That Was Vegan?

I remember the first time I ever ate sushi. I was 21 and had just moved to California. I had been asked out on a date, and he took me for sushi. I was scared and mildly disgusted by the idea of raw fish (I didn’t have a lot of culinary experience growing up in rural NH) but it turned out I liked a lot of the rolls. Living in LA, and later, San Diego, I had access to a lot of fresh sushi and continued to eat it even after moving to Colorado.

Then, 9 years ago (!) I went vegan and didn’t have sushi for quite a few years. These days there are lots of vegan sushi options for those of us in veg-friendly cities (or in your own kitchen if you’re dedicated enough to roll your own), and I definitely have a new favorite sushi spot: the Blue Sushi Sake Grill in Lodo!

They have an entire section of their menu that is vegan/vegetarian (but mostly vegan!) and very clearly marked. They also have a full bar with some delicious sounding specialty cocktails- although we stuck with the sake. My little brother and I have had lunch there twice now, and I’m so excited to share it with you!

Our first visit was a couple of months ago. We shared a carafe of sake, although I don’t recall what kind (except that it was cold). You can see from the menu that they have plenty of options!

We started with a Spicy Chili Edamame to share… always a good choice.

Then we chose three rolls to share as well. From left to right: Spicy Ahimi (spicy vegan tomato tuna, cucumber), the Eden Roll (sweet potato vegan tempura, grilled asparagus, edamame hummus, sundried tomato, brown rice, soy paper, olive oil, maldon sea salt), and the Cowgirl (pickle vegan tempura, sriracha-fried onion rings, vegan mayo, bbq paper, tonkatsu).

We both agreed the Cowgirl was our favorite! It looks a little oily in this closeup but it really wasn’t. There was a lot of bbq flavor in there, and I loved the pickle. Not traditional sushi flavors of course, but fantastic nonetheless.

The Spicy Ahimi was also amazing! The texture and flavor really made me think I was eating spicy tuna (one of the actual fish sushi I used to eat back in the day). It’s made by a company called Ocean Hugger Foods, and you can actually look on their website to see where their ahimi is served near you. In Denver, it’s Blue Sushi and Whole Foods, FYI.

It looks so real, right?

Our third roll, which we also really enjoyed was the Eden Roll. There were a lot of flavors going on in there but I will never not love something that includes tempura sweet potato.

Then, fast-forward to last week when we made our second visit. Again, more sake… this time it was Joto One Cup (which we split- it was actually just a small carafe that came in its own cardboard cup). Very good!

For our rolls, we absolutely had to try the Cowgirl again because it was (and still is!) our favorite, but we also tried two new ones.

This was the Shojin (bbq seitan, grilled asparagus, pineapple, shallot, bibb lettuce, nori, brown rice, soy paper, sweet soy) and I couldn’t eat it fast enough. Although it also had bbq sauce, it really was nothing like the Cowgirl. It had pineapple! And asparagus!

Last, but not least, was the Crunchy Cabbage (cabbage and napa cabbage vegan tempura, spicy vegan mayo, scallion)… but weirdly ours also had tofu in it. I’m not complaining because it was really yummy! Just not quite I expected. This was the least exciting of the rolls, but still good.

There are still a handful of vegan rolls I’ve yet to try, so I’ll be eating there again soon. And if you live in Denver, or in TX, KS, IL, KY, IN, OH or IA definitely check out their website and see if there’s a location near you!

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

I just got back from 5 days in DC (well, the DC area) and man, did I eat well! Here are some of the culinary highlights of my trip, in no particular order…

Busboys & Poets

This is the only restaurant we visited twice (and the only one I make sure to visit on every. single. trip. I make to DC!).

As a side note, I recently found out that they’re opening a Denver location! Gasp! Squeal! But I digress. Here’s the food.

Our first trip began with a shared appetizer, which of course had to be the Coconut Tofu Bites with Plum-Red Pepper Sauce! These are so good and I think they might be my desert island choice. They’re evocative of coconut shrimp, only waaaaay better.

For my “entree” I actually went with another appetizer… the Chick’n Vegan Nachos! Yellow corn chips, guacamole, cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream, black-eyed peas, and salsa. Definitely not the best picture, but they were great- especially the cheese!

The second time we went it was lunchtime, and I had the Crispy Vegan “Chicken” Sandwich with lettuce, tomato, serrano pepper, roasted garlic aioli and a brioche bun. I am a huge fan of crispy “chicken” sandwiches, especially since I don’t often make them at home. This one was definitely delicious!

Hip City Veg

We ate dinner here our first night. I hadn’t heard of this chain before, but it’s fast casual… similar to Native Foods but with a smaller menu. I had the Philly Steak made with pulled steak (no idea what it was made out of but the texture was great!), grilled onion, mushroom and ketchup on a roll. It was soooo rich and gooey and salty and cheesy- PERFECTION!

Mom went with the Udon Noodle Salad, which had spicy glazed chick’n, sprouts, arugula, carrot, cabbage, daikon, scallions, peanuts and a Chinese black bean dressing. She said the chick’n was the best she’s ever had, but other than that the salad was just sad. It was like 90% arugula unfortunately.

My Friend Shawna’s House

Well this was my favorite meal because I shared it with one of my oldest friends! Shawna and I first met in the 7th grade and have been friends ever since. We grilled out in their back yard and she served Beyond Burgers and sweet fries, yay! These things are so darned good.

Silver Diner

All I can say about this place is WOW. I had never heard of it, but we were spending the day with my cousin and his wife and there was one near their house. He knew they had a lot of vegan options so that’s where we went. AND JUST WOW!

Also? Please come to Denver, Silver Diner!

Mom and I couldn’t decide so we each picked one thing, and split them both. She chose the Just Egg Benedict, with scrambled Just eggs, smoky tempeh bacon, baby spinach, tomatoes, and cheese sauce on sourdough toast, with fresh fruit. I’ve never had eggs benedict so I can’t speak to the authenticity of this version but it was definitely delicious. And it was my first time trying Just eggs- I’m officially a fan!

Look at that vegan cheese sauce!

For our other “to share”, I chose the Beyond Meat Meatballs Cauliflower ‘Mac’ N Cheese. This had cauliflower instead of pasta, smoky tempeh bacon, tomatoes, zucchini, and asparagus. The menu said it would be in a cheese sauce, but it wasn’t… the sauce was something savory, but definitely not cheesy. You can see in the picture the sauce was thin and red. It was good though. The best part was the meatballs though.

Bozelli’s Italian Deli

We discovered Bozelli’s by accident on our first afternoon. We had just checked into our hotel (Crystal City, it’s where my conference was) and were walking to the metro station. The plan was to take the train into DC and find a spot but my eagle-eyed mum spotted a sandwich board on the sidewalk advertising their vegan options, so we decided to grab a bite there.

We got the Bizarro Pizza which comes with meatless meatballs, vegan sausage, caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and vegan mozzarella. We skipped the onions because she doesn’t like them… and the “meatballs” were actually crumbles, but it was amazing all the same! Quite spicy, but yummy.

Yes, we ate the whole thing 🙂

Conference Eats

This wasn’t the most vegan-friendly conference I’ve been to (coffee was the only vegan option at breakfast the first day, although there were bagels the second day) but I did get two good lunches out of it. The first was spaghetti and red sauce which could easily be bland but there were spiralized veggies on top that had been sauteed in something very flavorful!

The second (and better of the two) was a puff pastry stuffed with fresh veggies, a rice pilaf that tasted like Thanksgiving, and green beans with more spiralized veggies. You can’t see much of the sauce but it was full of tomatoes and capers, very tasty!

Ben’s Chili Bowl

Last but not least… A Chili Dog and Chili Fries at the airport! I’ve eaten here before and am a big fan of their vegan and vegetarian options… and now they also have both the Beyond and Impossible burgers on their menu! I’ve never seen a restaurant that serves both, I thought that was pretty cool. It would be fun to order one of each with the exact same toppings and do a taste test, right?

Ok, that’s it for what I ate in DC…

Once again, I’m behind. I was late to the Instant Pot party (although that turned out pretty well), and here I was dragging my feet on the air fryer, hmming and hawing about whether I should add yet another appliance to my collection.

Of course I was aware of the buzz, everywhere you turn food bloggers and friends are all “Air Fryers are the best!” and “Air Fryers are a necessity!” and “I love my Air Fryer!“, right? Still, I waited, until the kind folks at Magic Chef contacted me and asked if I’d like to review their air fryer. My answer was an enthusiastic dance around my kitchen, and here we are: I’m now the proud owner of Magic Chef Digital XL Air Fryer which holds a whopping 5.6 quarts of food!

Oh, and did I mention that if you follow the link above and use the code: Vegan20 you’ll get 20% off!?

Are Air Fryers Easy to Use?

I’m still playing with my newest toy, and loving it so far. Crispy sweet potato bites in 12 minutes with no soaking required? YES PLEASE! It’s simple to use (I spent like 4 minutes looking at the manual before jumping right in) and cleanup is a snap. I rinsed the basket and the drawer and gave them a quick scrub with my soft dish brush. I let them air dry, then popped them back in. Very easy to use and clean!

Are Air Fryers Good for Vegans?

I’ve found that the air fryer is perfect for healthy, vegan cooking and my favorite recipe so far is Jerk Seasoned Sweet Potato Tacos with Deconstructed Guacamole! They’re easy to make. You simply chop the sweet potato, toss it in the seasonings, and air fry it (no oil!) for 12 minutes. While the air fryer is working its magic, you can pull together the taco toppings and you have a quick and healthy meal. If you’re really pressed for time you could even go with pre-made guacamole, but I think my version is best.

Look at how crispy and golden those sweet potatoes are! I’m going to be playing with my new air fryer a lot, so get ready for lots of new yummy recipes!

Do you have an air fryer? Do you love it?  

And if you don’t have one yet but are considering it, get 20% off a NewAir air fryer with the code Vegan20!

*I was provided free product to review, but the opinions are 100% mine. *This post contains affiliate links, for which I may receive a fee at no additional cost to you.

HEYA! Yah I know I’ve been quiet lately (new project in the works!) but I’m back and ready to wow you with this super delicious Vegan Blueberry Banana Bread! It’s so perfect for summer when blueberries are flavorful and plentiful and (most importantly) on sale! This bread is soft and light and full of banana and blueberry flavor!

But first? I have a few things to catch you up on! Where to begin? Well, how about with Miss Frankie?

Technically she’s still my foster dog (I have her for a month), but I am 100% going to adopt her. The adoption hold is officially in place so she is mine and Elmer and I are hers! Her previous people were either breeding her or just letting her get pregnant over and over, then they dropped her at the shelter and said she had had seizures in the past but hadn’t had them diagnosed. That’s why she is in the foster program, so she can be in a home and watched for signs of seizures. No signs yet, fingers crossed! You can also see she had some serious ribcage action going on- this picture was from almost 3 weeks ago when I first brought her home. She was underweight but has gained a few lbs since then.

She is so sweet and smart, and she’s amazing with little blind Elmer, so adopting her is a no-brainer.

This next update is just for your amusement. My friend Denise and I had spent the day in the kitchen cooking and drinking mojitos and (spoiler alert) it didn’t end well… (warning: there is a little blood and couple bad words haha!)

Another spoiler alert, I haven’t turned into a wacky wall walker yet, but there is still hope right?

Okay, Blueberry Banana Bread time.

I’ve worked with Little Northern Bakehouse in the past (remember this delicious Ricotta-Garlic Toast with Tomato + Basil?) and I’m excited to partner with them again to create something extra special for Mother’s Day!

Vegan + Gluten-Free Mother’s Day Brunch

My mom is “mostly vegetarian/a lot vegan”, and at one point was gluten-free (although she no longer is) so it was easy to think of what she would enjoy as I was dreaming up this recipe.

You might be thinking that gluten-free bread isn’t a great choice for french toast casserole but (at least with Little Northern Bakehouse bread), you’d be wrong. Plus, being gluten intolerant shouldn’t keep your mom from enjoying such a decadent breakfast or brunch!

I’ve been on kind of a baked french toast casserole lately (there are two recipes for it in my new cookbook) but I had yet to do one in the oven. I also knew I didn’t want one that needed to sit in the fridge overnight because I was going for simplicity.

So, I used Little Northern’s Wide White Slice, which I let sit out for a couple hours to help it get a little bit “stale”, fresh berries, a touch of Kala Namak salt for that eggy taste, and a whole lotta real maple syrup. From New England. Because if it’s not from New England, I’m not eating it 😉

Did I mention that Little Northern Bakehouse’s breads are all plant-based, non-GMO, and are also all certified Glyphosate Residue Free? Well they are. I’m not gluten-free personally, but this is the second time I’ve had their products and I’m quite happy with them! Especially their cinnamon raisin bread, toasted and smothered in vegan butter… I could do a whole separate post on that, let me tell you!

The only question now is, what will my silly little dog get ME for Mother’s Day????

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

If you’ve been looking at the cover of my new cookbook The Complete Vegan Instant Pot and thinking “I thought the Instant Pot was for soup and beans!?“, prepare to have your mind blown!

Because I made lasagna in the Instant Pot, you guys. LASAGNA! And the publisher has very kindly allowed me to share the recipe with you, to give you an idea of what is in the book.

I worked really hard to come up with 101 recipes that were just the same ol’-same ol’, and I think this lasagna is a really good representation of that.

SO! Here’s the recipe, and if you’d like you can head over to Amazon and download the kindle version OR pre-order the printed book!

Thanks again for all your support!

You’re gonna want to head on over to the That Was Vegan? Facebook page NOW to enter to win a free copy of my first cookbook!

The contest is open until Midnight (mountain time) 5/4, open to US residents, no purchase required to enter. So go do it! Entries must be made on Facebook to count. And yes, I’ll definitely be doing a giveaway for my Canadian peeps soon, I promise!

Don’t want to wait? You can still pre-order your copy at Amazon- where it is currently just $10.43, woohoo! Here’s my affiliate link: https://amzn.to/2YACfCcc

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit of a total dork, and this video proves it. And I don’t even care! Finally getting my hands on the book I worked so hard on- and that SO MANY PEOPLE helped with, was amazing.

Just. Amazing.

There much more to the backstory too, and I’m looking forward to sharing that with you as we move closer to the release date! If you haven’t pre-ordered your copy yet, here’s the link: https://amzn.to/2YACfCc.

Also isn’t my mom adorable? She’s one of the most amazing people I know, and just one of the many who were so supportive of this project.

So thanks to you all!

The people voted and this was the recipe they wanted a sneak peek at! And because I love you all and want to make you happy, here it is!

All the regular disclaimers apply- this is posted with permission from my publisher Callisto and it’s fully copywrited and not to be shared anywhere else without permission.

I really hope you all like this dish, which is both gluten and soy free. And it’s so flavorful, it’s definitely one of my favorites.

Now go forth and make it this weekend, and let us know in the comments how you like it!

And if you want to see more, stay tuned as I have more to share! You can also go ahead and order your own copy today!