Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 189

What I Ate

It's been awhile since I've recapped a bunch of random meals, so sorry for the long post. But I'll keep the words short and start with dessert because I'm an eat-dessert-as-an-appetizer kind of girl.

Imagine Vegan Cafe has started making fresh doughnuts for select Sunday brunches! They're super good, and sometimes, if you're lucky, you can get one that's still hot from the fryer. This one was covered in chocolate frosting! Doughnuts are my favorite thing in the whole wide world, y'all.


Stephanie, who makes most of the desserts for Imagine (except for the doughnuts), made these Caramel-Dipped Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies last week. She saved one for me! OMG!


Last week was our friend Pam's birthday, and she wanted to have dinner at Imagine. Stephanie tried to order the fried "chicken" drumstix, but they were out. Instead, they were trying out these new BBQ "Chicken" Drumstix. And I had to try them! They served three to a plate, and I got sides of their white cheddar mac and green beans. But my photo in the restaurant was all dark, so I snapped one of my leftovers the next day. That chicken was insane! It tasted just like BBQ chicken from the grill!


I ordered this Strawberry Soup last weekend at Imagine during brunch. It's a fresh and light yogurt-like soup. Nice change from my usual fried foods at Imagine.


But of course I had to balance out the healthy soup with these Sausage Piggies In Blankets with Maple Syrup. So good!


Speaking of breakfast, would you believe most of this meal was a frozen dinner? Yep, I caught some Amy's Tofu Scramble and Hash Brown meals on manager's special at Kroger for $1.50! I added sprouted grain toast with pepper jelly, cherry tomatoes, and Upton's Seitan Bacon.


Another quick desk lunch — Earth Balance Vegan White Cheddar Mac with Vegan Beef Crumbles and a Side Salad.


Got a major sandwich craving last week, so I grabbed some Tofurky Peppered Deli Slices and ate them on sprouted grain with curry-mayo (made with curry powder and Just Mayo), avocado, and tomato. The chips are Kettle's Maple Bacon Chips.


For the equinox a few weeks back, I made some Apple Spice Muffins. But they were just okay. The recipe didn't call for any sugar at all, and I knew that seemed weird. But instead of adding sugar, I had some fit of craziness and decided to add stevia instead. Stevia is good in, say, tea but not so much in muffins.


And here lately, I've been on a taco kick. Here's a dish I meant to make during my Mofo Pantry Raid because many of the ingredients came from my pantry — Neat Nut Meat Tacos on Garden of Eatin' Red Hot Blues Shells with Avocado, Tomato, Salsa, and Collard Green Kimchi. On the side is my Dirty South Rice (a fusion of Cajun dirty rice and classic Spanish rice) from Cookin' Crunk. I grabbed the taco shells on manager's special at Kroger awhile back, and my dad ordered me the Neat meat from Vegan Essentials (LOVE THAT STUFF!). The Collard Green Kimchi was a Memphis Farmers Market score from local vegan-friendly chef Ki Kitchen.


Speaking of tacos, my friend Greg and I went to a "Beer. Tacos. Abortion." party last weekend. These "beer & taco challenge" house parties are the pro-choice movement's version of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and they're happening all over the country. Most, including this one, are fund-raisers for assistance funds for low-income women who need abortions. And it just so happens that Tennessee has an aggressive campaign to fight some anti-choice legislation that would basically allow the Tennessee General Assembly the constitutional right to pass intense restrictions on abortion in the state. That's Amendment One, and if you're a pro-choice Tennessean (or if you simply don't want government interfering in your private medical decisions), you need to vote no!


Anyway, about those tacos. The hosts made both vegan and meat-based tacos, but it seemed like most everyone at the party was going for the vegan ones — Chipotle Tofu Taco with Slaw and Seitan Mojito Taco with Tofutti Sour Cream!

So Delicious Halloween Ice Cream Bars!

We all scream ...


For ice cream! And because we're freakin' scared of all these ghosts and goblins and stuff!

Dude, So Delicious has gone and done the most magical thing. They've combined my favorite frozen dessert (coconut milk ice cream bars) and my favorite holiday (Halloween!!!!!!!!!!) in their new line of coconut milk frozen dessert holiday novelty bars.

I'd first heard about these on other blogs, but I hadn't seen them yet at my Whole Foods. So I assumed I'd never get to try them. But lo and behold, I got an email from So Delicious asking if I'd like to sample these for review. Uh, yeah. Like, super-excited all-caps YEAH! So Delicious sent me a cooler packed with dry ice and both of their new holiday frozen dessert bars (plus, there were some other fun new So Delicious products in there, but I'll be posting on those a little later).

Look!! Candy Corn and Pumpkin Spice Coconut Milk Dessert Bars!


I know the pumpkin spice craze has totally gotten out of control (and sometimes can be associated with "basic bitchiness"), but I don't even care because pumpkin spice is delicious, and it embodies all the magic of the season. If loving pumpkin spice is wrong, then I don't want to be right. My co-worker Max offered to be a hand model so long as he got to sample one of these Pumpkin Spice Bars.


Max, who is not vegan, wasn't so sure he was going to love vegan ice cream. But he took one bite and said, "That tastes just like real ice cream!" Of course, I informed him that vegan ice cream is real ice cream! But it's no wonder these could fool an omni. They're so ridiculously creamy, and the pumpkin spice is light and natural.

Later, I tried the Candy Corn Bars.


Now, I'll admit that I've never been a huge candy corn fan. The very non-vegan candies just taste like old sugar. Yuck. But I love the idea of candy corn. It's such an iconic Halloween candy. I couldn't imagine what these bars would taste like, but I was sure So Delicious would find a way to make candy corn delicious.

They did! These aren't candy corn flavored at all! The bottom layer is orange ice cream and the top is vanilla, with the very tip dipped in hard chocolate shell. Imagine an orange creamsicle with a smidge of crispy magic coconut chocolate! So good!

I have a couple bars left, and I'm savoring those for the rest of the month. Whole Foods is supposed to be carrying these through the end of October, so I'm hoping my Memphis store has them now. Also, look for So Delicious' new winter holiday Peppermint Star frozen dessert bars and Snowmen frozen dessert bars. They should be in stores already and on freezer shelves through January.

By the way, remember that dry ice I mentioned? Well, it was like an extra bonus prize! After I unloaded the ice cream into my office freezer, my co-workers Max and Toby decided to make witches' brew. Of course, they're wearing the protective So Delicious gloves they sent along.

Vegan Brunch at Fuel Cafe

Every Sunday, I meet a couple of my vegan girlfriends for brunch. We typically meet at Imagine Vegan Cafe because they have a fabulous and sinful brunch and very stout (free! with the purchase of a mixer) cocktails. We call ourselves Bitches Who Brunch.

Well, last week, the brunch bitches decided to venture out and try something new. We felt guilty skipping out on Imagine, and we'll do the walk of shame back into Imagine this coming weekend. But I'd recently learned that Fuel Cafe had added a ton of vegan options to their brunch menu, and we just had to try them. And it just so happened that the new Memphis Meetup.com Vegan Dine-outs and Potlucks group was meeting at Fuel for brunch that day too. We joined their table on the breezy outdoor patio.

Fuel doesn't serve hard liquor, so they got creative and made beer-based brunch cocktails. We all ordered a round of Fuel Mimosas (hard apple cider mixed with mango juice).


After much deliberation, I ordered the Tofu Migas with blue corn tortilla chips, tofu scramble, vegan cheese, salsa, and avocado. Good choice! Loved this dish, and the cheese got all melty as I dug in.


Fuel has a very veg-heavy Tofu Scramble, which can also be ordered a la carte. That's what Stephanie did.


And she got the Sweet and White Potato Hash a la carte as well.


Someone from the Meetup group ordered the adorable star-shaped Vegan Biscuits with Earth Balance.


And another person in the group got those same biscuits but covered with Vegan Sausage Gravy! I almost ordered this instead of the migas. Next time! On the side, he ordered the Watermelon Mint Salad, which Cassi swore to be the best. I didn't try it, but I'm sure it was delicious.


Since brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch, Fuel also has some more lunchy fare on the brunch menu too. Our friend Nic got Fuel's famous Vegan Quinoa Chili Cheese Fries. I LOVE THESE! This is, hands down, my fave Fuel dish ever and what I typically order there since it's also on the lunch menu. Their quinoa chili is to die for, especially when served atop fries smothered in Daiya.


And Cassi's kid, Keithon, got the homemade Fuel Veggie Burger. It's a vegan patty made from scratch, and it is by far the best vegan burger in Memphis.


We'll definitely have to go back to Fuel brunch soon, after we make it up to Imagine next week! Maybe we can start alternating!

Bluff City Vegan Eats: Kwik Check

Dear Bibimbap at Kwik Check, Where have you been all my life? Oh, that's right. You've been on my "stuff I need to eat in Memphis" list for 12 freaking years!I'm sorry it took so long. I've wasted so much of my life without you.Love,Bianca
Twelve years! Seriously, what is wrong with me? How can something so delicious, like Vegan Bibimbap, be on a stuff-to-eat list for over a decade? I first heard about the delicious vegan food at Kwik Check when I was still a vegetarian and a newbie to Memphis. The little convenience store eatery was just a block from my best friend Greg's apartment back then. He told me about it. Other vegetarians and vegans told me about it. I made a mental note.
Hell, I even included Kwik Check on my Memphis Vegan Dining Guide years ago, even though I'd never been. It was the only place on that list I hadn't tested out first. I just knew it needed to be there because it's a Midtown Memphis staple. Well, I FINALLY tried the legendary Bibimbap last week on a lunch outing with my co-workers Susan and Toby.

Truth be told, even though I'd heard great things about the Bibimbap, I didn't really know what it was until I ordered it. And at first glance, it just looks like a bowl of white rice with some veggies. But it is so much more than that.
That bowl isn't just any old bowl. It's basically a piece of cookware. It's so steamy hot that it actually continues to cook the rice, creating crispy, caramelized bits at the bottom of the bowl. And it's topped with tofu, cabbage, zucchini, carrots, bean sprouts, and a spicy Korean sauce. It's typically served with a fried egg on top, but when you order it vegan-style, they leave that off. 
Well, I certainly won't let another 12 years pass before I have this again! Also, Kwik Check is said to have great falafel, but I haven't had that there either. I did try once. I was on a desperate hunt for falafel one Sunday, and I stopped by three falafel places in Midtown, including Kwik Check, only to be told they were fresh out. I'll have to try again one day, but I'm not sure I'll be able to choose falafel when I can have the Bibimbap again.
Kwik Check is located at 2013 Madison. Call 901-274-9293.

Vegans Can Eat (Almost) Anywhere

Mofo is winding down, and I must admit that, even though I have more pantry meals planned, I've also been eating out a LOT lately. Sometimes, life just takes you to a restaurant. But you'll likely see more pantry meals on into October, even though Mofo will be over.

But tonight, I want to talk a little about dining out as a vegan. I'd say one of the most frequent questions I get asked is, "Isn't it hard living in Memphis and trying to find vegan food in restaurants?" My answer is always an emphatic "No way!" As you can probably tell from my past posts and my Bluff City Vegan Eats series, Memphis is actually a very vegan-friendly city. Check out my Memphis vegan dining guide.

We have three totally vegan restaurants — Imagine Vegan Cafe, Two Vegan Sistas, and Cosmic Coconut — and a huge list of vegan-friendly eateries offering special vegan menus, vegan cheese, vegan desserts, and all sorts of delicious options. But like most cities, we also have those places that just don't seem to cater to vegans — BBQ joints, soul food restaurants, New Orleans-style cafes, steakhouses. What's a vegan to do when she ends up joining her omni friends at a place without obvious vegan options?

You make a meal! That's what. I have this theory that vegans can eat (almost) anywhere. It just takes a little creativity and a willingness to speak up and let your server and chef know about your special needs. That's what I did tonight at the VIP soft opening for Lafayette's Music Room in Overton Square. This is a new music venue fashioned after a 1970s venue of the same name. And the menu is New Orleans-style seafood and po'boys. At first glance, not one dish is vegan.

But there are a couple salads that, ordered without the cheese, look to be vegan. For my starter, I opted for the Lafayette's Salad with bibb lettuce, roasted tomatoes, crispy strips, and citrus vinaigrette.


Now, I can't say with certainty that the wonton strips are vegan, but many of those salad wonton strips are. With things like that, I just hope for the best. This was delicious! The roasted tomatoes paired so well with the citrus dressing, and that bibb lettuce was so tender.

For my main, it took a little more creativity. The only pizzas on the limited soft opening menu were a Cajun Crawfish Pizza, a Buffalo Chicken Pizza, and a Shrimp & Andouille Pizza. But after informing my server that I was vegan, here's what we came up with.


It's a simple Vegetable Pizza with marinara, diced onion, diced tomato, and diced bell pepper. It may not be loaded with vegan cheese like a pizza I'd make at home, but sometimes, I enjoy a cheese-less pizza. The original Italian pizza napoletana is just made from dough with tomato sauce, oregano or basil, a little garlic, salt, and olive oil. And that's not much different from this pie. Plus, this was wood-fired, and the lack of cheese really allowed the delicious flatbread to shine.

Working with the chef and server may not work in every restaurant every time, but I'd guess that it works about 90 percent of the time. And when all else fails, there's typically always fries and salad. I wouldn't want to eat fries and salad every day, but I'm not lying when I say that I do enjoy that vegan desperation dinner from time to time.

What are your favorite ways to tweak non-vegan menus?

Pink Noodle Vegan Cuisine Pop-up

Y'all know my friend Cassi, right?


Well, this weekend, she was part of the MemSHOP program's Soulsville Saturday pop-up shop fest. MemSHOP is an initiative launched by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton's office to encourage aspiring indie business owners to open pop-up shops in up-and-coming neighborhoods. They offer marketing, advice, etc., and in return, the business owner gets to hold a one-day pop-up or be part of one of their longer six-month pop-up programs.

Soulsville Saturday is a pop-up fest, and would-be business owners get to operate for the day. Cassi applied for the program and was chosen. So on Saturday, she set up shop at the corner of Mississippi and Walker in Soulsville, a neighborhood made famous by the legendary Stax Records (now home of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music).


You may have read previous posts about Cassi's efforts to open a vegan restaurant called Pink Noodle. She's still working on it, but these things take time. So this was excellent branding and a great way for folks to get a sneak peek of her food. On Friday night, a group of friends (myself included) went over to Cassi's and helped her package and prep. So I knew what would be on the menu, but it was still so cool to see it all written out in chalk, pink of course.


I wanted to try everything, but I started with the Neyagawa Salad — romaine, pinto beans, chickpeas, brown rice, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and a homemade ginger dressing. This was so good, and surprisingly my favorite thing on the menu. For this, Cassi recreated the first salad she ate while visiting Japan earlier this year, hence the very Japanese-sounding name. I just loved the brown rice and artichokes with that dressing!


Next, I ordered the Spaghetti Squash with Tempeh. The sauce was a yummy marinara with crumbled tempeh "meat." Healthy and delicious. I love how you can eat a shit-ton of spaghetti squash for almost no calories compared to wheat pasta.


By this point, I was getting full. But I saved room for dessert. On Friday, one of the things I helped with was making chocolates. And I'd been waiting since then to try these Almond Butter Cups. They got a little melty in the heat even though Cassi was trying to keep them on ice as much as possible. So they're a little misshapen. But they tasted amazing!


She also had Quinoa Chocolates, Cookie Butter Chocolates, and Sea Salt Chocolates. I got some of the leftovers of those later, but I haven't eaten them yet.

And she had her famous Pantry Cookies made with almonds and coconut. I also got one of the leftover cookies to take home.


Before I left on Saturday to head to our Memphis gay pride parade, I grabbed a couple items to go since I knew I wouldn't have time to cook dinner. I got some Vegan Lasagna. It didn't plate so pretty, but it was ooey-gooey and delicious with vegan cheese, tofu ricotta, spinach, and mushrooms. I have a theory that good lasagna should never be pretty on a plate. If it looks like a perfect slice, it's probably dry and gross. Gooey-ness is a good lasagna requisite.


And I got some of her Spring Rolls made with rice noodles, bean sprouts, cabbage, and carrots. There was a soy dipping sauce on the side (not pictured).


Overall, it was a great day. Cassi exposed lots of non-vegans to delicious vegan food, and she got the Pink Noodle name out there some more. Team Pink Noodle!

Mason Jar Salad

I'm finally hopping on the mason jar salad bandwagon. Why has it taken me so long to catch on? I mean, I'm all about mason jars. Since my Granny cans, I have a pantry full of jars filled with all manner of preserved veggies, and after the veggies are eaten, I save the jars to store bulk grains, nuts, seeds, etc. I use mason jars as my water bottles with various-sized Cuppow lids. Omg, did you know they make Cuppow mason jar martini shaker lids now?

But for some reason, it took a new cookbook to finally get me turned on to the idea of stacking a salad in a mason jar and taking it to work for lunch.


Mason Jar Salads and More by Julia Mirabella is NOT a vegan cookbook. There are a number of vegan salads in the book, but other recipes call for cheese and meat. So if you're looking for a vegan mason jar salad book, this isn't it. Someone really ought to write one though! But the great thing about Mason Jar Salads is that most all the recipes are easily veganizable. Typically, when I see a non-vegan recipe, my brain instantly converts it to a vegan one.

Take for example, this Bulgur Wheat Salad from the book.


Chickpeas, red onion, cucumber, red bell pepper, bulgur, tomatoes, dill, and parsley are topped with feta in the book. But in my version, I subbed out tofu feta. And I made the tofu feta using a recipe in The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions. Basically, it's just tofu marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, fresh basil, and capers. It's delicious and probably way tastier than feta anyway.

At the very bottom of the jar, under all of those ingredients, is an easy Lemon Vinaigrette from the book —just olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. When you're ready to eat the salad, just give it a few shakes and dump into a bowl. Voila!


This was such a healthy and wholesome lunch. And somehow salad tastes better after it's been artfully stacked in a jar. Bonus: in keeping with my Mofo Pantry Raid theme, I finally got to use some of the bulgur that's been lurking in my pantry for ages. Also, Maynard was quite fond of the lemon vinaigrette, which I managed to spill on the counter.


There's a nice picture tutorial in the book on how to assemble a mason jar salad — dressing on bottom, hearty ingredients (like peas or beans) next, veggies above those, and salad greens on top so they don't get soggy. There are a number of mason jar salads in the book I can't wait to try — Corn and Blueberry Salad (with Lime Vinaigrette), Barley & Zucchini Salad, or the Spinach, Radish, & Quinoa Salad.

But the book is also filled with other recipes —non-salads — that can easily travel in a mason jar for lunch. One is Chicken & Vegetable Stir-fry, for which I'd sub out Beyond Meat vegan chicken strips. You make your stir-fry with fresh veggies using the recipe, and then you stack the fry on the bottom of the jar and the rice on top. There's a homemade Spicy Salsa that Julia recommends taking to work in a jar along with a separate jar of tortilla chips. She even covers breakfast with smoothies in jars — Banana & Almond Butter Smoothie, Blueberry Breakfast Smoothie, etc.

Now I just want to eat out of jars ALL THE TIME!

Come Dine With Us!

So my friend Stephanie (a.k.a. Poopie Bitch) is kind of obsessed with the British food reality show, Come Dine With Me. I'd never heard of it until she mentioned it recently, but on the show, four strangers each take turns hosting a three-course dinner party at their house for the four of them. After each dinner, the three guests who didn't host score the party on a scale of one to 10. The host with the highest score wins.

Stephanie got this crazy idea in her head to try a real-life vegan version of the show with a few friends. She tossed the idea out, and we discussed it over Facebook. When we started the discussion, we had five friends, so we planned to have five dinner parties. But Cassi isn't able to participate because of another exciting commitment. So now we're down to four — Stephanie, me, Pam, and Megan. Wait — let us take a selfie.


Since the rest of us hadn't seen the show before (it doesn't air in America), we had a "Dips 'n' Shit" snacky themed potluck tonight at Stephanie's and we watched one episode. Stephanie made the most AMAZING Chickpea Fries with Tahini Dipping Sauce.


And she put out some Bread with Herbed Olive Oil.


And Dolmas, Peppadews, and Olives.


I brought the low-oil Spinach and Artichoke Dip from Joni Newman and Gerrie L. Adams' new book, Going Vegan (more on this dip and this book in a full review post soon!).


Megan brought Vegan Pigs In Blankets.


Pam supplied the red wine. And Stephanie laid out a lovely dessert spread of international treats — Turkish Delight, Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs, Jordan Almonds, and Manner Hazelnut Wafers.


OMG, have y'all tried those Manner wafers? I think they're made in Austria, but Steph picked them up at an international market here. Imagine a wafer with Nutella cream that's vegan! Yes. I could have eaten all of those!

Anyway, we're launching our dinner party competition on October 8th. I'll post about each one, and we're hoping to have video (like a real reality show!) too. Expect cattiness, drama, and lots of "girl, no she didn't!"

"Pork" Chops & Applesauce - That's Swell!

Remember that episode of The Brady Bunch when Peter isn't happy with who he is, so he keeps trying on different characters? In one scene, he practices his best Humphrey Bogart impersonation and then he marches into the kitchen and asks Carol and Alice what's for dinner. They say "pork chops" and "applesauce," and then he repeats it —"Pork chops and applesauce. That's swell!" over and over.



That scene has stuck with me since I was a little kid watching The Brady Bunch reruns after school. I can't think about pork chops without thinking about applesauce. Well, it just so happened that last week, I had everything in my freezer and pantry to make a nice vegan pork chop dinner. And that's fantastic since, this Mofo, I'm trying to cook as much as possible using stuff I already have.


The pork chop is made from Match Meat Ground Pork Without the Pork, which I had in my freezer. I thawed it out, added some spices (garlic, onion, seasoned salt), coated in flour, and fried in oil. I also had applesauce (that I keep on hand for baking) in my pantry.

The mac & cheese is from a box — Earth Balance Vegan White Cheddar, which I stocked up on when it first came out. And the greens are rape greens that my Granny cooked down a few months ago and froze. I just thawed those out and added some more spices and hot sauce. Voila — a meal I didn't buy a thing for!

Celebrating Autumn with Lentils!

Today was the first day of fall! Well, some calendars said it was yesterday, and some say tomorrow. But mine says the equinox was today, so that's what I'm going by.

I have a love-hate relationship with fall. Love the changing leaves and the crisp air. Love pumpkin and Halloween/Samhain. Love my birthday (and all my other Libra friends' birthdays). Love Thanksgiving. Love Black Friday shopping with mom. Love my veganaversary. Love soups and chili and stews.

But I don't love winter. In fact, I HATE winter. I hate dead trees. I hate the cold. I hate the ice storms. I hate layers and coats and boots and basically any article of clothing that isn't a tee-shirt or flip-flops. And fall always feels like a prelude to the winter. But I'm trying hard to look at fall as it's own fabulous season rather than something good than comes before something bad. I just need to live in the now, man.

Anyway, I celebrated the Autumn Equinox (or Mabon in the Earth religions) with a lovely dinner of Autumn Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Kale and Pita Bread.


In keeping with my Mofo Pantry Raid theme, most of the ingredients in this dish — except for the fresh sweet potato, kale, and cilantro — came from my pantry or freezer. I had some leftover pita bread in my freezer. And a couple months back, the fine folks at Pereg Gourmet Natural Foods sent me several of their dried beans and legumes to sample and review. When I saw this bag of Pereg Autumn Blend Heirloom Lentils , I knew I'd be saving this for the first day of fall.


The mix is made with brown lentils, yellow petit peas, split orange lentils, and yellow split peas. It looks just gorgeous in the bag, like changing leaves on a tree in autumn. And they cooked up great! I loved how the brown lentils stayed firm and the split peas and orange lentils did that mushy thing that red lentils do. I got the recipe — a simple dish made with seasonal produce, cumin, and allspice — from the back of the lentil bag. But it's also here on the Pereg website. Not in the recipe, but I added sliced jalapenos to mine while cooking for a little spice.

The recipe says to serve with pita and raw veggies. So I chose to serve it Egyptian ful-style with raw tomato and onion. I spread the pita bread with Viana Onion Butter and dipped it into the lentil dish.


Hope you have a lovely autumn! I'm gonna try to live in the present and enjoy it.