Happy 5 Year Vegan Anniversary to Your Blog Doll!

My "vegan anniversary" was apparently just a bit ago. Looking through old journal entries, it seems I went vegan around September/October of 2006. Happy 5 Year Vegan Anniversary to Your Blog Doll!

It surely doesn't feel like half a decade has gone by and in that time, I've never regretted or questioned my decision to go vegan. It has brought so many positive things into my life. Veganism has given me a new set of eyes regarding food production, animal agribusiness and agriculture, health concerns, and moral beliefs. I've also met many wonderful individuals, experienced so much great animal activism with Mercy For Animals and Vegan Outreach, tried all kinds of food I never would have even dreamed of prior to being vegan (and expanded my palette so much), started this blog of mine, and have had the peaceful experience of volunteering at farm animal sanctuaries and interacting with species that probably have more in common with us than humans believe. To me, it is a blessing to wake up everyday knowing I am directly withdrawing myself from such horrible cruelty made by factory farms and being natural and healthy in the process. 

The best action one can do is practicing what you preach. Think about your actions and what effect it will have on others, big or small. It gives you a sense of personal accountability that I think people tend to ignore. Veganism is living by my values and appreciating all walks of life.

If it weren't for veganism, I would have never been so moved to help others reach the conclusions I have made regarding factory farming, the environment, and health. I learned so much about myself and my abilities to lead, open up and share, and accept (whether it is confrontation or unbelievable support). It has made me a better, more well-rounded person. For that, I'm entirely grateful. My friend wrote a great article on her website, "The Wrong Kind of Activism", that I urge people to take a look at.

One of the proudest moments in my life was when I won the Youth Activist of the Year award during Mercy For Animals Celebrating Compassion Gala here in Chicago in 2009. I think most of the award winners probably feel as I do. I will leave this entry with the short, but sweet, speech I gave that night that I think signifies the point:

"Thank you to Mercy For Animals. Thank you to everyone that is here tonight. Without your support, Mercy For Animals could not continue their life-saving work. We are the voice for the voiceless. Any of our efforts, big or small, show our collective work for the animals. These acts of kindness are immeasurable in value. Each of you here tonight show that a group of people who believe in one unselfish goal is beautiful and has the power to build a better tomorrow. Because of this, I feel that we are all award-winners. For that, please give yourselves a round of applause. You truly deserve it. Thank you!"

SASHA Farm Animal Sanctuary in Michigan

So, thank you to those who read this blog. I'm glad that my decision five years ago has helped others try new vegan food and get involved with animal activism. ♥

Vegan Chicago: Restaurant Review of Munch

Outside

Vegan Chicago is a vegan network for like-minded folks to get together and have fun on various outings like dining at restaurants or bars. I've been to a few events in the last couple years. Truthfully, big social events like that are just not my thing. I'm much more of a lone wolf, if you will. But, I saw that they were having a dine-out at a newer vegetarian restaurant in Oak Park, IL (suburb just outside Chicago) called Munch. I was excited to see this as I have been looking for an opportunity to go out there and check it out. My friend who lives in Oak Park came with and we had a great time trying several items off the menu. Here are some photos from the meetup on Vegan Chicago.

Spicy "Beef" Nachos

To begin, we had the spicy "beef" nachos made vegan. It was topped with Daiya and Upton's Naturals chorizo. It could have been a bit warmer, but there were probably 30 people at this little cafe so I don't blame them for the heat factor. It was a pretty filling appetizer so I would get again. The radishes were a bit confusing, though. I'm not sure why they were on the nachos.

Vegan Lasagna

Soup of the Day

For entree's, my friend had the vegan lasagna with the soup of the day. I had a bite of each. The soup was excellent. Perfect for a fall day. The lasagna was also very good! I would definitely get this again as it looked like a filling entree portion. I ordered the Philly "steakless" sandwich. They use Upton's Naturals gyro style seitan which one can only get wholesale through the company. I've had it before by ordering bulk and freezing with the Chicago Vegan Co-Op. I really love Upton's Naturals wholesale products (even more than the retail seitan they have). You don't see it too often in restaurants, so I was really excited to see it on Munch's menu. I'm also glad that they're supporting a local vegan company like Upton's. The sandwich was a bit salty for my taste. Again, this could be because they were rushing to fill so many orders. It was filled with Daiya and sauteed mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. The side I got was sauteed greens. These were really exceptional. I'm a bit of a dark leafy green freak (I eat raw kale salad 4-6 times a week), so I always go for the greens when I see 'em on the menu. The meal was so big, I took half the sandwich home for later. We were much too full for dessert, but the cafe offers vegan milk shakes, cookies, and brownies. 

Philly "Steakless" Sandwich

It's great to see new vegetarian restaurants popping up all over the city. I mentioned in a previous post about other places that have opened: Urban Vegan Chicago, the various new Native Foods Cafe locations, Quesadilla Mexican Vegetarian Cuisine, and Earth's Healing Cafe (raw). New York Deli has started serving a permanent vegan menu at their place too. Items include a vegan chick'n parm, vegan gyro, SLT (seitan, lettuce, tomato), the John Lennon (hummus sandwich), and vegan desserts.

Herb Roasted Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts are a great source of protein, calcium, and dietary fiber. I'm a huge fan. When I was in Hawaii, I had some roasted macadamia nuts with fresh herbs at 22 North restaurant. So good! This inspired me to make my own from my organic balcony garden. I didn't have fresh sage or oregano, otherwise I would have used it.

Herb Roasted Macadamia Nuts

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 2 cups salted macadamia nuts*
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh basil, chopped

* Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a small baking pan, combine all ingredients with hands until mixed.
3. Cook for about 30 minutes until the nuts have a nice brown.
4. Serve hot. 

* Note: One could use unsalted and add their own salt level to the dish or not have it at all.

This is a great quickie recipe and the fresh herbs bring out a lovely elegance. I would use this for finger food if company is coming over or an appetizer with drinks.

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling & Cream Cheese Frosting

I am by no means a master baker. I'd like to think I'm a pretty good home baker, though! My frosting skills are not exactly the best, though. Any tips? I leave the pretty looking cupcakes up to local favorites, Canary Confectionery & the Mixing Bowl Bakery. This cupcake is inspired by my friend who really likes ginger. Lemons seem to go well with ginger, so I kind of just went with that theme. The cupcake is filled with lemon curd while the batter has fresh grated ginger, limoncello, and lemon zest. The frosting has limoncello and lemon zest and topped with chopped crystallized ginger.

Lemon Ginger Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling & Cream Cheese Frosting

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 25 minutes
* Ingredients (for lemon ginger cupcakes):

• 1 1/2 cups sugar*
• 3/4 cup vegan butter*
• 2 "eggs", prepared by box instructions*
• 3 tbsp limoncello*
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• 1 tbsp distilled vinegar
• 2 oz. vegan cream cheese*

* Ingredients (for lemon curd):

• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with water until smooth
• splash non-dairy milk

* Ingredients (for frosting):

• 6 oz. vegan cream cheese
• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 2-3 tbsp shortening
• 3 tbsp limoncello
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• crystallized ginger, to taste, minced, to top

* Recipe (for lemon ginger cupcakes):

1. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and vinegar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a mixer. Add in the milk mixture and combine well.
3. If mixing by hand, combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in another. Add the wet to the dry, then the milk mixture. Combine well.
4. Place batter 1/2-3/4th full in each cupcake spot on the tin.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

* Recipe (for lemon curd):

1. Over medium heat, combine the first four ingredients. Stir occasionally until smooth and bring to boil, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the milk and stir over heat.
3. Set aside and let cool. It should have a thicker consistency once cooled.

* Recipe (for frosting):

1. Combine all ingredients but ginger and mix well. It shouldn't have a soupy consistency. If it does, add more sugar.

* Recipe (for cupcake construction):

1. Once cupcakes are cooled, dig a small well out of the middle with a melon baller.
2. Fill the well with lemon curd and place the top back on the cupcake.
3. Frost and top with minced crystallized ginger.

* Note: Make sure your sugar is vegan! For vegan butter and eggs, I like Earth Balance soy free variety and Ener-G for egg replacer. Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur that you can find in most alcohol sections of a grocery store with specialty stuff like bitters. Feel free to use any non-dairy milk. I used hemp milk. For vegan cream cheese, I used Galaxy brand.

Product Review: Rawtella Stuffed French Toast

A vegan coffee shop here in Chicago sells rawtella in their cafe. I've heard about this product before so I thought I would try it out. I don't have much to compare it too, though, because I've never had Nutella before (shocking, I know)! Of course, one could always makes their own vegan Nutella. There are several recipes floating around out there that I hear are pretty delicious.

The flavor I tried out was the original chocolate hazelnut. I completely understand why people put this on toast now or with bananas. It's good! I imagine rawtella is similar to Nutella and making it would be pretty fun. If you're feeling lazy, though, this is a neat product to have in your cupboard.


Speaking of things I have never tried... I've never had a meal of "real" french toast either! I was never fond of the prominent taste of egg and french toast was always too egg-y for me. The Chicago Diner has vegan french toast which I've had there. With this rawtella, I decided to make a vegan stuffed french toast. It was really tasty! It definitely is missing a certain taste of that egg wash feel, but it's a pretty good replacement.

Rawtella Stuffed French Toast

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegan butter*
• 4 tbsp corn starch
• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp sugar*
• 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
• pinch salt
• 2 slices vegan challah bread, cut in 1-1.5 in. slices*
• 2-3 tbsp rawtella or vegan nutella
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• powdered sugar, to taste
• maple syrup, to taste
• vegan whipped cream, to taste*

* Recipe:

1. Heat the vegan butter in a medium sized skillet over low-medium heat.
2. In a bowl, combine the cornstarch and non-dairy milk well until all clumps are gone. Add the vanilla extract, sugar, flour, and salt. Combine until a smooth batter is formed.
3. Spread rawtella on one side of each piece of bread. Press together to form a sandwich with the rawtella on the inside.
4. Coat one side of the sandwich with the batter. Fry in the skillet until golden brown.
5. Pour batter over the other side of the sandwich and flip over. Allow to fry until golden brown.
6. Dust with powdered sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Serve with maple syrup and vegan whipped cream.

* Note: I used Earth Balance for vegan butter. For non-dairy milk, I used hemp milk as that's what I had. Feel free to use whatever you like. Make sure your sugar is vegan! I found vegan challah bread at the store (which really surprised me). Use any sort of thick, fluffy bread you can find. You want it to be similar to brioche (sans all the eggs in the bread). Soyatoo makes a canned vegan whipped cream that's pretty awesome. They carry it at the Whole Foods near me, but you can order it online too.

Vegan Chicago: Restaurant Review of Northdown Cafe & Taproom

Tucked in between stores, other neighborhoods bars, and the busy hub-hub of Lakeview is this wonderful place called Northdown Cafe & Taproom. It is a vegan hidden gem. From the outside, one would never assume they have an extensive vegan menu. They pride themselves on homemade food from scratch with local ingredients and they certainly live up to this standard. Even their pickles are homemade (which I terribly appreciate as a person who pickles regularly)!

I enjoy a place where I can get great vegan food, a good beer, and not have to scream across the table to talk to the person I'm with. This is where you go to do all that. They have a full bar and seating in the back as well plus some pinball machines.

Garlic & White Bean Dip

The menu is marked what can be made vegan with a (v). To start, our option here is a roasted garlic and white bean dip. So good! Someone could make a meal out of just this. For lunch or dinner, the options include a portobello salad, seitan Philly sandwich, roasted spring veggie sandwich, mac and cheese, open face meatloaf sandwich, and a vegan cassoulet. For dessert, they make pies from scratch. There are usually two to three vegan varieties. When I was there, they had raspberry peach and blueberry. 

Mac & Cheese

Meatloaf Sandwich

My friend and I shared the roasted garlic and white bean dip for an appetizer. This dip is awesome. The toasty bread it came with was a great pair. Highly recommend this! For our dinners, I had the seitan Philly sandwich and he had the open face meatloaf sandwich. We also asked for a kids portion of the vegan mac and cheese. They make the cheese out of almond and cashew creams and while you can definitely taste the nutty flavor, it wasn't that bad at all. My Philly sandwich was huge! Oh my goodness! And really good too. The cheese sauce on it was the same used for the mac and cheese. The seitan is homemade and you can definitely tell. I really appreciated that as a home cook that makes a lot of seitan from scratch. I got a side of fries that was a mile high. We poured malt vinegar on it and it was the perfect pub food. My friend had the open faced meatloaf sandwich which really did look like what it was meant to copy. I find sometimes veganized versions of things fall short on how they are supposed to look. Not this. The seitan was stuffed with celery, carrots, and other things one would find in a meatloaf. It wasn't chewy, but moist and easy to cut as a "meatloaf" should be. It came topped with mashed potatoes and a beer gravy. Feast for a Sunday early dinner, let me tell you.

Seitan Philly

We were far too full for a dessert (actually, we boxed half of all the stuff we got aside from the appetizer), but the pies looked really tasty. Next time I'll be sure to save room.

For a vegan wanting to try a new place or if you're taking an omnivore friend out to eat but don't want to suffer in your own dining choices... go to Northdown Cafe! I give this place a 4.5/5 stars. I found my new place to frequent.

Go-To Seitan Recipes

Deli-Style Seitan

Going through old blog entries, I have realized I have a lot of various seitan recipes that I have used and posted. Some have made it back to my go-to seitan recipe list and others I have decided are not as good. So, because of this, I decided to make a post clarifying which I like the best.

For a meaty pot roast sort of texture and feel, I like this one I used for my Chicken and Buckwheat Waffles recipe and my Country Fried Seitan Steak recipe. It soaks up liquids nice, so it goes well with a gravy. 

If you are looking to make more of a deli-style sandwich, this recipe for the seitan on the Italian "Beef" Sandwiches is what you'll want. It slices very well!

If you have made any of Vegan Miss' seitan recipes, I'd love to hear how they turned out. Thank you. xoxo