Cheap Vegan Eats, Hollywood

It feels great to be back in So Cal! Yesterday, we rented bikes and cruised Venice Beach.

I wanted to check out the new vegan restaurant, Seed, but my family expired before I could find it. Next time. Anybody eaten there? But I have nothing to complain about, the food so far has been delicious and priced just right! Here's an unofficial guide to eating cheap in and around Hollywood!



I have been known to rave once or twice about the soul food served up at the Hollywood Farmer's Market Sunday mornings at Selma & Vine by A Taste of Life. As usual, Art and I shared the soul food dinner combo with kale, black-eyed peas, vegan pot roast and macaroni and cheeze. comes with cornbread. $12 -- For the price, you can't do better than this if you don't mind sitting on the sidewalk.



This is a new favorite routine of mine:

Go to How's Market, NoHo. Order tofu skewers from the service deli. Check the deli case, and if you're lucky, there will be inari sushi (basically rice inside tofu pouches). Go to the coffee counter and score yourself a Peet's Coffee. Settle at a table in front of the TV and enjoy the newspaper left behind. -- less than $10



I've been dying to try Vicious Dogs since Art discovered it and wrote his guest post.

The owner's name is Willy, and he boasts 4 varieties of vegan dogs. He magically transforms Yves hot dogs into something that looks like this (minus the giant bite). Mine had grilled onions & peppers, sweet & sour sauce, and chopped tomatoes for only $3.99



Abi enjoyed hers plain with ketchup. We sat out front watching the cranes across the street build a new theatre.

All is good here in California! We're looking forward to more adventures including Thanksgiving with family. Hope yours is full of happiness.

XO

5 Ways to Save the World

1. Cut out the meat. Cows require 8-10 lbs. of grain to produce 1 lb. of beef, and they consume half of all the antibiotics used in the USA, and livestock is a bigger source of greenhouse gases than the transportation sector. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce 1 lb. of meat, but only 25 gallons to produce 1 lb. of wheat. The world's cattle alone consume a quantity of food equal to caloric needs of 8.7 billion people -- more than the entire human population. Nobody should be going hungry if we were all consuming our fair share.
2. Avoid packaging and processing. Buy more corn on the cob than corn chips. In many cases, companies use even more energy packaging the food than making the food itself.
3. Buy local. Shop farmer's markets, or become a member of a CSA. You'll get the freshest food possible and keep farmers in your community. Click here for CSA options near you.
4. Choose organic. Organic agriculture minimizes our exposure to toxic and persistent pesticides in the soil, air, water, and food. Let's reduce chemical use.
5. Cook and eat together. Americans are eating more calories than ever before, and spending less time and energy preparing food. Eating wholesome foods doesn't have to chain you to the kitchen. A head of broccoli can be sauteed with garlic in the same amount of time it takes to get fast food. Don't forget the original fast foods: an apple, some nuts, edamame. They'll satisfy your cravings -- and your conscience.

So, if you want to change the world, change what you eat. Food is the area of your life where small modifications can have a big impact. YOU can have a positive impact on global warming, your water supply, community stability, family welfare, your health and appearance, and the beauty & integrity of your regional landscape. Go here or here to begin.

What's Been Goin' On...

This is a photo of Liv begging with all her might. When she heard we were baking a birthday cake for grandma, she made me get down Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, and flipped through until she came to page 65, and said, "This is the one. Make this one." I've never seen her do this before. I was convinced, and would have attempted it if I'd been prepared. I couldn't find the agar I used back in 2006, was out of silken tofu, and am unfamiliar with castor sugar. So get this creamy picture out of your mind! It's not what I baked.


I came up with this 'Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting' from Joy of Vegan Baking. I've found that one of those giant tupperwares upside down transports a cake from my spring form pan perfectly. The red lid is beneath the plate.
I like this cookbook because it uses ingredients I have on hand and I haven't found a dud. It was a dense & delicious cake, and the frosting could have used more soy milk (my bad). Olivia never mentioned the creamy cupcake again. We'll tackle that another day.



My mom LOVES roosters, so I felt lucky to spot this cookie jar from the street at a garage sale. $10. Sold.

I filled it up with the crowd pleasing 'Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies' from Vive le Vegan!

I went over the critical 11 minute cooking time, and even a little crisp, these cookies are great.





If I'd had an Endangered Species bar, I would have made our favorite cookie, 'Chocolate Mint Melties' from eat, drink, and be vegan.

We think these cookies are the best.









See Jolie checking out the best of a Farmer's Market run? Tomato, Swiss Chard, and Kale plants for our garden. I also picked up some vegetables from The Peaceful Belly, but overall, I can't help but be disappointed about the lack of variety at the market. Next time I'm doing a head count, cuz I think there's as many meat vendors as veggie vendors. Is that wrong? I'm for local selling, buying, eating, etc. & I know meat speaks volumes of my location, but still...



Speaking of veggies... This is the 'Super Spring Salad' from the May issue of Meatout Mondays. It's a recipe from the wonderful blog, Live It Up Vegan!

As much as I love this kind of food, my family does not. Their idea of trying the salad was plucking out the big chunks of fresh corn cut off the cob. I don't overly try to convince them and enjoy it myself over the course of a couple days. Loved it! Thanks, Gaia!


Lately, this has been occupying the girls while I cook or do the dishes. They love it.

Write the shape of a letter using white glue. Stick beans (or noodles, or whatever) along the shape.
They are now on "J" and I plan to string up the alphabet.

This idea came from Kids Craft Weekly, which is a great resource for fuss-free themed ideas.


The kids also love to get in on the kitchen action using rolling pin and cutters. Abi had fun making 'Whole Wheat Sesame Crackers' from May All Be Fed by John Robbins.

Originally I was drawn to his 'Chapatis' recipe on the opposite page to accompany the dish below, which was my second (hand) Smoked Paprika experience, which is much less harmful than it sounds! :)



The crackers scooped up this 'Chana Dal'

2 c (uncooked) split baby garbanzos (chana dal)
6 c water
3 cloves red garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
sea salt to taste

Saute the garlic in oil until fragrant, add the rest and simmer until tender. Puree to desired consistency (I reserved some). Feeling brave, I threw on tomatoes after learning that tomatoes are OK if they're still on the vine, cherry, or from your own garden!! Buy organic.

I broke my Smoked Paprika seal on this awesome 'Smoked Paprika Hummus' recipe that the urban vegan sent after reading my desperate plea below.

This was delicious! I used Triscuits to scoop, and when those were gone, I grabbed a spoon. Thank you for this yummy recipe, Dynise!!

We've been bicycling everywhere! I pull the girls in a trailer and it feels great on many levels. More later.....

Vegan Variety along the 101

After a nice long winter in Idaho, we are stoked to have a short visit to California to see family, friends, and have some fun!

We visited the Hollywood Farmer's Market, this morning, where we used to shop for organic produce and enjoy socializing and some food when we lived in LA.





Now, it's great to visit and see that many of the vendors are still there, and some have gotten better.











After passing some irresistible strawberries and piles of asparagus and other yummy veggies, we had to take time out for some grub.










We have loved the vegan soul food place for years, but we had never known the name, they are called A Taste of Life and we thought it was more like a taste of heaven.

The food was served, as always, with a smile and there were so many choices. As I snapped this photo, they asked if I was a vegan blogger. At first I was hesitant but I then admitted my mission, and they were very happy to let me know that they love vegan bloggers and they also love all things vegan!

We shared a $10 plate of food: mac & cheese, greens, bar-b-que tofu, and black-eyed peas. Of course, it's all vegan, along with the cornbread. We were tempted to go back for seconds but we had to save room for later.









Our market bounty: HUGE artichokes, strawberries, fingerling potatoes, oranges, lemons, and beets, as well as some pistachios.









After Art treated himself to a haircut in Silverlake, and myself to a Goodwill binge, we went to Flore (3818 W. Sunset Blvd. 323.953.0611), where they were having their Sunday brunch. I got the bagel, soy cream cheese, tomato, onion, avocado and a side of potatoes. Art got the Tofu Benediction which was amazing with a tahini style hollandaise, tofu on toast with kale, tomatoes and avocado. Art ate his quickly and did not flinch when the man at the table next to us asked what Art had ordered. It was too late because now brunch had ended and it was lunch time. Too bad for us because the lunch menu is amazing and extensive ... we will have to come back now (awww, too bad, huh?)

We also had a late nite dinner last night at Astro Burger (on Melrose near Gower) which was great as usual, I got the gardenburger with vegan patty, avocado, soy cheese, tomato/lettuce, veganaise and mustard! Art got his usual.... veggie ham sandwich. Along with fried zucchini sticks the tab was $17!
This fast-food restaurant sells it all ~ meat, vegetarian, & vegan.



We worked up another appetite after taking a 3 mile walk that we used to do many times back when we rented an apartment in the "Beachwood" area of LA. It's a beautiful loop through the Hollywood hills with amazing architecture, lush landscape, and breath-taking views of the city and Hollywood sign. Art had the great idea to go to Leonor's Restaurant. There was a point in our lives when we ate here every night. We ordered the same things. Mine is their "Salad Forever-Young" with cabbage, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, & soy oil & apple cider vinegar. Art goes for the "Chicken Salad" made with soy mayonnaise, soy chicken and topped with soy cheese & avocado. They serve massive portions of food featuring super fresh veggies and all vegan. Go to their Studio City 818.762.0660 or Valley Village 818.769.6315 locations for great food with no frills.

Happy Labor Day Weekend

After being away for a while, we wanted to spend the long weekend close to home.

We started the weekend by going to the Farmer's Market. It was the biggest FM of the year (doubling in size) and lasted 2 days (doubling in duration). There were two stages for performers and an extra street was blocked to accommodate more vendors. Lots of people came out for the City Harvest and to support local farmers and artisans.

I took home apples, peaches and green beans.








Abi & I enjoyed sharing a couple Honey Crisp apples. Art took a look at us and wanted to know what all the crunching was about, and ate one also. These are THE BEST apples. They are super crisp, juicy, and perfectly tart. But the lady who grows them says they aren't the best for cooking.






We were invited to a BBQ, and that morning, Wendy called to ask if tofu would be a good sub for hamburger. There was a recipe in the newspaper (article by Jim Romanoff) for burgers, and she wanted to make them vegan for the party. I steered her in the direction of LightLife, which is what she did. Here they are all prepped for Fred to grill.

Art and I were touched and impressed that she served these. They were super tasty! Wasn't this so thoughtful & generous?!


'Smokey "beef" and Black Bean Burgers'
1 tsp. canola oil
1 sm. yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground chipotle pepper
3/4 c. canned black beans, rinsed & drained
2 slices firm ww bread, torn in small pieces
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 package Litelife "Smart ground"
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a small nonstick skillet over med. heat. Add onions and saute until softened. Add the garlic, cumin, & chipotle and saute 1 min. Transfer to a dish to cool.
In a med. bowl, combine the beans, bread and tomato paste. Use potato masher or fork to mash them into a rough paste. Add the Smart ground, cilantro, salt, pepper and the onion mixture. Mix thoroughly, then shape into four 3/4-inch thick patties.
Grill the burgers on a well-oiled rack. I chose a sesame seed bun and added avocado, lettuce, mustard, & sriracha. Served with that was the sweetest corn on the cob, and Fred's insalata caprese. We all enjoyed some laughs in the backyard while the kids played.

We picked up an electric ice-cream maker at a garage sale earlier this summer for $5, and I tried it out today. On page 284 of this cookbook is 'Chocolate Sorbet' and the description fits, "a rich, chocolaty frozen dessert, with a texture between that of sorbet and ice cream."
3 first time events for me: first time making home made ice cream, first recipe I've made from this cookbook, and first time making cashew milk.



I'm happy to report that it was a big success all the way around. The sorbet is delicious -- perfect texture and the flavor is major chocolately with a touch of espresso. My daughter went to bed asking if she could have more tomorrow. And, I'm ready to try another Voluptuous Vegan recipe, like the 'Coconut Sorbet' or any of the many other recipes that caught my eye.

I admit to being a delinquent blogger lately, and I miss your inspiring blogs. But vacation has a way of picking up my momentum. I'll be back with that next time.

Farmer's Market & Vegan Grub

Liv and I went to the farmer's market while Abi napped and Art worked with a band in the studio. It was fun with just the two of us, and we wandered over to the artists' area. The market has a wonderful, free art program for kids and this week the 3-5 year olds could choose between ice painting (paint with salt), or clay painting. Liv chose the later, and here you can see a great beginning to her fish composition.





There are several artistic vendors at the market, and my favorite is always the mosaics.












I saw the sign "Zucchini Artichoke" and saw neither zucchini nor artichoke, so I asked about this strange looking veggie. She told me that it cooks like a squash, but tastes just like an artichoke. Say what? Ease of squash...taste of artichoke? Count me in. Here she is showing me how to prepare it: Cut the neck into "carrot stick" pieces, Hollow out the seeds and dice the round part. Steam. We dipped ours in fresh lemon juice and Earth Balance. It really did taste like an artichoke! But it had a squash texture.


The sign reads:

RENT A TREE
We Care For Your Tree &
You Get To Pick
CHERRIES * PEACHES * APPLES
$75.00 - $100.00








Zucchini Artichoke
Baby New Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Kermit Squash
Yellow Squash
Summer Squash
Leek
Kale

No lettuce again. Not because of the deer, but because I wasn't there within the first 1/2 hour!



During the recent heat wave, this soup really hit the spot. All I wanted was food from the fridge, and preferably the freezer. But, even I need to eat more than just ice-cream, popsicles, & fruit from time to time. So, without heating up the kitchen, I enjoyed a healthy, hearty bowl of Earthy Lentil soup from Vive le Vegan! along with some whole wheat toast. The ultimate frozen dinner.



Cannellini Bean Yam Hummus also from Vive le Vegan! sans pinenuts & cillantro. Some pita chips did the dipping:

Pita Bread (whole wheat)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Paprika

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the pita into wedges. Arrange on baking sheets and brush with oil and sprinkle on spices. Bake 5 minutes.


Dinner was centered around a jasmine rice dome topped with pineapple, but the main event was the picked-that-morning, organic kale. On the back side, you see Morningstar Meal Starter sauteed in Soy Vay with pineapple to mellow it out a bit.

Miso Kale:

1 Onion
3 Tbs. Light Olive Oil
3 Tbs. Miso Paste
2 Bunches Kale, rinsed & rinsed, and chopped
3/4 C. Vegetable Broth

In a large pan, saute the onions in oil until tender. Add the kale and broth. Cook until the kale is wilted. Turn down the heat and add the miso being careful not to boil it.

Did you know that Miso consumption is linked with up to 50% reduced risk of breast cancer?



This is our first harvest from the garden. Very exciting that it was edible. Fresh basil and some really good, plump cherry tomatoes.











and some flowers in the backyard.

Lots of Vegan Food

These are 'Wolffie's Banana Blueberry Muffins' from La Dolce Vegan! This recipe calls for one cup blueberries, fresh or frozen. After eating our fill of fresh blueberries from the farmer's market, we didn't have a cup left. So I added some fresh cherries to fill up the measuring cup. There is only 2 tablespoons of molasses in this recipe, but that flavor is very strong and also gives the muffins a brown color. They were good.





The yellow peppers are ready to go in the oven for the 'Roasted Yellow Pepper Sauce' from Vive le Vegan! I made our sauce on the thicker side, and it was perfect for the bean & rice cakes and chimichangas below...









'Celebrity Adzuki Bean and Rice Cakes' from Vive le Vegan! served with the yellow pepper sauce and fresh tomato. I soaked the adzuki beans overnight and cooked the brown sweet rice. The next day, I made the rice & bean mixture and refrigerated overnight. The day after that, I made the cakes you see here! This was quite a process, but well worth it.





Here you see 'Chickpea Ratatouille' from Vive le Vegan! Dreena suggests making burritos with any leftovers, which got me thinking... After the ratatouille finished cooking & cooling, I mashed the chickpeas up a bit, put 2 scoops on flour tortillas, rolled up the burritos, placed them seam-side down in a dish, then covered and put in the freezer. After the burritos were frozen, I transferred them to a plastic bag for cooking later.





When we want a chickpea ratatouille chimichanga, I just defrost for a couple minutes, then brown in some vegetable oil. They are served with the roasted yellow pepper sauce and some grilled summer squash & carrots. I will be making these frozen burritos again! They are a warm, hearty, meal in a pinch.






Farmer's Market Booty gets Jolie's sniff of approval:

Cherries
kohlrabi
Blueberries
Sugar Snap Peas
Snow Peas
Summer Squash
Purple Kale
Collard Greens

& Oregano + Chive plants for the garden


I was thinking stir-fry, but Art requested steamed veggies instead ~ I'm so glad he did because it was easier to prepare, more healthy, and there was nothing to cover up the natural flavors. I cleaned and prepared the veggies: broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, kohlrabi, summer squash, purple kale, & collard greens. Then, I put them in the steamer with some sea salt, water, & Earth Balance. Art made the risotto with some collard greens to flavor it along with sea salt, Earth Balance, and tamari. I needed something to compliment the grain, so I added some sesame oil & hoisin sauce to the left-over adzuki beans and made kind of a refried dish. We loved this meal! We especially loved the fresh, steamed veggies.


After all that, it was time for something sweet. This is 'Chocolate-Rum Pudding Cake' from Vegan with a Vengeance. Well sort of...I didn't have rum extract, so I substituted almond extract. And, I didn't have 1/4 C. light rum, so I skipped it. This was a very rich, decadent cake which I'll be making it again. I'll make sure that I have the rum next time, and I'll probably make it in individual serving dishes. It'd be appropriate for company ~ it's kinda fancy & impressive.

This'll be my last post from home for a while. We are heading to California ~ the land of sea, sun & fun! I hope to meet up with KleoPatra and also go to some of the restaurants that Shannon mentioned recently in her "What Should I Order" post. I'll have a laptop and will be checking in with you, and posting some of our experiences too. See ya on the road!