesame Dressing, Organic Molasses, sweet and sour sauce, Organic Ketchup, BBQ sauce, and mustard

Bottom: jam, pasta sauce, black bean sauce, preserved beancurd, Korean BBQ sauce, chili garlic sauce,tahini, soy teriyaki, miso tahini dressing, and low sodium tamari
frozen asparagus, white corn, peas, edamame, broccoli, vegan steaks with black pepper, meatless meatballs, Vegetable Masala Burgers, Morning Star Grillers Vegan, Dr. Praegers California Veggie/Tex Mex Burgers, Vegan Chicken

Top: Frozen Pineapple and Mango

Bottom: Frozen Wild Organic Blueberries and Organic Strawberries

I've never tagged anyone before, but I'll try it for the first time.

I'll tag these wonderful 8 bloggers to post about "what's in your fridge/freezer?"

1. shellyfish

2. miss v

3. vegan tickles

4. melisser (urban housewife)

5. urbanvegan

6. the vegan snorkeler

7. flvegan

8. raised on sunshine

I'm in Love...

2009-06-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

...with SALAD. This week, I've eaten at least one salad everyday. Eating Salad can be boring. However, I like to vary the ingredients as well as the dressing to keep it interesting. Also, with the weather getting warmer, there's nothing more refreshing than a nice, cold, and crisp salad.

Salad list from top to bottom:

Vegan Stuffed Chicken Salad

Basic Garden Salad

Avocado Carrot Salad

Vegan Chicken and Corn Salad

Carrot Ginger Salad

Stay tuned for a post about "What's In Your Fridge/Freezer?"

I'll be back on Sunday

2009-06-10T06:50:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone. I have something going on this week and won't be able to post until this Sunday. See you then!

Curry with Rice and Edamame

2009-06-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

Curry Wheat Gluten with peas, rice, and edamame

Do you ever put items in the pantry and forget about them because they're hiding behind another product? Well, that was the case with this small can of coconut milk. It was hiding behind a can of organic chickpeas and numerous cans of navy beans.

Coconut Milk

After discovering this liquid gem, I also found some thai curry powder. With these two lovely finds and a can of wheat gluten always in stock, I decided to make curry with peas and onions.

Cans of Wheat Gluten (Vegetarian Mock Duck and Mock Chicken)

I started the rice cooker and began cooking the curry and steaming the edamame. Twenty minutes later, I had myself a nice lunch because of that missing can of coconut milk.

Product Review-Pizza

2009-06-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

On my way home from work yesterday, I picked up some fresh kale, swiss chard and fruit from the Lifethyme Market in the West Village. This market has everything from local organic produce to prepared vegan/raw foods. In addition they sell a wide variety of cereal, pasta,canned goods, vitamins, dried fruit and much more. While perusing the freezer section, I came across Tofutti's Pan Crust Pizza Pizzaz. I've tried Tofutti's line of vegan cheese before and I have to say it's one of my favorite brands. Therefore, I had to try this pizza. There's are three slices per package. After breaking off a slice, I heated the pizza according to the package directions. Let me tell you, this pizza was soooo good.
Here is a shot of the pizza just out of the toaster oven. The cheese melted nicely, but will burn the roof of your mouth if you're not careful. Next time you go to the natural foods store, look for these bad boys in the freezer section. Better yet, visit their website to see if there's a store near you.

Mango Smoothie

2009-06-02T17:15:00.001-07:00

After today's workout, I had this refreshing mango smoothie made with the following ingredients:

2 bananas

frozen strawberries

frozen mango

ricemilk

water

Ahh...reminds me of vacationing in the Caribbean.

Vegan Chicken Parm

2009-06-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

This dish was made with vegan chicken, homemade tomato sauce, tofutti mozzarella cheese, couscous and red swiss chard. Add a little nutritional yeast on top and you have yourself and very tasty meal.

Vietnamese Crepe (Banh Xeo)

2009-05-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

After buying some fresh scallions from the farmer's market at Union Square, I decided to make Vietnamese Crepes. The main ingredients for the crepe flour included rice flour, wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and tumeric (I always add a little extra tumeric for color). I think you can find the prepared flour at your local asian supermarket. Look for the brand I used below.

Prepared Rice Flour (Bot Banh Xeo)

Follow the directions on the package for making the crepes. You will need coconut milk, water, scallions, and ingredients for the filling. For a vegan version, I made the crepes with tofu, onion, mung beans, scallions, and bean sprouts. I also served the crepes with romaine lettuce, fresh cucumbers, and fresh mint. In addition, I made a soy vinegar dipping sauce (a vegan nouc mam-traditional Vietnamese fish sauce) with sugar, vinegar, water, fresh lime, soy sauce, fresh garlic, and red chiles. Here are a few photos of the crepe making process.

Cooking the mung beans

Crepe with tofu, scallions and onions

Adding the mung beans and fresh bean sprouts

Drum Roll please.....a nicely seared Vietnamese Crepe

This meal reminded me of eating Vietnamese food with my lovely family:)

Three Grain Tempeh with Couscous

2009-05-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

For dinner I made couscous with tempeh and roasted brussel sprouts. I enjoy making cous cous because it only takes about 7 minutes.

Recipe for couscous:

1 cup french couscous

1 1/2 cup of water

extra virgin olive oil

2-3 T nutritional yeast

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried parsley

salt & pepper to taste

Boil water with 1 TB of olive oil.

Add couscous and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat off, remove the pot to another burner, and cover for 5 minutes.

Next, remove the lid (I used a small plate) and fluff cous cous with a fork.

Then add the seasonings and finish with an additional tablespoon of olive oil.

Fold all the ingredients together and enjoy!

I also had a side of BBQ sauce for dipping:)

Memorial Day

2009-05-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

Vegan BBQ Plate

Here was my plate from yesterday's feast. On the left was a vegan chili cheese dog. Top right, vegan mac and cheese and bottom right was a vegan potato salad. I wanted to try another potato salad recipe from eat'n veg'n, but didn't have all the ingredients. Hopefully I'll try it soon.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

Organic Fruit Salad

To end this meal, I had a nice bowl of organic fresh fruit (kiwi, blueberries, banana, and orange).

Recipe for the Vegan Potato Salad:

1/3 cup diced red onion, yellow and red bell peppers, scallions and gherkins

6 baby potatoes

2 T vegannaise

1 tsp dijon mustard

salt & pepper to taste

Boil water and add 1T salt. Cook potatoes until barely tender (10-13)minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, chop vegetables and set aside. Drain potatoes and let cool until warm. In a large bowl, combine chopped veggies with potatoes, add the vegannaise and dijon mustard. Fold all of the ingredients together. Add S & P to taste. Chill for at least 30 minutes then serve.

Mini French Bread Pizza

2009-05-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

I had some leftover french bread from making sandwiches the other day. Not wanting to waste it, I decided to make mini pizzas. The sauce is made with organic tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast. Each mini pizza had a different topping.

Mini Pizza #1: Sauteed spinach, fresh garlic, and tomatoes

Mini Pizza #2: Peppers, vegan sausage, and mushrooms

Although these pizzas were small, they were full of flavor and easy to prepare. I'll definitely add these mini pizzas to my quick go-to meal list.

Restaurant Reviews

2009-05-22T06:43:00.001-07:00

Lan Cafe, Mamoun's Falafel and Stogo

I would like to share with you 3 reviews of restaurants in the East Village. Starting with Lan Cafe, this is a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant with mostly vegan items (the only dairy ingredient is the condensed milk in the Vietnamese coffee, but you can substitute soymilk). The food here is affordable, fresh and mostly authentic. On my first and second visit (sorry no pics), I tried their seitan vermicelli (bun) and seitan baguette (banh mi). The vermicelli was mediocre at best. The rice noodles were bigger than the usual vermicelli used in traditional Vietnamese (bun) dishes, which made it a little less authentic. However, the use of fresh basil, cilantro, crushed peanuts, pickled daikon and carrot reminded me of eating traditional vermicelli in Vietnam. Next, the seitan baguette. This warm, delicious sandwich was a winner. Hopefully when I return to Lan Cafe, I'll be sure to take pictures of this delectable sandwich.

When I did have my camera in tow, I managed to take a couple of pictures. As you can see, the restaurant was empty (I arrived as soon as they opened) and pretty small. I think there were 12 tables of 2.

Photo of Lan Cafe (interior)

For my lunch, I ordered the Vegan Pho. Pho is a traditional noodle soup dish made with rice noodles. The dish is normally garnished with mung bean sprouts, fresh lime, red hot chile peppers, fresh basil and cilantro. The soup was excellent. The vegetarian broth had subtle flavors of star anise and cloves. The vegetables in this pho consisted of carrots, straw mushrooms, tofu, baby corn and baby bok choy.

Lan Cafe's Vegan Pho

Lan Cafe

342 East 6th St.

New York, NY. 10003

Vietnamese Vegetarian

Website: None, but their menu can be found here.

Next up, Mamoun's Falafel. Mamoun's was first established in 1971. They have three locations, which are located in the East Village, Greenwich Village and in New Haven CT. I've only ever been to the East Village location, but hope to visit the Greenwich Village location soon (there's a bigger selection there). This has got to be my favorite falafel sandwich in all of New York so far. The service here is very fast and the falafels are made fresh to order. Here is a picture of their famous falafel sandwich.

Mamoun's Falafel Sandwich

You can't go to Mamoun's without trying their lentil soup. Always piping hot, this soup had fresh bits of carrots, onions and lentils. Also at an affordable $2.50 for each item, you'll be sure to come back for more.

Mamoun's Lentil Soup

Other vegan-friendly items on their chalkboard menu include a hummus sandwich, falafel platter and many sides such as baba ghannouj (eggplant with sesame sauce), hummus, stuffed grape leaves, falafel balls and tabbouleh (cracked wheat parsley).

Mamoun's Falafel

22 Saint Marks Place

New York, NY 10003

Middle Eastern

Website: http://www.mamounsfalafel.com/

Last, but certainly not least is Stogo, a gourmet organic dairy-free ice cream shop.

Photo of Stogo

They offer soy and soft serve flavors some of which include chocolate hazelnut, mango berry, Mexican spiced chocolate, toasted almond joy and pomegranate chocolate chip. They have many toppings such as cookie bits, dark chocolate chips, coconut and goji berries. On a recent visit I tried the peanut butter fudge and cinnamon banana cookie.

Stogo's Vegan Ice Cream

I have to say that Stogo is very good, but not as good as Lula's Sweet Apothecary. I'm compiling my pictures for a full review of Lula's coming soon.

Stogo

159 2nd Ave.

New York, NY. 10003

Gourmet Organic Dairy-Free Ice Cream

Website: http://stogonyc.com/

Phew! End of a very long post. Thanks for sticking with me.

A Typical Day of Eats

2009-05-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

Breakfast usually consists of oatmeal during the week. I like the Old Wessex 100% Natural Whole Grain Instant Oatmeal. All I have to do is measure 1/4 cup of instant oats into a bowl, add 1 T of Organic Grade A Maple syrup, boil 1/2 a cup of water, add to oats and stir. Takes about 2 minutes to make. On the weekends, you can find me eating this.

Some of you may already know, but after breakfast and working out, I usually have a smoothie. This is a blueberry, banana, strawberry and mango smoothie with ricemilk.

Then it's time for a real lunch. I've been on a sandwich kick lately. See my "Sandwich 3 Ways" post here. Today's sandwich is made with BBQ tempeh strips, tomato, lettuce and vegannaise aka a TLT. Here's an inside shot (I made an extra sandwich for tomorrow).

For a snack, I either have fresh or dried fruit.

Dinnertime. Today's dinner was a vegan chicken strip salad with a vegan caesar dressing.

I try to have carbs earlier in the day and save my salads for the evening.

What's your "Typical day of Eats"? Post about it on your blog or leave a comment. Also stay tuned for a few restaurant reviews including Lan Cafe and Mamoun's Falafel and Stogo.

Post Workout

2009-05-19T07:28:00.001-07:00

I recently added Almond Breeze to my smoothie recipes and love it. This smoothie was made with bananas, blueberries, strawberries, almond breeze and a little water. In addition to this, I had some of the fruit below.

Usually on Sundays, I make a batch of fresh cut fruit. This week I peeled and cut kiwi, clementines, navel oranges and cantaloupe. Take a little bit from each and you have yourself a nice fruit salad to go with your smoothie after your workout.

The Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich

2009-05-17T17:26:00.001-07:00

Whole wheat english muffin, vegan cheese, pan-seared tofu, vegan sausage with a little Earth Balance margarine and organic ketchup. One word comes to mind...YUM!

Avocado Salad

2009-05-15T11:39:00.001-07:00

Today's lunch was an avocado salad. This 5 ingredient salad consisted of chopped spinach, diced orange bell peppers, grape tomatoes, onion and sliced avocado mixed in a red wine vinaigrette. Fresh, light and revitalizing.

Cupcakes!

2009-05-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

From VCTOTW (Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World) by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero, I made peanut butter and cookies 'n' cream cupcakes. VCTOTW was one of my first vegan cookbooks. The recipes are amazing. If you don't have this book, make sure to add it to your cookbook collection!

The peanut butter chocolate cupcakes turned out great. The zig zag is made with a rich chocolate ganache.

Although the peanut butter chocolate cupcakes were stellar, these cupcakes were even better. When it comes to cookies 'n' cream, this is always my first flavor choice for vegan ice cream, vegan cake and vegan cupcakes. Therefore, I may be baised in my opinion. Back to the cupcakes, for the "cookie", I used Newman O's Organic creme-filled chocolate cookies. The cookies are mixed in the frosting and used as a garnish. Mmmm good!

*Note: Isa's new "Vegan Brunch" cookbook is now available here.

Soy and Sake Village

2009-05-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

Located in the West Village, Soy and Sake Village is the sister restaurant to Red Bamboo and Vegetarian's Paradise 2. What makes this restaurant so unique? They serve vegan sushi. I'm not talking about avocado rolls and cucumber rolls. I'm talking specialty rolls such as the Village Roll (Vegan Rock Shrimp tempura, cucumber, topped with banana, avocado and a spicy vegan mayo).

I couldn't possibly pass on getting a glass of sake, therefore I chose the Momokawa Organic Nigori Junmai Ginjo Sake. I heard about this sake from This Just In. It was served with a large wedge of cucumber. The sake was very light and refreshing with a hint of pineapple.

After I placed my order, about 10 minutes went by and the waitress came over with a complimentary bowl of their hot and sour soup. She apologized for the long wait and said that my meal would be out shortly. I didn't think that I had waited that long, but accepted the generous offer. The soup was okay. Nothing spectacular, but a nice treat.

The next dish arrived shortly after. The House Roll (crisp soy chicken, bamboo shoots, avocado, vegan mayo and vegan eel sauce). When I read the description on their menu, I thought, "Vegan eel sauce I don't know about this". However, I'm glad I tried it because this roll was out of this world. I would definitely order this again in a heartbeat.

Next up, this gigantic portion of Sweet and Sour Chicken. I typically don't order Sweet and Sour dishes, but for some reason I was craving the sauce. The entree was another winner. I had leftovers for two days. Next time your in New York, be sure to try this place!

Soy and Sake Village

47 7th Ave S.

New York, NY 10014

Vegetarian, Vegan, Japanese, Pan-Asian & Pacific Rim Sushi

Website: http://www.soyandsake.com/

Spring Spinach Salad

2009-05-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

After my workout, I was craving a nice and light salad. With only 5 ingredients, this salad contained chopped spinach, sweet corn, avocado, red onion and grape tomatoes (all organic). The dressing was a red wine vinaigrette. Ahh, just what I needed:)