It's A Bird, No It's A Plane....No It's A Seabird!

Seabirds Soar To Salt Lake

 

     Just like those famous seagulls that rescued the pioneers from hoardes of crickets, Seabirds rolled in Salt Lake to save us from...well, I'm not sure, but I bet you didn't know that seagulls are Utah's state bird. So it all makes sense that Seabirds Food Truck picked Salt Lake to fly home to. Just to prove how serious, we Salt Lakers take seabirds. Look at what monuments we erect over our streets.

Seagull Arch 

Downtown on South Temple?

      That should be enough proof. So you know how excited we were to have Seabirds in town for two days as part of their quest as the best in the Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race. They're even nominated for the best food truck in the 2011 Veg News' Veggie Awards (but I have my heart set on local business Union Street Eats, though Seabirds is deserving and would get my second vote). I've heard about this truck before when Kevin from Veganbrew.com went to an LA beer fest and was wowed with their beer battered avocado tacos. Still in a daze from his wowing, but no longer in LA, Kevin went to work replicating what he had at Seabirds and posted the recipe HERE. So the night before Seabirds came to town, I had visions of beer battered avocados dancing in my head, but alas it would not be. 

California Cheesesteak

Peppered Jackfruit, Grilled Onions, Nacho Brew Cheese with Sweet and Sour Slaw

     Because of the television show and it's producers, everything was hush hush and the second hand word on their location and hours would have to spread over twitter and facebook. Big thanks to Cakewalk for spreading the word! (Cakewalk is nominated for best vegan bakery in the same Veggie Awards. Please vote for them!) Because it was a powder day, I was up on the mountain and missed lunch (and the hour long lines), but I managed to snag dinner (after an hour or so wait). Despite the wait, exasperation and impending hunger, the food was worth it! Although, I didn't get beer battered avocado tacos, I did snag one of these jackfruit tacos, which introduced me to the world of jackfruit. (I have a jackfruit pulled pork sandwich that I made, which I'll post shortly. Union Street Eats is even offering a jackfruit barbacoa taco with tequila lime sauce. Jackfruit is seriously amazing.). Actually, I ordered one of everything. My small contribution to help bring accolades to a vegan food truck and another vegan business beating traditional ones. (Just see this post on Sticky Fingers Bakery.) I know, it's a tough life, but the lemongrass corn chowder might have been the best soup that I've ever had. Here's the rest of the Seabirds sampling that I had, minus the rice bowl I had on the second day. Rumour had it pizza was on the dinner menu, but I couldn't get to their new location. Damn meal on wheels!

Lemongrass Corn Chowder

With A Hint of Coconut?

California Black Bean Chili

Topped with Sliced Avocados and Chiptole Sour Cream that went M.I.A.

Truffle Cauliflower

 

Lunch Menu

  Seabirds Rode Into the Sunset...

    If you're in the Southern California area, follow Seabirds on facebook or their website for their latest locations and maybe one day they'll find their way to your town and be legends, just like our salt lake seagulls. 

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Candle Cafe Comes To Your Freezer!

Candle Cafe Goes Frozen!

The Miso-Stir-Fry Isn't Pictured Because It's M.I.A.

      With the recent closing of Philadelphia's Horizons, it's a toss up between Blossom, Millennium or Candle 79 for the best veg restaurant in the country. You can vote for your favorite as well as Union Street Eats for best vegan street cart and Cakewalk Baking Company for best vegan bakery in Veg News 2011 Veg Awards HERE, not that I'm trying to influence the vote or anything. Even the prizes from a vegan Caribbean Cruise and a Vitamix look awesome! Did I mention I saw Woody Harrelson dinging at Candle Cafe? So maybe a celebrity endorsement is enough to buy your vote. 

     Already, I've been a fan of The Candle Cafe Cookbook especially their recipe for cornmeal crusted tempeh.  Since I'm sandwiched between the two coasts, I was excited to see Candle Cafe expanded to the freezer case. I know, I'm being lazy, but there are some days that cooking just isn't an option, especially with the summer heat. I plan on updating more cheater day ideas in the coming days. So Stay tuned (or bookmarked, is that the proper internet lingo?). 

 Tofu Spinach Ravioli

Cheesy, Tomatoey, and Deliciousy! My Favorite!

     There are four flavors miso stir-fry, vegan macaroni and cheese, seitan piccata with lemon caper sauce, and tofu spinach ravioli. For the cheese varieties, I'm pretty sure they're using Daiya, but the ingredients list doesn't mention them specially. Each are $5.99, feature organic ingredients and, of course, are vegan.  Though, right now at the Trolley Square Whole Foods in Salt Lake, the entrees are on sale for $4 until 8/16 (and you might find some with a $1 off coupon still left on them). Honestly, I'm not sure I would pay full price for these, but if you're stuck at work, these would make lunch something to look forward to so this sale is a reason to stock up. 

Seitan Piccata With Lemon Caper Sauce

With Brown Rice And Spinach, Included In The Entree.

     The tofu spinach ravioli is my favorite followed by the Seitan Piccata, which is the best nutritionally speaking, except for the high sodium (around 37% DRV) found in all of them. My only complaint is that the corn strach isn't organic so it might be genetically modified since something like 97% of corn is a GMO.  I'm waiting to hear back from the company. Oh, you might also find some of Candle Cafe's desserts in the refrigerated section. I haven't tried them, because I've been too busy consuming Cakewalk treats, but they're on my to-eat list. Red reviews of them from the Vegan Junk Food site. Part 1 and Part 2.

 Vegan Marconi and Cheese

Spiral Pasta!

Seitan Piccata With Lemon Caper Sauce (Packaged)

Photo Taken Right After Coming Out Of The Oven.

 Tofu Spinach Ravioli (Packaged)

Photo Taken Right Out Of The Oven.

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Cooking With Bell Organic

Baked Tofu Smothered in Peanut Sauce with Steamed Vegetables Along with Spicy Peanut Rice and Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux

Organic and Local Vegetables from Bell Organic Farms of Draper and Sandy Utah

      I've had a spring and summer share from Bell Organic of Draper and Sandy, Utah for a few months now. It's been exciting to arrive once a week to see what the farm produced. For the Spring share, it was mostly greens, but with the switch from spring to summer there's been much more variety. One of these was kohlrabi, a german cabbage, that intrigued me, but I was almost ready to choose the easy path and pick beets instead. Instead, I asked David how they could be used and he was very knowledgeable and told me to treat it like a carrot. Simple enough. I threw them in the steamer basket with other veggies from Bell Organic and they came out delicious. Though, I might peel them next time. It's the lemon looking wedge in the lower right hand side of the first picture. I'll try and get a whole picture of one next time they appear in my share. 

 Kohlrabi

Photo from Wikipedia, the stems and the leaves have been trimmed here.

     After weeks of cooking with a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share, this would be my masterpiece with almost all of the veggies coming from my share. Although, it's easier to get to the supermarket and pick out veggies that you need, I like the mystery and the challenge that the having a CSA presents. My mom has also experimented with a CSA so it's been fun to exchange recipes and find out what's she been getting, which is a lot of yellow squash! (If you have any recipes to help her out, let me know.) For Salt Lakers interested in Bell Organic, Salt Lake City Weekly is running a contest to win a free mid-season 9 week share from Bell Organic. Enter HERE.

Peanut Sauce

Lower Fat Peanut Sauce from Fatfreevegan.com

     My first introduction to Thai food was fried tofu over peanut sauce. Although, the tofu was unseasoned and flavorless, the peanut sauce held everything together. I can't think of many things better. This version from fatfreevegan.com does have fat in it, of course, but it's a lower fat version than the traditional version. I've tried making this before from a different recipe, but got discouraged. This recipe nails it. Get the recipe HERE.

Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux

Organic and Local Collard Greens from Bell Organic. 

     I love when I see Collards greens in my share because I know I can turn to Bryant Terry's Vegan Soul Kitchen's Citrus Collard Greens Redux with Raisins. It's the perfect way to cook collards. I do ignore his advice and leave the spines on since I think they're not as tough once you cook them. Plus, the crunch adds a nice touch. Perhaps, one of my favorite ways to cook greens. Maybe one day, I'll experiment with substituting kale and chard for the collards. Find the recipe HERE.

Baked Tofu

Baked, Not Fried Tofu

     Normally, I press and pan fry tofu, but this recipe just calls for vegetable broth and soy sauce. It was one of the easiest ways to cook tofu that I've ever used. I'll probably start cooking tofu this way since I think the results are the same as pan frying without the addition of oil. Find the recipe along with the spicy peanut sauce HERE.

Spicy Peanut Rice Recipe

The Spicy Peanut Rice is on the left.

      I forgot to take a picture of this before I platted so I'll just duplicate the mean picture. This recipe came from the back of a package of Lundberg Organic Brown Rice. I normally buy in bulk, but the sale was too good to pass up. The recipe was an interesting twist of just plain brown rice and complimented the peanut sauce slathered tofu and vegetables perfectly. And you have to smell it cooking in the kitchen. Something, I've been looking for a while now. Though, I think I would try to cook it in my rice cooker next time instead of a pot and might kick up the spice since it like the spice.

Spicy Peanut Rice Recipe (from Lundberg Family Farms):

1 1/2 Tbs Olive Oil

2 Tsp whole cumin seeds

4 Whole cloves

1 Bay leaf

1 Cup of Chopped Onion 

1/4 Tsp of Red Pepper Flakes

1 Cup of Lundberg Organic Brown Rice

2 Cups of Water or Broth (I used water)

1/2 Tsp of Salt

1/3 Cup of Chopped Roasted Peanuts

Heat the olive oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cumin, cloves and bay leaf. Cook briefly until cummin seeds darken slightly. Add onion, garlic, red pepper. Cook until onion is tender. Stir in rice. Add water and salt. (This is where I would put it in the rice cooker) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand; covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with fork. Remove bay leaf and stir in peanuts. 

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Happy Brett Day!!!

Happy Birthday, Brett!

Brett at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary with Petunia, a rescued turkey.

      Yesterday was Brett's birthday. He's one of the nicest and bestest friends that I know; a friend you're lucky to meet once in a lifetime. Not only is he an award winning home brewer, he is one half of the team behind the awesome site, Veganbrew.com. Plus, he can cook me under the table. Just browse some of his recipes on the site. From Vietnamese Summer Spring Rolls with a Mango Apricot Wheat Dipping Sauce to the alliteration prone Beer Braised Brussels Spouts with Shiitake Bacon and Quinoa Pilaf, Brett showcases his culinary skills (and unlike me he creates his own recipes!).
**UPDATE** Brett is holding a fundraiser on September 8th at The Half Pint from 7-9 p.m. in NYC to benefit Woodstock Animal Sanctuary. 25% of the tab will be donated to the sanctuary and features great beers from Smuttynose Brewery. Get more information HERE. Please help spread the word to make this a success!

 Brett Pretending Someone Is Chasing Him in His First Half Marathon

Or maybe he heard there was a case of Ken Griffy rookie card beer at the finish?

     To demonstrate how nice he is, he asked everyone to forgo presents and instead donate to to his fund raising goal for Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. On World Farm Animal Day, he will be running his first marathon, that's 26.2 miles without anyone or thing chasing you. While I'm not a runner, I did run in the Ching Farm Sanctuary race and did just the 10 K, about 6.2 miles in about an hour and ten minutes. And that's 20 miles shorter than a marathon. I can't even fathom how people run marathons, but the one thing that got me through my race was the pledges friends made. It's like your not doing this alone. Let's help Brett meet his goal of about $1 for every mile he runs and give him the motivation to not only finish his first marathon, but to keep training. Visit his fund rasing page HERE.

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

 

     To give you an idea of where your money will go here is some information about Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit this farm sanctuary. As someone who has been a long time vegan, it was revitalizing to see the chickens run around the field, the sheep casually move away from me as I entered their pen. The pigs soaking up the sun. It's a beatuiful sanctuary, surrounded by the verdant Catskill Mountains in upstate New York, that not only cares for the animals for the rest of their lives, but makes an effort to encourage plant based diets. Two of their most recent arrivals are Philly the Hen and Kayli the Cow, both of whom were rescued from a Halal slaughterhouse in Philadelphia. Well, Kali made an infamous mad dash for freedom wandering through the streets for an hour. You can watch the video HERE. Now these animals will get to live out their lives in peace, surrounded by love. To learn more about Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and their animals, visit them HERE and learn about some of the animals HERE.

Video of Kayli's Arrival at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

 

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Union Street Eats, Welcome To The Neighborhood!

Daiya Pepperjack Quesadilla

Filled with Daiya Pepperjack Cheese, Jalapenos, Seasoned Smart Ground, Topped with Salsa, Guacamole and Ginger Sour Cream

      Not since Cakewalk opened up across the street from my house have I been as excited for a business to open. Filling the need for good, quality vegan Mexican food, Union Street Eats means vegan don't have to settle for rice and beans anymore! Move over Red Iguana and Cafe Rio, hay un nuevo rey en este pueblo! From seitan, tempeh and soyrizo, Union Street Eats shows how good vegan food can be.  

UPDATE: Union Street Eats moved to a new location at 400 South and 200 East at Washington Square Park (Across from the Main SLC Library).UPDATE: Union Street Eats is nominated for best vegan street cart in 2011 Veg News' Veggie Awards. Vote HERE and be entered to win great prizes, like a vegan Caribbean Cruise and a Vitamix Blender. (Voting Closed, Thanks for Voting!)

Union Street Eats

     Not only that but it's the closest to gourmet mexican food without setting foot in a restaurant. The streetcart, located at 300 South and 300 West (on the South East Corner of the intersection, near Pioneer Park) (new location) 400 South 200 East in Washington Square Park (across from the Main SLC Library)  is the brainchild of Larayn and James. Larayn learned her way around the kitchen as a graduate of the venerable Natural Gourmet Institute as well as NYC's Lifethyme. For the last several years, she worked  as the lunch chef at Sage's wowing customers with her daily chef's specials.  Not only known for her culinary skills, Larayn is a pillar of the vegan community. As the founder and long running host of Salt Lake's Vegan Drinks, Larayn has helped build the veggie community. James cut his teeth as a street vendor outside the City Library several years ago. It's his Mexican sojourn that inspired a lot of the recipes featured on the menu. Together, their experiences create a marriage that will cause your taste buds to dance. Plus, they donate 5% of the profits to local farm animal rescue Ching Farm so your conscience and taste buds can be in harmony. Just be sure to get there between 11 am and 2 pm (new hours) 11 am-3:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, including a little earlier for the Farmer's Market. Oh, they also plan on serving from 5-8 pm on Thursdays for the Twilight Concert Series, starting on July 14 for the Explosions in The Sky and No Age Show.

Tacos La Paz

Warm Handmade Corn Tortilla Stuffed with Breaded Citrus-Marinated Tempeh, Topped with Crisp Cabbage,Three-Pepper Bueno Sauce, Lime Wedge and Cilantro

    It's hard to decide what I liked better. It's a toss up between the Tacos La Paz or the Daiya Pepperjack Quesadilla. Well made tempeh melts my heart, but this quesadilla was pure perfection. Hands down the best quesadilla I've ever had. But, I still need to have to have the Tacos Rancheros so perhaps I'll hold judgment until my next visit, which will be soon because the food prices are reasonable with a range of $3 to $6 dollars.

Larayn cooks up the Tacos La Paz while James takes orders.

Torta

Toasted White Roll with Refried Beans, White Rice, Tomatoes, Onions, Guacamole, Salsa and Cilantro.

Tacos Soyrizo

Spicy Soyrizo Fried with White Rice, Onions, and Tomatoes, Topped with Sliced Avocado, Ginger Sour Cream and Cilantro

Limon Shaker

     The best part of the Limon Shaker is watching James shake them up. It's like being back in in a speak easy during the roaring twenties. It's refreshing to have a drink made on the spot and not bottled. Nothing taste more like summer and brings back memories of boardwalk strolls with my family.

Freshly Squeezed Lime and Lemon Juice, Sweetened and Shaken with Ice

Creme De Chocolate

Sweet, Spicy and Silky Chocolate Mousse Topped with Silvered Almonds

     It's not secret that I have a sweet tooth, so I had to try their dessert. It's a lightly spiced Mexican chocolate mousse. The spice was subtle at first, but started to sneak up on me. I thought it was the perfect complement to an incredible meal. The best part is that their menu is a work in progress. They have only been open for two weeks and I'm hearing rumors about chef specials, such as a Daiya Cheddar Chipotle Quesadilla. And maybe tepache and horchata in the future. Be sure you're in the loop by following them on facebook. See you on Union Street!

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Attack Of The Long Beans!!!

Pad Prik King (Red Chile and Ginger Stir-Fry)

     My first love was Chinese food, but after moving to Salt Lake I've fallen in love with Thai food, especially curries. It seems that the rest of the city is in love with Thai food as new restaurants keep pooping up. I saw this recipe in the Salt Lake Tribune and decided to veganize it. The original recipe is from Lesli Neilson's Cuisine Quest column and calls for shrimp and fish sauce. Not only are shrimp kinda gross their production causes environmental and economic problems for other countries (See THIS  article in Mother Jones). So instead, I decided to sub for pan-fried tofu and replaced the fish sauce with soy sauce. If you want to be more authentic, 30 Minute Vegan has a fish sauce recipe that I've yet to try. I've also made this with yellow and green curry, because I have extra in my fridge, but red is definetetly better. The best thing about this recipe is how easy and quick it comes together. This recipe will be on my short list for a quick meal with short time.

Long Beans

     Long beans also called yard beans, because they tend to be about three foot long. I'm a sucker for incorporating new produce into my meals so I jumped on the opportunity to include these. However, they were grown in china and I'm not the biggest fan of chinese produce. Instead, I would prefer a local and organic version so after I used them up, I switched to organic green beans, which work just as well. For a local source of curry paste, kaffir lime leaves and long beans, try the Southeast Asian Market. Last time I was in Whole Foods, they had kaffir lime leaves, both fresh and in a jar.

Pad Prik King with Tempeh

 

Recipe

Ingredients (try to use organic versions, if available):

1 14 oz package of extra firm tofu, pressed and pan fried or baked

1 TBS of vegetable oil

1-2 TBS of red curry paste ( Taste of Thai and Maesri are vegan, I used 2 TBS)

4 kaffir lime leaves, rolled up and cut into shreds

1 1/2 cups of yard/long beans or green beans

2 teaspoons of fair trade sugar

1 5.6 oz can of coconut milk ( I used half of a 14 oz can of Whole Foods Organic)

2 teaspoons of soy sauce (or a vegan fish sauce)

cashews (optional for garnish and deliciousness)
1-2 teaspoon of minced ginger (optional, but not really)

thai basil (optional, for garnish and deliciousness, Osage Farms makes an organic version)

cooked brown jasmine rice (Lundberg makes a good one)

Directions:

If making brown rice, start it now! this dish comes together pretty quick, maybe 10 minutes. 

In a small bowl, mix up the coconut milk, soy sauce and sugar. Then, set it aside. 

In a wok or a large frying pan, heat up the oil over medium heat and then add the curry paste (and ginger is using) and cook for a minute or two, trying to break up the paste while cooking. 

Add the kaffir lime leaves and yard beans and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add the precooked tofu and cook for 2 minutes. 

Add the coconut, soy sauce and sugar mixture to the pan and cook for a minute or two (if using the thai basil add to the pan). 

Hope the rice is cooked and serve over brown jasmine rice. top with cashews and more thai basil. now rub your belly and pat your head.

Variations:

Replace the tofu with Tempeh (I recommend Organic Soy Tempeh from Turtle Island, which can be found at Cali's Natural Foods), steamed for 10 minutes

Replace the red curry with green or yellow versions, which have less heat, but read the label because some companies have shrimp paste in them.

Yardbeans

Yardbeans Deconstructed

 

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Sage's All-You-Can-Eat Pizza Night Paired With Red Rock's Paardebloom

Cheeseburger Pizza

 Since 2002, Sage's Cafe has won "Best Vegetarian" restaurant in City Weekly's Best Of Utah. That's nine years straight. Not much has changed on the menu since I moved here five years ago. The menu is fairly static, except for the lunch and dinner chef's special. However, Sage's shines on their Tuesday's All-You-Can-Eat pizza and salad night. Although they tend to use their own homemade nutritional yeast instead of the amazing Daiya, the pizzas they come up with are still awesome. This is demonstrated with the cheeseburger pizza pictured above. From Pad Thai to dessert pizzas, the pizzas are always inventive and unique. It's not something you would find in your local pizzeria.

 For $12.75, you get as much pizza and salad you can eat. Something I took literately on my last visit. I wrote down a list of the pizzas I ate, but I ended up losing the piece of paper so I'll try to do my best to recreate the names. Perhaps, it was the Paardebloem ( a collaboration beer between Red Rock and New Belgium) beer from Red Rock Brewery that I washed down the pizza with. Oh, and for more vegan pizza options check out my guide to vegan pizza in Salt Lake. One more secret that I'm willing to part with is try to get there around 5 p.m. when the pizzas start flying out of the oven. Not only will you most likely not have to wait, but the pizzas fly out of the oven faster than you can eat them. Just make sure you save room for the Tiramisu, one of the best deserts I've had from a restaurant.

UPDATE: ReDirect Guide's ISaveGreen is offering a coupon for a free dessert with the purchase of an entree. Get the coupon here.

Carrot Butter with Daikon and Spinach

     Carrot butter is one of the best appetizers that Sage's offers. The best is when they use it as a desert pizza since the carrot butter is fairly sweet. I've had a carrot butter pizza with strawberries that was awesome. I've also had a cinnamon roll pizza. One of these days, I'll get around to posting my carrot butter recipe.

Three Cheese Pizza

 

     I think this one had a nutritional yeast cheese, Daiya mozzarella and Parmesan.  This is one of the few times I've seen Sage's use Daiya. I hope this is a sign of things to come.

Pesto with Butternut Squash

Cheesesteak Pizza (left) and Portobello and Spinach Pizza

Taco Pizza

The I Can't Remember What It Was Pizza

Red Rock's Paardebloom Beer

     Red Rock might be one of the most under rated breweries in Utah. This beer showcases their talents. Instead of using hops, they use dandelions, which is what paardebloem means in Belgian. The result was a nice Belgian style ale with a peachy nose that packed a punch at 9.2% ABV. I'm pretty sure this is sold out, but Red Rock just released the Reve, which is a bottle-conditioned Belgian trippel aged one year on French Oak and inoculated with brettanomyces. Oh, and it packs a wallop at 10.3% ABV. My own complaint is that the brewery is lacking in vegan options so I can't eat there often AND sample their beers. The good thing is that Sage's recently changed their beer menu to feature locally brewed beers from Wasatch's finest from Epic, Squatters, Red Rock and Unita. As if you needed another reason to eat pizza and beer.

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