That Was Vegan?

If you follow me on on twitter or insta you may already know that Sally isn’t doing so well. We’ve known for a few weeks now that she has kidney disease, but a week and a half ago we found out she also has cancer. It’s spread quite a bit, and isn’t treatable. The kidney specialist (who also found the cancer) wanted to keep treating the kidney disease aggressively, and at first I was on board, but this past weekend changed my mind. 

First of all, Sally does not like the KD food. She’d rather go hungry than eat it. It also seems to upset her tummy. Second, she had a hot spot which quickly became infected. Badly. And if we were treating the kidney disease, we wouldn’t be able to give her painkillers. I started to feel like I was making her situation worse by treating the kidney disease.

We saw a wonderful ER vet on Sunday morning (for the leg infection) who took the time to sit with me while I cried and helped me work through it. The conclusion I came to is that the kindest, best solution is to stop treating the kidney disease and help Sally enjoy whatever time she has left. Let her eat food she ENJOYS. Let her take some painkillers, especially while her leg is infected. Let her stay home on the couch where she’s comfortable rather than dragging her around town for ultrasounds and kidney tests. 

In my gut, I know that the cancer is going to take her before the kidney disease. If the kidney disease were the only issue, of course we’d fight as long as we could. But I don’t think it’s going to matter. I don’t know how much time we have, but I know I want it to be good time- so this little girl is going to be spoiled and loved on as much as she can stand. She’s going to get dog treats for breakfast and peanut butter for dinner. Belly rubs and ear scratches. Whatever she wants, because I love her more than anything. 

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Whoa! Two posts in one week? (is what I know you’re thinking) And yes. I don’t know if it’s the cooler temps, but I’m feeling a lot more motivated to cook and such. Mostly I’m feeling motivated to make super filling autumnal dishes like my Best Fall Casserole and Butternut Kale Lasagna, but I’m also trying to focus on some more transitional recipes. Recipes that are good for all types of weather. Food you can feel good about eating even when you can’t hide a food baby under a bulky sweater! These Vegan Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs (or Beanballs if you prefer) fit the bill perfectly. 

They’re made with a black bean base but also have veggies and tons of seasoning in there. And cheese too! I used Daiya jack cheese, which melted perfectly, as you can see…

So what would one do with these cheese-stuffed beauties? Well, the possibilities are endless. ENDLESS! Serve them atop saucy pasta, or in a meatball sub topped with sautéed onions and peppers. 

Ooh, how about with toothpicks and a bubbling bowl of hot n’ spicy marinara sauce? That’ll get your party lit. 

I really don’t think there’s a wrong way to enjoy them. Actually, that’s not true. Don’t eat them with guilt or shame. These gooey little beanballs are guilt free and it would be wrong to feel badly about eating as many of them as you can stuff into your pretty little face. You have my word! 

Vegan Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs

2017-09-06 12:35:31

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Ingredients

1. 3-4 oz block or wedge of vegan cheese (I used Daiya Jack, but any flavor would work)
2. 1 tablespoon chia seeds
3. ½ bell pepper, cut into large chunks
4. ¼ red onion, cut into large chunks
5. 1 can no-salt black beans, rinsed and well-drained
6. 1 teaspoon cumin
7. 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
8. ½ teaspoon salt
9. 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
10. 1 cup panko, separated
11. S&P to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 420 and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Chop the cheese into small cubes, about the size of the tip of your thumb and set aside, at room temperature.
3. Mix the chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Drop the bell pepper and onion chunks into the food processor. Blend for just a few moments, until the pieces are smallish but not minced. Pour in the beans and blend until everything is mixed together (just a few seconds, really). You don’t want the beans completely broken down, otherwise your mixture will be too moist and wont cook well.
5. Pour the bean mixture into a medium bowl and add the chia mix, seasonings and about ½ the panko crumbs. Mix with your hands until everything is completely blended, adding the additional panko as needed. You want this mixture to be sticky so you can form meatballs that will hold together. Taste the mix and add S&P as needed.
6. Using approximately 4-6 tablespoons of mix each, shape your meatballs into flat, round patties. Place one cube of cheese on each and wrap the bean mix around the cheese, forming a round meatball.
7. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brown the meatballs for about 10 minutes, rolling them over every 1-2 minutes so they get a little color on each side.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip. Bake for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately (or add to the dish you’re using them in).

By Barb

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

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Labor day has come and gone but that doesn’t mean summer is over. There’s still plenty of time for delicious, warm-weather-friendly dinners like this Avocado Flatbread topped with Roasted Corn and Sweet Basil. Because who needs avo toast when you can have avo flatbread? #MoreCarbsFTW

I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a while most of the summer because I was too busy lazy to edit the pictures and type up the recipe. My bad, because I wish you all could’ve been enjoying this easy meal all along, but better late than never, no?

I used mini naan breads that I found at my local King Soopers. I grilled the corn on the cob using a cast iron grill pan, chopped some basil and smashed some avocado with lemon juice and salt. It was truly that easy. And if you don’t want to turn on your stove, you can grill the corn outside. Or boil it as usual, then thrown it under the broiler. 

Whatever you do, the char marks on the corn, while not strictly necessary, are highly recommended.

I ate this as lunch, but it’s hearty enough for dinner… or if you slice in half or quarters it would make great appetizers or snacks too. 

Avocado Flatbread with Roasted Corn and Sweet Basil

2017-09-05 15:31:12

Serves 2

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Ingredients

1. 2 corns on the cob
2. 4 individual-sized flat breads
3. 1 large ripe avocado
4. 1 teaspoon lemon plus the zest of 1 lemon
5. 15-20 sweet basil leaves
6. Pinch sea salt, crack of black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Cook your corn as desired (but I highly recommend grill marks!). Mash the avocado with the lemon juice and salt. Chiffonade the basil.
2. Allow the corn to cool slightly, then slice from the cob. Randomly-sized chunks are cool!
3. Spread the avo mash on the flatbreads, top with corn and basil, then with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper, along with the lemon zest. Serve at room temp or slightly warm.

Notes

1. Serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a side

By Barb

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

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Some of these are a wee bit old because I haven’t shared one of these posts in foreva, but here we go! Also, apparently, I’ve been eating out a lot lately… 

Sesame Tofu from Spicy Basil on Broadway. Their dinner portions are huge and could probably feed a family of four, but this was alllll for me! They have fantastic breading and a really sweet n’ spicy sauce, plus it comes with tons of veggies. 

Last week it was rainy and chilly, so for lunch one day I ordered the Tofu Noodle Bowl from Phonatic. I usually get the Pho, but this seemed better for a to-go order. I still prefer the Pho, but this was a close second. If you live in Denver and like Pho, you absolutely have to try Phonatic. 

I was at a work event last week too, and all I knew was that they were serving “BBQ” as the lunch, so I really didn’t have high hopes of actually being fed. Plus I was a late addition and didn’t go through the actual registration process, so never had a chance to specify my dietary preferences. So I did what smart vegans everywhere do, and threw a KIND bar into my purse. But! It was my lucky day, and I was surprised with Tofu & veggie kabobs, salad without cheese mixed in, plain baked potatoes and bbq sauce, and fresh fruit salad for dessert!

My friend William who I used to work with quit his job to go to law school, and we had a celebratory lunch for him at City O’ City, an all-veg and mostly-vegan restaurant and bar near the office. I had the daily special, which was Tofish n’ Chips, where the “chips” were actually pieces of savory waffle. It came with vegan tartar sauce and malt vinegar (which I hilariously thought was syrup for some reason, dipped my waffle in there, and got a very strange surprise haha!). COC has spotty service and high prices BUT sometimes their food is just knock-it-out-of-the-park delicious, and this was one of those times!

I’ve been on a bit of a Mad Greens kick lately, and nearly every time I’ve gone in this summer I’ve ordered the Pancho Villa Salad, which is baby greens, roasted corn, quinoa, spiced pumpkin seeds, and tofu- it might be my favorite salad ever. In fact, I had it again for lunch yesterday!

I feel like every single What I Eat post has included a picture similar (or even identical) to this one- A yummy Veggie Dog & Sweet Tater Tots from Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs on Colfax. This time I had the dog Chicago Style with funky green relish, red onions, celery salt, mustard, and hot peppers. YUM!

I went to a conference in Asheville last month, and one night I found my way to this amazing Mexican restaurant called Mountain Madre. I had lots of beer and tequila but also these Vegan Chicken Enchiladas that were super tasty. 

My step-brother, SIL and three kiddos came and stayed with me last month, and it was my SIL Kathy’s birthday while they were here, so I made these Cookie’s n’ Cream cupcakes from VCTOTW. They tasted amazing, although the cake part came out a little weird. Oh well, we all know I suck at baking!

The last night they were here we all went for dinner at Uncle Maddio’s which is a chain but is really good- My mom and I split a pie with Daiya mozzarella, seasoned tofu, tomatoes and bell peppers. 

A few weeks ago my friend Denise and I drove down to Pueblo for a girl’s weekend with Chelsea. Pueblo has gotten a lot cuter over the past couple of years- they’ve had a big influx of young professionals which has brought new restaurants and bars. We walked around downtown and by the riverwalk, and stopped at a few places for cocktails. I failed to take any pictures of that, but I did get a shot of our lunch the first day at Bingo Burger where I had the Veggie Burger, made of quinoa, garbanzos, mushrooms, vegan mayo and Pueblo chilis… and fries of course! To save a few calories for drinking I went bunless. 

The next morning we headed out to The Hanging Tree (very dark name!) for coffee and breakfast. I had their Vegan Breakfast Sandwich which was a thick portabello, red pepper hummus and spinach on a toasted bagel. It didn’t knock my socks off, but I was just so excited to have vegan options that I would never complain!

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Do you love sandwiches? I love sandwiches. 

Zeps Epiq Sandwiches is a little shop near 12th and Broadway that’s owned by Quiznos but with much better sandwiches. It’s perfect for a quick lunch with coworkers because they have a pretty wide variety of sandwiches, wraps and salads that will appeal to most everyone. Although it has to be mentioned, they’re quite popular and get pretty packed by 12:30 or so, meaning it might not actually be that quick.

Their menu is very clearly marked as to what is vegetarian, and the changes to make those vegan are also easy. Most can also be ordered as a half sandwich, which is what I like to get (along with some seriously amazing tots).

First up, The Boulderite: Crispy falafel, hummus, roasted red peppers, tomato, cucumber, romaine on a baguette- just make sure you ask them to hold the cheese and yogurt sauce. I subbed the raspberry vinaigrette but didn’t end up needing it.

The falafel was flavorful and crisp, and the bread was chewy. It was delicious, but the start of my meal that day was definitely the Bloody Mary Tater Tots! 

So much flavoring, some kind of tomato and celery salt… they were hot, crispy perfection. Of course, I’m also a fan of the Salt & Vinegar Tater Tots, shown here along side a Garden of the Goods wrap: Hummus, fire-roasted corn and red peppers, cucumber, daikon, red onion, tomato, seasonal greens in a whole grain tortilla (skip the chimichurri to keep it vegan). 

The tots are soooo salty and good. Crunchy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside. And the wrap was great too- the corn and pepper mix had a little bit of heat and tons of flavor. It was too big for me though, and I ended up taking half of it to go (you can’t order a half wrap, unfortunately).

My most recent visit involved a very messy yet fantastic version of their Bold Banh Mi with lemongrass tofu, jalapeno, pickled carrot, cucumber and daikon, cilantro on a french baguette. I planned ahead, knew this is what I was going to order, and brought a tiny little container of Vegenaise mayo with me to schmear on. Yum! Between the jalapeno and cilantro it was really spicy, but the salty tots helped.

There are few other cheese-heavy options that would be good for vegetarians, but these were definitely my favorite vegan picks. Zeps is casual, and not that big, so again I’d suggest avoiding the rush. 

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

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I love a hot summer day, it’s the perfect excuse to join your friends for a cold one, preferably somewhere with an outdoor patio. These roasty days are also fantastic for relaxing in your own backyard with friends and family,  or curling up on your own patio with a book and a homemade cocktail, like my summer-inspired Liquid Sunshine!

Lemon, basil, vodka… just a few of my favorite things. Throw in some ice and it’s summer ready!

Here’s where I’ll be enjoying mine, listening to my carefully curated classical music playlist on Pandora. Sidenote: I also have an Apple music subscription and tend to use that the most, but I spent YEARS on the Pandora classical one and just can’t quit it. Right now I’m reading Lauren Graham’s memoir Talking As Fast As I Can and my summer fave Wish You Were Here by Stewart O’Nan – a book I’ve read probably 8 times.

Also? I’ve read 48 books so far this year. Go me!

There’s plenty of hot days left this summer to get outside and enjoy a frosty cocktail, and I definitely recommend you make it this one. Unless of course you’d prefer a Strawberry Basil G&T, because those are pretty fantastic as well!

Liquid Sunshine Cocktail

2017-06-28 15:43:36

Serves 2

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Ingredients

1. 4 basil leaves, muddled
2. Ice
3. 2 shots vodka
4. Lemon seltzer water
5. Sliced lemon for garnish, if desired

Instructions

1. Place your muddled leaves at the bottom of each glass (or muddle in the glass) and cover completely with ice. Pour the vodka and seltzer over the ice and stir gently, so as not to bring all the basil to the top. Garnish and enjoy!

Notes

1. You can muddle the basil leaves in the bottom of the glass with a wooden spoon if you lack the fancy bar gear!
2. I used short, rocks glasses, but whatever you prefer is fine. If using tall glasses, you can double the shots.

By Barb@ThatWasVegan?

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

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Where the heck have I been? Well, as I shared last month, I got a new job (which I loooove) and have really been focused on getting up to speed as quickly as possible.

As I approach the 8-month mark in my 40 Before 40, I want to pause for a moment to see where I’m at.

1. Take an international trip alone. Yes I realize that Puerto Rico is a US territory but it has it’s own government and the people there really seem to consider themselves separate from the US (at least the locals I talked to did), so I’m going to count that trip as international. Also, if you’re planning a visit to San Juan yourself, get ready to enjoy lots of delicious vegan food! Pass!

7. Foster at least 10 animals. Done! I currently have three psycho little kittens living with me- Fudge, Midge and Gidget. They’re not as cuddly as my last batch (or any batch, really), but they’re very cute and fun to play with. These 3 brought my annual total to 10, although I plan to keep fostering of course!

8. Learn to install my own lighting fixtures. I added this beauty over my dining table! Yes, my mom helped, but I was totally the boss 🙂

12. Create a list of all the books I’ve read (as an adult). Holy hell this has been a lot of brain work, and I’m sure I’ve missed some, but I’ve gone back in time as much as possible to add books I’ve read to my list on Goodreads.

15. Learn to crochet. Denise, my mentor and partner in crime, was kind enough to give me crochet lessons, and I’ve been practicing by making myself a lovely collection of dish towels. We’re planning to make matching granny square shawl’s together too! 🙂

30. Try to have a more positive outlook on Sundays and Mondays. This one was a practice of setting my mind to it, I think. I really didn’t like getting that sick feeling on Sunday afternoons, knowing the weekend was almost over and that I had to go back to a job that made me miserable. Obviously getting this new job helped, but even before that I feel like I had successfully found a way to feel better on Sundays and Mondays. I just kept reminding myself that I wanted to enjoy and live every day, and not just live for the weekends — and it worked!

40. Find a new job that I love (FKA “TBD”). You guys, this was my secret list item all along! But the thing about blogging is that, even though you want to spill your guts all over the internet, people in your real life might be reading it too, so it didn’t seem smart to be all “Hey internet! I’m looking for a new job!”.  But I was looking, and I did find a great job that is truly an amazing fit for me. I love (and am great at) the work, and the people I work with are all supportive and funny and interesting. I didn’t realize just how much my old job was dragging me down, until I was out of there.

What have you all been up to??

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Hilary’s sent me free product coupons a couple months ago so I could review their burgers, and for some reason it has taken me a ridiculously long time… But here we go! 

Hilary’s Veggie Burgers are made with fantastically healthy ingredients like millet, quinoa, sweet potatoes and leafy greens. They have 8 different flavors, but I chose the World’s Best Veggie Burger (pictured above) and the Root Veggie Burger. Both were delicious! They’re the thin, frozen patties that a lot of us are used to veggie burgers coming in, but they’re not hard and tasteless at all. They have so much flavor, and you can actually see the ingredients in them, which is pretty cool.

Back when my mom was helping me paint my bedroom, I made us a quick lunch of half a Root Veggie Burger with hummus and fresh veggies, and a side of my favorite Massaged Kale Salad. 

It was the perfect lunch! Healthy and yummy, but didn’t take long to prepare. 

Another night, more recently, I heated up another Root Veggie Burger and topped it with a slice of vegan cheese, Vegenaise, and some pickles- along with oven fries. I simply ate it with a fork and knife and loved every bite.

Finally, here’s a shot of the World’s Best Burger, which I used to make a tortilla burger!

Yes, I probably went a bit overboard with the ketchup, but that burger was SO GOOD with the veggie toppings. And sweet potato fries too, of course!

I’ll definitely be keeping a box of these in my freezer for when I need a quick meal. And, of course, they’d be great for the upcoming ‘cook-out season’, too! Hilary’s veggie burgers (and all their other delicious products) are available at Whole Foods, Safeway, and Krogers, just to name a few. They have an easy to use store locator on their website to find some near you. 

*I was provided free product to review, but the opinions are 100% mine!

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Vegetarian Plus makes some of the best mock meat products on the market today- and even though the name might make you double-check the ingredients list, every one of their products are made with 100% vegan ingredients. They recently sent me three of their best to try, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I really, really enjoyed them all. Truly. Each one had great flavor, and was so easy to dress up a bit and turn into an entire meal. 

First up, their Vegan Kung Pao Chicken. You can see the fancy package above, but here’s how I prepared it: With steamed broccoli, and a can of sliced water chestnuts I had in the pantry.

It had so much flavor without being too spicy. If this were Kung Pao you had ordered from your local Chinese joint, I’d say it would be similar to mild/medium in heat. And if you wanted more heat, it would be easy to throw on some Asian hot sauce to your own tastes. 

My second favorite had to be the Vegan Black Pepper Steaks– the sauce was SO flavorful, I think I might have actually tried to turn the plastic bag inside out and lick it.

I’m afraid I wasn’t very creative in this meal (steak and potatoes!), but it was great and with the two added sides, was delicious and satisfying. And honestly, pretty fun to eat. 

Next I had the Vegan Citrus Sparerib Cutlets, which were pretty much tied for second place. 

I didn’t have any of this for dinner, rather I split it into 2 good-sized lunches to take to work, by heating it up then mixing it with some sugar snap peas I had in the freezer. 

These entrees plus a whole bunch more are available online and at retailers across the country– from places like Whole Foods to smaller Co-ops. And if you live in Denver, a lot of them can be found at my favorite spot over on Federal, Hong Phat, along with items from their sister brand Verisoy, which I reviewed a while back. 

The packages do say 4 servings, but I’d say they’re more like 2 or 3 with the sides added. Or maybe I just eat a lot 😉 

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