Brats, Bowls, and Breakfast Sandwiches!

Last night, I had plans to go to my usual Wednesday night yoga class, but then I just happened to be scrolling Instagram and saw Imagine Vegan Cafe's special of the day — a Beyond Brat with Chao Cheese, Vegan Ranch, & BBQ Sauce on a Pretzel Bun. Ummmmm, how could I miss that?

Because I had other errands to do (and an early bedtime), I had to choose between yoga and a vegan brat. I chose the brat! I got Potato Salad on the side. Y'all, THIS WAS MAGICAL. I'd never think to put ranch on a brat, but the folks at Imagine are always thinking outside the box.

On Tuesday, my co-worker Caitlin and I had lunch at Global Café in Crosstown Concourse (where we work). I'd not yet tried the Vegan Black Bean Arepa from the Venezuelan food stall, so that's what I got. It was simply arepa, black beans, and pico, but it was so good. The beans are so well-spiced, and the arepa was fluffy and not-at-all greasy (like other arepa I've had in the past).

I've been eating Tofu Avocado Breakfast Sandwiches this week for breakfast! Tofu cooked with Vegg yolk mix, mashed avo, and Food for Life sprouted grain english muffins. Such a quick and filling breakfast.

I've also been eating lots of bowls this week. I had some leftover coconut curry sauce (just coconut milk and red curry paste) from last week's jackfruit curry. So I used that to top this bowl with tofu, kale, bell pepper, carrot, red cabbage, garlic, fresh turmeric, and brown rice maifun noodles.

Here's a similar bowl (same tofu and veggies) with quinoa and this Ginger Miso Tahini Sauce from Minimalist Baker.

Oh hey, I dyed my hair! I wasn't intending on going THIS red. But I didn't have time to drive out to Sprouts or Whole Foods for more natural vegan hair dye, and the only vegan dye that Walgreens by my house carries is Splat (which only makes wild colors). But I love it!! I've done crazy colors before, and they're a lot of maintenance, which is why I generally stick with more natural colors. I'm lazy! But I'll probably keep this color up for a few months at least.

Southern Cookin' & Summer Picnics

My FitBit died a couple Saturdays ago, and my awesome parents went ahead and bought me a new running watch (a Garmin Vivoactive 3!!) as an early birthday gift. I can't really function without a running watch. Even though I'm still not running as my foot heals (soon!!), I need the GPS to track my bike rides. The watch arrived in the mail at their house last Thursday, so I drove over to Arkansas Friday night to pick it up and have dinner with my parents and granny.

My mom made our favorite summer family meal with lots of fried veggies! There are Fried Green Tomatoes, Fried Potatoes, Hoe Cakes (that's fried cornbread), Macaroni & Tomatoes, Purple Hull Peas, Buttered Corn off the Cob.

I forgot to take a picture of the amazing fried peach pies that we had for dessert (with a scoop of Nada Moo vegan snickerdoodle ice cream). But they were SO GOOD.

Check out this awesome meal from the cafe at Crosstown Arts! Massaman Curry with tofu, broccoli, potatoes, peanuts, and rice. The coconut based sauce was so creamy and satisfying!!

Curry was a big theme last week! I also had Jackfruit Curry Noodles made with Upton's Naturals curry jackfruit, carrots, bell pepper, and a red curry coconut sauce over brown rice maifun noodles. Jackfruit's textures always kind of weirds me out, but I eat it anyway.

Sprouts had the new Alpha Foods vegan pot pies on sale last week, so I tried this Chick'n Veggie Pot Pie. It was good! I'd probably never pay full price for it, but it was great for the sale price. This was stuffed with vegan chicken and broccoli in a cheesy sauce. Since I baked it in the oven, the crust was nice and crisp.

For the full moon last Thursday, the Memphis River Parks Partnership hosted a free kayaking event in the Mississippi River harbor. No way we were missing that! My friend Megan and I packed a picnic and arrived really early so we could ensure that we got a free kayak rental. We enjoyed some wine with vegan Field Roast & FYH Provolone Sandwiches, Dolmas, and Olives in the Fourth Bluff Park before the event.

Then we headed out in a kayak to watch the sun set over the river! We lucked into a tandem kayak, so we were able to stick together the whole time.

Bowls & Cookies & Bagels!

My friend Susan invited me to dinner with her at City Silo (she had a gift card!) last week. I love this vegan-friendly, whole foods-based eatery, but I don't get there often enough since it's way out east. I ordered my usual — the Buffalo Tempeh & Sesame Cauliflower Bowl over zucchini noodles with kale, sunflower seeds, and cashew ranch, plus added avocado (a must add!). Enjoyed with a Mural Aqua Fresca (a watermelon gose beer).

The cafe at Crosstown Arts, where I work, had some very tempting-looking Chocolate Chip Cookies on the counter last week. I couldn't resist! Picked up one to go and enjoyed with some almond milk before my yoga class. This was chewy and flecked with sea salt. The best cookie!

Here's some Lady Peas with Rosemary Bread! I picked these up at the downtown farmer's market a few weeks ago. I love fresh summer peas!

Speaking of the farmers market, I picked up a bunch of heirloom tomatoes and pickling cucumbers at the market last week. Then I made the ultimate summer treat — Tomato Cucumber Salad (just tomatoes, cukes, thinly sliced onion, olive oil, vinegar, and a pinch of sugar). Served with pita and hummus for a hearty snack.

On that same trip to the market, I picked up some Dave's Bagels Whole Wheat Bagels. Last week, I enjoyed daily bagels spread with Garden Veggie Cashew Cream Cheese from The No Meat Athlete Cookbook. This cashew-based spread is flecked with diced peppers, celery, carrots, and scallions. So much cheaper and tastier than storebought vegan cream cheese (even better than Miyoko's!!).

Celebrating Sheridan's Birthday (AGAIN!) in Little Rock!

My BFF Sheridan had a birthday on August 8th, and we celebrated in late July when she and her partner Drew were visiting Memphis to see Hamilton at The Orpheum. But little did Sheridan know, Drew had a surprise plan up his sleeve. Drew arranged a surprise birthday dinner for Sheridan and a few of her lady friends this past Saturday night at Cache, a fancy restaurant in downtown Little Rock.

He told Sher that he had won a contest to meet a local mystery celebrity for dinner at Cache, and he wanted her to go with him. She put on a new (very cute) dress and nervously rode downtown to Cache with Drew for what she expected would be an awkward dinner with a stranger. But when they arrived, we were waiting. Surprise! That's Sheridan in the middle, and our long-time friend Brittany on the right. I've known Sheridan since 7th grade and Brittany since 2nd grade!!!

A couple of the ladies who were supposed to come couldn't make it, and while Drew hadn't planned to stay, we invited him to sit down and have dinner with us.

Cache is the kind of high-end place that serves a $115 steak, but amazingly, they also have a vegetarian menu! And from the looks of it, most of the dishes on that menu are vegan. We started with an appetizer of Pita & Hummus, and let me tell you — that flatbread/pita was AMAZING. It was warm and soft, almost like pizza crust. Perfect with my dirty martini!

For my entree, I ordered the Teriyaki Tofu. It was a simple dish with lightly pan-fried tofu, a sesame teriyaki sauce, steamed broccoli, and basmati rice. It's like something I'd make at home!

I wasn't really expecting something this simple for the price ($15), but it's probably what my body needed. I definitely felt good about myself after I ate this.

I spent the night in Little Rock, and while we typically go out for brunch on my visits, we decided that we should grab a quick pastry since Sheridan had work to do on Sunday, and I had lots of chores at home. We went to Rosalia's Family Bakery, which sells vegan pastries and desserts! We got Morning Glory Muffins (stuffed with dried fruit and carrots), and I had a Soy Cappuccino.

I also grabbed a Gluten-Free Vegan Sugar Cookie to go! This made a perfect afternoon treat when I got back to Memphis.

Oh, and hey look what we found! There's an Old Town Road in Little Rock! We didn't ride our horse there (is that even vegan??), but we drove Sheridan's Subaru down the Old Town Road.

Protein Toppers!

Those who have been reading my blog for awhile probably remember my past obsession with protein powder. I used to have a protein smoothie or protein waffle (even protein banana ice cream!) after every workout. I was convinced that I needed extra protein for recovery due to my active lifestyle. But then I went on a whole foods journey and cut out protein powder for awhile. And I was okay! I recovered from workouts with the natural protein in my foods.

That said, I still use protein powder after some heavier workouts. And sometimes, I add it to my smoothies just because I like the taste and how it keeps me fuller longer. But sometimes, you want that extra protein in a savory snack. So I was very excited to try these new Vegetarian Traveler Protein Toppers when the company reached out about a review!

These toasted bean blends are made with non-gmo beans (and in some mixes, seeds) and non-gmo protein isolates. And each pack contains between 15 and 17 grams of protein. That's about the same as one scoop of protein powder.

They're only lightly salted, so they can be used to top both savory and sweet dishes. The most obvious dish to top is a salad, which I've done a lot since I got these in the mail! The beans add that perfect crunch that every salad needs. I topped this salad with the Tri-Soy Medley (soybeans and edamame).

I topped this work lunch salad with the Garbanzo & Soy Medley (garbanzos, soybeans, soy protein). They were so convenient to pack for my work lunch since they come in individual serving packs.

It's even great on yogurt! I'm not really a fan of straight yogurt (too creamy!). I need lots of crunchy toppings, and this Pepita & Soy-Pea Medley (pumpkin seeds, soybeans, pea protein) fit the bill and added much-needed protein to some low-protein Cashewgurt. I also topped this bowl with lemon blueberry granola and fresh berries. 

But my very favorite use for the Protein Toppers was on a Veggie Tofu Stir-Fry! I added the Tri-Soy Medley to this stir-fry of tofu, broccoli, bell pepper, carrot, onion, and snap peas upon serving. I considered sauteeing the toppers into the dish but got worried they'd lose their crunch. I was very happy with the texture (and extra protein) this added!

I've also enjoyed these crunchy toppers as snacks, straight out of the bag. They would be perfect for a hike or road trip when it's tough to get in whole foods-based protein!

BURGERS (and a sandwich)

Y'all, I FINALLY tried the Burger King Impossible Whopper this past weekend, and IT WAS AMAZING. For a moment, I was worried they'd accidentally given me a meat burger! I am sooooo excited that plant-based meats are taking over the world right now!

Since I posted this image on my IG and Facebook, I've heard from a few vegans who said they wouldn't eat the Impossible because of cross-contamination. And I hear ya. You do you. But here's my take: I don't strive to be a perfect vegan. I do strive to save as many animals as I can. And when a mainstream, fast-food joint offers a plant-based burger on a massive scale, that does so much to boost awareness of veganism and to encourage non-vegans to eat less meat. And that saves animals, so I'm all for it.

Besides, if you aim to avoid all cross-contamination, you'd never be able to dine at non-vegan restaurants. And that's cool if you live in, say, Portland. But for the rest of us in smaller, less vegan-friendly cities, dining in non-vegan restaurants is a fact of life.

Okay, off my soapbox! The burger was delicious! I have a BK around the corner from my house, so I took the burger home and added Follow Your Heart Provolone and Vegenaise (be sure to order the burger with no mayo — it doesn't come with cheese). I also made some Sweet Potato Fries in the air fryer.

Here's a less attractive (due to my quick photo in the takeout box) but equally delicious vegan burger from Memphis burger joint, Huey's. They serve Beyond Burgers, and I got one to-go last week (West Coast style with guac and vegan smoked gouda) with a side of steamed veggies.

Here's a quick burger that I made at home for lunch one day! It's a Foodies Artichoke Burger (made with brown rice, artichokes, and cashews), topped with vegan provolone and veggies. More veggies and hummus on the side.

And finally, this is not a burger. It's a Tempeh Banh Mi from the cafe at Crosstown Arts. Served with mushroom pecan pate and pickled veggies. Perfection!

VegReady Vegan Meals

Home-cooked meals are always my preference, but sometimes, life gets crazy and days will go by with no time to cook anything more than a frozen veggie burger for dinner. When my nights don't allow for cooking, I'm left with few options for work lunches the next day. I can either spend money and eat lunch out (which I already do too often), pack a PB&J, or bring a convenience meal.

And let's face it — most convenience meals (like frozen vegan dinners) have tiny servings that leave me starving a couple hours later. But VegReady, a new vegan meal prepared service is offering whole foods-based meals to go that require no heating, fit in your laptop bag, and won't leave your tummy growling an hour later. They sent me a couple boxes of their meals to review!

Each meal comes in a box like this. It's wide but flat and fits perfectly in my laptop bag. They require no refrigeration, so there's no need to take up space in the office fridge. In fact, these would be PERFECT for camping since they don't require heating either.

Inside, you get a quinoa tray and two veggie sides. There's even a little plastic spoon if you're truly eating on the go. I do have some feelings about all the plastic and cardboard in the packaging, but it can be recycled.

This meal contained quinoa, a spinach & broccoli cup, and a ratatouille cup (with eggplant, zucchini, and tomato). You just dump the cups on the quinoa and eat! The contents of the cups are more of a puree, which was different than I expected, but I really liked it! The spinach & broccoli cup had some olive oil mixed in, but the ratatouille was oil-free, so it wasn't overly oily. I thought I might still be hungry after I ate this, but I wasn't! I had this at noon at work and it kept me satisfied until dinner time. Because quinoa is magic.

They also sent me another meal with quinoa, spinach & broccoli, and zucchini with white onion. The onion added lots of flavor, and the zucchini, although cooked, was still a little crisp, giving the dish some texture.

VegReady meals are available by the case. You get 8 quinoa trays and 16 veggie side cups (8 of those are spinach & broccoli because they're intended to eat with every meal – gotta get your greens!) in a case. Right now, they're offering two cases for the price of one on Amazon! Check it out. Perfect for the busy office worker or the camper/picnicker!