Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 221

Only Kale Can Save Us Now

I have a silly confession. When I was asked to participate in the blog tour for the new kale cookbook, Kale: The Complete Guide to the World's Most Powerful Superfood, I assumed Kale was a vegan cookbook. In the back of my mind somewhere, I kinda thought only vegans ate kale. Yes, writing that down makes it sound even sillier.

But I didn't know what kale was until going vegan. Growing up in the South, we had turnip greens and rape greens but never kale. Maybe some Southerners did. But not me. Now I proudly carry my Herbivore "Only Kale Can Save Us Now" hot pink tote, and I eat the green stuff at least once a week.

Imagine my surprise when the book came in the mail and there were meat recipes in it! In a way, I'm sort of pleased to know that everyone likes kale! It's not just for vegans! This new cookbook may not be all vegan or even all vegetarian, but there are a number of vegan kale recipes and plenty that can be easily veganized.

The book opens with a chapter on all the amazing nutrients in kale and what they do for the body. I had no idea kale had so much awesomeness — vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, B9, E, C, K and other cool stuff like fiber, protein, and omega-3s.

Like I said, the book has lots of veganizable options. I was able to veganize this Cannelini-Butternut-Kale Stew in one step — swapping the chicken broth for veggie broth.


This hearty, healthy stew is clean food that I feel good about eating. You know I love my junk food, but whole foods like this make me feel good about myself and my eating choices.

Most of the stews and soups can be veganized by using veggie broth. Several of the dips are naturally vegan, like the Garlicky Kale & Spinach Dip (made with pine nuts and balsamic vinegar) or the Hearty Winter Salad (kale, potatoes, tahini, lemon juice). But watch out for meaty recipes, like the Kale Meat Pies (eeek!) or the Garbanzo Kale Soup (it has chorizo in it!). But you could always sub vegan chorizo.

The vegan recipes aren't clearly marked, so you'll have to do some hunting. But there are plenty in there. And a couple do have "vegan" in the title, like the Vegan Cocoa Kale Cupcakes (yes, kale in cupcakes ... I almost made these) and the Vegan Juicer Pulp Muffins.

If you're looking for a great gift for an omni who wants to eat a little healthier, Kale is it. And if you're an adventurous vegan who loves to veganize everything, you'll probably get a kick out of this book too.

Bluff City Vegan Eats: Two Vegan Sistas

Quick announcement: In just a couple of days, Memphis will celebrate its second annual Plant-Based Food Fest!! Stop by Overton Park on Friday (9 a.m.-8 p.m.), Saturday (11 a.m.-8 p.m.), or Sunday (11 a.m.-8 p.m.) to see food demos, speakers, vendors, and all kinds of awesomeness! I'll be doing a food demo at noon on Saturday!

You know your city has arrived when there are numerous options for raw vegan meals. Memphis may have a reputation as a meaty, BBQ pork-infested Southern city, but we're also becoming quite the little vegan-friendly hub. In the past two years, five (count 'em, FIVE) vegan cafes and food delivery services have started offering raw meals. There's Balewa's Vegan Gourmet (a full-service raw cafe), Raw Girls Memphis (a raw food delivery service), Cosmic Coconut (a juice and smoothie bar with a few raw snacks), Loveshack (a juice and smoothie bar). And that's not even counting everyone's favorite Memphis un-raw, comfort food cafe Imagine Vegan Cafe.

And then there's Two Vegan Sistas , a raw food delivery service responsible for the world's best vegan chicken salad. Two Vegan Sistas offers salads, BBQ nutmeat, raw vegan sushi, flax crackers, and lots of amazing raw desserts (hello, raw vegan Oreos!!).

They also have a few cooked dishes, like quinoa stir-fry, spaghetti, couscous, and baked sweet potato fries.  

It's not a restaurant, so all food is either delivered or picked up from their kitchen on Madison Avenue. And you have to order one day in advance, so can't be a spur-of-the-moment thing. But since I plan my meals by the week, that's no problem for me.

A couple weeks ago, I bought a Groupon for Two Vegan Sistas, so I ordered $20 worth of food to try. Bretta of Two Vegan Sistas used to work with Balewa at his cafe, and I tried a few of her dishes before. This Mock Chicken Salad was always my favorite thing to order at Balewa's, so I knew I had to get a large order of this.


It's made with cashews, onions, and spices, and it really tastes like chicken salad. The large size order fills a whole takeout box, so it's enough for at least four meals if used as a spread. I spread mine on some slices of Ezekiel bread.

I also ordered the Raw Falafel Plate.


 This is another nut-based dish. The falafel spread is made with sunflower seeds, herbs, and spices. And rather than serving it in falafel-shaped balls, the spread is served on a wrap. And it comes with a tasty side salad.

With all those nut-based dishes, I figured I'd better order a salad for balance. I tried to order the corn salad, but they were all out. So I ordered the Complete Meal Salad instead.


This has spiralized zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and nori. And it's served with a "honey" mustard style dressing. One thing to note: The salad comes all mixed together, so it's best to eat this right away. The tomato juice tends to soak into the lettuce, so it doesn't keep well. I'd planned to save this for the next day, but it was a bit soggy by day two.

I also REALLY wanted to try the Raw Oreo, but they were out of those too. So I "settled" for a delicious Live Fruit Pie.


Wow! Just wow. These two vegan sistas know how to make an amazing raw dessert. There's a nut-based crust topped with fresh strawberries and apples. There may have been oats on there too. But it was really yummy. I didn't even miss the Oreo.

To place an order, call 2 Vegan Sistas at 1-800-984-0379. Here's the menu. And remember, they are closed on Saturdays.

Bluff City Vegan Eats: 2 Vegan Sistas

Quick announcement: In just a couple of days, Memphis will celebrate its second annual Plant-Based Food Fest!! Stop by Overton Park on Friday (9 a.m.-8 p.m.), Saturday (11 a.m.-8 p.m.), or Sunday (11 a.m.-8 p.m.) to see food demos, speakers, vendors, and all kinds of awesomeness! I'll be doing a food demo at noon on Saturday!

You know your city has arrived when there are numerous options for raw vegan meals. Memphis may have a reputation as a meaty, BBQ pork-infested Southern city, but we're also becoming quite the little vegan-friendly hub. In the past two years, five (count 'em, FIVE) vegan cafes and food delivery services have started offering raw meals. There's Balewa's Vegan Gourmet (a full-service raw cafe), Raw Girls Memphis (a raw food delivery service), Cosmic Coconut (a juice and smoothie bar with a few raw snacks), Loveshack (a juice and smoothie bar). And that's not even counting everyone's favorite Memphis un-raw, comfort food cafe Imagine Vegan Cafe.

And then there's 2 Vegan Sistas , a raw food delivery service responsible for the world's best vegan chicken salad. 2 Vegan Sistas offers salads, BBQ nutmeat, raw vegan sushi, flax crackers, and lots of amazing raw desserts (hello, raw vegan Oreos!!).

They also have a few cooked dishes, like quinoa stir-fry, spaghetti, couscous, and baked sweet potato fries.  

It's not a restaurant, so all food is either delivered or picked up from their kitchen on Madison Avenue. And you have to order one day in advance, so can't be a spur-of-the-moment thing. But since I plan my meals by the week, that's no problem for me.

A couple weeks ago, I bought a Groupon for 2 Vegan Sistas, so I ordered $20 worth of food to try. Bretta of 2 Vegan Sistas used to work with Balewa at his cafe, and I tried a few of her dishes before. This Mock Chicken Salad was always my favorite thing to order at Balewa's, so I knew I had to get a large order of this.


It's made with cashews, onions, and spices, and it really tastes like chicken salad. The large size order fills a whole takeout box, so it's enough for at least four meals if used as a spread. I spread mine on some slices of Ezekiel bread.

I also ordered the Raw Falafel Plate.


 This is another nut-based dish. The falafel spread is made with sunflower seeds, herbs, and spices. And rather than serving it in falafel-shaped balls, the spread is served on a wrap. And it comes with a tasty side salad.

With all those nut-based dishes, I figured I'd better order a salad for balance. I tried to order the corn salad, but they were all out. So I ordered the Complete Meal Salad instead.


This has spiralized zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and nori. And it's served with a "honey" mustard style dressing. One thing to note: The salad comes all mixed together, so it's best to eat this right away. The tomato juice tends to soak into the lettuce, so it doesn't keep well. I'd planned to save this for the next day, but it was a bit soggy by day two.

I also REALLY wanted to try the Raw Oreo, but they were out of those too. So I "settled" for a delicious Live Fruit Pie.


Wow! Just wow. These two vegan sistas know how to make an amazing raw dessert. There's a nut-based crust topped with fresh strawberries and apples. There may have been oats on there too. But it was really yummy. I didn't even miss the Oreo.

To place an order, call 2 Vegan Sistas at 1-800-984-0379. Here's the menu. And remember, they are closed on Saturdays.

Eating the Alkaline Way

Ever since I first read up on alkaline diets while on the Crazy Sexy Diet cleanse two years ago, I've been off and on obsessed with trying to eat as many alkaline foods each day as possible. Of course, I go through plenty of vegan junk food phases. But when I'm trying to get back in line, I reach for alkaline-forming veggies and fruits.

Alkaline food is easier than acidic food on the digestive system since it matches the pH of the blood. And it's believed that cancer cannot live in an alkaline environment, so the more fresh veggies and fruits you're eating, the better. Of course, it's all about balance. Acidic foods, like beans, nuts, and wine, have health benefits too. But it's all about the balance.

And balance is what Eating the Alkaline Way by Nastasha Corrett and Vicki Edgson is all about. This vegetarian cookbook (it's not totally vegan) kicks off with helpful articles and charts listing alkaline foods and acidic foods. There's a great piece on kicking bad habits, and there's even an "Honestly Healthy Cleanse" readers can follow with meal plans and lists of foods to avoid for the entirety of the cleanse (it ranges from 5 days to 3 weeks, depending on your preference).

But the best part of this book are the recipes! The book is full-color and loaded with gorgeous photos of fresh juices, raw summer spring rolls (with nori wraps), eggplant and pesto rolls, avocado mango dill salad, and butternut squash risotto (made with brown rice). After much deliberation, I finally settled on trying the Mixed Vegetable & Soybean Hotpot.


That's a miso soup with butternut squash (substituted for pumpkin in the recipe), carrots, potatoes, zucchini, bell pepper, and cubed tofu. It was light and refreshing, and I just felt so darn healthy eating it. I have to admit that I did add more tofu than the recipe called for. Tofu is closer to the middle on the alkaline scale, but it's not as acidic as say, sunflower seeds or rice.

There are so many more recipes in this book I want to make. And although they aren't all vegan, most are easily veganizable. Some call for goat cheese or feta as a topping. But that can be left off without affecting the dish (and in my opinion, leaving those nasty things out make it so much better for you and better-tasting).

Even desserts can be alkaline! There are recipes for raw mango coconut balls, raw chocolate mousse, and chocolate superfood ganache!

Veganaroo!!

This was my fourth year shooting concert pics at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee for my newspaper, The Memphis Flyer.

Each year, my friend and fellow reporter Shara Clark and I camp out in the media area (which is way nicer than the overpopulated and wild general camping grounds) and attend show after show in the blazing hot sun. She writes. I shoot. That means I get to stand in the photo pit right in front of the stage for the first three songs of most shows. Then they kick us out into the crowd. Basically, I have the best job ever.

This year's fest featured another amazing lineup — Bjork, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Purity Ring, Wu-Tang Clan, Big K.R.I.T, A$AP Rocky, Billy Idol, R. Kelly, Passion Pit, Pretty Lights, Porter Robinson, Weird Al Yankovic, comedian Bob Saget, and a horde of new indie and hip-hop acts I've never even heard of. And even though I could care less, Paul McCartney (yes, I hate the Beatles, but I do love all he does for vegetarianism), Tom Petty (yes, I hate his music), and The Lumineers (not into it, but people seem to like them) were there too.

I got some GREAT shots of the bands, and I'll share a pic from my fave performance of the weekend in a few. But you're here for food, not music. And luckily, Bonnaroo is VERY vegan-friendly. Most every food vendor has a vegan option. When 80,000 hippies gather for a weekend fest, you'd better believe vegan options are a must. I ate some meals at my campsite to save money (oats, instant ramen, and peanut butter and jelly wraps). But I also enjoyed lots of delicious vegan festie food.

We arrived at the festival on Thursday afternoon. Even though I had a snack at the campsite before heading to Centeroo (where the action happens), I was hungry again after we watched Purity Ring.  These Veggie Samosas with Dal were only $2 each!


On Friday, I ventured out in search of dinner after shooting Passion Pit. I'd heard about a BBQ tempeh vendor, but while searching for that place, I ran across Feel Good Foods, which had BBQ Soy Curls & Black Beans! Um, yes, please. Soy Curls > Tempeh.


It's easy to get overheated at Bonnaroo, especially when you're trying to drink beer and balance your water intake. There's very little shade in Centeroo, and the average daytime temp this year was 90 degrees. While wandering around Centeroo on Saturday, I started to feel a little crappy. Then I spotted one of the many Bonnaroo smoothie vendors. These are peppered all over Centeroo.


I had a Coconut-Strawberry-Banana Smoothie, and I instantly felt better.


Later on Saturday, hunger struck while we were watching Bjork's magical show. I hated to leave, so I stuck to the vendors close by where I could still hear her as I ordered this Tofu Bhan Mi. This was amazing — fried tofu, cilantro, crusty bread, and homemade plum sauce.


Bonnaroo goes all nearly all night with bands and DJs playing until the wee hours of the morning. I used to stay up until sunrise when we first started going, but I'm getting old, and I don't typically make it past 2 a.m. But that's still pretty late, definitely late enough to justify a fourth meal. I had this Channa Masala (forgive the crappy poorly lit shot) around 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning.


Even though we left on Sunday afternoon, it was my favorite day! Why? Because Macklemore & Ryan Lewis played, and I LOVE them more than anything ever. If "Thrift Shop" is the only Macklemore song you know, I challenge you to listen to his other stuff. He has plenty of funny songs, but he also raps the truth on so many important issues — LGBT equality, anti-consumerism, the problems of white privilege, homelessness, addiction. This dude is amazing.

I was shooting Macklemore at 2:30 p.m., so I fueled up first with this Funky Farmer Roti Roll from the Food Truck Oasis. That's slow-cooked curried squash, zucchini, and onions tucked inside an Indian flatbread.


My roti roll came from a truck of the same name in the oasis, an area where food trucks from across the country park and vend. Most of the vendors at Bonnaroo are set up in traditional stationary concession stands, but the Food Truck Oasis features real food trucks from all over.


Finally, at 2:30, the magical moment came! I was inches from Macklemore's face in the photo pit. Here's my favorite shot. He spotted someone in the crowd wearing a faux fur (and yes, it was definitely faux, although Macklemore has some issues with wearing real animals occasionally ... my only beef with him), and he had that person crowdsurf their coat to the stage so he could wear it for "Thift Shop."


Awwwwwww .....

Coq Au Vin (and a Vacation!)

I'm off to the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, so I'll be taking a blogging vacay until Monday night. I'm sure I'll have lots of vegan festival food to share since 'Roo is incredibly vegan-friendly.

Until then, I leave you with a serving of Seitan Coq Au Vin over whole wheat rotini pasta. And some English peas for good measure.


This is another recipe for my second cookbook project — veganizing trendy foods through the past century. Coq au vin (which means "rooster with wine" in French) has been around for ages, but it was popularized in America in the 1960s by Julia Child.

For my vegan version, I simmered homemade seitan with mushrooms, onions, and vegan bacon in a red wine sauce. Bon appetit!

Coconut Water! Goji Berries! Dragonfruit! Oh My!

Before I get into tonight's review post of a few Nativas Naturals superfood products, I have an important announcement about everyone's favorite vegan snack box from Vegan Cuts! I've blogged about Vegan Cuts' monthly surprise box filled with vegan snacks before, but if you're not familiar here's some background. Anyway, if you order the June box by the 14th, you get a bonus $15 gift card to VeganChic.com (the place to go for vegan shoes and handbags). Click here to order.

Okay, now onto tonight's review. I've been a fan of Nativas Naturals products for years. Their raw Cacao Powder, Cacao Nibs, and Trail Mixes are amazing, so I was excited to try three of their new products. Sadly, I have mixed feelings about a few of them.

But let's start with the one I loved — Cacao Goji Superfood Power Snack.


I've long been a fan of Nativas Naturals Power Snacks, namely the Blueberry Hemp snacks. But these Cacao Goji bites may have blueberry beat. Each bite is about 100 calories and chock full of good-for-you stuff, like cacao, chia, sesame seeds, goji powder, maca powder, lucuma powder, macu-macu powder. You know, all the superfoods you've heard of but wouldn't be able to pick out of a lineup if you saw one. Who really knows what macu-macu looks like anyway? But we know it's good for us! I really love that these are made with a base of date paste, since dates are always the main ingredient in my homemade energy bars.

Next up is something I wanted to love — Chocolate Freeze-dried Coconut Water Powder.


I typically drink coconut water (or Vega Electrolytre Hydrator) after my runs to restore electrolytes lost during the workout. But coconut water is expensive. When I heard Nativas Naturals had a coconut water powder that could be added to water for an instant electrolyte beverage, I was pretty excited. It only takes one tablespoon per serving, and I thought this could be a less costly option than buying canned coconut water.

The directions say you're supposed to stir the powder into a glass of water. But much like cocoa powder, this stuff clumps in water. When stirring failed to break up the clumps, I put a lid on a mason jar and shook it up, martini-style. But even still, clumps.


Taste-wise, it's pretty good. I like the chocolate flavor, which comes from all-natural cacao powder. But sipping down a powder clump is no fun. I found that I could avoid the clumps by using a thin glass straw though. But I hope Nativas Naturals continues to perfect this product.

Finally, let's talk dragonfruit. Specifically, Nativas Naturals Sundried Dragonfruit Slices.


Yes, I ripped the bag up trying to get into these. I was so eager to try dragonfruit for the first time!

But guess what? I apparently don't like dragonfruit very much. This isn't Nativas Naturals fault, of course. This tropical superfruit tasted too savory for my liking. The hundreds of tiny seeds make for a crunchy texture, which I liked, but the taste of those seeds is nutty, almost flaxy. And the fruit itself isn't sweet enough to balance it out.


That being said, it's a source of protein, omega-3, and vitamin C. The texture of the dried fruit is a little like fruit leather, which makes it perfect for traveling or hiking or camping. If you're into not-so-sweet fruit, you might like this. So give it a try and decide for yourself.

Meanwhile, I'll be over here downing this whole delicious bag of Cacao Goji Power Snacks.

Where Do I Get My Protein?

We all get asked the annoying "where do you get your protein?" question by non-vegans all the time. And I typically give the standard answer — tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans, nuts, seeds, peas, even many veggies. But lately, I've been adding another protein source to my list — Vega!

Okay, y'all probably know that I love, love, love Vega products and basically anything by vegan Ironman triathlete Brenden Brazier. So how could I say no when the Vega folks offered to send me a massive sample pack for review? Not only did I say yes, I probably screamed a bit at my desk when the package arrived.

Look at all this stuff!


And this! I wasn't expecting this much stuff!


Ever since I started increasing my running mileage earlier this year, I've been relying on Vega One nutritional shake powder in smoothies after my runs. And this sample pack contained all sorts of Vega Sport products and Vega One products that I'd never tried before.

I decided to give a few Vega Sport products a "test run" (no pun intended) before, during, and after a hour-long run.


Before my run, I mixed the Pre-Workout Energizer powder with water. This is made from green tea, yerba mate, coconut oil, and rhodiola, which are supposed to provide energy, endurance, and mental focus before a workout. It was Acai Berry flavored and pretty tasty. It's 70 calories per serving.


I typically have a homemade energy bar before my runs and that usually gives me enough energy to last the whole run. But my energy bars have more calories than the energizer, so I knew I'd get hungry mid-way through my run. I brought along an Orange Zest-flavored Vega Sport Endurance Gel to consume at the 30-minute mark. Unlike some gels that are made with maltodextrin and dried cane syrup, the Vega gels have more natural ingredients like dates (the main ingredient), coconut oil, and natural flavors. This 100-calorie gel was what I needed to power me through my run.

After running, I typically have coconut water to restore electrolytes. But in the Vega sample pack were these cute little Electrolyte Hydrator packs. It's a stevia-sweetened powder that you mix with water. I tried the Lemon-Lime flavor. Voila, electrolytes!


Turns out I enjoy this more than coconut water (it has a Gatorade-like taste), so I've been buying these for the past few weeks. They're calorie-free (unlike coconut water) and more economical. Plus the packs are travel-friendly.

Finally, I tried the Vega Sport Performance Protein Bar in Chocolate Saviseed Flavor about 30 minutes after my run. I usually have a Vega One smoothie for my post-run protein, but this chocolate-covered bar was a nice change. It has a ton of protein and it's designed to help your body recover faster after your workout. Those little white flecks are Vega Saviseeds (a.k.a. sacha inchi seeds).


I love how Vega has all these great products specifically designed for before, during, and after workouts. It takes all the guesswork out of trying to figure out the proper things to consume at workout time.

A few days after I sampled those products, I tried the Vega Sport Performance Protein Powder in a smoothie about 30 minutes after a run. This has 25 grams of protein compared with only 15 grams in my usual Vega One protein powder. I'm no sports nutritionist, but I would guess it's better to consume Vega Sport after longer runs. I'll save my Vega One sample packs for the shorter runs.


The Vega One All-In-One Nutrition Bars in my sample pack were new to me as well. I haven't seen those in stores around here. But these are amazing. I enjoyed one at my desk as a snack on a day when I knew I'd have to eat a very late lunch.


They come in Chocolate Almond, Chocolate Cherry, and Double Chocolate. And they're not lying about all that chocolate. Each bar is coated in dark chocolate, so they almost seem naughty. But under all that candy bar goodness is sprouted brown rice protein, pea protein, chia seeds, Vega Saviseeds, dates, pumpkin seed butter, all kinds of goodness. Each bar has 15 grams of protein, plus lots of other good stuff like fiber, omega-3s, antioxidants, probiotics, and greens.


Finally, let's talk about those Maca Chocolate Bars! They sent five of them! And it's one of my favorite chocolate bars. They're 70% cocoa, organic, and each bar contains 4,000 mg of maca, which is said to balance, invigorate, and energize. Honestly, you don't have to give me a healthy reason to eat chocolate. But hey, bonus!

I signed up for my first half-marathon on Friday — the Shelby Farms Greenline Half-Marathon in October. I know Vega will play a big part in my training.

Father's Day Taco Time!

I'll be at the annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee on Father's Day this year, so my parents and I celebrated an early Father's Day today in my hometown of Jonesboro, Arkansas.


I call him Daddy, but y'all probably know him better as Papa Crunk. My Daddy is pretty much a badass. He rides a Harley. He's totally into skulls and being rebellious. And likely much to my Mama's dismay, he made me into a little rebel too. But past all that hard, badass stuff, he's really a big ole softie. He has tons of friends, and he'll do anything for them. He's the kind of guy his friends can call when they need help, and no matter what is wrong, he'll find a way to fix it. He's basically the best dude ever.

So I drove the hour to my parents' house this morning to hang out with the best dude ever. I arrived just in time to find my Mama hard at work in the kitchen preparing vegan and non-vegan tacos. She made meat tacos for my Daddy and Tofu Tacos for she and I (she's not vegan, but she loves tofu!).


Since she was just getting started, she put me to work in the kitchen. I cubed the tofu and marinated it in soy sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne. Then I fried the cubes in a skillet. Daddy tried a bite and declared that it was "pretty good." Also on these tacos is cabbage dressed with rice vinegar, tomatoes, jalapenos, Daiya cheese, and Tofutti sour cream.

On the side my Mama made my favorite vegan Pancho's Cheese Dip! If you grew up in the Mid-South, you know about Pancho's cheese dip. Well, my mama made a vegan version, and it tastes amazingly similar.


She also made some fresh guacamole and refried beans.


When we were almost done eating, Daddy remembered that Mama had put a bucket of frozen margaritas in the freezer the night before. Since it was frozen, we'd have to wait awhile for the ice to melt a little to drink them. So instead, we used spoons and had Margarita Snowcones!


A Mexican/hot dog joint in Memphis called Chiwawa serves "adult snowcones" made with tequila and margarita mix, and I have to say that these were just as good.

Happy Father's Day to the best dad in the whole world ever!

Bluff City Vegan Eats: Cooper Street 20/20

Sometimes there's just no time for cooking. And sometimes, there's really no time for waiting on takeout. It's times like these that you need a good grab-and-go shop. And Cooper Street 20/20 has busy, lazy, and just plain hungry vegans covered.

This Cooper-Young grab-and-go storefront offers vegan specials every week, plus a regular menu of vegan soups and hummus. Vegan items are clearly marked, and all ingredients used in each dish are listed on the label. Cooper Street 20/20 owner Kathy Katz offered me samples of this week's vegan specials to try.

My very favorite was this Stuffed Eggplant. Isn't it beautiful?


An eggplant half is hollowed and stuffed with a mixture of eggplant, squash, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. And that's topped with a very decorative swirl of mashed potatoes. Kathy cooks everything first and then packages it in an easily re-heatable package. This came in a small metal pie pan with instructions to bake for 20 minutes. By the way, those lovely crispy spots were already there when I picked this up. Beautiful! And it tastes like a shepherd's pie made with eggplant.

I also sampled Kathy's Chickpeas and Brown Rice.



These were Indian spiced with just a tad bit of heat and a generous amount of curry. I had these for lunch today, and since I'm easing out of my juice fast by trying to eat more wholesome solid foods (nevermind that peanut butter tart I had this afternoon ... that doesn't count), this meal made me feel really healthy. I had these with a side of sauteed kale that I made at home.

Finally, I tried the Veggie Pot Pie. Here's the whole thing.


And here's a slice.


I love that layered veggie look. Almost like a terrine. Layers of broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and carrot are topped with a crunchy streusel crust. Amazing!

Now, one thing you should know is this Veggie Pie does contain honey. So if you're super-strict about honey, you won't want to get this. But the honey is listed on the label. I don't personally buy honey or honey-containing products in the grocery store, but I'm a little more lax when eating out.

Here's a picture of a label so you can see how it breaks every ingredient down. This is all wholesome stuff, folks.


Kathy will have these vegan specials tomorrow at the store (800 S. Cooper), and she'll also be at the Memphis Farmer's Market on Saturday morning with these specials (as well as her non-vegan specials). But when this week has come and gone, she'll have other vegan stuff to try! Plus, she generally always has quite a few regular vegan soups and other goods.

The following soups are vegan: Gazpacho, Tomato Basil, Greek Lentil, Curry Carrot, Russian Cabbage, Black Bean Chili, and African Peanut. There's always a variety of hummus: Traditional, Black Bean, Roasted Red Pepper. And perhaps best of all? Cooper Street 20/20 sells pints of homemade pickles!

Cooper Street 20/20 is located at 800 S. Cooper. Call 901-871-6879. They're open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.