Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 145

The Little Vegan Cookbook

Fair Winds Press has a new vegan cookbook out. It's called The Little Vegan Cookbook, and while the book is, indeed, diminutive in size, it's big on content. The small book, which is larger than pocket size but small enough to toss into a purse, contains 500 vegan recipes culled from other Fair Winds-published books by vegan authors we all know and love.

You'll find recipes from J.L. Fields, Joni Marie Newman, Celine Steen, Tami Noyes, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, Josh Ploeg, Gerrie Lynn Adams, Megan Roosevelt, and Matt Ruscigno.

There are chapters for apps, breakfasts, sandwiches, main courses, salads/soups/sides, desserts, and beverages. Throughout the book, there are photos spreads featuring tiny postage stamp-sized pictures of many of the recipes.

And everything LOOKS SO GOOD. I had a hard time deciding what to try first, and what I chose really just came down to recipes that called for ingredients I had on-hand.

First, I made the Tahini Noodle Bowl — pasta (I used gluten-free rice penne) tossed with a creamy soy-tahini sauce and sauteed tofu, broccoli, carrots, green peas, and edamame. It was a super-healthy bowl-style meal that really hit the spot. Look at all the green! I felt really good about myself after I ate this.


And then, on the Fourth of July, I made the Creamy Potato Salad to serve as a side to our grilled veggie dogs, corn, and grilled squash. Paul's super-picky about potato salad (and all food, really), and he likes his potatoes cooked until their practically mashed potatoes. And he doesn't like much mustard, so I cut the mustard back quite a bit. Still yet, this was a solid, classic potato salad that did not disappoint. I love the bits of celery and red bell pepper for color and crunch.

As with all cookbooks I review, there are just too many delicious recipes and not enough time. My wish list includes the Seitan Sandwich with Fried Pickles, Fiesta Soy Curl and Rice Casserole, Indian-Style Black Bean & Veggie Burritos, Not Beans on Toast (breakfast beans are served on waffles!!!), and the Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies to name a few. 
As amazing as the recipes look, I do have two small complaints with The Little Vegan Cookbook. One is an issue of aesthetics — fitting 500 recipes into a tiny book means using tiny print. And while my vision is 20/20, I'm guess that people with vision impairment might struggle to read the fine, small print. Maybe it would have been better to make it a giant book and call it The Big Vegan Cookbook?
Also, while the recipe authors are credited in the back of the book, I'd also like to see each recipe author's name attributed to their own recipes throughout the book. As it is, there's no indication of which author is responsible for which dish. I recognize a number of Joni, Celine, and Tami's recipes in the book without even needing a byline, but that's because I'm a vegan cookbook nerd (and I have all of their books!). 
All that aside, it's worth checking this book out for the recipes alone. Maybe just make sure you have your reading glasses handy.

12-Year Anniversary!

Paul and I celebrated 12 years together on June 28th, but he's working at a job in Nashville now, and he wasn't able to get home to celebrate until this weekend. I'd been wanting to check out Seasons 52 — a high-end chain with a vegan menu — for a couple years, but we're not usually fancy dinner people. So we reserve those places for special occasions, opting for Vietnamese takeout or Korean noodles or Thai food on casual nights out. And I kept forgetting about Seasons 52 when occasions came up. But I finally remembered!

We had reservations for Sunday night at 6 p.m., but I'm usually hungry by 5 p.m. So I toasted some crusty bread and set out some olives and dipping oil, and we enjoyed that as a little pre-dinner snack at home with some sparkling pinot grigio.


After our little cocktail hour, we headed to Seasons 52 in East Memphis. (Yes, I am wearing a sweater in July. We took this pic after dinner, and it was pretty cold in the restaurant, so I still had my sweater on).

When I made our reservations, they asked if we were celebrating anything. I told them it was for an anniversary, and look what was waiting for us at our table! It's a card signed by the staff. So sweet.

We both started with wine — a petite syrah for me and a chardonnay for Paul. 

I'd scoped out Seasons 52's menu online, so I knew the vegan options looked great! Plus, the place had great reviews from my buddy Barb over at That Was Vegan? The menus change seasonally based on whatever food is fresh, and the summer menu was filled with veggies and light salads. For starters, I ordered the Hummus Duo with Plain Lavash — that's edamame hummus and roasted red pepper hummus.

Now, you may notice there's no lavash bread in the above pic. Somehow, the kitchen confused my order with the gluten-free option, which subs fresh veggies out for bread. And I'm all for veggies, but I really love bread. So I asked the server if they could fix it, and they were happy to bring out lavash so I got both veggies and bread with my hummus. Bonus! The hummus dishes, by the way, were fantastic. I preferred the red pepper hummus, and Paul loved the edamame. Here's the lavash. It was delightfully crispy!

For my entree, I chose the Vegan Tasting Menu, which comes with a small portion of several other dishes on the menu. Perfect for indecisive people like me! This came with Cedar-Roasted Tofu, a Black Bean Taco, Quinoa-Citrus Salad, Roasted Rainbow Carrots, and Sauteed Snap Peas. WOW! I was blown away by how awesome this was. The black bean taco was my favorite. The beans were bursting with flavor, and it was filled with fresh veggies. And I loved the cedar-roasted tofu with its slight hint of cedarwood. The quinoa salad was crisp and light, and the rainbow carrots were roasted to perfection. 

I'll spare you Paul's dinner since he ordered a meaty entree. But he was extremely pleased with it, despite a mix-up in the kitchen that led to them bringing out the wrong dish at first. Since it was our anniversary, we got free dessert. But the desserts they brought out to choose from weren't vegan, so Paul got to enjoy that part. They do list fresh fruit as a vegan dessert option on the menu, and I probably could have asked for that instead. But I was full, and I'm not that into fruit.
We had a lovely dinner there, and the staff was super helpful and accommodating (even when things got mixed up with our order). We'll definitely be back.
After dinner, we kept up a tradition of going to Newby's for after-dinner drinks. Newby's is the casual college bar where I met Paul 12 years ago. No, I wasn't in college then, but I was just a few years post-grad (I was 24), and I'd gone to Newby's with a friend for beer bust night. Paul was there with friends too, and his friends were friends with my friends. And we played pool together, and he invited me to a party he was throwing. And the rest is history. We don't really hang out at Newby's anymore, but we still go once a year on our anniversary.


Even though I suck at pool, it's tradition to play at least one game. 

We ended the night at Zebra Lounge, a piano bar close to our house, where our friends Emily and Brandon were hanging out. They taught us how to use Snapchat (I still don't understand it), and we visited for about an hour. It was a lovely night! I'm especially happy that we had such a great experience at Seasons 52. We'll have to find an occasion to celebrate next season, so I can try the next menu.

Fourth of July Grill Out, Chill Out!

It's been a laidback and delicious Fourth of July! Paul and I grilled out with friends and lit a few sparklers leftover from last year. Sadly, it rained super hard today, so we opted out of buying more fireworks.


Paul and I celebrated our 12-year anniversary on Saturday night (more on that in tomorrow night's post), so I may have had one too many celebratory beers the night before Fourth of July. And I woke up feeling kind of icky. But I had a 5-mile training run planned, and I'm stubborn as hell. So, while Paul was still sleeping, I snuck out for a run (after I hydrated with lots of water spiked with Nuun electrolyte tabs, of course). Running really is the best hangover cure. I felt totally fine after I sweated it out. The key is staying hydrated the whole time.

While I was running, I passed an abandoned lot closed off with a chainlink fence decorated with lots of American flags.


After my run, I showered and headed to Imagine Vegan Cafe. They were offering a Fourth of July Vegan Cheesestick special! Chef Don made these with homemade cashew cheese, and they're available while supplies last. My friends Stephanie and Pam were working today, so it was nice to see them while I noshed on these amazing cheesesticks with marinara and vegan honey-mustard dressing.

When I got home, the sky was about to open up! We didn't bother to check the weather, so we'd planned on getting fireworks and grilling out. But the rain came down hard, and there were multiple thunderstorms and flash flooding. In a break between storms, we set up a shade tent in the yard, and we thought we'd put the grill underneath. But then another storm came through and completed devastated our tent (it was already kind of broken). Finally, we just decided to move the grill to the covered porch. 
Paul made some meat, but the rest of our meal was vegan. I threw some Field Roast Frankfurters on the grill, as well as some corn on the cob. I basted zucchini and squash slices with garlic-parsley salsa verde. And I made some creamy potato salad. Our friends Tyler and Donna came over and brought a yummy tomato-cucumber salad made with produce from their garden.

For dessert, we had slices of a super juicy watermelon. Tyler and Donna's kid Otto loves watermelon, and even though he wasn't interested in eating dinner, he had lots of melon.

I wish we could have eaten outside since it was Fourth of July, but everything was all wet. So we ate at the dining room table like real adults.

While I'm bummed that we didn't get to do fireworks this year, I'm glad we didn't give up on grilling! Such a good meal, and I have leftovers for lunches all week.

More Stuff I Ate

As I mentioned in last night's post, I have a bunch of random meal photos to share this week. I dumped a bunch on y'all in last night's post (link is here if you missed it). And here are the rest!

I picked up some of the new Tofurky Black Bean Burgers at Whole Foods last week, and I had one for dinner with Field Roast Tomato-Cayenne Chao Cheese. These burgers are amazing, and I expect no less from Tofurky. They're super meaty and hold together well. I cooked mine in a cast iron skillet, but these would be ideal for the grill.


I'm running my first marathon this winter, and I'm on a team of awesome runners through Lululemon. We held our first St. Jude Marathon fund-raising/training meeting on Tuesday at I Love Juice Bar. First, we ran 3 miles, and then we talked about organizing. I grabbed a PB&J Smoothie from the juice counter (strawberry, banana, almond milk, peanut butter, flax oil, and vegan protein powder!). So good! Definitely my new fave Juice Bar menu item.

On my usual Sunday brunch outing at Imagine Vegan Cafe last week, I was craving onion rings. So I got the Portabella Sandwich with Onion Rings. The portabella sandwich has sliced mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and Imagine's housemade vegan white cheese.

One day last weekend, I made the Spicy Garlic Popcorn from Lacy Davis' e-book, The Super Tasty Anti-Inflammatory Kitchen. First, you make a garlic chili oil by simmering garlic and chili flakes in olive oil and then you scoop that stuff out and pop the popcorn in it. I added nooch because popcorn needs nooch.

Speaking of snacks, tonight I had these crunchy Pretzel Rods with Homemade Beer Mustard at Hammer & Ale, a local craft brew shop, while catching up over beers with my friend Audrey. I didn't mean to eat the whole order by myself, but I did. Oops! I'm such a sucker for pretzels and mustard.

I dropped by Pink Diva Cupcakery for lunch yesterday and picked up  a veggie plate with Black Beans, Brown Rice, and Mixed Veggies. And then I asked Cassi to throw in a side of salsa and a side of her vegan cheese sauce. When I arrived back at my desk, I made the meal into a yummy bowl!

I've found a new way to enjoy my FitQuick protein waffles after my morning runs! On Tuesday, I made a FitQuick Waffle Sandwich with java chip waffles, PB Lean maple powdered protein peanut butter, Endangered Species cocoa spread, and bananas. This whole meal was, like, 30 grams of protein!

And finally, cupcakes! My friend Andy's birthday was yesterday, so I made some quick and easy Cookies 'n' Cream Cupakes using the chocolate cake recipe and frosting recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. There were crumbled Oreo Thins in the cake batter and the frosting. 

Stuff I Ate

Lots of random meal posts this week, so yet again, I'm dividing these up into two posts. Tonight, I'll share some pics of a few meals I've been eating, and then tomorrow, I'll share more. In case you're not familiar, my "stuff I ate" posts are basically just a hodge-podge of meals that don't really warrant their own posts. But they're too delicious not to share in some way!

We'll start with this gorgeous salad from Loflin Yard, a new downtown bar with a massive patio, barrel-aged cocktails, a waterfall, and a lovely little park space for lounging. The menu is quite small right now, and it's very meat-heavy. They have a smokehouse on-site, and I wish they'd smoke some mushrooms or tofu and do a vegan sandwich option. But for now, they have this Grilled Romaine Salad that's vegan if you ask them to leave off the cheese and swap out the normal dressing (which contains cheese) for oil and vinegar. It comes with olives, roasted tomatoes, and homemade croutons. Really yummy! They also have vegan peanut slaw as a side for sandwiches, but since none of their sandwiches are vegan, that's a little weird. Add a vegan sandwich, Loflin Yard!


One day a couple weekends back, I had some work to do over the weekend. So I packed my laptop and headed to Otherlands coffeehouse and ordered an Iced Toffee Soy Latte and a Bagel with Tofutti Cream Cheese. Made working on the weekend totally tolerable.

Hey, here's a quick breakfast! It's a Modern Oats Apple Walnut instant oat cup with fresh blueberries.

Last week, I made the Spicy BBQ Jackfruit from Minimalist Baker's Everyday Cooking for sandwiches. But I ended up with lots of BBQ jackfruit, and I eventually got tired of having it on sandwiches. So I layered some in a jar with Hampton Creek Just Ranch, Chao Tomato-Cayenne vegan cheese, black beans, carrots, radish, corn, romaine, and vegan bacon bits for this BBQ Salad in a Jar.

Here's that salad after I dumped it into a bowl to eat at my desk.

Our June Vegan Drinks meetup was at Evelyn & Olive, a vegan-friendly Jamaican restaurant. I got my usual — Black Bean Tacos (with tofu and kiwi salsa!), Pigeon Peas & Rice, and Tomato-Cucumber Salad. 

Breakfasts for the past couple weeks have been super simple — Kashi Island Vanilla Shredded Wheat with Blueberries and Pistachio Milk with Field Roast Apple Maple Vegan Sausage.

After a hot 3-mile run and yoga class last Saturday, I popped by LYFE Kitchen downtown for a Morning Veggie Wrap. This vegan breakfast wrap typically comes loaded with Daiya cheddar, and I took one bite and knew something was missing. I went to the clerk to let them know they forgot the vegan cheese, and they informed me they were out. Damn. I wish they'd have let me know BEFORE I ordered. Oh well. This tofu scramble wrap was still yummy, but it's best with Daiya.

Speaking of wraps, I FINALLY tracked down my favorite food truck — Hot Mess! This vegan-friendly burrito truck is never where I need it to be when a burrito craving strikes. But last week, they parked outside a Planned Parenthood lecture (on Memphis feminist history!), and I was already attending the lecture. So I finally got my Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burrito fix! It got it with the super hot sauce this time, and my face was on fire. But it was so delicious and just got better with every bite. Hot Mess makes their own tortillas, and they're pretty much the best thing ever.

Sprouted Grain Waffles! And Flax English Muffins!

Years ago, when I was going on some health kick (probably after reading Skinny Bitch), I switched to only buying Ezekiel 4:9 bread for home. I'd eat white bread when dining out, but at home, I was strictly on the sprouted grain. I remember it was an acquired taste at first. I wasn't used to the hearty, seedy, grainy bread, but I knew it was good for me, so I just kept eating it. And it grew on me. And now I LOVE EZEKIEL BREAD!

I do occasionally purchase other whole grain breads these days (Dave's Killer, Rudi's Organic), and I still eat lots of white bread when dining out (and sometimes at home). But Ezekiel 4:9 remains my staple. Not only does it have a great rustic flavor, it's also quite filling — likely because it's filled with sprouted seeds and grains. It's also loaded with protein! In addition to sliced sprouted bread, Food for Life (Ezekiel's brand name) also makes sprouted hamburger buns, hot dog buns, wraps, and English muffins.

But wait — that's not all! Food for Life is now making sprouted grain waffles!!!! I've been on a bit of a waffle kick for the past few months, so I was delighted when Food for Life sent me boxes of their new frozen waffles to review.


These are frozen Eggo-style waffles, but unlike those white flour/preservative-laden waffles, Ezekiel 4:9 waffles are made with sprouted wheat, barley, chia, flax, lentils, soybeans, sesame seeds, spelt, and other healthy things! The Original Waffles have 9 grams of protein per two waffles and a ton of vitamins and minerals. But how do they taste?
I put the Original Waffles to the test with fresh raspberries, maple-agave pancake syrup, and cacao nibs. The waffles are sturdy straight out of the toaster, and they get quite crisp. But that's softened by syrup (and vegan butter if you want to add that too). They certainly have that healthy Ezekiel flavor, but if you're already a fan of sprouted grain bread, you'll love these. They taste like the Ezekiel bread slices in waffle form. But they are just very lightly sweetened because, duh, they're waffles!

I served the Golden Flax Waffles with fresh strawberries, pumpkin seeds, and maple-agave syrup (plus some Field Roast vegan apple-maple sausages on the side). I honestly couldn't tell a big difference in flavor between the flax and the original. These do have more flax and just a tad more protein though.

The Blueberry Waffles were my favorite of the three! The waffle itself tastes very similar to the others, but there are little blueberries flecked throughout. No fruit goes better with waffles than blueberries, so of course, I had to add some fresh ones and maple syrup. Also more vegan sausage on the side.

Food for Life also has Ezekiel 4:9 Flax Sprouted English Muffins now! They included some of these in my waffle review package.

I've been using their original sprouted muffins for my breakfast sandwiches forever, so I was excited to try these. They're a great source of omega-3 and omega-6, and each muffin has 10 grams of protein. As for the taste, they're similar to the original, but you can definitely see more seeds in these. And there's a slight flax flavor that's not overpowering. I tried one for a quick Breakfast Sandwich with seitan bacon (from Baconish), Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg, Follow Your Heart Pepper Jack, and Just Mayo Chipotle. Mmmmm. I wish I was eating this again right now. Maybe I'll have one in the morning!

The moral to this story — if you already love Ezekiel 4:9 products, you'll love these. If you're not a sprouted grain bread fan, give it a few more tries. It took me awhile to get to where I preferred it over white bread. But now that I do, I can eat bread and feel really good about it because I'm getting lots of nutrients with every bite!

Vegan Stevia-Free Protein Powder!

You know, it's been a really long time since anyone's asked me "The Question." You know the one? The question that makes every vegan's blood boil — the dreaded "where do you get your protein?" Sometimes, it's genuine. But more often than not, that question comes from someone just trying to antagonize, someone who really doesn't give a crap where you get your protein (or any other nutrient for that matter).

But it's been so long since anyone has asked me, I almost long to hear it again. I feel like I have a much better (and totally sincere) answer. I used to just say, "tofu, beans, nuts, seeds, tempeh, seitan." And I do get protein from those sources every day, but I honestly get the bulk of my protein from protein powders. And while powders are certainly not necessary for sedentary folks, I think they're pretty important for vegan runners (and vegan athletes of all kinds). Protein helps rebuild muscle for faster recovery times. And over the years, as I've increased my mileage, I feel like I've become quite the protein powder connoisseur.

I've tried A LOT of powders. Some are okay. Some are just bad. And some are amazing. And Nutiva has come out with a new plant protein powder that falls into the latter category. Nutiva sent me a couple tubs of their Organic Plant Protein Superfood 30 Shake , and it's seriously delicious!


What sets this powder apart from others, taste-wise, is that it's not sweetened with stevia. Now I've actually grown to love stevia, especially in Vega powders. But stevia does have a certain aftertaste that turns a lot of people off. Those people would love this powder. And even for those of us who like stevia, this Nutiva powder provides a nice little change. It's lightly sweetened from fruit (cranberry, cherry, orange, blueberry, strawberry), and it's also loaded with veggies (kale, kelp, spinach, broccoli, carrot, beet, tomato).
Each scoop contains 20 grams of plant-based protein (from pea, pumpkin, sunflower, chia, hemp, and sacha inchi), digestive enzymes, superfoods (like baobab, moringa, and reishi mushrooms). But despite all those veggies and mushrooms, this powder tastes chocolate and vanilla. Plus, it has coconut milk powder, and when blended with plant milk and frozen fruit, this protein powder makes for a very creamy smoothie. 
You can shake it with water of course. But that's boring. I like my protein powder in my morning smoothies! So I developed a couple easy recipes using these new powders. The first one — a Chocolate Almond Banana Smoothie — is made with a simple homemade almond milk, and it's super-duper creamy. And the second — a Mango Lassi Smoothie — is perfect for cooling off from the summer heat.


Chocolate Banana Almond Smoothie--------------------------------------------------Serves one
1/4 cup raw almonds, soaked in water overnight, drained1 cup water1 medjool date, pitted, chopped1 tsp. vanilla extract1 frozen banana1 scoop Nutiva Organic Plant Protein Superfood 30 Shake, Chocolate FlavorIce
Place the almonds, water, date, and vanilla in a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. This is your homemade almond milk. There's no need to strain the pulp because it will incorporate into the smoothie.
Add a frozen banana, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, and a few ice cubes. Blend until creamy.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Mango Lassi Smoothie-------------------------------------Serves one
1 cup almond milk (or other plant milk)1 container plain vegan yogurt (I used Kite Hill)1 cup frozen mango chunks1 tsp. cardamom1 scoop Nutiva Organic Plant Protein Superfood 30 Shake, Vanilla FlavorIce
Place everything in the blender, and blend until smooth and creamy.

Vegan Dinner at Vaughan & Nicole's!

It's been awhile since I've hung out with my friends Vaughan and Nicole. We go way, way back. In fact, Vaughan and I started an animal rights group in Memphis back in 2003! We used to do PETA demos and vegan leafleting around town. But over time, that group morphed into more of a vegan social club, and we started doing less demos and more monthly vegan outings and occasional potlucks. That group fizzled out a few years back as new groups emerged. But we've stayed pretty tight over the years! I try to hang out with Vaughan and Nicole as often as possible, but we're all so busy!

Lucky for me, this weekend worked out where I got some quality Vaughan and Nicole time! Nicole and I did a 3-mile fun run and yoga class on Saturday morning, and then she invited me over for dinner Sunday night. Here's Nicole and I on Saturday before getting super sweaty on that "fun run" in mid-day 90-degree temps!


And here's Vaughan and Nicole on Sunday night with their dog Tiger. Not pictured is their daughter Vera and their cat Henry (they were both inside when this pic was taken).


I arrived at their house on Sunday night around 4:30 for a little cocktail hour outside in their gorgeous backyard. I had some white wine to start, and then Vaughan mixed me this bizarre but delicious cocktail made with lemon-echinacea juice, coffee liqueur, and vodka. You wouldn't think lemon and coffee would work together, but it does. And it's delicious!


Nicole made an Edamame-Avocado Dip that was to die for. It had chunks of avocado, red pepper, edamame, and red quinoa. We snacked on it outside with some kale-chia tortilla chips.

Tiger hung out with us while we sipped cocktails and munched on chips. He's such a good dog! Shortly after they purchased their house a couple years ago, Tiger showed up in their yard. He was injured and looking for love. And they took him in and got him treated. Now he's the star of the show!

We went inside to eat dinner at their dining room table overlooking the bird feeders in the backyard. We watched birds and squirrels while we dined on Nicole's yummy dinner of BBQ Riblets, Hash Browns with Turmeric, and Sauteed Broccoli. I'd forgotten how much I love those Morningstar riblets!! They're one of a few vegan products Morningstar makes, and they're so good.

For dessert, we had So Delicious Cappuccino Cashewmilk Ice Cream with Oreos! Nothing beats ice cream and cookies on a hot summer night.

It was such a lovely evening! And the food and cocktails were delicious! After dinner, we went back outside to check out their tomato plants, which have been putting out weird tomatoes that are black on the bottoms. After a little investigation, we found the culprits. Tomato hornworms! They were all over three of the tomato plants, but because their bodies blend in with the color of the plants, they were hard to spot. There are actually two in this pic, but one is hiding pretty well. Can you spot them both?

Anyway, sucks about their tomato plants. But the little guys were so cute! And they'll be gorgeous sphinx moths one day!

The Minimalist Baker Has a Cookbook! And It's Awesome!

I think we can all agree that, when it comes to vegan recipe blogs, Minimalist Baker is tops. That's the blog I send new vegans (or the veg-curious) to when they email me asking for vegan recipes. That's the place I turn when I need a recipe for anything from homemade coconut whipped cream to quinoa taco meat to Oreo cookie pancakes (yea, that's an actual thing).

So I was STOKED when I learned that Minimalist Baker blogger Dana Scultz had a new vegan cookbook out! It's called Minimalist Baker's Everyday Cooking, and it's basically a hardcover version of the blog. It's loaded with gorgeous full-color photos, and every single recipe is something I need to add to my way-too-long-to-ever-tackle, to-make wish list. Vegan cheddar beer soup, sweet potato sage raviolis, cornbread chili pot pies, pizza burgers, spicy braised tofu tostadas, garlic "cheddar" herb biscuits, pizza stuffed mushrooms, toasted dark chocolate coconut popcorn, pumpkin apple upside down cake, peanut butter cup puffed rice bars.

It's simple weeknight food made with wholesome ingredients, and most of the recipes are gluten-free (if that's your thing). I wanted to try so many recipes before reviewing this book, and I'll definitely be making that beer cheddar soup soon. But I figured I should go ahead and share my thoughts after making two dishes that turned out phenomenally.

I started with Thai Baked Sweet Potatoes and WOW! These are baked potatoes topped with sauteed savory-sweet chickpeas (seasoned with lots of spices, like coriander, garlic, ginger, and maple), a creamy ginger-tahini sauce, fresh herbs (from my front porch), lime juice, and sriracha (we use Yellowbird at my house). This dish was so wholesome and yet so satisfying. I felt really good about myself after eating it.


I also made the Spicy BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches with Grilled Pineapple. Since it's been so very hot here, I've been craving sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, chips, and salads. Simple meals that just seem to go with summer. This messy 'cue sandwich has summer written all over it. The jackfruit is slow-simmered in a homemade BBQ sauce that's both sweet and vinegary in true Southern style. The pineapple is grilled (but I "grilled" mine in a well-greased skillet). The sweetness of the fruit is the perfect complement to the tanginess of the jackfruit. So good. I've been eating these sandwiches all week! Today, I even had some of the leftover BBQ jackfruit in a salad with Just Ranch, veggies, and vegan cheese.

If you only buy a couple vegan books this year, definitely put this one on that list (also Baconish , which is equally awesome). Seriously. Nobody does simple, healthy, vegan home-cooking like Minimalist Baker. 

Vegan Beefless Tips & Rice

One of my favorite dishes to order at Memphis' Imagine Vegan Cafe is the "beef" tips and rice meal. It's a hearty main made of sauteed Gardein Beefless Tips and caramelized onions and served over brown rice. It comes with two sides, and I typically opt for veggies, like garlic kale or brown-sugared carrots or sauteed spinach. But, of course, Imagine has much more indulgent sides too (vegan mac & cheese, buttery garlic toast, hush puppies, fluffy biscuits).

Imagine uses Gardein for a lot of their dishes, and even though I can buy Gardein at Kroger and cook with it at home, it always tastes better when prepared with love in Imagine's kitchen. Also, they're not afraid to use lots of oil. It's a restaurant, and oil makes things taste good!

I don't mind indulging in greasy meals when I'm eating out. In fact, I typically prefer my restaurant meals to be quite decadent. But at home, I like to keep oil to a minimum, using just a teaspoon or tablespoon for an entire recipe (unless I'm deep-frying, and that's another story!). I grabbed some Gardein Beefless Tips on clearance at Kroger and decided to try and recreate Imagine's beef tips dish at home with a little less oil. The results were delicious! I served my tips with roasted beets and asparagus (yes, I turned my oven on when it was 100 degrees outside, and it was totally worth it).


I want to share this super-simple recipe! It has just six ingredients, but it tastes far more complex. And the whole recipe only has a half-tablespoon of oil. The tender tips and caramelized onions pair perfectly with plain brown rice. So satisfying!

Vegan Beefless Tips & Rice--------------------------------------Yields 2 servings
1/2 tbsp. olive oil1 white onion, halved and thinly sliced1 clove garlic, minced1 pkg. frozen Gardein Beefless Tips1 tbsp. soy sauce1 cup cooked brown rice
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and stir to coat with oil. Leave the onions alone for about 4-5 minutes, and then stir. Leave them alone again for another couple minutes and stir again. Repeat this process for about 10-12 minutes or until onions are very soft and caramelized. A little browning is ideal.
Add the garlic and cook and stir for one minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the frozen beefless tips and stir to coat with with oil and onions. Cook and stir the tips for 5-7 minutes or until heated through and browned. This can take a little longer depending on how high your heat is. Add soy sauce and stir to coat. Cook for about 2 more minutes.
Divide the brown rice onto 2 plates. Spoon half of the tips over each plate.