My Vegan Life Archives - Page 5 of 7

Review: Luscious Nectar Juice Lounge

August 14, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Me and my hegans ventured downtown recently and as I was going through a local coupon book, I came a across Luscious Nectar coupon for a free smoothie. We had never been there, so we really had no idea what to expect. Turns out, it’s a bar/nightclub specializing in boozed up smoothies. They also have a list of non-alcoholic concoctions as well—which is what we were after that day. It’s located at 253 Linden Street here in Fort Collins. We went around lunchtime and it was pretty dead except for some people at the bar.

There is some pretty crazy photography/artwork on the walls, much of it very unkid-friendly. We had to find a table where the Seventh Grader didn’t have a clear view of womens’ breasts or horror movie-like images. Anyway, there was only one guy working this afternoon—apparently, an employee didn’t show up, so our order took quite a while.

We started out with three smoothies: The Acai Chill, Amazon Jungle, and Luscious Peach.

Acai Chill: acai berry, strawberry, banana, and apple. Amazon Jungle: Organic Amazon cherry, blueberry, and pineapple. Luscious Peach: Peach, banana, apple, and Madhava agave. We each thought our smoothies were delicious.

Since the wait on the food was going to be a while due to lack of kitchen help, the server/bartender brought us some tortilla chips and salsa to munch on.

The guys ordered vegetarian pizzas and I went with the Garden Spring Rolls with quinoa, carrot, cucumber, purple cabbage, and sprouts wrapped in rice paper with a wasabi-peanut sauce.

Even though it took 45 minutes (plus, we were the only ones eating food in the place) it was well-worth the wait. I was really impressed with them. I enjoyed the quinoa and cabbage—a change from rice noodles. The guys loved their pizzas, too.

And since The Husband forgot to use the coupon when he paid, it’ll be a good excuse to head over there again for a mid-day smoothie the next time we’re downtown.

Backpacking, Made (Vegan) Easy

August 8, 2011 by epicureanvegan

I have so much vegan amazingness to bring you today! We just returned from a 3-day backpacking trip and I have lots to share, so hang in there with me, ok?

I recently picked up Another Fork in the Trail: Vegetarian & Vegan Recipes for the Backcountry by Laurie Ann March and I was anxious to give some of the recipes a try for the trip. You will need a food dehydrator for most of the recipes (which I don’t have yet) so I went with a few recipes that didn’t require one. I’ll be bringing you 3 recipes from the book:

Blueberry Hazelnut Quinoa (pg. 42)
Roasted Nut and Mango Energy Bars (pg. 137)
Lime and Black Pepper Roasted Chickpeas (pg. 132)

We also picked up organic, vegan freeze-dried meals from MaryJane’s Farm Outpost, so I’m including pictures and reviews of their products as well. The Husband also tried a new Backpacker’s Pantry vegan variety as well . . . the Katmandu Curry.

When we go hiking for the day, when all I have to lug is a bottle of water, I’m off. The Husband complains that I leave him and the Seventh Grader in the dust, but I can’t help it. Once I get going, I let the momentum carry me. The sure-fire way to slow me down is strap a 35-40 lbs pack on me . . . and give me a camera. I took almost 200 pictures. (Don’t worry, I won’t post them all here). But I do have to show you one of my favorite parts of the trail. A mile into the 4 mile hike, the trail meanders through a forest of aspen trees; it’s absolutely gorgeous.

My dad first brought me to this area in 2003. This was his favorite place to backpack, so it has a lot of special meaning to me. He passed away nearly five years ago, but we continue his legacy by returning here once or twice a year. The Seventh Grader got to experience it for the first time.

We arrived at camp around two in the afternoon and got things set up. As we took shelter from a brief rainstorm, we thoroughly enjoyed the (no bake) Roasted Nut and Mango Energy Bars I made the day before.

These were delicious and so easy to make. The recipe makes 10 bars, but I don’t recommend packing all of them–at least not one person packing them in, as they are kind of heavy. Individually, they’re fine.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 C raw almonds and peanuts, coarsely chopped1/3 C agave
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C peanut butter or almond butter (I used PB)
2 C strong cereal flakes, crushed (I used Special K with sliced almonds)
1/4 C dried mango, finely chopped
1/4 C carob chips (I used Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet chocolate chips–they’re vegan!)

DIRECTIONS:
Make sure you have all your ingredients chopped and ready to go before starting.

In a small skillet, dry toast the almonds and peanuts until fragrant and browned. Let them cool. In a medium to large saucepan, heat the agave and brown sugar and let simmer for 1 minute–just don’t boil it. Remove from the heat and add the peanut butter; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add the crushed cereal, nuts, mango and chocolate chips; combine well.

Coat the bottom and sides of an 8″ baking dish with vegetable oil. Scoop the mixture into the pan and press down so that it is even.

Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. The recipe then says to transfer the pan contents to a cutting board. Well good luck getting those contents out of the pan right away. I had to let it thaw on the counter for about 20-30 minutes, before loosening the edges with a knife and using a metal spatula on one side to get it out. No big deal, just don’t expect the bars to pop right out.

Cut into 10 bars:

Wrap each one in waxed paper and store in a ziplock bag. They’ll also keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Source: Another Fork in the Trail

Yes, that’s snow. This lake is about 8500 feet in elevation, so there are lots of places where there is snow year round. And you may be wondering why the trees are gray. That’s not a usual Colorado thing. Unfortunately, that’s the result of the pine beetle. They’re killing lodgepole pines throughout the United States and Canada. It’s incredibly sad to see.

But there’s still much beauty to be had:

That’s Mount Ethel. Ain’t she a beaut at nearly 12,000 feet?

MaryJane’s Farm Outpost Organic Freeze-Dried Meals

(note…the Red Pesto Pasta is vegetarian, not vegan)

For the first night, I chose the Ginger Sesame Pasta ($8) The Husband had had this one before on a earlier trip, so he recommended it. Unlike most freeze-dried meals, this one serves one, not two. So, tear off the top of the package . . .

. . . and pour in 1 cup of boiling water. Stir it really, really well. I noticed I didn’t do a very good job because later, there was some unmixed seasonings on the bottom of the bag. Fold down the top and let sit for 8-10 minutes.

It really tasted great. I’m not a huge fan of black beans, but I didn’t mind them at all in this. It was also just the right amount of food for one person. You’d never know this meal was freeze-dried. After a long day of hiking, this was ideal.

Ingredients: Organic Instant Durum Semolina Pasta, Organic Black Bean Flakes, Organic Powdered Soybean Miso, Organic Red Bell Peppers, Organic Sucanat® (dehydrated cane juice), Organic Sesame Seeds, Organic Orange Peel and Organic Herbs & Spices.

For the second night, I had the Wild Forest Mushroom Couscous ($8.75) This was even more delicious than the sesame pasta. LOVED it!!

Add 1-1/2 cups of boiling water, stir really well, then seal it up. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir again.

Ingredients: Organic Couscous, Organic Powdered Soybean Miso, Organic Pine Nuts, Organic Oyster Mushrooms, Shiitake Mushrooms, Organic Garlic and Lovage.

For the first night, the hegans went vegetarian with Mountain House Pasta Primavera ($6.50). Each pouch serves two, but they’re guys and they eat a lot; no need to split one. The second night, The Husband went with Backpacker’s Pantry Katmandu Curry ($6).

This one definitely serves two–he couldn’t finish it all. Plus, it had a bit of kick, so beware if you’re not into spicy food. It also took longer than most–about 20 minutes. It also requires 2-3/4 cups of boiling water. He thought it was very good, but we’ll just have to keep in mind that it easily serves two people.

Ingredients: lentils, precooked parboiled long grain brown rice, potatoes, carrots, peas, sauce (salt, garlic, turmeric, coriander seed, cumin seed, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, cayenne pepper, parsley, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, dill weed, fennel seed).

Enjoying their freeze-dried delicacies

During some hikes the second day, we discovered this amazing waterfall and another small lake at the base of it.

It was so incredible! The day was gorgeous and I spent much of it exploring and carrying around my portable, fold-up seat, a notebook, pencil and a book.

The book that I wanted to bring, The Ledge, is a hardback–not a good choice for backpacking–but an excellent read! One of the authors, Jim Davidson, is a fellow NCW member and his story is amazing. I settled for The Red Tent.

So far, it’s all right. The first 60-some pages are pretty much all about childbirth and it got old. Fortunately, it’s picking up . . .but I plan on finishing The Ledge first. I also have to show off my New Belgium coin purse, made pf recycled bicycle tubes:

It’s perfect for stashing my ID, ipod and of course money. (You never know where a Starbucks will pop up next–could be at mile 3)

For a snack, I made some Lime and Black Pepper Roasted Chickpeas the day before we left.

These were great to snack on and had lots of flavor. I had always wanted to roast chickpeas, but never found the time. I also doubled the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
4 C canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
4 tsp olive oil
1/2 – 1 tsp black pepper
3 Tbs lime juice
2 tsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 425. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, pepper, lime juice, and cilantro. The recipe says to line the pan with the chickpeas (removing any loose skins from them) and pour the sauce over them. I opted instead to pour the chickpeas into the bowl with the sauce and combine them that way.

I then poured them onto the pan. Bake for 35-50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

They should come out crispy and dried through. Sprinkle with the salt. These were light enough to pack and offer some much-needed carbs after all of the hiking.

Source: Another Fork in the Trail

Breakfast

When I saw this recipe in Another Fork in the Trail, I knew I needed to make it for this trip. It calls for hazelnuts, but the store (a major grocery chain) apparently only carries them during the holidays and I didn’t have time to hit another store, so I went with pecans. No problem. This easy to make, light-weight cereal was one of my favorites meals. Loaded with protein, it kept me going all morning.

INGREDIENTS: (doubled)
1 C quinoa
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C dried blueberries
1/4 C hazelnuts (or pecans)
Brown sugar, to taste
Powdered soy milk (enough to make 1-1/2 cups)

DIRECTIONS:
At home, rinse the quinoa under cold water for at least 3 minutes. Drain and toast in a dry nonstick skillet until the quinoa begins to pop. Let it cool and place it in a large ziplock bag. Add the salt, sugar, cinnamon, and blueberries. Toast the pecans until browned and fragrant. Place the cooled nuts and brown sugar in a snack-sized ziplock bag. Place it into the larger bag and in another small bag, add the powdered soy milk. At camp, I placed about a 1-1/2 cups of the quinoa mixture in the pot with about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

In a small cup, I mixed some soy milk powder with water and served with quinoa with the milk, and topped it off with the brown sugar and nuts. Outstanding. I would make this at home, not just when we’re camping. It’s quite good. Source: Another Fork in the Trail

For lunches, I found these heat and serve options that also happen to be vegan:

Bombay Potatoes from Tasty Bite. One bag made 4 small servings. Just pour into a pan and heat. Tasty, indeed! If you’re going for ultra light backpacking, these are a bit on the heavy side, but for a quick lunch at home or camping, they’re ideal.

Again, this heat and serve product is great for camping and backpacking. Eat with a tortilla or by itself—a great protein and carb option while backpacking.

One day, we even went with good old Ramen. Because the spice packets aren’t vegan, we just used the noodles and seasoned them with salt and pepper.

You may be sick of Ramen from your college days, but they’re incredibly lightweight and cheap, making them ideal for backpacking. Besides, everything tastes good when you’re camping.

When we go camping/backpacking we always stock up on Larabars. They’re vegan, gluten-free and have 3-9 ingredients.

Wow . . . am I finally done? Thanks for sticking with me on this journey—I know it was a lot!

Blogger/Boulder Meet Up & Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant

August 8, 2011 by epicureanvegan

A couple of weeks ago, I got the great opportunity to meet Angela, The Veracious Vegan, who happened to be traveling through Boulder from her home in Washington, D.C. Angela and I had gotten to know each other just through the blogger-sphere over the last few months and so when she mentioned she’d be in Boulder, I invited myself on her vacation! 😉

Being near the beautiful Flatirons, we decided to take advantage by going on a hike in the morning. We started at the trail head at Chautauqua, and spent a couple of hours enjoying the cloud cover and conversation. We were ready to nosh after that and drove the short distance to downtown Boulder where we scored a parking spot just outside Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant. As you may recall, The Husband and I were here in June and had their off-the-menu 3-course meal, so I was anxious to see their regular menu.

2010 16th Street, Boulder, CO

First, I went with their minty lemonade that was so refreshing, not too sweet, and just right. After much debating . . . I chose the beer-battered tofu sandwich for $8.50. It’s made with silken tofu, so we weren’t sure just how they were going to do that, but those Leaf folks must have some tricks up their sleeves, because Oh. My. Goodness, was it good! The vegan tartar sauce was outstanding, too. It was comprised of organic green lakes ale, silken tofu, cole slaw, tomatoes, onion, vegan tartar sauce, on bolillo bread.

For $12, Angela went with the Jamaican Jerk Tempeh made with forbidden black rice, sautéed greens, coconut plantain sauce, and fruit salsa. Look at that! It’s a piece of art!

Angela said she had had this dish before and it was so delicious, she went with it again. And look at how perfectly molded it is . . . which led us on a search for rice molds which we found at Peppercorn, a kitchen specialty shop on Pearl Street. We discovered that it is quite possible to mold rice into just about any shape of size you’d like. Have you tried them out yet, Angela? 🙂

It was wonderful getting a chance to meet Angela and talk shop. Be sure to visit her at The Veracious Vegan for great restaurant reviews, product reviews and giveaways!

A Look Back

July 29, 2011 by epicureanvegan

When it’s time to plan meals for the week, I sometimes rely on some old favorites of mine. When looking back on my recipes, I always come across yummy ones I’ve forgotten about. I thought I’d bring these oldies, but goodies to you.

Appetizers

Party Cheese Ball
Stuffed Mushrooms
Mustard Greens and Cheeze Filo Pie
Avocado Bruschetta

Breads

Pesto Potato Bread
Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping
Home-made Pita Bread
Chive-Flecked Spud Muffins

Side Dishes

Israeli Couscous with Pine Nuts & Parsley
Easy, Creamy Pasta Salad
Baked Fries with Sea Salt & Truffle Oil
Easy Cole Slaw

Soups

Eggplant Parmagiano Stew
Vegetable-Barley Soup
Vegetable-Barley Chili

Lunch

Smoky-Miso Tofu Sandwiches
Garden Wrap
BLTA with Tempeh Bacon
Green Tea Rice with Lemon, Snowpeas & Tofu

Breakfast

Quinoa-Couscous Cereal with Dried Fruit
Colorful Kale and Potato Casserole
Hash Brown Casserole
Home-made Granola

Dinner

Sweet Chili-Lime Tofu
Breaded Zucchini with Lentils and Rainbow Chard
Angel Hair Pasta with Mushrooms & Ricotta
Spinach & Tofu Calzones
Spinach & Pesto Lasagna
Fresh & Healthy Soft Tacos/Burritos
Pecan-Crusted Seitan
Field Roast with Fresh Blueberry Sauce

Desserts

Glazed Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes
Chai-Spiced Berry-Oatmeal Cookies
Cheeze Danishes
Sunflower-Cherry Oatmeal Bars

Reboot Wrap-Up

July 24, 2011 by epicureanvegan

So I did about 6.5 days of the reboot and I feel GREAT! I won’t lie . . . it wasn’t easy, but it was well-worth it. I’ve lost about 6 pounds, too. This reboot is a great way to jump start you into healthier eating habits. As much as I loved my vino, I actually didn’t miss it since there were so many other things I couldn’t eat. I discovered new foods and learned to love those green smoothies every morning. I also really loved this mango-strawberry-pineapple-avocado smoothie:

This morning, we headed over to one of our favorite restaurants, The Rainbow.

Restaurant breakfasts can be tough since most items have egg, milk and meat in them. But The Rainbow offers some great vegan items.

As you can see . . . about 98% of the vegan items on the breakfast menu are under “Light & Healthy.” Hmmm . . . what does that tell you? 😉 Anyway, I usually get Dan’s Groatmeal. It’s amazing! It’s a bowl full of oatmeal, granola, fruit and you can order soy milk to go with it. I highly recommend it! Oh—and they also make a vegan coffeecake that is to die for!!

One thing this reboot taught me, was that I needed a new blender. Mine sucked. I had an old Hamilton Beach and the only good thing about it, was the pitcher was glass. That’s how old it was. Anyway, I went shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond and after talking with the electronics guy who went through all the specs of all the blenders, I settled on the Ninja.

This thing is amazing and highly satisfying to use. For $80 (I used one of their 20% off coupons), it comes with a 1000 watts and features a vertical 3-blade system. It crushes ice like nobody’s business. When I fired it up to make smoothies for a picnic this afternoon, The Husband remarked that it sounded like a jet plane taking off. The Seventh Grader joked, “I thought ninjas were supposed to be quiet.”

Mango-Strawberry-Cherry smoothies

For the picnic, I also made some hummus and crock cheez and instead of eating them with bread or crackers, we brought cucumber slices, celery, and yellow & red bell peppers with us.

We also picked up some noodles with sesame oil, cucumber, and cilantro from Whole Foods.

It’s been a delicious day . . . and Moe enjoyed the picnic, too.

Day 5 of Reboot, Plus More Recipes

July 22, 2011 by epicureanvegan

It’s the morning of day 5 of my Reboot and I feel great, especially since I’m even down 5 pounds! I definitely don’t feel as weak and tired as the last few days, not as hungry either. Mentally, I feel clearer and less foggy–able to concentrate longer. Last night we went and saw Harry Potter and we usually go for some popcorn . . . I know, terrible (btw, did you know (according to the latest VegNews mag) that a large movie popcorn–without butter–is 1,050 calories?!) Anyway, the boys finished a vat of popcorn before the movie even started, but I wasn’t tempted to eat any. Wow. That never happens! I’m determined to continue this reboot through Sunday and after that, I plan on making a lot of changes, such as no alcohol, little oil, little gluten, and very little processed foods. That’s the goal at least.

Yesterday, I had a class at the NCW and then worked in the studio for the afternoon, so I needed to come prepared. With salty snacks and soda in the fridge just ten feet from me, I had to arm myself with good food. I made a salad, packed some jicama, yellow bell peppers, and mushrooms and dipped them in dressing. The dressing recipes are from the JointheReboot site. Having both dressings changes things up—it’s great so that you don’t get sick of one.

Ginger-Honey (Agave)-Soy Dressing and Agave-Mustard Dressing

Ginger-Agave-Soy Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Ginger
2 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Garlic
2 Tbsp. Raw Honey (I used agave)
4 Tbsp. Nama Shoyu or Tamari
4 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients in a shaker.

Mustard-Agave Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Agave Nectar
1 Tbsp. Honey (I used agave)
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1/4 Tbsp. Sea or Celtic salt
1/8 Tbsp. coarsely Ground Black Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a shaker.

For dinner, I made sweet potato “fries” also from the Reboot site. They were delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into sticks or crescents
1 tsp olive oil
A couple pinches of sea salt
A couple pinches of black pepper
A couple pinches of cumin

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425. Combine the sweet potatoes with the rest of the ingredients and coat well.

Layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

I also made lettuce wraps:

INGREDIENTS:

1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
5-6 mushrooms, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/2 a large tomato, diced
2 Tbs diced green chilies
3 scallions, sliced
Large lettuce leaves
Ginger-Agave-Soy Dressing
Optional: fresh mint, basil, or cilantro

Combine all the veggies and top the lettuce leaves with a couple of spoonfuls of them. Drizzle with the Ginger dressing. So good!

So this morning . . . I find that fruit smoothies are the easiest way to start the day. I blended up a mango, 1/2 a cup of fresh cherries (I removed the pits first) and about a cup of water. Awesome.

So, I’ll keep going and continue to try different recipes. I’ll keep you posted on my progress—thanks for traveling along with me!

Day 3 of Reboot, plus Potato-Spinach Soup

July 20, 2011 by epicureanvegan

So the first three days of a reboot are usually the worst. You’re hungry, tired, and usually suffering from headaches. You may even feel like biting someone’s head off. Just remember, feeling lousy is actually a good thing when detoxing—it means your body is expelling toxins (just try to refrain from murdering anyone).

Today’s been a good day. Yesterday . . . not so much. The Husband was ready to force feed me a burrito or two, but I mashed up an avocado with some lime juice and ate it with a handful of jicama. I admire folks who can do the all-juicing fast—I think I’d keel over after two days of it. Luckily, the reboot I’m doing allows me to eat fruits and veggies in addition to the juicing. I am also allowed to use small amounts of oils and spices. My mid-section is noticeably smaller and I’ve dropped two pounds already. No complaints there!

I started the day off with a kale-strawberry-mango smoothie. The reboot does not include nuts, so when I’m fully rebooted, I think some chia seeds would be ideal in this.

Ok, it may not look appetizing, but it is truly my favorite smoothie! Give it a whirl: 5-6 kale leaves, 5 strawberries, 1 mango, and 3/4 cup of water. Blend until smooth. 🙂

After munching on salad mid-morning, for lunch, I needed something with some girth. A warm meal sounded great, too. I remembered my Potato-Leek Soup recipe, but it’s not quite acceptable for the reboot as it is . . . so I gave it a reboot of my own.

The original recipe calls for Earth Balance margarine and milk, so I needed to get creative. I added mushrooms to give it that thick and creamy texture and I also threw in some spinach. I incorporated a sweet potato and used a tablespoon of coconut oil instead of butter. LOVED it! It was exactly was I was needing to fill me up and satisfy my comfort food cravings—all with staying within the reboot guidelines!

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbs coconut oil
1 large sweet potato
1 tsp garlic, minced
3 medium russet potatoes or 6 small Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
2 large leeks, sliced thin, then halved
2 cups mushrooms, quartered
1-1/2 to 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
5 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
salt and white pepper, to taste
fresh chives

DIRECTIONS:
In a large soup pot, melt the coconut oil and add the garlic. Saute for a minute. Add the leeks and saute 5-7 minutes, or until they soften.

Add the potatoes and broth/water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes soften.

Working in batches, ladle into a food processor and add some mushrooms and spinach. Puree until smooth-ish. Transfer to a large bowl. Continue to puree the rest of the soup, adding mushrooms and spinach. Season with salt and white pepper and top with some freshly chopped chives. This was out outstanding and I didn’t miss the milk, cheese, or sour cream that the original recipe uses.

Layer, I threw together another tasty smoothie: 4 kale leaves, 1/2 a small cantaloupe, 1 pear (peeled and chopped), and 3/4 C of water.

I snacked on some salad, munched on some jicama and cherries, and for dinner, I had some more of the leftover potato-spinach soup and decaf herbal tea. I have several more recipes geared up for the next few days, so I’ll be bringing those to you soon. All in all, I feel pretty good and its get easier as I go. The key is planning. Be armed with recipes and ingredients. I recommend planning your meals in advance and spending some time chopping vegetables up ahead of time so that it’s a matter of just grabbing them when you need them. Lack of planning can easily derail you from the reboot!

Time for a Reboot!

July 18, 2011 by epicureanvegan

I recently watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, a film my Joe Cross, who documented his 60-day juice fast. This documentary is fabulous and I recommend it to everyone. Check out the film’s site and watch the trailer. Cross also started Reboot Your Life, a fruit/veggie/juice program to detoxify and energize your body. Who can’t use a reboot once in a while? I sure could. For the last couple of months, I’ve been feeling mentally sluggish and I know I haven’t been eating as well as I could have.

I just got a publisher for my book, so now is not the time to be feeling mentally fatigued—I have a lot of work in front of me and I’m thinking this no-caffeine-no-alcohol-no-processed-foods-all-fruit-and-vegetable reboot is exactly what I need to jump start my drive and motivation. Lucky for me, I love my fruit and veggies.

The Reboot site tells you everything you need to know to get started and includes tons of recipes to help you. My hegans won’t be partaking in this challenge and I promised last week to make them a tater tot casserole, so it will be a true test for me: to not sneak a tot! However, the recipes on the site look amazing: Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushrooms and Sage, Lettuce Wraps, and Pear Squash Soup. Off to the store I went:

Each one of these bags is filled with fruits and veggies. I don’t think I’ve ever bought this much produce in one shopping trip before. And you know what? It felt great. Not one processed, packaged, item to be had. I’m not sure how long I plan on rebooting, but I’d like to set a goal of 7 days and then see where I’m at. So stayed tuned for some new recipes as I take this veggie voyage to Reboot Land!

Green Monster and Carrot-Ginger Juice

Vegan Vacation: Boulder, CO II

June 27, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Is it Monday already? Geesh, the weekend went fast! It was The Husband’s birthday on Friday so I planned a weekend trip to Boulder for us. After an online search, I found two restaurants that we hadn’t eaten at before and quickly made reservations.

Black Cat

Black Cat is an all-organic, farm-to-table bistro that offers a vegetarian/vegan 5 or 7 course tasting menu. They had me at vegan. I immediately booked the reservation on Open Table and specified that we were interested in the 5-course vegan tasting. Black Cat is located at 1964 13th St., just off of Pearl St.—a great location. We had no idea what to expect, but judging from various online recommendations, it promised to be a great dining experience.

The cozy restaurant also features a bar and you have a full-view of the kitchen as well. Unlike many restaurant kitchens, it didn’t emit loud noises from the chefs yelling at one another, or dishes and pots clanging together—the kitchen staff seemed to have everything down to a science. It was enjoyable to watch. We were then greeted by our server (and fellow-vegan) who (thanks to our vegan-note on Open Table) requested to be our server for the night. Her name is Zina, (Warrior Vegan Princess, as I think of her) and whether you are vegan or not, make sure you request this lovely, engaging and delightful server who showed such a genuine interest in us and our experience in the restaurant. Of course, the rest of the staff were just as friendly–you can’t go wrong! We learned from Zina that 80% of the food comes from Black Cat’s organic farm in Niwot, CO—just a few miles from Boulder. The owner and chef, Eric Skokan, even offers tours of the farm, something I’d love to take advantage of. He also was a vegetarian/vegan chef for about 6 years prior to opening Black Cat, so we were in good hands. Zina said that everything that comes out of the kitchen is made with such care and tastes as if they made it just for you. She was right. With that in mind, we also had no idea what to expect, as the menu is constantly changing. So as planned, we ordered the 5-course (plus dessert) vegan tasting. The Husband and I figured we’d spend the dinner chatting about life while lovingly staring into one another’s eyes (which we did a couple of times), but instead, we could only talk about the food!

Carrot soup made with coconut milk, spices, and topped with green onion.

I could have eaten this soup the entire night and been happy. It was absolutely delicious; like vegetable velvet. I’ve never made carrot soup before, let alone eaten it before, and I certainly plan on trying my best to replicate this soup.

Arugula-fennel salad with grapefruit, pickled beets and pistachios

This salad literally tasted as if it had just come off the farm truck, washed and arranged on the plate. The freshness of it was unlike any salad I’ve ever had before.

Tempura mushrooms (I believe shiitake) in a kombu broth with green onions

Absolutely outstanding. I’ve never had anything remotely resembling this dish before and was instantly smitten. Full of flavor!

Roasted cauliflower with carrot puree, asparagus puree, and radish flowers

The Husband swooned when he saw this dish; he loves cauliflower. If you’re wondering what a radish flower is, it’s those long green spear things—the shoots of the radish. They have that spicy radish taste and ideal for salads. The purees were the perfect accompaniment to the cauliflower.

Risotto in a tomato-based sauce with arugula, English peas, flowers and fresh herbs

This was one of my favorites. I love risotto and like the previous dishes, this tasted incredibly fresh and full of flavor. I had to refrain from licking the bowl.

The palate cleanser: Passion fruit-pineapple with coconut sorbet

Awesome.

Strawberries and kiwis with a strawberry-rhubarb puree over a lemon sorbet, topped with fresh mint

For the final dish of the night, we received this amazing dessert. Those little tiny strawberries on top came from the farm that day. It was the perfect end to a perfect dinner. In fact, we both agreed that in all honesty, this was the best dining experience we’ve ever had. Between the food, service and atmosphere, it is our favorite restaurant to date. It was hugs all around with Zina with an invite to come visit us for vegan eats up here in Fort Collins. You can visit Zina, a yoga goddess, at Zina Diva Yoga.

Dushanbe Tea House

We always make time to stop at this popular local favorite. It’s usually pretty darn busy, so be prepared to wait, but it’ well-worth it. The Dushanbe Tea House offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, but we have only ever eaten breakfast there. In fact, it’s just a great way to start the morning, particularly because of their vast tea menu. It’s located at 13th and Canyon, just down the street from Black Cat. We ate from the brunch menu which states that not all available ingredients are listed on the menu, so ask your server for specific ingredients, like tofu. There are a few vegan and vegetarian options so I went with the Szechuan Tofu Scramble with red onion, peppers, broccoli, Szechuan sauce served with rice. I forgot to ask for no won-tons, as they most likely contain egg, but I just pushed them to the side.

This was so delicious! The Husband went vegetarian with the Indian Masala Dosa, a cumin and fennel crepe filled with curried potatoes, cauliflower, onions, tomato, peas and dahl with raisin chutney, cucumber yoghurt and an onion fritter.

The tea house is such a visual treat as well with it’s hand-carved and hand-painted ceilings. If anything, drop in for some tea and enjoy the views.

We spent the day walking Pearl Street, browsing the shops and people watching. We didn’t want to fill up too much before dinner, so we stopped at Paradise Bakery and Cafe where we split the Paradise Vegetarian, a sandwich loaded with roasted red peppers, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and guacamole. I took the cheese off my portion. It was quite good and hit the spot.

Leaf

For dinner the next night, I had made a reservation for Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant.

Much of the menu is also vegan. In fact, one night a week (I think it was Tuesday . . . can’t remember) is vegan pizza night. Soooo many of the menu items sounded incredible, including the vegan enchiladas.

The quaint restaurant has a fresh and airy atmosphere—loved it. I had my eye on those vegan enchiladas until our server tempted us with their Summer Solstice Menu. It happened to be the last night they were offering this 3-course menu and it looked to good too pass up. First up, they served us some homemade vegan foccacia bread. It was soft and delicious.

For the first course, I went with the Three Leaf Farm Salad with field greens, radishes, green apples, pecans, and a raspberry vinaigrette.

The Husband went with the other salad choice of grilled white Asparagus and vegetables, served with creme fraiche. He loved the asparagus.

For the main entree, I went with the Pistachio Tempeh with fingerling potatoes, broccolini in a red pepper saffron sauce with crispy apples. Outstanding! The tempeh had a horseradish-mustard flavor that was incredible. Paired with the potatoes, it was the best tempeh dish I’ve ever had.

The Husband went with the vegetarian option again with the Mushroom Strudel: wild mushrooms, risotto, leeks, greens wrapped in filo dough. It came with marinated tomatoes and a truffle garlic oil. Again, he loved it.

For dessert, I went with the grilled fruit served with soy pound cake croutons. I couldn’t have asked for a better dessert!

The Husband had the other dessert option: a vegan Almond Panacotta with almond extract and a basil strawberry coulis–another winner.

From start to finish, this meal was outstanding. I highly recommend Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant. As you can see, the presentation was amazing. The other dishes coming out of the kitchen were nothing short works of art. You could tell a lot of care and pride went into the meals.

For our final day, we stopped at Whole Foods and spent a small fortune on food for a lakeside picnic. We decided to hit up Boulder Reservoir, a place we’ve never been.

It actually didn’t have a lot of grassy/tree areas for a picnic, but we managed to find a great spot along the shore under a tree. We packed our handy-dandy picnic basket . . .

. . . with lots of vegan goodies: crackers, seaweed crackers, and tortilla chips . . .

. . .and hummus, salsa, fruit, vegan cheddar spread, a wheat berry and quinoa waldorf salad, an edamame-orzo salad, and an edamame succotash.

So good!

Thanks for hanging in there with me for my vegan Boulder vacation!

Got a Juicer! Contest Time!!

May 6, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Ain’t she purdy? The Husband surprised me for my birthday by giving me this gorgeous juicer. I had been wanting one for a while so I can get the most of my love of fruits and veggies. Maybe I’m just feeling overly excited, but I think it’s time for a contest. 🙂 Considering I’m new to the juicing world, leave a comment with your favorite juicer recipe and/or juicing tip by 12 p.m. EST Sunday, May 8th. I’ll randomly pick a winner on Monday to receive a $25 Amazon gift card!

I can’t wait to start juicing and I’m looking forward to your recipes and tips!! Good luck!

Review: Luscious Nectar Juice Lounge

Backpacking, Made (Vegan) Easy

Blogger/Boulder Meet Up & Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant

A Look Back

Appetizers

Breads

Side Dishes

Soups

Lunch

Breakfast

Dinner

Desserts

Reboot Wrap-Up

Day 5 of Reboot, Plus More Recipes

Day 3 of Reboot, plus Potato-Spinach Soup

Time for a Reboot!

Vegan Vacation: Boulder, CO II

Black Cat

Dushanbe Tea House

Leaf

Got a Juicer! Contest Time!!

Categories

Archives

Popular Posts