That Was Vegan?

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!

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! 

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. 

 

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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. 

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This is Brownie. He was my foster pup for about 2 weeks… isn’t he the cutest? That picture was taken when I first brought him home with me, where he was convalescing as he recovered from a case of dermadex. Then it was back to the Dumb Friends League to find his fur-ever home!

He was such a little snuggle bug! I miss him, and hope he ends up with a terrific family. 

I was also lucky enough to receive a shipment of new So Delicious products to try! 

Love, love, love their new line of almond milk and almond milk blends… even the packaging is really cool! They have four new flavors, all of which are vegan (duh!), non-gmo, and carrageenan free. 

• Unsweetened Almondmilk: 0 grams of sugar and just 30 calories per serving! This one is great for everything, but especially for recipes where you don’t want any added sweetness or vanilla flavor.
• Coconut Almondmilk blend: My personal favorite! 50 calories and 5 grams of sugar, but that’s still really low! I use this in cereal, and even in cooking.
• Vanilla Almondmilk: Perfect for smoothies, cereal, and dessert recipes! 45 calories, 3 grams of sugar. 
• Walnut Almondmilk blend: This one is the game-changer! Just when we thought we had seen all the nut milk options, here comes So Delicious with some walnuts. YUM! 45 calories, 5 grams of sugar.

As you can see, they also sent their new yogurts… 

So creamy and flavorful, I ate them all within just a few days. They have strawberry, blueberry, vanilla, chocolate, plain, strawberry banana (totes my fave!), and passionate mango! 

Sally thinks you should go out and get some immediately!

 

I’m not an oil-free vegan by any stretch of the imagination. But. Sometimes I like to cook oil-free, mainly so that I can eat more with fewer calories. Or in dishes where I don’t really feel like the oil brings that much to the table, so to speak. Hummus is one of those dishes for me. You can make it just as thick and creamy and smooth by using the liquid in the can of beans, so that’s what I did with this fantastic Beet Hummus. It’s pink! It’s delicious! It’s pink!

I made this on Galentines Day when my friend Denise came over to help me with a little DIY project. That day may have been created by Hallmark, but that’s no reason not to celebrate with a little something pink, right? 

It’s quick n’ easy, the most time consuming parts are roasting the beets (which doesn’t count because the oven is the one doing all the work), and chopping up the veg for dipping.  And the end result is SO GOOD! I tried Trader Joe’s beet hummus a couple weeks ago, and it was tasty but… too sweet. I don’t think hummus should be sweet, even if it is full of beets. 

So I added plenty of lemon and garlic to mine to keep it from being too sweet. 

Isn’t it just the prettiest hummus you’ve ever seen?

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Ahhhh breakfast. The most important meal of the day, and for many, the most challenging as well. Eating out at breakfast can certainly be tricky for vegans, but eating at home never has to be – not with delicious recipes like these. 

Some are mine, some are not… but all are vegan and will (hopefully!) make you bound out of bed in the morning! Oh, and if you’re still questioning how to make breakfast work for you, check out my other post on easy vegan breakfast solutions. 

In no particular order…

#1 Breakfast Chimichangas! Guaranteed to fill you up AND make you smile… and as an added bonus you can make them ahead of time!

#2 Breakfast Lasagna! It’s hearty and filling… and fun! It would be great for a special morning, perhaps a holiday or before a big hike. Plus, you get to eat pasta for breakfast, and who doesn’t like that? 

#3 Banh Mi Tofu Scramble! Yes, there will be a few examples of our beloved tofu scrambz on this list. But! This will be the only one modeled after the everyone’s favorite spicy Vietnamese sandwich!

#4 Nut & Seed Hummus Toast! Not all breakfast recipes need to be big and involved. They can be simple yet healthy and still totally delicious. It’s true! This breakfast toast creation from Bianca at Vegan Crunk proves it. 

#5 Blueberry Cinnamon Sourdough Waffles! When you follow a blog called Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes you kind of expect to see a lot of breakfast recipes. Believe me when I tell you Heather does not disappoint, and these waffles look mindblowingly delicious!

#6 Maple Sweet Tofu Scramble! Yep, more tofu scrambz. If you love maple syrup like I love maple syrup, this is the scramble for you. The sweet potatoes and kale help the nutritional value keep up with the flavor. 

#7 Jelly Filled Muffins! OMG yes, these really are a thing! 

#8 Stacked Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes! Yes, these are also a vegan thing. Oh She Glows is a treasure trove of delicious recipes, but you already knew that!

#9 Lemon Coconut Muffins (GF)! I’m not great at baking, but that doesn’t stop me from drooling over Starr’s amazing photos over at The Misfit Baker. You really need to check it out too!

#10 Vegan Icelandic Coffee Wreath! Yes, partially because I just got back from Iceland, but also because it’s coffee cake. In a ring. I always enjoy Kelly’s recipes, but even more so I love her posts. She’s one of those bloggers who truly shares the thoughts and feelings running through her life. I’ve never met her, but I feel like I know her!

#11 and #12 Savory Sweet Potato Breakfast Biscuit Sandwiches (or just the biscuits because OMG they’re good)! You wont be sorry if you bake the biscuits and just eat them by themselves, but I really do have slip in this PSA for the sandwiches… You can make them as simple or complex as you want, and they’re better than anything you can get at a fast food joint!

#13 Maple Bacon Morning Millet! Ever since I realized I had a free millet source, I’ve been including it in so many of my meals, especially breakfast! This one is sweet and savory, with vegan bacon and fresh fruit. Filling and healthy!

#14 Cranberry Orange Pumpkin Muffins! They’re from Forks Over Knives so you just know they’re healthy… and with only 20 minutes of prep time to make a dozen, they could be the secret ingredient to perfecting your (rushed) morning routine. 

#15 Baked Avocado Donuts! Nikki is not longer blogging at The Tolerant Vegan but all her recipes are still up, including these beauties! Her donuts are amazing, and they’re all baked which makes them healthier. I think?

#16 Denver Omelette Quesadilla! Yes, I love it because it’s called Denver, but I also love it because it’s awesome and delicious and not too difficult to make. The fact that Cadry photographed it using the same plates as my grandma use to have doesn’t hurt either, haha!

#17 Bean & Hash Brown Tacos! I love Mexican food, especially for breakfast (and lunch, and dinner), so these tacos from Epicurean Vegan really speak to me. Any excuse for potatoes and avocado at breakfast, amirite?

#18 Breakfast Stuffed Sweet Potatoes! Did someone say “potatoes and avocado at breakfast“? Bake a sweet potato, stuff with tofu scramble and veggies and maybe some vegan sausage, top with cheese and avocado, eat. And repeat. 

#19 Vegan Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise! I don’t think I ever had eggs benedict before going vegan, but I’m dying to try this vegan version from The Edgy Veg! Fried tofu, crispy vegan bacon, the creamy sauce… Sure it’s still a lot of work, but I would absolutely get up early to make this for someone special…

#20 Tofu Benedict with “Caullandaise”! That’s right, a hollandaise sauce made from cauliflower! The fabulous Cadry over at Cadry’s Kitchen created this one, and it looks amazing. Tofu, english muffin, and a thick rich hollandaise that is 100% guilt-free!

#21 Eggy Tofu & Toast: 5 Minute Vegan Breakfast! On the other end of the effort spectrum, here’s a quick n’ easy breakfast from our pal Cadry. This one uses black salt to give the tofu that egg-like flavor.

#22 Sweet Corn Pancakes! My daddy used to make these when I was a little girl, and they’ve been a favorite ever since.  Basically just pancakes with sweet corn mixed into the batter, but they’re SO GOOD!

#23 Carrot Cake Donuts with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting! Another delicious donut creation from The Tolerant Vegan, and who doesn’t love a breakfast that sounds like a dessert?

#24 Vegan Sawmill Gravy & Biscuits with TVP-Shitake Hash! Erin and Jeff over at Olives For Dinner have a flair for the tasty, and this one is no exception. She based the gravy on the very-much-not-vegan dishes of her youth, which gives this hearty and savory breakfast its wonderfully authentic flavor!

#25 Buckwheat Crepes & Chocolate Sauce! These crepes filled with fruit and smothered in chocolate sauce would be perfect for that fancy schmancy brunch you’ve been planning… 

#26 Breakfast Pizza! Tofu scramble, vegan bacon, veggies, and gobs of gooey, melted vegan mozzarella. For breakfast!

#27 Easy, Vegan Cinnamon Rolls! What breakfast roundup would be complete without cinnamon rolls? None, that’s what. These ones, from Epicurean Vegan, are easy and look so good I can’t believe I haven’t made them yet. 

#28 Breakfast Quinoa with Toasted Coconut and Pistachios! Also from Olives for Dinner, this recipe is guaranteed to make you wonder why you’ve only been eating quinoa for dinner. I am a HUGE fan of all things coconut and all things pistachio, and am actually drooling right now.

#30 Cherry Beet Smoothies! When I make smoothies, I like to whip up at least 2 servings. I store them in airtight containers in the fridge, and then throw them in the freezer for 30-45 minutes before enjoying them for breakfast. These are one of my favorites because I ❤︎ beets, and I ❤︎ the color pink, so there you go!

#31 Maple Pear French Toast! Decadent. Rich, sweet, fresh, mapley, and decadent. 

#32 Mexican Chocolate Waffles! I’ve been a fan of Annie’s since she first started her blog An Unrefined Vegan. She has TONS of great recipes (all with mouth-watering pictures to go with), and these waffles are no exception. They’re also oil and sugar-free, if you can believe that!

#33 Pumpkin Spice Latte Waffles! Sticking with waffles for a minute, let me tell you about the vegan genius that is  the Minimalist Baker blog. So good. Few ingredients. Yummy. And while I realize PSL season has passed, some of us enjoy pumpkin year ’round, and there’s no shame in that.

#34 Chickpea Omelet! Go ahead and click through right now… the picture of that omelet will have you trying to eat your computer screen in no time flat.  Lots of veggies and flavorful spices and avocados (again with the avocados, right?), this dish looks just about perfect to me. 

#35 Green Chile Chick’n Mini Quiche! I have a few recipes for mini quiche on the blog, but this one is my absolute fave. If you’re a fan of green chile too, you absolutely must try these. They’re great to make ahead of time for snacks as well. 

#36 Hawaiian Waffles with Tropical Rum & Maple Syrup! Ummm yah. The name says it all. The Shannons are the best!

#37 Whole Grain Oat Spelt Pancakes with Plum Spiced Compote! Sophie and her Foodie Files are forever surprising me with her yummy creations. Not all of her recipes are vegan, but many are!

#38 Sparkling Blackberry Smoothies! These purple beauties are just one of the many delicious recipes from Sunny Vegan, and they look perfect for the spring weather that (I assume?) is coming soon… 

#39 Easy Vegan Breakfast Sandwiches! True, you do have to bake the biscuits… but the rest is easy, I promise!

#40 Steel Cut Oats with Cinnamon and Vanilla! We all know steel cut oats are better and more nutritious for us than the rolled or instant variety, and Angela from The Veracious Vegan takes it one step further… by making them sound like you absolutely must have them for breakfast tomorrow!

#41 Savory Oats Hash – Indian Oats Poha Upma! I’ve been reading Vegan Richa since before she changed the name, and I am impressed with each and every recipe she posts- from the fresh ingredients to the awesome photography, each one is a winner!

#42 Apple Millet & Oat Porridge! We’ve already established that I’m a big fan of millet, and I’m also a big fan of the pressure cooker and all the amazing recipes JL makes using one. Easy AND quick!

#43 Vegan Aebleskivers! Somer over at Vedged Out veganized these puffy little Danish pancakes, and they look wonderful, especially covered in jam and powdered sugar!

#44 Blueberry Pancakes! The quintessential breakfast, perfect to wrap up this list! They’re timeless and perfect for any breakfast or brunch!

Like many vegans, I often find myself staring at random food items and wondering “Can I make this into bacon?” Well, spoiler alert… when the food item in question is the new Nasoya TofuBaked, the answer is a resounding Yes!

They sent me a few packages of their newest flavor, Chipotle, and asked me to create an appetizer recipe. (If you’re more into the teriyaki flavor, check out my Teriyaki Tofu n’ Butternut Bowls!) If you’re not yet familiar with TofuBaked, it’s cubed tofu that has already been marinated and baked, and is ready to eat! You can heat it and include it in a bowl or stir-fry, and you can slice it cold and put it on a sandwich. Very versatile! And since I really want you to try it, one lucky reader is going to receive FIVE free product coupons from Nasoya!

Not having been a really active cook lately, I’ll admit that I hit a small mental roadblock. I couldn’t come up with anything, until the bacon idea surfaced. I decided to slice the tofu really thinly, then fry it. Like bacon. At first I was planning to recreate my BLPTs using the chipotle “bacon”, but then my mom (who is visiting) mentioned that she would really prefer a dip… and since I like to make my mom happy, Chipotle BLPT Dip it was! 

With or without spicy bbq sauce… 

This dip has all the flavor of a BLT with pickles, but better because of the smoky, chipotle tofu bacon. It’s delicious perfection, really.

I served it with crispy, salty pita chips, but any hearty dipper would work. I can’t help but point out how perfect this would be for that upcoming football game everyone is talking about… Oh, and in case you need more appetizer ideas… Enjoy!

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The Giveaway

One lucky reader will win FIVE Nasoya free product coupons! To enter, leave a comment below answering the question of the day:  Which meal of your day is most likely to include tofu? Tofu scrambles for breakfast? A tofu stir-fry for lunch? Lasagna with tofu ricotta for dinner? Be sure and log your comment into Rafflecopter to make sure it counts! Contest ends February 9th at midnight, mountain time. One winner will be chosen at random and announced the following day. Open to residents of the US only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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