herbivorious

9 days to go until VegWeek

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 08:13:00 -0400

USVegWeek is almost here and I just signed up and so should you!!! What’s VegWeek you ask?

VegWeek is seven-day celebration highlighting the many benefits of choosing vegetarian foods—for our health, the planet, and animals—and thousands of people nationwide are taking the 7-Day Veg Pledge as a fun way to discover new and delicious meat-free meals! Sign up today–and we’ll even send you a Starter Pack loaded with recipes and product coupons.

So, sign up, check out their awesome D.C. events, and start getting excited for Sticky Finger’s limited special edition Compassion Cupcake that will be available VegWeek only!

12 year old girls: BEWARE!

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:56:29 -0400

Starbucks has redesigned their Strawberry Frappuccino recipe to no longer be vegan!!! How can a Strawberry Frap not be vegan? Obvious answer is milk right? FALSE. Cochineal Extract dyes. That’s crushed-up, dried beetles for those of you who don’t immediately recognize the fancy name. Starbucks began using the bugs to color the Frappuccino’s pink in January, when they moved to stop using artificial ingredients. I’ don’t know about you, but I would rather have some artificial yumminess than a dead one of these in my drink:

Udon noodles with tofu and wilted spinach…yum!

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:40:34 -0400

Udon noodles with tofu and wilted spinach…yum!

Udon Recipe

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:39:07 -0400

Here’s a deliciously easy vegan recipe (courtesy of the Food Network) for those of us in a noodle kind of mood:

Ingredients

1 8-ounce package udon noodles
4 tablespoons roasted peanut oil, or 3 tablespoons sesame oil mixed with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 12-ounce package firm tofu, cut into 12 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 11-ounce package Asian cooking greens or baby spinach
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
Large pinch of red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch of sugar

Directions

Cook the udon noodles as the label directs. (Don’t overcook or they will get mushy.) Drain, reserving about 1/3 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Pat the tofu dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Add the tofu to the skillet and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon oil and the greens to the skillet. Cook, tossing, until just wilted. Add the scallions, red pepper flakes, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the soy sauce and sugar. Add the reserved cooking water; heat to create a broth. Divide the noodles and greens among 4 bowls and top with the tofu.

Serve: 4

Calories: 430

Total Fat: 19 grams

Saturated Fat: 3 grams

Protein: 18 grams

Total carbohydrates: 51 grams

Sugar: 2 grams

Fiber: 8 grams

Cholesterol: 0 milligrams

Sodium: 990 milligrams

Vegans ARE happier (told you so!)

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:56:08 -0500

Vegans ARE happier (told you so!)

Sticky Fingers' Doron Petersan promotes new cookbook on March 6th and you can win tickets here!

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:30:44 -0500

Sticky Fingers' Doron Petersan promotes new cookbook on March 6th and you can win tickets here!

Looking for vegan junk on e-bay? These people have you covered....

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:58:58 -0500

Looking for vegan junk on e-bay? These people have you covered....:

#weirdvegans

You can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be picking up one...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:49:14 -0500

You can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be picking up one of these celebratory packages when they hit shelves next week! Oreo cookies (which yes, are vegan) are celebrating their 100th birthday on March 6th, 2012! Happy Birthday most amazing chocolate cookie sandwich with “creme” filling!!!! more info here

Why no cheese?

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:19:35 -0500

Why no cheese? :

Non-vegans questioning vegans: I direct you to this article on Food Republic.

HAPPY MARGARITA DAY!

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:17:55 -0500

HAPPY MARGARITA DAY!

Making this for my Oscars dinner party...YUM!

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:01:19 -0500

Making this for my Oscars dinner party...YUM!:

#socialvegan #pasta&wine

Vegantine's Day Dinner

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:21:00 -0500

I must be the luckiest vegan in the world. Not only does The Boyfriend support my vegan quest, but The Boyfriend cooked an amazing vegan dinner for me. Bread & Brew should consider hiring him, because this was miles better than flight night.

(keep reading for recipes after the jump)

The appetizers were veggie spring roles made with rice paper, avocado, cabbage, beets, sprouts, carrots and hoisin. They were accompanied by Thai chilli sauce. While The Boyfriend insisted that the rolls were not pretty enough due to the short amount of time he had to prepare it, I thought they were perfect. And equally delicious for herbivores and omnivores alike.

The main course was a delicious Portabella mushroom cap, stuffed with breadcrumbs, garlic, onions and herbs (I posted the recipe here). The Boyfriend managed to make the recipe even better by adding a balsamic glaze to the mushrooms while they were in the oven. Pure culinary genius, I say!

The cap was accompanied by a Panzanella. The Panzanella was neither of our favorites (probably because I made the vinaigrette) but it was a good supporting actor to the meaty texture of the mushroom. It was however very easy to make: chop up some avocado, peppers, onions, and tomatoes and dress with a vinaigrette of 3 tbsp champagne vinegar, 1/2 cup good olive oil, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp finely chopped garlic, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt.

No part of the meal, however, could trump the Chocolate Mousse. Wow. I literally could not believe this was made out of tofu. In fact, there is no way The Boyfriend could have convinced me that this was vegan had I not seen him put the tofu in the blender with vegan chocolate myself.

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Mousse

(Serves 2-4, although it really just serves two unless you’re feeding anorexics)

1/2 package Mori-Nu silken-firm tofu (or 6 oz silken tofu)
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
3/4 c chocolate chips, or 1 and 1/4 chocolate bars in the flavor of your choice (3-oz bars)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 T milk of choice (The Boyfriend used almond milk)
1/16 tsp salt
1-2 T agave or other sweetener (The Boyfriend omitted)

Melt the chocolate, either on the stove or in the microwave. Then throw everything into a Magic Bullet or food processor and blend until super-smooth. If your food processor is really big, or if you’re using a blender, it might be a good idea to double the recipe in order for the contents to blend.

All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better vegantine’s or valentine’s day. It was amazing and delicious and definitely a meal to remember. Although, the mess The Boyfriend left behind will also not soon be forgotten…

PETA likes it Vegan? UPDATE: http://www.bwvaktboom.com/ is a...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:58:00 -0500

PETA likes it Vegan?

UPDATE: http://www.bwvaktboom.com/ is a very strange website. But I’ve just requested their FREE vegan start kit. I’m seriously curious as to what will be in it considering the video…

Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:54:55 -0500

Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms:

This recipe was Veg-tastic. Photos to follow soon!

It's the last day of DC Meat-Free Week!

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:23:57 -0500

It's the last day of DC Meat-Free Week!

Oh yeah, I’m not raw anymore! After two weeks 13 days of...

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:14:14 -0500

Oh yeah, I’m not raw anymore! After ~~two weeks~~ 13 days of squirrel eating, I’ve finally graduated to cooked food. Amen. These vegan scones were actually delicious. Especially when smeared with apricot preserves! Immaculate Baking is available at Whole Foods in the vegan section!

Flying Dog Flight Night

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:04:00 -0500

So last night I attended the vegan tasting menu with beer pairings that I blogged about here. The beer featured was Flying Dog, a local brewery in Frederick, Maryland that is best known for beers like “Doggie Style” and “Raging Bitch.” They also have a very cool history. Flying Dog’s bottle art by Ralph Steadman is also worth taking a look at if you aren’t already familiar with it.

While the beer was excellent, the same could not be said of the food. (more after the jump)

Although The Boyfriend and I arrived late, we did manage to squeeze in a few bites of the appetizer which was popcorn dusted with lime and chili salt. The Boyfriend liked this part of the meal; I’m not sure if my popcorn got the same dusting treatment as his. This was paired with Flying Dog’s Garde Dog, their new spring beer.

Next was a peanut soup paired with Old Scratch, an amber lager. The two really did complement each other, but the peanut soup tasted like warm, watery peanut butter.

The beer that followed next was my favorite of the night. Wildeman, a Farmhouse IPA, has a flavorful citrus finish, and according to their website, compliments bold, rich, spicy meals. Perhaps that’s what Chef Christopher Carey was going for when he served the pickled grapefruit salad. Unfortunately, the sour punch was so excruciatingly strong that I had to fight to not make a face after every bite. The Boyfriend and I agreed that this was the worst food of the night.

The main course was cauliflower. That’s right. Cauliflower. Need I say more? This course was paired with two IPAs, one Belgian and one American. Raging Bitch is Flying Dog’s Belgian IPA, and Snake Dog is their American and apparently, their nationalities are decided by where the yeast is from. I personally prefer the Raging Bitch because it’s a little smoother, whereas Snake Dog has more of a bitter bite.

The cauliflower debacle was followed up by a much needed palate cleanser - Ginger Sorbet.

The meal came to a close on a very high note: Beeramisu, Chef Carey’s interpretation of a tiramisu, using Flying Dog’s Gonzo, an imperial coffee stout. This was AMAZING. Totally mind-blowing. Vegasmic. My favorite element of the Beeramisu was the cashew sour cream that just melted in your mouth like whoa. This was served with a sifter of Gonzo, which was definitely worthy of its dessert companion. The stout is pumped through a nitrogen system, which lessens the amount of carbonation in the drink, and its distinctive coffee flavor was the perfect way to end the night.

All in all, the dessert made up for the cauliflower, and the beers more than made up for everything else.

Good thing I had the most delicious VEGAN pizza ever at District...

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:40:55 -0500

Good thing I had the most delicious VEGAN pizza ever at District of Pi

A little on the pricey side at $18 for a small pie, but definitely worth it to satisfy my cravings.

Free Vegan Cooking Class...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:22:54 -0500

…at Whole Foods in Foggy Bottom at 6pm today!

Deliciously Vegan. $2.69 at Whole Foods.

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:53:20 -0500

Deliciously Vegan. $2.69 at Whole Foods.