Wheatgrass, Smoothies, Beer & Onion Rings in Scottsdale

by letthegoodin on May 11, 2012

Does this: and this:cancel out this??:

I’ll answer that myself with a begrudging “no” :) But that’s okay! I believe when you eat a clean diet of whole foods – especially plant-based – at least 90% of the time, it gives you a little wiggle room to indulge in some things that offer no health benefit whatsoever. Though maybe that’s not entirely true… they aren’t called “comfort” foods for nothing! And as long as that concept of a “comfort” food isn’t abused, I believe there is truth in it. I also think that as your body becomes more and more used to eating clean, whole foods, you crave the bad stuff much less if at all.

But – a little indulgence of something that just tastes good is good for the spirit once in a while too!

To be fair though, I guess I can’t exactly call this a “little” indulgence… maybe “little” on the scheme of things (and it was meat and dairy-free), but as evidenced in the photo this was a pretty large plate of huge onion rings! Too big to fully finish, unfortunately (or fortunately?).

Let me backtrack for a second though to give some context. Peter and I are in the Phoenix area for the weekend, and conveniently there is a nice outdoor shopping center with a couple of decent food options across the street from our hotel in Scottsdale.

The first two photos above were from Jamba Juice, which is always a welcome sight when traveling. As long as you stay away from the added-sugar-laden smoothies, you have many good options to choose from. We stopped in for a late lunch of sorts, starting with shots of wheatgrass – a wonderful detoxifier – and then shared two smoothies. We went for an Apples & Greens (now a new favorite) and an Acai Super-Antioxidant (minus the sherbert), both with an extra boost of soy protein. Refreshing and anti-oxidant-boosting on a warm and sunny Arizona afternoon!

For dinner last night, we went to Nimbus Bistro & Brewery, which is conveniently right across the street from our hotel. We enjoyed decent veggie burgers, but started with a pint of the Old Monkeyshine Ale and Oatmeal Stout and the onion rings. Our mutual criticism is that a few of them were too heavily battered – to the point of doughiness – but they were all around pretty tasty. They inspired me to start thinking of how I could make a “lesser of two evils” – maybe even borderline “healthy” (or at least not unhealthy) version at home… so stay tuned for that in the next couple of weeks!

 

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Recipe: Vegan Mac & Cheese

by letthegoodin on May 9, 2012

If you’d told me a couple of years ago that I’d eat and enjoy – let alone cook myself – vegan “mac and cheese,” I’d have laughed. And rolled my eyes. And probably gagged. But curiosity got the better of me recently, after reading about different and new dairy replacement options, and I decided to go for it… still without much confidence that I would end up with a dish I’d feel compelled to eat.

Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised.

Let me backtrack again for a moment to say I’ve personally never been a fan of soy cheese. For lack of a better word… yuck. Even since scaling way back on my dairy intake – a decision I’m happy with for the physical and health benefits – I don’t find I miss it. And I was a dairy lover. Ice cream, yogurt, cheese, you name it. Dairy ice cream is easy to replace with non-dairy alternatives (more to come on that soon…), but as for straight up cheese I’d rather generally avoid non-dairy alternatives and instead just savor a few bites of the real deal (helloo Humboldt Fog) on a rare occasion.

But then recently, I read about Daiya – a new non-dairy “cheese” that is also soy-free. I came across a few other blogs raving about it’s authentic-like properties – the absence of a funky aftertaste, a pleasant flavor and texture, great melting ability, and all-around cooking versatility. So I decided to give it a try.

I stood over the stove, beginning the cooking process with what I can only imagine was a skeptical look on my face (think eyebrows either slightly arched or furrowed) as I stirred the pot… literally, not figuratively… and my expression relaxed and morphed into one of happy intrigue (think eyebrows slightly raised while smiling smirkily).  I boiled some pasta, made the “cheese” sauce, combined the two and then baked them. And this is the happy dish I wound up with:

This was my first attempt making anything like this, and it’s a recipe I’d like to tweak and evolve – I wish I’d made brazil nut “parmesan” before making this dish, because I think it would be great sprinkled on top; I also think chopped broccoli and tomatoes would work very well baked in – but I do think this is a tasty starting place in the world of non-dairy macaroni and cheese.

Without sacrificing taste and texture, I’d rather have the ingredients in this go into my body than the bagillion things I can’t pronounce on a box of Velveeta or something along those lines, that’s for sure – and it’s vegan, soy-free and could also be easily made gluten-free with rice pasta or quinoa pasta.

So, give it a go and let me know what you think!

Recipe: Vegan Macaroni Gemelli & Cheese

What You Need:

  • 8-10 oz pasta (I used regular gemelli)
  • 1 package of Daiya Shredded “Cheddar”
  • 1 1/4 c coconut milk (from a carton – I think canned would be too rich in this case)
  • 2 tbsp non-dairy “butter” (no margarine – try soy-free Earth Balance)
  • 1 tsp ground mustard seed
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • salt to taste (a pinch or two should do)
  • lots of fresh ground pepper
  • garlic powder to taste
  • red pepper flakes to taste
  • 1/8 c breadcrumbs (more about my thoughts on breadcrumbs here!)

What You Do:

  • Preheat oven to 350
  • Prepare pasta according to instructions on package; cook to al dente doneness
  • In a small/medium saucepan, heat coconut milk and “butter” over medium heat until “butter” melts and liquid is simmering
  • Add all other ingredients – minus breadcrumbs – and whisk frequently to stir as everything melts and combines together
  • Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until “cheese” mixture is smooth and creamy; taste for seasoning and adjust as needed to your preferences
  • Mix “cheese” sauce and pasta in a large bowl, and pour into an oven-safe baking dish (I used a round, glass 9-inch dish)
  • Sprinke breadcrumbs on top
  • Bake on center rack at 350 for about 10 minutes, and then switch oven temperature to high broil
  • Keep a close eye on the oven and broil for about 5 minutes (give or take a min. or two) until bubbling and the top is lightly browned
  • Remove and devour!

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, and reheat well in the oven. I froze some leftovers too, so time will tell how well (or not) it thaws and reheats..

 

http://www.edwardandsons.com/es_shop_crumbs.itml

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Food for Thought: Breadcrumbs

by letthegoodin on May 9, 2012

Have you ever checked the ingredient list on pre-packaged breadcrumbs? I remember the first time I did, and was shocked at a few things – most of all the sheer number of ingredients, and also the presence of certain things like milk products and unpronounceable ingredients that I wouldn’t think have anything to do with breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs aren’t terribly hard to make from scratch, but it’s nice to have a go-to store-bought option – and aside from panko breadcrumbs, I had no such luck for a few years.

And then finally, a couple of weeks ago, I found Edward & Sons Organic Italian Herbs Breadcrumbs. The ingredients? Nice and clean – only 9 present, and all serving an obvious purpose. See for yourself here.

And these breadcrumbs taste great (and are organic and vegan-friendly!), so I couldn’t recommend them more!

I found Edward & Sons brand at New Frontiers, and Whole Foods and other natural foods stores should carry it as well.

Any other brands of breadcrumbs you recommend that fit the short ingredient list/organic/vegan criteria?

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Recipe: Brazil Nut “Parmesan”

by letthegoodin on May 8, 2012

I’m almost hesitant to refer to this brazil nut recipe as “parmesan” because nothing can necessarily compare with the real thing and its unique tanginess (and I should know… I was always that girl sitting at a restaurant table as the server ground fresh parmesan over my pasta, pausing repeatedly to finish up as I awkwardly told them to keep it coming…). But – I was recently enlightened to this brazil nut-based recipe that works well to serve as that extra “something” to finish off certain dishes very well, as parmesan does. And, of course, this is a vegan alternative – but, as is the case with any vegan recipe I share, it’s delicious for anyone!

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that you get the added benefits of brazil nuts. No, because of their high fat content you don’t exactly want to OD on them, but they contain selenium which makes their protein “complete” – meaning the protein in brazil nuts contain all amino acids necessary to foster optimal growth in humans. Animal proteins do this too, so if you’re avoiding animal protein partially or completely, brazil nuts – in small to moderate quantities – can be a good addition to the diet.

But enough of that – here’s the recipe!:

Recipe: Brazil Nut “Parmesan”

What You Need

  • 1 cup brazil nuts
  • 1 medium clove of garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt

What You Do

  • Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until texture is a medium-rough grind. Sprinkle on top of your favorite savory foods and enjoy!

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Recipe: Quinoa Pesto Pasta with Sauteed Vegetables and Chickpeas

May 8, 2012

Since making this pesto recently, I was eager to put it to use (beyond continuous tastes off of a fork or spoon dipped in… what?). In keeping on the kale and chickpea kick I’ve been on recently, here’s what I wound up with: Quinoa Pesto Pasta with Kale, Chickpeas, Mushrooms and Tomatoes You can make [...]

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Recipe: Vegan Pesto

May 7, 2012

Garlic and basil are two of my favorite flavors – so pesto is a no-brainer. If you tasted this without knowing the ingredients, you may be like me in that unless you were told, you wouldn’t even realize what “traditional” pesto ingredient isn’t present: parmesan. So – this is a vegan pesto recipe, as richly [...]

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San Francisco Eating: The Plant

May 6, 2012

At the recommendation of good friend whose taste buds I trust, we decided to check out The Plant – known for its use of local and organic produce/ingredients – at Embarcadero in San Francisco for lunch one day. We arrived at a slightly odd hour between lunch and dinnertime, and were bummed to discover that [...]

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San Francisco Has Great Food.

May 6, 2012

…but I am sure that is not news to you. It isn’t even “news” to me – I’ve been hearing and reading about the amazing food in San Francisco for years – I’m just feeling thrilled and grateful for having been able to finally experience it firsthand! This city did not disappoint. From restaurants to [...]

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Vegetarian Chinese & Vietnamese Food in San Francisco

May 4, 2012

Asian cuisine in San Francisco is plentiful and impressive, both in its variety and quality. We lucked out with two great lunches that were vegan, inexpensive but generously portioned, authentic and mouth-wateringly tasty: Steamed vegetables, pan-seared veggie dumplings, steamed rice, veggie roll and wontons (huge plate all for $8.95!) – and good tea of course [...]

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San Francisco!

May 3, 2012

Arrived in San Fran yesterday. Loving the beautiful city, good food and good coffee already. Any eatery or bar suggestions/recommendations??? Climbed the Filbert Steps yesterday (may or may not have been workout for the day…) with friends. Here we are at the top – Golden Gate bridge a wisp in the background – gorgeous view [...]

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