Bianca Phillips's Blog, page 97
July 9, 2018
Falafel & Waffles!
Crosstown Brewing Co. — my neighborhood craft brewery at Crosstown Concourse — started hosting a weekly Bluegrass Brunch a couple weeks ago, and when I found out there were vegan options (thanks to pop-up vendor, Falafel & Waffles), my friends and I made plans to go!
On Sunday around noon, we met up there for brunch. I'd just run 12 miles (and 12 miles on Saturday as well), so my appetite was heartier than usual (and it's always pretty hearty). When we approached the Falafel & Waffles tent, I was stoked to see it's run by my co-worker Daniel and his wife Lily!
Vegan options at Falafel & Waffles include vegan biscuits and sausage gravy and falafel. They were out of the biscuits and gravy, so falafel it was! I got the falafel order, plus a side of avocado and hummus and pita. The falafel was perfectly fried (without being greasy!) and so delicious stacked onto pita wedges with that hummus and perfect avocado.
Not only was brunch delicious, but CBC was selling $3 beermosas (made with CBC's Siren Blonde Ale)! Win, win!
Here's the brunch bunch — Trés, Shiloh, Nicole (who also works with me at Crosstown Arts), and her partner, Sheila.
And of course, me and Cassi!
Awesome brunch! They also have a bluegrass band playing during brunch hours, which runs from 11 am-3 pm (or until Falafel & Waffles runs out of food, which it seems they did on Sunday!).
On Sunday around noon, we met up there for brunch. I'd just run 12 miles (and 12 miles on Saturday as well), so my appetite was heartier than usual (and it's always pretty hearty). When we approached the Falafel & Waffles tent, I was stoked to see it's run by my co-worker Daniel and his wife Lily!
Vegan options at Falafel & Waffles include vegan biscuits and sausage gravy and falafel. They were out of the biscuits and gravy, so falafel it was! I got the falafel order, plus a side of avocado and hummus and pita. The falafel was perfectly fried (without being greasy!) and so delicious stacked onto pita wedges with that hummus and perfect avocado.
Not only was brunch delicious, but CBC was selling $3 beermosas (made with CBC's Siren Blonde Ale)! Win, win!
Here's the brunch bunch — Trés, Shiloh, Nicole (who also works with me at Crosstown Arts), and her partner, Sheila.
And of course, me and Cassi!
Awesome brunch! They also have a bluegrass band playing during brunch hours, which runs from 11 am-3 pm (or until Falafel & Waffles runs out of food, which it seems they did on Sunday!).
July 5, 2018
Fourth of July Eats!
Just a quick post tonight to share pics of my Fourth of July food and fun. I was off work yesterday, so I slept in, watched Evil Genius on Netflix, fit in a 4-mile trail run, and visited with a friend who's been sick and stuck at home for a week. And then I headed to my friend Andy's house for a Fourth of July cookout.
There were five of us there and only two vegan/vegetarian folks, so the meat eaters cooked their meat while my friend Mike and I cooked vegan brats and burgers. I brought the Tofurky brats, and Mike brought Morningstar Farms' new quarter-pound vegan burgers. I also wrapped some CSA summer squash in foil packets and threw that on the grill.
The salads you see here are from a cookbook I plan to review pretty soon, so I'll save the details for that. But there's a cucumber salad and Tennessee caviar (blackeyes peas, corn, tomato, onion, cilantro, and oil/vinegar dressing). Both were light and summer-y and perfectly balanced that heavy plant meat!
Sadly, Mike kinda burned the veggie burgers. So I scrapped that awesome Daiya cheese and onions off and added them to my brat.
Mike also brought his locally famous Vegan Rotel Dip! This has a base of melted vegan cheddar, almond milk, canned Rotel tomatoes & green chiles, and crumbled vegan sausage. He serves it in a Crock Pot, just like you're supposed to serve rotel dip in the South! It's so good, and I wish he would have sent me home with some leftovers! I'll have to steal his recipe and share with y'all soon.
(Fun fact: Mike's Chex Mix recipe gets more hits than any other post on this blog.)
After dinner, we headed downtown for the free fireworks show over the Mississippi River!
There were five of us there and only two vegan/vegetarian folks, so the meat eaters cooked their meat while my friend Mike and I cooked vegan brats and burgers. I brought the Tofurky brats, and Mike brought Morningstar Farms' new quarter-pound vegan burgers. I also wrapped some CSA summer squash in foil packets and threw that on the grill.
The salads you see here are from a cookbook I plan to review pretty soon, so I'll save the details for that. But there's a cucumber salad and Tennessee caviar (blackeyes peas, corn, tomato, onion, cilantro, and oil/vinegar dressing). Both were light and summer-y and perfectly balanced that heavy plant meat!
Sadly, Mike kinda burned the veggie burgers. So I scrapped that awesome Daiya cheese and onions off and added them to my brat.
Mike also brought his locally famous Vegan Rotel Dip! This has a base of melted vegan cheddar, almond milk, canned Rotel tomatoes & green chiles, and crumbled vegan sausage. He serves it in a Crock Pot, just like you're supposed to serve rotel dip in the South! It's so good, and I wish he would have sent me home with some leftovers! I'll have to steal his recipe and share with y'all soon.
(Fun fact: Mike's Chex Mix recipe gets more hits than any other post on this blog.)
After dinner, we headed downtown for the free fireworks show over the Mississippi River!
July 3, 2018
Current Obsession: The No Meat Athlete Cookbook
I'd like to start a new occasional blog post series dedicated to my current obsessions. When I'm into something, I'm, like, ALL IN. And right now, I'm pretty much obsessed with all things No Meat Athlete. I've been working my way through the podcast for a couple years now (the episodes date back to 2011), and I'm only 3-4 episodes away from having listened to them all.And I just can't get enough. The show — and blog — is run by Matt Frazier and Doug Hay, two vegan ultrarunners who live in the Asheville, NC area and love beer, running, and eating whole foods (ME TOO!!!). They're goofy and inspiring at the same time, and listening to their show inspired me to sign up for my first ultra — the Stanky Creek 50K (which I'm training for now).
About a year ago, Matt and his friend Stepfanie Romine released The No Meat Athlete Cookbook , and I was so excited that I pre-ordered it on Amazon (I rarely pre-order books!). I cooked from it quite a bit last summer (here's my review!), but as cookbooks tend to do after a while, it started gathering dust on my shelf. But since I've started training for my 50K (and since I've signed up for my CSA), I've been inspired to cook from the book again. Here are a few meals I've made over the past week.
Last week, I made the Beet Bourguignon (Beet-Lentil Stew) using fresh beets from my CSA, plus carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and lentils. It has a red wine stock that is just heavenly paired with those beets.
This week, my breakfasts have been the Daily Grinder — a savory breakfast sandwich with hummus, avocado, pickled onions, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, sprouts, and hot sauce.
It sounds like a weird breakfast, I know. But I'm a savory breakfast girl most of the time (unless I'm having smoothies or oats!), and this book is loaded with savory breakfast ideas. This sandwich is made with the No Meat Athlete breakfast hummus, which has a lot of the same spices as a tofu scramble. So it tastes a little breakfast-y. The pickled onions are also from the book, and they're so easy (just onions, citrus, salt, and a pinch of sugar).
I'm sure you'll be seeing more from this book in my weekly Stuff I Ate posts! If you don't own it, it's definitely a must-buy. The focus is on whole foods with lots of ideas for meals to fuel and recover after workouts.
July 2, 2018
14th Anniversary Celebration!
Paul and I have been partnered for 14 years as of June 28th! It's hard to believe that much time has passed. It seems like just yesterday that I met Paul over a game of pool at Newby's Monday night beer bust. We were 23 and 24; now we're 37 and 38. Still don't feel any older. But then again, I can't imagine going out to a beer bust on a Monday night now, so I guess I am older. Ha!
Since Paul works out of town, we couldn't celebrate until he was home this weekend. We picked our favorite special occasion restaurant, Seasons 52. It's a chain, sure. But it's a high-end chain, and they have a vegan tasting menu. And we had some gift cards, so that made the choice easy.
We started with a complimentary champagne toast (thanks Seasons 52!), and I ordered a glass of Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz. We split an appetizer of Avocado Toast. This was Paul's first time trying avo toast (crazy, I know!), and he loved it. The bread was grilled and topped with a generous mash of avocado, cherry tomatoes, pickled onions, and a 15-year aged balsamic.
For my entree, I went with the Vegetable Tasting Menu. This changes every season, and I've had it once before. Last time, it featured cedar plank tofu, but this time, there was Wood-Fired Kohlrabi Steak, Vegan Paella, and Pan-Seared Broccoli and Asparagus.
WOW!!!! The kohlrabi steak was freakin' amazing. I've cooked with kohlrabi at home a few times, and I never really know what to do with it. But this is definitely the best preparation I've had. If you're not familiar with kohlrabi, it tastes a bit like a turnip. Those flavors pair perfectly with smoky char from the grill. I was also super-impressed with the paella. It had sundried tomatoes and vegan beef crumbles. Very good!
After all that food, I was stuffed. But since it was our anniversary, they came out with complimentary dessert. Paul chose a non-vegan smores pudding, but they offered me the only vegan dessert — Summer Berries. After such a heavy meal, I was actually really pleased to just eat fruit for dessert.
Every year on our anniversary, we have to end the night at Newby's — the bar where we met in 2004. It's not the kind of bar we'd hang out at these days since it caters to a mostly college-aged crowd. But we're there at least once a year for this! We toasted with tequila shots.
And then enjoyed local craft beer while we played a game of pool.
Happy anniversary, Paul!!
Since Paul works out of town, we couldn't celebrate until he was home this weekend. We picked our favorite special occasion restaurant, Seasons 52. It's a chain, sure. But it's a high-end chain, and they have a vegan tasting menu. And we had some gift cards, so that made the choice easy.
We started with a complimentary champagne toast (thanks Seasons 52!), and I ordered a glass of Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz. We split an appetizer of Avocado Toast. This was Paul's first time trying avo toast (crazy, I know!), and he loved it. The bread was grilled and topped with a generous mash of avocado, cherry tomatoes, pickled onions, and a 15-year aged balsamic.
For my entree, I went with the Vegetable Tasting Menu. This changes every season, and I've had it once before. Last time, it featured cedar plank tofu, but this time, there was Wood-Fired Kohlrabi Steak, Vegan Paella, and Pan-Seared Broccoli and Asparagus.
WOW!!!! The kohlrabi steak was freakin' amazing. I've cooked with kohlrabi at home a few times, and I never really know what to do with it. But this is definitely the best preparation I've had. If you're not familiar with kohlrabi, it tastes a bit like a turnip. Those flavors pair perfectly with smoky char from the grill. I was also super-impressed with the paella. It had sundried tomatoes and vegan beef crumbles. Very good!
After all that food, I was stuffed. But since it was our anniversary, they came out with complimentary dessert. Paul chose a non-vegan smores pudding, but they offered me the only vegan dessert — Summer Berries. After such a heavy meal, I was actually really pleased to just eat fruit for dessert.
Every year on our anniversary, we have to end the night at Newby's — the bar where we met in 2004. It's not the kind of bar we'd hang out at these days since it caters to a mostly college-aged crowd. But we're there at least once a year for this! We toasted with tequila shots.
And then enjoyed local craft beer while we played a game of pool.
Happy anniversary, Paul!!
June 28, 2018
Bianca's Not-So-Secret Spaghetti Sauce Recipe (Updated)
Explore Cuisine sent me several packages of their high-protein, gluten-free pastas to review. I've long been a fan of their stuff. Unlike some gluten-free pastas, Explore Cuisine's products boast a texture that isn't all that different from semolina pasta. Yet they're made with legumes, so they're loaded with protein! For this recipe, I chose the Red Lentil Spaghetti noodles, which have 11 grams of protein per serving and are made with red lentil flour and brown rice flour. They have a slightly nutty flavor, which is lovely.
The recipe I'm sharing tonight is one I've been making at home for YEARS. Paul and I rarely cook together because he isn't really into cooking, but he does love sauteeing mushrooms. So this is one dish we can make together. I make the sauce and any other toppings, and he sautes the mushrooms.
Below you'll find my super-simple recipe for spaghetti sauce. It's enough to cover about 4 servings of spaghetti (try the Explore Cuisine kind!). As for toppings, you can use whatever you like — vegan ground beef, mushrooms, Swiss chard (which I sauteed and used here), sliced vegan sausage, vegan meatballs, melted dairy-free mozz. The world is your spaghetti topping oyster! Only, that doesn't sound very vegan (forget the oyster part).
By the way, you can see an older version of this recipe here on the blog. Since I've cut back on oil, I'm amended it a bit! I also tend toward fresh herbs these days since I grow my own, but dried works in a pinch!
Bianca's Not-So-Secret Spaghetti Sauce 1 Tbsp. olive oil 7 cloves minced garlic1 onion, chopped2 28-oz. cans whole, peeled tomatoes1 Tbsp. fresh oregano1 Tbsp. fresh thyme2 Tbsp. dried basil 1 tsp. maple syrup 1 splash red wine or apple cider vinegar (about 2 tablespoons of wine or 1 Tbsp. vinegar)Salt & pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and onion and cook and stir for 1 minute. Use your hands to break up the tomatoes from the can, and add them to the saucepan.
If the sauce seems too dry, add a little liquid from a can of the tomatoes. You won't need all of the tomato liquid though. Just a splash from one can is plenty. Stir in the herbs and maple syrup and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the splash of red wine (a couple of tablespoons) and the salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.
The recipe I'm sharing tonight is one I've been making at home for YEARS. Paul and I rarely cook together because he isn't really into cooking, but he does love sauteeing mushrooms. So this is one dish we can make together. I make the sauce and any other toppings, and he sautes the mushrooms.
Below you'll find my super-simple recipe for spaghetti sauce. It's enough to cover about 4 servings of spaghetti (try the Explore Cuisine kind!). As for toppings, you can use whatever you like — vegan ground beef, mushrooms, Swiss chard (which I sauteed and used here), sliced vegan sausage, vegan meatballs, melted dairy-free mozz. The world is your spaghetti topping oyster! Only, that doesn't sound very vegan (forget the oyster part).
By the way, you can see an older version of this recipe here on the blog. Since I've cut back on oil, I'm amended it a bit! I also tend toward fresh herbs these days since I grow my own, but dried works in a pinch!
Bianca's Not-So-Secret Spaghetti Sauce 1 Tbsp. olive oil 7 cloves minced garlic1 onion, chopped2 28-oz. cans whole, peeled tomatoes1 Tbsp. fresh oregano1 Tbsp. fresh thyme2 Tbsp. dried basil 1 tsp. maple syrup 1 splash red wine or apple cider vinegar (about 2 tablespoons of wine or 1 Tbsp. vinegar)Salt & pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and onion and cook and stir for 1 minute. Use your hands to break up the tomatoes from the can, and add them to the saucepan.
If the sauce seems too dry, add a little liquid from a can of the tomatoes. You won't need all of the tomato liquid though. Just a splash from one can is plenty. Stir in the herbs and maple syrup and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the splash of red wine (a couple of tablespoons) and the salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.
June 27, 2018
Super Easy Mushroom Barley Pilaf
For the month of June, I've subscribed to a weekly CSA from Bring It Food Hub, which sources produce from farmers across the Memphis area. When I signed up, I'd hoped the weekly bags would force me to re-think how I plan meals. Rather than pick out 5-6 recipes from cookbooks and then go to the store, I wanted to see what was in my CSA bag and then plan around that. I figured that would help me eat a wider variety of vegetables in the season when they're freshest.
And it's worked! It's also helped me cut down on my grocery spending since I'm now only buying perishables and items I need for meals centered around the CSA veggies. Last week, on the Summer Solstice, I created this meal of Seitan Filets with Plum Sauce, Sauteed Green Beans, & Mushroom Barley Pilaf to use up some CSA plums, green beans, onion, and garlic.
The seitan came from The BE-Hive, a vegan butcher in Nashville, and was gifted to me by my co-worker Gonzo after a recent trip over there. You can find the plum sauce recipe here. And those green beans were blanched and then sauteed in a skillet with the teensiest bit of sesame oil for flavor and Bragg's.
The pilaf used onion and garlic from my CSA. I found an unopened bag of barley in my pantry that I'd apparently bought on sale months ago and forgotten about (there are LOTS of things in my pantry that I've forgotten about!). The only thing I had to buy for this meal were the mushrooms. The fresh herbs in the dish came from my own little herb garden!
I wanted to share that easy Mushroom Barley Pilaf recipe because it was delicious and so easy to make.
Mushroom Barley PilafYields 4 cups
1 cup dry pearl barley3 cups veggie broth1 white onion, diced2 cloves garlic, minced8 oz. white mushrooms, slicedDash of Bragg's Aminos1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thymeBlack pepper, to taste
Combine the barley and broth in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to simmer. Simmer for 50-60 minutes.
While the barley cooks, add about 1/4th cup water and onions in a non-stick skillet. Saute 3-5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the garlic and saute one more minute. Add a little extra water if the water dries up completely or if veggies are sticking to the pan. Add the mushrooms and saute about 5-7 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.
Season the mushroom mixture with a dash of Bragg's (or soy sauce) and fresh herbs and black pepper. Remove from heat.
When the barley is done cooking, stir in the mushroom/onion mixture. Serve!
And it's worked! It's also helped me cut down on my grocery spending since I'm now only buying perishables and items I need for meals centered around the CSA veggies. Last week, on the Summer Solstice, I created this meal of Seitan Filets with Plum Sauce, Sauteed Green Beans, & Mushroom Barley Pilaf to use up some CSA plums, green beans, onion, and garlic.
The seitan came from The BE-Hive, a vegan butcher in Nashville, and was gifted to me by my co-worker Gonzo after a recent trip over there. You can find the plum sauce recipe here. And those green beans were blanched and then sauteed in a skillet with the teensiest bit of sesame oil for flavor and Bragg's.
The pilaf used onion and garlic from my CSA. I found an unopened bag of barley in my pantry that I'd apparently bought on sale months ago and forgotten about (there are LOTS of things in my pantry that I've forgotten about!). The only thing I had to buy for this meal were the mushrooms. The fresh herbs in the dish came from my own little herb garden!
I wanted to share that easy Mushroom Barley Pilaf recipe because it was delicious and so easy to make.
Mushroom Barley PilafYields 4 cups
1 cup dry pearl barley3 cups veggie broth1 white onion, diced2 cloves garlic, minced8 oz. white mushrooms, slicedDash of Bragg's Aminos1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thymeBlack pepper, to taste
Combine the barley and broth in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to simmer. Simmer for 50-60 minutes.
While the barley cooks, add about 1/4th cup water and onions in a non-stick skillet. Saute 3-5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the garlic and saute one more minute. Add a little extra water if the water dries up completely or if veggies are sticking to the pan. Add the mushrooms and saute about 5-7 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.
Season the mushroom mixture with a dash of Bragg's (or soy sauce) and fresh herbs and black pepper. Remove from heat.
When the barley is done cooking, stir in the mushroom/onion mixture. Serve!
June 26, 2018
And More Stuff I Ate
Y'all tired of these "stuff I ate" posts yet? Too bad! Here's another. But I promise something a little different tomorrow.
On Sunday, Paul, Misti and I had lunch at Hopdoddy in Overton Square. I've been there a few times, and I always get the Impossible Burger because it's delicious. But I've had the Impossible quite a bit lately, so I decided to try the La Bandita Burger (a black bean and corn burger), ordered vegan-style with vegan mayo and Field Roast Chao Cheese.
Delicious! It has that crumblier quality that bean-based veggie burgers have, but that's okay. It tastes like a true bean burger (amazing flavor!). I felt a little healthier eating this, though I did have a number of their Kennebec fries and an 18-ounce Meddlesome Brewing Co. 201 Hoplar beer.
Here's something WAY healthier! Yesterday's lunch was a Giant Salad with chickpeas, leftover barley-mushroom pilaf (more on that tomorrow), carrots, cucumber, snap peas, kraut, lettuce (from my CSA!), and oil-free tahini dressing.
Breakfast this week — when I'm not having smoothies — has been Tofu Egg & Avocado Breakfast Sandwiches. I've been pan-frying slabs of tofu spread with Vegg yolk (made with Vegg powder), and then I put those onto a sandwich with mashed avocado, sriracha, and sprouted grain toast. Yum! Messy since the Vegg yolk and avocado are both soft, spreadable things, but so tasty.
I've just started training for the Stanky Creek 50K (!!!!), so I'm now doing back-to-back long runs every Saturday and Sunday. This weekend was the first weekend of training, so I did an 8-mile run on Saturday morning after this bowl of Oatmeal with Nectarine, Maple, & Nuttzo nut & seed butter.
And on Sunday, Paul and I ran 6 miles together. But first, I had a Nature's Valley Maple Pecan Oat Cup with Nectarines (from my CSA!) and Cashew Butter. Oats are my fave pre-long run food!
On Sunday, Paul, Misti and I had lunch at Hopdoddy in Overton Square. I've been there a few times, and I always get the Impossible Burger because it's delicious. But I've had the Impossible quite a bit lately, so I decided to try the La Bandita Burger (a black bean and corn burger), ordered vegan-style with vegan mayo and Field Roast Chao Cheese.
Delicious! It has that crumblier quality that bean-based veggie burgers have, but that's okay. It tastes like a true bean burger (amazing flavor!). I felt a little healthier eating this, though I did have a number of their Kennebec fries and an 18-ounce Meddlesome Brewing Co. 201 Hoplar beer.
Here's something WAY healthier! Yesterday's lunch was a Giant Salad with chickpeas, leftover barley-mushroom pilaf (more on that tomorrow), carrots, cucumber, snap peas, kraut, lettuce (from my CSA!), and oil-free tahini dressing.
Breakfast this week — when I'm not having smoothies — has been Tofu Egg & Avocado Breakfast Sandwiches. I've been pan-frying slabs of tofu spread with Vegg yolk (made with Vegg powder), and then I put those onto a sandwich with mashed avocado, sriracha, and sprouted grain toast. Yum! Messy since the Vegg yolk and avocado are both soft, spreadable things, but so tasty.
I've just started training for the Stanky Creek 50K (!!!!), so I'm now doing back-to-back long runs every Saturday and Sunday. This weekend was the first weekend of training, so I did an 8-mile run on Saturday morning after this bowl of Oatmeal with Nectarine, Maple, & Nuttzo nut & seed butter.
And on Sunday, Paul and I ran 6 miles together. But first, I had a Nature's Valley Maple Pecan Oat Cup with Nectarines (from my CSA!) and Cashew Butter. Oats are my fave pre-long run food!
June 25, 2018
Even More Stuff I Ate
It's a new week, but I'm still working on posting pics of meals from the past couple weeks! Also, you may have noticed (or not!) that I didn't post on Sunday night. I've traditionally posted Sunday-Thursday (except when I was on vacation or had holiday stuff happening) since the blog began in 2007. But I'm thinking about switching to a Monday-Thursday schedule going forward. I often find that I'm just too busy having Sunday Funday to post! Hope that's okay.
Anyway, without further ado, here are a few more random meals. Last Monday, Paul and I had dinner at Mulan in Cooper-Young because I had a Groupon. But turns out, that Groupon was only for the East Memphis location!! Boo! Oh well, the food was good. We started with Tofu Spring Rolls.
And then we shared an order of Panang Curry with Tofu (ordered without fish sauce). Brown rice for me, white rice for him. This was actually enough for THREE MEALS!!
On Tuesday night, my entire office at Crosstown Arts took a field trip (by chartered bus!) to the West Memphis Pancho's for a going-away party for our co-worker Sadie. Pancho's is totally a Memphis thing (even though the best location is in West Memphis, Arkansas). It's a Tex-Mex joint best-known for its legendary cheese dip, which is available in just-about every grocery store in Memphis. I can't eat it anymore, but if I could cheat on my veganism with one thing, it'd be Pancho's cheese dip. Of course, I won't do that.
But thankfully, there are a couple of veganizable options at Pancho's. I typically get the Spinach Mexican Pizza with no cheese, but they were out of Mexican pizza shells. So I went with the Nachos, minus the cheese, beef, and sour cream. The beans are vegan, according to several servers I've asked over the years. Sorry for this terrible flash pic, but it was dark in there! We enjoyed dinner and drinks, plus HOURS of karaoke. Great party!
The next day, much of the office was a little hungover. Ha! Including myself (damn margaritas). Thankfully, I can walk downstairs from my office and get fresh juice at Juice Bar. This We Got the Beet Juice made me feel much better.
Thursday was Summer Solstice. And it was also National Smoothie Day! I started with a short two-mile run and followed it with a Berry-Orange Protein Smoothie (strawberries, raspberries, OJ, almond milk, & vanilla protein powder).
More random pics tomorrow, y'all!
Anyway, without further ado, here are a few more random meals. Last Monday, Paul and I had dinner at Mulan in Cooper-Young because I had a Groupon. But turns out, that Groupon was only for the East Memphis location!! Boo! Oh well, the food was good. We started with Tofu Spring Rolls.
And then we shared an order of Panang Curry with Tofu (ordered without fish sauce). Brown rice for me, white rice for him. This was actually enough for THREE MEALS!!
On Tuesday night, my entire office at Crosstown Arts took a field trip (by chartered bus!) to the West Memphis Pancho's for a going-away party for our co-worker Sadie. Pancho's is totally a Memphis thing (even though the best location is in West Memphis, Arkansas). It's a Tex-Mex joint best-known for its legendary cheese dip, which is available in just-about every grocery store in Memphis. I can't eat it anymore, but if I could cheat on my veganism with one thing, it'd be Pancho's cheese dip. Of course, I won't do that.
But thankfully, there are a couple of veganizable options at Pancho's. I typically get the Spinach Mexican Pizza with no cheese, but they were out of Mexican pizza shells. So I went with the Nachos, minus the cheese, beef, and sour cream. The beans are vegan, according to several servers I've asked over the years. Sorry for this terrible flash pic, but it was dark in there! We enjoyed dinner and drinks, plus HOURS of karaoke. Great party!
The next day, much of the office was a little hungover. Ha! Including myself (damn margaritas). Thankfully, I can walk downstairs from my office and get fresh juice at Juice Bar. This We Got the Beet Juice made me feel much better.
Thursday was Summer Solstice. And it was also National Smoothie Day! I started with a short two-mile run and followed it with a Berry-Orange Protein Smoothie (strawberries, raspberries, OJ, almond milk, & vanilla protein powder).
More random pics tomorrow, y'all!
June 21, 2018
More Stuff I Ate
Back again with more random meals (and expect more posts like this next week!).
This plate of deliciousness came from Krewe of Deja Vu, the new name for the old Deja Vu Creole & Vegetarian Restaurant. Deja Vu moved from Front Street back to its original location on Florida Street (which Memphis vegans will recognize as the former home of Pink Diva Cupcakery). Susan and I checked out the new (old) place for lunch last week. I got the Teriyaki Tofu with Collard Greens and Smothered Okra. Vegans, never fear — the name and location have changed; the menu has not. Still the same amazing vegan soul food options.
After lunch, Susan and I grabbed some ice cream from downtown's Margie's 901. She'd been there earlier in the week and discovered they had vegan ice cream! This is a regular dairy-filled ice cream joint, so I was super impressed that they had Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream. When you order there, you get one mix-in, so I chose almonds. Perfection!
I've been doing fairly well on my mission to eat oil-free, veggie-based meals most of the time (except for the occasionally fried tofu!!!). But I'm struggling with sugar these days thanks to Maria, who works at our soon-to-open plant-based cafe at Crosstown Arts (where I work). Maria has been testing vegan desserts on the office almost daily! Which is awesome and also hard! Twice this week, she's made Vegan Pop-Tarts (today, she made chocolate cookies). These were Blueberry Thyme Pop-Tarts. I feel like I have to sample everything (for work, you know).
Here's a Savory Oat Breakfast Bowl from last week. The steel cut oats are seasoned with nooch and garlic powder, topped with sauteed mushrooms and seitan bacon. And sriracha!
And finally, here's a snack-sized bag of Himalayan Salt & Apple Cider Vinegar Paleo Puffs! These were in my June Goddess Provisions box. I've slacked on my Goddess Provisions posts, but I'm still loving these monthly boxes. These puffs were AMAZING!
Have a great weekend! I'll check back in with more meals on Sunday.
This plate of deliciousness came from Krewe of Deja Vu, the new name for the old Deja Vu Creole & Vegetarian Restaurant. Deja Vu moved from Front Street back to its original location on Florida Street (which Memphis vegans will recognize as the former home of Pink Diva Cupcakery). Susan and I checked out the new (old) place for lunch last week. I got the Teriyaki Tofu with Collard Greens and Smothered Okra. Vegans, never fear — the name and location have changed; the menu has not. Still the same amazing vegan soul food options.
After lunch, Susan and I grabbed some ice cream from downtown's Margie's 901. She'd been there earlier in the week and discovered they had vegan ice cream! This is a regular dairy-filled ice cream joint, so I was super impressed that they had Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream. When you order there, you get one mix-in, so I chose almonds. Perfection!
I've been doing fairly well on my mission to eat oil-free, veggie-based meals most of the time (except for the occasionally fried tofu!!!). But I'm struggling with sugar these days thanks to Maria, who works at our soon-to-open plant-based cafe at Crosstown Arts (where I work). Maria has been testing vegan desserts on the office almost daily! Which is awesome and also hard! Twice this week, she's made Vegan Pop-Tarts (today, she made chocolate cookies). These were Blueberry Thyme Pop-Tarts. I feel like I have to sample everything (for work, you know).
Here's a Savory Oat Breakfast Bowl from last week. The steel cut oats are seasoned with nooch and garlic powder, topped with sauteed mushrooms and seitan bacon. And sriracha!
And finally, here's a snack-sized bag of Himalayan Salt & Apple Cider Vinegar Paleo Puffs! These were in my June Goddess Provisions box. I've slacked on my Goddess Provisions posts, but I'm still loving these monthly boxes. These puffs were AMAZING!
Have a great weekend! I'll check back in with more meals on Sunday.
June 20, 2018
Stuff I Ate
I'm amassed lots of random meal pics since I've been back from Bonnaroo, so I'll be sharing them in a series of Stuff I Ate posts that'll probably go through early next week!
Let's get started! The first full day back in Memphis after our 4-day Bonnaroo camping trip, I was craving something hearty and wholesome. Four days of chips, tots, and beer will do that to ya! Fortunately, I had the foresight to start a crock pot of Southern-Style Soup Beans the night I arrived back in town. I added a little onion and garlic and cooked these white beans on low for hours! Plus, I made the Kickin' Corn Muffins (oil-free, gluten-free) from The Engine 2 Cookbook and some Sauteed Collards (from my CSA).
I had a lot of blueberries left after Bonnaroo since I bought some for my breakfasts at the campsite, so I worked them into my breakfasts at home. Like this bowl of I Heart Keenwah Toasted Quinoa Hot Cereal with Cashew Butter & Blueberries.
One morning, I had a Quaker Blueberry Bliss Overnight Oats Cup (transferred to a real bowl) with extra walnuts and berries, plus a side of Be-Hive Seitan Bacon.
After a run one day, I had a FitQuick Orange Cream Bar Protein Waffle with Blueberries, Walnuts, & Maple Syrup.
I've been LOVING my CSA and using everything I get each week! I got some broccoli in the bag a couple weeks ago and used it in this Teriyaki Soy Curl Broccoli Bowl. The broccoli was steamed, and the Soy Curls were sauteed with low-sodium soy sauce and maple syrup. Served over quinoa. Totally oil-free! I've been eating oil-free at home, and I'm loving it.
Check back for more randomness tomorrow!
Let's get started! The first full day back in Memphis after our 4-day Bonnaroo camping trip, I was craving something hearty and wholesome. Four days of chips, tots, and beer will do that to ya! Fortunately, I had the foresight to start a crock pot of Southern-Style Soup Beans the night I arrived back in town. I added a little onion and garlic and cooked these white beans on low for hours! Plus, I made the Kickin' Corn Muffins (oil-free, gluten-free) from The Engine 2 Cookbook and some Sauteed Collards (from my CSA).
I had a lot of blueberries left after Bonnaroo since I bought some for my breakfasts at the campsite, so I worked them into my breakfasts at home. Like this bowl of I Heart Keenwah Toasted Quinoa Hot Cereal with Cashew Butter & Blueberries.
One morning, I had a Quaker Blueberry Bliss Overnight Oats Cup (transferred to a real bowl) with extra walnuts and berries, plus a side of Be-Hive Seitan Bacon.
After a run one day, I had a FitQuick Orange Cream Bar Protein Waffle with Blueberries, Walnuts, & Maple Syrup.
I've been LOVING my CSA and using everything I get each week! I got some broccoli in the bag a couple weeks ago and used it in this Teriyaki Soy Curl Broccoli Bowl. The broccoli was steamed, and the Soy Curls were sauteed with low-sodium soy sauce and maple syrup. Served over quinoa. Totally oil-free! I've been eating oil-free at home, and I'm loving it.
Check back for more randomness tomorrow!
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