Vida Vegan Bound!!

I'm sitting in the Seattle airport, awaiting my final flight into Portland, aka Vegan Mecca, for the 2013 Vida Vegan Conference! Words don't do justice to the dissociation and excitement swirling around in me - is it really, finally here?!

Anticipation to reunite with the fabulous old friends created at the last con is only rivaled by my taste buds' anticipation to bite into the countless vegan dishes available in PDX. In recent months I have gone gluten-free, per my doctor's advice, per my family history of autoimmune disease. The transition has gone pretty successfully so far (look for future posts about the switch!), yet I know temptations abound in the next week.

Luckily, I need not fret, thanks to the availability of GF vegan bakeries, the generosity of the con's organizers in accommodating GF peeps during sponsored meals, and the endless, flavorful, healthy (and not so healthy, woot) dishes around every corner in the city.

Here's what I smashed on my layover: Qdoba tacos.

Expect to see mouth-watering updates about the trip! If you weren't able to make it, I'll do my best to make sure it feels like you were there. See you all soon!

Spinach-Basil Alfredo

It's been so long since I've blogged! Most sincere apologies, bloggers... I intend to return with some stellar food porn and a recipe or three. The past few months haven't been a whirlwind of recipe testing or dish creating or food adventuring, yet there are some delicious things to report. Also, next month I will be attending the second Vida Vegan Conference in Portland! And you KNOW there will be tons of spectacular eats to share afterward...

A few weeks ago I was checking out the pasta sauce aisle of a local health food store and discovered a jar of vegan pesto alfredo sauce! Yet, at $7 a jar I was hesitant to try it... and so I perused the ingredients and thought "I can definitely make this myself". And so, behold: spinach-basil fettuccine alfredo.

The sauce ended up being a perfect balance of creaminess and a mellow bite from the fresh basil and lemon juice. Definitely making plans to whip this up again. The recipe is approximate, as I just threw ingredients into my Vita-Mix. Enjoy!

Spinach-Basil Alfredo Sauce (gf/sf)

1 16 oz bag of brown rice pasta (fettuccine, rotini, angel hair, etc.)

1 cup raw cashews

1 - 1 1/2 cups almond milk

1 - 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves

large handful baby spinach

1 Tbs lemon juice

2 Tbs nutritional yeast (optional)

garlic powder, salt, fresh cracked black pepper to taste

• Boil your pasta and set aside.
• Using a high-speed blender, blend the cashews, 1 cup of the almond milk, basil, and spinach until it reaches a creamy consistency. Add more almond milk if needed to thin the sauce. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour over pasta and NOM. Makes 5-6 servings.

See you soon, bloggers!

Post-Holiday Post

Oh, my. It has been quite a while since I have posted. My most sincere apologies, friends. Let's get back into the swing of things, shall we? Seeing as I have not recounted my wonderful holiday feasts, let's start there!

For my fifth annual vegan Thanksgiving (yay!) I had my immediate family over once more. I absolutely love that time of year... spending quality time with my entire family all at once is a rarity. All of us gathering to enjoy some cruelty-free food is truly a blessing. And this year was no different when it came to the quantity and quality of said feast!

We started with an appetizer: Hot Caramelized Bacon-Onion Dip. This stuff is positively sinful. So gooey-creamy-smokey-cheesy-sweet... I'm gaining weight just thinking about it. HIGHLY recommended for those occasions when calories are not being counted.

To be super-decadent, try dipping my mom's Mini Daiya-Cheddar Chive Biscuits in this magical concoction. Trust me.

Here's what our plates looked like - clockwise from top: maple-dijon roasted brussels, spring mix salad with pecans, dried cranberries, and a maple-dijon vinaigrette, homemade cranberry sauce (made by my mama), sour cream & chive mashed potatoes, Gardein Holiday Roast with gravy, Isa's green bean mushroom casserole.

A wonderful combination of tastes and textures. I was originally hoping to find the individual serving Gardein Stuff'd Turk'ys, yet there were nowhere to be found - the Holiday Roast was everywhere, however. I decided to give it a try and was satisfied, yet I believe my omni family may not have enjoyed the unusual texture as much as I did. The breaded version is much tastier. Nevertheless, I recommend giving the Holiday Roast a try! You'll have many leftovers.

You wanna know what this is? Oh, I'll tell ya... it's a god damned Speculoos Maple Pecan Cheesecake. Did you hear me? SPECULOOS MAPLE PECAN CHEESECAKE. In our faces. Amazing recipe - very creamy, very sweet... my omni step-dad absolutely raved about it - and he usually isn't a big fan of sweets!

A religious experience.

My mom hosted a second Thanksgiving meal so the menfolk could have their traditional dishes, yet she lovingly included a buttload of vegan foods for me: stuffing, more cranberry sauce, green beans, brussels, sweet potatoes with candied fruit, mashed potatoes. And, yes, wine. Fantastic!

For our Christmas Eve extended family gathering I brought my usual noms: spinach dip with pumpernickel bread.

Vegan baklava, bitches! An annual favorite.

I also tried my hand at making homemade hummus with dried chickpeas, using a crock-pot. It was a fantastic success and I vow to never, ever make hummus with canned beans again. The recipe still needs a little tweaking (less tahini, more garlic), but I was quite proud of the result.

Happy belated Holidays, everyone. There will be more posts to come, promise!

Vegan MoFo: 1st Annual Cleveland VegFest Gala

When you think of the major vegan-friendly cities in the US, what comes to mind? Portland? Seattle? NYC? Austin? DC? Same here! And what else do all of these cities have in common? Their own VegFest event! Never having had the privilege of attending such an event, and being a native NE Ohioan, I was beside myself with pure, unadulterated JOY when I found out that next summer Cleveland will be hosting its first annual VegFest! To prepare for the event the Cleveland Vegan Society hosted a VegGala a few weekends ago with proceeds going toward the main event in June.

The turnout was incredible! The space couldn't adequately hold the amount of hungry attendees and eager vendors I encountered. It was truly an amazing spectacle.

But what was truly amazing was the spread! All vegan, all local, all delicious. There were sweets, savory dishes, and an impressive silent auction filled with veg-friendly products.

With how difficult it was to balance my wine, plate, purse, and camera while being shoulder-to-shoulder with hungry peers I could not adequately document all of the vendors present, but check out some highlights! For instance, raw lasagna rolls... delicious.

Butternut Squash Bisque shots!

So much to satisfy the sweet tooth...

My plate: chana masala and veggie pakora with tamarind sauce, vegan Cuban sammies, coleslaw...

Vegan snickerdoodle gelato from The Sweet Spot!

My dessert plate: pumpkin cupcake, snickerdoodle gelato, a buckeye, cookie with marmalade, and the most amazing chocolate-dipped ice cream sandwich I have ever eaten. Pretty sure I made some rather inappropriate noises while enjoying this...

All in all, it was a great event and I want to thank the Cleveland Vegan Society for hosting such a friendly get-together! Looking forward to Cleveland VegFest next summer, directly following  Vida Vegan Con 2013!

Vegan MoFo: Raw Pumpkin Cheesecake

'Tis the season for all things pumpkin! Pies, muffins, soups, lattes (not S-bux, whose syrup has dairy!)... you name it! Whether it's sweet or savory fall is the time for pumpkin dishes. When I found this recipe for raw Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake on Sweetly Raw's blog it was immediately added to my "must make" list.

The idea of raw cheesecake is born of pure genius. Who want to slave away at a dessert you have to prepare, bake, and then chill when you can cut out one of the steps and have a slice on your plate even sooner? That might just be my sweet tooth talking... but, still - here's a quick, painless, and simple recipe using flavorful, raw ingredients.

And the taste? Divine. The crust is just the right balance of bitter cocoa and sweet dates and raisins. The filling is creamy-wonderful and reminiscent of baked cheesecakes due to the versatile nature of coconut oil when chilled. Highly recommended as a treat to share or hoard during this lovely fall season.

I also made little cheesecake bites for a potluck this past weekend and they were a hit!

What is your favorite pumpkin dish?

Vegan MoFo: Raw Tacos!

My first encounter with a raw taco was at Vida Vegan Con 2011 - who had ever heard of raw taco meat?! Well I became a believer upon my first bite of the savory blend of walnuts and spices enveloped in a crisp lettuce wrap... To re-experience this tasty memory I made fixins for raw tacos this past weekend and have been enjoying them for lunch every day!

The combination of the salty/spicy walnut "meat" with the sweet and tart onion salsa and the creamy guacamole is absolutely divine. These babies don't need anything else to please your taste buds.

For a quicker assembly during the week I have been making raw taco salads - delicious! I highly recommend trying this dish and getting creative.

What's your favorite raw meal?

Vegan MoFo: Amaranth Loaf & Giveaway Winner!

Let's begin with announcing the winner of the Parmela Giveaway! Congratulations, Green Veggies - you have an e-mail waiting for you to claim your winnings! Can't wait to see how you parm up your meals.

With fall upon us it is the time of year for warm and hearty meals. When I was a kid this meant lots of mashed potatoes served with a side of meatloaf. I've tried my hand at making lentil loaf before, with results being meh, so I approached my latest culinary adventure cautiously.

The recipe I used for this loaf called for amaranth in addition to lentils. Never having tried the pseudograin before, yet having read blog posts about it, I had high hopes that it would bring a needed nutty flavor the dish. I was not disappointed this time!

With the right combination of spices and flavors this loaf was satisfying and delicate at the same time. Topped with homemade ketchup (no sugar or processed foods, per my Whole Life Challenge!) and joined by a huge serving of roasted carrots, cauliflower, and brussels... my taste buds were singing!

The ketchup turned out surprisingly well, although the addition of the cinnamon, per the recipe, was a bit strange and I don't think I would add it again. The veggies were topped with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Very simple.

Also included on my plate are *spicy* cauliflower bites! The recipe couldn't be simpler: toss chopped cauliflower with Frank's Hot Sauce and bake for 20-30 minutes. Nom!

What's your favorite fall, child-memory-inducing meal?