Vegan Mofo: What Would [Insert Famous Name Here] Eat If They Were Vegan?

For tonight's Vegan Mofo post, we're supposed to blog about what the famous person of our choice would eat if he or she were vegan. At the time I was planning my posts for the second half of the month, I was obsessed with Macklemore's new single "Downtown." Okay, actually, I'm still obsessed. It's basically the greatest video ever. And I'm a huge Macklemore & Ryan Lewis fan. Here's a pic I shot of him from the photo pit at Bonnaroo a couple years ago!

So I googled "Macklemore's favorite food." And I found this article from The Seattle Times, which says the rapper loves pho. What a coincidence! Me too! Because noodles!

Here's a choice quote: “For someone whose job description entails giving high-fives to sweaty drunk people around the world, and sleeping on couches in venues that haven’t been cleaned since the ’80s, it’s almost guaranteed I will spend four months of the year with a cold. That hoisin sauce, broth, lime, basil, noodles, beef combination–it’s the best comfort food.”

I pulled out my copy of Robin Robertson's Vegan Without Borders and found a yummy-looking recipe for Pho Chay, the naturally vegan version of pho popular among Buddhist vegetarians.

This super-simple recipe is rich with complex flavor. The broth is seasoned with lots of hoisin, so it's both savory and sweet. And the soup is chock full of shiitake mushrooms, onions, and brown rice noodles. And, of course, fried tofu.

It's served with cilantro, bean sprouts, and lime wedges. Mmmm. This was so good. I know Macklemore is a meat eater, and he occasionally uses dead animal furs and taxidermy in his videos. And it makes me sad because, other than that, he's awesome and all about human rights. I'd like to think that, maybe, if he had a taste of this vegan pho chay, he'd start to swing in a more animal-friendly direction.

Okay, you know I have to include this amazing video.

Vegan Mofo: Autumn Equinox Eats

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I have a love-hate relationship with fall. The cooler temps are nice, but I prefer the scorching heat. My birthday and Halloween/Samhain are in October, and I love me some pumpkin. But I'd trade those for an endless summer with tomatoes forever. Still yet, there's nothing I can do to stop the changing of the seasons. So I might as well accept it.

And the one thing that gets me through the "prelude to the winter" are the hearty, autumn meals — corn dishes, soup, chili, pumpkin everything. Tonight, I celebrated Mabon — the pagan Autumn Equinox holiday — with an amazing meal that just might have pushed me into the realm of autumn acceptance.

I started the day off summer-style with a run followed by a power bar, and for lunch, I had a cocoa banana smoothie and salad rolls from the new I Love Juice Bar in Midtown. But by this evening, I was ready to face the truth — autumn is here. So I whipped up these Corn Pancakes with Black Bean Salsa and Savory Sour Cream from Cooking By the Seasons.

Cornmeal cakes flecked with hot peppers are fried on a griddle and topped with a spicy black bean salsa (okay, my version was super spicy because I added Paul's homemade Trinidad Scorpion hot sauce). That's all topped off with vegan sour cream seasoned with lime juice, cumin, and cinnamon. Wow! If I can eat like this all season, I might be okay with it.

On the side, I had a Salad with Apples, Toasted Walnuts, & Ginger Vinaigrette, also from Cooking By the Seasons. The apple in the salad was from the Memphis Farmers Market. Also in the salad were raisins and red onions. And the ginger vinaigrette was made with sesame oil (mine was sesame-chili oil, so it was spicy), which added an interesting kick.

Basically, everything in this meal was spicy, just the way I like it. I washed it all down with Our Daily Red organic, vegan table wine.

No Equinox celebration is complete without a cakes & ale ceremony (I used my red wine instead of ale though because it's what I had). For my cake, I picked up a Caramel Apple Cupcake from Pink Diva Cupcakery — vanilla cake stuffed with caramel apples, topped with buttercream and a caramel drizzle. Imagine a caramel apple in cupcake form. Mmmmm.

If you can't beat autumn, join it, right? Happy Mabon, y'all!

Vegan Mofo: Dish Made From Seasonal Produce

Aw, it's the last day of summer. Bummer! Even though my birthday and Halloween/Samhain and Thanksgiving (my three favorite holidays!) are in the fall, I still can't get past the idea that fall is a giant prelude to the dark, depressing, cold winter. I hate winter. And I wish I lived in some magical land where summer never ends (Hawaii?).

But alas, fall will be here Wednesday. But thankfully, in the South, we're still in summer produce for a few more weeks. I went to the Memphis Farmers Market on Saturday, and there were still stands bursting with juicy tomatoes, fresh okra, bell peppers, watermelon, fresh black-eyed peas, all the good summer veggies. I loaded up on fresh okra.

And tomatoes, which I promptly took home and boiled to remove the skins.

Then I got to work making fresh Stewed Okra & Tomatoes, a classic Southern dish. There's a version of this in Cookin' Crunk, but it's made with canned tomatoes. For this version, I used fresh tomatoes, plus some hot peppers from our front yard garden, which is still going gangbusters. Here's a pic of our tabasco peppers.

I used a few of these in the okra dish. I also pickled a bunch to make hot pepper vinegar, which I sprinkled liberally over the okra upon serving. Here's the finished dish!

Stewed Okra & Fresh Tomatoes
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Yields 4 servings

5 fresh summer tomatoes
40 fresh okra pods, sliced, tops discarded
1-2 fresh tabasco peppers, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
Salt & pepper to taste
Hot pepper vinegar or hot sauce to taste

Place the tomatoes in a large soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 to 10 minutes or until the skins begin to crack. Drain and rinse tomatoes under cold water and remove the skins. Don't burn yourself!

Roughly chop the tomatoes, removing and discarding the tough center pieces. Add those to the soup pot, along with the okra, hot peppers, garlic, oil, sugar, and liquid smoke.

Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower heat to medium. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until okra is soft and tomatoes have cooked down. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot vinegar or hot sauce.

Vegan Mofo: Stranded on an Island

I'm watching Lost for the first time. I'm only on the first season, so we can't really talk about it for fear of spoilers. BUT I LOVE IT! Like I just want to stay at home for a couple weeks and binge-watch all the seasons. I have some vacay time left at work. Maybe I'll work that out.

But anyway, today's challenge is to narrow down three endless supplies of food I'd want if I were stranded on an island. And we're to assume all of our nutritional needs are met, so somehow this magical island is producing fruits, veggies, and plant proteins. So the three foods Mofo-ers pick are meant to be extra — that bonus junk food you need for your spiritual nourishment.

I could have picked products, and I almost went with Daiya Cheezy Mac, Tofurky frozen pizzas, Koyo ramen, and popcorn. But I know that's four, and I simply cannot narrow that list down any further. So I thought, well, if this island is indeed magical and producing food for my vegan nutritional needs, maybe rather than supplies, it can just give me three finished meals. Or maybe, if I know ahead of time that I'll be stranded, I can make a bunch of these three meals and freeze them. Be prepared, right?

Since I can't choose between mac & cheese, pizza, ramen, and popcorn, I've decided that we should just combine two of those into one item — the Buffalo Ranch Mac & Cheese Pizza! My friends and I made these one night at my house, and I've been dreaming about it ever since. This is definitely coming on the island.

I still want that ramen. And I'd actually be content with simple packages of ramen — just noodles and flavor packets. But if I could have an endless bowl of this Vegan Garlic Chicken Ramen with a Vegan Hard-boiled Egg, that would be way better. I made this back in 2011 from Meet the Shannons. Best ramen bowl ever. Here's Annie & Dan's recipe.

And finally popcorn! I have a bit of a popcorn addiction. Once I start, I can't stop until every kernel is gone. Doesn't matter how much popcorn is in front of me. I eat it all. And I eat it very slowly, one kernel at a time to savor the flavor. If you sit next to me at the movies, I'm probably your worst nightmare. I pack my own noochy popcorn when I go to the movies, and I stash it in a big ole bag. And then I crunch, crunch, crunch for the whole movie. Sorry, not sorry.

So yea, this is going to be a pretty awesome stranded-on-an-island situation for me. I won't need Mr. Locke to kill a poor wild boar or Hurley to spear some sweet little fishy (sorry, Lost references!). 

Vegan Mofo: Veganize a Family Recipe

I'm taking the easy route for tonight's Vegan Mofo theme of veganizing a family recipe. I didn't have time to cook anything new, but I've already veganized a ton of family recipes in my cookbook, Cookin' Crunk. In fact, I'd say at least one-third of the recipes in the book are vegan versions of the stuff my mama and grandma used to cook.

I thought it'd be fun (and easy) to mention a few of those veganized family dishes. The most important family recipe in Cookin' Crunk is definitely my Mama's Cornbread Dressin' recipe.

In my family, my mama's Thanksgiving (and Christmas) dressin' is legendary. No one makes it as good as she does, even when they're using her recipe! She developed a vegan version back in 2004 after I went vegan, and she makes me a little pan of that over the holidays while everyone else eats the turkey broth version. It's pretty fantastic because it means I don't have to share with anyone, and I get to bring tons of leftovers home! Anyway, her version is in my cookbook, but if you make it, it won't be as good as hers. She works some kind of voodoo into it.

Another old family recipe in the book is the Hungry Jill Casserole — baked beans, biscuits, and vegan cheese baked into a casserole! My mama used to make this all the time when I was a kid. It was actually called Hungry Jack Casserole, and she got the recipe from a box of Hungry Jack biscuits. But I veganized, so I changed it to Hungry Jill.

My Mama's Macaroni & Tomatoes are in the book too! Slow-cooked, stewed tomatoes (cooked down from fresh, juicy, summer tomatoes), olive oil, and pasta. So good! A summer classic.

The Mess O' Greens recipe in Crunk is my version of Granny's famous greens and turnips. Her recipe is naturally vegan, but she doesn't write anything down. So when I asked for the recipe, she said "Oh, just a little bit of oil and a little bit of sugar." You know, a little this, a little that. I had to guess on the amounts, but I think I came pretty close. You can find that recipe here.

Granny helped me develop most of the dessert recipes in Cookin' Crunk, and many are her old family recipes. But the one pie that stands out the most is the Old-Fashioned Coconut Pie. Granny has been making this pie vegan for years, and it's a hit at all of our family gatherings. That's in the book, but the recipe is also posted here.

Vegan Mofo: Lunch on the Go

Today's Vegan Mofo theme is "Lunch on the Go." I guess that could mean a lot things — fave fast food, stuff to eat in the car, etc. But I thought I'd take this opportunity to tell you about one of my favorite easy work day lunches.

I cook a few days a week, and the leftovers from those meals usually become my lunches for the week. I tend to work through lunch most days, just munching on a meal at my desk while I'm writing or editing or checking emails. But some days, I don't have leftovers — like if I haven't had time to cook much that week. On those days, I love frozen convenience foods.

And my very favorite frozen foods are Sweet Earth burritos! I like to pair them with veggie sides, usually procured from the Whole Foods deli. Last week, I had the Kyoto Burrito with Cajun Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges from Whole Foods and a Pure Doctor Live Kombucha Soda.

This Sweet Earth burrito had adzuki beans, edamame, bok choy, shiitakes, spinach, and ginger. This was the first time I've had this flavor, and it was probably my least fave of the burrito line. But still delicious! My fave is the Big Sur breakfast burrito with tofu scramble, but I also love the Indian-spiced Curry Tiger burrito (it has seitan!).

The sweet potatoes were awesome. Perfectly spiced. I could easily make them at home, but then I would have had to cook. And I didn't have time for that last week. 

That Live Kombucha Soda was probably the best thing about lunch though. I first sampled these at Vida Vegan Con, and I finally found them sold here at Target (which is also where I buy the Sweet Earth burritos). The soda tasted just like Dr. Pepper, but it's stevia-sweetened, and it's booch!

Vegan Mofo: Honor Those Who Inspire Your Veganism

Today, for the Vegan Mofo theme, we're supposed to honor a human or non-human animal who inspires our veganism. I considered dedicating this post to Jil Evans, an old friend from Food Not Bombs who inspired me to make the switch from vegetarianism to veganism back in 2004.

But I've lost track of Jil. She moved away years ago, and the only pics I have of her are from my old film camera. And I'd have to dig those out and scan them. But Jil was awesome, and she taught me how easy it was to be vegan.

Instead, I'd like to dedicate this post to my animal family. Paul and I share our home with 10 animal companions! I've shared pics of them on the blog before, but who can say no to more cute fuzzy animal pics? These little guys remind me every day that there's no difference between eating a pig or a cow than eating a dog or a cat or a squirrel.

My oldest dog is Datsun. He'll be 14 in February! He's such a good boy. Obedient, loving, friendly. And he loves to play, even though his hips are starting to give out. Datsun is basically the best dog ever. I've had him for longer than I've lived in Memphis! In fact, I was still college when my ex and I adopted Datsun.

And then there's Maynard — the white devil. Maynard is a rescue pittie, and he's a bundle of energy. He's stubborn and hyper. He jumps on people and knocks them over. He doesn't listen all that well. But when he finally calms down, he's a very sweet pup. He follows me all over the house, and I can't sit on the couch without Maynard wanting to sit in my lap. And he weighs, like, 70 pounds! Big ole lap dog!

We have six kitties, the oldest of which is Akasha. My ex and I took him in just a few months after Datsun, so he's almost 14 too. Akasha is such a sweetie. He LOVES to cuddle and to be picked up and carried around the house. He has a disease called mega-colon, so he takes two meds twice a day. But he's so worth all the money and time at the vet.

And then there's Pandora, our only girl kitty. She's so soft. But she's not really into being held or sitting in laps. She does love tummy rubs though! Because she's the only girl, she has the run of the house. All the other animals basically bow down to Pandora. She's the queen bee.

Polaris is our loud kitty! He meows ALL THE TIME. Just walks around the house meowing for no reason at all. If he sits next to you and you move a muscle, he'll meow at you. If he wants something, he'll meow. If he doesn't want something, he'll meow. Sometimes, he'll even have a conversation with you —you meow, he meows, and it goes on until you get bored and stop. He always wins at that game.

Gelfling is Paul's favorite. He rescued him from the streets when he was a tiny kitten, and those two are inseparable. They lay in the recliner together every night and watch movies together. Gelfling is super sweet, and he loves to head butt. But he's also a bully. Sometimes, he chases Maynard, the pit, around the house. And he steals treats from the other cats.

Ozzy was Paul's former roommate's cat when Paul lived in Nashville. The guy couldn't pay rent one month, so he moved out while Paul was at work. But he left his cat. What an ass. It's fine though because Ozzy is much better off with us. He's a sweetie. He likes to paw me in the nose. And we do yoga together in the mornings.

And finally, there's Seymour, the Cupboard Cat. He's a major fraidy cat. He's scared of everything — people, dogs, other cats. So he chooses to live above the kitchen cabinets. Never comes down. He's such a sweetie though! He loves being pet (I climb onto the counters for that), and he loves to eat.

Y'all know about Herman, right? Herman was a baby squirrel who fell from our backyard tree last summer. We raised him and released him, but he came by every few days to visit up until about 2 weeks ago. I think he's finally left the nest for good, which makes me sad. I'll miss this guy! Here's a pic from Herman's first day outside last October! Exploring the big wide world.

And now we have a new baby squirrel — Mabel — who fell from the same tree a couple weeks ago. We'll release her in the same way when the time is right, but she's still nursing for now. Her tiny eyes just opened last weekend!