Category Archives: Traveling Vegan

How I am becoming a better vegan traveler, one destination and meal at a time!

Vegan Must Have Products, Brands, Staples, etc.

Posted by LD in Confessions and Rants of the Vegan Persuasion, Shopping Vegan, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I have done this in the past where I have listed some staple items that I use but today a friend from elementary school said she was struggling with being vegan and had turned to salad so I wanted to make up a list for her of things in my fridge/pantry that I think are definite “go to’s” for me in a house with omnivore husband, 14 year old, 10 year old, and a vegan baby. So here it goes my updated list:

 

List of Vegan Products Everyone Should Have in their Fridge or Pantry or Try:

 

  1. The Obvious fruits, veggies, pasta, and grains always on hand. I keep a lot of different types of grains and mix them together in the steamer (brown rice, couscous, quinoa, amaranth, etc)
  2. Beyond Meat Chicken (http://beyondmeat.com/)
  3. Beyond Meat burgers (always add standard topping before trying likes cheese ketchup mustard lettuce tomato, otherwise the taste is a little off, never expect a perfect meaty burger, its not meat and doesn’t have blood in it)
  4. Beyond Meat Fiesty Crumbles (taco meat)
  5. Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles (for pasta sauce or lasagna)
  6. Bulger Wheat (this is perfect to put in chili or pasta sauce for a meaty texture and will take on the flavor of the sauce)
  7. Colgin Liquid Smoke (it’s a small bottle of liquid but gives a meaty smoky flavor with just a few drops to Seitan)
  8. Seitan (I use various kinds but will not eat it without liquid smoke and maple syrup, this gives the taste of a ham flavor)
  9. Gardein Fishless Filets (Literally identical to those Gordon’s battered fish filets) (http://www.gardein.com )
  10. Gardein Chicken Strips 7 grain (perfect with honey or Beefree Honee)
  11. Gardein Chicken Sliders (easy to microwave and taste the same)
  12. Gardein Chickenless Patties or Whole Foods 365 Chickenless patties
  13. Whole Foods 365 Chickenless Nuggets
  14. Gardein brand everything is also available at Yardhouse and you should def try it.
  15. Chao Cheese in any flavor is great, I use creamy for grilled cheese
  16. Earth Balance Butter Products
  17. Hazelnut Milk for cereal (I use Pacific Foods)
  18. Soy milk for cooking creamy Sauces
  19. Daiya Cheeses for cooking, do not eat anything except the block Havarti and Gouda raw, they don’t taste right.
  20. Firm Tofu and Chickpeas mashed together with seasoning (garlic etc) makes a great ricotta for lasagna or you can buy Tofutti brand
  21. Tofutti or Daiya Cream Cheese or Sour Creams ( http://www.tofutti.com/ )
  22. Tofutti American slices for sandwiches and grilled cheese
  23. American Flatbread Company Vegan Harvest Pizza is great (www.americanflatbread.com )
  24. Go Veggie! Vegan Parmesan (small purple container, is the only kind I will use none are even close to this)
  25. Amy’s brand meals frozen
  26. Dr. McDougall’s dry soups, Asian noodle containers, and oatmeals
  27. Vega Protein Powders
  28. Orgain Vegan Protein Nutritional Shakes
  29. Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie mix with one can of pumpkin makes brownies, same with cake mixes just check for milk
  30. Kirkland (Costco) semi sweet chocolate chips are vegan
  31. Earth Balance Puffs are like Pirate’s booty, they also have cheese popcorn like Smartfood
  32. Look on PETA for “accidentally vegan products” as well
  33. Just Mayo is amazing. I really love the knew chipotle and siracha flavors and put it on vegan fish tacos with the gardein fish like a chipotle sauce would go on)
  34. Vegan Pesto is sold at Whole Foods in the section with olives and mozzarella and I can’t remember the brand but it is a black container with a brown natural wrap and a heart on it, it has regular pesto too and other sauces.
  35. Victoria Brand Vegan Cream Sauces and Marinara
  36. Rao’s marinara
  37. Whole Foods Premade Pizza Dough
  38. FoMu Ice Creams (based in Allston but sell at some Whole Foods)
  39. Cashew Cream Sauces
  40. Pacific Foods Cashew Based Soups or any soups that are vegan are good
  41. Earth Balance Boxed Mac n Cheese is amazing just like Kraft
  42. Look at veganessentials.com for help too, I love them, shipping is expensive but they have everything first. Otherwise my go to for specialty stuff is Whole Foods but I can get a lot at Market Basket, Stop and Shop, Shaws, etc.
  43. So Delicious Brand Ice Creams, milks, etc.
  44. I also eat that pudding with the Panda on it by Zen products. Chocolate only, vanilla had a weird chemical smell I didn’t like and separated after a few days.
  45. I also like the Tofurkey Beer Brats they are amazing and I will also grab the sliced sandwich meats if they have cheese and such on the sandwich too.
  46. I do Field Roast for the holidays with the pastry wrap and stuffing with cranberries and such inside.
  47. Vegg for cooking without eggs in pretty much every format except scrambled. It even smells like egg.
  48. I also love the pasta products from Explore Asian. They have Black bean and soy and all are filled with extra protein but taste just like traditional pasta.

I think that is most. I just added some that I forgot too. Eat up! Food is love.

Springtime Ingredients and Curried Chicken Salad Recipe

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Confessions and Rants of the Vegan Persuasion, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Family Dinners, Menus, QUICKIES!, Shopping Vegan, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today is the first day of spring and with so many new ingredients hitting the produce and farm stands, my mouth is already watering. I am thinking of warm pasta dishes with sprinkles of green veggies and herbs. It is almost too much for my little brain to handle!

The weather is warming up over here in the Northeast and with a gray, rainy day today with a mild 37 degree temperature this morning, one cannot help but dream of the plants pushing their stems through the ground and smell the steaming artichokes, peas, and asparagus that will be waiting on our Easter Tables. So lets talk about what is in season and drop some ideas on how to prepare it for a spring brunch or even Easter!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is Fresh?

pumpkin soup 5

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

  • Apricots
  • Artichokes
  • Asparagus
  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Cherries
  • Fava Beans
  • Fennel
  • Green Garlic
  • Green Onions
  • Leeks
  • Lemons
  • Lettuces and Greens
  • Mint
  • Morels
  • New Potatoes
  • Parsley
  • Peas
  • Radishes
  • Ramps
  • Rhubarb
  • Scallions
  • Spinach
  • Strawberries
  • Sweet Onions
  • Turnips

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are some awesome vegan spring recipes in which to prepare these fresh spring ingredients?

IMG_2639

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Apricots: Make a Curried Vegan Chicken Salad with sliced almonds and diced dried apricots (recipe below), or a Moroccan Grain Salad, or roast the apricot and serve it as a dessert just like I did with peaches here!

Artichokes: I am a HUGE fan of artichokes! I roast, steam, or just plain old toss them into so many dishes. Add them to a marinara or a cashew cream sauce with sum sundried tomatoes and they are amaxing. Or go all out for a party and make this awesome Spinach Artichoke Dip!

Asparagus: I rarely eat asparagus but when I do they have to be fresh and either steamed and then drizzled with oil, balsamic and salt (served cold) or roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Keep it simple!

Beets: Beets are an amazing food. Try golden beets steamed or roasted with a balsamic vinegar drizzle. Heaven on earth!

Carrots: Everyone loves carrots. They are in cans, fresh, and come in every color. Purple is the original color of a carrot though. Try something new with this spiced carrot spread recipe from Martha Stewart!

Cherries: Cherries are such a wonderful ingredient that can be made savory or sweet. Try making a traditional cherry pie or some cherry chocolate brownie cupcakes to indulge!

Fava Beans: Try a twist on the average soup or standard fava bean salad with this Sopa de Habas from Saveur!

Fennel: I love roasting fennel with other veggies and making it almost herbaceous to the dish. Check out my roasted veggies from the holidays here!

Green Garlic: Green Garlic is similar in use to Green onions. I support this unusually garlic by dicing it thin and tossing it in a salad with asian dressing, dried fruits, and sliced almonds. You can even rub the oils from it around the inside of the bowl to help bring out the taste.

Green Onions: I love green onions in two particular dishes (1) is the Dragon Potatoes at the Cantina in San Diego’s Pacific Beach (you can get the recipe and cookbook here), and (2) when sprinkled over a peanut satay noodle dish like this recipe which includes lots of the other items on here. Mix it up and enjoy!

Leeks: Leeks are similar to onions. I like them for soups. Try making a simple traditional potato leek soup at Easter.

Lemons: When I was a little girl we lived in the San Jose area of California. I would sit on the railing of the back deck overlooking our pool and eat lemons with my brother. When I met my husband one of the first things I found out is he still eats lemons and LOVES them. There are a million lemon recipes out there both savory and sweet. My favorites are Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Bundt Cake and Lemon Meringue Pie though.

Lettuces/Greens: We all know how to use lettuce to make a salad but what else can you do with it? Try seasoning it and grilling it. Not sure what kind of lettuce to use. Get a free trial to Cook’s Online Cooking School and learn with videos and recipe lessons how to make them perfectly! I just did the lettuces version this past week and learned quite a bit about what flavors are in each type and when to use them and how to use them! I pay $20/ a month but more serious folks can do the $40 a month program and get feedback from America’s Test Kitchen Chefs!

Mint: I like mint in dessert but I am not much of a fan in savory dishes although it is used heavily in the Mediterranean and middle eastern cooking recipes. So try something totally different and make a mint tea with mint, sugar, and water!

Morels: These mushrooms are so rich and can be made into almost anything! Check out this website and recipe guide that is dedicated to them and start experimenting! Also look at Martha Stewart’s Morels 101 !

New Potatoes: Roasted New Potatoes tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs are a staple. The only spring change I would make… add some edible flowers and Herbs de Provence!

Parsley: I re-blogged a great recipe that had a wonderful use of parsley the other day here with Roasted Potatoes and Avocado. Or try a Parsley Walnut Pesto for a hot or cold salad (swap the parm for Galaxy Foods Vegan Parmesan) or fun bruschetta!

Peas: My father hates peas but I grew up with them on my plate at least a few times a week. From the can with butter and salt. Yum. However with them so fresh try a variety of types and ways to make them! Steam some fresh snow peas or sugar snaps and toss in a stir fry with some tofu. Or perhaps make a minty pea dip or Pea Guacomole!

Radishes: Radishes are inherently a mexican topping. You add them raw and sliced to the top of any taco and it is instant heaven.

Ramps: ramps are a food that many are not familiar with but are part of that green onion/scallion style of food. But here on the east coast they are more common so we pickle them, put them in bread, and even toss them in the fryer! Check out some recipes here.

Rhubarb: My husband is a sucker for a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie from the baked section of our Grocery Store. My mom buys them for him all the time. But when i was little my grandfather used to recite a rhyme to me every so often asking me if the “rain would hurt the rhubarb” and I thought that rhubarb was the same as rebar that was on the cement pillars of the ski lift so I would be rolling my eyes like “No they are always covered in snow”. I laugh at my 4 year old logic. However does the rain hurt the rhubarb?  The answer is apparently no, but it is obviously a common question! That being said eat some of its sweet and sour flesh in a pie (just sub the dairy for non-dairy items)!

Scallions: Scallions grew like weeds in the backyard of my childhood home. I hated the smell but now it is nostalgic. They are great on almost everything so I wanted to find an out of the box recipe for you guys. This is what I found: Avocado, Celery, and Scallion Bruscetta with Mache! Also take a look at Martha Stewart for more inspiration on Ramps, Scallions, and Green Onions!

Spinach: I use spinach mainly in salads or steamed with vinegar on them. How do you cook spinach? Also there is always the Spinach Artichoke Dip above!

Strawberries: I love strawberries. Doesn’t everyone? But its actually not a berry. Although, Pineapples and Bananas are. Make a strawberry chocolate pie for Easter by tossing strawberries with tapioca pearls and sugar and then putting them in a vegan pie crust and pouring chocolate chips in the crevices. It is really that easy. check out Magnolia Bakery’s recipe! Also I love my chocolate dipped strawberry cupcakes. They are fun and easy for kids to make too!

Sweet Onions: I could use sweet onions all day. Onion rings, purree, or in a bread. Yummy Yummy! Try my onion bread recipe!

Turnips: I have never cooked turnips. Ever. So I will rely on some experts on some interesting recipes. Here they are: RECIPES . I must say the Maple Carrot Turnip Mash and the Turnip Slaw look awesome! Some of that slaw over my BBQ Seitan Pretzel Sandwich Recipe sounds devine!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Curried Vegan Chicken Salad with Apricots and Sliced Almonds (Made for 1 person)

 Ingredients:

  • 6 pieces of Beyond Meat Chicken Lightly Seasoned
  • (1-2) tbsp of Vegan Mayonnaise like Just Mayo by Hampton Foods
  • 2 tbsp of Balti Curry Spice from Penzey’s
  • 1 dried apricot
  • 2 tbsp of sliced almonds
  • Pinch of salt
  • Optional: Sliced Bread, green salad

Dice chicken strips into tiny pieces. Toss with mayo, then season, and stir until combined. Dice the dried apricot and toss into mixture with almonds, toss lightly, and serve cold immediately. You can put it on a salad or in a sandwich as well! Enjoy!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The great thing you may have noticed is that many of the recipes use multiples of these ingredients together. That is the beauty of cooking seasonly. The flavors always jive well together. Plus you are helping save the planet by not getting your produce shipped in from a million miles away. Try buying seasonally and locally. It is pretty delicious! Happy First Day of Spring everyone!

Food is Love.

The Hippie Gypsy

Organic Garden Cafe aka Rawbert’s in Beverly, MA

Posted by LD in Confessions and Rants of the Vegan Persuasion, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I am not necessarily a big fan of vegan raw food. I think of it as something that goes a little far at times for my abilities and most folks abilities in a cold weather climate. If I lived in Costa Rica it may seem more feasible however. When I heard that a spot near my seaside home was picked as a Best of Boston North Shore (BONS) for brunch and it was vegan I was pretty excited. The write up was positive and discussed lots of good quality food. So I took a look at their website. It said that not only are they a cafe but they also do a volunteer program where you volunteer 5 times every 2 months for 3 hours at a time and you can learn a little about the raw food movement. This was very interesting to me. They had internships and other things but volunteering is my second love so I grabbed my mother, aunt, and cousin and headed over for a lunch time treat. If it was decent I vowed I would ask for the volunteering paperwork. I can always learn something more about vegan food and heck maybe raw is better than I think!

IMG_3211   IMG_3212

When we got their we realized the space itself is a bit tiny and a little cramped but very healthy-food-centric. They had plants and painted murals of veggies. Very hipster cool. It is wedged into main street with its own parking lot and next to a comic book store and around other healthy/hippie venues. It fits. The staff was nice and friendly. We were seated quickly. The food was brought out timely and we had a good meal. I loved the crackers and cheese plate we got, the quesadillas were awesome, and the the kale chips were the same flavor as Rhythm Foods Nacho flavor. My mom and aunt got soup. My aunt loved hers as it was a carrot ginger flavor and my mom thought hers was too grainy for a corn chowder. The omelette sandwich filled me up but was a bit mushy since it was some sort of Brazil nut base and reminded me of the soft cheese on the cheese plate. I was surprised at the bagel though, it was excellent. I grabbed some chocolates to go (none of us liked those, they are not sweet and actually very strong in odor like a glass of red wine). I then decided I would ask for an application for the volunteer program.

IMG_3215   IMG_3219   IMG_3216  IMG_3217 IMG_3220       

Unfortunately, I was met with some surprise on this portion.  Rawbert himself came out and seemed happy to chat. However he thought I was asking about the internship (which as a full time executive I do not have time for nor the need for). I stated no I was looking at the volunteer program. He said they didn’t do that anymore because it was too hard to get volunteers up to speed and they aren’t trained and they get in the way in an already overstaffed busy kitchen. So why then do they allow interns? Wouldn’t that be the same? It seems that interns pay for their spot. That is strange and I am not sure I like that. I grabbed a green juice and headed out. I am not sure I will go back. I have mixed feelings about the whole ordeal after that chat. If I had not chatted, I may have gone back but after seeing that the business is more than about the food and the joy and it is really about money. I felt uncomfortable. Veganism is just one of those subcultures where you feel like you are more about the food, the health, the morals and less about the business of it all. However, I guess that isn’t always the case. Plus isn’t free labor still free labor? Rawbert told me he would update his page and he has, however I am still bummed out. If you want to intern or take classes though for a fee I say go for it! I just can’t fit that into my life as a full time executive.

 

IMG_3222   IMG_3223

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Food is Love.

The Hippie Gypsy.

@TrueBistro : My Favorite Vegan Spot

Posted by LD in Confessions and Rants of the Vegan Persuasion, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I was at the Boston Flower Show on Sunday with my mother and my aunt when I saw that the Wynn Casino and Resort Company was hosting the event. I find this an amazing moment because here in Boston we are contemplating the possibility of a large hotel/casino/resort in the metro area. So not only are the contenders trying to sponsor events to garner attention, but they are also trying to win our favor. The Wynn Company already has my favor however, because Steve Wynn is vegan. This allows for the possibility of more vegan restaurants in the metro area that are high quality and accessible. He makes sure there is a vegan menu at every restaurant at the Wynn Las Vegas and he would do the same in the Everett, MA location. They also plan on cleaning up a large site that used to be home to Monsanto and (no surprise) they left toxic and a mess and then walked away. So the Wynn Company is becoming a fan favorite for a few reasons. However, I have one worry… my favorite restaurant True Bistro. It is an excellent restaurant in Somerville, MA that has amazing food and is high end. This is rare. How rare? They are the only high end vegan restaurant in the whole metro area. I think Candle 79 in NYC is the next closest at what 200 or so miles away?

So the reason for my worry is that a few things can happen during competition. One is that they could force them out and two is that the loyal followers slowly migrate away. I would hate that. I don’t think it will happen though and the reason is Michael the owner. I have had the pleasure of talking to him on a few occasions. He obviously only knows me as a patron, however, he is so kind and fun and chatty but also unbelievably dedicated to this lifestyle and food that I can’t help but write about his spot in detail. I would never replace a night in Somerville with Michael for a night at a large hotel but I may start going out a few more times a month because the Wynn will have convenient parking and all that jazz at larger resorts. This may be years down the road though. The interesting part is that despite all that Wynn could offer… True Bistro has not only amazing food but the are always changing it up with only a few staples and the pre-fixe menus are to die for every time (if you are lucky enough to get a reservation).

I had the pleasure of going there on Valentine’s Day this year and honestly, I think it was one of the best meals I have had in forever. Which is a compliment since I recently did a culinary tour of vegan hot spots in NYC and we go to True Bistro and order 4 desserts fairly often. My husband and I asked for one of everything this time, since there were two items in each section and the wine pairing. I was driving and I also don’t drink so my husband took a sip of this or that with each taste. I was in love with so many dishes and the waitress asked us each time what the culprit was. So I would tell her we loved this, fought over that, not a fan of this wine, etc. She would smile or laugh or absorb. Again, this restaurant is so responsive. Even their waitstaff are experts. How can anyone compete with that level of service? So we continued along and my omnivore husband ate like it was going to be taken away at any moment. He was such a fool for their menu. I was so happy to see this because it is not every day that you can get an omnivore to dig vegan food so much that they try to eat faster so their vegan wife can’t steal back a bite of a plate of seitan. I had a great time that night and the food as always was impeccable.

So where does that leave an excellent vegan four star restaurant in Boston when a huge giant resort shows up? Hopefully still on top. I wouldn’t be able to part with this family or their restaurant. I would miss Michael’s banter, his height, and his joy. He gets excited to clean off a table, he gets excited to chat about his travels, and he gets excited and laughs when he finds out we made it to dinner after having a cancelled flight on a holiday. He has an attention to detail that is unmatched from his choices in food, too his chevre cheese plates, to the fact that he could tell by my eyes I was part Mexican. You can’t compete with that, but perhaps Wynn will supplement it. I will be by sometime soon to wait in the long line for brunch. I can’t wait even though it is 19 degrees out. You should too: http://www.truebistroboston.com . Now I am hungry!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Food is Love.

The Hippie Gypsy.

 

 

Traveling Vegan in NYC Part II: Restaurant Reviews, Food, Places that Closed, and Heaven on a Plate.

Posted by LD in Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

 

 

 

 

I love New York City. It is just really one of the World’s treasures. For vegans it is a resource that is unmatched in the United States. It has ever culinary wish you could make and every creative food your palate could desire. I always talk to my husband about where I want to go eat if I were in NYC right now. He has obviously been listening because the other week he said “Let’s go away for the weekend!” I was excited but careful. For me, money is always tight and I want to budget. So I pre-planned everything, every restaurant and activity and even snacks. We left a little late on Saturday and realized halfway there that although we did plan for the dog’s accommodations, hubby left the house without her leash on. He then fell asleep for most of the ride until he woke up and told me.

IMG_2943

 

So a short stop in Petsmart (or was it Petco) in Connecticut and back onto the highway. We got there in a reasonable amount of time regardless and I was so excited to start my culinary adventure. First however, we had to check in. My dog Lola was so excited to get out of the car and into the hotel to meet everyone. Did I mention it was about 10 degrees out? Thanks polar blast for that cold wave.

 

IMG_2945   IMG_2944 (Lola arriving in NYC smelling everything and so excited to get out of the car)

 

MARRIOTT CENTRAL PARK: Accommodations

 

The staff at the Marriott Central Park was equally excited. It was a beautiful new hotel that just opened and we were staying in the Courtyard Marriott section but there is also a Marriott Residence Inn section making it the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere. Very cool. The staff is great and so was the hotel. I recommend it to everyone and anyone. Can’t go wrong with Marriott especially on Broadway between Times Square and Central Park near 5th Ave.

IMG_3040 (Lola checking out the fountain at the hotel)

 

 

 

DUN-WELL DOUGHNUTS: BREAKFAST / SNACK

After the bellman brought up the luggage and the valet took the car away. We headed across the Williamsburg Bridge to Dun-well Doughnuts. I met a man in line who helped me pick his favorites and a few other fun donuts for our half dozen box while my husband ran across the street to a local Bodega to get money from the ATM. It gave him all tens which he still thinks is the most hilarious thing in the world. I grabbed a vegan hot cocoa and a coffee for the hubby and we sat at the window to begin our feast. WOW was my first words. The donuts are those spot on sweet but not too sweet yeasty dreamy fluffs of heaven. They flavors and coatings are far from average and not at all tasting of “fake” fruit flavors or funny after tastes. They are as close to perfect as I can think. I just wish they were in Boston so I could get fatter by eating them every day.

IMG_2946    IMG_2947   IMG_2948   IMG_2950  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foodswings: Lunch (closed)

Next we decided to walk the 1.5 miles over to Foodswings in Brooklyn on the Park Slope Brooklyn Bridge side of Brooklyn. This place is known for amazing home style eats. Burgers, mac n cheese, and fried chicken but all vegan all the time. One problem when we walked up the gate was down. So we saw a door to the right and walked down a long kinda shady hallway into a speakeasy door to find a girl sitting at a bar eating corn chips and salsa alone. This was not Foodswings. I walked out to find another couple doing the same thing and I agreed to check my phone Facebook to see what was up. They had announced in the beginning of the month that their lease was up and they had a fight with their landlord and would close at the end of the month. It wasn’t the end of the month but this explained it I guess. I was pretty upset that they didn’t bother and update their website, twitter, or FB when they actually closed. It was kinda a stinky move on their part. I met them at The Seed conference a few years ago and had their fried chicken and they seemed cool. But I guess time and business changes folks. oh well! (Note: I checked today on FB and they posted that a few days later (after I left a message on their twitter) they stated on FB they had been closed all week and reopened for a few days and closed again for good, thanks for telling us after you were closed a week. Really not impressed guys.)

 

PEACEFOOD CAFE: LUNCH / SNACK

We caught a cab bag to Manhattan and got ready for the dinner of the year. The vegan epicenter of high end vegan food…. Candle 79. We stopped at Peacefood Cafe first though for a snack since our lunch was now cancelled and because a twitter follower commented that she could eat her “weight” in their chickpea fries. All I know is I ordered a seitan medallion sandwich, chickpea fries, and a key lime pie to go and the seitan sandwich could’ve caused my husband and I to divorce and ask for custody over it so we didn’t have to share. It was THAT good. My only complaint. The key lime pie must have sat near onions in the fridge. The taste transferred into the tofu base. Not good but you could tell it would’ve been.

 

IMG_2953   IMG_2956IMG_2958IMG_2960 IMG_2986

 

 

Then Candle 79 after a quick trip back to the hotel to walk the dog and freshen up for dinner.

 

CANDLE 79: DINNER

I will be honest, I thought Candle 79 was going to be all talk. I had heard it was good but too pricey and that it didn’t live up to the hype. However, it is someplace you just have to go no matter what other folks say because it does have quite a celebrity following. The truth? It is actually THAT good. The menu is daunting. You want to order everything but are unsure. The prices are high but that is the type of restaurant it is. Think Morton’s or the Palm without the meat. The hostess was delightful and took our coats. A rude customer came in behind us and was quite demanding that he be seated before us (we had a reservation as did he) but she handled it with the grace of a ballerina and assured him he had a table and she would be right back. We were brought down the long thin first floor up some stairs to the second floor overlooking 79th. It was a nice view bu there was a huge flower display in the window that blocked some of it. The ceilings were gorgeous and made of several colors of wood. The staff was attentive and polite. I ordered a kola (which reminds me of coke in the Caribbean), a Caesar salad, and the Seitan Piccatta. My husband ordered the dumplings appetizer and the Rosemary-Balsamic Grilled Seitan. My salad was wonderful. I had wanted a Caesar salad since I had gone vegan but had never had one. While we waited a waited came over and told me that the chef sent out a appetizer for us to try. It was a lentil filled spoon with some jalapenos and maybe celery? Whatever it was it was fresh and a little spicy and a perfect bite. I thanked him and the chef immensely, it was an honor. When the salad came it was tangy and filling and the little Parmesan crisp were perfect. The shocker was the grilled “chicken” on it. It tasted 100% real deal like a grilled chicken. Even my husband was shocked. He ate what I didn’t finish. I tried his dumplings which were good but I should’ve dipped more sauce. The Seitan Piccatta was outstanding. They only tiny change I would made. Making it thinner and not stacking it on top of each other. That’s it. Kinda lame but it’s the little things sometimes. My husband was enamored with his seitan as it tasted like real beef. I did not like steak much before going vegan so I wasn’t shocked I did not love his dish but it was real deal beef flavored and textured. The sides were good though! Then dessert was ordered. OMG dessert. This is the best dessert I have ever had at any time in my life. Pure heaven on a plate. We got 3 desserts to share as my husband is a sugar addict. We ordered the flan, chocolate brownie, and the chocolate peanut butter truffle. The flan was heaven on earth. I would probably not have shared if my husband hadn’t just snagged a piece. The brownie was pure chocolate decadence with divine ice cream. The ice cream on the flan was also just sublime. The peanut butter chocolate truffle thing was too chocolatey for me but perfect for my husband. he loves a good death by chocolate flourless cake and this was more chocolate than peanut butter so he was happy. I would eat there every day if I could.

IMG_2961 IMG_2984 Caesar Salad

IMG_2964 Dumpling/Potstickers

IMG_2982Seitan Piccatta

IMG_2968 Rosemary Balsamic Seitan 

IMG_2969 Q-Kola

IMG_2971 Mexican Chocolate brownie

 IMG_2973 Peanut Butter Chocolate truffle

IMG_2985 Pumpkin Flan with Sugared Toasted Pepitas

IMG_2974  IMG_2977 IMG_2979 Bathroom Selfies because its fun!

IMG_2980IMG_2981Restaurant Selfie: Candle 79

 

 

 

 

Blossom Cafe: Sunday Brunch

The next morning we arose bright and early to have brunch with my old college roommate Andrea. She is one of those amazing NYC girls that is so well read and refined yet relaxed and fun that you can bring her anywhere and she will have been there or know the owner or have a story about it. She had been to Blossom but she isn’t vegan. She ordered the grilled cheese, my husband ordered the stuffed french toast (and ate half of it before I could snap a photo!), and I ordered the country brunch platter. Everyone was quiet and cleaned their plates. Like my grandmother would say, we were all part of the “Clean Plate Club”. I especially loved my chutney, scramble, and the fried sweet potato. I mean it was all good but that chutney! Yummm…

     IMG_2988IMG_2989IMG_2990IMG_2991IMG_2993IMG_2994IMG_2995

 

 

 

 

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

We dropped off Lola with a dog walker for the afternoon so she could play in the upper east side and Central park. I couldn’t bare to leave her in the hotel all day. Then the hubby and I ran off to the Museum of Natural History on the upper west side. It is one of my favorite places in the world. It is so fun and beautiful to look at and if you can’t afford to pay it is free. We paid but you don’t have to or you can pick what you want to pay. It is pretty amazing that they do that for folks. 

 

 

 

IMG_3028IMG_2996IMG_2997IMG_3001IMG_3003IMG_3005IMG_3006IMG_3010IMG_3011IMG_3012IMG_3013IMG_3014IMG_3015IMG_3017IMG_3018IMG_3019IMG_3020  IMG_3022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V-NOTE: SUNDAY DINNER

We then embarked on a new high end restaurant and wine bar for an early 5 pm dinner. It is supposed to rival (if not exceed) Candle 79 in food, wine, and service and is owned by the folks from Blossom. It is on the upper east side and although they did have one outstanding item on the menu, I wouldn’t go back. Mainly because of service but the food wasn’t great either except for the one item. It was just barely okay. We changed our reservation from 630 pm to 5 or 530 pm and arrived early. We were seated right away and the place was almost entirely empty. There was a couple at a table and a man who looked like he worked there, drinking at the bar. That was the first not so good sign. A man who looked like his twin was our server (brothers?). He came over and was friendly enough but was slow. He didn’t refill glasses, he had a busboy bring our food, and when the rush came in at 6-630 ish he started forgetting our order but didn’t forget to charge us for what we didn’t get. When I went to the bathroom (which was not very clean), I overheard him saying that an article written on a tablet the other female server (the only two staff on the floor) had was “not good” for their business. I understood right away that they got a bad review and honestly, I wasn’t shocked. I had to bring the bill up to the female waiter to explain the bill was wrong since he refused to come back for us to pay. She said oh okay I will take it off and he came up behind me and said “What’s the problem?” I explained he had charged us for items he never brought us and he said “Well you know we got slammed”. That isn’t an excuse in my book. You are a waiter, you deliver food. I didn’t ask for anything outside of this. You will get slammed every night in NYC. You should still be able to do your job. The only good thing: the mushroom risotto. Order it to go and you will be in heaven.

IMG_3025IMG_3026 Too gingery ginger ale.

 IMG_3027 husbands wine

 IMG_3029 Corn Chowder that was watery and more like corn liquefied, also blisteringly hot. Burned my tongue.

 IMG_3030 Seitan medallion app with potato salad. Bland.

IMG_3031 Eggplant parm. appetizer. Bland and had more zucchini than eggplant.

IMG_3032 Mushroom Risotto. Marvelous.

 IMG_3033IMG_3034 Mexican Stuffed Poblano with Walnut Sauce. Not enough sauce. Bland. Poblano wasn’t roasted well or thin enough. I used to love this dish when I was not vegan. It is a quintessential Mexican holiday dish (I’m part Mexican). They killed it 😦 .

IMG_3035 Fondue. Tiniest amount of chocolate ever with barely any fruit and 2 cookies cut in half and two pretzel sticks for I think $16. Lame.

 

 

 

HOME

We picked up Lola after that from her dog walker and headed back to the hotel to pack and go home. The dog walker was amazing and you should use her services if you are ever in town. I will post a link soon! I was happy with the trip overall and even more happy to have picked up a vegan guide to NYC at Dun-well along the way. Although Foodswings and V-Note were a big buildup with little return. They other places more than made up for it and I have a book of new places to start trying! Please feel free to tell me more places to go next. I can’t wait for another traveling vegan trip! Maybe I will see you in your town!

 

Food is Love.

The Hippie Gypsy.

Christmas in New York City

Posted by LD in Shopping Vegan, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nearly every Christmas as a child, my father would bring us to NYC the weekend before the actual holiday. We would do plenty of cool things like skate at Rockefeller Center or eat at fancy restaurants, but the main purpose was to get our first Christmas present early at FAO Schwartz. We would wait in line and see the guard and hear the music and the clock inside and cling to the window in anticipation. I was always preparing for a doll or stuffed animal of some sort and my brother towards the remote control cars. I have now passed this tradition onto my stepchildren. So this weekend when they arrived, off we went to NYC with my husband and my Aunt for a fun filled weekend.

We spent the night at the Courtyard Marriott in Chelsea on West 30th. We got in late due to a flight issue with the kids and decided to head right to bed. I planned to have breakfast nearby and then off to the Statue of Liberty after that. Everyone was up at 9 am and the weather was so warm we couldn’t believe our luck. No coats were really needed… IN DECEMBER! So off to breakfast less than a 1/2 mile away at Blossom Du Jour. Let me first state that when you walk in and it is tiny but the staff is so friendly and happy you can’t help but smile and feel this huge warmth. They were taking out fresh croissant and vegan cronuts sandy with cinnamon and sugar and the little kid inside of me got giddy. My aunt and the kids both had the waffles and my husband and I had the vegan scramble wraps. I also bought 2 cronuts for us all to cut and share. The verdict? I am in love with their cronuts. I could eat them every day for the rest of my life. The waffle was very dense, I snuck a bite from my oldest. Then I inhaled my almost too-eggy-to-be-true tofu scramble wrap splashing it down with Raspberry Lemonade Soda. It was the best faux egg breakfast meal I have ever had. I am not exaggerating, you MUST try this. Even my husband was happy. The only comment was “I should have ordered two, I am still hungry”. This was about an hour later.

 

IMG_2793   IMG_2789   IMG_2791  IMG_2790   IMG_2792   IMG_2788

I grabbed a smoky avocado wrap to take with me in case there was nothing vegan for lunch options on Ellis Island or at the Statue of Liberty. We grabbed a cab and headed over to Battery Park. The seagulls were out and the squirrels were acting like they were a small free circus act. It was a beautiful day for the animals of NYC and my kids were so delighted by it all. The youngest started naming all the birds. I could not have asked for a better set-up. We got our tickets quickly from will call and hopped right on the top floor of the boat to the statue. It was a wonderful ride and the seagulls follow you all the way. My husband took tons of photos of the 50 or so floating over our head. Seagulls are my favorite bird and probably one of my favorite animals. I find them smart and funny and both land and sea all mixed together. They are so resourceful and determined as well. When i was a kid my grandmother and I would go to Revere Beach outside Boston and get french fries from Kelly’s Roast Beef and feed them to them. This of course is probably not healthy but they loved it and I loved them. I digress.

When we got to the island we were luck enough to have tickets to the platform (but unfortunately not to the crown). So we climbed the 400 or so stairs up and it was such a beautiful view. The kids were just in awe and ran about the island afterward. We taught them about the importance of it all as we went along. They really seemed to understand it. My aunt loved going because she could see her grandparents in her mind traveling across and arriving. The joy that must have overtaken them. It is truly a magical place. We headed back a bit later to go to the Central Park Zoo.

We got to the zoo with about 1.5 hours to visit. If you have never been there this is more than enough time. It is a small zoo. There is also a Children’s zoo attached that could tack on another 30 minutes but we didn’t indulge on this trip. Now I know many vegans are against zoos. I am in many cases. This zoo however is small, has minimal animals and ample staff. I feel confident the animals get enough attention and care but I do agree there is nothing perfectly like the wild. I am lucky to have two very animal loving girls as step-kids. They were interested and the youngest even felt like we should take one of the seals home to put back in Boston Harbor. I was happiest however in the aviary of tropical plants and birds. It was similar to a sauna when entering and it felt as though you truly were in their habitat. They flew freely and there was no border between you and the birds. Some you could touch they were so close but I told the children not to because you don’t poke animals. There was also a darkened area sectioned off for amphibians, snakes, etc. I am terrified of snakes so I stayed away I only went in to see the mongoose. Because they are adorable.

 

IMG_2799   IMG_2803   IMG_2804   IMG_2806 IMG_2797

 

When we left we waited to watch the clock go off and the animals dance around the pedestal while the clock sung a Christmas carol. Then walked to Strawberry Fields so I could take a photo of the Imagine Mosaic and then to dinner. The kids ran the whole time, stomping on snow piles and jumping off rocks. It was a great day in Central Park.

 

IMG_2808

 

We had dinner at Le Pain Quotidien on the upper east side just a block from the park. The food was the best I have ever had since I became vegan. I wish they had a Boston location in which case I would be there every Friday. The whole family was in awe. We started with a sampling platter of prosciutto, cheese, breads, fruit, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, infused oil, and jams. I had some oil, bread, fruit, tomato, and jams. It was amazing. Then for dinner I chose the six vegetable vegan quiche that came with a side of mesculen salad and a pot of tea. The dressing was perfect on the salad. I would fork a few of the greens onto a slice of bread with apricot preserves from time to time. So indulgent. The quiche was absolutely beautiful. Brightly colored layers with a simple and rich flavor and topped with an artichoke heart slice. The small slice of quiche was perfect. When it was time for dessert I picked the Hemp Seed Blondie which was more like a small square cake with a few chocolate chips than a brownie but still delicious, I also grabbed a taste of the brown rice pudding my oldest stepdaughter had ordered and it was yummy. I left so happy and full. The whole family continued to rave about it on the ride home that night.

 

IMG_2810   IMG_2811  IMG_2809     IMG_2819   IMG_2817   IMG_2823   IMG_2822

 

Last we headed over to FAO Schwartz. It was later about 8 pm and the line had dissolved. We headed right in and the kids looked for about an hour until deciding on their choices. Both chose extra large stuffed animals. The youngest chose a Cheetah and the oldest a strikingly life-like Orangutan. The Cheetah was named Candice while in line and the Orangutan was Enrique. Full of smiles and french country flavors we headed back to the hotel and then home in our new Prius. It only cost $35 in gas for the trip there and back. Amazing car to own.

I am so grateful for my family and our ability to have these adventures this holiday and all year. I hope that all my readers have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Much love this Holiday Season.

 

Food is Love. 

The Hippie Gypsy.

Ooey Gooey Vegan S’mores Cheesecake Trifle

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I joined the Wellness Committee at my work a few months back. I thought it was important to have a truly opposite opinion to the mainstream ideas of health in such a  group. One that focused not on conventional “healthy” recipes and ways of being “well” but one that is a little more alternative. I am obviously a vegan but I am also a bit of a hippie and very interested in how wellness is also about being mentally well and taking care of the earth to result in healthy food and a healthy planet. This holiday season we had a Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal get together/luncheon at work. The Wellness Group sponsored it and although it was healthi-er I think we have a long way to go. I must say that I did prepare a not so perfectly healthy trifle for the baking contest so I am as much at fault as anyone on the healthiness of this luncheon. To me this recipe is far from healthy but for the group, I think they will find it the healthiest option on the table with all things considered. Take a look and Happy Holidays! (PS I won the contest!)

IMG_2775

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

S’mores Cheesecake Trifle

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages Vegan Marshmallows
  • 2 containers Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
  • 2 cans of Coconut Milk (refrigerated overnight or longer to separate)
  • 1 cup powdered organic vegan sugar
  • 1 squeeze bottle of Breyer’s Hot Fudge Sauce (vegan and sold at Walmart)
  • 1 box of Fudge Brownie Mix (Betty Crocker is vegan)
  • 2 cans of pureed pumpkin
  • 1 box Chocolate Cake Mix (many vegan varieties are available)
  • 1 package of graham crackers

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Preparation:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. IMG_2746
  3. Get out (2) medium mixing bowls.
  4. Get 1 smaller pie pan and 1 regular sized cake pan.
  5. Get out your trifle container.
  6. IMG_2743
  7. Spray cake and pie pan with Coconut Oil spray or some Pam-type equivalent of canola oil.
  8. Open cans of coconut milk and slowly remove top layer of coconut milk fat and leave coconut water at the bottom. Try to remove as little wet material as possible. Place in one mixing bowl with cream cheese. Mix until combined well. Sift in powdered sugar with a sieve or squeeze sifter. I use a plastic $1.99 sieve I got at the Chinese grocery store and it works great. No need for anything fancy! Place bowl of cream in refrigerator.
  9. IMG_2728 IMG_2730 IMG_2731 IMG_2732 IMG_2733 IMG_2734 IMG_2735 IMG_2738 IMG_2740 IMG_2741 IMG_2742
  10. In second bowl prepare brownie mix with one can of pureed pumpkin. Combine the two until smooth. Place in Pie Pan.
  11. IMG_2715    IMG_2716    IMG_2717
  12. In the second bowl (do not wipe) add cake mix and 2nd can of pureed pumpkin. Combine well until smooth and place batter in cake pan.
  13. IMG_2720    IMG_2721    IMG_2723

Cooking:

  1. Place both batters into oven. The cake will take approximately 30 minutes and the brownies will take approximately 50-55 minutes.
  2. IMG_2747
  3. Take squeeze fudge and line the bottom of the trifle bowl. The cake will be going in the bottom and tends to be crumbly. This will give the appearance on the exterior glass of a neat chocolate line while also keeping the moisture of the cake in.
  4. IMG_2725   IMG_2752
  5. Next, cut or tear marshmallows in half. This will allow for them to be stuck to the glass and cake when layering.
  6. When the cake comes out. Take the trifle bowl and press through to the bottom of the pan. This will create a circular indent. Most trifle bowls are smaller on the bottom than the top. That is why you place the cake and not brownie in the bottom. Cake will squish down and together so it will fit despite the slight size difference.
  7.  IMG_2748  IMG_2749
  8. Flip the pan over on a wire rack to unlodge from pan and cool.
  9. IMG_2753
  10. Once cool, tear away edges from the circular imprint and press down into the trifle bowl.
  11.  IMG_2754  IMG_2755   IMG_2756  IMG_2757
  12. The fudge will make up for any imperfections. Feel free to add more fudge in a circle on top to finish the layer. Then place a few dots on top of the cake to prepare for marshmallows.
  13. IMG_2758
  14. Press marshmallows up against the glass all around the bowl and then on top of the cake/fudge layer.
  15.      IMG_2759 IMG_2760
  16. Take out a creme brulee style kitchen torch and brown the cake layers. Be careful lot to get too close the the glass. Not all glass is heat friendly.
  17. IMG_2761 IMG_2762 IMG_2763   IMG_2726
  18. Fill in holes between marshmallows with some fudge. Then crumble graham crackers on top. I used 1 package from a box. Approximately 8 sheets (you can reserve some for top layer if you want or just use more!).
  19. IMG_2744    IMG_2764 IMG_2765
  20. Next place 1/3 of the cheesecake cream in the center of the crackers but try to avoid bringing the liquid too close to the edges.
  21.     IMG_2766  IMG_2768 IMG_2769
  22. Now add the brownie layer once it has been removed from the oven and cooled on a wire rack. You do not need to make a circular cut on this. Simply cut a triangular piece of brownie out of the “pie” and then it will allow for you to fold it into the trifle bowl by almost overlapping the edges where the cut was made. It also allows for you to have a snack 🙂
  23. IMG_2767   IMG_2770   IMG_2771   IMG_2772
  24. Next add the rest of the cheesecake cream and decorate with marshmallows, fudge, and crumbled grahams. I like to line the edge again with marshmallows and place a dollop of fudge between for a nice finish on it 🙂
  25.  IMG_2774   IMG_2776
  26. Refrigerate overnight to settle. Serve cold. Enjoy!

IMG_2773

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Food is Love.

The Hippie Gypsy

—————————————————–

Check My Recipe Out on Tofutti.com also!

https://twitter.com/tofuttibrand/status/412642439371816960/photo/1

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=698712053479883&set=a.192319737452453.46978.148368278514266&type=1&theater

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/550916966888690463/

http://www.tofutti.com/vegan-smores/

My Thanksgiving Dinner

Posted by LD in Confessions and Rants of the Vegan Persuasion, Holiday Recipes, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , ,

I want to start this with a shout out to the staff at the Bedford MA Whole Foods. You guys saved the day on Thanksgiving. I had ordered a holiday vegan “turkey” en croute from Whole Foods at another location for my Thanksgiving. My mother was kind enough to pick it up while I was working only to find a goat cheese log in the bag as a substitute. First off anonymous grocery staff that so lovingly tried to put a sub in for the missing vegan meat, goat cheese is not vegan. Second, why didn’t you call? I know that sounds like a wounded ex-girlfriend but honestly this is a major holiday and I am always plugging Whole Foods since you are the vegan guru’s of the Northeast as well as I help out writing recipes locally. If you don’t have a product tell the person who ordered it. Don’t just toss in a cheese log and hope for the best. The Bedford Whole Foods got a call from me in a panic and not only gave me many options, they gave it to me for free because they felt bad about what had happened. All I can say is you are amazing. I tweeted how amazing you were that day but I wanted to write about it formally. It made my day and the next day it made my dinner.

IMG_2644   IMG_2643

The Field Roast en Croute was delicious. The instructions were easy to follow. I was in heaven and leftovers were easy to reheat with a little water added to the bottom of the bowl. I topped leftovers with a little Daiya Havarti and was in heaven!

 IMG_2645 

I made the rest of the holiday meal vegan except the Turkey. Yes, I cooked a turkey. It was from Whole Foods and organic and local and all that jazz. I did feel bad but I am the only vegan and I try not to take things too far. My husband eats mostly vegan these days and my mother is vegan or at least vegetarian until dinner time so I feel like I have made such a huge impact that one day a year I will make them something non-vegan on a table that is completely vegan otherwise. They appreciate the effort and I appreciate their effort all year long.

 

IMG_2650 IMG_2649 IMG_2648 IMG_2647  IMG_2646

 

All I can say is that the vegetables with olive oil, salt, pepper, and drizzled with maple syrup were my favorite but the potatoes au gratin were the show stopper for the rest of the group. They loved them and I mean LOVED them. I got more compliments than I could’ve imagined. Especially seeing as only my dad and I ate them last year. I kinda regretted it because I love them and had only a tiny portion left over.

IMG_2652 IMG_2651

 

Dessert was also an amazing success with vegan chocolate chip cookies, cranberry upside down cake, apple caramel pie, and a vegan pumpkin pie my mother bought at Whole Foods in Boston.

IMG_2654    IMG_2658

All in all it was a great success and I cannot thank my friends in Bedford enough. So from my Family to yours. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

IMG_2653

(From the left going clockwise: Isaiah my husband’s closest friend, his children, his wife Kristin, my husband in orange in teh center, my father, moth, Aunt’s boyfriend Tim, and finally my Aunt.)

 

Food is Love.

The Hippie Gypsy

 

IMG_2659 (I’m on the far right, My mom is the center, aunt behind, and sister in law on the far left. Her son my nephew Nolan is the beautiful baby! I even named a dish after him!)

Perfect. Toll-House-Style. Vegan. Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Desserts, QUICKIES!, Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I love chocolate chip cookies. I love chocolate chip cookie dough even more. And in an honest, yet disgusting unveiling of my inner glutton, I love when you cream the butter, vanilla, and sugar together to make chocolate chip cookies. When I was a kid I used to try to steal dollops of the creamed mixture when my mom wasn’t looking. It was so good. I am glad I didn’t know about salmonella poisoning back then or the fat content of whole butter. Luckily with vegan baking, that salmonella is never a problem so yea… eat all the cookie dough you want! Also my brother is coming for Thanksgiving Dessert with his wife and my first and only nephew Baby Nolan and he (my brother) is a cookie monster, so I wanted to be able to make him chocolate chip cookies that I could also eat and so could any of my dairy intolerant family. My brother loves cookies so much I got him a replica cookie jar from our childhood for Christmas last year and it was not easy to find an owl cookie jar either! This will definitely be an experience thanks to my cookies 🙂

That being said here is my chocolate chip cookie recipe that I have been working on for ages. Every time I start I become uninspired by dry cookie dough (which every vegan can relate to due to the lack of eggs) and of course the ones that crumble or the ones that don’t taste quite right. These are not any of those. They are gooey and crunchy on the edges and melt until they are just thin enough but still soft inside. If you love cookies… you will also love me after you make this recipe.

 

IMG_2633

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

  1. 1 cup of earth balance organic buttery spread
  2. 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup
  3. 3 flax eggs (3 tablespoons of water and 1 tbsp powdered flax per egg)
  4. 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract (I use Penzey’s Mexican)
  5. 1 and 1/4 cups of vegan sugar (try half brown sugar if you have it for a richer flavor)
  6. 2.5 cups of all purpose unbleached flour
  7. 1-2 teaspoons of salt (I use kosher)
  8. 1 cup of vegan semisweet chocolate chips (I used Kirkland (Costco brand) this time instead of Whole Foods)

IMG_2619

*Optional: 1 cup of walnuts or pecans

IMG_2637

___________________________________________________________________________________________

MIXING TIME!

  • Place all dry ingredients (except chocolate) in a medium to small bowl. Mix until well combined.
  • IMG_2621
  • Cream butter and sugar together in a larger bowl with a mixer. Then place all wet ingredients into the bowl and mix until well combined.
  • IMG_2620
  • If you have never made a flax egg all you do is place warm water in a bowl and pulverize flaxseeds in a coffee grinder until powdered and stir. It’s that easy.
  • IMG_2622   IMG_2623
  • Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until a dough forms. I use my hands but a mixer works well too.
  • IMG_2624
  • Last toss in chocolate chips and any nuts and knead into the dough. It will be a little oily. 
  • IMG_2626  IMG_2628

 

BAKE:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Place a silpat or parchment on your baking sheet. These cookies WILL STICK OTHERWISE! This is very important.
  • Once the oven is completely preheated, place balls of cookie dough on the silpat or parchment lined cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 20-22minutes.
  • IMG_2631
  • Remove let sit for 5-10minutes and then transfer to a cookie cooling rack.
  • IMG_2632
  • Makes 3 dozen. Enjoy!
  • IMG_2634

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOOD IS LOVE.

The Hippie Gypsy

Ananda Ashram: The Food, The Experience, The Yoga, The Cooking

Posted by LD in Traveling Vegan and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This past long weekend I booked a trip to Ananda Ashram in Monroe, NY. I was going to do karma yoga (volunteering), as well as for the meditation/yoga retreat portion of the visit. After falling down the stairs last November, I have not done yoga so I was a little worried about this part. My ankle was not where I thought it should be to start bending, twisting, and leaning all my body weight on it but hey why not give it a whirl, I could always adjust the moves down to something simpler. The meditation however was a big focus for me and I knew it would help that I was volunteering and eating well the whole time, as the Ashram is strict on a vegetarian/vegan diet with mostly gluten free options and no caffeine or other “poisons” to the system. I was happy because I pretty much live this way anyway so it took out some distractions.

IMG_2594

The Food: I need to incorporate more gluten free options in my diet and combine my whole grains with a balance of veggies and fruits. Every meal was so well balanced that I found myself jealous of the chef. He was amazing. He knew so much about food and flavors and was so calm in the kitchen. getting to work cleanup in the Dining Hall was more meditative than work. But because Ananda is truly a magical place the trip had more in store than my volunteering with cleanup. I eventually got to help cook with the chef when someone called out.

IMG_2580

The Experience: An Ashram is like a Monastery that they allow other people to come visit and try out. Lots of different types of people live there, live nearby, work there, do immersion projects there, and study there. I met at least one of each. I found that people go to Ashrams for a million reasons. Some just to detox from the city (since this one is run by Yoga Society of New York this is common), some go to figure something out personally, some go to discover if they want to become yoga teachers, some go to write/create in a quiet space, and others go to meditate and clear out the system. Because of this there are all kinds of people. Teachers, architects, artists, yogis, mystics, entrepreneurs, etc. Everyone however seems to have a commonality of being very open and honest and okay with others quirks. I met one woman who was very clear with me that I was not to touch her when I went to serve her some soup and another person who I became fast friends with I hugged goodbye and text with daily since. Either way it was very open and honest and refreshing. I would go every weekend if I could. I know I am probably not selling it but it needs to be experienced. The air, the dorms, the meditation, the Kirtan (singing prayers at the end of the night), the chanting, the music, the smell of incense, the lake, the walk, the feeling after early morning gentle flow yoga. It is all an amazing package. Everyone just falls into sync. We were cautious to not keep each other up at night, clean up after ourselves, do things together or apart without any clingyness or judgement, talk openly about our lives, tell others when those stories were upsetting or made us happy or curious, it was truly a magical time. Everyone always said thank you. This sounds underrated but everytime you did anything. The volunteer work you were slated to do or simply holding a door open or sliding to the side to fit in more people at Kirtan… someone said thank you. We said a prayer at every meal which I honestly haven’t done since I was a child. It felt nice to thank the world for giving us the food and god for creating it and allowing it to nourish us and each other for putting in the hard work to make it delicious. You forget what goes into a single meal and you forget to be thankful for well… everything.

IMG_2589

The Yoga: First off, I didn’t fall or hurt myself so I am proud of that. Second, they have amazing yoga teachers. They even have a yoga teacher program so people can become yoga teachers. My first class was gentle flow yoga with my dorm roommate who was originally from Slovenia but now lives in NYC. She was literally the most amazing teacher. She just knew how to make a 1 hour class perfectly balanced and peaceful at 7am. I felt wonderful when I left. The next class I took was an intermediate level and I had to make some modest adjustments but I did rather well and was happy with myself. I did fall off my yoga blocks at one point while trying to sit on them but I survived. And I laughed.

IMG_2595   IMG_2592

The Cooking: I got to cook at the Ashram. I got to cook with an amazing chef at the Ashram. It was almost serendipitous. We all know I love to cook and I hope that I am pretty decent at it but being able to cook for 75 people at an Ashram is another deal all together. The chef (Jeremy) is someone that you feel like you knew growing up. He is the guy next door, your first crush, your best friend, your college roommate, and just happens to be a great young chef as well. He is from Long Island used to surf and loves to combine different cultural foods together to make strangely perfect combinations. I got to contribute to a quinoa dish he was preparing and infuse my Mexican cooking skills and knowledge with the Indian style he was infusing. It ended up lightly Mediterranean as if you were on holiday in Barcelona. I felt very inspired by him. It made me also want to not only cook more but start using different combinations. He swore that mint and cilantro combined well but I wasn’t sold on that. However it made me wonder what other combinations I may have let slide by that others find amazing. Perhaps I should take some cooking classes? See what the world is putting out.

IMG_2582   IMG_2584   IMG_2581   IMG_2588

Overall, I am in love with Ananda Ashram. I want to live there. The whole losing my pension thing may be an issue though and I would probably lose my house due to no income but I would be relaxed and refreshed and calm. I found my calm there. Sitting on a porch swing that was fashioned between two large trees overlooking the lake. That is where I felt my calm for the first time. I felt my brain finally go silent while trying to meditate. It was a wonderful feeling. I worked for it the rest of my meditations and found it if only for a few moments. Coming home has been hard though. I have been trying each day to fit in my mediation and balance my food so that I make better choices and kinda of take out the garbage. I have found that a breakfast of hazelnut milk (which FYI drinks like cows milk but with a hint of nutty flavor) and gluten free cereal of any kind is perfect with some fruit and a cup of tea. No more granola bars and water for this girl. I think starting your day out with a true meal that will benefit your body is the only way to start. I know I will forget some days and fall off the wagon but as a core item I think I will need to make this a priority. Meditating 2 times a day as well will need to be a priority. It helps me stay calm during my otherwise stressful work week. It isn’t easy but it is easier than having a rush of adrenaline causing you headaches throughout your work week. The yoga is also a positive change. There is a yoga study across the street from my office and they had a Groupon for $6.90 a class for ten classes so I joined. It just feels like the world came together after this weekend. So now I am off to tackle the universe and find out who “I am” (OM).

IMG_2585

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Food is Love.

The Hippie Gypsy