Vegan Spam Fried Rice

I recently happened upon a little can of vegan spam at the Viet Hoa, my neighborhood Vietnamese market. 

I'd tried the Omni Foods vegan spam awhile back, but that comes frozen in a bag. This stuff, by Unmeat, comes in a can, just like the real thing. And it falls out in a blob! Yum! Haha.

Once I cut into the spam, I could see little flecks of something. I'm not sure what. But it's plant-based, so I don't really care what it is. 

Granted, it doesn't look that appetizing when it's uncooked. But it fried up nicely in a skillet! The can had a recipe on the back for Spam Fried Rice, so I made that because, honestly, I wasn't sure what else to do with it. I used brown rice (for balance!), and the dish also had carrots, corn, scallions, soy sauce, and sesame oil. A perfect pairing with the spam. 

This stuff tasted very much like I remember Spam tasting. I think it was closer to Spam, taste-wise, than the Omni Foods brand. But I think the Omni has a better texture. Both are good though! And I'd buy them again.

Full Moon, Friends, and Plantains for Brunch

A few of my Memphis Hash House Harriers friends and I gather for most every full moon, and the June Strawberry Moon was no exception. Our friend Grace graciously hosted and cooked us a lovely vegan dinner. Most of these gatherings just involve some wine and vegan cheese or snacks, but Grace went all out!

She made Vegan Risotto, Muhmmara with Veggies, and a Green Salad with a homemade dressing! The muhmmara is a red pepper-walnut spread that's a little like hummus but better! She even made, not pictured, Vegan Strawberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches for dessert!

Here's a recent brunch from The Liquor Store. The Cuban Platter comes with black beans, saffron rice, sauteed veggies, and the best-ever plantains. 

And I've been enjoying this Cauliflower White Bean Alfredo with pasta for weeks. I made a bunch of the sauce (using this recipe) and froze it. It's very high-protein with Complement plain protein powder, white beans, cauliflower, and lots of other veggies.