healthy eating Archives - A Vegan Obsession

Vegan In Los Angeles

April 15, 2015 by India Leigh 2 Comments

Organix - The Puerco (bbq jackfruit ‘pulled pork’) sandwich

Vegan In Los Angeles

I’ve been spending a lot of time in Los Angeles. After spending a number of years being ever so slightly obsessed with San Francisco, it has made a nice change. I’d forgotten how much I loved Silverlake and this time I also discovered the delights of the vegan friendly neighbourhoods of Eagle Rock & Highland Park. These small walkable shopping streets are a mix of mom & pop Latino stores and artisanal food and art boutiques. The border of Eagle Rock spills down to Highland Park where one can eat vegan gluten free pizza, vegan and gluten free (make your own!!) donuts, vegan taco food truck, ‘bowls’ and tempeh reubens, and acai bowls and juices!

If I had had a car (a girl can only get so far in LA traffic on a rickety bike) and an excess of cash..I would have gone on an eating spree. I had wanted to visit Crossroads, M.A.K.E, Shojin and Au Lac for sure. They are a $$$ though and too far from where I was staying, so they (for now) remain unchecked off my list of places to eat.

The list below is of the restaurants and deli’s that I did visit AND where I remembered to take a photo. You find on a previous post the hedonistic delights of Donut Friend, home of vegan donuts - they’re GLUTEN FREE!

Hands down my first and most enduring love in terms of vegan food, in LA was Organix. A family owned vegan deli and food store in a strip mall on Colorado Boulevard. You know you have been somewhere a lot when you and the owner and life long resident of Eagle Rock, Andrew Perez are on first name terms. I ate the same thing every time. It was consistently good. VERY good. So good I was scared it may not hit the spot each time I ordered. Oh, but it did. They are truly making magic in their allergy friendly deli. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. The leading photo on this post is of the much loved puerco - vegan pulled pork sandwich on fabulous gluten free bread. $10 for a loaded sandwich. Worth EVERY cent!

Organix

1731 Colorado Blvd

Eagle Rock

CA 90041

Interesting things are afoot in Downtown LA since I last visited 6 or so years ago. The place is getting much more fancy and vegan eateries are sprouting up all over. Cafe Gratitude (a place I oft frequented in SF before they closed that particular location), Au Lac, Localita & The Baddasserie, Tiera Cafe and Shojin to name just a few. A newly opened hub in the Arts District DTLA is THE SPRINGS. It’s an organic juice bar, yoga studio, wellness center, raw vegan restaurant & wine bar, and an online eco-vegan, mind-body, one stop shop. The food was good (my friend enjoyed his dish more than I did mine), a good selection of healthy, some raw and mostly vegan dishes (be aware that some dishes include honey, which is not vegan). Mostly gluten free too. The atmosphere is chilled, the staff friendly and the prices reasonable for it’s location and style.

Raw Nacho Salad

Seaweed Caesar Salad

The Springs

608 Mateo St

Los Angeles

CA 90021

SunCafe, a garden oasis located just off the 101 freeway in Studio City. I was expecting great things of this vegan restaurant. The reviews on Happy Cow were many and mostly glowing. They have an extensive menu - soups, sliders, sandwiches, Mac & Cheese and a selection of raw entrees. Choosing what to have was not easy. When I visited I was feeling a bit gastronomically virtuous so I opted for a salad and not my usual choice of something wedged between two slices of gluten free bread. The Raw Kale Colossus – massaged kale, SunChorizo (sadly omitted as not gluten free), mushrooms, bell peppers, pico de gallo, raisins & bananas, looked promising so I ordered that with a side of pickled beets. My dining partner ordered the Portobello Sandwich on gluten free ciabatta. We both wanted the mash & gravy side to share.

The food arrived fairly quickly. Whilst we waiting (stomach’s rumbling. Or maybe that was just me?!) it gave us time to get a feel for the place and have a look around. There is a large outdoor seating area under green arbours with an intimate feel. The staff were very efficient though not overly friendly. The clientele were not of the hipster persuasion, of the like seen in Silverlake/Echo Park and seemed more of the office-y and healthy eating tribe (though that is all conjecture).

Aside from finding the short row of four slices of banana laying on top of entree a bit odd, my salad was generous and tasty. The mash and gravy was good (but not as good as mine…Yes, I will blow my own trumpet!). The portobello sandwich was stacked and good.

The prices were in line with other establishments of similar ilk in LA.

Portobello Gluten Free Ciabatta Sandwich - marinated Portobello, avocado, tomatoes, spinach, pecan crumble, cashew cheese, special sauce. With a side of mashed potatoes and gravy (lots of sides to choose from but who can resist a bowl of fluffy mash?!).

SunCafe

10820 Ventura Blvd

Studio City

CA 91604

So what to turn to when your budget is squeezed and you go take-out? Lassens. A small chain of health food stores in LA and Ventura County. They were my local (as well as Trader Joes of course!) whilst I was in Silverlake. They have a hot and cold deli and salad bar, and in store pre-prepared food. The Raw Collard Green & Mango Wrap was cheap and heavenly. The wrap was stuffed with a rich and filling tomato/walnut ‘meat’ and the avocado/cilantro/orange sauce was sensational. I could have easily drunk it as a smoothie! Yum and under $5!

Another favourite food grab was a yellow split pea Ethiopian Wrap (100% teff injera) from Rahel Vegan Cuisine. They sell in other locations in LA too. These were a bit more spendy..(but very filling). I think the wraps are about $7.

Lassens

1631 Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles

CA 90026

I will be returning to LA in May…..Jumping up and down!…. I will update you as soon as I sample more of the vegan and gluten free eats on offer in the city.

vegan fish tacos

April 13, 2015 by India Leigh Leave a Comment

Fish Tacos a la vegan.

I had, several times, pondered the idea coupling nori & tofu before actually tasting my first plate of vegan fish & chips, naturally enough, by the seaside in Brighton, England. I remember it was a pop-up supper in a cozy , candle lit deli. My plate was piled high with fat doorstep chips, a side of mushy peas and a generous, creamy mound of tartar sauce. The ‘fish’ was encased in a gluten free beer batter, deep fried. It was oily, chewy and delicious. I loved the dish, so I never thought it was going to take me two years to recreate it so that I could make it at will! But, house sitting doesn’t always lend it self to having the luxury of getting into a domestic flow. One is constantly on shifting sands and by the time you’ve settled and googled mapped the stores you will shop at, the park you will walk around, the best coffee house to sit in, soak up the atmosphere and write, and got yourself familiar the new home (to a standard where you’d not get lost if you got up in the night to pee) then it usually is time to move on again. My ‘must try’ and ‘recipe development’ lists remain of biblical length.

Anyway, recently in Los Angeles long enough to settle (but lumped with the pressure of shelling out for a wedge of cash for a knock in a car I had not factored into my budget) the long list of restaurants to try in LA I’d excitedly scribbled down had to remain just that..a long unchecked list. It was necessary to save a few bucks so on went my frilly apron. So it was time to DIY and figure out how to make vegan fish and chips, and make them gluten free too!

I drew a little inspiration from Vegan Dad and then adjusted here and there to make it gluten free. I was really pleased with the result. Recalling a trip to Austin, where I ate fabulous vegan fish tacos from a vegan food truck, I opted to house the fish in corn rather than alongside a stack of chips (chips as in fries). You can do as you please of course, but I craved tacos.

Vegan Faux Fish Tacos

Ingredients

250g extra firm tofu

1 pck roasted seaweed snack (nori sheets) 11g

1/2 cup of each: garbanzo; cornmeal flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp garlic powder

vegan egg replacer - 3 ‘eggs’, or make 3 chia or flax ‘eggs’.

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

pinch chili powder

Tartar sauce

1/2 cup Veganaise or Just Mayo (or similar vegan mayo)

2 large pickled cucumbers

squeeze lemon juice

Method

Remove the tofu from the package and discard water. Place the block of tofu between a few sheets of kitchen roll and place on a plate. Put another 2 or 3 plates on top to create some weight so that the tofu can drain for about 20mins. Once drained, remove the plates and the kitchen paper. Put the tofu in a high sided dish.

Whilst waiting for the tofu to drain, make your tartar sauce. Spoon your mayonnaise into a serving bowl and diced the pickled cucumbers. Add the cucumbers to the mayonnaise and squeeze over the juice of about 1/4 of a lemon (or to taste) mix with a spoon. Set aside.

Splash over some gluten free soy sauce (or use Braggs) on both sides. Drain the excess.

Grab two large plates and in one add your chosen egg replacer. In the other mix the flours, bicarb of soda, salt, pepper and chilli.

Cut the tofu into 1.5 inch cubes. Then cut the roasted nori to 1.5 inch strips. Fold the nori around the tofu. The dampness from the tofu will make the nori sheets more pliable.

Then dip first into the egg replacer and then into the flour mix. Ensure it is all covered. Set each ‘fish’ portion aside onto a plate until you have covered and coated each one.

Now, I am always trying to be healthy and so I tried to bake these in the oven first. They were very nice. But not ‘table slammingly’ good. So I shallow fried them, just a minute or two each side until they had browned. I then warmed some corn tacos and began to put it all together. Taco cradled in my hand, I placed over a few cubes of the ‘fish’, dressed it with some romaine lettuce, dolloped over generous spoons of tartar sauce. Squeezed over a drizzle of lemon and then took a large bite.

Mmn, I hummed. My eyes closed. It tasted so good. The warm masa, the crisp corn crumb coating, the soft tofu and the flavours of the slightly chewy seaweed and the creamy, tart sauce. Yes. So good.

You do not want to wait as long as I did to get this into your recipe repertoire.

vegan fish tacos

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

35 mins

Vegan Faux Fish Tacos

Author: India Leigh

Recipe type: Fish Tacos

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 6

Ingredients

250g extra firm tofu
1 pck roasted seaweed snack (nori sheets) 11g
½ cup of each: garbanzo; cornmeal flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp garlic powder
vegan egg replacer - 3 'eggs', or make
3 chia or flax 'eggs'
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
pinch chili powder
Tartar sauce
½ cup Veganaise or Just Mayo (or similar vegan mayo)
2 large pickled cucumbers
squeeze lemon juice

Instructions

Remove the tofu from the package and discard water. Place the block of tofu between a few sheets of kitchen roll and place on a plate. Put another 2 or 3 plates on top to create some weight so that the tofu can drain for about 20mins. Once drained, remove the plates and the kitchen paper. Put the tofu in a high sided dish.
Whilst waiting for the tofu to drain, make your tartar sauce. Spoon your mayonnaise into a serving bowl and diced the pickled cucumbers. Add the cucumbers to the mayonnaise and squeeze over the juice of about ¼ of a lemon (or to taste) mix with a spoon. Set aside.
Splash over some gluten free soy sauce (or use Braggs) on both sides. Drain the excess.
Grab two large plates and in one add your chosen egg replacer. In the other mix the flours, bicarb of soda, salt, pepper and chilli.
Cut the tofu into 1.5 inch cubes. Then cut the roasted nori to 1.5 inch strips. Fold the nori around the tofu. The dampness from the tofu will make the nori sheets more pliable.
Then dip first into the egg replacer and then into the flour mix. Ensure it is all covered. Set each 'fish' portion aside onto a plate until you have covered and coated each one.
Now, I am always trying to be healthy and so I tried to bake these in the oven first. They were very nice. But not 'table slammingly' good. So I shallow fried them, just a minute or two each side until they had browned. I then warmed some corn tacos and began to put it all together. Taco cradled in my hand, I placed over a few cubes of the 'fish', dressed it with some romaine lettuce, dolloped over generous spoons of tartar sauce. Squeezed over a drizzle of lemon and then took a large bite.
Mmn, I hummed. My eyes closed. It tasted so good. The warm masa, the crisp corn crumb coating, the soft tofu and the flavours of the slightly chewy seaweed and the creamy, tart sauce. Yes. So good.
You do not want to wait as long as I did to get this into your recipe repertoire.

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bbq jackfruit tacos - pulled-pork vegan style

March 24, 2015 by India Leigh Leave a Comment

I have been on a jackfruit binge lately, well not a binge exactly but every time my friend visits we always end up going to a certain deli for bbq’d jackfruit. Out of all the plethora of vegan joints in LA, we just cut to the chase and head to Organix in Eagle Rock for their Puerco Sandwich, with coleslaw and veganaise on gluten free bread. We are powerless to do anything else because, Sweet Jesus, it is insanely good. In an effort to both impress my friend and try to recreate pulled pork vegan style heaven, I made my own version of it this weekend. It is close..so, so close. And in this instance close is good enough because nothing could top the Organix version.

Jackfruit is a food champion. It is drought resistant (barely needing any water to develop into a hardy, bulbous, giant). The ripe jackfruit is made into sweet snack chips, ice cream and dulce desserts. The unripe, young jackfruit has a fibrous, meat-like texture and can be boiled, baked and roasted. The flesh is said to be high in protein and fibre, and easily digestible. According to UNESCO animal agriculture makes up for 70% of water consumption in the US. Half of America is currently experiencing some form of drought and California is in an emergency drought situation with only 1 year estimated of water left in it’s reservoirs. Those are alarming statistics. Those facts are too much for my head to deal with but I can choose to eat vegan and enjoy copious amounts of planet friendly jackfruit, pulled-pork vegan style in my bid to save the planet.

I did some research for a bbq jackfruit recipe online. All of the recipes I discovered called for bbq sauce. I did not have any, was too tight to go and buy any, and for sure did not want a whole raft of ingredients I did not care for in my pulled pork tacos. So I just added to the mix what I believed would be in BBQ sauce (minus the scary ingredients…high fructose corn syrup and ‘natural’ flavourings). Easy really and feels good because it really is then a ‘from scratch’ recipe. This recipe is also great stuffed inside toasted, Veganise smothered gluten free bread.

Putting the tacos together is easy. Warm the taco, spread over some Veganaise or Beyond Mayo, spoon on generous amounts of the bbq jackfruit, layer over the coleslaw and finish with fresh cilantro and, if desired, a squeeze of lime. Bite into it and prepare for happiness.

bbq jackfruit tacos - pulled pork vegan style

Gluten Free

ingredients

I can (565g) of young green jackfruit in water (or fresh young jackfruit)

I can fire roasted tomatoes (Trader Joes) + 1/4 can of water (if you cannot get TJ’s then any tinned toms)

1/2 large onion diced

3 garlic cloves crushed

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne powder

3 tbs liquid smoke (I used a mix of Wrights Hickory & Mesquite)

3 tbs coconut sugar

2 tbs agave

1 tbs liquid aminos or tamari sauce

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp salt (Himalyan pink is a personal favourite)

For the coleslaw

1/2 head Red or white cabbage finely sliced

2 tbs Veganaise

2 tsp gluten free mustard

Cilantro for garnish

Extra Veganaise ..just because. Totally optional.

method

preheat your oven to 450 degrees (if appropriate…see below)

drain the jackfruit. chop off the hard core and remove the seeds. cut sections in half

sauté the onion in a little splash of oil until translucent, add the crushed garlic and sauté for a further 2-3 mins careful not to allow to it burn.

add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 25-30 mins. You could just serve now as it will already be delicious, but for a more intense flavour and a dryer consistency then place onto a baking sheet and pop into a hot oven 450 degrees for 20-30 mins.

BBQ Jackfruit Tacos. yum!

bbq jackfruit tacos - pulled pork done vegan

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

bbq jackfruit tacos - pulled pork vegan style

Author: India Leigh

Recipe type: Vegan, gluten free tacos

Cuisine: Entree, Lunch, Mexican, Texas

Serves: 6

Ingredients

I can (565g) of young green jackfruit in water (or fresh young jackfruit)
I can fire roasted tomatoes (Trader Joes) + ¼ can of water (if you cannot get TJ's then any tinned toms)
½ large onion diced
3 garlic cloves crushed
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne powder
3 tbs liquid smoke (I used a mix of Wrights Hickory & Mesquite)
3 tbs coconut sugar
2 tbs agave
1 tbs liquid aminos or tamari sauce
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1½ tsp salt (Himalyan pink is a personal favourite)
For the coleslaw
½ head Red or white cabbage finely sliced
2 tbs Veganaise
2 tsp gluten free mustard
Cilantro for garnish
Extra Veganaise ..just because. Totally optional.

Instructions

preheat your oven to 450 degrees (if appropriate...see below)
drain the jackfruit. chop off the hard core and remove the seeds. cut sections in half
sauté the onion in a little splash of oil until translucent, add the crushed garlic and sauté for a further 2-3 mins careful not to allow to it burn.
add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 25-30 mins. You could just serve now as it will already be delicious, but for a more intense flavour and a dryer consistency then place onto a baking sheet and pop into a hot oven 450 degrees for 20-30 mins.

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Nak’d Healthy Vegan Snack Bars - GIVEAWAY

March 20, 2015 by India Leigh 15 Comments

Healthy Vegan Energy Bars.

Life can be topsy turvy at times. I was in Ojai, Southern California recently and saw a display of Nak’d Bars in the local organic grocery store. I was excited to spot them there. I had first came across the raw, natural vegan bars at their launch in 2012 in the UK. I had been invited along for a fun evening and I met with Jamie Combs, the co-founder of Nak’d. See the video and blog post Video interview & post from the 2012 UK launch. So, why topsy turvy you wonder? Well, Jamie is American, living in the UK. I am British and my travels have just taken me to Ojai, just north of Los Angeles. And this is where Nak’d have their US head quarters. Weird? Well, ok maybe not. What can I say? I am a coincidence junky. I see that stuff out.

Anyway, Nak’d are now pushing out their reach in America. I just wanted to let you know that. They sent me a box to sample and I’ve slowly been munching my way through them. After a run, after dinner, after another bar… If you want a healthy vegan, raw, gluten free bar to pop in your bag…these are your babies. My favs are the Mocha, the Banana Crunch, Rhubarb & Custard and the elusive (some wonder if it is just a myth) Bakewell Tart. This one is bliss for me. Nak’d have captured the flavour beautifully of the English tart my mother used to make us as children for Sunday tea. A layer of crumbly shortcake pastry, a layer of tart and sweet jam, then a sponge made with almond flour. It is heaven. Vegan versions abound. I found this one..looks great. Sub out the plain flour for a gluten free flour and Bob’s your Uncle! If you find a Nak’d Bakewell Tart Bar..snatch it up, go someplace quiet and savour-every-little-bite.

New to Nak’d sampler box 13 bars for $9.99 + FREE SHIPPING. A special offer for Nak’d newbies.

Enter as often as you like to increase your chances of getting your hands on that box! USA entrants only. 1 winner will be picked at random on 3rd April.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Project Juice Bar San Francisco

December 20, 2014 by India Leigh 3 Comments

A new juice bar has opened on Valencia Street in San Francisco’s Mission District. Juice bars are not new, but I’d heard their set up was a little different so I thought I’d check it out.

Valencia is a very gentrified area of The Mission. Think lots of independent furniture design stores, clothing stores awash with hipster apparel and a myriad of smart restaurants and coffee houses. The walkways outside are embedded with glitter which pleases my magpie heart. Ooh, shiny. It is a street that holds much for the avid people watcher.

Project Juice Bar San Francisco has a clean, simple and minimalist interior. I felt healthy just standing inside and perusing their extensive and creative menu of smoothies and juices. The staff were super friendly and helped me to make my selection. Along with the smoothies they have raw wraps and tempting desserts.

I spotted in the chiller a coconut-meat wrap stuffed with house-made vegan, cream cheese. I’m going back for that sucker. Today though I felt in the mood for smoky, so I ordered the Southwestern Burrito to go with my smoothie of choice. Though the juices are fresh pressed to maintain ALL their nutrients and enzymes so thrice super healthy, I only had eyes for a thick, decadent smoothie.

CALI CARROT $9.00 House-Made Almond Mylk, Cold-Pressed Carrot Juice, Raw Coconut Meat, Dates, Hunza Raisins, Lucuma, Cinnamon, Spices. It is said there is 5 lbs of produce in each bottle.

I’m not one for overly sweet so I asked them to omit the raisins. My order arrived within minutes and I took a stool at the window to begin feasting. The smoothie was thick, creamy, and the cinnamon was sweet harmony. I tucked into my burrito. A delight, let me say. I was not a particular fan of the little pot of salsa, but the wrap itself was smokey and crisp (from the lettuce) and bbq sweet. As if that was not enough to delight my senses it just so happened I turned up when they were experimenting with a new smoothie. My eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning when I was handed their seasonal no-egg nog to try. It is made from a base of their turmeric mylk with added nutmeg eggnog flavour notes. I was actually full by now but I took it on for my dessert stomach, which always seems to be very accommodating and nudges over and make room for sweet things. The flavour was insanely good, my head was in my hands and the wonder of it. Seriously. Project Juice have a full time chef on staff. Together they are making flavour whoopee!

I also sampled the Buff Beatnik, Berry Blaze and the Chocoholic. I think I consumed a gazillion calories but hey, it’s the holidays! And everything is made from healthy ingredients. Sourced locally (for the most part. Their fresh coconuts come from the Philippines. They use as much of the coconut as they can, even using the husk and shell to make vegan activated charcoal to go into their Black Magic hangover cure/detox juice). Greg & Rachel, the owners of the Project Juice bar take pride in personally knowing all their suppliers.

Valencia is their forth location. The fifth to follow soon on Market Street. They also deliver detox and cleansing packs direct to your home. Their first store only opened 1.5 years ago, after a successful Kickstarter Campaign helped to get their vision off the ground. The couple had moved from the East coast where they’d been daily patrons of Organic Avenue. Rachel said that when they arrive 4 years ago there was nowhere in San Francisco where she could go to for uber healthy food and smoothies/juices. Being celiac and allergic to eggs and dairy, Rachel had turned her health around prior to coming to San Francisco by adopting a mainly vegan diet. Frustrated the couple decided to take the matter into their own hands and open a healthy juice bar in San Francisco themselves.

As I find so often in these stories, there is usually a nice path that leads (not always straight..sometimes a little squiggly) to career Nirvana. Rachel’s background had previously been working with autistic children. Through her work she was particularly interested in the nutritional effects on these children. Studies now prove that careful focus on nutrition has been found to help with symptoms. She’d attended many nutritional courses, so coupled with her studies, research and experience of finding health for herself it kind of dovetailed and gave her the impetus she needed to begin Project Juice. Greg had had a long career in investment banking in the food sector. See how that works?! In their whirlwind last 18 months the couple even managed to have a child. It must be the super foods keeping them going!

I had begun to think that the vegan food scene had stagnated in the City but things seem to be gaining fresh energy. That can only be good.

Vegan Dining Outside Of London - Hertfordshire

February 20, 2014 by India Leigh 7 Comments

Last weekend, my friend and I FINALLY decided to visit Woody’s Cafe in Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire, this weekend. This is going to sound daft, but though I may traverse thousands of miles using planes, buses, feet and peddle power, just to discover and taste vegan food, but the thirty minute drive from my mothers house when I visit, just seemed too far. Yes, that is illogical!

With the record-breaking storms in the UK (where in the world isn’t experiencing weird weather?!) abated (I was in Austin..happily avoiding it all!), the sight of the sun coming out and a friend’s belated birthday still to celebrate made me feel like a trip out for the afternoon.

I’d heard about Woody’s restaurant before but previously had felt lukewarm about the prospect of eating there. This weekend, it was time. I called ahead to make sure they had some vegan, gluten free dishes on the menu. They reeled off several that sounded nice, so off we went.

Woody’s is situated on the banks of a pretty canal, and not the sort of place you’d ‘just come across’. The setting is picturesque, with canal boats mored in the quay and a run of dog walkers. It would be perfect on a warmer (and less skwarly) day, to sit outside and eat.

We were wise enough to reserve a table, which was just as well as the place was heaving. The decor is cosy and inviting. The staff attentive, knowledgeable and personable. The food is cooked in front of you in the open kitchen. Everything is fresh. Generous portions. I opted for the Beet Bourguinon and it was really tasty. Packed with fresh mushrooms and puy lentils (I love puy lentils!). The mash was very good but not amazing (I may just be fussy as I’ve had some mind-blowing mash potato recently). But overall the dish was practically perfect.

The prices are reasonable. £35 for 2 dinners and latte and pot of green tea.

It actually only took me just over 15mins to drive here! I’ll be eating here again for sure!

Vegan caramel latte.

Views of the canal from our table.

Aubergine, bean & pepper stew. V GF Leek salad GF (not vegan). The stew was slightly spiced and very well flavoured.

Beet Bourgiunion & mustard mash. 9/10 I practically scraped the plate clean!

Chef’s hard at work in the open kitchen.

Too full for dessert? It must be a first! They had vegan ice cream and a gluten free cake.

View of the restaurant from across the water.

19 Dickinson Quay, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP3 9WG

01442 266280

10:00 am – 10:00 pm

Healthy Snacks. Parsnip & Brussel Invite Kale To Step Into The Ring - Who Won?!

January 30, 2014 by India Leigh Leave a Comment

Kale is king. It has reigned for a few years now as the supreme raw food chip. Of course, other vegetables were going to want a slice of the action. So kale got competition!

I love brussel sprouts. I love parsnips. I heard they were being ‘chipped’. I had to sample them.

Wonderfully Raw chips were developed by a chef named Sequoia, a graduate of the Living Light Institute who began making raw foods after healing herself of Type 11 Diabetes through diet.

New Product Review

Generally, they were good. But, honestly, not all of the flavours rocked my world, but some defiantly generated a tremor! All of the line up contain raw coconut among their ingredients. Coconut is not only delicious but a metabolism boosting super food. Guilt free healthy snacking. Each pack is only approximately 120 calories and 8g of fat (but it is easily digested, healthy MCLA - medium chain fatty acids). According to Dr Oz coconut improves thyroid function, too. Vegan. Gluten free. Soy Free. Sugar Free.

Brussel Bites - Chili Pumpkin Seed Crunch
The chipotle heat is so good mingling with the slightly bitter brussel and the toasty flavour of the coconut. Loved!

Brussel Bites - Tamarind Apple Crunch
I could not detect the tang of the tamarind but the ginger and coconut were a divine mix. Loved!

Snip Chips - Cheezy Herb Truffle
I was excited about this flavour combination. However, I didn’t love this one. Too ‘parsnippy’ for my liking and not enough truffle and cheeze flavours.

Snip Chips - Chipotle Lime Cilantro
More chipotle flavour, please! If you don’t like heat then you may enjoy the subtlety of it. Otherwise, a good flavour.

Snip Chips - Dill Pickle
a lovely buttery taste with a gentle dill flavour. Loved!

So..the clear winner..does King Kale need to be nervous?? No. Competition is good. I think the healthy snack market has room for them all! I will definitely be buying these again.

Wonderfully Raw sell their Snips and Bites in many natural food markets, Whole Food and grocery store locations in North America.

Could Tempeh Eventually Replace Meat At Our Kitchen Tables? Let Me Hear Y’All Say Yee-Haw For Texas Tempeh

January 18, 2014 by India Leigh 8 Comments

Beth & Becky founders of The Hearty Vegan

I arrived in Austin, promising myself I would lay low so I could complete a project I’ve been meaning to do for some time. But, I guess my curiosity for vegan artisans runs too deep. I was at the natural foods store, filling up my basket with ingredients for a recipe I was creating and I could not help but notice, in the chilled foods section, a local Texan company making Tempeh. After a brief search on the internet I find it is made by The Hearty Vegan, and run by a mom and daughter team, right here in Austin. With numbers of people adopting a plant based diet increasing steadily year on year, and the increasing population highlighting issues of landmass, meat alternatives are becoming ever more popular (and innovative with flavours and their uses), I’m all for spreading the word. So,I wanted to meet them. I sent a message and asked if they would like to get together. Thankfully, they replied that they would.

We arranged to meet in the cafe I ended up frequenting the most whilst I stayed in Austin, Counter Culture. It is a homey, vegan cafe. The painted bright turquoise interior is as bright as it’s servers. The owner, Sue, is a fellow world traveller who has put down her backpack and tied on her apron to share her love of food. I was sitting watching the world go by and sipping on hot tea when Beth and Becky breezed in, armed with a box of their tempeh goodies for me to try. They had that typical Austin warmth and easiness about them as I probed them with a million questions about their mutual tempeh obsession.

For those that don’t know. Tempeh was first made in Indonesia as a food protein, made from fermented beans. High in fibre, low in saturated fat and zero cholesterol, Tempeh is now becoming more and more popular as people seek tasty meat alternatives. It is incredibly versatile, ‘meaty’, with a firm texture that absorbs flavours well. Many prefer it over tofu for it’s firmer, more substantial texture. If you’ve not yet tried tempeh ‘bacon’ then do. You’ve got a treat in store.

The Hearty Vegan

Beth, the mom, told me how she turned vegetarian in college after choosing a topic to debate in class. She had to convince her classmates that being vegetarian was not only beneficial to health but morally responsible. She researched this subject that she had previously known nothing about, and formed her argument so well that she ended up convincing herself and became a vegetarian. Taking up many causes to help educate others to the vegetarian lifestyle. It really opened her eyes and made her live far more consciously. When Becky was born, she fed her a vegetarian, then vegan diet. She also decided to ‘un-school’ her for the majority of her education. Becky is a breath of fresh air. Her confident, passionate nature is obvious and infectious. My reserved British counterparts could benefit from her outlook and worldliness. Un-schooling obviously did her no harm, or judging by her sparky exuberance, neither does her being vegan.

Beth had been making tempeh for 25 years for herself and her family, and generously giving it to friends. Just over three years ago in 2010, she and Becky began forming a dream of selling their tempeh and their business becoming part of the local economy. So they founded The Hearty Vegan which is steadily growing as word spreads. They sell in many of Austin’s vegetarian friendly and vegan restaurants, food trucks, natural markets, local CSA’s and Whole Foods. Perhaps one day the big red heart logo of The Hearty Vegan’s Texas Tempeh will be as synonymous a lighted sign as that big old M used to be. It doesn’t take too much of a paradigm shift to see this as a possibility. The Beth & Becky team obviously is working. The girls have their own personal strengths that they bring to the company, and they clearly have a relationship that many mothers and daughters might wish they could have.

Over the years that awesome ‘at home’ baking and cooking has created a long list of recipes loved by many. Beth and Becky decided it was time to share them, and so put together the Vegan Duet cookbook. This news is fresh off the press, so I promise I will let you know when you can go buy the book for yourself. I think you will want to, with recipes like Asian Meatballs, Spanakopita, Southern Fried Tempeh, Blackened Burgers and Beth famous and delicious Dill Tempeh (‘Tuna’) Salad. They pride themselves on keeping it simple but delivering flavour with few ingredients. Tuna salad and meatballs are Beth’s particular pride and joy. I tried the salad and I’d have to concur it is pretty darned good!

They believe in offering people more choices. Alternatives to meat. They promise that they are never putting any weird stuff in their food and keep as close to the original Indonesian methods as practically possible. Their beans are non GMO, gluten free and 100% organic. I wondered what made their tempeh so delicious Becky told me,
‘We don’t pasteurise our tempeh. Instead, we sell it frozen. Freezing doesn’t kill this amazingly healthy fungus and so our tempeh is still alive. Our tempeh is white because it’s completely covered with mycelium. Beans are delicious by themselves, but the mycelium adds a a layer of rich, complex flavour that puts tempeh in a class by itself’.

Beth Taylor of The Hearty Vegan

After exhausting the girls with my barrage of questions it was time for us to part ways and for us to go back about our business. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. It is heartening to me when I see that businesses can be ethical, profitable, employment generating models, that can be a touchstone for all. I’m sure you will agree that’s happy making. The Hearty Vegan are one of several local food artisans I came across in Austin that are run by families, couples and friends. Their food served up with the characteristic joy and pride, bordering on obsession that food artisans usually embody.

Spicy sausage, sizzling in a pan.

I used the garbanzo tempeh for my original vegan and gluten free Haggis Neeps & Tatties recipe.

Their spicy sausage tempeh was turned into sausage crunches and topped my vegan breakfast tacos (I will share this recipe soon!)

Do I really believe that tempeh can be the high protein choice of many that can eventually overtake consumption of animal products? After tasting the likes of tempeh ‘bacon’, chewing down on a BBQ ‘rib’ made from The Hearty Vegan Garbanzo Tempeh, and my recipes of my own of Haggis, and Breakfast Taco’s with Sausage Crunchies, among others (not to mention the health benefits of plant based eating)…I’d have to shout out a whole hearted..’you bet ya’. And, I am sure Beth & Becky will be doing their darndest to make it happen.

Holding A Candle To Vegan Dining In New York

January 7, 2014 by India Leigh 2 Comments

I am in Austin, Texas, right now, attempting to catch up on posts that have been stacking up as I flit from country to country, State to State. Right now, I am happily ticking off another New York dining experience I wanted to share with you. I’d heard a lot about Candle Cafe, from friends and fellow bloggers, so I was eager to give it a try. I went with a friend to celebrate his birthday. He is an NYC native so he had visited many times. This was great as we managed to get a table without pre-booking, and also he had overtime eaten his way around the menu so was a competent advisor.

The menu is entirely vegan, mostly local, seasonal, organic and the cafe is proudly environmentally aware. All elements usually precursors to a splendid dining experience. I was well catered for as the menu had a good selection of gluten free dishes to choose from.

The restaurant is kind of upscale but not grand. The lighting and seating make for a relaxing, intimate atmosphere. The staff were super attentive. The Candle story began in the summer of 1984, when Bart Potenza purchased Sunny’s, a landmark health food store and juice bar located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. In honour of the previous owners’ nightly ritual of lighting candles to bless their establishment, Bart renamed it the Healthy Candle and made it his own. Candle Cafe’s story is an interesting one. You can read more here.

This is what we ate.

AVOCADO-QUINOA SALAD
Black beans, jicama, cucumber, radish, pumpkin seeds, field greens, chipotle dressing

LIVE LASAGNA
Tomatoes, zucchini, wild mushrooms, cashew cheese, pumpkin seed pesto, balsamic-black pepper reduction

INDIAN CURRY VEGETABLE CAKE
Sautéed greens, caramelized onions, red pepper-coconut curry sauce, lemon-date chutney, almonds.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
Chocolate sauce, chipotle candied walnuts, vanilla coconut ice cream (sadly..this was my friend’s dessert and I couldn’t even reach over with my fork to sample as it was not gluten free). I could tell by the look on his face just how good it was! I nearly choked on my saliva!

All I tasted was very good and lovingly plated. The Indian dish and the artichoke appetiser were my personal favourites. My friend spent much time raving about the raw lasagne.

Candle Cafe West is one of three Candle eateries in NYC. Candle 79 is located on 79th Street in between Lexington & 3rd. I had visited Candle 79 the week before and I think, to be honest, my expectations were a little high. The little place had a really nice welcoming atmosphere and was packed with diners at lunch time when I visited. I arrived after my first walk through Central Park. I had to pinch myself that I was there..in New York (at last!) visiting the most famous and visited urban park in the USA. I headed to the park for a bit of a respite from the craziness of the city. I had to laugh at the irony. The sky had a helicopter zig zagging across the park and about 2 million people and 34,000 runners where in and around the park for the New York Marathon (failed to research that little fact of the day!) It was good fun though, so I couldn’t mind!

With such a wonderful variety of dishes on offer, I went with the proffered tempeh entree as suggested by my waitress. It was nice but not outstanding. The menu listed their ‘famous’ split pea soup. I sampled it and honestly, I was not wowed. It was because of this experience that I was so pleased to eat at Candle again and come away with fonder memories. Of course, unless your debut dining experience at a restaurant is majorly whacked it is always good to go back another time and try something different from the menu. Sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised.

such fun!

a finisher strolling back through the park.

No Compromise Healthy Eating In New York. Quintessence

December 26, 2013 by India Leigh 4 Comments

The temperatures may have been dropping in New York, and the thought of a cold salad may not have been on the top of my list, but if my little ears get wind of a raw food restaurant I am on Google and mapping my way to it quicker than you can say ‘activated nuts’!

Sometimes, a raw restaurant (nothing cooked above 118f, to retain the essential nutrients) may be living off the aged reputation of the ubiquitous dishes of raw pizza, raw lasagne and chocolate, avocado mousse. For the uninitiated these will be eye openers, not to mention shifting your perceptions of uncooked food. But, I’ll be honest, when I have a short amount of time to run around a city discovering exciting, innovative food, if this is all they offer, I’m skipping it. An online glance over the Quintessence menu intrigued me. The whole menu is 100% organic, gluten free and vegan).

I called up a foodie playmate and we headed over to the East Village. I’d already made up my mind from my menu musings earlier so my friend and I decided to order two of the most interesting looking dishes and share them. I opted for the Indian dish.

Indian Platter

The India Platter was a Mali Kofta, chickpea and vegetable balls covered in a curried almond sauce, served with mango chutney and cucumber raita. It was creamy pillows of curried heaven.

Our second choice had to be the
Mexican Platter

Flax and corn enchiladas with ‘refried’ beans, ‘cheese’, dowsed in mole and guajillo chilli sauce. My dining partner had long been a fan of the Mexican Platter but his allegiance shifted that night to the Indian plate. Honestly, I’d happily choose either of them.

The food was exceptionally flavoursome and inventive with wonderfully balanced textures. Filling too. No room for dessert!! The service was non-invasive but present. It was early, 6pm so it was fairly quiet. It is a small place so it probably fills up quickly. It had a nice ambience but I didn’t see how it had the ‘spa like experience’ their website spoke of? In my opinion, it is just a nice, relaxed atmosphere to enjoy good food with good friends.

There are a few cooked items on the menu, sadly it was a one time visit on this trip so I cannot vouch for those. Their menu is extensive with original, amazing sounding appetisers and entrees (they have a dish called fofu? I’m waiting on a reply from them to enlighten me to what that may be). They serve shakes, raw pies and puddings, too. Their website is a bit odd. On face value it looks like they only deliver, this is obviously not the case.

quin·tes·sence (kwn-tsns)

1. The pure, highly concentrated essence of a thing.

2. The purest or most typical instance: the quintessence of evil.

3. In ancient and medieval philosophy, the fifth and highest essence after the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water, thought to be the substance of the heavenly bodies and latent in all things.

Quintessence

East Village

263 E 10th Street

(btw. Ave A & 1st Ave)

NYC

(646) 654-1823

New York never fails to be so vibrant and utterly entertaining. I captured a great moment on the subway This guy was the icing on the cake to a great night. He just walked up and started showing some moves. Only in New York?!

Vegan In Los Angeles

Organix

Vegan Faux Fish Tacos

Ingredients

Method

bbq jackfruit tacos - pulled pork vegan style

ingredients

For the coleslaw

method

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