That Was Vegan?

I went to DC for work last week, and aside from being productive and informative professionally, it was also very successful in terms of food. That is to say, I ate my damn face off!

It started off slowly on Tuesday when my flight was delayed for 3 hours, which is the best excuse I’ve ever heard to drink my breakfast! I cozied up at the bar with my ipad and the time just flew by. I was reading In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume… This is the first adult fiction I’ve read of hers, and I really enjoyed it. Although I will admit, reading about plane crashes is probably not a great idea right before boarding a plane!

It was definitely not a smooth travel day, and I was disappointed to have missed my afternoon of sightseeing, so by the time I checked into my hotel I was ready for some happy hour happiness. The Public House was literally across the street, so that’s where I went.  Half off appetizers and $3 draft beers sounded pretty great to me, so I ordered their house lager and hummus plate. You know how sometimes hummus plates are a little skimpy on the hummus and the pita, and you end up with a bunch of veggies at the end and nothing to dip them in? Not here! That was two enormous scoops of hummus, and almost more pita than I could eat! It was fantastic. I finished my book and chatted with the guys sitting next to me, then headed back to my room to work for a bit. 

Wednesday morning’s breakfast was A.) a little sad, and B.) destined to be repeated every morning for the rest of the week: Coffee and pretzels. It hit the spot though… and allowed me to save my per diem to spend on later, more exciting meals haha!

I was at the Census Bureau all week, and they have their own enormous cafeteria inside the building, and that’s where I had lunch each day. There were different stations set up- you could get pizza, or burgers and fries (they had a veggie burger, but I never asked if it was vegan), sandwiches, soup, etc.  On Wednesday I hit the salad bar and made a spinach and veggie salad with chickpeas, and this cauliflower/corn/red bean salad with a vinegar dressing on it. It was tasty. I also grabbed a few chunks of Thai sweet chili tofu off the Asian bar.

Long before we broke for the day, I knew I was headed to happy hour at Thai Pavilion because their menu looked good and very vegan friendly! I ended up enjoying three glasses of pinot grigio along with some edamame. By then I was reading In The Tall Grass by Stephen King and Joe Hill (his son!). It’s a short story, very good! 

Eventually I caved and ordered some vegan Pad Thai as well… the leftovers made a tasty breakfast the next morning! The big chunks were fried tofu, and then little red pieces were also tofu, they seemed styled to look like that strange bright red pork that I remember from Asian restaurants of my youth, I think?

Thursday’s lunch was similar to the day before- I hit the salad bar again. This time I also grabbed some curried chickpeas and then a spicy broccoli salad from the Asian bar.

After finishing up work, I set out on another delicious adventure. I started at Elevation Burger which I had read about online and was dying to try. Their vegan burger was supposed to be delicious, and I was not disappointed! It was flavorful and full of veggies you could actually see- it kind of reminded me of the $1 dollar store burger I shared a while back, which I realize sounds strange. Anyway, because I knew I had a long night of liquid calories ahead of me, I went with a side salad instead of fries:

I walked around for a bit- after a really rainy day, the sun had finally come out!

I decided to pop into The Walrus Oyster and Ale House for a drink. I was meeting my friend Shawna (we’ve been friends for 25 years, which really boggles my mind!) a little later, and I didn’t want to go back to the hotel, and of course I had my ipad with me, so I figured I would read for a while. Sparkling rosé, mmmm!

And in case you’re interested, I was reading Down the Rabbit Hole by Holly Madison. Tales of her years living at the Playboy mansion, it was pretty interesting!

Finally it was time to meet Shawna so I walked a few blocks over to Granite City Food & Brewery. I wasn’t hungry, but did enjoy two glasses of wine along with lots of catching up! We hadn’t seen each in other in 4 years, so there was so much to talk about, and the time just flew by. I wish we had asked the bartender to take a picture of us.

Friday found me with a couple hours to kill at Reagan National Airport, so I headed to Ben’s Chili Bowl, where I ended up with this vegan beast:

That’s a vegan burger with ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato and pickles, and chili fries in the background. I was so impressed that such a meatcentric restaurant had so many vegan options, and they were all really good! It was expensive though- the fries, burger and soda set me back almost $25 which seems pretty pricey to me.

It was a fun week full of great food, but I was very happy to get home to Sally and my own bed!

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I actually really like kale, and salads in general – not that you could tell from my Recipes page… it’s woefully short on salads. But it’s true! I’ve actually been eating 2 cups of steamed kale (or sometimes steamed broccoli, just to change it up) every morning for first breakfast, and I haven’t minded a bit. The only problem with steamed kale is my compulsion to cover it in garlic salt, which results in stinky breath and having to refill my water bottle a billion times while I’m trying to work. 

Enter massaged kale… no reason to steam it because it’s already nice and soft and relaxed. You know, from the massage you gave it. This one with Avocado & Carrots is wonderful… My Easy Spicy Kale Salad would also be a good bet (and has broccoli in it!) but I’m not really down for spicy first thing in the morning. 

Actually the real issue is how much I’ve been craving that Cara Cara Orange Vanilla White Balsamic Vinegar that I used in last week’s Basmati Rice with Spring Vegetables! My bottle came from this place, but there are quite a few websites that sell it. And if you live in or near a decent sized city you probably have your own EVOO/Vinegar shop! Anyway, that’s how I came to create this delicious Orange-Vanilla Massaged Kale Salad!

There’s only a tiny bit of oil in this recipe, just enough to help soften the leaves. All the flavor comes from the sweet n’ citrusy balsamic, along with just a teeny tiny bit of salt and garlic powder. It’s light and flavorful, and very easy to make. 

Funny story: I had popped into my local Sprouts the other day to grab a lemon (for a cocktail, not a recipe) and bumped right into a display of Cara Cara oranges! What where the chances, considering I had never even heard of them before receiving that bottle of vinegar for Christmas?

Beautiful AND delicious, very sweet and bright tasting. Less tart than the oranges I’m used to. I would definitely buy them again. 

Orange-Vanilla Massaged Kale Salad

2016-04-05 06:27:03

Serves 2

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

35 min

Ingredients

1. 1 bunch kale, washed, torn, and dried
2. 1 teaspoon EVOO
3. 1.5 tablespoons Cara Cara Orange Vanilla white balsamic vinegar
4. A couple pinches of salt
5. A little shake of garlic powder

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and massage with your hands until all the leaves are covered. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
2. Taste, add more salt as needed, then serve chilled or at room temperature.

Notes

1. If you used a really large bunch of kale, you may want to add an extra drizzle of the vinegar!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan?

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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You guys, I had the most amazing foster dog ever. Her name is Kay (she also answers to KK, Katie, Kahkay!, K-Diddy, Kapooh, and Don’t Chew on Those Shoes!) and I love her so much. She’s two years old, and was dumped at a shelter up in Weld county with a broken hip that had never been treated, and had healed poorly. She was quickly transferred to the Dumb Friends League here in Denver where they tried a surgical solution (removing the head of the femur bone, basically), and she was sent home with me to convalesce. Unfortunately the surgery didn’t work, and they had to amputate her leg on Friday, but that’s okay. If you’ve ever met a tripod dog, you know they get around just fine, especially when the missing leg is in the back, the way it now is for Kay. I haven’t seen her since Friday when I dropped her off for the surgery, and I miss her SO MUCH.

Honestly, I was thisclose to adopting her, until I realized there was a (slightly) better home for her.. With my ex-husband! He has a great big house and a huge yard and Kay will be able to run around more (she has a TON of energy). Plus when he travels she can come to my house, like his other dog already does – and my Sally will still get to see her when she stays with him while I’m out of town. Perfect solution, right? I still miss her terribly and wonder if I should’ve adopted her myself, but part of me knows this was the best outcome.

On a much lighter note, my girl Denise and I ventured up to Boulder on Friday to eat at Jill’s vegan lunch buffet! They offer a buffet for lunch every day during the week, but on Friday’s it’s ALL VEGAN! This was actually my second time partaking, but the first time was like 2 years ago, so it hardly counts.

The menu is a little different each week, but this time they had 8 or so different types of pizza (some on gluten-free crust made from chickpeas), and an array of Indian food. The basmati rice cakes with pistachios and cranberries were freaking amazing!

Actually, everything was amazing. There was also a salad bar set up, but I didn’t get a shot of it.

Here’s my first plate…. I started with a green salad, and a really yummy Israeli couscous salad that had cranberries and sliced almonds in it. You can see Denise’s plate in the background. She was bad and DID NOT start with salad, haha!

My second plate was a bit more in the spirit of things, I had 2 pieces of pizza, some potatoes, one of those basmati rice cakes, this little samosa cup stuffed with spiced veggies, and a bit of bread with fresh hummus on it. 

Then my third plate (this is where I’d start to be embarassed to tell you guys I ate this much, if I had any sense): More pizza, more couscous, another basmati cake, a bit of mano chutney, and more bread… this time with pesto!

Then there was this amazing roasted tomato soup. No idea what was in it, but it was INSANE!

Clearly I loved it… Denise had to kick me under the table repeatedly to stop me from licking the bowl clean…

Finally, it was time for dessert! The mango lime cheesecake was a little disappointing- the cheesecake itself seemed like maybe it was just silken tofu with a tiny bit of sugar added? The chocolate mousse with salted caramel though? OMFG was that good. There’s a good quarter inch of the salted caramel just sitting on top of the mousse. I wanted to drink it. Bathe in it. LIVE in it. It was so good. The fresh veggies and chocolate was delicious too. They have a chocolate fountain so you can make your own, pretty fun!

It was a seriously delicious and indulgent lunch, but honestly I’m a little glad that it’s all the way up in Boulder. If it was in Denver I’d be tempted to eat there way more often, and that would be bad for my pants. I absolutely recommend it for all of you though, at least once! 

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We had a snowstorm last week. The weather forecasters were calling for 1-3 inches… and we got about 2 feet. Two. Feet. Of. Snow.  I’m not complaining, because I’m always grateful to live in Denver – I love the sunshine and the mountains and the wildlife and alllll the nature. Enormous spring snowstorms are a part of life here, and that’s fine. My point is simply that waking up to that nonsense really made me feel ready for warm weather. 

You know what I’m talking about… cocktails on the patio, dinner on the grill, a good book in the shade. Whatever your ideal warm day looks like. THAT’S what I was craving, and this dish hit the spot. It may have been snowing outside, but in my kitchen it was sunny and 80, with a light breeze.

I had a package of organic white basmati rice from The Real Co., a great new company that just debuted the first US certifiable 100% single origin products (they also sell Himalayan pink rock salt and organic raw can sugar). They partner with farmers and growers around the world who aren’t able to distribute their products on their own, allowing us to enjoy what is usually impossible to experience: unique, tasty, freshly farmer/mined products at affordable prices. 

The part I find most exciting about The Real Co’s business model, though, is that every grain of salt, sugar, and rice can be traced to it’s source, which is then shared on the product packaging. Each food item is harvested from one single place, single farm, or single family. Scroll back up… my rice came from Al-Farid Co-op Gujrat Punjab. Every single grain. How neat is that? 

And I have to say, although I’m not always the best at making rice, this batch came out perfectly! I just followed the instructions on the package, and it actually worked. Miracles are real!

It was also the perfect opportunity to crack open the bottle of Cara Cara Orange-Vanilla Barrel Aged White Balsamic Vinegar my awesome SIL sent me for Christmas! (She also sent me Butter Flavored Olive Oil which is vegan and soooo good!).

Citrusy and sweet, with that balsamic tang, it’s now my favorite thing in the pantry. You best believe you’ll be seeing plenty more recipes using it this spring! This time, though, I paired it with the delicious basmati rice and some lightly steamed veggies. I really wanted the veggies to be toothsome and fresh tasting, not overcooked. 

Asparagus, carrots, sweet peppers, and parsley. Rice. Vinegar and a bit of olive oil. Garlic. That’s it! And this recipe is the perfect chance for you to get in that kitchen and flex your culinary muscles… it’s what JL likes to call Intuitive Cooking. Add the veggies you enjoy the most. Add as much garlic as you think is delicious. 

Citrus-Sweet Basmati Rice with Spring Vegetables

2016-03-31 10:14:35

Serves 4

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Ingredients

1. 1 cup The Real Co. basmati rice, cooked per package instructions
2. 3 tablespoons EVOO
3. 1/4 cup Cara Cara Orange Vanilla white balsamic vinegar
4. 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus more for topping
5. 1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) garlic powder
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt
7. 1.5 - 2 cups your favorite veggies, chopped and lightly steamed
8. S&P to taste

Instructions

1. While the rice is cooking, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and parsley. When the rice is done, stir in the veggies and the marinade. Taste and add more salt or garlic as needed, then top with a bit of black pepper and additional parsley.
2. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Notes

1. This serves about 4 as a side, 2-3 if you're eating it as a main dish like I did!
2. This is definitely an "intuitive cooking" recipe... add the veggies YOU love, and as much salt and garlic as makes you happy!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan?

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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Like many great restaurant finds, this one was purely by accident. Too much traffic, low blood sugar, and a detour which took us past DU… and led us straight to Spanky’s Urban Roadhouse!

Spanky’s is a fun, casual pub that has a sort of mid-century feel to it. You can sit at the bar, in cozy booths, or even outside on the patio, weather permitting. It’s one of those places that works just as well for a family lunch, a boozy brunch, or watching the game with some rowdy friends.

Even more important than the decor? The food! Plenty of vegan options here, especially if you’re not too shy to chat up your bartender or server and find out what’s what. 

As always I recommend you start with an adult beverage…

The Asian Brussels Sprouts are vegan friendly if you order them sans goat cheese…

And it appears the Shishito Peppers are as well, depending on your stance on honey… I personally haven’t tried them- I don’t think they were on the menu when I was last there. 

They have a Seasonal Quinoa Salad that is amazing- lightly dressed with tons of veggies! Also pictured below was something called The Unburger, which was veggies and hummus, but doesn’t appear to be on their menu anymore. You could try asking for it though- I know I will the next time I’m there!

You can also sub a Grilled Portobello for any burger you’d like… Which is what I did here, along with some Sweet Potato Fries. 

They also have Chips and Guac, Edamame, and Southwestern Hummus that are all vegan friendly as well. Not too mention a great beer list!

Spanky’s is just another example of all the great vegan options in Denver. 100% Vegan restaurants are great, but in the real world (or, at least, MY real world) that’s not always where you end up eating, so it’s good to know there are spots like this out there, where everyone in your group (vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, picky man-child) can find something to make them happy! 

You can see checkout their menu here. Spanky’s is located at 1800 E. Evans Ave in Denver- go see for yourself! 

Want more Denver-area restaurant reviews? Check out my Mile High Vegan Eats page!

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You guys! This recipe is the perfect combination of my undying devotion to Mexican food and my love of a good casserole that I can eat all week. It’s delicious, a little bit spicy, has tons of veggies (including butternut squash hidden in the enchilada sauce… take that you picky eaters!), and it wont take up a ton of your time preparing. 

Oh, and leftovers. Glorious, glorious, leftovers. 

Let me expound a bit on the whole squash in the sauce thing. I was browsing recipes in those Taste of Home magazines in the grocery store checkout line (you know the ones!), and there was one that suggested adding cream of mushroom soup to enchilada sauce. Now, a.) that canned soup is disgusting and no one should eat it, ever… but b.) creamy enchilada sauce sounded intriguing! So I racked my little brain for ideas on what I could use (short of making my own soup from scratch), and decided on my old pal b’nut. You can roast one yourself, or you can buy it frozen and already pureed (Birds Eye has a pretty good one in the freezer section), either way works. 

What else is in there? My ahhhmazing homemade seitan, crumbled and pan fried with cumin and chili powder, Daiya cheese, vegetarian refried beans, tomatoes and green chiles, black olives, and jalapenos. All the best Mexican flavors, in my opinion.

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These posts are kinda fun! I (unabashedly) stole the idea from by pal Bianca because I love seeing what other people eat… and I assume you want to see what I eat because I’m very interesting and important!

This was the PB&J Waffle from City O’ City, the all vegetarian (and mostly vegan) restaurant near my office. I hardly ever have breakfast there (although I definitely grab their tofu breakfast burrito to go!), but I did join my friends Chels and Eric there the other morning for some delicious nibbles and snarky banter! Anyway, what you see here is a flavorful waffle drizzled with peanut butter anglaise and jam, topped with bananas and potato chips. It was fantastic!

Oooh, then there was the night my mama and I went to Seasons 52 for happy hour. I’ve written about the vegan menu at Seasons 52 before, but I have to tell you their bar is just gorgeous! And their drink list? So good! On the right was my Mango Jalapeno Crush (gin, mango, lemonade, jalapeno, cilantro, and cucumber), and my mom had the Hawaiian Pineapple Cosmopolitan (pineapple vodka and Patron).

I try to eat healthy at work, and this is one of the salads I like to bring… It’s just lettuce and variety of fresh veggies (bell peppers, cukes, onions, tomato) topped with my very own Agave-Sriracha baked tofu. I used salsa for my dressing because healthy!

These next two are from last month’s All You Can Eat Vegan Pizza Buffet- which I know sounds too good to be true, but I swear it’s a real thing! And it happens every month, and it’s only $10! My friends Chris and Patrick put it on at their family restaurant (Bonnie Brae Tavern) and the pizza is so delicious that I can’t even.

And this delicious meal… Oh no, wait, that’s just Sally! She may look like a burrito, but she’s definitely not food. Cute though, right? 

I found this Jamaican Style Vegetable Empanada at the Dollar Tree Store (while picking up some of my fave $1 veggie burgers!). It’s accidentally vegan and really quite flavorful. Plus it only took 2 minutes to cook, and was only $1. 

My mom and I were shopping when she was here, and stopped at Whole Foods for a quick Second Breakfast from their prepared food bar… I ended up with some steamed broccoli, “cowboy hashbrowns” topped with veggie green chile, and I can’t remember what the green cakes were. Something with chickpeas and a really green veggie (obvs). I love how so many things on their food bars are marked vegan, don’t you!?

Up next, from Native Foods… the Native Oklahoma Classic: Basically a bacon cheeseburger, except with shaved seitan in place of a burger. And, of course, vegan. 

And… their Avocado Kale Cheese Dip! It’s guac and their own cashew cheese and kale. My only thing is it would’ve been better warm, instead of cold. 

And finally – and I apologize for the terrible picture BUT I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to brag about a great vegan find at a steakhouse – I was in Glenwood Springs for work a couple weeks back and all my cohorts wanted to go to Juicy Lucy’s, a local steakhouse, for dinner. And look what I got- a really flavorful vegetable kabob AND onion rings! 

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I’ve sung the praises of Subculture before, and even created the Bangkok Salad in honor of my favorite sandwich – and now I’ve taken it one step farther… Tacos. Thai Tempeh Tacos. Flavorful tempeh, delicious homemade Thai chili sauce, crisp veggies, and pickles. PICKLES!

The salad version is amazing. The original sandwich is fantastic. But this version? Tacos FTW! “Everything is better in a tortilla” might end up on my gravestone if I’m not careful, but I can’t help it. I love me some tacos. Flour tortillas, corn, crispy, soft… it matters not. If they’re vegan and delicious, I’m eating them all.

Case in point:

Korean BBQ Chickpea Tacos

Agave-Green Chile Roasted Veggie Tacos

Grilled Avocado Tacos

Buffalo Ranch Sweet Potato Tacos

Crispy Potato Soft Tacos

Zucchini and Tofu Soft Tacos

Okay, I’ll stop now – I’ve made my point. I freaking ❤︎ tacos. If you do too, and want more taco nomnoms, check this out. 

Thai Tempeh Tacos

2016-03-10 11:03:00

Serves 4

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Ingredients

1. 1 batch Thai sweet chili sauce (recipe here), with 1/4 cup set aside
2. 1 package tempeh
3. 4 tablespoons Vegenaise
4. 1-2 teaspoons sambal oelek (Thai chili paste)
5. 2 carrots, grated
6. ~2 cups chopped lettuce (I like a hearty, romaine lettuce myself)
7. ~15 pickle chips, chopped in quarters
8. 8 corn tortillas

Instructions

1. Chop the tempeh into bite-sized pieces. Combine with the chili sauce you already made in a small pan over low heat. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes. When done, cover, remove from heat and set aside. You want the tempeh to stay warm!
2. While the tempeh is cooking, mix the remaining sweet chili sauce with the Vegenaise and sambal oelek in a small bowl. Whisk with a fork to make sure it's completely combined. Start with 1 teaspoon of the chili paste, adding more to suit your tastes. Set aside.
3. Build your tacos- about 1/8th of each ingredient on each taco, topped with the sauce you just made. YUM!

Notes

1. This recipe makes 8 tacos... and who eats less than 2 tacos each?

By Barb@ThatWasVegan?

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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Peanut Butter Coconut with… Crispy Millet! That’s right, these doggie biscuits are cute AND super healthy! Sally just couldn’t get enough of them. 

Speaking of my sweet little dogger, I found some pictures of her and Cooper a few weeks ago and just have to share. These are from a couple years ago, I’m not exactly sure when, but They were so happy. And man, do I miss Cooper!

Cooper and Sally were surprisingly good at camping! I thought they’d be scared, but just look at them, little free-range cockers! They actually loved the great outdoors, the campfire treats, and all the new smells. Sally’s camping name was Smokestack because she would sit as close to the campfire as she could, and then end up smelling smoky. Very adorable! 

These dog treats are dedicated to them, but your dog will love them too. Peanut butter, whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and crispy millet. All the ingredients are human grade and healthy! Plus they’re pretty easy to mix up and bake, and soooo much better for your 4-legged friends than the crap you can buy at the grocery store. 

Peanut Butter Coconut Dog Treats

2016-03-08 11:37:36

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

45 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

45 min

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons coconut oil
2. 1/2 cup uncooked millet
3. 1/4 cup peanut butter
4. 1 cup water
5. 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
6. 1/2 cup quick oats

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Melt the oil over medium heat. Add the millet and "fry" until crispy (5-7 minutes), stirring occasionally. It'll start to turn golden brown and smell really nutty and delicious!
3. Combine the millet and any oil that is remaining in the pan with peanut butter and water in a mixing bowl. Slowly mix in the flour and the oats.
4. Roll the dough out to about 1/4" thick, and cut. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of your cookie cutters.

Notes

1. Yields 2-4 dozen cookies, depending on size of cookie cutter you use. Treats will keep for about a week in the fridge, and nearly forever in the freezer!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan?

Adapted from The Doggy Bone Cookbook

Adapted from The Doggy Bone Cookbook

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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