Veggie Burger Mecca in...Wisconsin??

Okay, so I had to break a few of my own rules last night, but let me just say, I’m BEYOND happy that I did! First off, I ate out twice in one day. Now mind you, I know vegan food carries much fewer calories and all the bad stuff that traditional restaurant food carries, but…it still isn’t good to eat out that much. BUT…the man’s momma is in town, we had lunch with her when she got into town, and then a late dinner after seeing his show. Which brings me to the second rule I broke…I ate WAY too late at night to be healthy (10:00…my usual rule is no eating after 7:00). REGARDLESS…I’m so glad I did, because if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have experienced the BEST veggie burger I think I have ever had in my entire life. Seriously, it was almost like a religious experience for me as every bite took me closer and closer to food coma nirvana. So yes, I broke some rules, but now I have a new favorite hangout.


Los Angeles is usually seen as a vegan “mecca” of sorts…vegan restaurants on every corner, health food stores up the ass, and a boatload of people who understand and respect your lifestyle. However, step foot in an LA dive bar, and you’re S.O.L. I figured it would be the same in Wisconsin, you know, with all the beef and cheese curds this state consumes singlehandedly. But oh, how wrong I was! We ended up at a cute little dive last night called the Laurel Tavern after the man’s show…complete with a cozy fireplace and a “Cheers”-like atmosphere (seriously, everyone who walked into this place seemed to know everyone else there!).



I figured I’d be lucky if their French fries were vegan, because quite frankly, this looked like the kind of place where EVERYTHING would be deep fried in pig lard. I had already accepted the fact that my dinner would more than likely consist of a glass of water, when I opened the menu and saw quite a few safe bets! Surprised, when our server came to the table, I asked if the veggie burger was vegan, and she told me that it was…the only non-vegan thing would be that they butter the bun. Relieved, I went with the veggie burger with an unbuttered bun and waited, satisfied that I would be able to go to bed with some food in my tummy.


My homemade veggie patty arrived at the table, and I immediately got nervous…it looked like beef. I cut it in half, and realized that it was in fact a veggie burger, as a load of mushrooms fell out of the patty, as well as chunks of tvp (textured vegetable protein)…a SAFE place! I made my burger happy face with tomato head, pickle eyes and a mustard smiley face before applying my butterless bun, and dug in. Then, I proceeded to melt into the booth. I have NEVER been that satisfied by a simple veggie burger in all my life. And, for five bucks for this huge burger, you really can’t go wrong! Cheap bar food at it’s finest! I will most definitely be back, and I think that if you’re in Madison, you should most definitely give this little place a try…you won’t be sorry, I promise!


So what are you waiting for?! It’s only 7 hours until happy hour…get your little vegan behinds over to the Laurel Tavern!

And by the way, head on over to Hungry Vegan Traveler’s blog to sign up for a vegan lip balm giveaway!

Thanksgiving Taters....Oh Yeah, Baby!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’ve started experimenting with different dishes that I want to make on the *big* day. Well, a few weeks ago, I saw a recipe posted by The Veggie-Full Kitchen that I KNEW would be on the list! I love chunky. I love creamy. I love potatoes. And honestly, what Thanksgiving celebration is complete without overloading on the starches?! This recipe was super simple and way easy and not to mention delicious. In the few weeks since this recipe was posted, I have made it twice, and cannot wait to make it again for Tofurky Day. So enjoy!


Chive and Cream Cheese Smashed Red Potatoes by the Veggie-Full Kitchen
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds red potatoes, washed and cubed
water for boiling
salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
4 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (I used their garlic and herb flavored when I made it for an extra oomph)

Directions
1. Boil the potatoes in a pot of water for 10-15 minutes or until they are tender. Check with a fork.
2. Drain the water and mix in the 'cream cheese', and chives and stir with a large spoon, breaking up the potatoes as you mix. You could use a potato masher, but like I said, "I like 'em chunky".
3. Salt to taste.

Seriously simple. Seriously delicious. Try this one now. You won’t regret it!


Really, how can you resist chunky, yummy goodness like this?!

Pan-Fried Mochi Goodness

Wow…I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve updated. I do apologize, but you all know how life is I’m sure. I needed to take some time to step away from the computer and away from life for a bit and re-connect with myself. But I’m back and have some rockin’ recipes for you!

Let’s talk about mochi. I absolutely am obsessed with mochi. All it is is brown rice formed into a block that you chop up and use to your heart’s desire. You can put the pieces in a waffle maker and make light, fluffy, delicious waffles. You can bake the little squares up in the oven, which has always been how I have made it. However, I’d wanted to try pan-fried mochi like the recipe in my favorite cook book The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. So, I decided the other day to just do it already! And now I don’t know why the heck I waited so long to try this most delicious treat! It was seriously heavenly, and a delicious lunch with a nice, big, green salad. Yummy!

Alicia Silverstone’s Pan-Fried Mochi Squares

1 package of plain mochi
A few tablespoons of olive oil (or whatever oil you want to use I suppose)
Shoyu or a nice Soy Sauce

Cut the mochi into 1 inch by 1 inch squares.


Heat the oil in a skillet, just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. When hot, drop in the mochi squares, and give them room without touching each other, as they will expand.

Let them sit for exactly four minutes. After four minutes, flip over and place a few drops of shoyu on each piece. Let sit on this side for exactly four minutes. Remove from the pan (they will be fluffy and will have morphed into funny shapes…don’t worry, this is how they are supposed to look!)



Let cool just slightly (trust me on this, I STILL have a blister on the roof of my mouth from being overly excited to try them) and enjoy these fluffy, chewy, savory goodies. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. They are so simple, and truly delicious and a great pairing with a nice salad, or would probably be delicious in a soup…which is what I’ll be trying next!

Vegan Cheese Miracle!!!

I can’t even lie or hide the fact that there is absolutely no nutritional value to this post whatsoever. However, I do think that this is one of the best junk food recipes I have perfected, and what better way to celebrate one of the busiest weeks of my life at work then by completely vegging out on junk this weekend! Okay, so I am only allowing myself one junk-food item, and I had it last night, but still! This indulgence was TOTALLY worth it, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.


I don’t know any vegans who didn’t miss cheese more than anything when they moved to a kinder diet. I’m not gonna lie, my tummy still rumbles when someone walks by me with a slice of pizza and I smell the yummy aromas from the cheesy toppings. But then I think about what it took to get that cheese, and all the pus and antibiotics in it, and my craving disappears. But there are those times where even people eating kind want to indulge in the tastes they once enjoyed. Which is why I bring to you:

Better than the Bowling Alley Vegan Mozzarella Sticks!!!

1 block of Galaxy Rice Vegan Cheese, Mozzarella
Breadcrumbs (you can use storebought or panko…I used my super secret homemade ones)
½ c flour
½ c water
1 tbsp cornmeal
1 tbsp cornstarch
salt
garlic powder

Put your breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. If they aren’t seasoned, feel free to add some Italian herbs like oregano and basil. In another bowl, mix together the flour, water, cornmeal, cornstarch salt and garlic powder to taste. It should have the consistency of a light cake batter almost. Slice your block of vegan mozzarella into long rectangular strips that are about ½ inch wide (imagine taking a stick of string cheese and cutting it in half…that’s about how big your strips should be). Lightly coat the cheese sticks with flour, then dunk them in the batter mix. After you dunk, roll ‘em around in the breadcrumbs until covered. Place these on a piece of parchment paper and pop ‘em in the fridge or freezer for about an hour…or longer…really doesn’t matter at this point. Freezer is better though.

When you’re ready to make them, pop the little devils out of the freezer and toss them into some hot oil (I put about an inch in a small pan. Fry each side for about a minute or so. “Cheese” will start to ooze out slightly and they will be golden brown when done.

Honestly, you can’t go wrong with these guys! Serve them up with your favorite marinara or homemade vegan ranch and you’ll be in food coma heaven, I promise!

Mock "Tuna" Chickpea Sammie

Sometimes, you really can’t go wrong with a good ole’ sandwich like your momma used to make! I was in the mood the other day for something different to put in between some pieces of bread, and I remembered that a few months back I had made a mock “tuna” out of chickpeas that I recalled getting from the Kind Diet book. Well, even though my book was 15 feet away, I was too lazy to get it to re-create the recipe, so I ventured out on my own to make a yummy chickpea sandwich. Well, let’s just say that I made quite a bit, had one sandwich, and when I went to put the rest away, I had realized the man had already inhaled the rest of it on THREE SANDWICHES…so yeah. I’m gonna say it was a successful recipe! I don’t think I’ve had a real tuna sandwich since I was probably 12 or 13, but the texture of this was awesome, and I think it will do the trick for anyone looking for a sandwich in that style.


Chickpea Salad Sandwich

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
Brown Mustard
Sea Salt
Garlic
Pepper
Celery, diced
Pickle Juice (optional)

Pop the all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until chunky, but blended. Spread on your favorite bread and top with your favorite sandwich “fixin’s”…enjoy the hell outta this sandwich!


By the way, none of the ingredients were measured…I just added to the food processor and continually tasted until the flavor was what I wanted. Start with small quantities of each ingredient so you don’t overdo it, and add until it suits you.




As always, check out VeganMoFo for lots of fun vegan food blogs!

And for the VeganMoFo Crowd...

Went to Happy Hour on Friday to a cute little pub by my office called Byrd's Pub and Grill in Middleton. Let me just say, for a small town bar, this place has some yummy vegan options!!! I went with the Spicy Black Bean Wrap (no cheese) in the Garlic and Herb tortilla with their homemade waffle fries. Definitely not waistline friendly, but definitely delicious!! Their guacamole is superbly spicy and the black bean patty crumbled in the wrap is homemade and vegan to boot! So check this place out for great happy hour deals and for good vegan eats!! And check out some of the other yummy foods over at Vegan MoFo!!


Yummy!

Vegans Need Good Good Lovin', too!!

*Warning!!! Adults-only Post!!! If you're under 18, this is NOT a post for you!*
Okay, now that I've protected myself, I wanna talk sex. I know, it's a cliche subject to some still, but I really don't get why. I spent two years improving the sex lives of the barely legal to the barely living (yes, I've sold a vibrator to someone who was over 100 years old!) and I think that our bodies should be loved and cared for in EVERY way possible! Whether you're playing it safe, or taking some risks, I'm sure you still want to be cruelty-free (unless you're referring to your partner...hehe), so I started doing some research, and found this AMAZING site...

The Vegan Sex Shop

Not only is everything on their site 100% vegan and cruelty-free, but they DONATE a percentage of your purchase to one of the following charities of your choice, PETA, the HRC, Vegan Outreach, or Code Pink...how cool is that?! And, they are currently having a sale on Lelo brand adult toys, which, in my humble opinion, are definitely the top of the line toy (I have sold this brand to many celebrities, and it had rave reviews from each and every one!). They also have vegan lubricants and vegan condoms, too.

So, from massage oils to BDSM to shower products to novelty items, this site is fun, frisky and cruelty-free...so go, take a peek, and have some good, safe, vegan fun!!