Spring Break in Lawrence!

I just got done with my LAST spring break ever, folks. Sad, yes, but it was a lot of fun! I got to relax and eat lots of really good food in Lawrence, Kansas with some friends. I couldn't ask for more, really! Surprisingly enough, there is a vegan-friendly town in Kansas!! Lawrence has so many options for vegans, and you don't even have to try that hard!

Let's start with the BEST place to get vegan food (or any food, really!) in Lawrence: Nice Cafe!!!! It is located in the back of the all-vegetarian Casbah Market downtown, and it is sadly kind of hidden away....but my friend Anna works there, so I knew all about this hidden treasure! Mostly Jamaican-style food, but a few other veg classics and healthy smoothies/juices and salads. Just real, healthy, delicious food for cheap. WOW! My favorite thing they serve at the Nice Cafe is their Patties, which are Jamaican savory pastries, like empanadas, and theirs are baked and even made with whole wheat flour! Bonus.Hmmm....what could be inside that delicious little patty??? Anything your little heart desires!My new favorite thing in the world: the Jerk Tofu Patty.

Second favorite thing in the world: the Vintage Patty, which is the Jamaican rice and peas and jerk tofu all in the patty together all family-like. The sauce in the background is their Catch-a-Fire housemade hot sauce that is wonderful because it has good heat AND good flavor, which can be a hard combo to find!!

They also have all sorts of killer sides to go with those great patties: Lentil soup...drizzled with their Good Sweet Brown Sauce (made from yams!)
Housemade Jamaican Slaw, my favorite non-patty item!


Create-your-own-salads....sorry about the bad picture, lighting wasn't my friend. But they have two housemade dressings: creamy mustard and nice nori. mmm....

Onto another delicious eatery: Local Burger! While they do serve meats at this joint, I have to credit them in that everything besides the actual meat burgers is vegan. It's a really cool place and the people are really nice! I like that.

Last time I went there, I got their "Best Veggie Burger in the World" which is made with quinoa and such, but this time I had the Tofu Filet, which is their healthier, vegan version of a fish filet sandwich. It was delicious! Really savory and flavorful, with a little bit of a breading on it. Did I mention the whole wheat bun AND pickles?? How silly of me! And, it came with their side of the day, which was homemade Sweet Potato Fries. I was a very happy girl. They also had two different vegan desserts, and I got the Coconut Haystack, which was so yummy. Of course, I only remembered the whole camera thing after I gobbled it up. woops!

Another place we went for some tasty veg food was La Parrilla, a Latin American restaurant. There were a surprising amount of vegan options there! And the staff was really helpful in pointing out which items were "safe" and whatnot, which was cool.

We started out with the FREE (!) homemade Chips and Salsa...a must with Latino cuisine.

For my entree, I got the Grilled Veggie Rice Bowl, which had Oaxacan rice, seasoned black beans, and a big mound of grilled veggies, with a little dash of lettuce and chili verde sauce. Very filling and flavorful! I hadn't eaten Latino food in a restaurant in a long time, so this was very nice! Next time, I want to try their fried plantains!!!

So, I really did minimal cooking while in Lawrence. One, because I was on my spring break and I wanted to be lazy and served at meals. Two, because there are so many tasty options in Lawrence that I wanted to be able to try them all in just a week's time! But one morning, I did get up and make everybody my Egg McVegan breakfast sandwiches. Everyone has their own version of this, but I like to put a drizzle of maple syrup in mine, to mimic another well-known breakfast sandwich that will remain nameless. You know who you are.

Not pictured is the amazing La Prima Tazza coffee shop that makes killer soy lattes!! Mine didn't turn out so pretty, but it tasted great and was huge and really inexpensive and the barista was nice! Best coffee in town, I say!

I also bought a really old copy of Vegan Vittles at a used bookstore, The Dusty Bookshelf, downtown on Mass Street for like 5 bucks. Yay! Now if I could only find room on my bookshelf for it....

Valentine's Food, Of Course!

First off, Happy Belated Valentine's Day to everyone! I had a great day with Steven, and we celebrated by taking a walk together, getting a couple's massage together, cooking dinner together, then watching a movie together...it was perfect! I can't imagine a better way to celebrate a holiday than making a meal with people you love. We had a Jamaican-inspired meal...I guess you could say the theme was "One Love," but only if you're super cheezy.
Here's what we had!

Appetizer: Fried Plantains with Agave Nectar

Main Course: Jamaican Jerk Tempeh, Mango-Coconut Sticky Rice, Garlic Sauteed GreensDessert: Peanut-Yam Empanadas

In addition to being happy about the great Valentine's Day events, I am also excited to be living in Columbia again! Kansas City was nice, but it is good to be with my friends and Steven. To celebrate my first night back, we went to dinner at my old ball and chain, Main Squeeze! I miss working there a whole lot, but it is also kinda nice to go there and eat and not have to worry about customers and other stresses! I got one of my all-time favorites, the Good Fortune Wrap. It is seasoned tofu, brown rice, homemade sesame-ginger sauce, carrots, spinach, cabbage, scallions, and sesame seeds all rolled up and toasted in a whole wheat tortilla...how could you say no?? The sesame-ginger sauce makes this a wrap I come back to often!

Good Fortune Wrap

On another note, I think I have perfected my Vegan Monte Cristo Sandwich recipe! woohoo! You should try it out and lemme know what you think...

Vegan Monte Cristo Sandwich (serves 2)
4 slices whole grain bread
4 slices veggie "ham"
2 slices vegan cheeze
2 Tablespoons jam, such as raspberry or blackberry
2 Tablespoons dijon or creole mustard
Nonstick cooking spray, as needed
Bread Batter:
1 cup soymilk
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1 Tbs maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Set our four slices of bread. Spread 1 Tbs jam on two of the slices and 1 Tbs spicy mustard on the other two slices. Place half of a slice of cheeze, broken up or shredded, onto each slice of slathered bread. Place slices of veggie "ham" on top of the cheeze, and top with the other slice of bread (so each sandwich has one jam slice and one mustard slice). In a wide bowl or pie pan, whisk together the batter ingredients until well-combined. Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. When pan is hot, dip one sandwich in batter and flip to coat completely. Place battered sandwich in hot pan and cook on both sides until the bread is browned and toasted, and the batter has mostly cooked off...you don't want a soggy sandwich!
Repeat with the second sandwich and serve hot, drizzled with maple syrup and dusted with a little cinnamon or powdered sugar!
Note: If the cheeze doesn't melt with cooking in the skillet, place cooked sandwiches on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 10 or so minutes until it is more melty!!

This makes a perfect brunch entree!

Caribbean Black Beans with Coconut Quinoa

Hey! It's another day at the MoFo...I can't believe it it already day 20! Where has the time gone?? Anyway, I have been thinking about this recipe for a while now, so I finally decided to make it: Caribbean Black Beans with Coconut Quinoa. I have had the idea of what I wanted it to look and taste like, and what would go into it, but I finally stopped being lazy and went for it! This was really spicy, most likely due to the addition of habanero hot sauce my friend Sarah brought me from her trip to the Caribbean a while back....but you could adjust the heat to your liking! Plus, the coconut milk is a nice way to cool off your tongue after all that heat! Caribbean Black Beans with Coconut Quinoa (serves 4)
3 cups cooked (from 1 cup dry) black beans
1 Tbs olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 medium red pepper, diced
1 cup cabbage, shredded
1/4 habanero pepper, or jalapeno if you're not into the hotness
1 mango, diced
1 avocado
1 Tbs allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp thyme
pinch of salt and pepper
a few dashes of hot sauce, to taste
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbs tamari

4 cups cooked quinoa (from 1 1/2 c uncooked)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp curry powder

To make black bean mixture: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and red pepper, and saute for 5 minutes to soften. Add garlic, ginger, hot pepper of choice, cabbage, and spices, then saute for 2-3 more minutes. When everything has started to brown, add in the beans, tamari and lemon juice and reduce the heat, then simmer for 10 more minutes.
While that is cooking, prepare the quinoa: Add the coconut milk and curry powder to cooked quinoa and keep warm over low heat while finishing the black bean mix.
After simmering black beans, stir in diced mango, salt and pepper, and hot sauce to taste.
To serve: Ladle bean mixture over prepared coconut quinoa, and top with 1/4 sliced avocado per serving, sliced thinly and prettily. Now enjoy...but have plenty of water on hand to cool off your mouth!

And remember: you've now got two weeks to tell everyone you know to vote on November 4th!! Call, email, write, whatever....just get out the word about Obama and the need to get your vote on! thanxxx.

Day One of Vegan MoFo!

Happy Vegan Month of Food, everyone!!! For the first day of Vegan MoFo, I will share with you one of Steve and my favorite dinners, which I made for the second time last night: my Jamaican Feast! This Jamaican-themed meal is made up of Jamaican Jerk Seitan (based off of the Jamaican Jerk Temeph from ivu.org), Coconut-Curry Quinoa, Steamed Greens...obviously with plenty of hot sauce, and Pan-Fried Plantains. I think I have perfected my plantain recipe, so I will give it to you to try! I like this version, because it is slightly healthier, and probably easier, than it's deep-fried counterpart! Plus, who doesn't want something a little sweet with their dinner?? I do, I do!

Pan-Fried Plantains (serves 2)
2 large plantains, ripened to where the skin has started to turn black
2 Tbs canola or peanut oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbs agave nectar...or more if you're a sweet tooth like me!
pinch of black pepper

Peel the plantains and cut each one in half horizontally. Then, slice each half in half again, this time lengthwise. Sprinkle both sides of the plantains with the salt and cayenne.
In a large skillet over a medium flame, heat up the oil until it gets really hot, but not smoking! Lay the plantain slices cut-side down and let cook for 5 minutes, until they start to get brown and caramelized. Flip the slices over and cook for 5 to 10 more minutes. The outside should be getting crispy and golden, and the inside should soften up a bit. Remove from the pan and lay on a paper towel to sop up extra oil. Drizzle the agave nectar over the plantains and sprinkle with pepper. Serve hot with the rest of the Jamaican Feast and enjoy!

Egg McVegans and Jamaican Food

I have had more time and energy over the past week or two to cook...probably because I have been working less...so I have made some pretty tasty food! It's funny that when school started, I actually wanted to start cooking more! I guess I won't complain!

A few days ago, a few friends and I went to go see our future vice president, Joe Biden, speak here in Columbia. It was really awesome and a great chance to see some history happen...but we had to be there at 6:30 in the morning!! I am a morning person, but this was crazy! It was worth it though, because I made us Egg McVegans to eat while we waited in line in the cold... now I think I would get up early for anything, just to use an excuse to make these! I got the idea for making these from the recipe off of Broke Ass Vegan's blog (http://brokeassvegan.blogspot.com). It's not exactly the same, as I made a few modifications to how I like my breakfast sandwiches, but the idea is basically the same (I guess I should thank McDonald's, too...nah.) Egg McVegans:
1 package Sprouted Wheat English Muffins, toasted
6 Vegan Cheese Slices
1 log Gimme Lean Sausage
1 lb. block Extra Firm Tofu
6 tsp Veganaise

In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 T olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Slice tofu into 6 equal slices and place in bowl. Let this marinate for about 20 minutes. Remove tofu and bake at 35o F for about 20 more minutes, flipping halfway through baking. While tofu bakes, form sausage into 6 patties and place in heated, greased skillet and cook til brown on both sides. To assemble the sandwiches, place vegan cheese slice on one side of split English muffin and a smearing of Vegenaise on the other side. Place in oven to get melty for a few minutes. Remove from oven, then place a slice of the tofu "egg" and a sausage patty on the cheesy side. Top with the mayo side and put in oven for 2 minutes to get everything all nice and happy together. Then enjoy with a big pot of piping hot coffee!! Makes 6.

Egg McVegans

Here we are (Me, Anna, Steve, and Danny) waiting in line to see Joe Biden...happy about coffee, food, friends, change, and love...

I have really been wanting to try some things on the Vegan's 100 list that I had not had before, so this week I decided to make fried plantains! Thank goodness for this list, because these were great! I went with a whole Jamaican theme for the dinner, and it was freaking delicious!!!

Jamaican Jerk Seitan

The Jamaican-inspired dinner consisted of: Jamaican Jerk Seitan, Coconut-Curry Quinoa, Fried Plantains with Agave, and Steamed Greens. Steve and I were both blown away at how good this simple and filling meal was! I made the Jerk Seitan recipe basically like I had before, based off the Jamaican Jerk Tempeh recipe from ivu.org. The greens were simply steamed and I dashed them with some hot sauce and nooch, for good measure. For the quinoa, I just made 1 cup of quinoa per the directions, and about 5 minutes before it was done, added 1/4 cup coconut milk and 1 Tbs curry powder. wow!! I didn't look up a recipe for the fried plantains, so I just made one up and it turned out perfectly! I think you should try it, too! Fried Plantains:I just heated up some canola oil in a skillet and placed the plantains (cut in half then sliced lengthwise) in the pan and sprinkled them with some salt and cayenne. After browning on both sides, I drizzled them with the agave nectar and served them hot. I could have eaten my weight in these things!!

Here's the whole thing all pretty and plated:

It's only halfway over, but this week has been great so far! :)