Whew, it’s been a busy few months! Between work, the trip to NYC (which you can read about here and here), working on getting darling Elmer house trained, and my trip to France and Switzerland, I haven’t had much time for blogging. Or, like, cooking. There has been a lot delivery and take out consumed at my house. Like, A LOT.
But the weather is nicer and life is (hopefully!) slowing down a bit, so I hope to be cooking and blogging more. I definitely need to go through all my pictures and post about the Europe trip- so much delicious food and wine! But for now, I have these really flavorful beet burgers for you.
I enjoyed them a top my favorite massaged kale salad but they’d be equally delicious on your favorite bun. Or however you eat your burgers. I’m not here to judge!
Don’t you just love that color? And the flavor!
These patties are made with:
Roasted beets
Chickpeas
Fresh, sweet basil
Garlic
Lemon
And other delicious, wholesome ingredients too. And they’re easy to whip up, which is an added bonus. Roast the beets, throw everything into the food processor, then heat up a pan. Easy, right?
I’m a big fan of the Laura Theodore, aka the Jazzy Vegetarian, and her recipes. Her books always offer a wide range from sinful to comfort food, and they always have easy to follow instructions. The flavors are amazing and the food is delicious, but these aren’t recipes that are going to take you hours to get on the table, which I love.
And speaking of that Chocolate Mousse Cake… the publisher has kindly agreed to let me share the recipe with you!
Doesn’t that look amazing?
They’ve also offered up a copy of this great cookbook so you can try out all the recipes you want! Instructions are below, good luck!
Divine Chocolate Mousse Cake
2018-05-07 16:00:15
Serves 8
This delectable little chocolate cake is so delicious, you will have folks asking for more, more, more! If you do not already have 6-inch round cake pans, I highly recommend adding them to your baking equipment, as they are very handy for making a variety of petite cakes. Even though this cake has many steps (and takes extra time to prepare), the spectacular results are well worth the effort!
3/4 cup chocolate flavored nondairy milk (I like cashew milk for this)
1 block (14 to 16 ounces) extra-firm regular tofu, drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons vegan powdered sugar
1 cup (55% cacao) vegan dark chocolate chips, plus 30 to 35 more for decorating the cake
CAKE
1 tablespoon flaxseeds
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2/3 cup vegan cane sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup plus 31/2 tablespoons nondairy milk
21/2 tablespoons “extra-light” olive oil (see note)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
FILLING
3 heaping tablespoons raspberry preserves, plus more as needed
Frosting
To make the frosting, heat the nondairy milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until small bubbles appear on the surface and the nondairy milk is simmering hot.
Put the tofu, olive oil, vanilla extract and powdered sugar into a blender, then add 1 cup of chocolate chips. Pour in the simmering nondairy milk and immediately process for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until completely smooth. Spoon the mixture into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until completely chilled (about 3 to 4 hours) before frosting your cake.
Cake
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally coat three 6-inch round cake pans with vegan margarine. (If you are not using nonstick cake pans, line the bottom of each pan
with parchment paper and liberally coat the parchment paper with vegan margarine.)
Put the flaxseeds into a high-performance blending appliance and process into fine flour. Put the flaxseed flour, whole wheat flour, cane sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt into a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk to combine. Add the nondairy milk, olive oil and vanilla and stir with a large spoon to incorporate.
Divide the cake evenly among the three prepared cake pans. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Put the cake pans on wire racks, and run a table knife around the perimeter of each cake to loosen the sides. Let cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the wire racks. (If you are using parchment paper, gently
and very carefully remove the parchment paper.) Let cool for at least 2 hours before frosting the cakes.
To frost the cakes, line the perimeter of a pretty plate with strips of parchment paper. Put one cake layer in the center of the plate. Spoon half of the raspberry preserves over the first cake layer and spread in an even layer using an offset spatula. Spoon about one-quarter of the frosting over the raspberry preserves and gently spread it in an even layer, over the preserves, using the spatula. The frosting layer will be very thick.
Put the second cake layer on the frosting and gently press down, so the cake will adhere. Spoon the remaining half of the raspberry preserves over the second cake layer and spread in an even layer using an offset spatula. Spoon about one-quarter of the frosting over the raspberry preserves and gently spread it in a thick, even layer over the preserves, using the spatula.
Position the third cake layer on the frosting and gently press down, so the cake will adhere. Spoon the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake and gently spread it evenly over the top and sides, using an offset spatula (once again, the frosting layer will be very thick). Decorate in a pleasing manner with the reserved chocolate chips.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and make certain to serve the cake well-chilled. Covered and stored in the refrigerator, the cake will keep for 3 days. (It actually tastes better the longer it stands in the refrigerator!)
Notes
CHEF’S NOTE: If desired, you may use extra-virgin olive oil in place of the light olive oil, but the cake will be slightly denser in texture.
One lucky reader will win a copy of Deliciously Vegan: Plant-Powered Recipes for the Modern, Mindful Kitchen by Laura Theodore! To enter, leave a comment below sharing your favorite vegan dish of all time! You can also get bonus entries with Twitter. Contest ends Sunday, May 13th at midnight (mountain time). One winner will be chosen at random and announced the following day. Be sure and log your comment into the Rafflecopter to make it count! Open to US residents only, good luck!
If you follow me on the ‘gram then you know I’m currently in Europe but! Let’s take a step back in time to when I was in NYC, eating all the vegan food…
When I left off in Part One, we had just finished dinner at Candle Cafe West…
*SUNDAY*
We I slept in a little bit on Sunday morning, but once I finally dragged myself out of that luxuriously soft bed (Marriott Marquis Times Square, y’all!) we headed straight to Central Park for some sunshine and fresh air. Well, frigid air, actually, but that was okay as long as we were in the sun. I don’t generally eat breakfast and just went with coffee, which was good because I needed the pep and the warmth!
Turns out we weren’t the only ones who decided to bundle up and hit the park…
There was some sort of Greyhound meetup and OMG where those doggos adorable in their little outfits! There were big greyhounds, and little Italian greyhounds, but they were all precious.
When we had had enough walking, I opened the Happy Cow app to see what was nearby for lunchies. We were near the Alice in Wonderland statue, for you locals. One of the closest possibilities was… Candle Cafe East! Sure, we had just eaten at their spot on the UWS the night before but who cares? Not us! So off we went.
I had the Seitan & Mushroom Burger which was literally smothered in mushrooms, mozzarella cashew cheese, onion rings, pickles, tomato, lettuce and sriracha aioli, with truffle fries on the side! It was SO GOOD! And my mom doesn’t like mushrooms so I didn’t have to share a single bite! #MushroomsFTW
Mom chose the Cajun Seitan Sandwich, which was a cajun crusted seitan cutlet with avocado and kale on a rosemary focaccia with fries and a chili aioli.
She liked, but didn’t love, it. As you can see from the picture, the sandwich was mostly bread.
After lunch we took a nice walk through the UES admiring the architecture, then made our way back to the hotel so I could finally show up at my conference for a few hours. Work, work, work, blah, blah, blah… but then it was time for dinner!
We decided on Franchia Vegan Cafe because… well, isn’t it obvious? It was a lovely walk (I love to walk, and mom was a trooper keeping up with me) and we arrived hungry and thirsty. So, of course, we ordered a whole bottle of wine 😉
We also started out with the Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls, filled with peppers, mango, mint, basil, red cabbage and tofu in rice wrap served with peanut sauce:
They were light and crisp and flavorful, and that peanut sauce was just amazing- rich and just a tiny bit of heat.
We each chose an entree but shared. I had the Spicy Franchia Noodles, stir fried with peanuts, dried chili, mushrooms and assorted veggies. Very good! And of course, I got all the mushrooms, haha!
Mom chose the Crispy Korean Chili Tofu, which was pan fried tofu with garlic and Korean chili sauce topped with oats, served with cucumber and tomato. The flavor was fantastic but it wasn’t actually crispy, so she was disappointed. That was probably the main reason she ordered it.
The inside of Franchia was beautiful, very cozy and well designed. It was a very nice, comfortable place to have dinner but… I wasn’t blown away by the food. We realized after that we hadn’t ordered anything we couldn’t really get at any Asian restaurant- tofu and noodles are pretty easy to come by. Perhaps we should’ve gone with some of their vegan meat options. Oh well, next time!
*Monday*
Monday was a full day of conferencing. Breakfast potatoes are my weakness, so I took my little “vegan” meal card and enjoyed this plate of crispy potatoes, fresh fruit and granola. Although, clearly, what I enjoyed most was the teeny tiny bottle of Tabasco!
Lunch was also served by the hotel, and it was pasta with beans and squash mixed in, all in a spicy red sauce. Nothing fancy, but it was tasty!
The conference organizers put on a massive reception that evening with open bars and tons of food. Most of it wasn’t vegan, but there was enough bread and veggies and fruit to leave me full. Mostly red wine, if we’re being honest. We also got to meet with Glinda and Elphaba!
This was especially fun because we had tickets for the next evening to see Wicked on Broadway!
*Tuesday*
The day started off with even more fried taters and fresh fruit with granola. The conference breakfast of champions, right?
Lunch was really good- a roasted cauliflower steak with succotash and baby carrots. The garnish on the cauliflower was sweet… a hint of cherry maybe?
Dinner was very rushed because we had a show to get too! We opted for just drinks and a snack in the hotel bar, since we were so close to the theater already.
My favorite drink of the entire trip: a Maple Old Fashioned, with with some kind of maple whiskey.
Also, some simply amazing hummus raisins and pine nuts and scallions and battered, deep-fried cauliflower on top! I wish I had more details, but it doesn’t seem to be listed on their menu online…
Then it was off to the show. Wicked was amazing, of course! I had seen it once like 12 years ago in Denver, and Mom hadn’t seen it. We both loved it, as I knew we would.
It was our last night which was sad. We walked back to the hotel very slowly, through Times Square. We actually just stood there for maybe 10 minutes, looking up. The snow had started to fall and it was just beautiful and perfect.
Also, I got to pet a horse. A police horse!
Then it was off to bed for a VERY early morning. To beat the rapidly approaching blizzard we had moved our flights up to 6:30am. We were one of the very last flights to get out of La Guardia before they closed down the whole airport, so it was worth it!
New York was so much fun- can’t wait to visit again soon!
The Dumb Friends League, where I adopted both Elmer and Teddy, published a ‘VIP’ piece on Elmer a few weeks ago. They sent me a list of questions and used my answers to highlight Elmer’s new life in his new forever home. They were space limited though, and could only use bits and pieces, so I thought it would be fun to publish all of my answers and give a more detailed look at Elmie’s new life!
Tell us about your fostering experience. I’ve been fostering with DFL for about 2 years. I started with dogs, but now mostly just foster kittens in the summertime. I love fostering with DFL- everyone in the foster department is so kind and supportive (and two former DFL employees have become my friends and dog sitters!). There’s also an amazing network of volunteers who are really there for each other. Becoming a DFL foster was like making a hundred new friends, instantly!
What went through your mind when you first saw Elmer? I really didn’t think I was ready to adopt another dog. My cocker girl Sally had just passed away about a month before from cancer and I was still grieving. Also my other dog Teddy seemed to be enjoying life as an ‘only child’ so I planned to wait a few months before adopting again. But, of course, I was still looking at the DFL website on a regular basis because I couldn’t help myself.
The moment I saw Elmer online I knew he was mine. I had two rescued cocker spaniels before him, and I just love that breed. I’ve also had two dogs with sight problems, both of whom ultimately lost an eye to glaucoma… so it just felt meant to be. I knew I could handle the challenges of a blind dog, and I knew he would be a total sweetheart. It was a Thursday afternoon and I decided to take one night to sleep on it, just to be certain (although, I was already pretty sure!). I woke up decided, and that afternoon Teddy, my mom, and I headed straight to DFL after work.
My mom kept Teddy in the waiting area while I went in the back to meet Elmer. He was sitting in his little bed very quietly. He had a soft squeaky toy but he wasn’t playing with it. I sat there and let him sniff my hand and pretty soon I was hugging him and telling him he was about to go home, and he played with his toy a little bit. He was reserved and seemed a little confused or sad, but obviously very sweet and friendly. One of the volunteers brought him out on a leash to meet my other dog, to make sure they were fine together, and they were, so we were ready to go home! And I have to mention, I’m really glad I got there when I did because another couple came while the dogs were having their “meet n’ greet”. It was their second time coming in to see Elmer and they wanted to adopt him that night as well.
Was being at the League particularly hard on a blind dog? I imagine it was very frightening for him. It’s hard to comprehend what it must be like to spend six years in a home, then suddenly you’re in a strange place, in pain, and you can’t even see your surroundings. I’m thankful that he received so much love from the volunteers and other visitors while he was there. He’s a very social dog and I know that must have been a big comfort for him.
With so many dogs at the League, what made you think he was the one to bring home? I am a sucker for special needs dogs. I’ve only ever had rescue pets, but I always find myself really drawn to the ones that are going to need extra love. I keep telling myself that my next dog will be an “easy” one, but it somehow never happens.
How old is he? Elmer is only 6, so we should have many years left together!
What breed? He’s a chocolate cocker spaniel. Technically he’s tri-color, he has a tiny spots of light brown on his face, but he’s 99% dark brown and white.
What happened to his eyes?/How did he come to the League? The only information I have is what was included in his adoption papers and what I’ve learned from other volunteers through the Facebook page, but apparently he was dropped off at a shelter in Northeastern Colorado with two very painful eyes and a mouthful of dental disease. The shelter there didn’t have the resources to help him, and so DFL (wonderful, amazing DFL!) took him in. He was already completely blind, so removing the eyes was the right choice. Over the course of two days he had both eyes removed, all but seven teeth pulled, and was neutered. A rough two days, but once he healed I’m sure he felt so much better.
How did he cope with a new environment when you brought him home? He was very anxious, which of course made sense. By the second day he had started to settle in a little bit, and was “mapping” out the house and yard. But he still seemed overly anxious, which was upsetting for me. I wanted him to be relaxed and happy! We had a vet appointment to have the sutures removed from his face that next week, so I talked to my vet and we put him on some mild anti-anxiety medication to help him adjust. It made a huge difference! He still has moments of acute anxiety where he starts to circle, but they’re pretty rare- and it’s easy to redirect his attention and snap him out of it. For the most part he’s a chill little dude.
He now has the first floor and the yard mapped so well that sometimes you forget he’s blind. He’s in and out of that doggy door like he can actually see it! We’re currently working on the stairs and the upstairs. He’s ADORABLE climbing the stairs. I taped bubble wrap over the carpet at the top of the stairs, so he can learn that when he feels that under his paws, there are stairs in front of him.
What routine have you developed? When I wake up in the morning Elmer is usually still snoring away on the couch. He goes CRAZY for food, so I try to prepare his bowl before he wakes up- otherwise he’s like a ping pong ball (literally) bouncing off the walls. He eats and then I immediately lure him outside (dry cheerios are his special “get busy” treat). We’re still working on housetraining. He’s very smart and I think he knows he’s supposed to go outside… but he’s a cocker spaniel and so sometimes he just goes wherever he feels like… which is usually the kitchen floor.
I have a “puppy cam” so I can keep an eye on the boys while I’m at work, and I know he spends a lot of time napping on the couch, but when it’s nice he’ll spend the whole day outside. I have a love seat and arm chairs outside that he jumps up in to nap in the sunshine. He seems to really love the sunshine on his face, even though he can no longer see it.
In the evenings after their dinner I like to give him ‘brain games’ where he works to get at his treats, or I let him go upstairs to do some ‘mapping’. Both of these keep him busy and tire him out. Snuggle time on the couch is a must- he curls up in my lap and snores. And he never begs for food, which is great because this is usually when I finally have time to eat.
How does he impact your life, and you, his? Elmer has had such an impact on me. He’s been through so much yet he’s still so sweet and loving. This is a lesson that pretty much every single dog can teach us, but I feel like Elmer has gone through a little more of the bad stuff. I try not to spend too much time thinking about how scared he was, or how much pain he was in. He’s happy now and that’s probably all that matters to him, so it should be all that matters to me as well. Working with him has also been a good reminder to me to be more patient, which is honestly something I’ve always struggled with.
And of course I hope my impact on his life has been nothing but positive. I think he’s happy, and I keep him well-fed and well-loved!
Where does he sleep? He sleeps in the living room with my other dog (who prefers to sleep downstairs or even outside). This is mostly because he’s not 100% housetrained yet, and also because I don’t want him navigating the stairs when I’m not there to keep an eye on him (my room is on the second floor). He jumps on and off the couch like a champ, and this way he’s really close to the doggy door too. Other than the stairs, he has free run of the house and yard at all times.
Do you have other pets, and how do they get along with Elmer? I have one other dog, Teddy. He’s a husky/yellow lab mix who also came from DFL (Spring 2016, his name was Cree and he came in with a group of retired sled dogs, if anyone remembers him). They get along fine, although they don’t interact much. Teddy grumbles at him sometimes when he’s asleep on the floor and Elmer comes along and bumps into him, but overall they get along. They eat together and share toys and treats nicely. Elmer is really more of a people-dog.
Is there any little story you’d like to relate about him? The night Elmer came home he had two little handmade blankets with him that a volunteer had gifted him. There was no name, just a note asking that the blankets be sent home with him when he was adopted. I’ve asked around but have never found out who made them. If anyone knows, Elmer and I would LOVE to send that kind person a thank you note! He loves his blankets, and snuggles with them on the couch.
Do you still foster dogs and how does Elmer get along with them?Do you only foster, say, puppies, or only older dogs? I haven’t had any foster pets since Elmer came, but I’m looking forward to introducing him to kittens this summer. He’s so gentle, I’m sure they’ll be climbing all over him in no time!
Ain’t he great? I am so so so lucky to have this little dude as part of my pack. He brings me so much happiness and love!!
In case you’re a new reader, these are posts where I share some of the yummy food I’ve been eating. Some lazy meals at home, some restaurant meals, some snacks. If it’s food, it qualifies!
Let’s start BIG: The Beyond Burger, enjoyed at the BurgerFi near my office. My little brother met me for lunch and we both had one. So good. I probably prefer the one at Whole Foods because it comes with Vegenaise and Chao vegan cheese, but this was still damn delicious. We also shared an order of fries- Salt n’ Vinegar!
Here’s an oldy-but-goody. My friend Jen and I went roller skating a while back (crazy, yes) and we had dinner at Swing Thai first, one of my favorite Thai (local chains) in Denver. I had the Tom Kha, a coconut milk and lemongrass soup made with tofu and big ol’ mushrooms. SO MUCH chili pepper in there, but really really delicious.
And because I love you guys and I know it’ll give you a laugh, here are some bonus pics from the skating- it was a mardi gras themed event, 21+, lots of alcohol and LOTS of fun.
Me + Jen:
Me + some random just to prove I was up and about on the skates! I was explaining to him the importance of something, as you can see from our expressions, LOL!
Okay, stop laughing at me. Back to the food!
I love Garbanzo and although I don’t eat there very often, when I do, I go big. The day after we got back from NYC I stopped in for a Portobello Plate with all the great sides: tabbouleh, hummus, tomato cucumber salad, seasoned rice, red cabbage, pickles and kalamata olives, and made my own pita sandwich at home. One half mostly rice and mushrooms and hummus, the other half mostly veggies.
ICE CREAM!
The other day I went grocery shopping and came home with mostly ice cream. #SorryNotSorry
I went with the new Peach Maple Pecan from So Delicious and the Caramel Almond Brittle from Ben & Jerry’s. Both were amazing and I can’t recommend them enough.
Here’s a salad I ate the other night. Totally basic, just chopped romaine, grape tomatoes and some croutons from Whole Foods, topped with a little Vegan Ranch from Follow Your Heart:
Here’s a sneak peak at a recipe I’m working on for THE BEST CHICK’N FAJITAS OF YOUR DAMN LIFE. I bought these leftovers to work- you’ve got lime-cilantro brown rice, soy curls and veggies cooked in a spicy fajita mix, black beans, cilantro, and homemade cashew sour cream. So freaking good. I can’t even tell you. I have one more portion in my freezer and I can’t wait till it comes up in rotation!
Speaking of the meals in my freezer, I love to meal prep on Sundays. I’ll make something with 4-6 servings, and portion them out individually. Sometimes its a soup, like my Chipotle and Sweet Potato Chowder, or my White Chick’n Chili. Or maybe it’s a pasta, like my Mexican Stuffed Shells with Kale, Beans and Corn. Regardless of what it is, I’ll leave a few portions in the fridge to eat for lunches that week, and the rest go in the freezer. THEN a couple of the previous meals come OUT of the freezer for the rest of my lunches. That way I never get tired of eating the same thing all week, but always have good, homemade meals on hand. I do something similar for dinners, but don’t freeze them. I’m more likely to choose a (smaller) pasta or potato dish that wouldn’t freeze as well, and it it all that week.
Here’s a shot from my meal prep this past weekend: Sriracha-Agave Baked Tofu with mashed taters and corn (because there were 2 bags of corn in my freezer for some reason. Also because I forgot to buy the broccoli I was planning to make). I had it for lunch on Tuesday, and I’ll have it again today. Monday I was at a conference, and yesterday and tomorrow I’m enjoying meals I prepped weeks ago. This system works really well for me.
These last two, well… let’s just say I eat at these two spots A LOT. The first is Shishkabob Grill (Grant and Colfax for you locals). It’s right up the block from my office and their Falafel Wrap is ridiculous. The light colored sauce you’re seeing is some sort of eggplant based sauce, and it’s vegan!
The other is, of course, Steven’s Snappin’ Dogs. My mom and I popped into the DEN location after our flight from NYC landed. We needed sustenance before the Lyft ride home. It was my mom’s first time trying it and SHE LOVED IT! I had my usual Chicago Veggie Dog and we shared an order of sweet tots.
OK that’s it for this round. I’ll be back soon with a Beet Burger recipe I think you’ll love, plus Part Two of my NYC trip!
Post brought to you in partnership with Nasoya. I was provided free product for review but the opinions are 100% mine!
I’m pretty sure all vegans everywhere know who Chloe Coscarellie (aka Chef Chloe) is. She wowed the world by winning Cupcake Wars with <gasp!> vegan cupcakes, and has gone on to build a delicious empire of cookbooks and successful restaurants. I was lucky enough to eat at one of her by CHLOE locations in NYC this month, so when I tell you she’s a genius, well, I know what I’m talking about.
So when I was approached by Nasoya, American’s #1 brand of tofu, about providing a review – I never even hesitated. Nasoya and Chloe FLAVOR have partnered to debunk the myth that vegan cooking is bland or less awesome in anyway. They’ve created a beautiful website with lots of tips and recipes on cooking delicious tofu-based recipes. You should check it out.
I was asked to create one of Chloe’s tofu recipes from the book, using Nasoya tofu, and let me tell you it was hard to narrow down the choices. At first I was going to make the Thai Red Curry Bowl. Then I was pretty sure that the Paneer Tikka Masala was the best choice. Or maybe the McVegan Breakfast Sandwich?
Finally, after much drool thought, I settled on the Vegan Ramen Bowl. What sold me? Well, it has coconut milk in the broth, and I’ve never had ramen with coconut milk in the broth, and it just sounded SO GOOD to me!
Spoiler alert: It was.
All of it was delicious. Crispy chunks of extra firm tofu cooked in hoisin sauce, tender mushrooms and bok choy, and that broth. That broth! Just a little creamy, just a little rich.
I used Nasoya Extra Firm Organic Tofu, which all my local stores carry (although you may have your own favorite among their many varieties), and all the other ingredients were easy to find as well. I had the noodles in my pantry from a trip to my favorite Asian market, but you could also just use the noodles from a package of regular ramen, and toss the seasoning packet.
I know there are a lot of cookbooks out there, but I honestly recommend this one. There are so many other recipes I’m excited to make, especially the Pistachio Ice Cream, the California Nachos, and the Avocado Peach Bruschetta.
Toppings: Thinly sliced scallions; sesame seeds; sriracha or chili-garlic sauce (if you like it spicy!)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water and return to the pot, off the heat.
Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the tofu and sear for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. Add more oil as needed if the pan looks dry. Add the hoisin sauce, then reduce the heat to low and turn the tofu to coat.
In a large saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the mushrooms and bok choy and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and the bok choy has wilted. Add the garlic, curry powder, and salt and cook for about 1 minute more, until fragrant. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and stir in the coconut milk. Add the cooked ramen noodles and stir until heated through.
Ladle the broth and noodles into bowls and top each serving with scallions, sesame seeds, and tofu. If you like a little heat, add a drizzle of sriracha or a dollop of chili-garlic sauce.
Notes
Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free noodles, gluten-free hoisin sauce, and gluten-free broth.
By Recipe used with permission from Chloe Flavor by Chloe Coscarelli
I was attending a conference for work in NYC earlier this month, and my mom decided to join me. Free (really nice) hotel room in Times Square, so why not, right? The conference activities didn’t begin until Sunday evening, but we flew in on Friday to enjoy ~48 hours of touristy fun beforehand. I have TONS to share so I’m splitting this into two posts.
*FRIDAY*
We left Denver early Friday morning. I called an Uber for mom to my place (I live a bit closer to the airport), where of course I wasn’t ready yet. While I rushed around finishing up, she kindly did my dishes and cleaned up a roll of paper towels Teddy had shredded in the yard. #BestMomEver! Then we jumped in a Lyft and headed to DEN! Coffee and a snack, and soon we were on the plane, on our way!
We were spending our first night at a small hotel in Hell’s Kitchen, and when we landed at La Guardia we made our (loooong) way there. We checked in, dropped out bags in our room, and then headed out immediately. We were SO EXCITED to see the sights and eat all the vegan foods. We’ve both been to NY before, but it has been a while, especially for me. I actually used to date a guy who played for the Knicks, sooo… #TrueStory
We walked to the nearest subway station, purchased our one week unlimited passes, and headed downtown. We wanted to visit the WTC, especially the new tower and see the amazing views! We were pretty hungry by that time, a combination of the time change and having skipped lunch, but we couldn’t find anywhere good to stop for HH down there using the Yelp and Happy Cow apps on my phone. We wanted food and drinks, and not in some fancy steakhouse, you know? We finally ended up at Five & Dime where we each had a Woolworth Hot Toddy (we were in the Woolworth building, hence the name of the bar and the cocktail). It was made with Cognac, Walnut Liqueur, Rosemary honey, and lemon. So yah, oops about the honey but honestly that’s not something I worry about. The bar itself was way nice, very art deco and I felt rather like I was in an episode of Mad Med.
They didn’t have much in the way of food, but we ordered a cheese plate that came with olives and nuts and bread. Mom ate the cheese, and we shared the rest (Mom is pretty much vegetarian). They had this fig jam spread that was delicious, but I didn’t take any pictures of the food.
Sufficiently warmed, we made out way to WTC and up the 102 stories to the observation deck of One World Observatory. Have you guys heard about the elevator that takes you up there? 102 stories in 47 seconds, which by itself is amazing. But beyond that the video you watch on your way up makes it even better. It’s 500 years compressed into 47 seconds, showing you a digital view of what you would’ve seen from that elevator as you move through time. It’s truly amazing, and luckily we can all watch it over and over again:
When we purchased our tickets on the main floor, we added in a drink voucher for $6 each- which proved wise, as the drinks were more than double that price upstairs. We spent the next hour or two just walking around with our mouths open, admiring the view and trying to take it all in. It’s the highest building in the Western Hemisphere (we were told again and again) which is kind of hard to wrap your mind around.
This picture was taken facing north, towards Midtown. It was a beautiful day, although cold. When we had finished our drinks had enough of the view we headed down. It was really cold and windy out but we braved it for a few more minutes so we could visit the memorial pools. Being there, where so many people died and remembering a day with so much anguish and fear was difficult. I can’t even imagine what it was like being a New Yorker that day. We decided to forgo the museum itself because there was a long line, and also because we didn’t want to start feeling any sadder than we already were. But the pools were amazing.
We had dinner reservations at Urban Vegan Kitchen which I was REALLY excited about, and we headed there next. It was a short train ride and then a brisk walk.
We were about an hour early for our reservation but luckily only had to wait 20 or so minutes for a table, so we ordered drinks and waited patiently.
Isn’t my mom adorable? She’s so urban 🙂
It was really dark in there so my food pics didn’t come out well enough to share, but I’m going to describe them to you because they were AMAZING! We chose three small plates to share, and the first was Brussels Sprouts that were oven roasted with maple syrup and whole grain mustard. They were cooked perfectly and just a tad sweet with the maple flavor. Loved them.
Next we had Buffalo Seitan which came with a very flavorful vegan ranch sauce and some raw veggies. They were tasty but very hot. Mom loved them but they made me sweat a little.
Lastly we split the Mac n’ Cheese which was really good too. Cashew cheese sauce, numu mozzarella, elbow macaroni, smoked paprika, and herbed bread crumb topping. We were too full for dessert, but I would’ve loved to eat there again!
After dinner we headed back to our hotel and crashed. Mom is a bit of a nervous traveler so hadn’t slept well the night before, and she was exhausted. Me? I was so full I couldn’t think and was happy to collapse into bed with a book.
*SATURDAY*
Our first goal of the day was to walk our suitcases over to the Marriott Marquis hotel on Broadway where we were staying for the rest of our trip, and then COFFEE! It was a nice brisk walk which woke me up. And luckily we were able to check in even though it was so early, so we dropped our bags in our room (with our fabulous view of Times Square), hit the Starbucks, and headed back outside. We decided on brunch at by CHLOE, the location at Rock Center, and even though we had to fight barricaded side streets and gazillions of drunken people on their way to the parade (it was St. Paddy’s day), it was so worth it. I wasn’t really sure what to expect but OMG it was great- both the design and the food.
Once again we shared, this time The Sunrise, a burrito with scrambled tofu, spicy seitan chorizo, black bean salsa, avocado and tofu crema in a whole wheat tortilla, and the Spicy Thai Salad, with shredded kale, chopped romaine, apricot-sriracha glazed tempeh, almonds, quinoa, edamame, scallion and crispy wontons with the best peanut dressing ever.
I had sworn not to order any salads on this trip, but this one was very much worth breaking my own rule. The tempeh was so flavorful and the peanut dressing was incredible. I wish Chloe would jar and sell it. I also wish she’d open a location in Denver! The breakfast burrito was really good too- just a little spicy, just the way I like it. Especially the chorizo, it had a great bite!
Fully sated, we headed back down to the subway and headed north to the American Museum of Natural History, a place I’ve always wanted to visit. We spent five or six hours there and were exhausted by the time we left, but it was everything I dreamed it would be.
We started with Dinos. Here’s an actual T-Rex skull, the first full skull ever collected:
It was in a glass case of course, but still… mind-boggling to be so close to something that is millions of years old!
Here’s the whole T-Rex. This one was just a cast, not the actual bones, but still incredible.
All the prehistoric skeletons were really cool of course, but I have a special love for sea turtles so of course I had to make kissy faces with this guy:
The Asian elephants exhibit was both sad and beautiful, and made me VERY nostalgic for my trip to the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand…
These big horned sheep were of especial interest to us because we’re pretty sure the guy to the right with the biggest horns was discovered by my ex-husband when he used to work on Fort Carson. We know when he found it, it was a record-breaker and was exhibited at the AMNH, but not sure if it still is… so we’re just going to assume it’s this one 😉
The exhibits were amazing. Sad to see dead animals of course, but like zoos, I believe museums like this are an important tool in educating people about conservation. I know not everyone feels this way, but.
Okay, back to food!
I knew we were fairly close the the Candle Cafe West so we decided to have dinner there. It was cold out, but sunny, so it was a nice walk through the UWS which of course seemed so peaceful to us after the drunken madness of Times Square earlier.
We wanted a drink before dinner, and we happened to pass by a cute bar called Prohibition so we popped in there.
I don’t remember what it was called but it had apple pie whiskey and that cinnamon stick- it really warmed me up. My mom had another hot toddy, and then we walked the rest of the way to Candle.
We really struggled with the menu- there were so many dishes we wanted to try! Once again we chose three items and shared them all.
The Candle Nachos with chili grilled seitan, tapioca cheese, chili, guacamole, pico de gallo and tofu sour cream were delicious! They were also the first vegan nachos my mom has ever had, and so the bar is now set quite high for her. Lots of messy, gooey, tastiness.
More Brussels Sprouts! This time topped with almond cheese. SO GOOD.
Our third choice was the Fall Vegetable Ravioli, with sauteed spinach, roasted garlic tomato sauce and cashew parm.
The ravioli were decadent and delicious. The whole meal was amazing. I was very sorry to see it end! But… spoiler alert… we also got to eat at Candle Cafe East, so our adventures weren’t done yet!
Roasting butternut squash is such a wintry thing to do, but for some reason I really hadn’t done it at all this season. Now, as we move closer and closer to spring, it has started to appeal to me more. No idea why, because I really do love a good b-nut, especially in mac n’ cheese. And in lasagna. And in tofu-rice bowls. And on pizza.
Currently though, my favorite way to enjoy a freshly roasted butternut squash is mixed in with a jar of red sauce to create a Semi-Homemade Butternut Red Sauce!
This is a delicious-yet-easy way to elevate a jar of sauce and incidentally to stretch it out a bit! You know how one jar of sauce is never enough for one box of pasta? Well, add in some butternut and it is. Magic!
A little fresh basil, some of your favorite spices… suddenly that jar of sauce from your pantry is starting to taste a lot more homemade. Don’t worry, I wont tell anyone!
The “recipe” is really just intuitive cooking. I shared mine below as a starting point, but add what you like!
Butternut Red Sauce
2018-03-09 08:17:24
A delicious semi-homemade take on jarred red sauce.
Olive oil (I used 'butter flavor' but any will do)
Salt + pepper
1 jar of your favorite red sauce (My personal fave is Newman's Own Tomato & Basil)
Fresh basil
Oregano, garlic, crushed red pepper to taste
All of your other favorite seasonings!
1 box pasta, cooked per package instructions
Instructions
Slice the butternut in half lengthwise, lay cut sides up on baking sheet. Puncture each half 4-5 times with fork tines. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Begin heating the sauce over low heat.
Remove the seeds and discard. Scrape the remaining squash out, avoiding the skin. Add to the sauce along with your favorite seasonings, and serve over hot pasta.
Notes
This makes enough for an entire 8-9 serving size box of pasta.
I just spent a long weekend in the suburbs of Houston visiting my step-bro Jamie and his family. They used to live here in Denver but they moved back to TX a few years ago for his job, which gave me the sadz.
Friday was a travel day which started with me arriving early at DEN for my flight. I always try to take the bus or train to the airport to save $ on parking but that generally results in getting there too early. But that’s okay, because I always travel with books and there are always bars open 😉
I enjoyed a spicy bloody mary while reading The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. OMG that book. Everyone should read it.
We landed at IAH nearly 20 minutes early so I had time to grab some coffee and a snack while waiting for Jamie to pick me up. I’ve talked about Cibo Express before- they’re often a fantastic vegan option at airports, with lots of good options. This was The Nicest Cibo I’ve ever been in- they had a full coffee bar with Nitro cold brew on tap, and they even had Primal vegan jerky! I chose the Texas BBQ flavor for obvious reasons, but there were 3-4 flavors total. They also had a peanut butter, jelly + granola sandwich that looked good, but I wasn’t that hungry. Tons of vegan snacks as well.
I didn’t take too many pics once I was there, I was too focused on hanging out with Jamie and Kathy and the kids. Here’s a good shot of me and Jamers kicking it at the bar (because kids are allowed in bars in Texas, apparently). He’s being a teenager and had to make a funny face of course.
He’s going to be turning 14 soon and his parents decided he’s now old enough to fly alone, so he’s coming to Denver this summer to visit his Auntie Barb! Yay!
Here’s a shot of me with all the kids. We were trying to recreate a shot taken the night before they left CO for good, but I can’t find a copy of that one… And OMG I look old and tired in this picture but I swear it’s just because I was, well, tired. I was sharing a twin bed all weekend with Gaby and the dog, haha!
There was also lots of food! Jamie made smoked bbq tofu for me the first night, but I failed to photograph it… I did however get a shot from Sunday night dinner, which was a portabello burger (marinated in a bunch of spicy stuff and also smoked a little), along with grilled corn and boiled taters:
Earlier that day we went out for brunch. I had house-made granola and fresh berries, plus an English muffin with avocado. And two mimosas. There was also this jarred sauce on the table, some kind of green chile/tomatillo/garlic amazingness that I put all over the the avocado muffin. SO GOOD. I need to get them to mail me a bottle.
My flight was supposed to leave fairly early on Monday (thanks again for the ride Kathy!) BUT there was insane wind in Denver so it kept getting pushed back. I didn’t mind too much though because the United Club was right by my gate, so I took the opportunity to read some more (Snowblind by Christopher Golden), eat some fruit and bagels, and drink some white wine….
And that was it. I miss them all so much, but I’m glad to be back at home snuggled in with my dogs of course!
Oh, the other thing we did that was super fun? We all huddled near the finish line while Kathy finished her third full marathon! That woman is #goals and it really made me want to start running again. Or at least work on my fitness. We’ll see!
Okay, after this post I will be officially caught up on rando food pics. For now. Let’s start with some snacks, shall we?
First up: Skinny Pop White Cheddar popcorn and off-brand cuties!
Yes, in case you’re wondering, Skinny pop white cheddar IS vegan, and it IS delicious. They also make a microwave popcorn, butter flavored, that is vegan. And it pops up in a box! I keep some in my office at work, for unexpectedly hangry situations.
Another snack I’ve been enjoying is Kite Hill yogurt and Bakery on Main granola:
The granola, which is GF, is cranberry maple almond and is very tasty. The yogurt (part of my Kite Hill kick which included Jalapeno Cream Cheese Breakfast Burritos and Spaghetti Pie) was also fantastic, some of the very best yogurt I’ve had, vegan or otherwise.
I went out to happy hour at The District last month with my friend Eric. I didn’t realize it at the time but it was a sort of last hurrah for me, because I woke up the next morning with the flu. At least I got to enjoy this glass of champagne first… plus a second one, because it was HH and the second glass was only $1.
I really want to go back and check out their food- I saw Vegan Lasagna on their menu!
Then fast forward a week or so while I was stuck at home sick as a dog… My first day back at work I attended a workshop held at the Mile High United Way that was catered by Work Options for Women which is this amazing program that helps women learn culinary, job-readiness and life skills. They cater and they also run the Cafe there at the United Way. Very cool program. Similar to Comal which you may have seen on Top Chef, which is set in Colorado this season. Their menu is super vegan-friendly, and my lunch consisted of house-made hummus, crackers, olives, some raw veggies, and a few grapes. I tried to keep it light as I had only recently started eating again.
These next few make it seem like I eat lunch out with friends all the time, but I swear I bring my lunch to work almost everyday… First up is a Green’ GoSushi Burrito from Komotodo stuffed full of fried tofu, portobello mushroom fries, avocado, wakamo Japanese salad, pickled red cabbage, English cucumber and sweet corn:
I went with my friend Jen and she doesn’t even like sushi (or sushi flavors) but she’s a good sport 😉 It was really good though. I’ve had it before, but I always forget how much I like it. It’s got all the sushi flavors but it’s more fun to eat because it’s wrapped up like a burrito. Komotodo serves beer and wine, but we were there at lunch so we abstained.
This was a quick lunch with my mom from the salad bar at Whole Foods: Two roast potatoes (both small, one sweet), a baby kale salad topped with beets, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, sesame sticks and a little balsamic, and this weird “cauliflower power salad” that I thought was going to be a really vinegar-y coleslaw but was just dry and bland af. Boo.
My friend Cindy and I had lunch at Subculture where I had my absolute favorite, the Bangkok made with tempeh, sweet chili sauce, pickles, romaine carrots and vegenaise. I’ve re-imagined this sammie twice on the blog, once as a salad and once as a tacos, in case you’re interested.
Then my friend Chelsea and I had lunch at Phonatic, another favorite spot (and one you’ve seen a lot of on these sharing posts). This time I went for the Tofu Noodle Bowl:
The noodle bowl doesn’t has as many veggies at the pho, but I feel like it has more tofu. This isn’t scientific, just my gut feeling.
This next one is SHOCKING I know (haha not really because I always eat here), but my BFF Eric and I hit up Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs and I went with my usual Chicago-Style Veggie Dog and sweet tots.
Oooh these next two are fun! Two weekends ago mom and I spent the day in Boulder for her birthday. A girls day, with brunch and booze and shopping! We started at Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant for brunch and I had the VeganFrench Toast made with banana bread pudding, Boulder breakfast tea anglaise, and seasonal berries. Bread pudding instead of plain old bread is ingenious and decadent, and ohhh the fresh fruit. It was sweet but not too sweet. It was kind of perfect, actually.
My mom had the Vegan “Egg” Sandwich and a side of the Curried Cauliflower Cream Soup:
She shared and it was delicious too. The sandwich was fried tofu (definitely seasoned with Kala Namak, the Himalayan black salt that tastes like egg), vegan sausage, avocado, tomato, Vegenaise (also with a hint of the salt- it tasted like yolk almost), Daiya cheese and mixed greens. The soup was incredibly creamy and tasty.
And finally, I attended a workshop down in Colorado Springs not too long ago, and lunch was on our own. I ventured over to the Willamette Market & Deli because I had heard it’s very vegan friendly. I used to live in the Springs, and our first house was on Willamette, just a block or so from the market. Back then it was a dark, outdated little place with probably no vegan options (not that I was even vegan back then anyway) but it was fun to drive by the old house. Also, here’s an interesting tidbit: There a guy I work with in my current office (in Denver). He used to live in the Springs also and we realized that we had only lived a block or two apart from each other, both on Willamette! It truly is a small world.
So I way over ordered (because I couldn’t decide on just one thing) but that was okay. I had a book and sat there taking my time. It’s a cute space and quite friendly and relaxing. I had the Garlic Parmesan Fries and the BLT and both were very good- although I swear I didn’t finish it all!
Well hello there!
I'm Barb and I love creating delicious vegan recipes, so whether you're a new vegan, an "old" vegan, or just interested in adding more plant-based dishes to your life, you've come to the right place!
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