Vegetarian Sushi Secrets

I can't even tell you how many times I've told someone I was going out for sushi only to have them reply, "Sushi isn't vegan." I'm always amazed at how many people don't realize vegetable sushi is a thing. In fact, contrary to popular belief, "sushi" does not mean "raw fish." The word actually refers to vinegarized rice combined with other ingredients (which can mean anything from fish to veggies to fruits or whatever).

Most sushi places, however, only offer a slim selection of veggie sushi — the standard cucumber roll, avocado roll, or mixed vegetable roll. If I'm lucky, I'll find a place with tofu inari or natto roll. I do make sushi at home occasionally, but even then, I get stuck in the same boring ruts the restaurants do. But not anymore! Fellow Memphian/sushi pro Marisa Baggett has just released her latest sushi book, Vegetarian Sushi Secrets, and it's filled with creative recipes for authentic veg-friendly sushi.

This is Marisa's second sushi cookbook. Her first was called Sushi Secrets, and it was filled with more traditional fish-based sushi recipes. But Marisa, a trained sushi chef, said she wanted her follow-up book to be all about "debunking that all-too-familiar myth that sushi must contain raw fish." And debunk she did! This book is loaded with inspired recipes for thin sushi rolls, thick sushi rolls, inside-out rolls, hand rolls, soups and appetizers, and even desserts! But the very best part is the entire chapter dedicated to my favorite sushi — inari (those deep-fried tofu pockets filled with vinegar rice and other toppings).

This book isn't for the throw-it-in-the-microwave convenience cook. Most all of the recipes call for homemade sauces or condiments that must be made from scratch first. I selected a few recipes for a sushi night at home, and I got a head start the day before by making all of my sauces ahead of time.

I picked one traditional nori-wrapped roll — the Summer Corn and Pickled Okra Rolls. This was just before the summer ended, and corn was still sweet and juicy. I used homemade pickled okra that my granny canned a couple summers ago. These also contained toasted sesame seeds, carrot, and bell pepper. And unlike many recipes in this book, there were no special sauces required. Just homemade sushi rice and veggies! The pickled okra added just the right twang, and I was able to skip my usual pickled ginger.

From the inari chapter, I went with the Spicy Carrot and Tomato Inari Sushi. This was my favorite thing from the book! The tofu pockets are stuffed with a sesame-flavored sushi rice with chopped carrots and homemade chia seed togarashi (a mix of chia, sesame, and hemp seeds with spices). Then it's topped with fresh tomato. Perfection!

For my appetizer, I picked the Cold Tofu Trio. It's three recipes in one — each for different toppings for silken tofu. This recipe was complex because it required making several homemade sauces — amazu sauce, vegetarian eel sauce, vegetarian dashi, and ponzu sauce. And I'm sure you could skip a couple of sauces to save time (or purchase pre-made sauces), but the homemade versions really lend so much flavor. 

The first tofu dish in the trio was topped with fresh grated ginger, daikon, carrot, and amazu sauce (rice vinegar, vegetarian dashi, and sugar). I loved the amazu sauce on my tofu, but I wasn't crazy about the fresh ginger. Next time, I'll use pickled. The fresh was too potent for me.

The second tofu dish was topped with ponzu sauce, tomatoes, and green onion. I really loved the citrusy soy sauce with the bland, cold tofu and veggies. Probably my favorite of the bunch. By the way, I used homemade silken tofu for these dishes (not in the book but from a make-your-own tofu kit that had been lurking in my pantry for months).

Finally, there was a tofu dish topped with vegetarian eel sauce and fried onions. The "eel" sauce was sweet and savory with a hint of booziness (thanks to rice wine, which I subbed for the sake in the recipe -- mostly because I didn't want to buy a whole bottle of sake for a few tablespoons when I already had rice wine in the pantry).

This is an awesome book, and I feel like it has potential to truly step up my sushi game. Even though making all the homemade sauces takes more time, they really do lend the dishes an authentic flavor that you don't get from nori alone. I've never had non-vegan sushi because I wasn't exposed to sushi at all until I was an adult. People just didn't eat stuff like this in small-town Arkansas in the 1980s and 90s. But I'd imagine this stuff is closer in flavor to non-vegan sushi than most veggie sushi.

36th Birthday Witches' Ball & Pumpkin Potluck

Last night, I shared pictures of the food I ate on my actual birthday, which was Sunday. But tonight, I've got pictures from my birthday party, which I hosted at my house on Saturday night. Since the Blood Moon was full this weekend, I thought it'd be a perfect time to get all witchy! So we had a Witches' Ball and Pumpkin Potluck. Everyone was supposed to dress like a witch and bring a vegan pumpkin dish. And for the most part, everyone did! There were lots of witches' hats and black clothing. And plenty of delicious pumpkin dishes — both savory and sweet.

Here's a shot of the potluck table before a few more dishes were added. Every potluck has a couple of stragglers.

I made three dishes for the potluck. One was this Baked Penne Pasta with Pumpkin Cream Sauce form Julie Hasson's Vegan Casseroles. It has a creamy cashew-based sauce with canned pumpkin, garlic, and spices. It's topped with a buttery breadcrumb topping.

And I made these Butternut Squash Spring Rolls with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds from Veganomicon. These were really yummy and very different from other spring rolls I've had. You roast a squash and just add the cooked, cooled squash to the rolls, along with rice noodles, cilantro, and toasted pumpkin seeds. It was served with a soy-sesame dipping sauce.

I also made these Chickpeas in Baskets from Fall Fomo No Mo. Super cute little vegan quiches made with a chickpea flour/black salt filling in pumpkin biscuit crust.

Don brought over some amazing Pumpkin Cashew Cheese with homemade bread. He's truly mastered the art of vegan cheese-making.

Nicole made this Pumpkin Potato Curry dish that had Indian spices, raisins, and peas. It reminded me of aloo gobi but with pumpkin instead of cauliflower. Lucky for me, she left all of the leftovers at my house!

Diane also brought a pumpkin curry. Hers was a Spicy Thai Curry with Pumpkin over Mixed Grains. This had a great flavor and it was served atop a mix of brown and red rice and other grains.

Shara made this amazing Roasted Cauliflower Pumpkin Swirl Dip from Happy Healthy Life. I adore cauliflower, and this was so good. She left me a bunch of it and the rest of the pita chips, so I've been eating it all weekend.

Mike always brings his homemade chex mix to parties, and it's typically spicy. But for this party, he made Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix, which was lightly sweet with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.

I somehow accidentally deleted the close-up shot of Melissa and Anthony's Sweet Potato Bake, but it was beautiful. Spice-coated orange sweet potatoes roasted with red and green bell peppers. And I failed to photograph Misti's Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dip with Apple Slices, but it was great. I have a little leftover for breakfast this week!

Pam made this sweet Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll. It kind of fell apart as she rolled it, but it still tasted amazing. I think this was one of my favorite things of the night! The bread was so soft, and it was only slightly sweet.

Shay made Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bread. Perfection! This moist loaf was flecked with bits of chocolate. I couldn't have eaten this whole thing. Sad there were no leftovers.

The highlight of the night, though, was my birthday cake baked by my friend Stephanie, aka Poopie Bitch from the PPK (RIP, PPK ... sadness). I had asked her to make her pumpkin insanity bars, so that's what I was expecting. And I was thrilled and surprised when she showed up with this cake!

I was even more excited when we cut into the cake! She made me a vegan ice cream cake, y'all!!! I haven't had ice cream cake since I was a little kid, and I love it so much. This was a pumpkin cake with Ben & Jerry's Coffee Caramel Fudge almond milk ice cream and a vegan whipped topping. I am SO GLAD I have two slices left of this in my freezer.

Such a fun party! I also made a Witches' Brew Cocktail with vodka, OJ, and pom-blueberry juice, but I failed to take pictures of that. And I got lots of amazing gifts. Here's my gift spread from the party! Mandala coloring books, a vintage Oreo cookie jar, crazy pink sunglasses, a cat finger puppet, a handmade Arkansas painting, a sodalite pendulum, a cat/waning moon necklace, a bunch of Soy Curls (Jennifer got me six bags!), a Contigo Purity Glass water bottle, a six-pack of assorted high-gravity craft beers, a bottle of wine, a birthday wine glass, a unicorn doll, an evil unicorn horn (it's covered in fake blood!), and some Hello Kitty toys. 

My 36th Birthday!

Okay, I know I promised last week to do another Stuff I Ate round-up with doughnuts and stuff. But I ended up staying up late Thursday talking with my friend Autumn, and it was just too late to blog by the time she went home. So I'll do that round-up later this week. But today is my 36th birthday! Here's my obligatory birthday selfie. I take one of these every year.

I had a pumpkin potluck last night to celebrate, and I'll be posting all those pics tomorrow. But today, I thought I'd stick with my real birthday eats.

This morning started with vegan brunch, of course! Midtown Crossing Grill, which is just down the block from my house, launched a test-run of vegan brunch this morning. So Paul, Stephanie, and I walked over there to give it a try.

I ordered the Tofu Scramble with potatoes, onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, and vegan cheddar. It was served in a piping hot cast iron skillet! Very tasty!

I also ordered the Vegan Biscuits & Sausage Gravy. The fluffy biscuits were covered in a savory gravy with finely crumbled veggie sausage. Loved this.

And the best part? Midtown Crossing has a full bar! And they had vegan Bloody Marias (that's like a bloody mary but with tequila instead of vodka). Typically, bloody marys have worcestershire sauce, which contains fish. But these bloody marias were made with fresh tomato juice. Just what I needed this morning.

After brunch, Paul and I headed to my parents' house in Arkansas for birthday dinner, presents, and cupcakes. Here we are at their house!

I asked my mama to make me tacos! So she set up a taco bar with all the fixins (vegan cheese, guac, salsa, cilantro, jalapenos, tomatoes, lettuce, and sour cream). 

She made refried beans and Spanish rice from scratch. So good! Here's my taco plate!

And Frozen Margaritas! My mama knows how to throw a proper taco party.

For my birthday cake, she made me these Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes from the Minimalist Baker! We ate them with Ben & Jerry's PB & Cookies vegan ice cream.

My dad gave me money to buy new running shoes! I'm long overdue for a new pair of Brooks Ghosts, and my mama gave me a bunch of running shirts, some long workout pants, and a couple of pullovers and jackets for those soon-to-come cold winter runs.

We drove back to Memphis just after dark and stared at the beautiful full Blood Moon all the way home. How cool to have a full moon birthday! Paul and I are about to crack open this bottle of Turtle Run Le Subereux Aux Pinot de Corton that I picked up the Turtle Run Winery in Indiana this summer. I've been saving it for a special occasion, and what's more special than a birthday?

I'll be back tomorrow with potluck party pics!

Stuff I Ate: Workout Edition

When I was pulling out pics for this week's Stuff I Ate post, I realized I had a bunch of pre- and post-workout meal pics and a bunch of totally junk food meal pics. So I figured we'll go healthy tonight with a round-up of workout-related meals, and tomorrow, I promise to give you doughnuts and gravy (not in the same meal though because gross).

Last Saturday, I ran 18 miles! That's my longest distance yet. I'm training for the St. Jude Marathon in December, and it'll be my first. I'm a super-slow runner, and 18 miles takes me about fours, so fueling is very important. I've started experimenting with having oat cups before my long runs because they're perfectly portioned and fun to eat. They leave me filling satisfied for at least five miles. But after last weekend's run, I realized that I need to add some fat. So next weekend, I'll have oats with nut butter. These Kroger brand Moroccan Spice Oats were spiced with cinnamon and ginger. Yummy.

During my long runs, I need lots of snacks. I like to have a gel or bag of energy chews every five miles. Not only do the carbs digest quickly and give me energy, they also give me something to look forward to. I'm always telling myself, "If I can run just one more mile, I get a snack!" This Saturday, I packed a Clif Strawberry Gel, GU Salted Caramel Apple Chews (they're vegan!), and Huma Cafe Mocha Gel. Huma gels are made with chia seeds and real fruit, and they're definitely the healthiest of these three, but they're also the most expensive. And Huma doesn't make nearly enough flavors to keep me from getting bored. Also, while I typically love the GU chews, I wasn't crazy about this flavor. I'll stick with the fruity berry ones from now on.

After that run, I re-fueled with a thick and creamy Mocha Almond Butter Protein Smoothie — Vega Sport Mocha protein powder, unsalted almond butter, cashew milk, and banana.

Protein smoothies or FitQuick protein waffles or doughnuts are my usual post-workout go-to. But I've been mixing things up lately with some new protein foods. I found these Orgain Organic Nutrition Plant-Based Protein Shakes at a health food store in my hometown. They're yummy and great for on-the-go. I had one with a bagel post-workout last week.

I'm also loving Lenny & Larry's Complete Cookies. They're vegan and contain 16 grams of protein! I picked up a box of the White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies last weekend. I had one with a Sweet Tango apple after my Tuesday run. Cookies for breakfast! Yes please. This is why I run. :-)

Roasted Purple Potatoes

Avocado oil is fairly new to me. I'd never even heard of it until JL Fields started talking about using it on her blog, JL Goes Vegan, a couple years ago. I commented there that it sounded fascinating, and JL mailed me a bottle to try. She's basically the best! I quickly used up that bottle, and I haven't purchased any more, simply because it's still a little hard to find around here.

But CalPure shipped me a bottle of their Extra Virgin Avocado Oil to review, and now I'm all about the avo oil!

Avocado oil has a high smoke point, which makes it much more versatile than olive oil. The smoke point is the point at which the structure of the oil begins to break down, causing nutrient loss and the formation of dangerous compounds that can lead to free radical damage in our bodies. But since avo oil has a higher smoke point, it's safer for pan-frying or sauteeing, though I'd still avoid deep-frying with it.

Some avo oils have a neutral flavor, but this CalPure oil actually tastes just like avocados (similar to how unrefined coconut oil tastes like coconuts). It has a dark green color, just like the skin of an avocado.

I used some CalPure oil recently to make the simplest ever Roasted Purple Potatoes. The result was crispy oven-baked taters with a light hint of avocado flavor.

They're so simple that I feel silly even writing down a formal recipe, so here's an abbreviated version: Quarter 12 or so small purple potatoes (or any color of small potatoes). Toss them with 1 tbsp. avocado oil, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. sea salt, and 1 tsp. onion powder. Bake on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and outsides are golden. Enjoy!! With lots of ketchup!

Unpacking the October 2016 Goddess Provisions Box!

It's the one-year anniversary for Goddess Provisions! I signed up for this monthly subscription box of crystals, soaps, chocolates, candles, oils, and more last year before the first box went out. So I've never missed a box. I've even ordered a couple of special edition boxes — a crystal box and a Mercury retrograde box — from them over the past year. I'm such a fan, and I eagerly look forward to every box. My Goddess Provisions box is one of the highlights of my month!

Goddess Provisions started as a little side company of the folks who run Vegan Cuts, and it's still run by Jill and John. But it's not so little anymore! They've gotten all kinds of press and a huge social media following. So to celebrate their growth in a year's time, they made this month's box theme "Call in Abundance."

There's a Money and Abundance Oil by Behatilife, and it smells magnificent! It's a mix of bergamot (my fave), basil, and thyme that's been infused with reiki energy and quartz crystal. 

I'm so in love with the Evolution Salt Tealight Candle Holder. It's like a salt lamp but for a small candle! It's supposed to clear away negative energy and electronic smog. Also, it's just fun to lick because it's just a hunk of pink salt! Is that weird? I can't stop licking it. No telling where it's been.

There's a Crystal Bar Soap with exfoliating poppy seeds and a moss agate stone inside! Moss agate is a stone of abundance, so it's perfect for this box. The soap smells like green apple! It's probably the only bar of soap that I can't wait to use up because there's a treat inside.

I've been carrying the Moondani Natural Breath Mist in my purse. It's an herbal blend of cardamom, ginger, and fennel oils, and it seriously works when you have nasty onion breath after lunch. Unlike some breath sprays, this one actually lingers and works for a long time. I'd buy this again and again.

The Florapothecarie Chocolate Mud Mask smells AMAZING! I used this mask on Saturday night, and it seriously just wanted to eat my face. You mix the clay with water and spread it onto your face. It takes about 10 minutes to dry, and during that time, your face is all smelling like some delicious chocolate cake. Best thing ever.

Sadly, you probably shouldn't eat the mud mask. But the box did come with a food treat. This Nativas Naturals Superfood Bar in Cacao Cranberry! I had this before my 5-mile run this morning. Wholesome, hearty perfection.

Buy y'all know the real highlight for me is always the crystals! There's a crystal in every box, and this month, that was a Break-at-Home Geode! Here's a before picture.

And here's what it looked like inside after I smashed it with a hammer! 

Loved this box!! As always, here's the link to subscribe if you're interested. I'm a Goddess Provisions Ambassador, and I make a couple bucks if anyone subscribes using my link. Just so ya know, that doesn't mean my boxes are free. I pay the $33 a month just like everyone else, but I help them promote the boxes just because I think they're awesome.

Superfood Soups

It's soup season! As I've mentioned many times before, it's hard for me to get excited about fall, mostly because I'm not a cold weather person. But there is at least one good thing about cooler temps — SOUP! Truthfully, I eat soup year-round, but it does seem far more comforting when it's cold outside.

Julie Morris has come out with a new soup cookbook just in time for fall! It's called Superfood Soups, and it's filled with recipes containing health-promoting foods, like goji berries, hemp seeds, dulse flakes, and watercress. The hardcover book features beautiful, full-color pictures for most of the recipes.

There's a helpful intro on the basics of creating a superfood soup with lists of bases (like grains and legumes), liquids (like stocks, nut milks, or even wine), and add-ins (think leafy greens, nuts, vinegars, etc.). And Julie lists the Superfood Seven: medicinal mushrooms, sea veggies, green veggies, super berries, super roots, super seeds, and super grains. She goes into detail about the health benefits of all the superfoods she uses in the book.

There's a chapter on rejuvenating broths, chilled soups (probably better for summer), smooth and creamy soups, brothy and noodle soups, chowders and porridges, stews and chilis, and soup accoutrements. After much deliberation, I finally settled on this Sweet Potato & Maca Soup with Green Harissa from the chapter on creamy soups.

The superfoods in each recipe are clearly marked, and this one contained maca, chia seeds, and cilantro. It's topped with a green harissa made with fresh jalapenos, parsley, cilantro, lime, and olive oil. The harissa also contained optional wheatgrass powder, but I didn't have that on-hand and didn't want to shell out the cash to buy any.

I always have maca around though! I'm a huge maca fan, and I often add it to chocolate-y or nutty protein smoothies. It gives me a boost of energy, and it adds a deep, earthy flavor. That earthiness in this soup complemented the sweet potato and spices (cinnamon, chili powder, nutmeg, and coriander). The green harissa on top was loaded with fresh garlic, so it really boosted the soup's flavor and gave it some added heat.

I already had most of the ingredients to make this soup on hand, so there was no expensive purchasing of hard-to-find, exotic superfoods. In fact, most (not all) of the recipes in this book are made with superfoods that you'd find at any grocery store. However, there are some recipes that call for strange things that may be harder to find, like cordyceps powder or dried yacon.

Other recipes that I'd like to try this fall: Tomato-Goji Soup with Fresh Basil, Green Juice Soup with Cucumbers and Rice, Caraway Cabbage Soup with Freekah Balls, and most importantly, the Superfood Ramen Bowl! The ramen bowl is loaded with goodness, like goji berries, yacon, and black soybeans, and it's topped with kale chips!! I'd have made it for this review if I only knew where to score some yacon slices. Oh well! Maybe I can order some?

I have a feeling Superfood Soups will help get me through these dark, cold months ahead!