Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 117
August 30, 2017
Stuff I Ate
I've been eating lots of fun meals in between my cookbook reviewing and product testing. Here's a handful of randomness.
Had some leftover whole grain spaghetti from a recent spaghetti night (more on that soon!), and I had some about-to-go-bad veggies that needed using, so I sauteed kale, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and bell peppers and tossed with cooked pasta, olive oil, hemp hearts, and nooch. Pasta Primavera!
And I had leftover mashed potatoes and gravy from our Buffalo Tofu Bowls (reviewed here). One night, I poured that gravy all over a Boca Chick'n Patty, Toasted Quinoa, Mashed Potatoes, & Kale for a quick dinner.
And on Monday, I finally finished the gravy off with some leftover Mexican-Spiced Lentils (from Frugal Vegan), Coconut Sour Cream (from an upcoming review of Bold Flavored Vegan Cooking), Mashed Potatoes, and Kale.
Here's a quick work-day lunch at home — Sauteed Veggie & Hummus Sandwich with airfried Alexia Yukon Gold Fries. I think the veggies were squash, mushrooms, and onions. Maybe?? Can't remember!
I'm back on the Dave's Bagels for breakfast. Been eating some of his Whole Wheat Bagels with vegan cream cheese and pepper jelly and some with hummus.
A quick pre-yoga snack of Good Karma Strawberry Flax Yogurt with Coconut Cashew Granola. I spy Maynard in the background!
A pre-5K bowl of Oats with with Blueberries & Nuttzo Peanut Pro Nut Butter. The oats were the Pacific steel cut oats that come already cooked and stored in an aseptic package. They were pre-seasoned with almond butter and flax, and they're so good.
Here's a post-run Lenny & Larry's protein cookie. Snickerdoodle! 16 grams of protein!
And finally, it wouldn't be a Stuff I Ate post without a FitQuick protein waffle. Here's a Double Chocolate Brownie Waffle with Maple & Blueberries, side of Lightlife Smart Bacon.
More coming at ya tomorrow!
Had some leftover whole grain spaghetti from a recent spaghetti night (more on that soon!), and I had some about-to-go-bad veggies that needed using, so I sauteed kale, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and bell peppers and tossed with cooked pasta, olive oil, hemp hearts, and nooch. Pasta Primavera!
And I had leftover mashed potatoes and gravy from our Buffalo Tofu Bowls (reviewed here). One night, I poured that gravy all over a Boca Chick'n Patty, Toasted Quinoa, Mashed Potatoes, & Kale for a quick dinner.
And on Monday, I finally finished the gravy off with some leftover Mexican-Spiced Lentils (from Frugal Vegan), Coconut Sour Cream (from an upcoming review of Bold Flavored Vegan Cooking), Mashed Potatoes, and Kale.
Here's a quick work-day lunch at home — Sauteed Veggie & Hummus Sandwich with airfried Alexia Yukon Gold Fries. I think the veggies were squash, mushrooms, and onions. Maybe?? Can't remember!
I'm back on the Dave's Bagels for breakfast. Been eating some of his Whole Wheat Bagels with vegan cream cheese and pepper jelly and some with hummus.
A quick pre-yoga snack of Good Karma Strawberry Flax Yogurt with Coconut Cashew Granola. I spy Maynard in the background!
A pre-5K bowl of Oats with with Blueberries & Nuttzo Peanut Pro Nut Butter. The oats were the Pacific steel cut oats that come already cooked and stored in an aseptic package. They were pre-seasoned with almond butter and flax, and they're so good.
Here's a post-run Lenny & Larry's protein cookie. Snickerdoodle! 16 grams of protein!
And finally, it wouldn't be a Stuff I Ate post without a FitQuick protein waffle. Here's a Double Chocolate Brownie Waffle with Maple & Blueberries, side of Lightlife Smart Bacon.
More coming at ya tomorrow!
August 29, 2017
Relax with Tart Cherry Juice
I've always been a sound sleeper who tends to crash the minute my head hits the pillow. But the older I get, the more sensitive I'm becoming to caffeine and other natural stimulants, like electronics or chocolate. If I'm not careful, I can easily take in caffeine too late or spend too much time on my phone before bed and have trouble falling asleep.
So I was eager to try Cheribundi's new Relax Tart Cherry Juice. This drink contains l-theanine (an amino acid that neutralizes the effects of caffeine) and valerian root (an herb that promotes sedation by increasing the brain's GABA levels).
I had this before bed the night before last. I was reading a book as I drank my juice, and I swear that by the time I'd reached the end of the bottle, I could feel a noticeable difference in my energy level. I was tired! Valerian root has always done the trick for me, so I wasn't terribly surprised.
Paul gave it a try too. He's always had a harder time falling asleep than I have, and he said he noticed it worked for him as well.
Last night, I decided to mix it up a bit by combining my Relax juice with my homemade kombucha for a Cherry-Booch Mocktail.
This was so good! It had the tartness of cherries with the tanginess of booch. And once again, it succeeded in making me very sleepy. Paul and I were watching TV as I enjoyed this mocktail last night, and I was starting to nod off on the couch.
To make the mocktail, simply combine four ounces of Relax Tart Cherry Juice with four ounces of any flavor kombucha. I made two of these so I could use the whole bottle of cherry juice for maximum effect.
So I was eager to try Cheribundi's new Relax Tart Cherry Juice. This drink contains l-theanine (an amino acid that neutralizes the effects of caffeine) and valerian root (an herb that promotes sedation by increasing the brain's GABA levels).
I had this before bed the night before last. I was reading a book as I drank my juice, and I swear that by the time I'd reached the end of the bottle, I could feel a noticeable difference in my energy level. I was tired! Valerian root has always done the trick for me, so I wasn't terribly surprised.
Paul gave it a try too. He's always had a harder time falling asleep than I have, and he said he noticed it worked for him as well.
Last night, I decided to mix it up a bit by combining my Relax juice with my homemade kombucha for a Cherry-Booch Mocktail.
This was so good! It had the tartness of cherries with the tanginess of booch. And once again, it succeeded in making me very sleepy. Paul and I were watching TV as I enjoyed this mocktail last night, and I was starting to nod off on the couch.
To make the mocktail, simply combine four ounces of Relax Tart Cherry Juice with four ounces of any flavor kombucha. I made two of these so I could use the whole bottle of cherry juice for maximum effect.
August 28, 2017
Mama Gaia's Second Location in Ballet Memphis!
Mama Gaia, a locally owned, all-organic, vegetarian restaurant, opened its first location in Crosstown Concourse back in the spring, and they've already expanded to a second location! That new location just opened for business this past weekend inside the new Ballet Memphis studio in Overton Square. Lucky for me, both locations are in Midtown, so no matter where I am in the neighborhood, there's always a Mama Gaia nearby.
They had their VIP opening party last Thursday, and Susan and I dropped by. The new space is situated in a state-of-art ballet center with super-modern architecture. Love all the natural light!
One major thing sets this new Mama Gaia apart from the Crosstown Concourse location — booze! This location stays open later, and it's located in the heart of Midtown's Overton Square entertainment district, so they serve organic cocktails, beers, and wines. At the opening party, I ordered the Crosstown Cooler (named after Mama Gaia's original location). This has 360 brand organic vodka, fresh-pressed organic cucumber juice, fresh organic lime juice, organic agave, and locally grown organic mint.
Susan got the Allegro also made with organic 360 vodka and organic OJ, lemon juice, berry puree, and agave.
They had bite-size samples of some of their dishes, like spoons of my very favorite menu item — the Asia Tofu. This sesame-crusted tofu is served in either a pita or on a salad with a vegan white sauce and Asian slaw. So good!
And they had small samples of the Copia Bowl with quinoa and roasted veggies. YUM.
There was also a giant vat of their amazing hummus. I could seriously just bathe in this stuff. It's so good.
Of course, they had dessert! These Carrot Cake Balls are made with dates and coconut, so they're super good for you even though they taste like a decadent dessert.
The menu at the new Ballet Memphis location is slightly different. Besides the addition of cocktails, they also have a few new items, like the quinoa dippers, a few new pita pizzas, and the Asia Bowl (with the above-mentioned tofu in a bowl - Crosstown location only has this as a salad or sandwich). There are also a few more pita sandwich options in Crosstown than at Ballet Memphis. Also, Ballet Memphis has a grab-and-go section.
One of the most exciting things I learned at that party last Thursday is that Mama Gaia has now added vegan cheese in both locations! You can get their petitzzas (pita pizzas) with vegan or dairy cheese now. Previously, they were only available with dairy cheese. I had to give this a try! So Paul and I stopped by Mama Gaia's new Ballet Memphis location (because booze!) for dinner tonight. I got the Copia Petitzza with vegan cheese, oven-roasted eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and leeks with olive-basil sauce and fresh basil.
I'm such a bread-aholic, and Mama Gaia has the best pita in town. That soft, fluffy pita is topped with a rich basil sauce and a generous portion of roasted veggies. The vegan cheese was perfect. So glad to be able to have this pizza form! I also love that the pita pizzas are smaller, so you can eat the whole thing AND a side and feel just right.
I also ordered some Quinoa Dippers with Red Sauce & Vegan Dijonaise on the side. This is a new menu item at Ballet Memphis, and they were so fun to eat. I love anything that involves a dip. Wish they'd add this to the menu in Crosstown!
Most importantly though, I was able to enjoy a glass of red wine with my meal. Today was National Red Wine Day after all!
I love both Mama Gaia locations, and it makes my heart so happy to see a vegetarian/vegan restaurant thriving and expanding in Memphis so quickly!
They had their VIP opening party last Thursday, and Susan and I dropped by. The new space is situated in a state-of-art ballet center with super-modern architecture. Love all the natural light!
One major thing sets this new Mama Gaia apart from the Crosstown Concourse location — booze! This location stays open later, and it's located in the heart of Midtown's Overton Square entertainment district, so they serve organic cocktails, beers, and wines. At the opening party, I ordered the Crosstown Cooler (named after Mama Gaia's original location). This has 360 brand organic vodka, fresh-pressed organic cucumber juice, fresh organic lime juice, organic agave, and locally grown organic mint.
Susan got the Allegro also made with organic 360 vodka and organic OJ, lemon juice, berry puree, and agave.
They had bite-size samples of some of their dishes, like spoons of my very favorite menu item — the Asia Tofu. This sesame-crusted tofu is served in either a pita or on a salad with a vegan white sauce and Asian slaw. So good!
And they had small samples of the Copia Bowl with quinoa and roasted veggies. YUM.
There was also a giant vat of their amazing hummus. I could seriously just bathe in this stuff. It's so good.
Of course, they had dessert! These Carrot Cake Balls are made with dates and coconut, so they're super good for you even though they taste like a decadent dessert.
The menu at the new Ballet Memphis location is slightly different. Besides the addition of cocktails, they also have a few new items, like the quinoa dippers, a few new pita pizzas, and the Asia Bowl (with the above-mentioned tofu in a bowl - Crosstown location only has this as a salad or sandwich). There are also a few more pita sandwich options in Crosstown than at Ballet Memphis. Also, Ballet Memphis has a grab-and-go section.
One of the most exciting things I learned at that party last Thursday is that Mama Gaia has now added vegan cheese in both locations! You can get their petitzzas (pita pizzas) with vegan or dairy cheese now. Previously, they were only available with dairy cheese. I had to give this a try! So Paul and I stopped by Mama Gaia's new Ballet Memphis location (because booze!) for dinner tonight. I got the Copia Petitzza with vegan cheese, oven-roasted eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and leeks with olive-basil sauce and fresh basil.
I'm such a bread-aholic, and Mama Gaia has the best pita in town. That soft, fluffy pita is topped with a rich basil sauce and a generous portion of roasted veggies. The vegan cheese was perfect. So glad to be able to have this pizza form! I also love that the pita pizzas are smaller, so you can eat the whole thing AND a side and feel just right.
I also ordered some Quinoa Dippers with Red Sauce & Vegan Dijonaise on the side. This is a new menu item at Ballet Memphis, and they were so fun to eat. I love anything that involves a dip. Wish they'd add this to the menu in Crosstown!
Most importantly though, I was able to enjoy a glass of red wine with my meal. Today was National Red Wine Day after all!
I love both Mama Gaia locations, and it makes my heart so happy to see a vegetarian/vegan restaurant thriving and expanding in Memphis so quickly!
August 27, 2017
Don & Kenzie's Housewarming Party!
This is Don and Kenzie. They just bought their first house, so this past Saturday, they had a housewarming party.
Don is an amazing cook, and his specialties are aged cashew cheeses, sourdough breads, and various fermented foods. I knew to save my appetite for what I expected to be an impressive appetizer spread, and I was right! We were greeted by a table packed with breads, cheeses, pickles, and various salads.
There were two kinds of cashew cheese — an herbed log of white cheese and some smoky cashew cheddar.
Plus, sourdough slices, purple hull pea dip, and pickles made from squash, cucumber, onion, peach, and purple cabbage.
Don used his sourdough to make tiny slider buns for these BBQ mushroom sliders.
And he used some sourdough in this fantastic panzanella salad.
There was also a yummy smoked eggplant dip, a buckwheat soba salad, and a fresh tomato-basil pasta salad.
I made a big ole plate! But I saved some room for dessert. Kristie, the owner of Imagine Vegan Cafe, brought one of her famous Oreo cakes. There's a layer of chocolate cake, a layer of buttercream, more chocolate cake, more buttercream, and a thick ganache. It's so very sweet, and I probably cut too large a slice. But I enjoyed every bite.
I was super-excited to finally meet Don and Kenzie's neighbor, Tim. He's a cute kid who lives across the street and spends much of his time hanging with Kenzie. I've heard lots of Tim stories, and he certainly lived up to his gregarious reputation. At one point, he put his hand on the shoulder of our British friend Simon and said, "Man, speak a little British for me." Simon informed Tim that Brits speak English, and Tim looked so disappointed. So, in his best British accent, Simon said, "Would you like a cup of tea?" And Tim's face lit up! Ha! He was so impressed. Later, he let me take a few selfies with him.
I was also stoked to finally meet Lulu. I'd only seen pics of her on Instagram. That underbite!
Here are Simon and Jennifer with Paul on the porch.
And here's Paul and I (and my giant cup of Ghost River from their keg).
Congrats on the new house, Don & Kenzie! And thanks for feeding bread and cheese.
Don is an amazing cook, and his specialties are aged cashew cheeses, sourdough breads, and various fermented foods. I knew to save my appetite for what I expected to be an impressive appetizer spread, and I was right! We were greeted by a table packed with breads, cheeses, pickles, and various salads.
There were two kinds of cashew cheese — an herbed log of white cheese and some smoky cashew cheddar.
Plus, sourdough slices, purple hull pea dip, and pickles made from squash, cucumber, onion, peach, and purple cabbage.
Don used his sourdough to make tiny slider buns for these BBQ mushroom sliders.
And he used some sourdough in this fantastic panzanella salad.
There was also a yummy smoked eggplant dip, a buckwheat soba salad, and a fresh tomato-basil pasta salad.
I made a big ole plate! But I saved some room for dessert. Kristie, the owner of Imagine Vegan Cafe, brought one of her famous Oreo cakes. There's a layer of chocolate cake, a layer of buttercream, more chocolate cake, more buttercream, and a thick ganache. It's so very sweet, and I probably cut too large a slice. But I enjoyed every bite.
I was super-excited to finally meet Don and Kenzie's neighbor, Tim. He's a cute kid who lives across the street and spends much of his time hanging with Kenzie. I've heard lots of Tim stories, and he certainly lived up to his gregarious reputation. At one point, he put his hand on the shoulder of our British friend Simon and said, "Man, speak a little British for me." Simon informed Tim that Brits speak English, and Tim looked so disappointed. So, in his best British accent, Simon said, "Would you like a cup of tea?" And Tim's face lit up! Ha! He was so impressed. Later, he let me take a few selfies with him.
I was also stoked to finally meet Lulu. I'd only seen pics of her on Instagram. That underbite!
Here are Simon and Jennifer with Paul on the porch.
And here's Paul and I (and my giant cup of Ghost River from their keg).
Congrats on the new house, Don & Kenzie! And thanks for feeding bread and cheese.
August 24, 2017
Bluff City Vegan Eats: Next Door American Eatery
I feel like Crosstown Concourse is just about the only thing I blog about these days, but it's where I work (and a few blocks from where I live) and so my little world pretty much revolves around this amazing one-million-square-foot vertical village of awesomeness. And maybe I'm biased (I do the social media for Concourse and Crosstown Arts), but it's the coolest thing happening in Memphis right now. You can read more about the Concourse project here.
But long story short, this formerly long-vacant Sears headquarters is being revitalized into an amazing hub of arts, education, healthcare, residential, and retail. New restaurants have been opening in the building almost every week lately with the latest opening — Next Door American Eatery — planed for this coming Tuesday.
Next Door is the casual sister restaurant to The Kitchen, restaurateur Kimbal Musk's chain that specializes in real food sourced from American farmers. We have a Kitchen restaurant in Shelby Farms out east, but I've never been there because it's so far out from where I live. I did, however, have the pleasure of visiting Next Door's soft opening twice today!
A co-worker and I met up with Next Door's marketing manager there for a working lunch. We started with a few appetizers, including these Garlic Smashers. These smashed fingerling potatoes normally come with parmesan and garlic butter, but they're happy to make them vegan. Just ask for "salt and pepper smashers" and request olive oil. Perfect with ketchup!
For my lunch entree, I ordered the Roasted Veggie Bowl. This was an explosion of magic in my mouth, y'all. Roasted cauliflower, broccolini, mushrooms, and red pepper top a bed of red quinoa. It's sprinkled with sunflower seeds and drizzled with cilantro tahini sauce. I will be ordering this again and again.
Next Door has a few clearly marked vegan options, and some of their vegetarian options can easily be made vegan if you ask the server to leave off the cheese or aioli. If you're looking at their online menu, you can even select "vegan" or "vegetarian," and it will only show you the options you can eat! How cool is that?
I went back to Next Door for dinner with Paul this evening. This time, we started with the Kale Chips. These are vegan by default. They're crispy, highly addictive, salty kale chips, and I probably ate about three-fourths of this plate on my own. Paul liked them (a big step for him!), but I'm the kale-aholic, so I could have finished this plate off.
But I knew I had to save room for dinner. I went with the Veggie Tacos. These aren't naturally vegan, but they're happy to leave the aioli sauce off the slaw as well as the crema topping. These tacos were stuffed with an olive oil cabbage slaw, mushrooms, corn, and pico. So light and delicious.
There's also a vegan roasted veggie salad, which can be served with added hummus. Plus, there's a hummus and flatbread appetizer, and the Thai butternut squash soup is vegan.
Next Door will soon have a full bar (waiting on a state license), but for now, they only serve beer. Thankfully, they have a nice selection of local brews. I had a Wiseacre Ananda IPA, and Paul went with the Memphis Made Fireside.
Their invite-only soft opening continues through the weekend, but Next Door will be open to the public on Tuesday, August 29! Next Door is located at 1350 Concourse Ave. (inside Crosstown Concourse, near the Central Atrium), Suite 165.
But long story short, this formerly long-vacant Sears headquarters is being revitalized into an amazing hub of arts, education, healthcare, residential, and retail. New restaurants have been opening in the building almost every week lately with the latest opening — Next Door American Eatery — planed for this coming Tuesday.
Next Door is the casual sister restaurant to The Kitchen, restaurateur Kimbal Musk's chain that specializes in real food sourced from American farmers. We have a Kitchen restaurant in Shelby Farms out east, but I've never been there because it's so far out from where I live. I did, however, have the pleasure of visiting Next Door's soft opening twice today!
A co-worker and I met up with Next Door's marketing manager there for a working lunch. We started with a few appetizers, including these Garlic Smashers. These smashed fingerling potatoes normally come with parmesan and garlic butter, but they're happy to make them vegan. Just ask for "salt and pepper smashers" and request olive oil. Perfect with ketchup!
For my lunch entree, I ordered the Roasted Veggie Bowl. This was an explosion of magic in my mouth, y'all. Roasted cauliflower, broccolini, mushrooms, and red pepper top a bed of red quinoa. It's sprinkled with sunflower seeds and drizzled with cilantro tahini sauce. I will be ordering this again and again.
Next Door has a few clearly marked vegan options, and some of their vegetarian options can easily be made vegan if you ask the server to leave off the cheese or aioli. If you're looking at their online menu, you can even select "vegan" or "vegetarian," and it will only show you the options you can eat! How cool is that?
I went back to Next Door for dinner with Paul this evening. This time, we started with the Kale Chips. These are vegan by default. They're crispy, highly addictive, salty kale chips, and I probably ate about three-fourths of this plate on my own. Paul liked them (a big step for him!), but I'm the kale-aholic, so I could have finished this plate off.
But I knew I had to save room for dinner. I went with the Veggie Tacos. These aren't naturally vegan, but they're happy to leave the aioli sauce off the slaw as well as the crema topping. These tacos were stuffed with an olive oil cabbage slaw, mushrooms, corn, and pico. So light and delicious.
There's also a vegan roasted veggie salad, which can be served with added hummus. Plus, there's a hummus and flatbread appetizer, and the Thai butternut squash soup is vegan.
Next Door will soon have a full bar (waiting on a state license), but for now, they only serve beer. Thankfully, they have a nice selection of local brews. I had a Wiseacre Ananda IPA, and Paul went with the Memphis Made Fireside.
Their invite-only soft opening continues through the weekend, but Next Door will be open to the public on Tuesday, August 29! Next Door is located at 1350 Concourse Ave. (inside Crosstown Concourse, near the Central Atrium), Suite 165.
August 23, 2017
Vegan Drinks at Mulan Asian Bistro
I've blogged about Mulan Asian Bistro in Cooper-Young before, but I haven't been there in years. They've always had vegan options, but one of the folks from our Vegan Drinks crew told me recently that Mulan had updated their menu and added WAY more tofu/vegetable dishes. So clearly another visit was in order! We had our monthly Vegan Drinks meetup there last night, and there was sooooo much variety!
We had a big crowd at our meetup last night, and nearly everyone ordered something different. Here's the crew.
I ordered the Curry Tofu with peppers and onions. This was creamy and delicious with just the right amount of curry and spice. The dish was huge, and I ended up taking the leftovers home for Paul's dinner. He loved this too, and he managed to get two meals out of the leftovers (dinner last night and lunch today),
Little did I know when I ordered this that it comes in a flaming bowl! They bring the dish to the table in a cauldron with FIRE UNDER IT! Super impressive presentation.
No one else got a fiery cauldron with their order (except Simon, who also ordered the Curry Tofu). But the other dishes looked just as delicious. Shay's Drunken Noodles with Tofu were, perhaps, some of the yummiest-looking drunken noodles I've seen.
Nathan went with Lemongrass Tofu, which had way more veggies than the lemongrass tofu I typically order at Vietnamese restaurants. I love lemongrass tofu, but I rarely order it most places because I need veggies with my tofu!
He also got an order of Vietnamese Tofu Spring Rolls. You can never go wrong with those. By the way, he'd already taken a bite of that one on the right before I took this pic, and we tried to hide it. Ha!
Clarita ordered the Pineapple Fried Rice, which was on my short list of other dishes I was considering.
And she got the Sauteed Spicy Cauliflower, which she generously shared with the table! This was a full dish of chili oil-spiced cauliflower, and she passed little plates around the table so we could all try. Wow! I may get this next time because it was amazing! Not the greatest pic, but trust me on this!
Clarita also generously shared her appetizer of Vegetable Dumplings. These were soft, steamed dumplings packed with a mix of cabbage and other veggies. A perfect start to the meal! Jen & Simon ordered dumplings too, and this is a pic of theirs because we decimated Clarita's dumplings before I remembered to snap a pic.
Melissa comes to Mulan often, and her favorite dish is this Crispy Tofu, which is served dry (no sauce) with a salt and pepper crust and snap peas. I will definitely be trying this soon! I love a dry tofu dish!
Such a lovely meal! Most of us ordered beer with our food, but a few people took advantage of Mulan's full bar and ordered wine, sake, or margaritas. We'll definitely be back with the Vegan Drinks crew soon!
We had a big crowd at our meetup last night, and nearly everyone ordered something different. Here's the crew.
I ordered the Curry Tofu with peppers and onions. This was creamy and delicious with just the right amount of curry and spice. The dish was huge, and I ended up taking the leftovers home for Paul's dinner. He loved this too, and he managed to get two meals out of the leftovers (dinner last night and lunch today),
Little did I know when I ordered this that it comes in a flaming bowl! They bring the dish to the table in a cauldron with FIRE UNDER IT! Super impressive presentation.
No one else got a fiery cauldron with their order (except Simon, who also ordered the Curry Tofu). But the other dishes looked just as delicious. Shay's Drunken Noodles with Tofu were, perhaps, some of the yummiest-looking drunken noodles I've seen.
Nathan went with Lemongrass Tofu, which had way more veggies than the lemongrass tofu I typically order at Vietnamese restaurants. I love lemongrass tofu, but I rarely order it most places because I need veggies with my tofu!
He also got an order of Vietnamese Tofu Spring Rolls. You can never go wrong with those. By the way, he'd already taken a bite of that one on the right before I took this pic, and we tried to hide it. Ha!
Clarita ordered the Pineapple Fried Rice, which was on my short list of other dishes I was considering.
And she got the Sauteed Spicy Cauliflower, which she generously shared with the table! This was a full dish of chili oil-spiced cauliflower, and she passed little plates around the table so we could all try. Wow! I may get this next time because it was amazing! Not the greatest pic, but trust me on this!
Clarita also generously shared her appetizer of Vegetable Dumplings. These were soft, steamed dumplings packed with a mix of cabbage and other veggies. A perfect start to the meal! Jen & Simon ordered dumplings too, and this is a pic of theirs because we decimated Clarita's dumplings before I remembered to snap a pic.
Melissa comes to Mulan often, and her favorite dish is this Crispy Tofu, which is served dry (no sauce) with a salt and pepper crust and snap peas. I will definitely be trying this soon! I love a dry tofu dish!
Such a lovely meal! Most of us ordered beer with our food, but a few people took advantage of Mulan's full bar and ordered wine, sake, or margaritas. We'll definitely be back with the Vegan Drinks crew soon!
August 22, 2017
Frugal Vegan Cookbook
When I went vegan back in 2004, my biggest concern wasn't how I'd live without cheese or how I'd manage without my favorite fried egg sandwiches. It was how much more I'd spend on groceries. At the time, I was an intern at the Memphis Flyer, and though it was a paid internship, it didn't pay much. But I ordered a zine called The Cheap Vegan, and it was filled with tips on how to save money on a vegan diet. I credit that zine with helping me make the final leap to committing to veganism for life.Fast forward to 2017. I earn enough money now to live comfortably. But I STILL have a problem with overspending on groceries. I buy way too many convenience foods and things I don't really need. And I buy more and more food when I already have an overstocked pantry. Some people have a problem with over-spending on clothes or shoes. I have a grocery problem, and I could use some money-saving tips. And that's just what you'll find in Frugal Vegan, a new cookbook by Katie Koteen and Kate Kasbee.
This gorgeous, full-color book features a few practical, common-sense food budget tips in its intro. Things we all know but don't always practice — buy in bulk, buy produce in-season, batch-cook and freeze, etc. I could always use reminders like that. It's also filled with simple, delicious recipes that require very few ingredients, most of which vegans already have in our pantries.
I picked a couple recipes to cook from this book, and I'll tell ya — other than fresh produce, I didn't have to buy any special ingredients for these. I already had the rest of the ingredients because they're staples, like vegan mayo, breadcrumbs, vegan butter, etc. For this Crispy Buffalo Tofu Bowl, I only had to buy potatoes, tofu, and mushrooms because I already had everything else!
This was AMAZING by the way. The tofu is dipped in a mayo-based buffalo sauce, breaded, and fried in a skillet. The mashed potatoes are smothered in creamy mushroom gravy, and it's served with corn (I buy the $1 bags of frozen corn at Kroger). I did add some steamed kale on the side, even though the recipe didn't call for it; I'm always trying to squeeze in my greens. My omni partner Paul loved this, and he was super-excited to eat it again as leftovers tonight.
I also made the Vegan Taco Salad. This is a simple salad with taco "meat" made from lentils. Using lentils instead of vegan burger crumbles means this recipe is much less expensive to make! It also has black beans, corn, tomatoes, and avocado, and the dressing is a simple squeeze of lime with a touch of olive oil.
Both of these recipes were cheap to make! And delicious! The book is loaded with other inexpensive dishes I'd like to cook. There's a whole chapter on vegan bowls, like the Backyard BBQ Bowl (with brown rice, tofu, chickpeas, corn, and kale). There's a recipe for Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce that looks to die for, and Paul has already requested that I make the Mushroom Stroganoff for dinner soon. As for desserts, the Frozen Chocolate Banana Swirl (banana soft serve) recipe features so many fun topping ideas (berries, hemp seeds, Oreos!), and the Warm Apple Crisp looks affordable and impressive.
August 21, 2017
Weekend Eats
It's been a fun, long, food-filled weekend! On Saturday, Crosstown Concourse — the one-million-square-foot building where I will soon be working — had its opening day celebration. Some of the revamped, former Sears headquarters is still under construction, including our space at Crosstown Arts. But we had an opening celebration since most of the two-year construction project was done. The party lasted from 3 to 10 p.m., and I was working for much of the day — doing social media for Crosstown Concourse and Crosstown Arts.
They rolled down this amazing banner right after the formal ceremony with remarks from the mayors and project leaders.
But I arrived about an hour ahead of party time to make sure I would have time to eat. We had several food trucks parked outside in the lot, and most had vegan options.
When I spotted my new fave Kebab Food Truck, I knew what I needed — Falafel Sandwich with Tahini and a side of Basmati Rice (under the sandwich). By the way, they do serve fries here as a side, but they're cooked in duck fat, so avoid those! Several people who work on the truck are vegan, and vegan items are clearly marked, but for some reason, the fries aren't.
After the formal remarks, I floated around and snapped some pics of the various tenant open houses for the Concourse Instagram page. There are many vegan-friendly restaurants in Concourse, but I couldn't make it to all them in the hour I had for checking out open houses. I did spot my friends at Crosstown Brewing Co. handing out beer samples! Crosstown Brewing isn't open yet, but their space will be completed this fall.
After checking out open houses, I headed over to our space at Crosstown Arts to chat with visitors and take more pics for the Crosstown Arts Instagram. We had a balloon drop at 6 pm!
And here's a mural by Birdcap and Sentrock in our space! Our full operation won't be up and running in the Concourse building until fall, but the main lobby area was open and filled with art.
It was HOT outside on Saturday, but some of the party was on the plaza outside. Thankfully, MemPops was there with their boozy homemade ice pops. I had a Moscow Mule Pop.
After the open house portion, we watched my coworker Justin's tear-jerking documentary on the Concourse project, and then we headed back out to the plaza for a free concert with Winchester and the Ammunition, Susan Marshall, and 8Ball & MJG. We were super-excited to see 8Ball & MJG — old-school, crunk Memphis rappers from the 90s.
By that point, it was late and I was hungry again! Most food trucks were sold out, but Eddy's Pepper had only vegetarian options left. YAY! I got the Black Bean & Rice Nachos!
We went home right after the concert because we were signed up for the Bardog 5K on Sunday morning! I wasn't super worried about it because it's just a 5K, right? But man, did I underestimate that race! It was SO HOT, like heat index of 102. That was the hardest 5K I've ever run! But we made it! Paul hadn't trained much at all, so I was super proud that he got out of bed to run in the heat with me.
The race — a fundraiser for St. Jude — includes free beer and food. I had a couple of PB&J Sliders and a couple pints of IPA. Made all that running in the heat so worth it!
I mentioned that it's been a long weekend. Well, that's because I took a vacation day from work today to experience the Solar Eclipse. We had 93% visibility in Memphis, and I wanted the full experience. Paul and I went to the I Survived the Solar Eclipse Party at Ghost River Brewing Co.
The eclipse was a little underwhelming. I expected complete darkness, but it only got a little dusky. And the peak of the eclipse was tucked behind a cloud. But at least the Memphis Mojo food truck was there with Vegetable Stir-Fry.
And for dessert, we had more MemPops! I went with a Mint Lemonade this time. Paul had Cherry Lime.
Such a fun, tasty weekend! I go back to work (and back to my routine) tomorrow!
They rolled down this amazing banner right after the formal ceremony with remarks from the mayors and project leaders.
But I arrived about an hour ahead of party time to make sure I would have time to eat. We had several food trucks parked outside in the lot, and most had vegan options.
When I spotted my new fave Kebab Food Truck, I knew what I needed — Falafel Sandwich with Tahini and a side of Basmati Rice (under the sandwich). By the way, they do serve fries here as a side, but they're cooked in duck fat, so avoid those! Several people who work on the truck are vegan, and vegan items are clearly marked, but for some reason, the fries aren't.
After the formal remarks, I floated around and snapped some pics of the various tenant open houses for the Concourse Instagram page. There are many vegan-friendly restaurants in Concourse, but I couldn't make it to all them in the hour I had for checking out open houses. I did spot my friends at Crosstown Brewing Co. handing out beer samples! Crosstown Brewing isn't open yet, but their space will be completed this fall.
After checking out open houses, I headed over to our space at Crosstown Arts to chat with visitors and take more pics for the Crosstown Arts Instagram. We had a balloon drop at 6 pm!
And here's a mural by Birdcap and Sentrock in our space! Our full operation won't be up and running in the Concourse building until fall, but the main lobby area was open and filled with art.
It was HOT outside on Saturday, but some of the party was on the plaza outside. Thankfully, MemPops was there with their boozy homemade ice pops. I had a Moscow Mule Pop.
After the open house portion, we watched my coworker Justin's tear-jerking documentary on the Concourse project, and then we headed back out to the plaza for a free concert with Winchester and the Ammunition, Susan Marshall, and 8Ball & MJG. We were super-excited to see 8Ball & MJG — old-school, crunk Memphis rappers from the 90s.
By that point, it was late and I was hungry again! Most food trucks were sold out, but Eddy's Pepper had only vegetarian options left. YAY! I got the Black Bean & Rice Nachos!
We went home right after the concert because we were signed up for the Bardog 5K on Sunday morning! I wasn't super worried about it because it's just a 5K, right? But man, did I underestimate that race! It was SO HOT, like heat index of 102. That was the hardest 5K I've ever run! But we made it! Paul hadn't trained much at all, so I was super proud that he got out of bed to run in the heat with me.
The race — a fundraiser for St. Jude — includes free beer and food. I had a couple of PB&J Sliders and a couple pints of IPA. Made all that running in the heat so worth it!
I mentioned that it's been a long weekend. Well, that's because I took a vacation day from work today to experience the Solar Eclipse. We had 93% visibility in Memphis, and I wanted the full experience. Paul and I went to the I Survived the Solar Eclipse Party at Ghost River Brewing Co.
The eclipse was a little underwhelming. I expected complete darkness, but it only got a little dusky. And the peak of the eclipse was tucked behind a cloud. But at least the Memphis Mojo food truck was there with Vegetable Stir-Fry.
And for dessert, we had more MemPops! I went with a Mint Lemonade this time. Paul had Cherry Lime.
Such a fun, tasty weekend! I go back to work (and back to my routine) tomorrow!
August 17, 2017
More Stuff I Ate
And here are some more random meals from the past couple weeks!
I made a Breakfast Sandwich using JL Field's recipe for Tofu Bacon Wraps (smoky tofu wrapped in rice paper) from The Vegan Air Fryer Cookbook, Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg, and Daiya Cheddar.
Are you tired of seeing FitQuick waffles yet? Probably! But I eat these gluten-free, high-protein waffles at least once a week. I posted one yesterday, but here's another! This one is Dark Chocolate Raspberry Waffle with Coconut Butter & Strawberries.
I'm still doing my GBOMBS thing. Just making sure I get my greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and nuts/seeds daily. Many of those things fit into my morning protein smoothies. This one has kale, mixed berries, banana, almond milk, chia seed, and coconut-almond Vega Protein & Greens powder. Check out my new Choose 901 Grit & Grind glass ("grit and grind" is a Memphis thang, y'all).
And another breakfast — Dave's Whole Wheat Bagel with Miso and Avocado. Yum! Sadly, this avocado was a little unripe, so this wasn't as good as it should have been. But still good.
The Curb Market in Crosstown Concourse carries Tofurky Hot Pockets! Yay. It's the only place in town where I can find them! I had a Ham & Cheese Pocket with Potato Salad at my desk one day last week. Sorry, but working lunches just aren't that pretty.
When I was visiting Sheridan in Little Rock last weekend, I stopped by their Whole Foods and picked up some Vegan Buffalo Chicken Salad from the deli. The Memphis Whole Foods doesn't sell this, and it makes me sad because it's so good! Vegan chicken mixed with a spicy mayo sauce and herbs. Mmmmm. Had some on a Buffalo Chicken Salad Sandwich with Sauteed Veggies for lunch one day this week.
At last week's Food Truck Friday at Crosstown Concourse, I was introduced to a new food truck that may be my new fave! The Kebab Food Truck has vegan options clearly marked and the Falafel Sandwich with Spicy Garlic Sauce (and a side of Basmati Rice, hiding under the sandwich) is the best falafel I've had in a long time!
Finally, here's a sandwich I ordered at Imagine Vegan Cafe last night! Portabella Mushroom Sandwich with housemade vegan cheese, tomato, and lettuce, side of Steamed Broccoli.
I made a Breakfast Sandwich using JL Field's recipe for Tofu Bacon Wraps (smoky tofu wrapped in rice paper) from The Vegan Air Fryer Cookbook, Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg, and Daiya Cheddar.
Are you tired of seeing FitQuick waffles yet? Probably! But I eat these gluten-free, high-protein waffles at least once a week. I posted one yesterday, but here's another! This one is Dark Chocolate Raspberry Waffle with Coconut Butter & Strawberries.
I'm still doing my GBOMBS thing. Just making sure I get my greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and nuts/seeds daily. Many of those things fit into my morning protein smoothies. This one has kale, mixed berries, banana, almond milk, chia seed, and coconut-almond Vega Protein & Greens powder. Check out my new Choose 901 Grit & Grind glass ("grit and grind" is a Memphis thang, y'all).
And another breakfast — Dave's Whole Wheat Bagel with Miso and Avocado. Yum! Sadly, this avocado was a little unripe, so this wasn't as good as it should have been. But still good.
The Curb Market in Crosstown Concourse carries Tofurky Hot Pockets! Yay. It's the only place in town where I can find them! I had a Ham & Cheese Pocket with Potato Salad at my desk one day last week. Sorry, but working lunches just aren't that pretty.
When I was visiting Sheridan in Little Rock last weekend, I stopped by their Whole Foods and picked up some Vegan Buffalo Chicken Salad from the deli. The Memphis Whole Foods doesn't sell this, and it makes me sad because it's so good! Vegan chicken mixed with a spicy mayo sauce and herbs. Mmmmm. Had some on a Buffalo Chicken Salad Sandwich with Sauteed Veggies for lunch one day this week.
At last week's Food Truck Friday at Crosstown Concourse, I was introduced to a new food truck that may be my new fave! The Kebab Food Truck has vegan options clearly marked and the Falafel Sandwich with Spicy Garlic Sauce (and a side of Basmati Rice, hiding under the sandwich) is the best falafel I've had in a long time!
Finally, here's a sandwich I ordered at Imagine Vegan Cafe last night! Portabella Mushroom Sandwich with housemade vegan cheese, tomato, and lettuce, side of Steamed Broccoli.
August 16, 2017
Stuff I Ate
Hey y'all. Here are some random things I've been eating.
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I live and work around the Crosstown Concourse building, which is slowly coming to life as construction wraps up and new restaurants and businesses open almost weekly. A couple weeks ago, Farm Burger (a small burger chain) opened in Concourse, and I had high hopes for vegan options there. Farm Burger offers a vegan tempeh burger at a few locations, including the one in Nashville. But sadly, I was disappointed when I learned that the Memphis location is offering their vegetarian burger instead. It's made with quinoa and contains eggs. BUMMER. They did say that if they get enough requests for a vegan option, they may add one. So Memphis vegans, unite! Go ask for it! Until then, they do have a vegan salad — the Superfood Salad (kale, cranberries, walnuts, beets, tahini dressing, and nooch). It's a great salad, and the fries are amazing. Plus, local beer. But I'd be much happier with a burger over a salad.
Fridays this summer at Concourse are Food Truck Fridays, and a couple Fridays ago, I got this awesome Chickpeas & Rice dish from the Paul's Cariflavor truck. It has curried chickpeas and pigeon peas with potatoes and rice. Oh man!! So good! They also serve this in vegan roti, and it's amazing too.
Here's a quick dinner of a Sprouts Vegan Chicken Patty Sandwich and a side Potato Salad. The sandwich has sauteed mushrooms and cashew cheese.
Those Sprouts patties are just okay. I probably won't buy them again for me (but Paul loves them so we may keep them around for him). I much prefer the vegan Boca chicken patties. The Sprouts ones are a little mushy, but they were okay. I had one here on a salad with some Just Caesar Dressing and Focaccia Bread with Cashew Cheese.
Post-run protein! I love these Orgain Protein Shakes when I want something less than a smoothie (like when I know I'll be going out to lunch or brunch within an hour or so post-run).
Still eating lots of FitQuick protein waffles! Here's an Orange Cream Bar Protein Waffle with Coconut Butter and Fresh Raspberries. 22 grams of protein! Plus healthy coconut fat!
I found a jar of pepper jelly in my pantry that I've had for an embarrassingly long time. But it was still sealed so it was fine! Enjoyed some on a Dave's Whole Wheat Bagel with Cashew Cheese before a Saturday long run.
More randomness coming at ya tomorrow!
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I live and work around the Crosstown Concourse building, which is slowly coming to life as construction wraps up and new restaurants and businesses open almost weekly. A couple weeks ago, Farm Burger (a small burger chain) opened in Concourse, and I had high hopes for vegan options there. Farm Burger offers a vegan tempeh burger at a few locations, including the one in Nashville. But sadly, I was disappointed when I learned that the Memphis location is offering their vegetarian burger instead. It's made with quinoa and contains eggs. BUMMER. They did say that if they get enough requests for a vegan option, they may add one. So Memphis vegans, unite! Go ask for it! Until then, they do have a vegan salad — the Superfood Salad (kale, cranberries, walnuts, beets, tahini dressing, and nooch). It's a great salad, and the fries are amazing. Plus, local beer. But I'd be much happier with a burger over a salad.
Fridays this summer at Concourse are Food Truck Fridays, and a couple Fridays ago, I got this awesome Chickpeas & Rice dish from the Paul's Cariflavor truck. It has curried chickpeas and pigeon peas with potatoes and rice. Oh man!! So good! They also serve this in vegan roti, and it's amazing too.
Here's a quick dinner of a Sprouts Vegan Chicken Patty Sandwich and a side Potato Salad. The sandwich has sauteed mushrooms and cashew cheese.
Those Sprouts patties are just okay. I probably won't buy them again for me (but Paul loves them so we may keep them around for him). I much prefer the vegan Boca chicken patties. The Sprouts ones are a little mushy, but they were okay. I had one here on a salad with some Just Caesar Dressing and Focaccia Bread with Cashew Cheese.
Post-run protein! I love these Orgain Protein Shakes when I want something less than a smoothie (like when I know I'll be going out to lunch or brunch within an hour or so post-run).
Still eating lots of FitQuick protein waffles! Here's an Orange Cream Bar Protein Waffle with Coconut Butter and Fresh Raspberries. 22 grams of protein! Plus healthy coconut fat!
I found a jar of pepper jelly in my pantry that I've had for an embarrassingly long time. But it was still sealed so it was fine! Enjoyed some on a Dave's Whole Wheat Bagel with Cashew Cheese before a Saturday long run.
More randomness coming at ya tomorrow!
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