BBQ Bella, Beyond Burger, & More

This past weekend, a couple of Paul's best friends from high school flew in to celebrate his birthday (which is Tuesday), and they're both meat eaters. And when meat eaters visit Memphis, they want barbecue. I suggested Central BBQ because, not only are they known for their pork 'cue, they also have a vegan option! The BBQ Portabella Sandwich typically comes with slaw and cheese, but it's vegan if you leave those off. It's not the most exciting sandwich (portabellas rarely are), but it's nice to have an option. Most BBQ places here have nothing I can eat. And Central's homemade BBQ chips are awesome! Washed down with a Memphis Made Brew Junt for extra Memphis points.

Here's a recent Beyond Burger that I made at home. It's topped with Follow Your Heart provolone and served with truffled kettle chips from Bite Society. Those chips are seriously the best chips I've ever had.

Here's a not-so-pretty bowl, but this is what a lot of my meals look like. It's quinoa, pintos, steamed kale, canned beets, and tahini sauce. Simple and healthy.

And here's a delicious plate of pasta that I had one Friday night! The sauce was Wicked Foods Black Olive Pesto, which I mixed with some fun-shaped pasta from Nicoletto's (a Nashville-based pasta company), asparagus, mushrooms, and bell pepper. The Wicked Foods pesto is SO GOOD. It's kind of pricy, but I had some coupons so I stocked up on Wicked stuff.