Stuff I Ate

It's been a long time since I've shared a post of random meals, and I've got lots of photos in the back log. I'll share a few tonight and more throughout the week.

Here's a meal I ate just after Christmas. I had some leftover Crispy Tofu from Mulan, which I'd ordered on Christmas night. It's a cornstarch-coated, deep-fried salt and pepper tofu dish with minimal veggies, so I upped the veggie game and mixed it with sauteed broccoli, squash, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Served over brown rice instead of the white rice it came with. I always try to healthify leftover Chinese takeout on day two.

A couple days after Christmas, my friend Susan and I took a trip out to IKEA. It's not that far from Midtown, but it always feels like an adventure driving out east for a big IKEA day. It takes hours to work your way through the store, so we needed fuel. We grabbed the new IKEA Veggie Dogs at the concession booth in the front of the store. Y'all, these are 75 cents! The dog is made from veggies and tastes similar to the famous veggie balls. They're topped with pickled cabbage and fried onions!

Mid-way through the store, we stopped in the cafe for IKEA Veggie Balls! Served with quinoa and steamed veggies. So good. We also bought bags of frozen balls to take home. 

I picked up this Munsbit Oat Smoothie in the IKEA food store. It had apple, pear, and ginger and was perfect for a post-run snack last week.

Here's a bowl of Tofu Ramen I enjoyed for breakfast one morning over the holiday break.

And finally, this is the Green Salad at the cafe at Crosstown Arts. It may look like an ordinary salad, but this is thing of beauty. The homemade dressing that lightly coats the mixed greens, radish, green apple, and toasted pepitas is indescribably good. It's a big side salad, so I love to order this when I bring a small lunch to work that warrants a side dish.

Vegan S'mores Snowflake Party!

I love that magical time between Christmas and New Years Eve. I'm off work. Most of my friends are off work. I've got almost zero responsibilities. I can eat noodles all day, watch Netflix all night, go to parties on week nights, drink every day (in moderation, of course!). Of course those days are long gone now. But I most certainly got the most out of my holiday staycation.

On December 28th — just after Christmas and right before NYE — my friends Melissa and Anthony had a Vegan S'mores Snowflake Party at their house. The plan was to make s'mores, enjoy some spiked hot cocoa, and sit around a fire in their backyard. But when you get a group of vegans together, you know there's going to be a huge emphasis on food. Everyone brought a snack to share, and Melissa and Anthony went all out!

Here's a spread of chips and crudites with jalapeno-lime almond dip, kale pesto hummus, and salsa.

I made White Bean & Sundried Tomato Pate from Nava Atlas' Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Served with Sprouts whole grain flatbreads.

Melissa even made a Vegan Hot Dog Bar! She roasted hot dogs in the air fryer. We discussed roasting them in the fire, but a few people thought veggie dogs didn't do well in direct heat (I've always had pretty good luck with that though). She sat out pickled cabbage and fried onions (for IKEA-inspired dogs), plus relish and all the condiments. And she made tots!

Here's my hot dog and tot plate.

Jennifer brought Meyer Lemon Bars (yum!).

Anthony made Hot Cocoa, which we spiked with peppermint vodka and topped with Dandies. It was a VERY cold night, so this was much-needed.

I found the PERFECT beer — Shiner S'more!! This chocolate stout had a hint of graham and marshmallow flavors.

After we filled up inside, we went out back to sit by the fire and make s'mores. It was dark out, so my s'more pic was terrible. But here's a pic of host Melissa (and one of her friends whose name I cannot recall) roasting her marshmallows.

Here's Emily and Brandy!

Simon and Jennifer!

And me and Megan and Pam all snuggled up for warmth!

Vegan Junk Food Cookbook, Expanded Edition

I think you all probably know by now that I'm a self-professed junk food vegan, but I'm always on a mission to become a whole foods vegan. It's a constant struggle. The thing is, I love Chinese takeout, potato chips, ice cream, and pizza more than just about anything else in the world. But then I feel kinda gassy and low-energy after I eat too much of those things. So this year, I'm on a mission to find some real balance. I want to eat whole foods, plant-based 90% of the time with about 10% devoted to treats.

Books like Vegan Junk Food: Expanded Edition by Lane Gold can help me with that. I also own the original version of this. But this new edition has more recipes (200+!) for veganized versions of your favorite junk foods. Not everything is healthicized though, so you'll still find ingredients like vegan cheese, plant meats, and plenty of oil. And that's okay with me for sometimes foods. But this book also has some healthier versions of traditional non-vegan dishes too.

I tried the Sloppy Joes, made with lentils, carrot, and a tangy homemade sauce. This is the kind of whole foods-based dish that makes me feel good and fulfills a craving for indulgent foods.

I also tried the Baked Curried Sweet Potato Fries. These thinly sliced sweet potatoes are coated with a little oil (I cut the amount called for — 1 Tbsp — in half), curry powder, and coriander. They're baked until crisp. Simple and delicious. And not fried, for which my body thanks me. I love fried foods, but my digestion does not.

You'll find other healthy dishes like Tofu Eggplant Tikka Masala or the Sesame Tempeh Sandwich. But there are also plenty of more decadent treats like Baked Onion Dip (with vegan mayo, vegan cream cheese, and vegan mozz), Beer Brat-Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms (vegan brats! stuffed into mushrooms! amazing!), and fried Jalapeno Bacon Poppers (with vegan cream cheese).

The dessert chapters are equally impressive with Oreo Truffles, Peach Schnapps Cobbler, Potato Chip Cookies, and Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.

Whether you're aiming to eat healthier or just looking to get meat out of your life, you'll find something in this book!

The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook

Most vegan cookbooks these days are very tailored to one specific food genre or cooking method, which is awesome when you're looking for a specific kind of recipe. But what if you don't know what you want? That's where The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook comes in handy.

This book — collectively written by Emily von Euw, Kathy Hester, Linda and Alex Meyer, Marie Reginato, Celine Steen, and Amber St. Peter — contains 600 vegan recipes ranging from pasta to bowls to soups to sandwiches. Recipes are organized into Main Dishes, Slow Cooker/Instant Pot/Air Fryer, 30 Minutes or Less, Appetizers/Snacks/Sides, Soups/Salads, and Desserts.

There are only a few pictures, arranged in a spread in the middle of the book, so you'll have to use your imagination on most. But the names are pretty descriptive — think Oreo-ish Tarts: Vanilla Whipped Coco Cream with Chocolate Cookie Crust or BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich with Slaw and Caramelized Onions.

I've only had a chance to try one recipe so far, but it was perfection. These Air-Fried Tofu Rancheros kept me satisfied for several meals throughout the holiday break.

The only thing that's air-fried is the tofu, which is coated in taco spices before frying. And they have baking instructions too in case you don't have an air fryer. The tortilla is toasted in the oven with vegan cheese and black beans. Once it comes out of the oven, it's topped with raw, shredded zucchini, squash, and carrot, the air-fried tofu, and chopped tomato. I added hot sauce and extra salsa too.

Other recipes I have my eye on: Kimchi Tofu Scramble, Marinated Portobello Cashew Cheeseburgers with Herbs & Tomatoes, Mushroom Fajitas, Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta, Vegan Pretzel Bites, Vegan BLT Salad with Smoky Spicy Mayo, and a recipe titled A Smoothie for Emotional Strength (because who doesn't need that????).

Happy New Year Foods!

I hope y'all had a fabulous New Years Eve! I fully intended to blog yesterday since I was off-work, but my power went out around 1 pm and remained out through the night. It was magically on when I returned home from a NYE party at 2:30 am though. Symbolic much? The lights on 2018 literally went off for me, but 2019 is gonna be lit y'all!

Seriously though, I'm anticipating a pretty good year. After spending six months of 2018 unable to run thanks to two stress fractures, I'm excited to be back and training for a spring half-marathon. I said last year that 2018 would be the Year of the 50K. But of course that didn't happen. But 2019 will be my year.

I celebrated the end of a kinda crappy year last night with friends at The Big Gay Dance Party, a fundraiser for Friends for Life (a nonprofit that helps people access HIV/AIDS services and programs). I sat on the board of Friends for Life for six years, so it's a cause near and dear to my heart. The party was rad with lots of dancing, aerial performers, drag queens, and more. Here's me and my BGF (best gay friend) Andy. Unfortunately, Paul had to work in Nashville on New Years Eve and couldn't make it to Memphis.

This morning, I met friends for the Lulu's Memphis New Years Day pop-up brunch at Fuel Cafe. Fuel closed its doors as a restaurant in December, but they're still using the space for pop-ups. And my friends Don and Kenzie host Lulu's vegan brunch pop-ups often. I haven't missed one!

This one featured New Years Day "good luck" foods from the South and the Midwest. His Southern dish was a beer-braised black-eyed pea sandwich, which sounded delicious. But I had plans to make black-eyed peas at home later. So I opted for the Midwestern dish of Salt-Cured Tofu & Kraut, Roasted Potatoes, and a Sourdough Bun.

I'm sure my Midwestern readers know much more about this, but from what I've read online, pork and kraut are traditional New Years foods up there. I figure I've got double-luck now since I had a Southern luck dish later in the day. By the way, that bun was AMAZING. So soft. Don is a bread master.

I also ordered a side of Turnip Greens since I typically make cabbage for my New Years meal. That counts as luck insurance, right?

I brought a bottle of champagne to spike our OJ because New Years!

In the afternoon, I went my co-worker Caitlin's New Years Day party and snacked on some of their blackeyed peas, as well as some red wine and the most delicious roasted almonds. But I didn't take any pics.

For dinner, I made Hoppin' John Spring Rolls with Spicy Tomato Sauce! I made my usual Hoppin' John good luck New Years dish with blackeyed peas, brown rice, cabbage, and tomatoes. It's stuffed into rice paper and air-fried. So much more fun to eat this way!

Happy New Year! And hey, just in case you're wondering, I'm NOT doing a January reset this year! Crazy, I know. I've done a reset plan every year for the past nine years (or maybe more). But since I just wrapped up Health Made Simple in November, I don't feel like I need a reset now. I'm still following those whole foods guidelines most of the time!

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Meals and Fun!

I hope you had a lovely Christmas! I sure did. As always, I drove to my hometown of Jonesboro, Arkansas on Christmas Eve to spend the night with my parents. When I arrived around 3:30 pm that day, my parents already had Christmas Eve dinner ready! We decided to do a Feliz Navidad theme this year with tacos, chips and guac/salsa, charro beans, and Spanish rice.

Mexican food is my mom's fave, so we think we're gonna keep this going as a new tradition. We've never really done the traditional Christmas meal with casseroles and ham or turkey. We used to always get Chinese takeout, but it's hard to find places open in Jonesboro on Christmas Eve. And then last year, when I was going through my "binge-watching The Sopranos" phase, we did an Italian Christmas Eve dinner. But this was our fave in recent years. Of course, we also had margaritas (with extra shots of tequila!).

After dinner, I got to open my stockings! My dad went on a Vegan Essentials shopping spree and got me a ton of vegan jerky, some vegan ranch corn chips, and caramel corn. And my mom threw in some unicorn chip clips.

Then we watched Merry Friggin' Christmas with Robin Williams and Christmas With the Kranks. Around 9 pm, I headed over to my BFF Sheridan's father-in-law's house to do our annual gift exchange. Sheridan lives in Little Rock but grew up in Jonesboro with me, and we're both always in town for Christmas. Here we are surrounded by our gifts to one another!

One of my Sheridan gifts is always her homemade Vegan Zucchini Bread. It's seriously the best zucchini bread I've ever had, and it just wouldn't be Christmas without it. I had a slice when I woke up on Christmas morning.

That held me over until Mama was done cooking Christmas breakfast, one of my fave meals of the year! We enjoyed breakfasts of Biscuits & Gravy, Tofu Scramble, Seitan Bacon, and Hash Browns. My dad had eggs though, but my mom and I shared the scramble.

After breakfast, it was present time! I got some great gifts — lots of clothes and new jeans, some new boots, two new purses (including this cat bag from ModCloth), new wooden blinds for my living room (!!!), a new cast iron skillet, new coffee press, and more!

Here's my mom with Maynard. She's wearing her new Harley hoodie from Paul. Paul does Christmas with his family in Nashville, but he always sends gifts for my parents. And they send me home with gifts for him.

After we finished up with our gifts, my mom and I drove over to my Me-Maw's house to exchange gifts with her. My Granny was out of town for the holiday, but Me-Maw was here! If you've ever wondered what I'll look like in my 80s, here ya go. I look more like Me-Maw than any other relative.

When we returned from Me-Maw's, my dad had prepared us a veggie snack! He made Roasted Veggie Foil Packets with brussels, sweet potato, white potato, onion, and squash. He's quite the cook!

Shortly after snack time, I drove back to Memphis. I like to get back and get my presents/luggage put up before it gets too late. I have a little Christmas tradition of getting Chinese takeout on Christmas night, so after I got everything put away, I went to Mulan for a pick-up order of Crispy Tofu — dry-fried salt and pepper tofu with hot peppers and veggies. 

Washed down with a Terrapin So Fresh So Green Green IPA in my beloved Memphis AF pint glass. Merry Christmas!

Vegan Drinks Holiday Wine Party

I totally meant to blog about this yesterday, but I FORGOT!! This holiday break from work has my schedule all messed up (not complaining though), and every day feels like Saturday. And I don't usually blog on Saturdays, so ...

Anyway, here's what I meant to post yesterday. I'll share my holiday eats with the family in a special Saturday post tomorrow (if I remember). Last Saturday (almost a week ago!), we had our third annual Vegan Drinks Holiday Wine Party at Jennifer and Simon's house. Jen & Simon are long-time Vegan Drinks members who are gracious enough to open their house and offer up their wine stash to us every Christmas. It's a potluck, so everyone is supposed to bring a dish and a bottle of wine to share (or whatever other booze or non-booze they want to drink).

Here's Stephanie pouring a glass!

This year, I made Somer's Kick-Ace Vegan Cheeseball (recipe here). I've made this a bunch of times, but it'd been awhile. It's a cashew cheddar ball made with a base of coconut oil. Very good! This time, I used roasted cashews instead of raw because that's what I had on-hand. It made the cheese much nuttier but still delicious. It's rolled in slivered almonds.

I also brought some leftover Vegan Pimento Cheese from the cafe at Crosstown Arts. We had a work party a couple days before, and there was a whole bowl of this left. When everyone was leaving for the holidays, I grabbed it from the breakroom fridge so it wouldn't go to waste! Served with whole wheat pita and crudites.

Jen made a Tater Tot Casserole! After Megan brought a tot casserole to our vegan Thanksgiving potluck, we all made a group decision that we should never have a potluck again that doesn't involve tots! This has a gravy with veggies underneath (like a tater tot shepherd's pie).

Autumn brought BBQ Jackfruit and buns to make sandwiches!

Nichelle made the creamiest, dreamiest Caramelized Onion Dip (pictured), and Melissa brought her famous Spinach Dip (but she came a little later, and I failed to take a picture).

Shay is best-known for three things: banana bread, chocolate pumpkin bread, and PIZZA! This time, she brought pizza. Her sauce and crust is always homemade, and it's just perfect.

Stephanie brought Hello Dollies (also known as 7-layer bars) made with a graham crust, coconut, chocolate, and I'm not sure what the other layers are. But they're delicious.

Jennifer made Root Beer Cupcakes from Happy Herbivore, so they were oil-free (except for the frosting). Very good, and I felt good about myself for eating oil-free cakes at a party. 

Nicole made an Oat Berry Crumble using leftover oat berry bars from our cafe at work (Nicole and I work together, and she's the cafe manager). She crumbled the bars and then added some soy nog and baked it. Sounds weird, but it was very, very good.

Plate #1 shot! I failed to take a pic of plate #2 (the dessert plate).

Jen & Simon's dog Riley enjoyed all the company!

And so did their new kitty Bessie. Check out these cat ears that Autumn gifted me for Christmas.

Party shots!

Most everyone drank wine, but a few opted for beer instead. Like Simon, who actually DOES have a British accent.