tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23005928578129195752024-03-13T12:04:29.782-04:00Vegan GalCooked food, ordered food, and a mix of random tidbits of a vegan lady in PAAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-74101147076711698392015-02-06T20:06:00.000-05:002015-02-06T20:06:00.565-05:00Isa Live at City Winery NYCLast weekend I had the fabulous opportunity to see vegan all-star Isa Chandra Moskowitz "perform" live in New York City at City Winery. I went on the first night of her 4 city tour, and it was so neat to finally see her in person after years of following so many of her recipes!<br />
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The show was called "Isa Live: A Vegan Life In Four Courses" and was meant to be a four course dinner with wine pairing and cooking demonstration from Isa herself. Of course, Isa did not prepare all of the food that each person received, but the staff at City Winery did a fantastic job and everything we tried was delicious. I've seen some not so great reviews of the tour so far, but I'm baffled by why! Yes, the wine-tasting was an additional fee, but it was better to be able to choose your own glass of wine anyway. I think it was a great night and my husband and I had a fantastic time. :)<br />
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{The Menu - including all 4 courses. We had previewed it online beforehand and could not wait to try these fantastic dishes! }</div>
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{First course - grilled Caesar salad with grilled brussel sprouts and tofu. I usually despise brussel sprouts - somehow Isa made a brussel sprout lover out of me :) }</div>
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{Isa herself on the stage at City Winery }</div>
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{Second course - lentil chorizo tamales with mole rojo and guacamole - I haven't had a real tamale before but this was so amazing }</div>
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{ 3rd course - Chickpeas & Dumplings. This was so creamy and delicious, I'd love to re-create this dish at home on a cold night! }</div>
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{can't end dinner without dessert - 4th course was a chocolate cupcake with chocolate mousse frosting and coconut whipped cream.. drool-worthy! }</div>
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{ with isa herself! such an amazing night and so glad to have been a part of it!}</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-29841236561356800822014-12-12T06:30:00.000-05:002014-12-12T08:00:40.106-05:00i was scared of dentists and the dark<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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{ new favorite frozen treat - vegan gelato in sea salt caramel, too good }</div>
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{used to love Gnu bars but never seem to see them anymore - picked up this box from tj maxx and love it }</div>
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{ a little too excited that my pen matched my <a href="http://simplytoimpress.com/" target="_blank">simple to impress</a> Christmas card box; made writing them out more fun }</div>
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{ previously mentioned Christmas felt craft tree. I think it needs a partner }</div>
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{keeping with the Christmas spirit - new printables to take the place of the fall art }</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-6189352485476789452014-11-21T07:00:00.000-05:002014-11-21T07:00:01.395-05:00So I guess it's kinda funny how I loved you so way back when<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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{ not only my favorite flower of sunflowers - but in a perfect red to add some fall flair }</div>
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{ supplies for my next west elm inspired Christmas craft }</div>
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{ old pink carpet is officially gone in the entire upstairs! love the new master bath tile in hopscotch pattern }</div>
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{ yesterday my last day in pre-student teaching and observation at the elementary school - next step = full on student teaching! can't wait }</div>
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{got these a few weeks ago from whole foods using my free coupons I won from Vegan Mofo! have to give them a try when it's not so frigid outside }</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-57706931201817681272014-11-16T14:49:00.002-05:002014-11-16T14:49:11.716-05:00there's this movie that i think you'll likeLast weekend we made our yearly trip up to Syracuse, NY for the SU football game. This time it was myself, Jason and my parents and it was a nice weekend getaway despite the outcome of the game.<br />
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We were staying in a hotel a bit away from the downtown campus area, but luckily there was a delicious vegan friendly diner, <a href="http://dejavudinersyracuse.com/" target="_blank">Deja Vu Diner</a> only a mile away that we could grab a bite to eat before heading to the stadium on Saturday.<br />
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They had almond milk to add to my coffee and a full menu to choose from.<br />
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I ended up choosing the garden omelette, since I had yet to have a vegan omelette and used to love them during my pre-vegan days. Although a bit salty, this was a delicious way to start the day - plus they had Franks as their hot sauce, so they get extra points from me for that. :) My family didn't order off of this menu, but they all enjoyed their choices too so this was a good place to go with both vegans and meat-eaters.</div>
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The game was a lot of fun and it's always nice walking around the downtown main street afterwards with my family walking in and out of the shops. We also headed over to Destiny USA (aka the insanely large mall) and walked around for a bit. We had plans to go to <a href="http://altocinco.net/" target="_blank">Alto Cinco</a> for dinner that night, and despite the long wait we were able to make it. I had read online they had a lot of vegan friendly options and it was mexican-type food - my favorite cuisine. It was very dimly lit, so the pictures I attempted to take did not turn up that great.</div>
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Bar view while waiting for our table. Note - it is a small restaurant so reservations would be a good idea or try to get there early!</div>
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My entree - I ordered the BBQ Tofu Plate, which included the tofu, steamed spinach, rice, black beans, and a salad. It was really good - not exactly the traditional mexican food I am used to, but still good. We also started with chips, salsa & guacamole which was also very tasty. My gripe though - they do not give you chips and salsa to start, it needs to be ordered - and it's not salsa..it's pico de gallo. Otherwise, it was a good meal and a nice vegan-friendly place in Syracuse to go to.</div>
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Everytime we've gone to Syracuse, we always make sure a stop at Strong Hearts Cafe is included. Sometimes it is for a meal, sometimes just for their extensive milkshake list and cupcakes. We had never gone for breakfast before, so we planned on going there on Sunday morning before taking the long drive home.<br />
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This was the menu board for the new On-Campus location of Strong hearts. It was small and more of a take-out location, but still a delicious menu and awesome they have a new spot right on campus.</div>
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This was from their original location on Genesee Street where we ate that morning. </div>
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I had the green tofu scramble - including broccoli, tomatoes and pesto. So delicious and with a nice curry heat to it. I loved their coffee and their soy creamer they had available as well.</div>
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Beautiful presentation of their daily special - Pumpkin pancakes! My mom ordered this and I tried a bite - they were perfect! The cinnamon cream cheese on top was a perfect addition to my toast as well :)<br />
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My Dad & Jason both ordered this - Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast. This was one of the most delicious breakfast foods I have ever had. I was envious they ordered it and I did not - but luckily Jason was willing to share many bites of it with me so I was glad he ordered that! This was just too good - I have plans on recreating this at home soon on a Sunday morning!</div>
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We of course also brought home some to-go treats from Strong hearts - including a Chocolate Coconut cupcakes and a Peanut Butter Whoopie pie- both are gone by now but were great souvenirs from our trip. Can't wait until next year! :)</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-64647066436775965782014-11-07T07:55:00.001-05:002014-11-07T07:55:11.885-05:00when things start splitting at the seams and now the whole thing's tumbling down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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{a mild fall so far means a lot of exploring new trails. french creek state park is a new favorite }</div>
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{loved this broth from TJ's, I'll share soon what I specifically used it for }</div>
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{thanks to <a href="http://vegancrunk.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Vegan Crunk</a>, I won this book! Interesting read and can't wait to try the recipes.}</div>
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{ went back to an old favorite this week -chickpea piccata with broccopots from appetite for reduction }</div>
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{sneak peek of our guest bathroom - so glad to finally have the tile done this week, now for the next project }</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-63574673500685375072014-10-24T07:47:00.000-04:002014-10-24T07:47:40.486-04:00i'm in the wind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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{ New Almond Milk brand to try - the packaging definitely drew me in! }</div>
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{ fun fall leaf project from <a href="http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2014/09/10-minute-fall-decorating-gold-leaf.html" target="_blank">IHeart Organizing</a> }</div>
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{ had the chance to pop into newly opened <a href="http://vstreetfood.com/" target="_blank">V-Street</a> for dessert, this waffle - unbelievably delicious! }</div>
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{ fun to see outside of reading terminal market turned into a hay-full fall fest }</div>
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{ perfect quick sunday dinner - vegan sausage and peppers with zucchini noodles and asparagus }</div>
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Have a good weekend!</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-7169226692155971382014-09-28T16:54:00.000-04:002014-09-28T16:54:02.708-04:00Vegan in Nashville!Over Labor Day weekend, I met my best friend Emily down in Nashville for a girl's weekend away. We were roommates all through college and have remained close, yet she is living down in Austin now so the time we get to spend face-to-face is limited. After our weekend away this year, we both decided each year we need to pick a new destination to meet to catch up for all the missed time<br />
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We both had never been to Nashville before, so it was fun to explore a new city together. We met late on Thursday evening at the airport both flying in and then took a cab downtown to our hotel. It was around midnight when we finally got to the hotel, but that didn't stop us from enjoying our first night on the town! It was great to scope out where we wanted to venture to over the next few days.<br />
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Since moving to Austin, Emily has been vegan for a bit now while living there, so we both were on the scope for fun vegan friendly places in Nashville. Austin is a great place to go vegan, so I'm jealous of all the options she has down there!<br />
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We started our mornings at a coffee shop right around the corner from our hotel called the <a href="http://www.frothymonkey.com/" target="_blank">Frothy Monkey</a>. On Friday morning this place was busy, but not too crazy and we were able to order and sit quickly. However - on Saturday morning it was a mad house so definitely keep that in mind if you are in a rush! Luckily, we were not..and both mornings we had delicious vegan breakfast, tea, and almond milk with iced coffee! Their tofu is perfectly grilled and great over their salad or on a sandwich.<br />
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Our first meal I snagged a picture of was a late night on the town meal. Sometimes those are the best! We had intentions of eating dinner that night late at Pub 5, however by the time we were looking for something to eat they had closed. We found a place still serving food right down the street though and it was perfect for a quick late night vegan snack plate.<br />
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We grabbed 3 appetizers from <a href="http://www.merchantsrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Merchants Restaurant </a>right on Broadway downtown. This was a great location since it is near everything and our hotel was just around the corner. To order, we picked Fried Green Tomatoes, hold the pimento cheese - Guacamole with lime and sea salt tortilla chips - and a side of their sweet potato wedges. I didn't see these on their online menu, but we ordered them so they must have been available. This was a perfect late night meal for us and the restaurant was really nice inside, I would definitely go back during normal hours and try other menu options!<br />
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A trip to Nashville is not complete without going to <a href="http://www.thewildcow.com/twc/" target="_blank">The Wild Cow.</a> Although we were staying in the downtown area, we knew we had to make the trek over to East Nashville to visit this all vegan restaurant. The day we went there was an on and off rain, so it was a fun 3 mile walk there in the rain...but luckily the worst of the rain was when we already got inside the restaurant. It was well worth it and we walked by some fun/cute neighborhoods!<br />
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On our walk there, we passed by the Barista Parlor. I had heard a bit about it prior to going, but after walking through it and seeing more articles about it later, it would have been fun to grab a unique coffee inside. We wandered in just to see what it was like, and their coffee options looked great. Next time I will definitely try one of their unique coffee drinks!</div>
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We finally made it to the Wild Cow. After only maybe a 15 minute wait we were seated and excited to try their food. I had looked up their menu online prior to the trip, and knew that vegan queso had to be ordered.<br />
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This was awesome. I will admit the queso dip wasn't as smooth and creamy as I had imagined - but this was still really delicious. Although we did order this to start, we didn't receive it until after we ordered our meals...regardless it was still good. </div>
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For my meal I ordered the Buffalo Beans and Greens. When a menu item has buffalo on it, I cannot help but gravitate to that and end up ordering it. I just love hot sauce. Even as a non kale lover, this bowl was still delicious. This included garlicky kale, pinto beans, carrots, and grilled tofu tossed in buffalo sauce, topped with home made ranch. I had the option of either brown rice or quinoa - I chose quinoa but they ended up giving me brown rice anyway... Was still delicious though.</div>
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Emily ordered the French Quarter Dip. This included homemade seitan, mushrooms and onions marinated in a creole seasoning, served on a wheat hoagie with au jus dipping sauce. I tried a bite of it and the seitan was awesome. I cannot say that I have had a french dip sandwich or au jus sauce pre vegan, but I think this version was really good.</div>
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Although we both loved the food from the Wild Cow and I would be back in a heart beat, I would say the service was not as wonderful as I had expected. With issues such as the appetizer not coming out, and then we got our entrees and asking what happend to our queso, and then getting it to ordering Quinoa with my meal which is an up-charge and yet still receiving brown rice...we were not so blown away. However, hopefully it was just a fluke and usually things go a lot smoother! :)</div>
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For our last meal in Nashville we had to make it back to <a href="http://www.pub5.com/" target="_blank">Pub 5 </a>which we had heard had awesome vegan tapas. They opened at 11 and we had a flight that afternoon, so we knew we had to get in right when they opened and eat quick! Luckily we were the first guests there so we got our food quite fast.<br />
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We ordered a few dishes to split. The first was the Quinoa Tabbouleh leave off the feta. This included pepperdew peppers, cucumber, tomato, pea tendrils, and herb vinaigrette over the quinoa. We both really loved this side salad. </div>
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For someone that doesn't usually like kale, this was a kale-filled weekend for me! This kale was delicious, and made me rethink all things I have doubted before. This was just a side dish of their Garlic Kale, but it was cooked perfectly and the garlic gave it a great kick. </div>
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We also split the small plate of the Seitan Corndogs. Not sure what we would expect, these did not disappoint! The sauce on top really made it come together and the seitan was perfectly seasoned. This was a perfect last meal together to end our Nashville trip!</div>
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Of course, we had to do the NashTrash tour, which I would highly recommend to any tourists looking for a fun and informative tour! We had a blast and I cannot wait to start planning next year's trip! :)</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-35616709383013427242014-08-27T18:05:00.000-04:002014-09-02T10:27:33.542-04:00It's like I got this music in my mindThis past weekend was a continuation of my birthday celebration. The first part was back on August 4th to try the <a href="http://vegangal.blogspot.com/2014/08/sneak-preview.html" target="_blank">sneak preview of V-Street</a>. This weekend I requested since it was my "almost birthday" (2 days before it) to go check out the <a href="http://www.downtownbethlehemassociation.com/events/vegfest" target="_blank">Bethlehem Veg Fest</a>!<br />
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I had been wanting to go to this veg fest since it began a few years ago, but was never usually around for it. I'm excited I had the chance to experience it this year and everything that it entailed!<br />
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Although it was a cloudy day with a 70% chance of rain, that did not stop the crowds from coming. It seemed to be busier than I expected - and the university nearby was having its move-in weekend too which could have been a factor! Luckily the rain held out and only did spurts of light showers here and there.<br />
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{The ever lasting long line for the Cinnamon Snail Food truck}</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilIB7GQV_6JeN13n36O9pYPECwVjewW-1J8s4exPAUMeZ2RX_IZXufGmmd-HgbJsuwodAyOXMiqVrrqYAX9vaf4y3xj4Zgb2YLiJX2sxyzsA8-_OutDpPRze2C6pt_6uTmJk4C0UkhH_U/s1600/vegfest3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilIB7GQV_6JeN13n36O9pYPECwVjewW-1J8s4exPAUMeZ2RX_IZXufGmmd-HgbJsuwodAyOXMiqVrrqYAX9vaf4y3xj4Zgb2YLiJX2sxyzsA8-_OutDpPRze2C6pt_6uTmJk4C0UkhH_U/s1600/vegfest3.jpg" /></a></div>
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{A delicious hot-sauce sampling stand while waiting in line for Cinnamon Snail}</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1gYN1P6xZx4SedbWdfB_Lg1CaMbfGTx0Xmct4fwYuVPmmQMvKWRCC_DYM4slLE-XhiC4fxXB4H0vlNziqPRkKlRCEsuz1cIFMsALCfgnRrw_OQ88ODHUQGHbGCLbcjmJoQutLkvHztfD/s1600/vegfest4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1gYN1P6xZx4SedbWdfB_Lg1CaMbfGTx0Xmct4fwYuVPmmQMvKWRCC_DYM4slLE-XhiC4fxXB4H0vlNziqPRkKlRCEsuz1cIFMsALCfgnRrw_OQ88ODHUQGHbGCLbcjmJoQutLkvHztfD/s1600/vegfest4.png" /></a></div>
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{Mentioned hot sauce being TOO hot and needing to buy a delicious pineapple drink to cool down with!}</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT01Q638-V_64T23p3CXLExlkQRZ5hVqAg3KIvarFH9iHofMsDOtuX1-VALEPnMy_dxyRmRhkXmbJGqISfCEvMdfvFG4tThl9-m5jcL2gdOWZahaRf0bXwZ1-baUKWEaH4E3nI_GaaVyeB/s1600/vegfest5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT01Q638-V_64T23p3CXLExlkQRZ5hVqAg3KIvarFH9iHofMsDOtuX1-VALEPnMy_dxyRmRhkXmbJGqISfCEvMdfvFG4tThl9-m5jcL2gdOWZahaRf0bXwZ1-baUKWEaH4E3nI_GaaVyeB/s1600/vegfest5.jpg" /></a></div>
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{Getting so close for the Cinnamon Snail! There were MANY awesome vegan options for lunch at Veg Fest, but I had my heart on finally trying the <a href="http://cinnamonsnail.com/" target="_blank">Cinnamon Snail</a> food truck I had heard so much about.}</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJausfzJAERwU_dAQdciMsUPoRwsfFKSUWQtUFHBdeJr5QEzj0-J30LhK925ylIwtcbQ6Rmp_OTGQ1JXlJNgSyjtGiLhcrqEdKifOtRXE4ELel0hWaEAUppyCmWqKlTVWmZTiu2tpRkZo/s1600/vegfest6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJausfzJAERwU_dAQdciMsUPoRwsfFKSUWQtUFHBdeJr5QEzj0-J30LhK925ylIwtcbQ6Rmp_OTGQ1JXlJNgSyjtGiLhcrqEdKifOtRXE4ELel0hWaEAUppyCmWqKlTVWmZTiu2tpRkZo/s1600/vegfest6.jpg" /></a></div>
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{My delicious lunch from Cinnamon Snail - Lemongrass 5 Spice Seitan - with curried cashews, argula, sichuan chili sauce and wasabi mayo over greens}</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6z6IdFHKIsWhIGk7SVf4eSJddouiPxqdavdvE81C6UmGUHrp_rKkY7aNWUCCVXL_Dt69JqMalGoCTiDona83wHJmtnnymjc7-OFOk_Jqw25FRhZhcbf5xXAem898f6tvebT4iHcNEHrcp/s1600/vegfest7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6z6IdFHKIsWhIGk7SVf4eSJddouiPxqdavdvE81C6UmGUHrp_rKkY7aNWUCCVXL_Dt69JqMalGoCTiDona83wHJmtnnymjc7-OFOk_Jqw25FRhZhcbf5xXAem898f6tvebT4iHcNEHrcp/s1600/vegfest7.jpg" /></a></div>
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{Jason's lunch - Korean Barbecue Seitan - served open faced on a grilled tortilla slathered with chili butter, kimchi, and greens. Both were so delicious! }</div>
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{Cute pigs to pet :) }</div>
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{When I saw that Rachel from <a href="http://www.missrachelspantry.com/" target="_blank">Miss Rachel's Pantry</a> was doing a demonstration, I was very excited to stick around and watch! Although she cooked tempeh, which is not my fave, she did an awesome job explaining her steps and going through the demonstration despite the rain going on! }</div>
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{ One of the few times I enjoyed Tempeh. :) }</div>
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{Of course, how could I pass up the <a href="http://www.vegantreats.com/" target="_blank">Vegan Treats</a> table?! So many awesome things to choose from! Such as the vegan chicken and waffles donuts! The everything but the kitchen sink brownie won me over though - because I hadn't had a brownie in a much overdue time. Next time though - the donuts! }</div>
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I've had quite a vegan-filled birthday celebration and am so glad that my husband is willing to join me in these events. :) Cheers to 26!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-5138941893254168672014-08-06T20:15:00.002-04:002014-08-07T18:28:10.351-04:00Sneak previewAlthough my birthday is still 19 days away, Jason surprised me with a birthday night just two days ago that was an absolute amazing experience.<br />
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Since moving to Philadelphia for college back in 2006, I loved having options of vegan friendly restaurants in the city. One of my favorite spots was Horizons on South Street. This was upscale, not an everyday type of restaurant - but the food was so delicious that I wish I could afford to eat there for every meal. However, it made an excellent special occasion restaurant that I looked forward to each time I went. After Horizons closed in 2011, the owners opened up <a href="http://vegangal.blogspot.com/2012/02/and-ill-never-tell-you-what-i-saw.html" target="_blank">Vedge</a> which still held the high standards of food that Horizons did, but now in a smaller, tapas-style dinner.<br />
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Vedge is one of my favorite restaurants, and we still typically go there on special occasions (birthdays, anniversary, around valentines day, randomly if we're in the city to grab a drink and dessert, etc.). I was VERY excited when I found out that they were opening a new street food style restaurant called V-Street. I kept checking out updates on their facebook and twitter and around the vegan internet rumor boards about the different types of food they may be serving in their new restaurant. I could not wait!!<br />
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Jason told me this past Friday that we'd be going to an exclusive tasting preview of V-Street. I was SO excited! I kept thinking of what they may make and looking forward to the event. It did NOT disappoint and only makes me even more excited for the restaurant to finally open (which should be in October 2014!).<br />
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We started out with a delicious sake based cocktail that Kate made. It was very fresh and a great way to start the meal.</div>
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Our first course was the Banh Mi Chopped Salad. This included tofu, green chile, cucumber, daikon, bean sprouts, and shredded greens topped with a delicious creamy cilantro sriracha dressing all on top of a piece of grilled baquette. Definitely an amazing starter salad!</div>
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Our next course was the Funky Kimchee Stew. This was a delicious kimchee stew with charred broccoli and fried rice. Not expecting to be blown away by a soup/stew when it comes to street food - but this was absolutely amazing and I'd order it in a heartbeat!</div>
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Our third course was something I had to google prior to eating it. We saw the menu as we sat down and saw the word "Langosh". Both of us not knowing what that was - thanks to Google explaining that it was a type of Hungarian flatbread, we were excited for this course to come around! This was a langosh with creamy sauerkraut dill dip and smoked beets. I believe the beets were the only item I did not eat that night. I have utmost confidence that Rich & Kate know how to cook vegetables to make anyone like them, however I have quite the aversion to beets. The dish did not disappoint around them though! </div>
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Our final course was a delicious grilled carrot. Not just any carrot though. This course was described as Choripan - whole roasted carrot with black beans and chimichurri. Although we were definitely getting full by this point, this dish was still extremely exceptional and ended the meal on a very high point. They stated that this will typically be served sandwich-style - so I'll be interested to see how that is when V-Street does open.</div>
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No meal is complete without dessert - and Kate is AMAZING at desserts so I was very excited to try her concoction! As full as we were, she had us drooling as she put together this intricate and beautiful dessert. This was called the "Halo-Halo" and was comprised of sweet potato ice cream, blackberry sorbet, and fruit salad topped with coconut whipped cream. This was the best way to end the night on a sweet note.</div>
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Attending this evening's sneak preview of V-Street was such a great experience and really built the anticipation of the restaurant to open in October.</div>
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And of course, as good as this meal was - you know I will be at Vedge on my actual birthday coming up. :)</div>
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<i>V-Street</i></div>
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<i>126 19th Street</i></div>
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<i>Philadelphia, PA <br />Expected opening: October 2014</i></div>
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<i>Vedge<br />1221 Locust Street<br />Philadelphia, PA</i></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-73435456449972856672014-07-15T19:46:00.002-04:002014-07-15T19:46:43.577-04:00Did I mention the drive thru?Sometimes I get so wrapped up in trying new vegan friendly places in the city or in other towns, that I forget to stop and appreciate all that I have right around me. Moving to Limerick, we are close to a few towns that have lots of great vegan friendly options. One that I have had my eye on for a while was the French Quarter Bistro in Royersford, PA. I had read online that it was very vegan friendly, but had yet to go. I finally got to try it a few weeks ago, and I will definitely be back to try other options they had!
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Although we went on a Friday evening, there weren't too many other guests there around 7:00. By the time we left though, there were a few other tables starting to fill up. The ambiance is nice and dimly lit. It's nice it's right on Main street in Royersford, but parking was a bit tough on the street. Luckily, they also offer parking in the back of the building, which we plan on using next time.<br />
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I was super excited when I spotted the Vegetarian/Vegan section of the menu. I knew they had options, but I thought I would have to ask what they were or try to make something off the regular menu vegan friendly. Not quite! Too many options (is there such thing as too many?). I was excited to see how such an expansive vegan menu would be.</div>
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Above, we started with the Korean "Steak" Tacos. These were awesome and I would have happily have ordered the entire thing as my entree. The steak was delicious and the seasoning/rub was perfect. I was also excited to have vegan cheese on the taco to add a nice touch.</div>
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For my entree, I wanted to try another one of their "meats" to see how it was to know for next time. I chose the Grilled "Chicken" and Apple salad. This was a great dinner salad. Many times I choose not to try a salad my first time at place, but this made a perfect entree. The apples were deliciously crisp, the chicken was a great seitan, and the almonds added a nice touch.</div>
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Safe to say, we will definitely be paying French Quarter Bistro another visit for their awesome vegan-friendly menu! Bonus - I've seen them listed on Restaurant.com with a coupon in the past - so that is a great way to try it!</div>
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<i>French Quarter Bistro</i></div>
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<i>215 Main Street</i></div>
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<i>Royersford, PA 19468</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-47600656090394469202014-06-30T06:00:00.000-04:002014-06-30T06:00:06.041-04:00saturday morning jumped out of bed After seeing a post about Relished Food (now switched to<a href="http://www.homechef.com/" target="_blank"> Home Chef</a>) on <a href="http://www.thepreppyvegan.com/" target="_blank">The Preppy Vegan</a>, I was interested to see what types of vegan meals they offered on their site. I somehow got on their email list as well, and although I did not order any of the meals - they looked really good and was helpful for some inspiration.<br />
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I saw a few weeks ago one of their meals featured grilled polenta, and since we've been using our new BBQ - I thought this would be a great way to test out a new grilled option. I added my own spin on the meal since I wasn't sure what exactly they used for theirs anyway, and this was an easy and delicious Friday night dinner.<br />
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Grilled Polenta and Zucchini with Toasted Pine Nut Bruschetta (serves 2):</div>
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1/2 tube of polenta (You could make this home-made by using cornmeal and water, but this was easier)</div>
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1 zucchini</div>
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2 tsp minced garlic</div>
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2 plum tomatoes</div>
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1/4 cup pine nuts</div>
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1/2 cup basil, chopped</div>
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1- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar</div>
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1/4 t salt & 1/4 t pepper to taste</div>
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Prep the grill or preheat a pan on medium high heat. Start by slicing the polenta into slices. Then slice your zucchini into similar sized slices. Lay the zucchini slices out and sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste and 1 tsp of the minced garlic evenly on each slice. Place on the grill or in a saute pan to cook.This could also be done on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees.</div>
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To make the bruschetta, start by toasting the pine nuts in a small frying pan. This will only take a few moments, so keep a close eye on them to prevent burning. Chop the tomatoes and basil. In a bowl, add the tomatoes, basil, toasted pine nuts, vinegar, and salt and pepper. </div>
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When the polenta and zucchini are done (browned polenta and tender zucchini), remove from heat. Lay slices on each plate and top with bruschetta mix. Top with extra chopped basil.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-15273040348658839302014-06-20T08:38:00.000-04:002014-06-20T08:40:49.952-04:00Say yes, say yes, cause I need to know<br />
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{Enjoying my hometown beach last weekend in OC MD}</div>
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{My favorite summer fruit! I might have an addiction..}</div>
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{Our garden that we tested out....can't wait for some veggies to start popping up!}</div>
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{Kovy being his cute self in the lawn. He loves having a yard now}</div>
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{Easy weeknight meal of leftover Summer veggie soup - with fresh red peppers, cauliflower, and green beans}</div>
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Have a fantastic weekend!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-17547139133242003732014-06-16T19:43:00.000-04:002014-06-16T19:43:24.969-04:00Everything is different the second time aroundThe official start of Summer is coming up next week - but the 90 degree weather today during a run definitely made it feel like summer!<br />
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It also was nice to do a quick beach trip this past weekend to make it feel even more like summer vacation. Although being in the "real world" doesn't give a 3 month vacation anymore (how much longer until I am a teacher?!) - warm weekend trips throughout help savor the fun times that go along with summer.<br />
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Going to BBQs and potlucks is a key component of summer and it's fun to bring food and try what others make. I've been vegan for almost 7 years now, so I'm quite familiar and used to bringing my own food and either being surprised that vegan options are available or making sure I love what I bring knowing that may be my only option. These two dishes that I made a couple weekends ago for a get together - a salad and dessert - are sure to please any type of crowd for a summer bbq.<br />
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Who can resist Peanut Butter Blondies topped with chocolate chips? Seriously - if you know who, then please tell me. Although, I suppose those with nut allergies or who do not like chocolate (do those people exist?!).</div>
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These were made with the recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar cookbook. I've made them once before for a 4th of July bbq, and knew they are a no-fail recipe!</div>
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I then added some fun and topped with chocolate chips prior to baking.</div>
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You can find the recipe on the PPK website - <a href="http://www.theppk.com/2010/09/peanut-butter-blondies/" target="_blank">Peanut Butter Blondies</a></div>
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Quinoa salads are the perfect pot luck food. They don't go bad if they are left out for a while and the flavors seem to get even better the longer they sit. Plus, quinoa is so delicious and is great for any gluten-free friends!</div>
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Pineapple-Edamame Quinoa Salad:</div>
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1 cup dried quinoa<br />
2 cups water<br />
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced<br />
3/4 cup chopped scallions<br />
3/4 cup chopped cilantro<br />
3/4 cup chopped pineapple chunks<br />
2/3 cup edamame<br />
1/3 cup toasted cashews<br />
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar<br />
1 teaspoon garlic powder<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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Prepare the quinoa first - In a sauce pan, bring the quinoa and water to a boil. One boiling, turn down the heat to low and cover and cook for 15 minutes. Let stand covered for 5 additional minutes, and then fluff with a fork. Set aside, in the fridge preferably to chill.<br />
In a large mixing bowl, mix the pineapple, red pepper, scallions, and cilantro. Add the vinegar, 1 T water, garlic powder, and salt and pepper and mix. Add the quinoa, then the edamame and toasted cashews. Stir until everything is well incorporated. Taste for seasoning.<br />
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Enjoy your summer BBQs! And don't forget to bring a veggie burger :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-74036886430812465342014-06-13T06:00:00.000-04:002014-06-13T07:21:40.297-04:00Friday fiveIn a toast to the upcoming weekend, here are 5 things that I've been happy about this past week.<br />
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{ After reading all of the hype on the Tiny Tea Teatox by Your Tea, I decided to give it a go. The tea is quite good - not my usual cup of tea, but is a nice way to start the day and to drink throughout. It's been a great way to get more tea into my life! }</div>
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{ Beautiful flowers from the husband on a random Wednesday make the day seem brighter.}<br />
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{ So excited for season 2 of OITNB! We've been watching at least an episode a night all week. }<br />
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{ End of the quarter for the Spring! Excited to have some "free" time for 2 weeks. }<br />
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{ New product alert and my new latest hunt - been searching for these in every grocery store - no luck so far! }</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-85152694238867924142014-06-04T08:10:00.001-04:002014-06-05T08:08:49.327-04:00One for you, one for meThe past few weeks have been flying by, but have been quite productive and beautiful weather-wise. I'm excited to say it's finally June and feeling like summer is just around the corner.<br />
On the school front, I am also in my last week of this quarter - so that is quite a relief to have some "free" time coming up until the next quarter begins!<br />
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Onto the food - I have a fun recipe that we made this past week based on ingredients we had that needed to be used. We had an opened bag of Daiya in the fridge from Jason's mom when we were visiting, so I knew that could not go to waste. We had made pizzas not tooo long ago, but I wanted something more fun - thus I decided on Pizza Stuffed Peppers!<br />
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I took a picture of the inside as well...but let's just say sometimes the inside isn't always the most photogenic. Bulgur + cheese + toppings + tomato sauce = not the most beautiful. However, beauty is not everything - these peppers were delicious!<br />
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Pizza Stuffed Peppers: (Serves 2)<br />
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2 large bell peppers<br />
1/2 cup bulgur<br />
1 1/2 cup water<br />
1 can of pizza sauce (I love Don Pepino!)<br />
1/2 onion, chopped<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1/2 zucchini, chopped<br />
1 T oregano<br />
1 t dried basil<br />
1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes<br />
1/4 cup pineapple, chopped (optional)<br />
Vegan mozzarella cheese to top<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil water to cook the bulgur. When water is boiling, add bulgur and reduce heat to a simmer. Let cook until the water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.<br />
Preheat a cooking pan over medium heat and use non-stick spray, water, or a bit of oil to heat in the pan. Add the onion and the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and seasonings. Finally add the sun-dried tomatoes, pineapple, and bulgur to the pan. Add the pizza sauce and stir to make sure everything is incorporated and warm. Turn off the heat.<br />
Chop the tops off of the peppers and de-seed them. Grab a baking dish (I used a loaf pan) and pour some pizza sauce on the bottom to line it. Place the peppers on top of the sauce.<br />
Spoon the bulgur mixture into each pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.<br />
After 20 minutes, take them out and top each pepper with cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes until peppers look softer and cheese is melted.<br />
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These are a great weeknight meal, but I think next time I might try them in the crock pot to have them ready when we get home.<br />
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Happy hump-day! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-54589396452396438942014-04-19T13:44:00.003-04:002014-06-05T08:09:30.968-04:00Things will never change if we remain the sameIn hopes that Spring is coming, we've made a few salad-y type dinners recently that have made the days seem a bit warmer! We actually traveled to Florida last week - and while we enjoyed the 85 degree weather, it had snowed at our house in PA! I'm ready for spring and warm weather.<br />
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I love the idea of making home-made hummus - however all of my past attempts did not meet my expectations. Perhaps I just love Sabra hummus and the creamy texture, that when I made it at home the texture never seemed quite the same. However, I read online that the "trick" to Sabra-like hummus is to de-skin each chickpea. To me, this seemed pretty easy at first. However, after skinning 2 cans of chickpeas (who knows how many hundred chickpeas that is!) - by the end I was hoping this would be worth the effort!<br />
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I made roasted red pepper hummus - adding the red peppers in at the end. This was well worth the effort and I could definitely tell a difference between skinned-chickpea hummus and just throwing the chickpeas in as is.<br />
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What goes better with hummus than Falafel and Tabbouleh! I used a boxed mix for the falafel by Fantastic Foods - which is my usual go-to for quick falafel.<br />
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I also decided to make the cauliflower tabbouleh from Oh She Glows. She calls this recipe her <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2013/07/14/detox-tabbouleh/" target="_blank">Detox Tabbouleh</a> - but I loved that it used so much cauliflower instead of a grain since cauliflowers are delicious and on sale! :) I'm usually not a huge fan of raw cauliflower - I prefer it cooked, but it tasted really great in this recipe with the vinegars and cilantro.<br />
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Sabra-Like Hummus:<br />
1 15 oz can chickpeas<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
1 1/2 Tablespoon water<br />
3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice<br />
1 1/2 Tablespoon tahini<br />
1/4 t salt and pepper<br />
6 oz roasted red pepper<br />
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Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Then peel each of the chickpeas "skin" off and discard. Add garlic clove to food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the chickpeas, water, lemon juice and pulse until broken up. Add tahini, salt and pepper, and roasted red peppers and let run until creamy.<br />
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This kept in the fridge for a week and was great on top of salads.<br />
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Another salad friendly dinner we had was the Caesar Salad with Eggplant Bacon from Appetite for Reduction. Of course, anything I make from this book I have no doubts it will be amazing.<br />
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I am not the biggest fan of eggplant, but the eggplant "bacon" on this salad was delicious even for non-eggplant lovers. The caesar dressing was a great vegan friendly-creamy alternative and pulled the salad together.</div>
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Vegan Caesar Chavez Dressing (From Appetite for Reduction):</div>
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2 Tablespoons of chopped shallot</div>
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2 Tablespoons of raw cashew pieces</div>
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1 Tablespoon of tahini</div>
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1 Tablespoon of miso</div>
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1/3 cup water</div>
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2 Tablespoons lemon juice</div>
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1 teaspoon dijon mustard</div>
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1/8 tsp salt</div>
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freshly ground pepper</div>
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Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until creamy. </div>
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The original recipe calls for capers - however we have a slight aversion to capers so we chose to leave these out and it was still delicious!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-47048171051176574442014-03-27T08:09:00.003-04:002014-06-05T08:11:03.008-04:00Las Vegan Pt 2For part one of our trip March 2014 to Las Vegas - see <a href="http://vegangal.blogspot.com/2014/03/las-vegan-pt-1.html" target="_blank">here</a><br />
To see the recap of our trip to Las Vegas June 2013 - see <a href="http://vegangal.blogspot.com/2014/01/vegan-in-vegas-starting-2014-off-right.html" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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After we had Lakeside for dinner our first night, we had high expectations for the rest of the places we set out to try.<br />
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Wandering the streets and gambling a bit was a fun way to spend the day - and we actually did well this time money-wise! We're probably the cheapest gamblers you'll meet - I usually walk away when I lose $10...but this time we both were pretty lucky - and Jason did really great before I even got there! Must've been making up for previous trips... :)<br />
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All that wandering we stumbled upon an amazing vegan-friendly ice cream shop! This was called <a href="http://icepanusa.com/" target="_blank">Ice Pan</a> and was located upstairs in Harrah's.<br />
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Quite a cool concept - you choose what flavor you'd like your ice cream to be, choose your milk (of course, I chose soy), and choose your toppings. The employees were so fun and friendly and really knew what different vegan options I could do and made their own suggestions.<br />
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Ice cream action! He basically poured the flavor and milk mixture onto the frozen plate and then continuously moved and slapped the batter until it magically became ice cream! So magical...</div>
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End result - perfect delicious vegan ice cream. Mine on the left is peanut butter oreo ice cream and Jason's on the right is mint chocolate with oreo. They were really excited to add oreos to ours...so we couldn't say no. </div>
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For dinner on our last night, we set out to <a href="http://www.sliceofvegaspizza.com/" target="_blank">Slice of Vegas Pizza</a> located in Mandalay Bay.<br />
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So many fabulous vegan options! I didn't know where to start...</div>
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When a place has vegan wings...I usually always have to try them. Which is odd - I don't think I ever ate wings pre-vegetarian days...although I was only 11 so wings probably don't seem that delicious to a 10 year old. But I do love hot sauce - and anything with hot sauce now. These were awesome and I was excited for the vegan ranch sauce it came with as well!</div>
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My pizza - after debating doing a "Create your own" I chose the Vegan Faux Pie. This had Daiya cheese, red onions, zucchini, squash, roasted pepper, and eggplant. So delicious! And even better with the leftover hot sauce from the wings. :) Hot sauce = good on anything.</div>
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Honorable mention places: We went back to Ronald's Donuts again. Can't go to Vegas without a trip there..we also ate dinner one night at Mint Indian restaurant - that despite their "V" for vegan all over the menu..I wasn't anymore impressed than I am with places near us at home. </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Although who knows when we will be back to Vegas this time..we both had a blast and definitely preferred the 80 degree weather in March over the 112 in June!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-18219381046225272812014-03-25T14:32:00.000-04:002014-06-05T08:11:24.134-04:00We interrupt food for...the big 3-0No, not my 30th birthday (I still have 5 years..thank you...)<br />
but my parent's 30th anniversary. <br />
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I try not to get into too much personal stuff on the blog, sticking mostly to food and restaurants - however this warrants a post. I consider myself very fortunate to not only have parents together for 30 years, but to have them be two amazing parents that have stuck by me for my whole life and stuck by each other. <br />
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Having parents like mine truly make going home feel like "home" - and having them come up to visit us helps me know that they are only a quick drive away and continue to be a huge part of my life. Shopping trips with my mom are always a fun adventure and meeting up with my Dad for dinners mid-week is something I always look forward to. It's the simple things that remind me of my childhood and how much I looked up to them.</div>
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You both have made a wonderful family and we are all so lucky to have you as our parents!</div>
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I really look up to their marriage and getting through things together as a great incentive for my own marriage. Although they have 28 years of being together ahead of us, I know it was their parenting and seeing them together that has molded me into who I am today. So Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad and I hope you cherish the next 30+ years! :)<br />
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I love you both so much. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-61624074952391832732014-03-23T16:36:00.000-04:002014-06-05T08:11:52.751-04:00Las Vegan pt 1So we went to Las Vegas back in June 2013 to celebrate my husband's 30th bday...we both had a fabulous time but left thinking we were glad to go, but would be okay if we never had the opportunity to go back since there are so many places we want to travel to! Don't get me wrong - Vegas is a fantastic city with plenty to do and see (and vegan friendly!), but I guess since we went when it was 112 degrees we mostly saw the inside of casinos since walking around would get quite exhausting in the heat.<br /><br />
Fast forward to last weekend - Jason had the opportunity to go to Vegas for a business conference - and I was more than excited to jump on board to accompany him mid-way through the week! He left on Sunday - I met him there Wednesday evening and we spent the rest of the week/weekend relaxing and enjoying the beautiful 85 degree Vegas..ahh much better!<br />
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It was really fun to be back so soon and feel familiar with the area and where we liked the previous time we had gone. We didn't feel like such newbies this time around!<br />
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Onto the food..since Vegas is SO vegan friendly, I was excited to try out some new places and revisit some of the places we went to during out first trip.<br />
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Steven Wynn - the owner of the Wynn and Encore and many other casinos in Vegas went vegan a few years ago and thus added a vegan menu to every restaurant in his hotels! Last time we tried Sinatra which was Italian based food and amazing, so this time we made a reservation for <b>Lakeside </b>(a seafood based restaurant) located in the Wynn casino.<br />
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Growing up I remember many a night eating creamy Campbell's New England clam chowder as a child. Although not the most gourmet meal, this meal reminds me of the comfort of home and I was excited to see it as a vegan option at Lakeside! However - due to my high dislike of mushrooms - I asked the server if it was too mushroomy for my taste - and he concluded that it was very mushroom-filled. I knew I would not feel the same comfort from the can that I remembered as a child, so unfortunately I did opt out of that. But for mushroom lovers - do try it! I've heard good things..<br />
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As Sinatra started with a bread basket and vegan butter, so did Lakeside. This is fabulous for vegans that usually feel left out of the typical bread & butter basket.<br />
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To start, we split the Truffle Arancini with roasted garlic aioli.<br />
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These were cute little balls of risotto goodness with a magical vegan garlic sauce. We definitely loved these! Great way to start the meal.<br />
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For my entree - I was back and forth between a few dishes - wanting a good mix of veggies with whatever protein. I ended up choosing the Walnut Crusted Gardein Chicken Breast (can they really call it this??) with red pepper coulis and balsamic sherry reduction - and ordered a side of their Grilled Green Asparagus to split with Jason - because I had a fear of not having enough vegetables (vegan problems...).<br />
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Somehow even their asparagus was out of this world amazing. No doubt about it - Wynn restaurants are 100% gourmet delicious Vegan food that both omnivores and vegans can enjoy in harmony. So zen..<br />
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And as much as Jason had to twist my arm to get dessert (I am a sweet tooth lady and never say no to vegan dessert...) we tried the vegan Carrot Cake option to end the meal with. It was a small piece that was perfect to split and end with - absolutely delicious!<br />
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I have two other amazing "Las Vegan" reviews - but I shall save them for the next post to prevent it from being too filled up. But get excited for ice cream made in your face and vegan pizza! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-12108420411713138082014-03-08T17:22:00.000-05:002014-06-07T14:59:34.625-04:00Like a room without a roofLast weekend was exciting since we had my parents come up! Usually we'll try to find a cool place around town to go to dinner with them, but Jason had really wanted to cook instead. Jason is a really great cook - although most of the time it is me cooking the dinners. So when he said he would opt to cook, I knew it would be a good idea!<br />
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Over the summer he surprised me with the cookbook <u>Vegan Cooking for Carnivores</u> by Roberto Martin - aka Ellen & Portia's vegan chef. <br />
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The recipes all look amazing - perhaps some of them a bit time-consuming and good for a Sunday night meal. Jason had made the Shepherd's Pie for me in the past, so he wanted to make that again for when my parents came up.<br />
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Jason stirring the potatoes - with a knife no less. I don't judge how he cooks :)<br />
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I added my own contribution with my favorite salad recipe - Asparagus, Almond, and Tomato salad with Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette. It is from <u>The Candle Café Cookbook</u> and I've made it many times as a side for meals. The dressing and additions to the salad make it perfect - although we did not add the almonds this time.<br />
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The table was set and the shepherd's pie looked delicious! In my notes for this recipe, I put "Takes a while but well worth it!" Which is very true - definitely not a weeknight meal but so worth it for guests or if you have some time!<br />
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<u>Asparagus, Almond, and Tomato Salad with Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette: (adapted from Candle Café Cookbook)</u><br />
Serves 6<br />
2 1/2 pounds asparagus<br />
6 cups salad greens<br />
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved<br />
1/4 cup sliced almonds (I've made this without and still good..but the almonds do add a nice crunch!)<br />
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Break off the tough woody ends of the asparagus stalks. In a large skillet, bring enough lightly salted water to cover the asparagus to a boil over high heat. Add asparagus, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 3-5 minutes, just until tender. Drain and chill asparagus while prepping the rest of the salad.<br />
Make the vinaigrette:<br />
1/4 c olive oil<br />
3/4 cup water<br />
4 garlic cloves, sliced<br />
1/4 c fresh dill<br />
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard<br />
1/2 cup red wine vinegar<br />
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Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Toss the greens and tomatoes together with about 1/3 c of the dressing. Toss the asparagus in a separate bowl with about 2 Tablespoons of dressing, then place over salad greens. Sprinkle with almonds and add a bit more dressing if desired.<br />
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<u>Shepherd's Pie</u>: (from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores)<br />
1 bag of boca meatless crumbles<br />
2 pounds russet potatoes<br />
4 Tablespoons of vegan butter (we use smart balance)<br />
1/2 cup almond milk<br />
1 Tablespoon of chopped chives<br />
sprinkle of salt and pepper<br />
2 Tablespoons of oil<br />
1 white onion, diced small<br />
3 garlic cloves, minced<br />
2 celery stalks, chopped<br />
1 large carrot, cut into small dice<br />
1 tsp dried thyme<br />
3 Tablespoons of flour<br />
1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth<br />
1/2 cup frozen peas<br />
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Preheat the oven to 420 degrees. Place boca crumbles in pot and warm over the stove top. Peel and rinse the potatoes and place them in a large pot. Fill the pot with water to at least 3 inches above the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are soft.<br />
Drain the potatoes and put them in an ovenproof baking dish or pan. Bake them for 5 minutes, to remove excess moisture and leave the oven on. Working quickly, mash the potatoes. Add the melted butter, warm milk, and chopped chives and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. <br />
Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat, add the oil and let heat. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic, celery, carrot, and thyme and cook for 3 minutes more. <br />
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir in.<br />
Pour the broth into the pan and stir until incorporated. Stir in the boca and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the peas and season to taste.<br />
Spread mixture evenly into a casserole pan/baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mix from bubbling up. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and bake for 25 minutes. <br />
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So yes this dish takes a while, but so worth it! We've made a few other recipes from this book and have been very impressed. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-61433440394784600972014-02-27T08:13:00.000-05:002014-06-07T15:00:01.386-04:00no this is how it works, you peer inside yourselfFor Valentine's day Jason & I stayed Saturday night in Philadelphia to have a close-by getaway. <br />
The weather was not too cooperative, and it was freezing and snowing/raining during the day of walking around the city, but despite that we had a great time.<br />
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To keep out of the cold, we went to the Franklin Institute - which I had never been to before. It was really interesting and made me excited for potential future field trips when I become a teacher! <br />
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For dinner, we went to <a href="http://farmiciarestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Farmicia</a>. We had been there about a year or so ago while in the city for brunch - which did not disappoint! After reviewing their dinner menu online, I knew it was a great place to try for dinner as well.<br />
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As you can see the bottom of the menu has the vegan friendly options. It was tough to pick between the choices, but since I had already looked online earlier - I knew what I was most likely going to get.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIcbKVVDgZ9ux7Pkwh35hrwDmgpHh81atWidzXoXKcUPGLhJst85VWhd0ov3RI_Gm057qCWrKYMJbjucap0d5ML8D0BQEF_JSK4_de43bRfbrw0qX2gx1T5ZDB5XHW-MvRDEyoufYfi2y/s1600/2014-02-15+19.11.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIcbKVVDgZ9ux7Pkwh35hrwDmgpHh81atWidzXoXKcUPGLhJst85VWhd0ov3RI_Gm057qCWrKYMJbjucap0d5ML8D0BQEF_JSK4_de43bRfbrw0qX2gx1T5ZDB5XHW-MvRDEyoufYfi2y/s1600/2014-02-15+19.11.49.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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Farmicia's dining room is very dimly-lit and cozy. When we were there for brunch, it was very bright and welcoming since the sun shines right through all of the windows. </div>
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To start, there was only one vegan appetizer listed on the menu. For some reason, reading it quickly - I thought it stated "Cannellini & Sautéed Tofu" - however it stated "Capellini & Sauteed Tofu" I was expecting white beans with tofu, not pasta! This was good none the less though - just kind of an awkward start to the meal. </div>
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This was roasted tomatoes, red chili, mint, and crushed pine nuts with the pasta and roasted tofu.</div>
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For my meal I chose the Butternut Squash Risotto croquets. This came with roasted cauliflower, sautéed spinach, and walnut-sage pesto. These were more like patties than croquets, but very delicious and I loved the pesto!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganrnEQnzpUOVLY70uUnM4RVzHttm5k4q78ja7gEGGXGaTm3fV3lAXb6Turyvd3R57gLgyytdl9_reka6pRZVqiy3sWuT3qw86a1Q-s6Vau390uBpraFeN5C4YUUQFFXs1xu8g20CLgW5I/s1600/2014-02-15+20.24.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganrnEQnzpUOVLY70uUnM4RVzHttm5k4q78ja7gEGGXGaTm3fV3lAXb6Turyvd3R57gLgyytdl9_reka6pRZVqiy3sWuT3qw86a1Q-s6Vau390uBpraFeN5C4YUUQFFXs1xu8g20CLgW5I/s1600/2014-02-15+20.24.06.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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Valentine's dinner is not complete without dessert of course. We were thinking of going to Vedge that night to grab dessert, but Farmicia had a banana cupcake on their menu that sounded really good! It came with vegan caramel and banana ice cream. Perfect ending to the meal. :) </div>
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<em>FARMiCiA Restaurant</em><br />
<em>15 S 3rd Street</em><br />
<em>Philadelphia, PA</em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-76014459533557713882014-02-19T20:30:00.001-05:002014-06-07T15:00:31.973-04:00Well we've got the land but they've got the view.For Christmas I was hoping to get the new cookbook from Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Luckily - my husband is a great gift-giver and I received it! Between moving, I haven't gotten a chance to make as many recipes as I'd like - but the few that I have made so far from <em>Isa Does It </em>have been amazing. I didn't have any doubts that they would be.<br />
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I've been a huge fan of Isa since Veganomicon when I first went vegan in 2009 - <a href="http://vegangal.blogspot.com/2008/06/and-you-swear-therell-be-no-bad-news.html" target="_blank">Blast from the past when first cooking with Veganomicon.</a> Since then I've fallen in love with her dessert books - <a href="http://vegangal.blogspot.com/2009/08/one-more-time-with-feeling.html" target="_blank">Vegan Cupcakes take over the world</a>, Vegan Cookies invade the cookie jar.. and my favorite for dinners that never disappoint - <a href="http://vegangal.blogspot.com/2011/06/oh-where-does-time-go.html" target="_blank">Appetite for Reduction</a>.<br />
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You might say I have a #wcw on Isa...<br />
Onto the recipes!<br />
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First up I wanted to try a simple and warm recipe. The Lentil-Quinoa Stew (with Lots of Kale) stuck out to me since it was ingredients I knew I had on hand and sounded very comforting. Although I am not a fan of kale (but sure have I tried to be!) I knew I could alter this recipe to be something that would be great for a weeknight meal.<br />
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<img src="http://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p643/laurenrose25/Vegan%20Gal/idilentilquinoastew_zpsd51463a6.jpg" /><br />
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I made a few alterations, which I've included in this recipe:<br />
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Lentil-Bulgar Stew (adapted from Isa Does It):<br />
Serves 6<br />
1 medium onion, diced<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
3 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning<br />
1 tsp dried thyme<br />
6 c vegetable broth<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
1 cup carrots, diced<br />
3 ribs celery, diced<br />
3/4 c dry lentils<br />
1 c bulgar<br />
1/2 t ground pepper<br />
1 bag of spinach<br />
1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar<br />
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Preheat a 4-quart soup pot over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray or use water to coat the pan for cooking. Saute the onion with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 15 seconds, then add the thyme and Italian seasoning. Add the broth, bay leaf, carrots, celery, lentils, bulgar, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium and cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender. Add the spinach and stir frequently until it is wilted. Add balsamic vinegar, taste for salt, and let the stew sit for 10 minutes or so off the heat. Thin with water/broth if necessary, and serve. <br />
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As per most of my dishes, hot sauce was already on the table and ready when this was finished - so add to your own liking.<br />
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As previous posts have shown, <a href="http://vegangal.blogspot.com/2012/04/waffles-everywhere.html" target="_blank">waffles are very common in our house</a>. Usually on weekends we are home, Sundays = Waffles in the morning. Isa had a great recipe that I read reviews on stating they were the "best pancakes ever"....so I knew I had to disrupt our waffle theme.<br />
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<img src="http://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p643/laurenrose25/Vegan%20Gal/idipancakes_zpsb2a1ad91.jpg" /><br />
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Vegan Pancakes (adapted from Puffy Pillow Pancakes from Isa Does It):<br />
Makes 6 pancakes<br />
1 1/2 c white whole wheat flour<br />
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 truvia packet<br />
1 cup almond milk<br />
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar<br />
1 tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
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In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and truvia. Make a well in the center. measure the milk into a small bowl. Add the vinegar and Ener-G, use a fork to vigorously mix the ingredients until foamy. Pour the milk mix into the center of dry ingredients. Add the water, apple sauce, and vanilla and use a fork to mix until a thick, lumpy batter forms. It doesn't need to be smooth - just make sure all ingredients are mixed. <br />
Preheat a pan or griddle over medium-low heat and let the batter rest for 10 minutes.<br />
Lightly spray the pan with cooking spray. Add 1/3 cup of the batter to the pan and cook for 4 minutes until puffy. Flip the pancake, adding new spray if needed and cook another 3 minutes. Let them rest on a cooling rack with aluminum foil until ready to serve. <br />
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After making these, I remembered why I prefer waffles - SO much easier to cook. I was not gifted with the flipping of pancake talent, luckily Jason is better at it than I am so he took on that job. Waffles are way easier since they just sit in the iron and the light turns green when they are ready. :)<br />
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One final recipe to review from Isa Does It is her Tempeh Giardino. We are not tempeh fans - although my older posts may have said differently - so I knew I wanted to recreate this dish using tofu.<br />
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<img src="http://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p643/laurenrose25/Vegan%20Gal/iditempehgiardino_zps4db7590a.jpg" /><br />
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Tofu Giardino (adapted from Isa Does it):<br />
Serves 4<br />
1 block of tofu, pressed and then cut into smaller cubes<br />
1/2 t salt<br />
1 small red onion, diced<br />
1 yellow squash, cut lengthwise and into 1/4" thick moons<br />
1 zucchini squash, cut lengthwise and into 1/4" moons<br />
5 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 1/2 cups chopped tomat<br />
1/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves<br />
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Preheat large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Saute the tofu with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until lightly browned, tossing frequently. <br />
Add the onion and sauté for another 3 minutes - adding water if needed to prevent burning. After translucent, transfer tofu and onion to a large bowl. <br />
Spray pan again and add zucchini and squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, tossing frequently until lightly browned. Move squash to one side and add more cooking spray along with minced garlic. Work quickly so garlic doesn't burn, add chopped tomato to garlic and salt and toss to coat. Cook for 1 minutes then toss the squash and add the tofu and onion back in pan. Mix everything, add the basil, and cook for another 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve.<br />
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Although we made this recipe in January - it would definitely be perfect for a light spring/summer dish! I'm excited to try it again with more in season tomatoes and produce.<br />
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Other honorable mentions from Isa Does It that are not shown:<br />
Pesto Soup, Baked Garlic Curry Fries, Sun-Dried Tomato Penne, Chana Masala, and Alphabet Soup. <br />
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I know my next go-to will be her Malai Kafta, which is Jason's favorite indian dish. I feel it will be a great weekend dinner that I know we will love. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-66429667405912075882014-02-03T14:24:00.000-05:002014-02-03T14:24:48.946-05:00New blog..seriously?As much as I give the "It's a new year - I'm going to post every day!" speech... I do intend to blog :) However, things have been a bit crazy on our end with selling our house & buying a new one - however I am happy to say settlement is over and we are in our new home! <br />
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Thus I can start cooking more in our bigger kitchen and keep things interesting. The home we bought is great - however it was built in 1990 and no decorative touches to be found. So we need to make it into our home - which is a lot of DIY and fun :) <br />
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I started another blog to document the process - <a href="http://veganrosehome.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://veganrosehome.blogspot.com</a><br />
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I'll still be updating both blogs, but wanted to have two for different creative outlets.<br />
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:)<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-23484417262167351482014-01-04T17:05:00.000-05:002014-06-07T15:00:58.046-04:00NYC December 2013Catching up on posts I've been meaning to post is one from our trip to NYC in December. We went a few weeks before Christmas to enjoy the lights and atmosphere of the city during the holidays. Jason & I have been to NYC many times, and I've done numerous posts of all the fabulous places we've been. New York is really a special place for us and the first place we ever traveled together to! We have many favorites and spots that we usually flock to, however each time we go we still try to visit somewhere new.
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For new as far as museums go, we finally visited the Moma - museum of modern art. I've been wanting to visit this museum for years but the price just seemed too outrageous since there were so many other free museums to see in the city. However, Bank of America card holders are able to visit museums in many cities in the US for free the first weekend of each month - which included the MoMa when we were visiting! I was beyond excited. The art was fun to walk around and see and we spent a couple of hours wandering the many floors of the museum.
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For dinner, we tried Johns on 12th. We had passed this restaurant during one of our previous trips and saw it was an Italian restaurant featuring an entire vegan menu. Jason loves Italian and I love vegan food, so we knew we had to try it!<br />
<a href="http://s1344.photobucket.com/user/laurenrose25/media/04_zps6546d9fc.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 04_zps6546d9fc.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p643/laurenrose25/04_zps6546d9fc.jpg" /></a><br />
The outside looks pretty small, as is the inside, and you definitely need a reservation - but it is all well worth it! Even with our reservation and arriving 15 minutes early, we were told to stand at the bar area until our table was ready. It was jam packed, which I took it as it must be good. We saw that Guy Fieri had visited and left his mark on the ceiling there as well. We were excited to finally be sat and look over the menu.<br />
<a href="http://s1344.photobucket.com/user/laurenrose25/media/05_zpsb049e5bb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 05_zpsb049e5bb.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p643/laurenrose25/05_zpsb049e5bb.jpg" /></a><br />
This was the vegan menu - so many options! <br />
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For an appetizer to share we chose the vegan Bruschetta - which was garlic-grilled bread with avocado, basil, and tomatoes. This was absolutely amazing - I'd go back just to eat this again. This can be super easy to recreate at home, which I have yet to do, but definitely see happening soon!<br />
<a href="http://s1344.photobucket.com/user/laurenrose25/media/07_zpseddbbc3f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 07_zpseddbbc3f.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p643/laurenrose25/07_zpseddbbc3f.jpg" /></a><br />
For my entrée - I chose the Seitan alla Rosa - with artichokes, fire-roasted peppers, in marsala wine mushroom sauce. I'm not a fan of mushrooms, at all, but I really wanted to try their seitan and the veggies that came with it sounded great. This dish did not disappoint - I loved everything even the sauce. However, I was so curious about the vegan alfredo sauce on the menu. I didn't want an entire meal of it - but wanted to give it a try. I asked our waiter if there was any way I could have a small side of it to add with my dish - and they did not disappoint!<br />
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I could have eaten this with a spoon. This was absolutely delicious, and way more than I expected! The wait staff at Johns were absolutely great and I loved our entire experience. We wanted to try their vegan cannnolis after - however we were both too full to have dessert. This will definitely be on our list to try next time!<br />
Although we have many more places in NYC to try each time we visit, I know Johns of 12th Street will make it on our go-to list!<br />
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<i>Johns of 12th Street<br />
302 East 12th Street<br />
NYC 10003</i>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12673302506870330367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2300592857812919575.post-83308813338013851092014-01-01T13:01:00.002-05:002014-06-07T15:01:21.992-04:00Vegan in Vegas - starting 2014 off right!So I've neglected this blog too much, and I would like to start the new year off on the right foot by getting back in the swing of it. Not only do I love reading other blogs (I still read my faves everyday though don't post my own...) but I love having Vegan Gal as my home for everything I've done vegan and sometimes not vegan-related since way back when.
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Although 2013 has been an amazing vegan-filled year, there is one trip that I have been wanting to post the most. Jason & I celebrated his 30th birthday in Las Vegas in June and we had a complete blast. Not only with all of the fun lights, atmosphere, and being cheap gamblers, but all of the fantastic vegan food!
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We stayed at the Stratosphere - which was a bit far down the strip but had the best views! Here is a view from the top which we had access to since we were staying there:
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We had no complaints at all about staying at the Stratosphere - we spent a couple days in the afternoon lounging around the pool, which wasn't too crazy-crowded. The rooms were comfortable, and they had a Starbucks and a Deal or no Deal game there! It was a good bit to walk to the other casinos, which we did sometimes when it wasn't too hot in the evenings (during the day it reached 112 degrees!) but the bus pass was super cheap and very easy to use!
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We arrived in Vegas on Jason's birthday, and I made a reservation at the Wynn's Sinatra restaurant that evening. The owner of Wynne and Encore has vegan menus in all of his restaurants, so this made it super easy to find something delicious to eat.
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The menu had many options to choose from..but I wanted to go with something that we didn't typically make at home.
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I was excited that the waiter let us know the breads that were vegan and came with a separate vegan butter!
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I started with a vegan caesar salad - I miss caesar salad a lot so this was a great treat.<br />
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For my entree I chose the Agnolotti - pretty much ravioli with an amazing pesto sauce.. so good! We were actually too full for dessert that night...but we made up for it the next morning :)
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No trip to Las Vegas is complete without a stop at Ronald's Donuts. I had read reviews of this place online and knew that we had to make a stop. Boston Creme donuts were my absolute favorite prior to being vegan, and I remember eating them with my family from Dunkin Donuts when my grandparents would visit. Vegan Treats, about an hour away from us in PA has them, but that isn't always convenient so I was excited to make donuts a part of our trip!
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We had to take a cab from our hotel to get there, since it is in the Vegas "Chinatown" but it was well worth the trek!
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Donuts! It was tough to make a decision.. we both ended up with bostom crème donuts and split an apple fritter.
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Just look at that crème!! I've been dreaming of going back for this :)
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Another night we made a long walk to Bar + Bistro @ The Arts Factory (in a pretty sketchy area off the strip - I HIGHLY recommend not doing this and getting a cab instead..we didn't feel too safe). This place was vegan friendly and had a great relaxed atmosphere, as opposed to the restaurants on the strip.
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The menu had many things to choose from, and we chose a few of the tapas to split so we could try a bunch!
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These were the Grilled Vegan Tacos. The sauces and condiments that came with them were great and all tasted wonderful together!
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These are the Vegan Tempura Alcachofa - which was artichoke hearts fried tempura style with a sweet chili sauce. I have a hit or miss relationship with artichokes and their hearts..but this was a hit! I really enjoyed these and the crispy-ness was perfect. :)
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Although we have an awesome vegan cheese pizza place near us in PA, The crispy crust and gooey vegan cheese pizza was just calling my name here! This is the Vegan Margherita pizza - which had tomato, vegan mozzarella (I think it was Daiya) and Thai basil. So delish!
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I would absolutely go back to Bar + Bistro for some vegan small plates- they had so many more options I would love to try! Definitely make the trek out there, but take a cab if you're not near Fremont street! :)
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For our last dinner in Vegas, we found another restaurant off the strip (but took a cab this time!) - Komol, which is a vegetarian Thai restaurant.
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We started with the Fresh Spring Rolls with Soy Chicken & Vegetables - these were very light and fresh! We really enjoyed the sauce that came with them as well.
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For my entrée - I had the Sweet and Sour Tofu Chinese Style - which had fried tofu with sweet and sour sauce, onion, bell pepper, and pineapple! Jason went for the curry menu and ordered Vegetarian Panang. Both of our entrees were great and we'd definitely go back again when in Vegas!
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I liked all of the vegan friendly articles and posters around the restaurant as well!<br />
We had a blast going from casino to casino and taking in all of the views and different areas. My favorite may have been the Cosmopolitan - just for the name and the beauty of the décor! Here is a photo of me in front of the awesome chandelier bar!
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On our final day, we had a 2:30PM flight - so I made a reservation at another Wynne restaurant for brunch at 11:30 before we made our way to the airport- Tableau.
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The menu looked great - we started with some mimosas while looking over the menu.
Eggs benedict was something I've never actually tried - so I was excited to try a vegan version!
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These were amazing! English muffins topped with vegan sausage and tofu scramble with a vegan benedict sauce. I want to recreate this at home - so good!!
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We both had an amazing few days in Vegas - and luckily we may be going back due to a work trip Jason has in March...I have my fingers crossed!!
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