Hey all, so I’ve been venturing back into my fulltime vegan diet now that New England is slowly thawing. Today especially was a good vegan day for me. I dusted off my neglected blender and made a green smoothie before my gym trip. Then I saw that this new juice and pie place had opened in my neighborhood that was in talks a while ago. AND THEY DELIVER! Perfect for a rainy night like tonight.
Aurum appears to be located in Hyde Square right along the new Fat Ram’s location and the Brendan Behan. That area just keeps getting better and better with such nice additions in the last year like Sanctuary and Cafe Aromi. I haven’t checked out the decor but the website looks pretty good.
I order their Reboot juice which is a blend of Sweet Potato, Cantaloup, Pear, Ginger and Cinnamon. Pretty flipping delicious. Perfect for a post run recovery. I also tried one of their vegetarian offerings, the Farmstand Meal. It a mix of kale, broccoli, onion, red peppers on top of either brown rice or quinoa with a roasted garlic soy sauce. It was a bit salty after a day of mostly raw food but pretty tasty. I’m kind of kicking myself for not trying a pie but I didn’t see anything about them being vegan.
Anyhoo, if you happen to be fortunate enough to live within their delivery range, definitely check out Aurum. Otherwise, the trek is not bad and happens to be near a bunch of other great places.
377 Centre St, Jamaica Plain 02130
(Btwn Sheridan & Creighton St)
-S
This picture garnered some attention so I figured I’d post the recipe here. If you’re not familiar with the most coveted rotated McDonalds menu item since the McRib, it’s basically a mint flavored vanilla shake. I’ve never actually had one before but I could gather what they tasted like just by looking at them. Micky D’s isn’t really my jam. 😛 Veganasarus! had a post with a collection of different Shamrock Shake variations that inspired this one. It’s pretty straight forward but does require a blender or perhaps a hand mixer will suffice if you’re lacking one. I’m going to list what I used but feel free to take your own spin on this guy.
-1 cup coconut milk based Ice Cream (I used So Delicious but the store only had the No Sugar added version, I’d recommended getting the standard if you prefer it to have the sweetness closer to an actual Shamrock shake.)
-1 cup almond/coconut/soy milk (Whatever you prefer, I used Silk’s new brand of Almond milk. For a thicker milkshake, use less milk or more ice cream.)
-1 oz or shot of Peppermint Schnapps (If you’re not a drinker or are trying to cut back on calories, you can sub out with a 1/4 of a teaspoon of mint or peppermint extract)
-2-3 Mint Newman O’s or Thin Mints since it just so happens to be Girl scout time (can also be used as a garnish!)
-About 6-8 drops of green food coloring plus 2 yellow drops for a limier green
-1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract (optional)
-Soy or rice based whipped cream (optional)
Combine all ingredients including a little whipped cream for thickness in a blender and serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a straw for presentation.
-S
Every Tuesday and Wednesday a few blocks from my work, the Bon Me truck pulls up on Belvédère. There’s usually some astronomically long line right along with it. I try to sneak over after peak hours but sometimes my stomach is a total jerk once noon rolls around. It’s not surprising why so many people line up to eat here especially as Food Truck culture continues to grown in Boston. And for those who have ever had a Banh Mi sandwich, it’s great that there’s a more accessible option than the tiny shops in Chinatown.
The way they set up the menu is a mix and match system. Pick your dish (sandwich, rice bowl, noodle salad or soup), pick your protein and for the salad option, pick your dressing. It’s a successful system proven by such chains as Boloco and Chipotle. As far as vegan options, there’s a few solid ones. The tofu marinade changes up every once in a while. Today’s was a soy and paprika mix that was a little on the spicy side. I had that in the noodle salad since I’m trying to cut back on calories. Given, I also had their Thai Basil limeade. VERY tasty. Overall, fabulous lunch spot. If you’re lucky enough to work or live near one of their weekly stops, check it out!
-S
I hope everyone faired well during this crazy snow storm. I know in the rush to gather bread and milk at the local grocers, I was the weird lady buying kale and local made salsa. I certainly didn’t starve this weekend, especially with all my veggies from my delivery this week.
While at the City Feed, a lady had a sample for this lovely salsa by NoLa’s Fresh Foods. It’s comprised completely of straight veggies and is 100% vegan! It’s also raw which is pretty cool. The fire roasted corn and black bean salsa was also quite tasty and would have worked swimmingly in this quesdilla as well. I would recommend using a salsa if this variety but if you don’t have one, they’re easy enough to make. Just stick some tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, etc into a food processor and voila! Instant salsa.
So I still had some sweet potatoes from this past week and I’ve found that they’re nice and hearty for recipes I would have normally wanted some kind of ‘protein’ in. I was originally intending to use some grilled tofu in this quesadilla but I’m glad I went with the sweet potatoes. So for this recipe ou will need:
2 tbsp Olive Oil (for cooking)
1 sweet potato – peeled and sliced into thin rounds
1 handful of kale
1 whole wheat tortilla of the vegan organic variety
1 handful of your favorite Daiya cheese (my local grocer was out of the pepper jack so I used cheddar)
2-3 spoonfuls of NoLa’s Salsa Fresca or if you need a little more protein, go for the fire roasted corn and black bean
Whatever fillings you might like
A bit of salt and pepper to taste
Put some olive oil on the pan along with the sweet potatoes then cook them until they’re a little soft and browned. Set those aside and use the same pan to heat the tortilla in the rest of the olive oil. Flip a few times every 10 seconds and poke any large bubbles with a fork. Throw on the cheese and the toppings. Set the heat to low and cover to assist in melting the cheese. Check after a minute or so until the cheese is melted them fold one side over. Flip once then transfer to a plate to serve. if you have any vegan sour cream or guacamole, they’re delicious to dunk your quesadilla in!
-S
Once again, I had some extra kiwis hanging around courtesy of Boston Organics that were getting pretty soft. I happen to buy some frozen raspberries over the weekend so I figured they would go great with the kiwi. Add a banana as a thickening agent plus the green of your choice and about a cup of almond milk and you’re in business. Here’s that breakdown:
2 Kiwis – peeled and quartered
1 Banana
1 cup Spinach or Kale
Roughly 1 cup raspberries – Fresh or Frozen (I like frozen better here)
1 cup Almond Milk (mine was vanilla)
I also made a spinach and artichoke dip over the weekend that was not vegan but could easily be made so. I might give that a shot when I have another free day. I’m actually kind of bummed I didn’t capitalize on an opportunity to do a bunch of vegan Super Bowl snacks. OH WELL.
Oh! I also got a new snazzy cup at Target. It’s got flowers on it!
-S
So last summer I found a recipe for a Vegetable soup with tomato and quinoa. I hadn’t had a chance to make it again since then but it was VERY tasty and I thought about it today since I had most of the ingredients. I was actually lacking the kale and the tomato that was in it but I had just about everything else so I decided to do my own spin on it. I had some plump looking turnips and a bunch of carrots that I pictured to be delicious in a soup so in the pot they went.
Turnip, Carrot and Quinoa Soup
Preparation time: 15 minutes (or however long it takes you to chop stuff)
Cooking time: About 20-25 minutes (until quinoa is tender or vegetables are at desired softness)
Makes: 4 to 6 servings (or if you’re me, you might get two meals out of it :P)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped into circles
1-2 large turnips, chopped anyway you’d like (I did circles)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
4 cups vegetable stock or broth
1/3 cup quinoa
1 cup chopped spinach (kale would also be very tasty here)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
I think this was a successful version of it. The turnips almost take on the texture of thin sliced potatoes and the carrots don’t get too soft during the cooking. It takes on the consistency of a stew more than a soup but that’s not a bad thing. Perfect for this weather. It’s a hearty soup but I was very hungry so I had a sun-dried tomato soy chorizo with it on whole wheat.
So on a side note, I watched some food documentaries this past weekend that emphasized the importance of a plant based, whole foods diet such as Forks Over Knives and Hungry for Change. It’s pretty amazing what food can do as far as combating illness. People with cancer or diabetes could completely reverse these diseases just by adopting a whole foods vegan diet. I remember when I started this blog, I was primarily eating food that could be considered ‘vegan junk food’ because I wasn’t making enough time to shop and cook for myself so I’m glad I found out about Boston Organics. I feel a lot more confident eating a predominantly plant based diet while getting all my nutrients.
So, I haven’t posted a new smoothie in a bit. My haul from Boston Organics kind of threw me off because I hadn’t really made smoothies with lettuce before. I found some online that used it so I figured I would give my own recipe a shot. I had a delicious looking Anjou pear and Fuji apple from my last delivery too. So the breakdown goes as such:
1 Banana
1 Fuji Apple
1 Anjou Pear
1 cup of chopped romain lettuce
1 cup of water
I usually blend the lettuce first with a cup of water since it doesn’t blend as smoothly as the fruit. I add the rest after a few minutes. The banana is kind of a dominant flavor in this one but I like the consistency it gives this. I think I might try this again without it though and maybe more apples and pears. Pretty awesome otherwise.
So if you have a Boston Organic membership like me, this past couple week you probably got a shit load of sweet potatoes and beets. I wasn’t really sure what to do with all them so I looked to the good ol’ Internet for ideas. I COULD blend the into a smoothie or I could roast them. Either way, the beets required blanching to soften up enough to peel and cut. The sweet potatoes had a lot of options as well but I kind of wanted to start using both since I had so many. Then I stumbled on a recipe that appeared on a few sites called ‘Beets and ‘Sweets.’ Sounded great, no?
Anyway, it’s a very simple recipe and was made to be a side dish but honestly I found hearty enough to be dinner. Sweet potatoes are very filling and have a more fiber, beta-carotene and vitamin A than their potato counterparts. The beets also have lots of wonderful properties like calcium and iron. I expect some more in the next few weeks so this recipe will most likely show up again soon on my dinner table. Feel free to check it out!
So this recipe was more or less a hodgepodge of things left over in my fridge. I still had two kiwis left as well as a carrot and an apple among some things that made it’s way into this smoothie. This definitely has a lot of good nutrients between the greens and the cilantro but it’s a bit salad-y tasting. I do like the taste of kiwi and apple together though. Once again my Vitamix lust kicks in while trying to blend leafy vegetables and carrots as it came out fairly chunky. Sometime what I’ll do is blend it the night before, let it sit then blend it again in the morning with a little more water but I didn’t have time to this morning for a smoother texture. OH WELL.
But anyway: here’s what’s in it if you’d like to try it yourself:
1 apple, cored and quartered
2 kiwis, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and broken up
1 cup baby spinach (or in my case, I used a little lettuce since I was low on spinach)
A little cilantro (optional)
An inch piece of ginger (optional)
1 cup of water
We’re about two weeks into the new year and I already feel a lot better about myself than I did throughout most of 2012. I definitely feel infinitely more energetic than I did, even so much that I haven’t been drinking coffee most days. There really must be something to these green drinks.
My first box from Boston Organics came in on Tuesday and it was definitely more stuff than I expected. I still have a bunch of sweet potatoes I need to do something with. I will probably try roasting those tonight. I also go a few kiwis. My recipe today finally put them to use. This is one I found on a blog called Healthy Smoothie Headquarters.
I happen to have half a bag of frozen organic strawberries left and I had a banana that was looking mighty brown so this was perfect. There’s some mods you can do to this smoothie like add kale or yogurt. (obviously a non-dairy one if you’re following this blog) I chose to add a bunch of spinach because I usually keep a bag in my fridge at all times for salads and things. I’ll eventually try kale, I’ve just been warned that the flavor is more punchy and obvious than spinach. Overall, delicious and tangy. I actually like chewing on the kiwi seeds in this quite a bit. The prep time is a little slower on this guy than my previous smoothies because the kiwi needs to be peeled but otherwise a very easy one to set up.