Merge Restaurant: Buffalo

This past summer, we performed at the International Viola Congress in Rochester, NY. And on the way, we thought we'd stay overnight in Buffalo. We ate at Merge, which is in a great part of town! It's not all vegan, but they had a TON of stuff on the menu that was and we were in heaven. 

Merge:

(really nice space)

(parts of the awesome menu! Yes, they have raw food as well as vegan!)

(we started with the seitan bbq wings...so good)

(S got the Potato Kale Stew...great too)

(I think this was the BBQ "pork" wrap with Daiya and it was incredible! Not so healthy probably, but tasty)

I didn't realize until after we'd eaten that they had a bar in the back with some good beer on tap :(  Good to know for the future (ok, when am I ever really going to go back to Buffalo...??)

If you're driving through or staying in Buffalo...I highly recommend this place!! (perhaps on the pricier side, but excellent food)

The next morning we even drove over to Niagara Falls, since we'd never been there. It was raining, but we walked around anyway...very cool.

Have you been to Buffalo?

Eat smart,

T.

The Vegan Yogurt Dilemma

Since I moved to New England, I noticed that my favorite yogurt is NOT in the local Whole Foods, though it was always available in my Whole Foods in New Orleans: Silk PLAIN soy yogurt in the large containers. Sniff.....they only had vanilla...with no plans of getting the plain in....ever....

So I tried WholeSoy. Fail. Something about the texture wasn't right. 

Trader Joe's soy yogurt. I can't remember if it was plain or vanilla. Not right either.

I tried WildWood. Nope. Not my thing. And these others were also higher calorie than Silk. 

So I tried a couple of small container ones (though these are much more expensive):

So Delicious Almond Milk (Greek Style) Plain:

Ok. Kind of a strange texture. And maybe too much of an almond taste??

So Delicious Coconut Milk (Greek Style) Plain:

You know...I'm just not a coconut flavored person for these kinds of things. (I know your mouths have all dropped in amazement by now...) I love coconut milk ice cream, but not yogurt, and NOT creamer for my coffee!!

Almond Dream Plain:

I would say this was my favorite of the small ones....though I still prefer Silk!

People have different tastes, I know.....I've heard people rave about the So Delicious yogurts or even Amande (which I'm still scared to try because I read so many bad reviews)!! Has anyone tried Ricera's rice-based yogurt?

But here's my own personal favorite....and guess what?? I finally found it at the River Valley Market in Northampton!! THANK YOU :)

(from the Silk site)

I usually put granola in plain yogurt and eat it that way. But I also use it in Kathy's most amazing Spinach Sauerkraut dip!! I could eat that stuff everyday :)

I did not try the other yogurts in the dip, only alone with granola. 

What's your favorite vegan yogurt? What's your favorite way to eat it?

Eat smart,

T.

Two Easy Sandwiches

Here are a couple of easy sandwiches to make. One uses baked tofu and the other uses tempeh.

Easy sandwich #1:

Baked Tofu Pesto Sandwich

1/2 of 7oz package of Trader Joe's Organic Baked Tofu (Savory flavor),

handful of raw, washed kale leaves

2 slices raw tomato

handful of sprouts

pesto 

2 slices sprouted grain bread

Toast the bread.Cut the tofu in  half, so you have two thin square layers. Layer onto the bread: the kale leaves, then the 2 slices of tofu, then the tomato and sprouts. On the top slice of bread, spread a thick layer of pesto, then top the sandwich and you're done!

Easy Sandwich #2:

Vegan Reuben Sandwich

1/4 of 8oz package of Trader Joe's Tempeh (cut tempeh down middle to make 2 squares, then cut one of those squares in half to make 2 thin squares-use one)

1/2 cup sauerkraut (my favorite is Gundelsheim, but I can't find that here, so I use Polish Farms)

2 tbsp vegan mayo

1 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp relish (or chopped up sweet pickles)

2 slices rye bread

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

black pepper

Put a little water in a small pan and add the thin square of tempeh. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium heat until slightly browned, then turn over and do the same. You may need to add a little bit of water here and there to keep it from burning. When the tempeh is browned, add the sauerkraut next to it in the pan and heat through. Toast the bread. Mix together the mayo, ketchup, and relish in a small bowl. On top of one piece of toast, layer half the sauce, then slide the tempeh on top and put sauerkraut on top of that. Then spread the rest of the sauce on top of the sauerkraut and top with the other slice of toast. Enjoy!

What's your favorite sandwich??

Eat smart,

T.

Welcome to Vegan MoFo!!

Welcome to Vegan MoFo 2012!!

I know I haven't been posting since our big move to the Northeast, but I'm hoping this will get me back into the groove.

This month I will probably be posting more about the small snacky things I like to eat that are super easy to throw together, as well as new products I've tried or cool vegetables I got at the local CSA. I may have a few bigger recipes, but mostly small things. Hope that's not a disappointment to most of you...

And since I haven't transferred most of my photos to my PC yet, this is just a short welcome post. Welcome to those of you that have never read my blog before as well as those of you that keep up with me on a relatively regular basis. I'm also on Facebook and Twitter! 

I may have a gluten free zucchini bread recipe to share at some point. I will also share some of the new cookbooks and recipes I've made out of them. Maybe you'll want those cookbooks too!

I promise to keep up with posting this month :)

Eat smart,

T.

Roasted Buttercup Squash

Buttercup Squash

I guess it's the season for winter squash. My CSA gave me a Buttercup squash. Had no idea what it was or how to cook it. Now it's my new favorite!! It's so rich and delicious...you don't even need to add anything to it. But it's also tasty with my kale/tomato sauce on top :)

Thanks to Amy Dicks on Facebook for the cooking suggestion....so this isn't really a recipe, but if you've always wanted to know how to roast it, here it is!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Kale/Tomato sauce:
(serves 2-3 as an entree)

1 medium buttercup squash, washed
Kale/tomato sauce found here, under Mix 'n mashed potatoes

To roast the squash: Cut the squash in half (be very careful with the knife). Scoop out all the seeds and fibers. (optional: sprinkle with salt) Turn upside down onto a cookie sheet with tinfoil. Poke a few knife holes into the top of each side. Roast at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until a knife goes in pretty easily. Turn right side up and put on a plate. You can slice off any little pieces of skin that are bumpy, (see the picture on right). Spoon the sauce into the cavity. You CAN eat the skin too...it's quite good!

What's your favorite winter squash? Today, I got Delicata squash from the CSA and yesterday I got a Sweet Dumpling squash from our local farmer's market....I'm excited to taste them!

Eat smart,

T.

SuperPower Kale Salad

KALE: the most amazing green leafy vegetable!

Yesterday, I made the most delicious kale salad ever. Really. You HAVE to try it. Here's how it's done:

SuperPower Kale Salad

1 large bunch of green curly kale (or purple)

1 Hass avocado

juice from 1 1/2 lemons

1/2 cucumber, chopped

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

1/2-3/4 cup shredded carrots (or chopped)

2 TB raw sunflower seeds

2 TB hemp seeds

1 TB Creole seasoning (or salt + cayenne, etc) (optional, but adds a nice kick!)

Put everything in a very large bowl, including the scooped out avocado (minus the pit). Wash your hands well. Now massage the avocado and juices into the salad with your hands for several minutes, wilting the kale. Eat!

Nutrition

   Kale: high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and calcium. Blocks growth of cancer cells.

   Avocado: healthy fat, rich in potassium and B vitamins, has been shown to lower cholesterol levels.

   Lemon: high in vitamin C, aids digestion, 

   Cucumber: good source of potassium, high in vitamin K, 

   Broccoli: very high in vitamin C, good source of dietary fiber, full of phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants.

   Carrot: high in beta carotene and vitamin A.

   Sunflower Seed: contains natural anti-oxidants and vitamin E, helps protect skin & mucous membranes.

   Hemp Seed: High protein, contains all essential amino acids,perfect ration of Omega 3 to 6, good for immune deficiency diseases.

So eat up! It's healthy and delicious :)

Eat smart,

T.

New cookbooks!!

I'm not even going to touch that one! At least not in this post.....that's worthy of its own post.

Have you tried Daiya's new wedge cheeses?? OMG. I keep buying the Jack flavor because it's so good. I finally just picked up a cheddar flavor to try. But nothing will beat the Jack flavor. So good on crackers!

I recently got some new cookbooks:

Practically Raw by Amber Shea Crawley, Ani's 15-Day Fat Blast by Ani Phyo, and Let Them Eat Vegan by Dreena Burton.

I'll be working my way through those!

First, I tried a "Pina Colada" smoothie from Ani's book. My first time using coconut oil! I was very scared of it before. And actually, it was all white and everything before I opened it. Now...in the cupboard, it's totally clear. Is that what's supposed to happen or is there something wrong with it??

Anyway, the smoothie was pretty good, but a bit "sandy" due to the brown rice protein powder I used. Very filling though.

I also made "DJ's Hummus Salad Dressing" from Dreena Burton's book. SO GOOD!! I always liked hummus on my salad, so why not make a dressing out of it? I did leave out the extra oil though.

From Eat Vegan on $4 a Day, I made the "Easy Miso Dressing" and it was delicious. So easy and tasty! Again, I left out the extra oil. However, it didn't make very much...enough for my one huge salad :)

And from Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites, I made the "Sloppy Jo-Nis". I rarely use TVP, but did finally purchase some. They were really tasty! I cut down the amount of ketchup in the recipe (too much sugar) and added pureed/diced tomatoes. I also left out the steak sauce, as I didn't have any. I'll definitely make those again!

(served on top of toasted sprouted grain bread)

And with all the fresh zucchini we've been getting from my CSA plus what my mom has brought me, I made this chocolate zucchini bread (scroll down for this bread) again:

Well, there you have it. I need to make more recipes from all these awesome cookbooks I have! Our standard in this house is salad or steamed/stir-fried vegetables with tomato sauce or an Asian sauce of some sort. We end up eating that most of the week.....is that wrong? Next, I'm going to delve into Amber's book!

What good cookbooks have you gotten recently? 

Do you always make the same thing over and over again?

Eat smart,

T.