My Favorite Breakfast

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day for me. I always wake up famished, and I must eat within an hour of waking or I feel like I'm going to die. So I prefer a hearty breakfast over a light one. Savory, warm morning meals are the way to go.

And while I love tofu scrambles and hash browns and the occasional bowl of peanut butter oats, nothing beats Biscuits & Sausage Gravy:

I used my recipes for Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage-Sage Gravy, both from my upcoming Southern vegan cookbook (due out in April). Simple, hearty, delicious. The sausage bits in the gravy are made from crumbled Gimme Lean, by the way. To make this breakfast easier, I make a batch of biscuits and a pot of gravy on Sunday night and re-heat each weekday morning. Since the gravy thickens in the fridge, I add a little soymilk or almond milk when I re-heat individual portions in the microwave.

At Imagine Vegan Cafe, Memphis' only vegan restaurant, they serve something called the Memphis Slam at brunch — biscuits topped with gravy, tofu scramble, sausage, and their homemade vegan cheese sauce. Nothing beats that breakfast.

What's your favorite breakfast?

Xmas at Me-Maw's

Every year on the weekend before Xmas, my mom's side of the family gathers at my Me-Maw's for an early holiday celebration. Although my Granny (my dad's mom) is famous on my blog for veganizing everything, my Me-Maw doesn't carry nearly as much for cooking and isn't so interested in learning to veganize.

But that's okay because my mom always makes me special vegan dishes to eat at Me-Maw's. This year, she made me an Asparagus, Rice, & Cheese Casserole using Daiya cheese. It was like a broccoli rice casserole, but with asparagus instead:

And she made another Hash Brown Casserole, which was my favorite dish this past Thanksgiving. Hash browns, mama's homemade cream of celery soup, Daiya cheese, and soy butter all baked together. Yum! It's topped with potato chips rather than the traditional cornflakes because we like it better that way:

Every year, my mama makes me a special batch of Vegan Dressin', the same stuff we eat at Thanksgiving. I only get her famous cornbread dressin' twice a year, and even though the two holidays are close together, I don't mind. Mama's dressin' is the best on the planet:

And there was Corn and Peppers with Earth Balance:

Mama also made a vegan cherry pie for dessert, but I scarfed my slice down before I remembered to take a photograph.

After lunch, we opened gifts. Me-Maw gave me a cute blue cardigan, which I wore today. And then we started a new tradition. I was desperately in need of a haircut, so I asked my cousin Melissa to bring along her hair supplies. After she trimmed my hair, my cousin's girlfriend Anna asked Melissa for a cut. And then Me-Maw said she needed one too:

And finally my cousin Kile got in line:

By the end of the evening, we all had full bellies and fabulous new haircuts. I see a new tradition in the works. From this year on, Xmas haircuts all around ... well, so long as Melissa agrees to it.

Low-Fat Tempeh Wings

I've eaten a lot of vegan wings in my day. Whether they're made from tofu, tempeh, seitan, or Gardein, they're always amazing. I love that rich, hot, buttery sauce that sticks to your fingers (and sometimes your chin). When I make homemade wing sauces, I always use equal parts hot sauce and soy margarine. And I use a LOT of margarine.

But little did I know that you don't really need all that fat to make delicious wings. Sure, it adds to the flavor, and maybe it's best to stick to full fat versions when serving a crowd. But the low-fat Buffalo Tempeh in Appetite for Reduction is perfect for everyday eatin':

The sauce on these tempeh wings substitutes vegetable broth for the soy margarine. It doesn't make for a thick coating like the margarine does, but that's okay because you marinate the tempeh in the sauce. And then while the tempeh is pan-frying, you pour any remaining marinade into the skillet and it absorbs into the tempeh.

I served my guilt-free wings with Leahey Gardens vegan macaroni & cheese and a hearty scoop of slow-simmered collard greens and turnips.

Cacao Riot!!

I like my chocolate like I like my beer: Dark. Really dark. So imagine my excitement when a surprise package arrived in the mail from Sweetriot, a New York-based chocolate maker that specializes in organic, fair-trade dark chocolate.

They sent me six of their new riotBars! Two each of their 60% Dark Chocolate with Crunchy Cacao Nibs, their 70% Dark Chocolate, and their 85% Dark Chocolate:

The first thing I noticed about these bars is the little "21 calories per square" printed on each label. As a calorie counter, I usually have to count the squares in each bar and do math to figure out how many calories are in a tiny square. And as much as I love calorie counting, I sorta hate doing math. Sweetriot did the work for me! At 21 calories, I can indulge in several squares with no guilt. Plus, dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants, so I like to think of it as medicine.

I opened one of each bar, and after sampling a few squares for myself, I shared the rest with my co-workers. The office fave was probably the 60% Dark with Nibs. Some of my co-workers weren't fans of the dark, dark stuff, but this had enough sweetness to please most all palettes. Plus, the crunchy nibs were fun. I always love chocolate bars with chunks of stuff in them, and these satisfied that desire.

The second office fave was the 70% Dark. I really loved this one too. It still has enough sweetness to please omni milk chocolate eaters, but it has that slight bitter edge that comes with quality dark chocolate.

The few dark chocolate connoisseurs in the office (I consider myself among that group) really loved the 85% Dark too. I love slightly bitter, earthy flavors, like those in spicy red wines, stout beers, and dark roasted coffee. This chocolate tastes like pure cacao. One co-worker who said he wasn't typically fond of the very dark chocolate said this one was much more smooth than he expected. A few were put off by the bitter edge, but super dark chocolate isn't for everyone.

These bars would make an excellent Xmas gift if you're still trying to figure out what to buy your friends. Whole Foods carries these, as well as many indie health food shops. Or you can order here. You can be sure your money is going to a good place because this small company uses recyclable packaging decorated with artwork by emerging artists. Plus, they're the first and only chocolate company to offset all of its carbon emissions.

In another news, our blogger friend Aimee of the Global Vegan is trying to win a yoga teaching scholarship. But she needs your vote! Click here to read about Aimee's journey with yoga and to learn how to vote.

Bluff City Vegan Eats: Ciao Bella

Italian restaurants are pretty hit or miss for vegans. Usually miss. Many use egg-based, fresh pastas, and that rules out pretty much everything except a bland platter of marinara-topped penne pasta (because penne pasta isn't usually made from fresh egg pasta). But there's one Italian restaurant in Memphis looking to change that stereotype.

Ciao Bella, a dimly-lit romantic restaurant hidden away inside a shopping center in East Memphis, is looking to increase their offerings for people with special diets, namely vegans, vegetarians, and the gluten-free crowd. They generously offered to provide me samples of their new vegan offerings last night, and I was more than impressed.

For starters, we were served Vegan Grilled Mozzarella Over a Fresh Tomato with Balsamic Sauce and a Tomato Broth:

This large hunk of vegan cheese (I'm guessing it was Follow Your Heart) was lightly grilled, so it had a slight hint of char-grilled taste. But somehow Chef Jonathan Steenerson kept the cheese from melting. It was drizzled with a tangy-sweet balsamic reduction. That tomato under the cheese came from a Woodson Ridge Farms, a local farm where Ciao Bella sources most of its vegetables. The chef told us all the vegetables we were served were hand-picked that very morning!

The next course was Spinach Fettucine with Roasted Almond & Chickpea Pesto in an Acorn Squash:

Wow! I'd never in a million years think to serve pasta in a squash, but what a good idea! With each bite of pasta, we scooped up a little squash flesh. The pesto was delectable. I'm so impressed that an Italian restaurant that serves meat would create a vegan pesto. Chef Steenerson really knows what he's doing with vegan food.

Next we were served Broiled Tofu with Brussels Sprout Puree and Purple Carrots:

Now, let me say this. I love tofu, and there's nothing I appreciate more than a chef who knows that the simple, clean flavors of fresh tofu deserve to shine. This tofu was done just right. It wasn't marinated, as far as I can tell. It was simply broiled to perfection, and the texture was spot on. With each bite of tofu, I scooped up a little of the uber-flavorful Brussels puree. Oh, and the purple carrots?! Magnificent.

By this point, we were stuffed. But there was yet another entree course — Vegan Pizza with Pine Nuts, Onion, Tomato, and Garlic with Olive Oil and a Balsamic Reduction:

This is the kind of pizza that needs no fake cheese. Y'all know I love the vegan cheese, but this pizza was better without it. The crust was light, airy, and somewhat reminiscent of puff pastry, and the basic toppings really stayed true to the light crust. Lucky for me, I still have some leftover since we were too stuffed to eat the whole pie.

Though we barely had room for dessert, we quickly devoured all of our Limoncello Sorbet:

Unlike most lemon sorbets I've tried, this one had a coconut base so it was thick and creamy like a dairy-based gelato. But the crisp lemon flavors stood out. I wanted about five more bowls of this. Ciao Bella is fortunately located next to Memphis' most popular local yogurt joint, Yolo. So they use Yolo's equipment to make their signature sorbets and gelatos.

Y'all know I tend to stick to comfort fare when dining out, but this food just might convert me into a gourmand. I'm always blown away when a non-vegan chef knows how to prepare stellar vegan food.

If you're planning a romantic vegan date or family dinner, Ciao Bella is definitely the most vegan-friendly Italian option in town. Chef Steenerson said he can create most of these dishes on any night. They're not on the menu yet, but if you tell your server you're vegan, he'll whip up something special. If you have a chance to call ahead, that might help too. For my gluten-free friends: Chef Steenerson said his first shipment of gluten-free pasta arrives today, so he can accommodate you too!

Ciao Bella is located at 565 Erin Drive. Call 901-205-2500.

Peppermint Patty Shots!

No party is complete without shots!! Even an innocent little vegan potluck can turn into a throwdown ho-down with a healthy dose of liquor. So in the final installment of my weekend holiday potluck series (see yesterday's post for a full recap of Saturday's vegan potluck at my house), I'll focus on the after-party.

Once our dinner and dessert plates were cleared, it was time to break out the peppermint schnapps. My co-worker Hannah couldn't make the potluck, but she did offer a fun suggestion for post-dinner libations — Peppermint Patty Shots!

These are so simple, and they really do taste like a peppermint patty ... well, an alcoholic peppermint patty.

Simply combine one to two ounces of peppermint schnapps with a little chocolate syrup in a shot glass. Mix well, and top with vegan whipped topping. I used Soy Whip, and we added the Christmas sprinkles for that special festive look. Cheers!

Vegan Holiday Potluck

On Saturday night, I hosted a vegan holiday potluck at my house. It's hopefully the second in a monthly series of vegan potlucks that my friends and I will take turns hosting. I made three recipes from Dynise Balcavage's Celebrate Vegan — Brown Rice Christmas Maki, Peppermint Bark, and a French Hanukkah bread called Rue de Rosier Pain D'Epices. You can see pictures of those dishes in last night's review post of Dynise's new cookbook. But this post will focus on what everybody else brought to the party.

We started the evening with a few libations. I made Peppermint Martinis using vodka and Stirrings Peppermint Martini Mix. And yes, I'm wearing my Xmas apron:

And here's a close-up of my martini. I was afraid the mix would be too minty, like drinking mouthwash. But it was the perfect blend of minty and sweet. The candy rimming sugar is also from Stirrings:

Leslie brought homemade Whiskey Wassail, a spiked cider made with apples, cloves, and a whole orange!

Stephanie (Poopie Bitch on the PPK) brought the Broccoli Quiche from Vegan Brunch. Oh my was this good! Plus, Steph is an expert crust maker. Look at those perfect little indentations!

Greg made Vegan Cheese Balls in Puff Pastry. These may have been ugly as hell, but they were actually delicious. Greg made a homemade tofu-based cheese, sprinkled in some bacon bits, and wrapped the balls in puff pastry. He also stuffed a few potatoes with the cheese mix.

Shay knows I love her Vegan Pizza, so she brought one of her famous pies topped with homemade tomato-shallot sauce, kalamata olives, vegan cheese, and spinach:

And because she's awesome, Shay also made Ratatouille!

Lara didn't have time to cook, but she stopped by Whole Foods and picked up a few dishes that might as well have been homemade. This Asian Noodle Salad had a sesame dressing and shredded carrots:

Lara also picked up some Roasted Acorn Squash with Garlic from the Whole Foods deli:

Mike never comes to a party without his prized Chex Mix, which is always chock full of nuts. I like picking out the macadamia nuts:

Most of my guests were vegan or vegetarian, but our friend Steve is actually on the paleo diet, which is pretty much the opposite of a vegan. He eats like a caveman, but he "cheated" at the potluck and ate a few of his no-no's: grains and sugar. We'll corrupt him one of these days ...

Steve brought a paleo-friendly platter of Raw Date Balls! These little balls were made with chopped dates, nuts, coconut, and cocoa powder. Shay quickly named them Shreddy Balls since some contain shredded coconut:

Besides bringing that awesome broccoli quiche, Stephanie also made tiny Vegan Egg Nog Cupcakes!

And Mike veganized his recipe for Snickerdoodles. Mike is a pescatarian, so he usually makes these with butter and eggs. But he went out to Whole Foods and bought Ener-G Egg Replacer and Earth Balance just for these!

As you can imagine, we were all stuffed after this massive meal. It's a good thing I'm going on Kris Carr's "Crazy Sexy Diet" in January. I'll need some detoxing after all of this!