Yummy things of the week ...

I went to see BLONDIE and MORRISSEY at Madison Square Garden on Saturday! I had general admission floor and I got all the way up front! I was THIS CLOSE! AHHHHHH! *swoon*

In other good news ... Figs are in season! Yes! (strawberries also)

Also, Vegan Chao is everything. I made the best breakfast sandwich ever with it this week: 1 slice tomato cayenne vegan chao cheese, 1/4 avocado, and roasted garlic hummus on toast. Mmmm

Going green ... and a Quick Roasted Red Pepper and Chickpea Salad ... yum!

 
 


So, I've been really sick this year and I credit that, in large part, to my eating a lot of dairy and some processed food again. After my latest bout with illness, I'm trying to be done with dairy again and eat much more clean. Since I was feeling miserable anyway, I managed to quit coffee while I was sick two weeks ago. I start the day with water or a fresh raw juice which makes a lot more sense! I'm sure my immune system is thanking me already.


I also quit dairy. My biggest weakness is a toasted bagel with cream cheese. Hey ... I'm raised in Jersey and I live in Brooklyn. This is, like, essential to life as, say, sunshine. So, I'm trying some alternatives. I don't like the Tofutti cream cheese style spread and so I tried the Daiya version. Sorry to say that the Daiya is not a tasty substitute in my opinion either. :(

So, I smeared some avocado on my bagel and that was better than any vegan cream cheese-like spread I've ever had. Hummus won't do the trick; it's got to be creamy. So, I think I'm going to try the tofu ricotta from Veganomicon next.


I also love provolone subs (a la the Jersey Shore style). This would be my last meal. Seriously. So, I tried the Daiya Provolone slices. I ordered a sub with no meat or cheese and then added the Daiya to it. No deal. Good try my friends at Daiya, but it can't really replace provolone for me. I put a few slices of avocado on the other half of my sub and that tasted pretty good. *sigh* ... but not as good as provolone. *sigh*

While I was at the Jersey shore for the weekend, I cooked up some yummy things ... Here are a few:

Roasted Red Pepper and Chickpea Salad with Parsley and Olives
Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas
1 jar roasted red peppers
1 bunch curly leaf Italian parsley
1 small can sliced black olives
1 shallot, diced
red wine vinegar and olive oil (I do half vinegar and half oil)
salt and pepper to taste
Method: combine all veggies in a bowl and drizzle with vinegar and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
I served this with some couscous with toasted pine nuts and steamed kale as well as some roasted fennel, roasted eggplant, and a green salad.

Chewie goes vegan!

I've been thinking about switching little Chewie over to a vegan diet because I don't want him to eat anything gross that I wouldn't eat. Plus, he seriously needs to outlive me; I ♥ Chewie! I came across V-Dog vegan kibble today which looks amazing! I ordered it and I'm so excited to see how Chewie likes it. I'm also going to get him some Organic VEGA Antioxidant Omega oil blend to put over his food as his vet has suggested he needs some oil in his life.

I also ordered the Simple Little Vegan Dog Book by Michelle Rivera and I can't wait to make him some yummy yum yums to enjoy in addition to his nutritionally balanced doggie food. Fortunately, Chewie actually likes his greens and eats zucchini. Good boy.

Here are some resources about meatless meals for your furbabies:
PETA's article about vegan dogs and cats

Good vegan nutrition for doggies

A list of "people foods" by ASPCA and whether or not those foods are OK for your pup.

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New Vegan Product Discovery!

Huzzah! I must admit that I am a big fan of the Kraft Mac & Cheese in a box ... you know ... the flourescent stuff ... yeah. I friggin' love it. So sue me.

Well, while I was perusing the health food store on Saturday, I came across this! YES!

You can also buy online at these sites:
http://edwardandsons.com/pastas.itml
http://www.amazon.com
http://www.veganessentials.com

I had the Cheddar Style Shells & Chreese and it was delicious! I also picked up the Alfredo Style Mac & Chreese, but I haven't tried that yet. I'll post a review when I do. Mmmm.

Vegan Product Review

Rice Whip!
I was pretty excited to see a non-soy vegan version of whipped cream in the can. How fabulous! I try not to overdo the amount of soy in my diet, so I try to buy other vegan milks when I can. Overall, it's a winner!

Pros:
♥ Delicious, fluffy, and thick!
♥ Vegan and non-soy alternative!
♥ All natural and no gross stuff!

Cons:
♥ It cost $5. meh. (I was obviously very excited about it to have spent so much on it!)
♥ You have to plan to eat it 10-15 mins before you actually do, so no random squirts of whipped cream when you open the fridge for something else. heh. You have to take it out and let it warm up for a bit, then shake the can so that the cream falls down toward the nozzle, then after your wait ... you finally do get fantastic whipped cream.

ZenSoy
I've eaten this pudding for years. I actually think it tastes better than dairy pudding. It's all-natural and heavenly!