Restaurant Review: Tera V Burger

Veggie burgers can really be hit or miss. I've had some pretty boring ones, more than I care to talk about. They're usually really dry because I say no mayo. Apparently no mayo means no sauce. No ketchup, no mustard, no BBQ sauce, nada. It really bothers me. Just because I don't eat meat doesn't mean I don't like tasty food. Jerks. ;)

You all know by now of my love....make that obsession with Loving Hut Express burgers. They are to die for. I heard about this Tera V Burger place and peeps say its good. Its not all vegan, but most can be made vegan. They want to make vegetarian meals more mainstream. They don't want to cater to just vegetarians/vegans but to meat eaters too. Just eating one day or even just one vegetarian meal a day can make a big impact on your health and the environment (if that's what you're into ;) ). 

So my friend Sean and I made the trip over to 2961 West Broadway to check these burgers out. And kinda do a comparison to our first love...The Loving Hut Express.

V for Vegetarian! lol Sean is by no means vegetarian or vegan. He just loves good, saucy food. Such a supportive friend :). Anyhoo, we both got a different burger and they offered to cut it in half so we could share. 

Fiesta and BBQ burger

Close up!

We both got the tempeh burgers. I never liked tempeh before but have been dabbling in it more and more. I'm digging it a lot actually. It was Sean's first time. We both enjoyed the burgers. And agreed that the BBQ one was the best. But I was a little disappointed that the cheese wasn't melted. You can't have a cheeseburger with unmelted cheese. Its just wrong and seriously unpleasant.

Other than that, I liked them. Saucy, tasty, good quality. The yam fries were awesome actually. And the combo we got was super filling. Came with your choice of drink, we got Boylen sodas. I hope they take care of the unmelted cheese situ cuz that's unfortunate. I read the Georgia Straight review and Stephen Hui said the same thing. They do use daiya which is awesome, but its best melted.

BUT nothing can compete with Loving Hut Express. They are still number 1....by a long shot. But this place would be my number 2 for veggie burgers in Vancouver. Anyone know of any other spots for a good veggie burger?

Peace

xoxo

K

Super Food Green Salad with Tahini Dressing

I was just whipping up a quick salad for lunch the other day, nothing special. When all of a sudden it turned into the most delish, creamy dressing I've made yet!! OMG I could not get enough of this Tahini dressing. Its a spin off of an earlier one that I created, which you can check out here.  I added a few extra things to make it even better!

And I didn't even take a pic of the finished product cuz I gobbled it up so fast. But here's the recipe anyways.

Tahini Dressing

Ingredients

1/4 cup raw tahini

1/4 cup water

1 lemon

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili flakes

1 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp Gluten Free Tamari

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Adjust spices if you want it hotter or not at all. This wasn't spicy at all. Well, according to me. :)

This is the tahini I used. You can definitely use a roasted version. But this is the BEST tahini I've ever tried. SO good!

For the salad part, I wanted to do a lot of green leafy veggies, but didn't want them to be raw. So I steamed them for 4 minutes. Should have been 3 but it was still good. But a little crunch would have been better.

Super Food Green Salad

Ingredients

1 head broccoli, chopped

1/2 bunch kale, chopped

6 cups spinach

1 cup shelled edamame

2 green onions

10 mushrooms, sliced

2 cups black beans

Hemp seeds

Sunflower seeds

Directions:

Steam broccoli, kale and spinach for 4 minutes. If using frozen edamame (like most) then throw those in there too. Let cool before adding the remaining ingredients. I put mine in a big bowl and into the fridge for 15-20 minutes. Once cooled, toss with dressing and remaining ingredients. ENJOY!!

This will make a lot. Enough for a couple salads or a side to any meal for 4 people. I ate mine for lunch and with my dinner. Its creamy and satisfying. :)

Here was a little snack I ate the other day. Like I've said before, I often boil up a couple different types of legumes at the beginning of the week so I can easily incorporate them into my meals. I had this as a late night snack the other night and it packed a good protein punch and satisfied me.

It is 1 cup of black beans, sprinkle of Daiya cheese, some guacamole and salsa. Of course hot sauce. That goes without saying. lol

Peace

xoxo

K

Let's get Veguated! Dairy edition: Quickie Vegan Mac & Cheese

Mac and cheese is one of the biggest comfort meals out there. Cheese is one of the reasons for many vegetarians who want to go vegan but say they can’t give it up. I get it. Cheese is delicious. I will never deny that.  But dairy is not all that it’s cracked up to be. Here’s a little info on dairy and its effect on the body:

 We are the only species in the world who drinks another’s bodily fluids. That’s weird for me. Animals drink a mother’s milk to get maximum nutrition to grow a healthy, strong body. We are all then weaned off milk and begin eating solid food.  Cow’s milk is meant to grow a 400 pound cow not a 150 pound human. Hmmmm.

 Many cultural backgrounds are lactose intolerant in some degree. African American, Hispanic and Asian are almost all intolerant of dairy. It has historically not been a major part of these diets. The incidents of osteoporosis, cancer and diabetes are the lowest in countries that do not consume much dairy. And only since the addition of dairy to their diets has the rates of these ailments been on the rise.

 We have always been told that we need to drink 3 glasses of milk per day to grow strong bones, keep them strong and ward off osteoporosis. It is true, dairy has lots of calcium. I will refute that but it is highly acidic. Our bodies are very efficient and when we eat something that is acidic our body automatically reacts to regulate our blood ph. It does this by releasing calcium from the bones. So every time we have dairy, we put calcium in and then take it out. That’s not exactly how I want my body to operate.

 Calcium per 100 gram serving:

·         Butter 20 grams

·         Whole Milk 118 grams

·         Chickpeas 150 grams

·         Collard greens 203 grams

·         Parsley 203 grams

·         Soy beans 226 grams

·         Almonds 226 grams

·         Sesame seeds 1,160 grams

Woah! Sesame seeds are a star provider! Jeez. Good to know! Sprinkle those little seeds on your salads, soups, or eat some hummus and you get a huge load of calcium. J

 Dairy is also very addictive. It contains casein which breaks down into casomorhins....as in morphine. This has an opiate effect on your body which makes you feel all awesome, relaxed and happy. Casein is even more concentrated in cheese which explains why people are so passionate about it. And I was DEF passionate about my cheese. I was never a milk drinker but cheese? OMG. LOVE. Especially blue cheese and Borsin. Mmmmm. Casomorphins are designed to make the calf feel all warm and fuzzy so that they bond more with its mother and want to drink more milk. This way it can grow and get strong.

 Consumption of dairy is also linked to asthma, allergies, hormone irregularities and heart disease. So get off the dairy or at least cut if down significantly. Try daiya....its the BEST vegan cheese I’ve ever had. OK well there’s my rant about dairy, I could go on more but I think this is enough. LOL So here’s an easy recipe to get you into your dairy free life!

 Quickie vegan mac and cheese

Ingredients
1 cup almond milk
2 cups cheddar daiya
½ tsp veggie stock
1 tsp chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring almond milk to a light boil. Add remaining ingredients and stir until the cheese has melted. Once melted and well combined toss with your choice of pasta.  Cooking time is about 5 minutes.  This sauce makes enough for 2-3 servings, depending on how much sauce you like. J

I sriracha'ed the ish outta this dish too! Mmmmm.

Peace

xoxo

K

Restaurant Review: Chomp Vegan Eatery

Last week I had the pleasure of going to Chomp Vegan Eatery again. I really like this place. It's super cute and the food is awesome. Its also gluten free which as you know I'm really into. This time we decided to take out lunch back to my friend Leanne's place because we had just finished a run with her girls and needed to get them back. Check out my last post on them to see what we ate the first time. We made sure to try some different items, especially made a point of getting the mac and cheese!

Fiery Thai Tofu Bowl

Mac 'n Cheesy

We got those 2 dishes and split them. Both very good. The Thai tofu bowl was not fiery but that's just cuz I'm a lover of spicy food. So sriracha was added. But the peanut sauce was extra yummy. But the Mac 'n Cheesy stole the show. It was cheeserific and gooey. The gluten free noodles were good. And it came with a side of garlic toast. YUM.

So out of the 5 dishes I've tried there, the grilled cheese and the mac 'n cheesy win for sure. Next up as a must try is the nachos and the poutine. There's also a kale salad that sounds phe-nom and a couple of wraps that sound delectable. In all honesty, everything sounds good. It's always that way for me at a vegan joint. Its like Christmas. I'm so thrown off by the fact that I can eat everything that I don't know what to order. LOL

So, if you haven't already checked this place out, I suggest that you do. Its a little out of the way but well worth it. Us vegans and foodies for that matter have to stick together. Will travel for food. :) The only complaint I have is that the serving size is a tad small. But considering that its gluten free and vegan its not bad. I usually don't care about the serving size because I don't eat like McDonalds diners do. Not everything needs to be supersized. I was satisfied, so no real complaint.

PS they also do breakfast!!! I REALLY want to try it. I think its all day too. BONUS

Peace

xoxo

K

Restaurant Review: Chomp Vegan Eatery

I had the pleasure of checking out a new vegan restaurant this weekend in Port Moody. Its a vegan, gluten free establishment that is just cute as a button! The decor is super adorable, all white with splashes of colour and the cutest little chairs you've ever seen. lol You can check them out here. 

My friend Leanne and I decided to share 3 items, which I love doing. I always want to try everyone else's food. Sharing is caring folks. We picked the Summer Salad, Full-alfel and the Grilled Cheese Madness. Let me tell you, it was madness. It was my personal fave.

Full-afel

Mmmmm

 Honestly, it was not the best falafel I've ever had. And not to imply I'm some sort of falafel connoisseur but being vegan and not a frequenter of dollar slice pizza at 2am, I have had my fair share and this one was a tad dry. But the vegan tzatziki was amazing.

Grille Cheese Madness

 This was madness, in fact, it was the bomb!!! Gluten free bread (yah!), daiya (double yah!), zucchini, pear, red onion, red pepper and basil. BAM! Seriously good and from now on, may all my grilled cheeses be mad.

Summer Salad

This was a very fresh and light salad. Needed a bit more flavour but it was good. It had my 2 fave beans, the chickpea and the black bean. Was nice and filling too. 

All in all, I'd go there again. Next time I'm getting the mac and cheesey and the sliders. YUM!

Check em out!

Peace

xoxo

K

Vegan MoFo Day 20: Vegan Corn Chowder with Kale

There's nothing like a bowl of soup on a cold night. I had a craving for corn chowder and decided to give it a try. I've never been a huge fan of creamy soup but there's something so comforting about them. I watched Eat St back in August or September and it featured this food truck that made "bunny chow". Bunny Chow is a South African dish that consists of a hollowed out loaf of bread with curry inside. Well, as soon as I saw that I immediately thought YUM and of Tim Horton's chili in a bread bowl. And my obsession begins......now. lol

Kevin made me curry in a bread bowl already which is phe-nom FYI. I figured corn chowder would be amazing in it also. 

PS: I  bought the biggest phallic symbol in IGA for this soup. Effin hilarious.

That is one BIG carrot

Vegan Corn Chowder with Kale

Ingredients:

1 giant carrot (or 2 small ones)

1/2 onion. chopped

2 stalk kale, leaves removed

2 red potatoes, diced

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 cup almond milk

4 cups water

2 tsp Vegeta

1/2 tsp sea salt

pepper

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp parsley

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Earth Balance

1 tsp cornstarch with water

Directions:

1. Saute onions in Earth Balance. Add carrots once fragrant.

2. Cook carrots and onions on high for 2 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except almond milk, thyme, parsley and garlic powder.

3. Cook on medium-high temperature until potatoes and carrots are soft.

4. Add spices, almond milk and cornstarch and cook for 3 minutes or until soup thickens.

5. Fill your bowl or your bun and ENJOY.

TIP: Sprinkle Daiya cheese on top and bake for 5 minutes. YUMMM

Kevin got 2 cuz he's a man who needs more food. LOL

I served it with a great little side salad. Romaine, radishes, cucumber, carrot and sunflower seeds with an Asian style dressing. Soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil and half a lemon. DELISH.

The multigrain whole wheat buns I got were small but perfect for just me. I didn't have time to go to Cobs to pick up something more suitable. But they worked quite well and it looked cute with 2 on the plate anyways. 

I'm not sure what I'll make tonight. Its hard to come up with a new meal for every day of the week. So we'll see what I can come up with for tomorrows post.

Happy Cooking MoFo's!

Peace

xoxo

K