Imagine Vegan Cafe Salad Dressings! In Jars!

Imagine Vegan Cafe in Memphis is my home away from home. Even in the midst of this pandemic, I'm stopping in almost every week to pick up takeout and say hi to the Jeffrey family (when they're working!).

Imagine is literally mom-and-pop-owned. Adam and Kristie Jeffrey opened the restaurant in 2011 when they had one kid and another on the way. Now they have five kids! They've been meeting Memphis' vegan junk food needs for years with vegan mozz sticks, fried chick'n drummies, BBQ nachos, vegan phillys, and so much more. Years ago, when they first opened, Kristie started making vegan ranch and "honey" mustard to serve with their salads and dippable items. It was so good that customers (myself included) begged them to bottle and sell their dressings. So they did!

Imagine has sold their ranch and honey mustard for several years now, but until recently, it was sold in a traditional salad dressing bottle. This stuff is super-thick and creamy, and getting the dressing out of the bottle was a task that required some patience (and maybe a butter knife). But they've switched to a new widemouth jar design, and I couldn't be happier about it! By the way, if you're reading this and do not live in Memphis, you can still buy their dressings on Vegan Essentials or at a number of small, vegan-friendly grocery stores around the country.

Just look how wide that jar is! And how creamy that dressing is!

You can fit an big serving spoon inside! Or if you're classy like me, you can dip your baby carrots (or French fries) right into the jar. No shame!

This stuff is an awesome treat on salads, but it's so much more versatile. This week, I've been enjoying the ranch on my salad wraps for lunch. This wrap has sauteed tofu, lettuce, carrot, red cabbage, celery, scallions, cucumber, pickled onion, green olives, and a generous serving of ranch.

I love using the honey mustard for a dip! I got some Dr. Praegar's Chick'n Tenders as a fun treat on my last grocery trip, and they're perfect for dipping in Imagine's honey mustard. I try to buy one fun plant meat each time I'm at the grocery store to have as a reward when I've been eating whole foods consistently for awhile!

Plant Bites Whole Food-Based Endurance Snack!

I've considered myself to be a whole foods, plant-based vegan for the past several years. Before that, I was a proud junk food vegan! Now I'll definitely still indulge in some Beyond Burgers or Gardein meats. I'll eat every vegan donut that comes my way, and when I dine out, all healthy bets are off. But I try to center my meals around whole foods most of the time.

Except when it comes to running. I tend to fuel pre-run with white bread bagels and fuel mid-run with sugary gels and gummies. I'm not giving up my bagels! But I've long wished for a healthier alternative to endurance fuel. Eating a sugary gel every 45 minutes gets old. And gross. But simple, fast-acting carbs are crucial when you're out on a long run. Dates and bananas work, but dates also get gross after a few. And try carrying bananas on your run!

Thankfully, No Meat Athlete has just released a new whole food, plant-based endurance snack called Plant Bites. These are made with 100% whole foods and combine dried fruit (for slow-burning fuel), fresh fruit (for quick-release energy), sea salt (for electrolytes), and superfoods (for anti-inflammatory support).

They sent me samples to taste test. Above are Mango + Banana, Fig + Triple Berry, and Date + Cherry. They only planned to release two of the three flavors, and after the test samples went out, they chose Mango + Banana and Triple Berry + Fig. Sadly, the Date + Cherry didn't make the cut, but I hope these bites are super-successful and they end up adding that flavor. I really liked that one!

I tried all three flavors out on an 8-miler at Herb Parson Lake in Piperton, TN (about a 40-minute drive from where I live in Memphis).

Mid-way through the trail run, I had one of each bites since three bites makes one serving. That's equal to about one gel or a one serving of gummies (3-5 depending on the brand).

You store these in the fridge or freezer, and even though they're soft, they keep their shape when wrapped up in your pocket. I stored mine (wrapped in plastic wrap) in the front pocket of my hydration pack. But they could also be stored in a shorts pocket.

After eating the bites, I felt that same revived feeling I get after having a gel or gummies but without the yucky, sugary mouthfeel. Gels are especially revolting! I like the flavor of gummies, but they tend to stick to your teeth. Plus, it just seems antithetical to fuel your healthy activity with candy. I love these Plant Bites snacks!

Follow @plant.bites on Instagram to stay on top of release news, or learn more on their website. 

My New Breakfast Routine!

If you've been reading this blog for very long, you might know I'm a bit obsessed with the No Meat Athlete podcast. They recently did an episode on what hosts Doug Hay and Julia Murray (the vegan, two-time Olympian blogger at Hooked on Plants) eat in a day, and I was so inspired that I decided to change my breakfast routine. For months, I'd been refueling immediately after my runs with white rice. And then an hour or so later, I'd have a protein smoothie.

But Julia mentioned that she liked to make a big smoothie after her run, drink part of it right away for post-run carbs, and then sip on the rest as a morning snack. For her breakfast, she made overnight oats and topped them with vegan yogurt, fruit, and granola. I love a change in routine every once in awhile, so I've been doing that for a week or so now. It's nice having a sit-down breakfast, and I enjoy the smoothie for my snack. 

On that podcast, Julia shared her recipe for granola (just mix oats, peanut butter, tahini, maple, pumpkin seeds, and raisins and bake on 325 for about 20 minutes). I made some of that and got some Kite Hill unsweetened almond yogurt for a topping.

The next day, I had the same oats, yogurt, and granola, but I topped with nectarines and blueberries!

And here's another bowl with bananas and blueberries.

Those were all really good, but my favorite combo was this morning's bowl. I skipped my smoothie, so I mixed Complement protein powder, plus some pumpkin puree, into my overnight oats. That's topped with cherries and cacao coconut nut butter (that I'll be reviewing soon!).

As for smoothies, most days those are my basic combo of bananas, berries, walnuts, flax seed, and spinach. Sometimes, I add mango or peaches. But one day last week, my power went out right after I woke up. And that meant no Vitamix! I decided to get my run in by Juice Bar in Cooper-Young, so I could stop in for a post-run smoothie/morning snack. Y'all, I don't even want to tell you how much I spent on this Matcha Green Smoothie, but it was too much!! I added vegan protein powder, and after the add-on cost and tip, well, let's just say I could have bought a meal for two for the cost of this one smoothie. Eeeek!

Fortunately, the power came on by late morning. There was some kind of electrical damage in my neighborhood. No storm or anything! The next day, I made a MUCH cheaper smoothie (pear, banana, ginger, spinach, flax, Complement protein), and I added a fancy Sugared Hempseed Rim (recipe from the No Meat Athlete Cookbook).

So far, I'm loving this new breakfast routine! I'm currently doing a run streak (when you commit to running at least one mile every single day), so there are no non-running days, but on my "rest days" (when I'm only doing that one mile), I tend to go for a different kind of breakfast, like a brekky sandwich or savory oats. But this smoothie and overnight oats routine is perfect for training days!

What I Ate Before My Virtual Half-Marathon!

Two weekends ago, Paul and I ran the Marathon Training Academy Social Distancing Race. Runners could choose their own distance, and we opted for a half-marathon. You can read about our virtual race here in last week's post. I'd planned to post my pre-race meals in a follow-up post the next day and forgot, so here's a late recap of what I ate the day before.

I'm a super-nerd about workout nutrition — carb-loading, endurance snacks, protein refueling. Love all that stuff! And I have a pretty tried-and-true pre-race day regimen that's been working for me for the past few years of half-marathons, full marathons, and even a 50K. That always starts with a smoothie! Smoothies are, in my opinion, the healthiest thing on the planet. You can fit your daily fruit, greens, flax, nuts, superfoods, whatever into one drink!

I used to make beautiful smoothies, all garnished up with fresh fruit and homemade coconut whip. But now I just make giant, not-so-pretty smoothies. Once you add greens and protein powder, you're more than likely going to end up with brownish drink that's not so hot to look at. This one had strawberries, banana, walnuts, flax, spinach, and Complement Protein. That's a pretty typical smoothie combo for me.

Lunch on pre-race day is always a big-ass salad. If you're having a smoothie for breakfast and a salad for lunch, you've pretty much checked all the important-to-eat-daily food boxes! This has romaine, carrots, red cabbage, beets, tomatoes, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, avocado-lime dressing, and toasted sesame seeds (they taste just like bacon bits!).

And dinner on pre-race day is generally a big plate of carbs! The pre-race pasta party is a time-honored tradition, but lot has been written about whether or not carb-loading the day before a race really helps. I don't have science to back me up, but I've been able to conquer many miles on pasta fuel. So I believe in it! When I was in high school, I found an old tee at the Salvation Army thrift store that said "I Run on Pasta Power," and I wore it all the time. I wasn't even a runner then! 

This pasta is topped with marinara, chickpeas, and mushrooms (from a can! Hey, it's a pandemic!). I had a big chunk of crusty white bread on the side. I try to stick with whole grains most of the time, but before a race, I reach for white bread, which breaks down as fuel faster. I also eat white bread bagels on race morning.

After we finished our very hot virtual run through Midtown and downtown Memphis, we celebrated with pizza and beer at a socially distanced backyard party. The next morning, I treated myself to a big ole plate of tofu scramble with a whole wheat English muffin.

Happy (Cream-Filled) Donut Day!

Before I begin tonight's regularly scheduled blog post, just want to remind people to make a donation to Black Lives Matter or your local bail fund, like Memphis' BLM Community Bail Fund through Mid-South Peace. Things need to change, and the time to change is NOW. No justice, no peace.

Darling Donuts Memphis, my coworker Lily's vegan donut business, is back and better than ever! She briefly stopped selling donuts at the beginning of the pandemic, but she's now offering delivery and slinging occasional donuts at French Truck Coffee and Imagine Vegan Cafe. This week, she offered a Bail Box — a half-dozen donuts for $15, all of which is donated to a local bail fund. It's probably too late to get in on that now, but she may do this again soon! You can place orders for regular donuts any time through Instagram.

Last week, Darling Donuts offered a special cream-filled box, and I had to get in on that! The order included four massive cream-filled donuts. Lily warned me that this box weighed several pounds, and she was right! These are beasts. 

There's Lemon Cream, Coconut Cream, Chocolate-Lemon Cream, and Chocolate Cream. I wasn't sure where to start, but lemon sounded super-refreshing, so I dove into the Lemon Cream first.

Y'all. This donut. Wow.

It was stuffed with a sweet lemon curd, and every bite was pure joy. I enjoyed this last Friday afternoon, and I made sure to take a break from working to really savor every bite. I wanted my full attention on that donut. 

The next day, after Paul and I ran our Social Distancing Half Marathon, I broke into the Coconut Cream, and this was my fave so far. I just love coconut so much, and this brought me so much joy.

I froze the two chocolate ones immediately, so I can enjoy them in their freshest state later. If you've ever wondered if donuts freeze well, the answer is yes. Just place them on a cookie sheet until they're hard, and then carefully place in a Ziploc bag. When you're ready to eat them, allow to thaw for a couple hours on your counter. 

Friday is National Donut Day, and you can bet your donut hole that I'll be enjoying one of these tomorrow. Maybe both?

Burgers & Brekky Sandwiches & ALL THE POTATOES

I went to a Black Lives Matter protest in Memphis last night. It was peaceful, and so many people from all backgrounds, races, and walks of life showed up. It was beautiful and heart-wrenching at the same time. If you can show up on the streets right now, do it! If you can't — because we ARE in the midst of a global pandemic — please make a donation to Black Lives Matter or your local bail fund, like the BLM Community Bail Fund through Mid-South Peace.  

Also, if you're in Memphis, there's another AMAZING way to donate to the bail fund mentioned above. This Friday, on National Donut Day, Darling Donuts Memphis is selling half-dozen donut orders for $15, and ALL PROCEEDS will go to our local bail fund. It's a win-win. Details on their Instagram.

I have to say, at first, I felt a little guilty food-blogging during this crisis. But I also know, from years of direct action for animal rights, self-care in these times is of utmost importance. And a major part of self-care is nourishing yourself with healthy vegan food. So I'll continue with regular food posts this week, but I also want to use this space to promote ways you can help if you are actually reading. If I have a platform, why not use it?

And now onto far less important stuff. I bought some Field Roast Burgers a couple weeks ago to grill for Memorial Day. I had some left, so here's a burger on an amazing LuLu's bun. I love these Field Roast burgers!

I had some leftover Smoky Potato Salad from The No Meat Athlete Cookbook on the side.

Speaking of LuLu's buns, I stopped by their new space in Puck Food Hall a couple Friday mornings ago for a to-go breakfast. I got this Brekky Sandwich with tofu egg, carrot bacon, and cashew cheese, served on one of their amazing buns. This is the best breakfast ever.

I also got a Strawberry Muffin to go, which I enjoyed later in the day with some cold almond milk.

I've been listening to the Engine 2 Podcast and getting some great whole food meal ideas, like Sweet Potatoes with Peanut Butter and Lime for breakfast!! Weird. But good!

And Paul and I have been having lots of potato parties at home! We're baking white or sweet potatoes and topping with all kinds of things. Here's one topped with leftover Engine 2 chili, vegan cheese, and avocado. Yum!

Tacos! BLTs! Pancakes!

Before I get into tonight's post, I just want to say that if you're wondering what you can do to help end State-sanctioned violence and end white supremacy, please make a donation to a local bail fund or to the national Black Lives Matter organization. If you're from the Mid-South, the local Black Lives Matter bail fund is here.

I don't celebrate Taco Tuesday EVERY Tuesday, but last week, I sure did! Global Café, an international food hall run by refugees/immigrants, usually focuses on dishes from Syria, Sudan, and Venezuela since that's where the chefs hail from. But the manager is a Mexican immigrant, and sometimes, he introduces specials to the menu. For the past few weeks, they'd been posting about their limited-time Black Bean Tacos, and I just had to have them!

There were four double-layered tacos in corn tortillas with the best black beans I've ever had. So well seasoned! I asked for avocado to be added, and I highly recommend you do the same if you're local and want to try these before they go off-menu.

Last Thursday, I went by Imagine Vegan Cafe for my weekly takeout. This time, I went with the BLTA and a Side Salad with Vegan Ranch. Their BLTA features crisp Smart Bacon on a toasted hoagie with lots of avocado and mayo. So good!

I'm slowly working my way through all the recipes in the No Meat Athlete Cookbook, and I finally got around to trying the Baked Deep Dish Apple Pancake. This breakfast cake is baked in a cast-iron skillet with the caramelized apples on the bottom. Really yummy! I had this as a weekday breakfast, but it'd be better suited for a decadent weekend brunch.

Here's my favorite brunch — Ramen with Tofu! Enjoyed in my PJs while watching Netflix as per usual.

And finally, here's an AMAZING Coconut Peanut Curry Tofu Noodle dish I made. I whipped up a coconut curry sauce using coconut milk, curry powder, peanut butter, garlic, and lime juice, and then I tossed that with air-fried tofu, rice noodles, and stir-fried veggies. I wish I had more leftovers!