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

Thanksgiving Dessert Turkeys

We hosted a kid's Thanksgiving craft party recently, and I wanted to share this sweet idea with you. It's easier than pie, 99.9% vegan, and 100% kid approved!

Get Newman-O's (I used Wheat & Dairy Free Creme), Candy Corn (they do contain honey), dark chocolate covered almonds, and frosting. I'd describe how to make them, but you get the picture! :)

Pampered Chef Vegan Cooking Show

Here's Marliece setting up the party in my home. I met her through a vegan meet-up group (click here to find/start a group), we got to talking, and I became interested in hosting one of her cooking shows.



We decided on a veganized version of the 'Chipotle Ck*n Cornbread Cups'




1 c. grated vegan cheddar cheese
1 c. cornmeal
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 c. Tofutti sour cream
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp Chipotle Rub (PC item)
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. finely diced cooked ck*n (Morning Star Meal Starters Chik'n Strips)


1. Preheat *350. Combine cheez, cornmeal, sugar, 1 c. sour cream, flour and 1 tbsp. of the rub to form a thick batter.

2. Spray mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray. Divide batter evenly among the cups, and bake 15 minutes until golden brown.

3. Saute bell pepper. Add ck*n and remaining rub and heat through. Combine ck*n mixture, green onions, 1/4 c. sour cream in a small bowl.


4. Remove muffins from oven and quickly press tops to form cups. Cool. Divide ck*n mixture evenly among cups. Top with additional sour cream and sprinkle with cilantro if desired.


The party was fun, the food yummy, conversation casual, and check out this kitchen booty I received. . .



Mini Muffin Pan
Mini Tart Shaper
Season's Best Recipe Book
Prep Bowl Set
Food Chopper
Mini Loaf Stoneware Pan
Sweet Cinnamon & Chipotle Rub

all this for $28, which is less than the price of the chopper alone! Not bad, eh? :)

Green Your Diet

Australian Anzac Biscuits

I'm delighted that my daughter's school has adopted an international focus in their curriculum. I hopped on board the cooking committee, and our first mission was to make Australian Anzac Biscuits for the entire school. How fun! There were four of us baking, and there was enough for the staff, too. These traditional biscuits were baked by anxious wives and mothers during WW I, packed & sent to the Australian soldiers in the trenches.



I veganized the recipe (easy since it didn't call for eggs), and tweaked it slightly (my changes in parenthesis), and these cookies (actually called "biscuits") are simply delicious!
Appropriate for schools since they aren't obscenely unhealthful, and are basically allergen-free without nuts or dairy. You could probably make them gluten-free using 1 1/4 c. spelt flour instead of white.


Anzac Biscuits
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup desiccated coconut (I used regular & processed it to fine in my food processor)
1 cup white flour
1 cup sugar
125g (4oz) butter (Earth Balance, of course)
2 tablespoons golden syrup (I used 2 tbsp. brown rice syrup & 1 tsp. molasses)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon boiling water

Preheat oven to 300F
1. In a big bowl, mix oats, flour, sugar & coconut together.
2. In a little bowl, melt syrup, molasses, & butter together.
3. In a baby bowl, mix soda with boiling water. Add to melted butter and syrup. Then, add that to dry ingredients.
4. Place 1 tablespoonfuls of mixture on parchment paper lined cookie sheets (allow room for spreading). Bake for 20 minutes.

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.

Good Dog Treats

Wow, I really feel like a stranger around here. Life has gotten in the way of blogging lately...

For instance, it was shocking to discover a lump the size of a lemon on Jolie's side. The vet operated the next day, and she got her stitches out two days ago. It scared me so much I took myself in for a mammogram. It wasn't so bad.
The girls put their heart into making some treats for our Good Dog.



GOOD DOG TREATS

1/2 cup cornmeal
7 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup water
1 tsp Kitchen Bouquet







Preheat the oven to 35o* F. Mix all the ingredients together well. They each made their own batch, and we shared the extra treats with some good dog friends, Suki & Mattie.

If the mixture is too tough to stir, encourage them to use their hands to knead the dough. Dog treats are the perfect recipe to let the kids fully experiment.



My kids are always jones'n to work with knives. Only certain meals warrant a butter knife at the place setting, and cutting up the spaghetti by yourself is about as big as it usually gets.

The point is, Abi was thrilled to divide the dough into 4 parts.






Roll out the dough, doing only one section at a time to keep it manageable for little hands. It should be about 1/4 inch thickness before busting out the cookie cutters.

Bake 40 minutes.






Making homemade dog treats is a great way for kids to practice their culinary skills. I let them take the leading role every step of the way giving them skills with a no risk recipe. The treats always turn out, and not one has gone to waste. We talked about Jolie's surgery, stitches, life and death, and it felt good to celebrate our dog together.





Abi likes to assist Jolie's special talent of













balancing treats on her nose!



Let the kids do the cooking for a special dog in your life!









This is our favorite way to get around town. It's hard not to feel smug passing parked cars with the breeze in your hair and then parking right by the entrance. Segue: See our Obama sticker on the side? Art did the music score for the upcoming film, "Third Term," which explains the connection between McCain and Bush. This is a food blog, not a political one, so I'll leave it at that, and ask that anyone interested can check out the trailer and watch for parts of the documentary to air on TV soon, in selected theaters and on DVD.

Bear Sweets

We used to make something like this when I was a kid. We creatively called them Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats, and it's what we settled for when we were out of marshmallows.

Things have changed since then. I don't feel the same love for marshmallows, and thanks to my daughter, they now have a snappy new name.





Bear Sweets
1 1/3 c Rice Krispies
1/3 c confectioners' sugar
1/3 c smooth peanut butter
3 tbsp Earth Balance

Adorn with dried cranberries, blueberries, raisins, nuts, or piped icing. Olivia can't resist chocolate chips, and pictured are baby sized semi-sweet m&ms I found in bulk, and 'Lets Do Organic Coconut Flakes'. Use what you have.




Mix together the cereal and confectioners' sugar.












Melt the peanut butter and margarine in a pan over low heat.

Pour the mixture into the bowl and stir until everything is well mixed together.









Use an ice cream scoop to divide the mixture into 6 parts on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Squish them together to make patties. Use a plastic baggie as a glove to keep fingers clean if you must. Try to flatten and consolidate them as much as possible.

Decorate!




Chill in the fridge about 30 minutes or until they hold together nicely in your hand.


To say these were a hit with the younger generation would be a serious understatement!

Cherry Orange & Creamy Peach Sorbet to Cool Ya

Summer's in full swing, and we've found a delicious way to keep cool! It's simple, nutritious, and you don't even need an ice-cream maker.


Cherry Orange Sorbet

2 c fresh/frozen cherries
2 c orange juice
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice




Put everything into a food processor and puree.












Transfer to a pitcher, and pour the mixture into 2 ice-cube trays and freeze it until firm.

When you're ready to serve the sorbet, transfer the fruit cubes to a food processor. Pulse them, in short bursts, to make smooth sorbet.

Serve & eat immediately.





Here are the ingredients for another batch of sorbet.

Creamy Peach Sorbet

1 c coconut milk
1 large banana
3 peaches (I used some I canned last year)





This yielded a creamy, tropical flavor that my family loved.

Next time you make a smoothie, pour some of it into ice-cube trays to blend later into a frozen treat. The possibilities are endless, and I have a baggie in the freezer loaded with various frozen fruit ice cubes ready to be made into sorbet.




And because it's vegan, you'll also be cooling the planet. Does it surprise you that dairy cows are responsible for 25% of Idaho's carbon footprint? Dairy production produces loads of methane gas, which is 20 times more effective as CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Read this article to learn more about the vegan/global warming connection.
Hey, this dish is so chill that you might need toe socks to warm up your flip flops!

Vicious Dogs (Art's Guest Post)

I have the opportunity to guest blog here for Vicki, I've been on the hunt for new vegan grub in the LA area. I have tried various veggie dogs in town, including Pink's on La Brea (they have a "Pat Morrison Vegan Dog"), and also Orean's in Pasadena (they have a good BBQ tofu dog), but NOBODY beats the vegan dog at this place I found. It's called Vicious Dogs, located in the NoHo Arts District on Lankershim Boulevard. They have several vegetarian or vegan style dogs, take your pick. I grilled the owner (pardon the bun) on whether the dogs were actually vegan.

Sure enough, they are! Yves, and he was kind enough to pull them out and prove it! He tosses them on a special section of the grill, and you can order them any way you want. I've tried several varieties, but the best one, and what seems to be most popular there with vegans, is the "Sweet and Spicy" vegan dog. Damn, it's so good I have to cuss about it! I usually order two of them, they are $4.00 each, it's got grilled onions, grilled peppers, sweet and spicy sauce, and a delicious soft bun with the jumbo Yves dog in there.

The onions and peppers are grilled in a pan with olive oil. I caught this photo just as he had tossed the stuff on the grill. You could smell it already. They report that the vegan dogs are one of the most popular (there is a large arts community in the area and we know that artsy people are often vegans). Well, you can have it anyway you want, so I'm thinking about coming up with my own variety and asking him to name it after me. He has an "Original Willy Style" which has a special chipolte sauce and other stuff, but I'd say my favorite is the sweet and spicy and that's going to be hard to beat.

Look at that puppy! It was so good, after taking the photos, I wolfed it down and then got another one to go! You can call in your orders and each dog is made specially and ready to eat when you get there. Or, do like me, and order the dog there and talk smack with the owner, which is more fun, and probably why it's called Vicious Dogs. The difference here is that the vegan dog is cooked perfectly on the grill, as opposed to boiled or microwaved. We've tried the Foreman grill at home and it's okay, but nothing like this. So let me know what you'd put on a special vegan dog and maybe I'll get one named after me?