I was recently invited back to Seasons 52 to sample their Vegan Winter Menu, lucky me! As you may recall, I’ve already reviewed their Autumn menu (their menu changes with the season, hence the name), and have pretty much established myself as a fan… Also, sorry for the bad cell phone pics. It was really dark and I didn’t want to use my flash for obvious reasons!

There were some similarities between the two menus, which makes sense because we tend to crave similar types of foods in the fall and winter, right? But I was determined to try all new things, so I started off with the most delicious drink, a Cranberry & Sage made with gin, white cranberry juice, fresh cranberries and candied sage leaf:

My lucky date had the Mule, in a traditional copper cup. Here’s a look at their featured, seasonal cocktails:

Next up was the Gengler Farms Organic Edamame which was my favorite dish of the night, because instead of regular sea salt, it came with Japanese green tea sea salt! Imagine mixing sea salt with matcha green tea powder and it was something like that. Only more perfect. 

That was followed by a small bowl of soup, a Mediterranean Vegetable Soup full of flavorful broth and tons of veggies. It wasn’t as insanely delicious as the soup they offered in the fall (it was my favorite part of that meal) but it was very good. 

While I slurped up that delicious soup, my date had the Warm Golden Beet salad, which I stole many bites of and LOVED! The beets came with toasted pistachios and micro basil and were so perfectly ripened and prepared, I would order them again in a heartbeat. 

 Finally, for my entree I went with the Vegetables & Pasta, which was sauteed with garlic and tomato-basil sauce. It was delicious! I don’t even think I had to add salt or pepper, that’s how perfectly flavored it already was! And there were tons of great veggies in there too. 

 My date ordered the Vegetarian Tacos, which have black beans, roasted peppers and mole poblano. No good picture of those, but you can see one here. He loved them, though!

And that was it. Their seasonal vegan dessert offering was fresh blueberries, but I opted for a glass of pinot noir instead, because sometimes that’s how I roll. Here’s a shot of the interior, to give you an idea of just how beautiful it is in there:

 The service, as always, was impeccable! We were seated as soon as we arrived, and our table was already laid out with the vegan menus which was a really nice tough. Matthew, a managing partner, came over to check on us and make sure our meals were okay. We felt like royalty! 

I’m a huge fan of restaurants that offer a special vegan menu, because it makes ordering so much easier, and it keeps me from having to harass my server. I especially appreciate restaurants like Seasons who offer such a wide variety of healthy, seasonal food. They’re located in states across the country, so the next time you want a special dining experience, I recommend you find one close to you! 

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

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

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 Vegan Buffalo Fajita Quesadillas made with Beyond Meat and Daiya are my new favorite thing. 

Ooey gooey melty cheese, those amazing Beyond Chicken strips (have you tried those yet?), veggies and Frank’s wing sauce… it’s as easy as that!

Seriously. You chop up some peppers and onions. You mix in the chick’n strips and the hot sauce. Then you combine it all with cheese and a couple tortillas. This is a great lunch… or combine it with a big ol’ salad like I did and call it dinner!

I served mine with some vegan ranch, but sour cream would be good as well. 

Looking for some other ways to increase your buffalo sauce intake? 

• Buffalo Cauliflower Pizza
• Buffalo Chick’n Spaghetti
• Buffalo Tofu Spring Rolls
• Buffalo Baked Potatoes with Chickpeas & Kale
• Buffalo Tofu n’ Corn Salad
• Buffalo Chickpea Salad
• Buffalo Wing Tacos

Hmm… Apparently I really like buffalo sauce! 

Vegan Buffalo Fajita Quesadillas

2014-12-15 10:20:23

Serves 2

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

20 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

20 min

Ingredients

1. 1/2 onion
2. 1 bell pepper
3. 1/2 cup buffalo sauce (I like Franks)
4. 10 Beyond Chicken strips, defrosted
5. 4 medium tortillas
6. Daiya cheddar shreds

Instructions

1. Slice the onion and pepper. Water saute over medium heat until soft, 5-6 minutes. Dry out the water, then stir in the sauce and chicken strips, over low heat. Let sit over heat until the sauce and strips are warmed.
2. In a large pan or griddle over low/medium heat, lay out two tortillas. Cover with a small handful of cheese, followed by half the buffalo mix on each, then more cheese. Reduce heat to low and cover for 2-3 minutes. This gets the cheese nice and soft!
3. Add the top tortillas and flip, then cook for another 2-3 minutes until crisp on the outside and melty on the inside!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan

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

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Okay, so yah… more of a soup really, but we’re just gonna go ahead and stick with chili. Vegan White Chick’n Chili. 

We’ve got:

• Delicious, flavorful broth
• Soy curls
• Great northern beans
• Salsa verde(!!)
• Avocado

Sounds really good, right? Right!

And it’s ridiculously easy to make, with very few ingredients. And other than the avocados and fresh cilantro, and maybe the salsa verde, you might already have everything you need in your pantry! It was fast too… from start to finish, less than 20 minutes! 

White Chick'n Chili

2014-12-15 07:48:56

Serves 4

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

20 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

20 min

Ingredients

1. 5 cups water
2. 2 Not Chick'n bouillon cubes
3. 2.5 cups dry soy curls
4. 2 cans great northern beans
5. 16oz jar salsa verde (I like Herdez)
6. 2 teaspoons ground cumin
7. 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
8. Salt & pepper

Instructions

1. In a large stock or soup pot combine the water, bouillon and soy curls, and bring to a boil. Add everything else, and reduce to simmer.
2. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, uncovered. Taste and add S&P as needed. That's it!

Notes

1. Serves 4-6 depending on appetite!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

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

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Looking for a last minute holiday gift for that special herbivore in your life? (Which, admittedly, might be yourself)…. How about the Happy Herbivore Holidays & Gatherings cookbook!

There’s more than 130 recipes organized by occasion (Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, Brunch, etc), PLUS:

• Pre-party planning tips
• Holiday FAQs
• Dinner party menus

Fun stuff! Those of you who are already HH fans know that her recipes are low fat and oil free. Ultra healthy! Not the way I always eat, but I do enjoy many of her dishes. In fact, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I use her vegan alfredo sauce in a number of my own recipes (Easy Vegetable Pasta Alfredo and Cajun Fettuccine with Tofu are two of my faves!)

In addition to the giveaway, the publishers also let me choose one recipe to share with you guys… and I chose the Hot Chocolate Muffins because obviously. So after you enter the giveaway, make sure to scroll down and grab that delicious recipe!

The Giveaway

One lucky reader will win a copy of the Happy Herbivore Holidays & Gatherings cookbook!

This contest is open until Midnight (Mountain time), Thursday December 18th. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced the following day. To Enter: Leave a comment sharing which dish or meal you’d like to see a healthier version of, then log your entry into the Rafflecopter widget. Contest is limited to the US and Canada only. Good luck!

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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I told you I was on a soup/chili/chowder kick! The thing is, my Vegan New Mexican Corn Chowder kinda kicks back, if you know what I mean… Just look at all those green chiles in there! This chowder is so thick and creamy and rich. A real stick to your ribs kind of chowder! A little bit spicy with the green chile, but a little sweet too, from the corn. And filling with all those delicious potatoes. Plus, as we all know, nothing says “This soup is delicious and satisfying and awesome” like vegan bacon sprinkled on top!

You know what else is awesome? Being invited to the pre-opening party at Denver’s newest Native Foods!

Cynthia, Denise, Quinn and I strolled down to their newest store on the 16th St Mall last week to stuff our faces. That big plate of nachos right there ended up being my entire lunch. The Thai meatballs, broccoli, and ginger creme cookie went home with me for later. Denise did the same thing (although her entree was the Gyro bowl), and it was nice to have someone else demolishing an entire place of nachos along with me. Cynthia and Quinn were first timers, but they loved it. Cynthia had the Chicken Run Ranch burger which is what I always recommend to newbies (it’s also great for omnivores), and Quinn had the Buffalo Twister wrap. We all had the creme pies… those things were freaking amazing! Our server took a picture of us, but it came out blurry. Sad face.  

The only problem is that this new location is totally within walking distance of my office, which means it’s going to be really hard to not be eating those nachos for lunch every day!

Except, of course, for when I have leftover chowder waiting for me…

 All I can say is that when you’re craving chowder and want something a little bit different, try this. Green chiles! You can’t go wrong! 

New Mexican Corn Chowder

2014-12-09 11:14:43

Serves 4

A spicy and delicious new take on corn chowder!

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

35 min

Total Time

45 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

35 min

Total Time

45 min

Ingredients

1. 5 slices vegan bacon (I used lightlife)
2. Butter-infused olive oil (or regular olive oil)
3. 1 small sweet onion
4. 3 cloves garlic
5. 1 jalapeno, diced and halved
6. 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
7. 2 tablespoons vegan butter
8. 5 tablespoons AP flour (1/4 cup plus one extra tablespoon)
9. 1 "not chick'n" bouillon cube
10. 1 cup water
11. 3 cups unsweetened almond milk, plus another 1/2 cup
12. 2 large russet potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
13. 1 cup Daiya cheddar shreds
14. 2/3 cup diced green chiles, with about 1/3 of that reserved
15. 12oz bag frozen corn

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon per package instructions, dice, and set aside.
2. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil over low/medium heat and saute the onion, garlic, half the jalapeno and the chili powder for 5-7 minutes. Add the butter and flour and stir together over the heat for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the bouillon, water, and 3 cups milk and bring to a boil, whisking until the roux is dissolved. Add the potatoes and reduce heat. Simmer until the potatoes are cooked, about 15 minutes. Add the additional 1/2 cup of milk if it gets too thick.
4. When the potatoes are ready, add the cheese, corn, and green chiles, stirring until everything is warm and melty. Serve and top with the bacon and remaining jalapenos and green chile.

Notes

1. Regular olive oil will work just fine, but the butter-infused stuff is just amazing- pick some up if you ever get the chance! (And yes, it's plant-based)

By Barb@ThatWasVegan

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

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Hooray for another picture redo! This one was seriously overdue. Like by light years. My seitan recipe has long been one of my most popular but it had crappy cell phone pictures AND no picture of the finished project. 

Certainly nothing as fancypants as this… 

This stuff is delicious and really quite easy to make. Spend about 15 minutes putting it together, and then it steams for 30, which gives you more than enough time to clean up the kitchen. Then you’re done, and you have at least 8 servings of seitan in your fridge or freezer! 

Each loaf makes about 2 servings, and they’ll last for two weeks in the fridge or practically forever in the freezer. And they’re super yum. So much flavor packed in there!

Are you convinced yet? Go check out the recipe then!

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Blueberry orange coconut raw vegan crackers

“Clean Eating with MAXIMUM YUM!” That’s the tagline that greets you when you on the Dena’s Fuel for Fitness homepage, and I’m inclined to agree! Dena’s makes a line of raw & vegan snacks that are just as delicious as they are nutritious, full of real whole food ingredients like blueberries, pumpkin seeds, apples and other fruits. 

They make crackers, including

• Beet-apple with orange and dill
• Blueberry orange coconut (my favorite!!)
• Mango raspberry basil, and 
• “Green”, made with edamame

They also make Vege Chips and Granola Grub, which both sound good, but I haven’t tried them. 

My #1 flavor for certain was the Blueberry orange coconut (pictured above). The crackers themselves, because they’re raw, are soft but SO flavorful. You could literally taste each flavor, in each bite. I shared them with my friend Cindy who isn’t vegan (and doesn’t really eat raw other than salads and that sort of thing), and she loved them! All the fruit gives them a natural sweetness which makes them a more satisfying snack, at least emotionally, in my opinion.

They come in a super handy resealable bag, and are only 109 calories per serving (that’s 4 crackers). 4 crackers aren’t mean to be a meal replacement of course, but are absolutely enough to give you some pre-workout energy, or to curb those mid-afternoon cravings. They retail for $6.50 and they carry them at Whole Foods in a couple of states. You can also order them online. 

And the company is from San Diego which you KNOW I love – (San Diegooooooooo State!) 

Here are the Mango raspberry with basil. Yum… 

The Giveaway

One lucky reader, to be chosen by random, is going to win TWO packages of Dena’s Fuel for Fitness crackers, Blueberry Orange Coconut and Mango Raspberry with Basil.

The contest is open until Midnight (Mountain time), Thursday 12/11. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced the following day. To Enter: All you gotta do is leave a comment below telling us when you snack the most then log it into the rafflecopter widget. Is it all day long, like me? Do you like a snack before you work out, or before bedtime? Tell us! You can also earn extra entries via social media. Contest open to US residents only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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Mmmm chowder. Especially this Vegan Cauliflower Corn Chowder full of all those delicious chowdery flavors, but with cauliflower instead of potatoes! Double triple points for chowder that wont make your pants any tighter! Yay!

Pretty sure I should earn some extra points for my “new” soup bowls too, scored at a local Goodwill store for under a buck each. It’s just too bad I couldn’t find any that read “chowder”!

I love being vegan, but it’s especially wonderful when I get to combine being able to eat as much as I want of a healthier version of something (say… chowder!?) with the fact that I don’t need to feel bad about eating it. At all. This chowder is healthy and cruelty-free. You can’t beat that!

The weather is cold and I want comfort food I can feel good about. I want chowder, man! And this stuff really hits the spot. Big, hearty chunks of cauliflower plus the usual chowder suspects like carrots, celery, onions and corn. So creamy and so flavorful!

 I hope you guys like soups and chowders and chilis as much as I do, because I’m kind of on a kick, so you’ll be seeing a lot of them around here. They may not all be as healthy as this one, but I promise they’ll be delicious!

Ok, one last close-up, then the handy-dandy printable!

Cauliflower Corn Chowder

2014-12-01 10:42:02

Serves 4

You'll never miss the potatoes!

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

40 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

40 min

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons vegan butter or margarine
2. 1/4 cup AP flour
3. 1/2 teaspoon garlic
4. 1 small sweet onion, diced
5. 2 carrots, diced
6. 2 stalks celery, diced
7. 1 bay leaf
8. 3 cups unsweetened almond milk
9. 1/2 cube "Not Chick'n" bouillon
10. 1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces
11. 12oz frozen sweet corn kernels
12. S&P

Instructions

1. Melt the margarine over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Continue to cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic powder and diced onion, carrots and celery, along with 2-3 tablespoons of water and let it cook for 2-3 minutes longer.
2. Stir in the milk, bay leaf, cauliflower and bouillon. Bring to a boil, stirring well so the roux dissolves, then simmer until it thickens. Add a bit more water if you need to for the right consistency. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until the cauliflower is tender, adding the corn in for the last 2 minutes or so.
3. Remove the bay leaf and add S&P as needed. Serve hot!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan

Adapted from Damn Delicious

Adapted from Damn Delicious

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

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I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I did.  I went to the Native Foods buffet with loved ones and stuffed my face. The food (and service) itself was just meh, but the company was fantastic!!

I couldn’t decide what to post today (I have SO MANY delicious recipes photographed and ready to go!), and decided to play it safe and go with a salad. After all, didn’t we just gorge ourselves on seitan just a few days ago? (If salads aren’t your thing, don’t worry: I have a bacon cheeseburger pizza and some philly “cheese steaks” coming up soon!)

This salad was really just lovely. Kale and cabbage are, as we all know, insanely good for us. And the coconut lime dressing is just insanely good. Period.

I honestly am making an effort to eat more salads. And blog about them so all you sweet readers can get in on the healthy fun. I think I’ve done pretty well so far. We’re talking about:

Buffalo Tofu Corn Salad
Cambodian Monsoon Salad
Roasted Pumpkin Kale Salad
Sweet Potato Spinach Salad
And more!

They all sound delicious, right? And I have a few more in the ol’ hopper that I think you’ll like. We’re talking ’bout jerk flavored cannelloni beans here, people! Stay tuned!

Kale and Cabbage Salad with Coconut Lime Dressing

2014-11-25 15:24:19

Serves 5

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup light coconut milk (the culinary kind, not the kind you'd drink!) (Although maybe some people do drink the culinary kind??)
2. 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus the zest
3. 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
4. 1 jalapeno, diced small
5. 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
6. 1/2 red cabbage, sliced
7. 1 clove garlic, minced
8. 1 red bell pepper, diced
9. 1 large bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

1. Mix the coconut milk, lime juice and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Water saute (over medium/low heat) the red onion, garlic and cabbage for 2-3 minutes, then add the bell pepper and kale, adding more water as necessary. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the kale and cabbage are soft. Drain any excess water and combine in a mixing bowl with the dressing. Hand mix and taste-test, adding a bit of salt if needed.

By Barb@ThatWasVegan

Adapted from Three Beans on a String

Adapted from Three Beans on a String

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

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