The Value Vegan

Cowgirls

2011-07-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

When someone sent me this article I first just got really excited about the fact that vegan fried kool-aid balls existed. Then I got excited because I thought they were being served at Cowgirl. Cowgirl is definitely not vegan, but it is certainly veg friendly and holds a special place in my heart as a utopia of southerness in the city and one of the first places I went out when I moved here.

However, I soon realized that if I wanted to get my hands on some animal-free fried kool-aid I had to go to Cowgirl's Baking. Completely different. On my visit there this weekend I did not find it particularly Southern at all, but it's definitely a utopia of vegan sweets. One of the reviewers in NY Mag said the fried kool-aid was 'like freebasing a pixie stick' and I knew I needed to have one immediately. I was lucky enough to go there at a not busy time and they happened to have a new batch out fresh from the fryer.

It was incredibly sweet, and delicious and I got all shaky after eating it. Yeah, y'all should definitely try one.

I don't wanna leave out Cowgirl, and their awesomeness, so I wanna share this recipe for their black eyed pea salsa. This salsa is one of the main things I get excited about when eating at Cowgirl, and I made it for some friends for Christmas this year. It claims to be the same recipe the restaurant uses and it turned out pretty darn well when I made it.

3 16-oz cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed of all juice
1 small jar chopped pimentos, juice included
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, green part only
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
3 canned or fresh jalapeño chiles, chopped
1 firm, ripe, chopped tomato
2 cups vinaigrette
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced

In a large bowl, stir all ingredients very well. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight, in a sealed or covered container. Remember the longer it sits, the better it gets!

Hope y'all enjoy :-)

The Cinnamon Snail

2011-05-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I decided to expand my flea marketing to the Hell's Kitchen flea. Other than fighting with a gay couple over an apron, the most exciting thing that happened was discovering The Cinnamon Snail. When eating from food trucks vegan options can be scarce (especially when you're tired of falafel). However, the Cinnamon Snail delivers 100% vegan fare while also managing to be environmentally conscious.

Looking at their menu I honestly thought every sandwich on there sounded delicious, but I decided to go with the Maple Mustard Tempeh Sandwich.

Fancy and on a biodegradable plate! They also have a wide selection of baked goods, and I got an apple cider doughnut for dessert. It was my first vegan doughnut, and I loved it.

They even do event catering and wedding cakes. :-)

Tree Yields Vegetables

2011-02-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

If there's one thing the French know how to do right, it's wine. And mustard. And chocolate. And pastries. And cheese. And bread.

...ok, maybe that wasn't just one thing. Let's be honest, the French are damn good at food. However, the staples of French cooking tend to be rather vegan unfriendly. That's what peaked my interest in Tree, a French restaurant claiming to have vegetarian and vegan friendly options. A French restaurant? With vegan food? Quoi?

Of course, they also serve plenty of meat, and dairy and such, but every night the chef creates a new vegan dish for the night. On the night I was there the option was root vegetables and greens with a pomegranate glaze. Délicieux.

Cleansed

2011-01-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

I haven't eaten solid food since Tuesday. Why? Because a friend asked if I wanted to try out the Master Cleanse and I said yes. The main part of the cleanse involves drinking a mixture of fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water. The book says to do this for 10 days, but I chose to do three so I wouldn't kill anyone. There is also 3 days of easing in and easing out, with one day of raw fruits and veggies, a day of soup and juice, and a day of just orange juice, making my total cleanse time 9 days. I won't say it's been easy, but honestly it's not as bad as I thought it could be. I had one day of sore muscles and a bit of a cold, but living on lemon juice was actually ok for a few days. The main thing I noticed was all the crazy cravings I've had since I've stopped my normal diet. I craved everything from cheese and crackers to the bread at Bahari dipped in olive oil and lemon juice. I even saw this recipe for buffalo chicken dip posted on Facebook and thought "I want that." Note that this doesn't even come close to being vegan or even vegetarian, but I admit, it still looked tasty. I think partly my body just wanted the salt and fat it isn't getting during the cleanse. I also found it really interesting that most of what I was craving was for things I don't generally eat. This doesn't mean I'm going to change my diet, it's just information. What I do know, is that on Thursday when I'm done with all this, I'm getting dinner at Pukk.

Now it's time to go pour myself a glass of OJ.

...but man I could go for some of that bread. Or some crackers and hummus.

Comfort Food

2011-01-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

Right before the holidays the organization I've been working for since August decided it was the right time to announce layoffs. It was decided they wanted to fill my position with a bachelor-level social worker, so in less then two weeks, I was out of a job. But this post isn't about my job woes, it's about solutions.

I've been hearing rumors for awhile now that S'MAC had added a vegan option to their menu. Most of my experiences with vegan mac and cheese have been relatively disappointing, but they have such a great reputation and nothing is more comforting than a big bowl of cheese pasta I thought I should give it a shot.

I got my vegan mac and cheese with spinach, broccoli, and portobello mushrooms mixed in. Overall, I think this meal gets an overall comfiness rating of 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend pairing it with the Allagash white ale. I have to admit though, that I think vegan mac and cheese is a bit of a lost cause. I enjoyed this more than the mac and cheese at Foodswings, and I really love Foodswings food. It's just that vegan mac and cheese just isn't quite the same. I have no problem with substitutes, but I haven't found anything that's quite the same for me. I think the S'mac version is worth a try, but I think you gotta get the mix-ins.

As an added bonus I wanna share a recipe with y'all. Cowgirl holds a special place in my heart since it's the first place I went to go out when I moved to the city. They also manage to have decent veggie options especially for a southern-themed restaurant. My favorite part of eating at Cowgirl is the chips and black-eyed pea salsa that comes as an appetizer. I decided to try to make some myself for some of my friends as a Christmas present. I even managed to find Cowgirl's recipe, so here ya go:

3 16 oz cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed of all juice
1 small jar chopped pimentos, juice included
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, green part only
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon Tabasco Sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
3 canned or fresh jalapeo chiles, chopped
1 firm, ripe, chopped tomato
2 cups vinaigrette (see note)
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced

In a large bowl, blend all ingredients very well. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight, in a sealed or covered container. Remember the longer it sits, the better it gets! Serve with old-fashioned saltine crackers or with corn tortilla chips.

*NOTE*Make a vinaigrette dressing quickly and simply in a shaker jar: Add crushed garlic, vinegar, oil; close; and shake well. Let stand, then shake well again. Use less than you're tempted to use.

Enjoy :-)

Thanksgiving: Now more than just Tofurkey

2010-12-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving I decided to forgo the traditional Tofurkey and instead made my own version of some of my favorite Crif Dogs.

This little guy is my version of the Tsunami. Tofu dog wrapped in tempeh bacon, topped with pineapple, green onion, and teriyaki sauce.

This one is my favorite :-) This dog has tempeh bacon, tofutti, and avocado with a McClure's Spicy Pickle on the side.

Don't forget, Crif Dogs are deep fried!

Overdue

2010-11-16T18:55:00.000-08:00

I've had many ideas for this blog over the past few months, and haven't bothered to post any of them. Maybe this post will just be a highlight for some of the things I've been meaning write over the past few months.

In June, I spent a few days staying with a friend in Raleigh who is probably pretty much opposite of vegan. But because she is a good hostess, and my friend she said that I could invite people over for a small party and include vegan treats. In the end we compromised and I said it was fine if she made jalapeno poppers too and even tried really hard not to make grossed out faces towards the bacon. In preparation she looked up many vegan recipes that also wouldn't involve too many crazy ingredients and came across this chocolate cupcake recipe. No weird health-food store ingredients necessary (not that I'm opposed to those), and it is damn tasty. We paired it with this frosting recipe. Damn. Tasty.

One night she also made me a dish called Christians and Moors. I don't have the recipe, and its just black beans and rice anyway. I just wanted to let you know that I went to Raleigh and ate Christians and Moors. Raleigh is hardcore like that.

In more recent news, being too lazy to go to the food coop I ended up creating a tempeh bacon and asparagus sandwich for dinner one night. Lucky for me it turned out well. More specifically it was lightly cooked asparagus, LightLife tempeh bacon, veganaise, and picante pepper mustard. The mustard I picked up on a trip to the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, WI, in case any of y'all are mustard enthusiasts. Here is the result:

Maybe sometimes laziness can result in good things.

Vegan Flea Market Finds

2010-05-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

In celebration of finishing grad school I hit up not one, but TWO flea markets on Saturday. This weekend the Brooklyn Lyceum was hosting a craft fair. While I didn't end up buying any crafts, I did partake in a lovely vegan cherry danish. I honestly don't think I've had a danish the the past couple years, so I was excited to try this vegan version. When I ordered my danish the women asked if I needed it wrapped up, and I was like "No, I'm having it now." She appreciated my enthusiasm. So I want to give a little press to bakesalery for satisfying my pastry craving. If you're interested, their goods are available at various flea markets or on etsy.

Once I was done at the Lyceum craft fair, I went to visit my old friend the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene. I hadn't been there since last summer, so a return to this outdoor flea was a great way to greet the return of summer. At Brooklyn Yard last year I made the acquaintance of Asia Dog: asian inspired hot dog creations. I was definitely excited to run into them at the flea on Saturday. While they are not all vegan, they do have great options. My favorite has been The Mash: jalapeno ketchup, spicy mustard, and potato chip crumbles on a veggie dog. Yum. They also got a shout out this week on New York Mag's approval matrix. A little lowbrow but brilliant.

In other news I almost jumped up and down for joy this morning at the food coop when I saw that they just started carrying the previously unavailable daiya cheese shreds. Hooray!

Noodle Bar

2010-04-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

My Saturday evening was spent at the Momofuku noodle bar. I have to admit that I am not 100% sure this meal was entirely vegan, since this isn't a vegan restaurant. To me, it's worth it to be able to enjoy my life, rather than fret over every single thing I eat. Otherwise I think I don't think my friends would ask me to dinner any more.

Here's my super yummy shitake steamed buns.

And my main course, ginger scallion noodles. Plus Lone Star beer :-)

Leftovers

2010-02-21T19:30:00.000-08:00

What's better than a freshly home-cooked vegan meal? Vegan leftovers! Tonight's dinner was an epic combination of vegan leftovers that I felt I needed to share. My idea was inspired by a potato sandwich at the Roebling Tea Room that I didn't order because of wealth of animal products included in it.

This weekend I happened to have some leftover mashed potatoes, made with earth balance and soy milk as well as bit of tofu, perfect for frying. I fried up the tofu, using curry power and cumin as the spices. Then I heated up some mashed potatoes and put the it all between two slices of grain bread. Here's the result:

Overall my creation was filling and quite yummy. However, I may not have added enough curry powder for the flavor to come through. Next time I'll probably add some rooster sauce or Texas Pete for some extra flavor. Anyone else have ideas for fun leftover combinations?

Coming soon: The results of a recent thrift shopping trip to Williamsburg.

Moroccan Stew

2010-01-18T09:39:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from the internet, and the person who posted it got it from one of the Moosewood cookbooks. I tried it for the first time a couple weeks ago, and I have to say, it was pretty delicious. Also, I didn't have any saffron. I made a half recipe and it still fed me for 4 meals.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup chopped green beans
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups cubed fresh tomatoes
3 cups vegetable stock
13 ounces can artichoke hearts, drained and halved (reserve the brine)
1/2 cup pitted black olives, halved
1 pinch saffron
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Directions

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent.
Add the thyme, potatoes, green beans, bell pepper, and tomatoes and cook on medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the vegetable stock and the artichoke brine and simmer, covered until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the halved artichoke hearts, the black olives and a pinch of saffron.
Continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
Add the lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6

Let me know what you think!

Two Things Even Omnivores Can Appreciate

2010-01-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

Any one who has met me more than five minutes has heard me talk about the Park Slope Food Coop. The Coop is the reason why when looking for a new apartment I kept my search to a 15 minute walking distance radius to the block of Union Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. It is the largest member-run food cooperative in the country and I've even taken friends there as part of their visit to Brooklyn. Trying to shop there on the weekends or after work is an exercise in not punching or yelling at strangers. I love it. They manage to pack the closely set shelves with nearly anything you could need, including t-shirts, yoga mats, local produce, bulk coffee, and wool socks. However, I can shop with a good conscious because of their attempts to provide organic products that make the least footprint on the environment. Seriously, I love it. They also have available many of my favorite vegan alternatives, such as Follow Your Heart vegan sour cream and cream cheese, soy yogurt, and dark chocolate. And to add to the wonderfulness the prices are a fraction of other stores since most of the labor is provided by the members. In this city of over 8 million people, the Coop makes me feel like part of a community. I just wanted to let you all know, so you could hopefully love it at least a fraction of the amount I do.

Something else everyone should know about is Angelica Kitchen. It is an exclusively vegan restaurant and has been in the East Village since 1976. Of course I had heard of it, but I finally ate there for the first time a week ago. The food was incredibly good and I think my omnivorous friend Brian quite enjoyed his veggie chili. I had one of the specials of the day, which honestly I don't remember what it was called, except it was a ragu, and a cup of curry lentil soup. It was delicious, and perfectly portioned, and did I mention delicious? For all of you not living in the city, they have their own cookbook in case you want to try some of their creations on your own. Even though I'm stuffed from dinner, I'm kind of hungry again just thinking about it.

Introductions

2010-01-05T18:07:00.000-08:00

Hello world.

The Value Vegan is my attempt to find my blogging purpose. This will be my space to write about the trials and triumphs of trying to stick to my vegan values. I'll also throw in a post or two about my other hobby, thrift and flea market shopping. I have a few things to work out with the layout, but for now, this is it!

Coming soon: my first real post.

hugs,

Sarah