Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 218

This Beer Tastes Like Doughnuts

Remember when I went to Portland in May for Vida Vegan Con and bought a box of 13 vegan Voodoo Doughnuts to enjoy over the course of five days — all by myself? And I failed. I probably left four doughnuts in the box at my friend Joel's house when I left for my flight at 5 a.m. on the last day.



I let myself down with that failure to eat 13 doughnuts in five days. I love doughnuts more than just about any other food on earth (okay, I probably love ramen and pizza just a little more). I'm still mad that I wasted those last remaining doughnuts, especially since goddess only knows how long it will be before I can have Voodoo Doughnuts again.

But there is hope, my friends. Hope for a brighter jelly-stuffed, doughnut-filled future. Why is that? Well, my favorite dessert and my favorite beverage (beer) just had a baby, and the Memphis Cash Saver (home of the best/cheapest craft beer selection in Midtown) has plenty in stock. Introducing Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Beer!


Yes, you read that right. It's Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Banana Ale! And Cash Saver has a whole cooler devoted to it. It's almost Elvis Week in Memphis, and Elvis loved his PB & 'Nanner Sandwiches.


The beer doesn't taste exactly like a doughnut. You'll need 360 Glazed Doughnuts Vodka for that (and yes, that stuff tastes EXACTLY like the fried sugary pastries). But the notes of chocolate and banana shine in this stout. The peanut butter flavor is more subtle, but it's there. I found that I tasted the peanut butter more in the aftertaste. And it also smells lightly of PB.

Like all Rogue beer, this stuff is damn delicious. It's no Voodoo Doughnut, but it's the closest thing I can get to one in Memphis. Maybe if I drink enough of this, I can stop feeling like a doughnut failure.

Vegan Food for Your Next Kegger

You know how there are some cookbook authors you just wanna be besties with? You read their recipe intros, titles, and snarky instructions and you think, "We were meant to be friends." That's how I feel about Alex Brown and Evan George, authors of the Hot Knives food blog and the bros behind the new full-color, photo-heavy party food book, Lust for Leaf: Veggie Crowd-Pleasers To Fuel Your Picnics, Potlucks, and Ragers.

I've always been one of those girls who'd rather hang out with the dudes and drink beer than do some girly stuff like shopping or pedicures. And I'm fairly certain Alex and George can throw a hell of a party. Kegstand anyone? Their new cookbook Lust for Leaf is filled with vegan party foods that will impress the shit out of your guests. Now, I should tell y'all now that this is a vegetarian cookbook, not a vegan one. So there are some cheesy recipes. But all vegan recipes are labeled with a big ole "V," and there are many, many mouthwatering vegan recipes. So many, in fact, that I had a hard time deciding what to try first.

But being the Dirty South girl that I am, I finally settled on these Oyster Po'Boys:


These are beer-battered, double-fried oyster mushrooms on a bed of shredded cabbage, topped with Radish Remoulade, hot sauce, and tucked into a two slices of soft French bread. This was amazing! You don't just fry the oyster mushrooms once, but TWICE! And there's a little note on the side of the recipe that says this: "Do you really need to saute AND fry these fuckers twice? Oh yes you do." So on that note, I did. And it was worth it. Frying twice made these little mushrooms so crispy. I've never had real oysters, but I'd imagine they'd be similar to this.

Oh, and that remoulade is homemade! The recipe is in the book. But it's basically Vegenaise, radishes, and chives, and it has an awesome pink hue.

Also, each recipe comes with a suggested adult beverage and a suggested song. This one should be served with Brewdog's "Tokyo" (an aged oak stout) while you listen to "Rebel, Rebel" by David Bowie.

Since this was a fairly fatty sandwich, I opted for a really healthy side. I made the Summer Sweater salad dressing:


Paul and I grow our own habaneros, and this salad dressing calls for two. Plus, it also has garlic, scallions, fresh oregano, orange zest, and oil. The habaneros are toasted, which takes some of the intense heat away. But it's still a tad spicy. Quite possibly the best salad dressing ever.

Lust for Leaf makes me want to throw a wild and crazy party. I can just see the menu now: Kaleslaw (kale salad with a lemon verbana-Dijon dressing), Awesome Blossoms (vegan potato-stuffed squash blossoms with a creamy sauce), Backpack Banh Mi (seitan banh mi sandwiches with homemade pickles), Kill Your Idols Cornbread, Falafel Salad, Artichoke Hummus, and HK Hot Dogs (homemade vegan hot dogs!).

There are plenty of vegan desserts in here too — Strawberry Hibiscus Sorbet, HK Vanilla Wafers, Spiced Pecan Pie. And my personal fave — Booze Holes!!!!!! Yep, vegan doughnut holes made with nuts and alcohol. I'll definitely make these for my next potluck!

Bowls Are Better Than Plates

Who doesn't love protein, grains, veggies, and sauce layered in a bowl? The same meal on a plate just isn't the same. Maybe that's a vegan thing. I don't know. But vegans love bowls.

There are endless combination possibilities — black beans and rice, tofu and quinoa, tempeh and farro. You can totally go crazy! Since I tend to hoard dry beans and grains, bowls are perfect for those nights when I really need to save some money and use up the food in my overflowing pantry. That's how I dreamed up this Chickpea-Amaranth-Squash Bowl with Tahini Sauce and Avocado:


I had some dried chickpeas in the pantry, so I soaked and cooked those. I had a brand new bag of Bob's Red Mill Amaranth that came in my swag bag at Vida Vegan Con. I found the summer squash and 8-ball zucchini at the Memphis Farmers Market. And my pantry is never without tahini, so I made the Creamy Tahini Sauce from Cookin' Crunk (the recipe for that is at the end of this post in case you don't have my book).

Here's the recipe!

Chickpea-Amaranth-Squash Bowl with Tahini Sauce and Avocado
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1/2 cup cooked amaranth (cooked according to package instructions)
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup steamed summer squash or zucchini
2 Tbsp. Creamy Tahini Sauce from Cookin' Crunk (recipe below)
Soy sauce, to taste
1/2 avocado, sliced
Sriracha, to taste

In a deep bowl, layer the amaranth, chickpeas, and squash. Top with tahini sauce and as much soy sauce as desired. Top with avocado slices. Season liberally with sriracha.



Creamy Tahini Sauce (from Cookin' Crunk)
---------------------------------------------------------
1/3 cup roasted sesame tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Water, to thin

Place the tahini, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, sesame oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, and garlic powder into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir well to incorporate. If the tahini seems too thick, you might want to mix the ingredients in a food processor or blender. If using this as a creamy topping, you may want to thin it out with a little water. Add a few tablespoons at a time to the blender or bowl and incorporate until desired consistency is reached.

Crunchy Onion Crunkness

I can't believe I used to hate onions. When I was a little kid, I wouldn't come within ten feet of a dish cooked with onions. My mom would have to make two separate versions of many of her dishes, leaving the onions out of mine. Of course, sometimes she'd chop 'em up really small and try to sneak them in. But she didn't come clean with that until I started liking onions years later.

I don't know when the change happened. But I know that I adore onions now — caramelized, sauteed, fried in rings, and even raw. I like onions all kinds of ways. But you wanna know my favorite way? French fried!! Like green bean casserole onion topper style!

The people at Loeb's Onion Crunch asked if I'd like to review their Original Roasted flavor of crunchy onion topping. Of course I said yes!

This stuff is all-natural and vegan. There's even a cute little "V" on the label. Of course, it's marketed to a wider non-vegan audience so the packaging suggests using Onion Crunch on steaks, eggs, and fish as well as a topping for hummus, soups, and vegetables. But I love it when non-vegan companies put the "V" on their stuff! It makes it easier for vegans to figure out if the product is safe, and it spreads the message to omnis that vegan food is accessible and tasty.

I've tried Onion Crunch in a few ways so far. First, I sprinkled it on some Sauteed Kale with Garlic and Mirin. Loved the crunch and deep oniony flavor.


I'm of the opinion that a salad isn't a proper salad without sufficient crunchy toppings (bacony bits, vegan croutons, sunflower seeds, etc.). Onion Crunch completed this Big Ass Dinner Salad topped with vegan ranch and peppered with vegan ham.


Now I try to cook all of my veggies from scratch, but some days, I just don't have time. Some days, I eat veggies from a can. But canned veggies need a little extra TLC to make them taste delicious. Onion Crunch (plus a little Vegeta all-purpose seasoning) took these canned green beans from meh to super yummy.


I still haven't tried Onion Crunch on a vegan hot dog, but they're having a contest right now on their Facebook page and if you send Onion Crunch a picture of your hot dog topped with their fried onions, you can be entered to win a $100 gift card to the grocery store of your choice. Click here for more info.

Memphis Vegan Drinks! Our First Meetup!

I've been wanting to form a Memphis Vegan Drinks for well over a year. We have a pretty active vegetarian social club, Food Awareness, but we typically meet for leisurely lunches on Saturdays. I wanted to jump on the Drinks bandwagon and gather some vegans for booze and happy hour fun!

So after months of procrastinating (and being re-inspired by Super Vegan and New York Vegan Drinks founder Jason Das at Vida Vegan Con), I finally scheduled a meet-up. I plan to move the meeting around to various vegan-friendly bars. But I knew I just had to host the first one at my favorite Mexican/hot dog joint, Chiwawa!

Okay, I'll admit that part of the reason I picked this place is because they have a vegan hot dog named after me. But that wasn't the only reason. They have several vegan menu items and, perhaps most importantly, they have Adult Snow Cones (yes, that means snow cones spiked with booze). Ashley ordered one! Not sure what flavor this was one was.


I was so amazed at the crowd that came out for this. We had about 20 people at the first meeting!!! Here's a crowd shot early on, but more people poured in as the evening wore on. Oh yea, by the way, Chiwawa also has an amazing patio!


Here's me and Barbara.


And here's Autumn, Vaughan, and Nicole.


Stephanie and Richard brought their kid Peter. And Stephanie even let little Peter take the last little sip from her cocktail. Even the kids get drunk at our Vegan Drinks! Don't worry — she's a good mom, I swear. The glass was actually empty.


Stephanie ordered a Bianca Dog, which typically comes dressed with vegan slaw and a black bean spread on a pretzel bun. But since she was sharing with her kid, she had the slaw and beans on the side. I wish I'd taken a picture of someone else's fully dressed Bianca Dog since lots were ordered at our table. But I got so busy chatting that I forgot!


And let's not forget Cassi. Here she is with a plate of Papas and Chipotle Ketchup and a Sangria.

 
Leslie ordered the Pickled Veggies.

Here's a close-up of those Pickled Veggies. I was surprised to see corn in there!


I started the night with an Abita Strawgator — a mix of Abita Andygator and their strawberry ale. So summery!


Then I switched to a Michelada, which appeared vegan on the menu (sometimes they contain Worcestershire sauce). It was made with Pacifico beer, tomato juice, lime juice, and habanero hot sauce.


Since Chiwawa opened, I've had plenty of Bianca Dogs! So I wanted to try something new tonight. I went with the Aftershroom Delight Taco — oyster mushrooms, corn smut (that's corn fungus ... like a mushroom!), and corn. Corn smut sounded weird and gross, but I was willing to try it. And it was surprisingly tasty. I couldn't tell much difference between the corn smut and the oyster mushrooms.

 
I also ordered Chips and Salsa for the table. Chiwawa's homemade tortilla chips are ridiculously good, and the salsa is garlicky and just the right consistancy.
 
Here's Shay lookin' lovely with a classic Margarita. You can never go wrong with a margarita.

Some folks ordered the Jicama, Mango, and Cucumber Fries with Chili-Lime Salt. I didn't try one, but they looked healthy and lovely.
 
Our first Memphis Vegan Drinks was a huge success. I'm only a little sad that I didn't do this sooner! We plan to switch bars each month, but we'll likely end up back at Chiwawa in a few months. If you're in Memphis and want to join us, we'll be at 3 Angels Diner on Tuesday, August 27th at 5:30 p.m. Hope to see you then!

Lazy Bubble Tea!

I was flipping through the latest issue of VegNews — The Burger Issue (August 2013) — when I came across Hannah Kaminsky's feature on homemade bubble tea. And that's when I realized that I haven't had bubble tea in way too long, like at least two years, maybe longer.

There's a Vietnamese joint — Pho Vietnam — across from my street that supposedly has bubble tea. But I'm not sure of the vegan options, so I've never checked it out. I typically get my vegan boba fix from Mr. Chang's Bubble Tea in Cordova, but that's a good 25-minute drive from Midtown. And why buy overpriced bubble tea when I can make my own, right?

So I put down the magazine and drove down the street to the Viet Hoa Grocery. They had bags of instant boba (tapioca pearls) for $2.99. Of course, when I bought the pearls, I didn't notice they were the instant kind. So I used these to make Hannah's recipe, which calls for allowing the pearls to soak in water for 15 minutes. Oops. My pearls turned to mush.

And then I read the package — "5 minute boba"! Ahhhh. So I made some more following the directions on the package. Look at these fun colors!!


Then I mixed some coconut milk and Blue Lotus Chai instant powder in the blender with a few ice cubes and a touch of agave. Voila, instant chai bubble tea.


Lazy Chai Bubble Tea
----------------------------
1/3 cup instant tapioca pearls
4 cups water
8 ounces plant milk
1 serving scoop of instant chai tea powder
1 Tbsp. agave
Ice Cubes

Place the tapioca pearls and water in a pot with a lid. Bring the water to a boil and boil until pearls are slightly soft but still a little chewy (about 5-7 minutes). Turn off the heat and cover for 5 minutes.

Blend milk, chai powder, agave, and ice cubes in a blender.

Pour the tapioca into a colander and rinse with cold water until pearls are cool. Pour them into a glass. Pour chai tea over the bubbles. Enjoy with a thick boba straw (available at Asian markets).

Picnicking & Swimming in Mississippi

My home in Memphis is hundreds of miles away the ocean, but there's a beach just a short drive down I-55 into Mississippi at Sardis Lake. Sardis and John W Kyle State Park is about 45 minutes south of Memphis. There's plenty of room for picnicking, and there's a quaint beach on the bank of Sardis Lake.


My partner Paul and my friends Andy and Jordan went down to Sardis today for a little summer swim and picnic.

Me & Paul


Andy & Jordan
Each of us packed our own lunches. Paul had chips and crackers (he lives on snacks). Andy and Jordan had meat sandwiches and chips. And I made a big ole spread just for me (but Paul ate some of my bread). I picked up this locally baked Rosemary & Olive Oil Cucina Bread from the Memphis Farmers Market on Saturday morning. It was so fresh and soft, and the rosemary flavor was delicate.


I brought along some Viana Wild Herbs Sunflower Spread for my bread. I won eight jars of these Viana spreads at the Galarama silent auction for the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in Portland during Vida Vegan Con. These spreads, most of which are sunflower-based, are delectable.


I also brought along some Smart Deli Baked Ham Style Slices and some Daiya Swiss Style Slices to eat with my bread.


My favorite picnic fare always involved a good artisan bread, vegan cheese, a vegan meat, and grapes! I found these local Table Grapes (that's how they were labeled) from the Whitton Farms folks at the Memphis Farmers Market on Saturday.


And wine is a must. You can't have a picnic without wine. You simply can't. Unfortunately, Sardis Lake is in a "dry" area, which means no booze is allowed. If the park rangers catch you with alcohol, you have to pour it out or they'll ticket you. But we were slick about it. We kept the wine bottle in the cooler and poured our organic, vegan Orleans Hill Alexandria white in cups. We never even spotted a park ranger, so no biggie. Breaking the rules is fun. Just don't get caught.

After lunch, we spent about an hour swimming in the muddy lake and sunning on the beach. It was a nice little day-trip getaway. I wish summer would last forever.

Vegan Food Is Sexy!

Aimee Hughes, yoga devotee and blogger over at The Sexy Vegan Kitchen, has a new cookbook! And it's all about foods that can enhance your love (and sex) life.

The Sexy Vegan Kitchen (her book has the same name as her blog) is filled with wholesome, mostly raw recipes (but there are some cooked recipes too), each containing what Aimee calls the "sexy players" or aphrodisiac foods. Bet you didn't know that celery, dates, strawberries, bananas, sea veggies, and a host of other common plant foods are believed to be able to help you in the bedroom. Yep.

I picked two recipes from the book to try. One was the Slinky Kelp Salad.


Since kelp is a sea veggie, it's the "sexy player" in this recipe. Sea veggies are believed to help produce sex hormones.

I'd picked up some kelp noodles at the Rainbow Co-op in Jackson, Mississippi last time I was passing through. I've never seen them for sale in Memphis, but I'd long wanted to try them. I don't like most sea veggies aside from a little nori on my veggie sushi. And dulse is okay. But kelp powder? Blech. I was worried that, like kelp powder, kelp noodles might be too fishy, but nope! They're actually flavorless! And they have a delightful soft-chewy texture.

Aimee's recipe adds plenty of flavor though with sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger, onion, jalapeno, and carrot. It was supposed to have scallions too, but I forgot to buy them. The best part about kelp noodles and this recipe? Low-cal as hell! Only 110 calories in the WHOLE recipe, and it makes two to four servings. I ate half the recipe in one sitting.

The other recipe I tried was the Soulful Cucumber Slaw with Cashew Dressing.

 
This was awesome! Raw, blended cashews mixed with oil (I used less than the recipe called for), garlic, and lemon made for a very creamy dressing for the chopped local English cucumbers, grated carrots, celery, and raisins.

The celery was the "sexy player" here since celery produces apigenin in the body, which is responsible for dilating blood vessels in the you-know-where area. Uh-huh.

Both of these recipes came from the chapter on salads, but the book also has chapters dedicated to appetizers (called foreplay in the book), smoothies and juices, soups, grains (yay, cooked food!), desserts (a mixture of raw desserts and wholesome baked goods), elixirs (yes, there are cocktails!), and travel snacks.

I've bookmarked a ton of recipes to try soon, but the Avocado Cacao Cake of Adonis is definitely way up the list. I love that name, and it's a gluten-free cake made with avocado! I also hope to try the Killing Me Softly Kale Chips, Beautiful Biriyani (a cooked dish), Strawberry Oatmeal (also cooked), and the Date Muffins (because I LOVE dates so much I want to marry them).

If you're looking to spice up your love life or just looking for a great balanced book of super healthy raw and cooked vegan foods, The Sexy Vegan Cookbook is your man. Or woman. Or whatever you're into.

Vegan Mushroom Bacon Swiss Burger!

This is one of those posts when I give you a recipe! But it's not really a recipe. It's like a semi-homemade, lazy-ass recipe. But it's tasty. I promise.

It all started when I spied the new Daiya Swiss Style Slices at Whole Foods. I'd been eagerly awaiting the new Daiya products (slices, cream cheese, and frozen pizzas) for months, and every time I went to Whole Foods, I'd look to see if they were stocked. As soon as I spotted the Swiss slices, I threw some in my cart.

I made a few vegan Swiss and ham sandwiches right away using Smart Deli Baked Ham Style Slices. This stuff is awesome. It really tastes like Swiss! There's a slight sweetness to it, but it's a good sweetness. Anyway, there are 11 slices of Swiss in each package, so what to do next? Mushroom Bacon Swiss Burgers, of course!


I used Gardein Beefless Burgers (the best packaged veggie burgers ever), Daiya Swiss slices, Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon, Roasted Garlic Vegenaise, and some mushrooms sauteed with paprika and garlic salt. And it's all on a Food for Life Ezekial 4:9 Sesame Bun.

OMG.

This was amazing. Sure, it's loaded with processed stuff. But hey, that processed stuff is still vegan, and that means it's free of cholesterol and low in artery-clogging saturated fats. And I'm okay with that. I had some homemade slow-roasted garlic tater wedges on the side.

Here's the lazy recipe. You can use whatever burger, mayo, bacon sub, or buns that you want.


Vegan Mushroom Bacon Swiss Burger
-----------------------------------------------
1 tsp. olive oil
8 ounce package sliced button mushrooms
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
4 vegan burger patties
4 slices Daiya Swiss Style Slices
2 Tbsp. vegan mayo
1/4 cup coconut bacon OR 1/4 cup crumbled vegan bacon
4 vegan hamburger buns

Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the mushroom slices, paprika, and garlic salt. Stir and saute for 7 to 10 minutes until mushrooms have cooked down and are soft.

Heat the burger patties in a skillet according to package directions. When the burger is cooked through on one side, flip and top with slices of Swiss. Place a lid or some type of cover over the skillet for a few seconds to allow the cheese to melt better.

To assemble, spread the mayo on the top halves of buns. Sprinkle the bacon over the mayo. Place the cooked burgers with cheese on the bottom halves of buns. Top with 1/4 cup mushrooms and top half of bun. Eat.

Kombucha Shirts!

About a month ago, I was contacted by Shango Los, designer of Shangobrand tee-shirts for the homesteading enthusiast. He'd seen my tutorial post on brewing kombucha, and he about wanted to let me know about a design in his shop that I might like.


It's a kombucha tee! I had to have it! I've been brewing my own 'booch since December, and I've always got a batch fermenting on the shelf and a ready-to-drink batch in the fridge. I'm constantly learning new ways to flavor my kombucha, and just last month, I started bottling my brew in re-purposed Grolsh bottles. Anyway, I paid the $20 plus shipping and a few days later, my tee arrived in the mail.

I wanted to share these tees with y'all, because I know some of my readers are 'booch brewers too. And Shango also offers some other fun designs. There's a Vegan Farmer tee (surely, there are some vegan farmers or gardeners out there!) and kid's tee that reads "Microgreen." How cute is that?!

Anyway, check out Shango's tees. They're printed on American Apparel tees, so that means sweatshop-free. Not to mention that American Apparel tees are the best-fitting, most comfy tees out there.