That Was Vegan?

You guys, baking is my Achilles heel. For some reason it’s always really hard for me. But it’s cold out today, and rainy, and there’s football on, and it really just seemed like the kind of day when I should bake something. You ever get those days?

The problem, of course, was what to bake. I live somewhere around 6,200 feet which means many recipes can be a challenge. So, I turned to my pal April’s blog: Epicurean Vegan. She’s a Coloradan like me and knows a thing or two about baking (unlike me). I decided to make her Chai-Spiced Berry-Oatmeal cookies, and got to work in the kitchen.

I’m pretty sure you can guess what happened next. I ruined them.

But! I didn’t give up! I kept trying and before I knew it, I had some very delicious Chewy Cherry Chai Oatmeal Bars in my tummy!

They came out perfectly. They’re sweet, but not too sweet because I used Truvia’s two new products. A baking blend, which is part sugar and part truvia, and their brown sugar blend with is (obvs) brown sugar mixed with truvia. That way you get the taste of real sugar, but without all the calories.

Which really just means you can eat more, right? Here’s a shot of the bar before I chopped him up:

Also, Truvia had contacted me and offered so provide some free product for a giveaway, and you know how much I love passing the goodies along to you! So, here’s what’s up for grabs: One 16oz resealable(!) bag of Truvia’s Brown Sugar Blend so you can get your baking on! You can enter to win those in the rafflecopter below. Truvia is also currently running their own contest called the Baking Star. There’s only two more days left to enter that, but you can vote until the 29th. Go check it out!

So, check out my recipe and then scroll down and enter the giveaway!

Chewy Cherry Chai Oatmeal Bars

2014-10-12 15:28:52

Yields 8

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Ingredients

1. 1 tablespoon chia seeds, plus 3 tablespoons water
2. 1/2 cup vegan margarine, room temperature
3. 1/4 cup Truvia brown sugar blend
4. 1/4 cup Truvia baking blend
5. 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
6. 2 tablespoons agave
7. 1 cup flour
8. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
9. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
10. 1 teaspoon cardamom
11. 1 teaspoon ginger
12. 1 teaspoon cloves
13. 1 cup old fashioned oats (not quick!)
14. 1 cup dried cherries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix chia seeds and water and set aside.
2. With a mixer, blend the butter and the sugars. Add the chia mix, vanilla and agave and mix for another 15-30 seconds.
3. In a second bowl, combine all the dry ingredients except the oats and cherries. Slowly add the butter bowl, mixing until combined and smooth. Using a large spoon or spatula fold in the oats and cherries.
4. Line a 9" bread pan with foil and spoon in the oatmeal bar mix. It's thick so you have to kind of smoosh it into the corners. Baked until it starts to brown at the edges, 20-25 minutes. Remove from the pan by grabbing the edges of the foil and place the whole thing on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes before cutting into rectangles. Once completely cool, store in airtight container for 2-3 days.

Notes

1. Keep in mind, this recipe was developed waaaaay up high!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan?

Adapted from Epicurean Vegan

Adapted from Epicurean Vegan

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was provided with free product to review but the opinions are 100% mine!

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Here’s another veganization from my “before” life: Creamy Chipotle Corn Sauce! Although I can’t find the original recipe (which was definitely not vegan), I was able to come up with this version from memory. It’s spicy, and creamy and just a little bit sweet from the corn.

I served it on grilled tofu, but it would also be delicious on any kind of tofu, or with seitan, or roasted or grilled veggies. I in inadvertently had it mixed with jasmine rice and it was freaking delicious!

No matter what you put it on, it’s a great way to fancy up something that you’re maybe not to excited about. I get that way with tofu sometimes, and fun, delicious sauces like this help.

You know what else is supergreat about this recipe? It’s made with Vegenaise! They sent me a couple jars and asked me to participate in their #MayoKarma campaign. You can read more about it here, but the gist is: Better Taste, a Better You, and a Better World. A delicious product that is better for you, and is made without harming all those poor chickens. Win-win-win, right?

Creamy Chipotle Corn Sauce

2014-10-09 10:21:25

Serves 4

A creamy (slightly) spicy sauce perfect on almost anything!

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Prep Time

10 min

Total Time

10 min

Prep Time

10 min

Total Time

10 min

Ingredients

1. 1 cup sweet corn kernels, halved
2. 1/3 cup non-dairy milk
3. 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, roughly chopped, plus 1 teaspoon of the sauce
4. 1/3 cup Vegenaise
5. Dash of sea salt

Instructions

1. In your blender, pulse 1/2 the corn with the milk pepper and adobo sauce until mostly smooth.
2. Combine with the rest of the corn, the mayo, and the sea salt. You can use at room temp OR heat in the microwave for just a few seconds.

Notes

1. If using frozen corn, defrost and drain completely

By Barb@ThatWasVegan?

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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You know I love smoothies (with beets, with cabbage, it’s all good), but sometimes I don’t feel like making them at home. Or cleaning up the mess after! Those are the times when I’d much rather stop my my local juice/smoothie bar and let them do the hard work. The problem, of course, is that most smoothie places use dairy products in their drinks so you have to be careful when ordering… Which is the beauty of Nekter Juice Bar – There are no animal products on their menu! The only milk they use is cashew milk, how perfect is that?

Their menu is separated into 3 main categories: Juices, Smoothies, and Açaí Bowls (they also offer specialty drinks/shots, and cleanse programs). We started with what I will now proclaim to be the most delicious thing on their menu, the PB Bowl: A nourishing blend of peanut butter and strawberries gives this bowl a boost of delectable flavors reminiscent of a PB&J sandwich, without the bread!

The bottom layer is basically a really thick, Açaí based smoothie made with bananas, strawberries, peanut butter, vanilla bean and cashew milk. It’s so thick, it’s almost like eating really healthy ice cream. The next later was a slightly sweet hempseed granola, topped with fresh fruit. 

I’d describe it as a sundae you can eat for breakfast! The peanut butter and strawberry combo was rich without being over the top. It was a really comforting flavor, because you did sort of feel like you were eating a PB&J. I’d go back in a nanosecond for another PB Bowl!

Now, normally a person would just order a bowl OR a juice OR a smoothie, not all three… and the bowl was very filling (it really would make a meal on its own), but since I had been invited there to review the whole menu, I had to push on (tough job, right?)…

Next up was The Buzz juice: Carrot, orange, lemon and ginger:

We have a juicer at home but hardly ever use it because it’s so messy, so getting to enjoy fresh juice like this is a treat. The Buzz promises an instant buzz of energy, and I will say that citrus and ginger flavor really did perk me up! After that we made short work on the Banana Berry Burst smoothie (the purple one above), made of fresh whole berries, banana, raw vanilla beans and cashew milk. It was so thick and creamy, I loved it (although I couldn’t finish it, so it went home with me to spend the night in the fridge). Those banana berry combos are the ones I always want when I go to a smoothie shop, but they usually have yogurt or something in them, so it’s been a long time since I’ve actually had one!

In addition to their fresh products, Nekter also offers pre-packed juices, cleanses, and other snacks to round out your healthy meal:

I hadn’t noticed while I was there, but there are small single-serve dairy milk packages in their refrigerated case, but it’s okay since they’re not using it in their smoothies! They also have boxed water, apparently, and I’m not even sure what that is.

I wish I had gotten more/better shots of the store’s interior, because it was really beautiful, very light, bright and contemporary. I also have to give a shout-out to Alexa and Tiara who were working yesterday and took such good care of us!

And I have some good news- Nekter is a chain, so there might be one near you! They’re all over California, Texas, and Arizona, and they now have two locations here in Colorado as well (Greenwood Village and Boulder).

 *I was provided with free product to review, but the opinions are 100% mine!

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You guys know how I love to review restaurants with options for everyone, and Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs on East Colfax in Denver is exactly that kind of place! Obviously they have a ton of omni options, as most places do, but they also have a surprising number of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as gluten-free, all of which are clearly marked on their menu! When I was in earlier this month I actually got to sit down with the owner, Steve, and grill him (ha!) a little bit. He takes a lot of pride in offering so many choices for all kinds of eaters. He’s also very honest and upfront about the possibility of “cross-contamination”, although they do make all reasonable efforts to avoid it. Veggie dogs are cooked on their own corner of the grill, etc. Works for me! They have a small indoor eating area, as well as an outside(ish) area with picnic tables and even a water bowl for your doggy friends.  Because of course a hot dog joint would be dog friendly, right?

I actually ate here once or twice years ago, but hadn’t been back in a while until a friend reminded me of it. Then I ate there twice in one week…

On my first trip I had the regular Veggie Dog, loaded with red onions, mustard, and relish. And ketchup. About a gallon of ketchup that I waited to add until after I took the picture because you literally wouldn’t have been able to see the dog, haha. On the side I had Fried Carrots & Green Beans instead of fries:

The veggie “fries” were crunchy and salty and really good! The hot dog was delicious too, and the bun was all hot and toasty. Yum!

On my second trip I got a little fancier and ordered the Chicago Veggie Dog which had tomatoes, a pickle, spicy mustard, relish, and celery salt. It was enormous and hard to eat, but really good! I also had the Sweet Tots and maybe stole a couple fries…

The fries and tots were both perfectly fried and completely addicting. I can’t wait to go back for more!

Steve’s in located at 3525 E. Colfax Ave AND now at DIA, Concourse B. I highly recommend you stop by one location or the other and get your veggie dog on!

Want more Denver-area restaurant reviews? Check out my Mile High Vegan Eats page!

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Kimchi, Pasta and Bacon, oh my!

Seriously you guys, if I was able to come through your computer screen and force you to make something for dinner tonight, it would be this Creamy Vegan Kimchi Pasta with Bacon! Just looking at these pictures while I write this post is making my tummy growl.

I love me some kimchi, but it turns out I love it even more when it’s paired with bacon, sauteed garlic, and some super creamy sour cream. I can barely describe how well these flavors work together!

Each bite was like a big flavorful punch in the mouth… But in a good way!

As the weather turns colder I find myself craving pasta more and more, and this is a really great way to keep it from getting boring. Plus finding vegan kimchi is pretty easy these days, so you don’t need to worry about making it yourself. I’ve actually never even attempted to make it myself because, honestly, it seems like a huge pain in the lady-balls. Much easier to just hop on down to my local Whole Foods (or Sprouts, Natural Grocers, etc) and pick up a jar. Plus, that way you’ll have a little extra to make some Kimchi Relish for your veggie dogs!

Okay, that’s my spiel. Please just promise me you’ll try this dish the next time you’re craving pasta! Not convinced yet? Ok, here’s one last look…

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Creamy Kimchi Pasta

Korean pasta? YES!

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 8 oz your favorite bite-size pasta
• Olive oil
• 1/2 red onion sliced
• 2 cloves garlic diced
• 4 strips vegan bacon I used lightlife smart bacon, thinly sliced
• Sea salt
• 1 1/4 cups Kimchi roughly chopped
• 1 cup non-dairy unsweetened milk
• 2 tablespoons vegan sour cream
• 1/2 cube 'not-chicken' or veggie bouillon
• Chopped scallions for topping if desired

Instructions

• Cook pasta per package directions.
• In a large pan, saute the onion, garlic and bacon in the oil, and sprinkle with a bit of salt, for 7-8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the remaining ingredients, stirring until thickened and heated through. Stir in the pasta, top with the scallions, and serve immediately!

Notes

If you have applewood smoked sea salt, sprinkle a bit of that on the bacon, onion and garlic while they're cooking!

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Looking for a hearty breakfast that will keep you full all morning? Something that will fuel your for a nice long hike, or perhaps just something you can make ahead of time and throw in the oven for guests? Well, how about some Tex-Mex Breakfast Casserole!?

There’s so much in there… Tofu scramble, kale, potatoes, tomatoes, corn tortillas, and Daiya cheese.

Layer upon layer of vegan goodness:

I made this a couple weeks ago and we had it for breakfast before hiking Stanley Canyon. If you live along the front range you’ve probably heard of this hike… It starts on the US Air Force Academy and it is guaranteed to kick your butt. It reminded me a lot of Mt. Bierstadt because it was so steep and rocky, but it was (thankfully) much shorter.

And because I eat plant strong breakfasts like THIS casserole, I was ready. See?

Yes, I’m a total goofball. But you guys already knew that!

Okay, casserole. I started with a batch of tofu scramble and just went from there.  You can make it as spicy as you like, add in whatever veggies are calling your name, and it’s all good. Sweet potatoes and black beans would be amazing in there as well!

Tell us: Do you like big hearty breakfasts, or are you more likely to stick with a smoothie, or maybe some oatmeal?

Tex-Mex Breakfast Casserole

2014-09-22 09:58:17

Serves 6

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Ingredients

1. 1 batch tofu scramble (with kale!) (Also I skipped the sausage in this, but that's up to you!)
2. 1 medium/large russet potato
3. Oil for cooking potatoes (if desired, you could also use water)
4. 10 oz can red enchilada sauce
5. 2 tomatoes, chopped
6. 10 corn tortillas
7. 2 cups Daiya shreds (I mixed mozzarella and cheddar)
8. Non stick spray

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray casserole dish lightly with no-stick spray
2. Wash and chop the potato, and cook in a pan over medium heat with just a bit of oil till tender on the inside and crisp on the outside, then stir into the tofu scramble.
3. In your casserole dish, layer in this order: 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce, tortillas (3, torn in half for best coverage), half the tofu mixture, 1/3 of the tomatoes, 1/3 of the cheese.
4. THEN: 1/2 the remaining enchilada sauce, 3 tortillas, the rest of the tofu mix, 1/2 the remaining tomatoes, another 1/3 of the cheese. Finally, top with the last 3 tortillas, the rest of the sauce, tomatoes and cheese.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes, with a minute or so at the end under the broiler to melt the cheese in necessary. Enjoy!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan?

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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I was invited to dine at the brand new Seasons 52 Fresh Grill in Lone Tree last week, and it turns out that I am The. Luckiest. Girl. In. The. World. It was amazing you guys!

I barely even know where to begin.

If you frequent Park Meadows then you’ve seen the building… brand new, prairie-style (think Frank Lloyd Wright), and very fancy on the inside. It’s where Champs used to be, although they tore down that building and started from scratch. We went on a Friday night and the place was packed, yet the acoustics are such that you can whisper to the person sitting next to you, and they can hear you perfectly. Try doing that in a crowded bar anywhere else and see what happens! (Nothing happens, because they didn’t hear you…). The finishes are all high end, it’s beautiful and romantic, and absolutely perfect for a special night out!

If you’re not familiar with Seasons 52, they’re all about offering seasonal, sophisticated dishes with an eye toward health. They change their menu four times a year, and each dish has 475 calories or less. They also offer multiple special menus: Vegan, Vegetarian, Sodium-Friendly, Gluten-Sensitive, Garlic-Sensitive, and Lactose/Dairy Sensitive. This makes me very happy. It’s so nice to sit down with the vegan menu and see all my options laid out before me, rather than having to grill the server about how dishes are prepared. And speaking of the servers, the service was amazing. They had only been open for about three weeks when we went it, but it was running so smoothly you’d have thought they had all worked there together for years!

And now, the food…

We started with a couple of the New Old Fashioned: Breaker Craft Bourbon, Apple Bitters, and just a hint of cherry. And rock candy. Seriously. It’s for stirring the drink, so you can sweeten it up a little. Or you can let it soak in the bourbon for a few minutes then crunch away at it, like I did. One of the best drinks I’ve ever had.

Pre-dinner drinks were accompanied by Artichoke Flatbread topped with leaf spinach, balsamic onions, and roasted peppers:

Then I had the Butternut Squash Soup, topped with shiitake mushroom chips (tasted like bacon!) and chives. This was the best dish of the night. Of the week, actually. It was sweetened with apple and it blew my mind. I might have licked the bowl.

For my main course I had the Cedar Plank Roasted Tofu with broccolini, baby carrots, and roasted crushed potatoes. I was a bit skeptical, thinking this was just a silly knock-off of the salmon version, but I was wrong. The tofu was seasoned perfectly and I really could taste a hint of cedar in there!

My lucky date chose the Vegetarian Tasting plate, which included quinoa-citrus salad, a soft taco, veggies, and some of the cedar-roasted tofu, but with a tropical salsa on top. This is the taco… Have you ever seen anything as precious as that little taco holder?

Everything was seasonal, fresh, and wonderfully prepared. It was a very special meal and we felt like honored guests. The only part of the meal that was less than perfect was dessert. The only vegan item they had on the menu was Fresh Blueberries. They were great, but we saw the dessert tray the rest of the restaurant got to choose from (aka: not vegan), and we were very jealous. I think they could easily have taken those blueberries and added some sweet cashew cream and maybe a graham cracker crust? That would’ve made my night! So, if anyone from Seasons 52’s corporate office is reading this, please consider adding more vegan dessert options!

Want more Denver-area restaurant reviews? Check out my Mile High Vegan Eats page!

 *I was provided free product to review, but the opinions are 100% mine!

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This post is ridiculously overdue. Like, if it were a library book, I’d owe at least $20 bucks.

My friends over at So Delicious sent me some of their new almond-based products a few months ago to try. You did know they’re doing almond now, didn’t you? Well they are, which means they now offer products made with coconut, almond and soy… a little something for everyone!

Now, I personally tend to go for the coconut based milks, creamers and ice cream because I love the coconut flavor, but I know a lot of people prefer the almond because the taste is milder. Most almond milk products also have fewer calories, if you’re into counting those.

I tried the creamer first. I’m not a huge coffee drinker, but I ordered one just so I could add the French Vanilla to it, and it was delicious! Flavorful and smooth, I’d definitely buy that flavor if I was planning to serve coffee at home. I shared with Original with a friend at work who is a big coffee drinker (but who eats dairy), and she gave it two thumbs up! She actually preferred that it didn’t have a strong coconut or soy taste to it.

And then there was the yogurt…

I’m not a huge fan of yogurt and I hardly ever buy it. I shared most of these at work, but I did keep the strawberry for myself. I ended up bringing it with me to brunch at a local restaurant one Sunday. They have a huge bowl of granola and fresh fruit on their menu that I thought would be excellent with some vegan yogurt… and I was right! I was also mad at myself for giving away all the other yogurts 😉  The Strawberry was thick and creamy and really delicious!

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It’s been said that I can make a taco out of anything. And it’s probably true. In this case I grilled an avocado and an ear of corn, chopped up a handful of cherry tomatoes, and Boom.  Tacos.

These tacos are the perfect way to hold on to the tail end of summer. They’re quick and light enough for a nice weekend lunch, and filling enough for dinner. And ridiculously simple. As in, ‘not even an actual recipe to follow’ simple.

Shuck one ear of corn down to the last couple of layers, and let soak in cold water for a few minutes, then grill over medium for about 20 minutes. You could also boil or cook however you would normally! While it’s cooking, chop up 2 big tomatoes or a whole mess of smaller ones and set them aside.

Then, slice a ripe avocado in half, remove the pit, brush with a bit of lemon juice and olive oil, then grill for 2-3 minutes over medium heat…

(Recognize that cutting board?)

As soon as you have nice grill marks, chop that beauty up and add to your taco shells along with the corn and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy! One ear of corn and one avocado will make about 4 tacos.

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