Vegan MoFo Sonoma Salad for Mia

My girl visited me from college this past weekend, and I wanted to make one of her favorites for her to take back to her dorm. She loves Sonoma Salads (originally from a Happy Herbivore recipe). It is colorful and healthy, and easy to eat as a meal, or as a forkfull or two straight out of the fridge between classes.

First, I prep the tofu. I cube it, and simmer in a cup of vegan chicken broth on the stove for 20-30 minutes. After the tofu is infused with flavor, I pull it off the stove and let it cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, I chop. Celery, and two kinds of grapes (I like black & red seedless- just for color, but if you only had access to green, that would be fine, too.) About a cup -1.5 each. As you like.

Then I mix in a large spoonful of vegan mayo, and sprinkle in some dried dill, and stir all the ingredients together. I like serving this salad over a handful of spinach, or stuffed into a pita pocket.

Letting it sit over night really melds all the flavors together, so it is one of those neat dishes that is almost better as leftovers!

Mia and I each had a bowl for lunch, then she took the rest with her back to college!

Enjoy!

Vegan MoFo plan Sept 29 - Oct 5

And here we are, at the end of September!

The month of Vegan MoFo blog posts is nearly done. Part of me is relieved, because writing 30 posts in 30 days is tough work, but part of me is also a little sad that we won't have these daily monents any more.

This week is not near as hectic as last, whew!  But since it is October, I am starting to see my calendar fill up! This upcoming weekend we've got some fun adventures planned, and I am itching to visit a pumpkin farm/ corn maze/ apple orchard!

Monday

Run

Baked potatoes and spinach garlic tofu topping

Tuesday

Abs & arms

Yoga

Vegan fettucini alfredo

Wednesday

Run

TBD

Thursday

Abs & arms

Swim

Bhangra

Leftovers

Friday

Run

Out

Saturday

Mini vegan pot pies

Sunday

Sweet potato and olive pizza

This last week I tried a new frozen Daiya pizza, with multiple vegan cheeses and a gluten-free crust.

This kind of meal is good to have around for an impromptu pizza craving, although I always find that these pre-packaged things are higher in calories and not as healthy.

I like daiya cheeses, but more and more, I find I don't use vegan cheese substitutes as much. It is strange, because that is what I thought I would miss the most as a vegan.

In all honesty, though, I don't think I miss any non-vegan foods! I love what I eat!

Plan October 5 - 11 vegan oktoberfest & reflections on Vegan MoFo

This week I'll be attempting some traditionally German recipies, vegan style. I spent many years growing up in Germany. Back then, I was vegetarian, and I remember how difficult food was sometimes! My staple meal going out was "kasebröt" (cheese bread), which was boring, but food. Now, I understand Germany has a very popular vegan community! There are several vegan restaurants there, as well as vegan delis, where you can buy vegan "meat" that is fresh! Cool! I'd like to get back to Germany one day. I have many fond memories of my childhood there. This week, I will have to settle for some filling vegan Oktoberfest food...

Monday
Run
German Lentil Soup (HHA)

Tuesday
Abs & Arms
Swim
Yoga
Spicy Mustard chickpeas (HHA)

Wednesday
Run
Bavarian Onion Soup (HHA)
Pretzels

Thursday
Abs & Arms
Swim
Bhangra
Leftovers

Friday
Run
German Potato Salad & vegan sausages

Saturday
Out

Sunday
TBD

Well, Vegan MoFo is over. Part of me missed it, but most of me is tired. 30 posts in 30 days, with pictures and new ideas, and making sure my kitchen was clean enough to take food photos in was exhausting.

At the end of the month, two other bloggers gave me Liebster awards, which I haven't had the time to respond to yet, but I was pretty flattered. My posts got a lot of traffic, which was exciting, and I got some nice feedback. Some of my posts were even referenced by other sites!

So what now? Well, I will be stepping back from the blogging for a bit. I still plan on posting the weekly meal plans, but do not have any other regular posts planned for a bit. I'd like to tell you about the books I'm reading, or events I attend, but we will see. No promises. (Other than a book post tomorrow,  that is already in the works).

I will continue to post pictures to Instagram, that's a quick and easy venue for sharing. If you don't know, my IG name is @zuzubeat.

Other than that, thank you all for indulging my many posts during September's Vegan MoFo!

Vegan MoFo Vegan Eating Out: Naked Lunch, Amsterdam Falafelshop

I was super excited to receive a special invitation to the secret soft opening of Native Foods in DC. I've eaten at Native Foods before in Boulder, CO, and really love this vegan cafe. There are multiple locations opening in DC this fall. The location on Conn. Ave NW is slated to officially open on the 30th, and another at Navy Memorial in mid-October.

When we arrived, however, there was a line out the door. It didn't look like we'd be able to eat there and make it to the club we were going to in time, so we didn't go in. The manager, though, did hook us up with gift cards to use the next time we came back.

We ended up eating at Amsterdam Falafelshop on 14th near the club. Everything here is at least vegetarian (some of the sauces have dairy). This restaurant has a number of locations in the DC area, most of which are located near bars and other late-night venues. They also have a good sense of humor about themselves. For instance, there's a sign next to the order counter instructing customers how to order a falafel bowl: "Say:'I want a bowl with ____ balls' " and underneath, there is an arrow pointing to the blank that says "This is a number, NOT an adjective!"

I ordered a small falafel (3 balls), a small pommes frites, and a Heineken. You add your own toppings to your falafel. I chose beets, cabbage, hummus, pickled cauliflower, and cucumber salad.

Ohhhh, curry ketchup. You glorious condiment, you.

Mia and I were hungry, especially after having ridden 9 miles on our bicycles and walked over a mile in DC. Poor girl got some blisters from her shoes, too.

It was so much fun having my girl home for the weekend! I've missed her!

We did make it to the Black Cat on time! And saw Pomplamoose! They put on a great show! Nataly was adorable and so talented,  and Jack I'm convinced is both a musical genius and a muppet!

Vegan MoFo Spaghetti and Neat balls

So, I planned this meal knowing I already had all the ingredients in my pantry, just in case I wasn't able to get to the store as I usually do on Mondays. Good thing I did, because sometimes an expensive grocery run is just not in the budget, and these types of dinners become fiscally responsible.

I received the package of Neat in a vegancuts box earlier this summer, and hadn't gotten around to trying it yet. It is a powder that you mix liquids into to make a substitute for ground beef.

I followed the instructions for making patties or burgers, which were to add two eggs (or egg substitute). Good thing I keep some Ener-G egg replacer on hand. I mixed up two "eggs" worth.

I did think it was odd that Neat would label itself as being vegan, but not offer suggestions for an egg substitute.

After mixing, I found this mix to still be really dry, so I added a tablespoon more of water.

Later, when we ate these, they still seemed dry. My husband compared their consistency to a cracker. The taste was decent (not very meaty at all, more like a falafel), but if I were to make these again, I'd use more liquid, or sub in soft tofu instead.

I pan fried these into meatballs, and also made spaghetti, green beans, and simmered my own marinara sauce for about 20 minutes (one can tomato sauce, one can tomato paste, one can diced tomatoes, Italian seasonings, basil, and rosemary).

I remember growing up, we always seemed to have green beans with our spaghetti, I'm not sure if there was a reason for that, but now, I still like the two paired together. I layer them all in the same bowl: noodles, neat balls, sauce, beans, and sprinkle a little garlic powder over everything.

A nice, cheap, easy vegan meal..

Enjoy!

Vegan MoFo Chana Dal Chowder

Oh, man this soup is so good, I want to run away with it.

Chana Dal is like cooking lentils or split peas, not as time consuming as dried beans. Super easy.

I pre-cooked the chana dal for about 20 minutes in water, then added vegetable broth.

Once that was going, I used a whisk to mix in about a fourth of a cup of flour.

In a skillet, I cooked an onion, potato, and red onion, all diced, with just a smidgen of water and some curry powder.

Once the onions started to become translucent, and the potatoes had crisped a bit, I mixed the veggies into the soup, added a few tablespoons of almond milk and let it simmer on the stove until it smelled so good I couldn't take it.

This soup is so warm and lovely! Slightly spicy, and filling.

Vegan MoFo batching it up with a solo chickpea sammie

Tuesdays and Thursdays in my house are tricky enough normally, with afternoon and evening activities on my part that include tutoring, Bhangra dance class, Yin Yoga class, and choir rehearsal. Sometimes, Rob and I catch some dinner together, other evenings we each eat when we get home. This past week, in addition to the normal craziness, I also threw in a few doctors appointments and missed lunch, so I was ready for some comfort food when I got home.

I made a chickpea salad for a warm sandwich by mashing up a can of chickpeas, adding some chives, chopped celery, veganaise, and lavender salt.

I slso noticed that Rob had some frozen fries in the freezer! I popped those in the skillet to cook while I finished making my salad.

Once the fries were done, I layered some daiya cheddar on a tortillia, added spinach, half the salad, and some sliced tomato.

Using the second half of the salad, I repeated this process for lunch the next day. This sandwich is good warm or cold.

This dinner was perfect, although it may have been a little more filling than I prefer before yoga class!

Vegan MoFo savory lazy breakfast

This last Sunday, I had the house to myself, a nice sleep-in, and some baked sweet potatoes in the fridge. 

I decided to make myself some savory sweet potato pancakes.

First I mashed up the sweet potato, and mixed in 1/4 c. flour, 1/2 c. almond milk, and a teaspoon of flax meal and onion powder.

I cooked these cakes up on a skillet in coconut oil, it made 12, enough for leftovers!

I topped these with mushroom gravy and chives, served with a hunk of cornbread from Sweet & Natural, and a side of organic hazelnut coffee.

Since I had two sweet potatoes, I fed the other one to the dogs with their kibble and a bit of veggie broth.

Plan Sept 22-28

Ah, we're drawing to a close here in September with the MoFo! I'm actually a little sad....

This week, I'm again busy busy. Two interviews on Monday, two doctors appointments on Tuesday, a dog to the groomer, a vet visit, and Mia's coming home on the weekend, all of this on top of my normal schedule!

I tried to plan food so that if I missed going to the grocery on Monday, it would be OK. Now, I'm writing this ahead of time, and I'm going to the DCVegFest this weekend, so I may totally change my mind based on what I see and eat there.  That's OK too.

Monday
Run
Spaghetti and "Neat" balls

Tuesday
Abs
Yoga
Chickpea Salad sandwiches

Wednesday
Run
Phyllo pockets wi/ veggies and such

Thursday
Abs
Swim
Bhangra
Leftovers day

Friday
Run
Vegan Pizza

Saturday
Abs
Tofu, Rice & Veggies
Pomplamoose

Sunday
Walk
Sonoma Salad

Vegans at the Ren Faire!

The local Renaissance fair is a tradition for us- we love going in the fall, seeing the shows, eating the food, and mostly just being silly.

The Ren Faire is a time to dress up. This year, I went crazy with a cape and my steampunk goggles. I'm testing out some options for my upcoming Halloween costume. You see folks in all kinds of weird get ups at the fair- zaniness is encouraged.

I noticed that they'd hired one of my favorite characters (a guy who looks like Johnny Depp) to sell flowers! And Rob was very sweet and bought me one from him.

The rain didn't stop us from seeing the shows- one of my favorites was an acrobatics show called Barely Balanced with flips and twists and a little bawdy humor.

We made some new friends at the White Stag.

Mia looked stunning in her period- appropriate costume! Ryan and Rob chose jeans and t-shirts.

My other favorite show was a spin on Cosmos, but told from a 1500's point of view. The little boys up front took it all in great humor.

Since it was rainy and a little chilly, there was no line at the henna tent!

Oh, Yeah, food! The Ren Faire is pretty heavy with "Steak on a steak" kind of meat stuff, but there are multiple vegan options that I'm able to enjoy and look forward to each year.

At the wine garden, the wine/cider mix is lovely!

My favorite lunch at the Ren Faire is the Falafel sandwich. Their Tahini dressing is vegan, but the other one is not. I like being able to have some green veggies on my sandwich here, when much of the food is brown and greasy.

Later, we got some fried green beans with a spicy mustard sauce for dipping.

Also at the fair are fruit stands, there is a veggie wrap, the corn on the cob is vegan as long as you request no butter. The spiral cut potatoes, and sweet potato fries are also tasty.

Huzzah!

Vegan MoFo DCVegFest!

September 20 was the 2014 DC Vegfest! I spent my morning with the Nebraskan Korea War veterans, and after they left for the airport, I headed down to Yards Park, and enjoyed my afternoon there. This festival has grown exponentially over the last few years! The 2014 vegfest had thousands in attendance, and over 100 vendors.

I was carrying all of my things from my time with the veterans, so I didn't take many pictures at the event. Khepra, though, had a huge line of folks waiting for him to use his machette to open green coconuts!

Once I got home, I could snap a few to share.

I didn't pick up much literature and other swag, mostly because I'm already on the mailing list of many of these organizations, and I don't really need any convincing on the veg front, I am already a vegan!

I did pick up a number of coupons, and some cards of new businesses. 

Picked up some vegan treats for the pups! They LOVE Max & Ruffy's

Bakeshop is a new vegan bakery in Virginia. This got hot and squished in my bag, but apparently it is their biggest seller.

*I did eat this melted cookie the next day, it lives up to the hype! It  was an oreo coated in chocolate chip cookie! Decadent!*

Another new local company, 2 Armadillos, has oven roasted chickpea snacks.

I enjoyed speaking with the owner of this company, she donates half of her profits to local animal organizations, and the ingredient list is short and organic.

This gal is also in NOVA, and had 5 different natural moisturizers.

Eric, from Embitterment, shared these DC organic bitters. I bought a bottle of the aromatic bitters for Rob.

Craft Kombucha had a line 10-15 people long. I tried the hoppy lemon one, and bought the spicy pineapple. It took me a few days to drink all 32 oz, but was just as good on day 2 as day 1.

There are so many samples to try at the DCVegfest, that even though I want to buy and eat all the food from the vegan vendors, I'm generally too full to eat a full meal. I bought some foods, including the cookie above, to bring home for dinner, and lunch the next day.

I've eaten vegan pastries from Sweet & Natural before, but never been to their cafe in Mt. Ranier. I picked up lentil loaf, macaroni, collards, and cornbread. I ate the meal for dinner at home that night. I ended up mixing all three items together, and loved every bite. The cornbread was part of a fantastic breakfast.

I also stopped by Stefwich, a small, woman owned caterng company. I asked Stef herself what I should take home, and she thought I'd enjoy these tacos.

I ate them cold the next day for lunch, they were quite tasty. Stef used Beyond Meat for the filling in them, which I still had yet to taste. The tacos were very good, with just a little bite of spice and tartness, needed no reheating, and still held their form the next day. I am thinking of hiring her to cater my party in March!