More Time with Victoria Moran and Easy Vegan Takeout

I wrote yesterday about hearing from Victoria Moran and her inspiring words about what it means to live a vegan lifestyle.  Tonight, I got to hear more from Victoria when she led a workshop at Tranquil Space where she again talked about the vegan lifestyle and her formula for healthy living - M.E.N.D.  This stands for Meditation, Exercise, Nourishment and Detoxification.  I don't think I can describe it as eloquently as Victoria did, and I fortunately found a video on YouTube where she talks about M.E.N.D.



My fellow workshop participants were a mixed bag when it came to their vegan journeys. There were folks who have been vegan for years, folks who have been vegan for days and folks who were vegetarians or flexetarians and curious about being a vegan.

During the workshop and in our conversations afterwards, we talked about the common perception that being vegan equals feeling deprived and how, when you're starting out down the vegan road, you might not be sure what to eat, especially if you're "too busy to cook."

I've had a pretty hectic few weeks, but I have managed to do really well with finding quick vegan meals.  Here's a few things I've picked up recently for lunch and dinner.  Now, I don't advocate eating out for every meal, but I want to show how easy it can be to find vegan options, even when you're busy.

Today, I went to a "lunch and learn" professional development event.  When I registered, I requested a vegan lunch.  Today, when I picked up my badge, I was also handed this "Pan-Asian Vegan Salad," courtesy of Lawson's Catering.  The ingredients included Red Peppers, Carrot, Eggplant, Jicama, Cucumbers, and Crispy Fried Wonton Noodles on a bed of Field Greens.

Tonight, on my way to the workshop, I hit up Marvelous Market for this yummy bean and wheat berry salad, as well as the most delicious fresh pineapple.  I need to eat more fresh pineapple - I felt so energized.

This was my lunch yesterday, a Falafel and Hummus whole wheat sandwich from Perfect Pita.  The sandwich typically comes with provolone and feta, but since they are made to order, it was easy to get mine without any cheese.  Check out their vegan menu for more ideas.

This was my lunch from last Friday, the Farmer's Market salad from Pret-A-Manger.  Look at that avocado!  It also had garbanzo beans, lentil salad, pine nuts, shredded beets, shredded carrot, spinach, cherry tomatoes and roasted red peppers.  

I could go on and on - soups, salads, wraps, stir-frys . . . YUM!  What's some of your favorite easy vegan takeout?

Product Reviews: Almond Non-Dairy Yogurt and Seitan Piccata

After recently trying So Delicious' Coconut Yogurt, I was curious to see if I'd be able to find another vegan yogurt I liked better.  So, when I saw that our local market had Almond Dream Mixed Berry Yogurt, I decided to give it a shot.

Boy, was that the right decision.  I really liked this product.  The texture was thicker and creamier than the So Delicious one, and it had a pleasant berry flavor.  Also, the list of ingredients are a little more palatable on the Almond Dream product, with less artificial ingredients.  I will definitely be trying the other flavors!


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One day, I'd love to go to the Candle Cafe in New York City.  I read about it in Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet, and the food sounds delectable.  Needless to say, I was intrigued when I spotted Candle Cafe vegan entrees in the Whole Foods Frozen Foods section.  I decided to try two of them, the Seitan Piccata with Lemon Caper Sauce and the Vegan Macaroni & Cheese.

The Candle Cafe meals are almost all certified organic (the mac and cheese being an exception), non-dairy and non-GMO.  In addition to the two I bought, there's also a Tofu Spinach Ravioli and a Ginger Miso Stir-Fry.

Since I'm getting ready to head to a conference on Friday, I don't have a lot of me-friendly food in the fridge right now.  So, I decided to try the Seitan Piccata.  It was a mixed bag for me.  Now, I'm familiar with food styling, but I was surprised how little seitan there was in the dish compared to the picture on the box.  Also, I should have heeded the package directions and stirred the meal midway through cooking, because the sauce wasn't really evenly distributed.  Occasionally, I would get a huge hit of lemon.  I will say that I liked the texture of the spinach and rice blend.  Though there is a small amount of soy in this, I'm passed the window for an allergic reaction at this point, which means it was a small enough amount to be tolerable, or that my theory that I can tolerate non-GMO soy is correct (we'll be testing that theory soon!).

From a nutrition standpoint, we also have a mixed result.  We've got 12 grams of protein, which is good.  However, we also have 920 mg of sodium, which is 38% of the DV.  Now, when you consider the DV is based on a 2,000 calorie diet, and that some experts are saying that the previous 2,400 mg daily value is too high, that's a big sodium hit.  Sure, I know that processed foods are going to have a higher sodium level than home cooking.  But still - ouch.

Also,  after a pretty vigorous yoga class tonight (lots of core work and balancing!), a 210 calorie meal isn't really enough to satisfy me.  So, I'm off to forage in the fridge to supplement it.

Simple Spinach and Lentils with Rice and Quinoa

I know I like to make a lot of dishes that involve multiple ingredients, lots of prep and lots of pots and pans.  But, sometimes I want something super simple, but hearty, and tonight was one of those nights.

I had leftover golden lentils in the fridge, so I decided to do something with them.  I also picked up a big container of baby spinach after yoga (we go through two containers a week here), and decided I would incorporate that in the dish as well.

To start the dish, I sauteed some minced shallots in Earth Balance.  I then added some tomato paste concentrate.  When the brown bits started to appear in the pan, I added a couple of pours of vegetable broth.  I used Safeway Organic brand, which, unlike some other boxed broths, doesn't contain soy. Pacific Organic's vegetable broth is also soy-free.

I then added a few handfuls of the cooked lentils.  As the lentils integrated with the sauce, I futzed a bit with the dish, adding vegetable broth as I thought it needed more liquid, and tomato paste as it needed more color.  I then added several handfuls of roughly chopped baby spinach.  As the spinach wilted, I added even more to get even more green into the dish.

To season the lentils & spinach, I added some freshly ground black pepper and a few drops of sriracha, a Thai hot sauce that has become pretty trendy over the past few years. It's made of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. Some srirachas have fish sauce as an ingredient, but the one we use, which is made by Huy Fong Foods, does not.  

Despite the fact that there was salt in the vegetable broth and and in the sriracha, I decided it would benefit from a little bit of sea salt, so I stirred some in.

I wanted some sort of grain to go with the dish, but I hadn't cooked any up in advance.  Situations like this call for microwave bagged rice.  While some microwave bagged rices and grain mixes aren't veg friendly or have lots of unnecessary additives and tons of sodium, I have found a few I like courtesy of Seeds of Change and Safeway Select.  Tonight, I opted for Safeway Select Brown & Wild Rice with Quinoa.  90 seconds in the microwave and, voila, rice

I put the rice in a bowl and then ladled in some of the spinach & lentil mixture and gave it a quick stir.  I was so happy with this dish.  The sriracha had a nice heat that pleasantly snuck up on me, and I loved the texture and combination of flavors.  The warm lentils, rice & quinoa and spinach were very filling and satisfying, the perfect dish for a cold, winter day. 

Product Review: Amy's Kitchen Vegan Macaroni & Cheeze

With all the cooking I'll be doing over the next few days, I decided to give myself a break from cooking (and my husband a break from dishes), and try out some vegan macaroni and cheese.  I definitely still plan to try and make some from scratch, but, tonight, I decided to try a pre-made version.

Amy's makes a variety of vegetarian and vegan macaroni and cheese dishes.  The one that is vegan, but also soy-free and thus allergy friendly for me, is the Rice Macaroni with Dairy Free Cheeze.  The "cheese" in this product comes from daiya, as well as nutritional yeast and mustard powder.  It takes five minutes in the microwave and it's done.

While this may scare off folks who haven't tried any of these ingredients, fear not.  This tastes like packaged mac and cheese to me, and given how packaged mac and cheese is my ultimate comfort food, that's a strong endorsement. I'll be having this in lieu of traditional boxed mac and cheese (which is a massive allergy bomb for me anyway) when the craving strikes.

For those who follow a gluten-free diet, this is also a good alternative for you if you have a hankering for mac and cheese.

Vegetarian Deli at Home - Mushroom Lunch Meat and Almond Cheese

As I've noted before, as a good Northeastern Jewish girl, I've spent a lot of time eating deli food.  Clearly, as a vegetarian, I'm not eating corned beef, BLTs or tuna melts any more.  But, I did have a curiosity about vegetarian lunch meats and if they would be a passable substitute in a deli style sandwich.  To that end, I decided to make myself a vegetarian melt.

Some of the more popular vegan and vegetarian items, like Tofurky Deli Slices or Light Life's Smart Deli brand are off limits to me because of the soy.  But, Field Roast Grain Meat Company makes vegan deli slices that are soy free.  Varieties include lentil sage, wild mushroom and smoked tomato.  The only version I saw available at Whole Foods was the wild mushroom variety, so I grabbed that.

I had been eating regular cheese on occasion, but it's been upsetting my stomach more and more, so I'm cutting back.  Daiya has been a terrific option for me (in fact, I'll be using it in tonight's vegan cooking experiment - stay tuned), but I was curious to try a "nut cheese."  The raw food and vegan communities have embraced this type of "cheese," which has a similar texture to dairy, but healthier fats and no animal products.

At Whole Foods, I was able to pick up a shredded almond cheddar style cheese by Lisanatti Foods.  Upon closer inspection, I saw that the cheese contains casein, which is milk protein.  So, this cheese is not appropriate for those who are strictly vegan, those with milk allergies or those avoiding casein for dietary reasons.  So, you may, ask - why bother?  Well, like I mentioned earlier, I've been having stomach trouble with dairy-based cheese, but I was curious as to whether I can even tolerate casein.  Also, if you do a side by side comparison of one serving (1oz or 28 grams) of almond style cheese versus regular full-fat cheddar cheese, it looks something like this:

	Almond Cheddar Cheese	Traditional Cheddar Cheese
Calories	63	110
Fat	3g	5g
Saturated Fat	0g	5g
Cholesterol	0g	25mg
Sodium	190mg	180mg
Protein	7g	7g
Calcium	25% DV	20mg

So, there are some nutritional advantages here, especially if you're looking to avoid saturated fat and cholesterol.

With all that background, back to my deli melt experiment.  Our local market has excellent fresh pumpernickel bread, so we picked up a loaf of that.  I fired up our toaster oven and put in two slices of the  pumpernickel, topping them each with a wild mushroom deli slice and a generous sprinkle of almond cheese.  I let it go in the toaster oven at 400 until the almond cheese melted to my satisfaction.  Like daiya and other soy cheeses, it didn't get as gooey as traditional cheese, but it did achieve a decent meltiness.

I topped my open faced sandwich with spinach leaves and sliced grape tomatoes.  The taste evaluation?  Fell solidly in the "decent" level.  I wasn't swooning over it, but it wasn't awful either.  The texture was good, and the cheese especially had a good mouthfeel to it.  The biggest bonus?  No allergic reaction whatsoever, which, after a week where I've been particularly soy sensitive, was a welcome relief.

I think the deli slices will be a good addition to my convenience product staples - sometimes, I may not have time to make a proper lunch, so it will be nice to have these handy if I want to make a quick sandwich. 

Adventures in Vegan Convenience Part II

My weeklong vegan adventures continued this week with a few meals out and cooking with our new pots and pans.

Last night, we went to Evolution Burger.  While a majority of their menu items include beef patties, they also offer a vegetarian burger (Veggie Burger #1) and a vegan burger (Veggie Burger #2).  If you have allergies, ask the counter for the ingredients list.  That's how I discovered the vegan burger was soy free and thus safe for my consumption.

A while ago, I did a post about salad options in Downtown DC.  At that time, I neglected to mention Devon & Blakely, since I primarily went there for pre-made sandwiches, namely their English cheddar and avocado on whole grain.  But, it has a terrific number of vegan options as well.  There's a selection of soups, all of which are clearly labeled to note if they are vegan or vegetarian.   Anyone with any sort of food sensitivities will feel comfortable eating here  - I also saw labels for gluten-free and dairy free.  There are also a number of vegan sandwiches.

The salad options are a lot of fun.  You can opt for a small or large salad, mixed leaf or spinach.  You then take your bowl of greens to the counter.  At that point, you choose from a variety of toppings, including tons and tons of fresh veggies, as well as beans, sunflower seeds, nuts and other vegan friendly toppings.  There are also a number of dairy-free dressings.  Today, I opted for a spinach salad with chickpeas, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers, dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper.  I also had a cup of the vegan lentil soup, which was hearty and full of veggies.

So, while I've been enjoying all of these convenience foods, tonight, I was determined to cook with our brand new ginormous saute pan, as well as some of our other new cookware.  We had an eggplant in the fridge, so I diced that and sauteed it in olive oil with red onion and yellow and red grape tomatoes.  I then threw in some chopped kale, added vegetable broth, and put a lid on the whole thing to steam the kale down.  I seasoned it with salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder (alas, we were out of fresh garlic - I thought we had a few cloves) za'atar and fresh parsley.  I then stirred in some whole wheat rotini (and yes, it was vegan) and the last of my current stash of mozzarella daiya.

The broth added an extra dimension of flavor to the dish, so I think I'll try that trick again soon.  However, it had a higher pasta to veggie ratio than I would have liked.  Rather than making two cups of pasta, next time I'll cut back to a cup and a half.  We'll still have multiple servings, but the veggies will stand out more.  White beans or chickpeas might also be a nice addition, and this mixture can also nicely go over quinoa, farro, couscous or the grain of your choosing.

Adventures in Vegan Convenience

My experiment this week, now that our kitchen is back in operation, was to try and make it a full week eating only vegan meals.  Easy enough if I was cooking, but a variety of things have gone haywire since Monday - massive metro delays, meetings going well into overtime, etc. - that have put my plans to cook up a storm awry.

Breakfast has been easy - avocados & tomatoes, whole grain bread & Earth balance and, this morning, farro with spinach & daiya.  We had leftovers of Sunday's Seitan dish, but they've since been depleted.  I've barely had time to scarf down food at my desk, but, lunch in my work neighborhood fortunately has tons of convenient vegan options.  Instead of white pizza with veggies or grilled cheese (my usual "I have no time to eat!" standbys), I've opted for rice and veggie bowls from Java Green and vegan sushi from Oh Fish!

Convenience vegan dining!  Samosas, bean salad and baby carrots.

Tonight, I finally got home around 7:30 p.m. in no mood to cook.  Rather than throw in the towel on my nascent experiment by ordering pizza, I decided to walk over to our local market to see what they have in the way of vegan convenience foods.  I've explored convenience foods before, but never through the eyes of a vegan.

Our market has a terrific little deli.  It was very easy for me to find prepared bean salads that were vegan.  One was three bean (kidney, pinto and chickpeas) with diced veggies in an apple cider vinaigrette, and the other was a black bean salsa with corn and tomatoes.  Directly across from the deli, I was able to pick up some vegan samosas from Saveur India, a local Indian restaurant.  I knew the frozen section had a wealth of lacto-ovo veg options, but I wasn't sure what was available in terms of frozen vegan options.  However, I found a Sukhi's Vegetable Frozen Naanwitch and an Amy's Kitchen Black Bean Tamale Verde.

We happen to have tons of fresh-cut produce and whole fruit in the fridge, so it will be easy for me to supplement all of the above with fresh food.

So, while a crazy week doesn't seem like the ideal time to experiment with a vegan diet, it has shown me that you can enjoy healthy vegan options when you're strapped for time and patience.  Granted, I am blessed with a number of local grocery, quick-serve and casual dining options that go above and beyond for vegetarians and vegans, but I think the variety of plant based foods out there is only increasing.

Best Bets for Salads in Downtown DC

The salad is underappreciated as a lunchtime option, in my opinion.  It's often pooh-poohed as diet food when it has the potential to be a full, hearty meal.  Also, when it's face-meltingly hot and humid like was in Downtown DC, a salad is a lot easier to digest than a heavy sandwich or hot meal.

Like literally thousands of DC area folks, I work in a part of town known as Farragut.  There's no shortage of lunch options in Farragut, including multiple places to grab a vegetarian friendly salad at lunch.  And, since a number of these places are regional or national chains, perhaps they're an option in your neighborhood as well.

Chop't:  There are seven Chop't locations in the DC area, including two in Farragut (Connecticut between 16th & K, 19th between L & M) as well as locations in Dupont, Gallery Place/Chinatown, Metro Center, Union Station and Rosslyn.  If you haven't been to a Chop't, the concept is simple - you choose your lettuce, "choppings" (aka toppings) and dressing.  The staff will then chop your salad with a giant mezzaluna, put your salad in a bowl or a wrap, and send you on your way.

What I like most about Chop't is the selection - you can choose different kinds of lettuces, and there's a terrific variety of ingredients, including a variety of nuts, seed, beans and grains that make your salad veg friendly.  If you eat cheese, you can get harder to find cheeses like cotija.  Also, with late hours, you can also pick up a salad for dinner if you are so inclined.

Tip: The Chop't I frequent at 19th & L has lines out the door at lunchtime, and I'm sure other locations experience the same high traffic.  The good news is that you can order online and your salad will be ready for you in a decent interval of time.  I've done it a few times, and I was in and out the door before the people outside finally made it into the doorway.

Sweetgreen: Sweetgreen has seven locations in the DC area.  While there are none in Farragut, there are two locations in Dupont, one in Georgetown and one on The Hill, as well as locations in Bethesda and NoVA.  While there are less ingredients to choose from than Chop't, the quality of the toppings is outstanding, and there are unique items like spicy quinoa and hearts of palm.  It's also easy to tell from the menu which salads are vegan and which are vegetarian, and you can also use their nutrition calculator if you're tracking calories, nutrients, etc.  They're also open late if you want to grab items for dinner.

Tip: Sweetgreen often features seasonal specials featuring local produce, so stop by often to see what's new on the menu.

Mixt Greens: Mixt Greens has two DC locations, both convenient to Farragut, as well as a location in Bethesda.  Both salads and sandwiches are available, and there are a number of vegetarian and vegan options.  The downtown locations close at 4, but sometimes they have "summer hours" where they're open later.  You can also order online.

Tip: If you have food allergies, ask to see the nutrition guide.  The very helpful staff can help you find something appropriate for your dietary needs.

Some other decent options include:

Cosi - Lots of locations, but a limited vegetarian salad menu compared to other chains nearby.  Sandwiches also available, including two vegetarian options. 

The Brown Bag - Three DC locations (two in Farragut), as well as in Bethesda and NoVA.  Two vegetarian (one vegan) salads on the menu, along with make your own options.  You can also get sandwiches and pasta.  They do close early, so picking up a late dinner is not an option.

Pret a Manger - Three DC locations, two of which are convenient for Farragut.  Unlike all the places
above, everything is pre-made.  While the ingredients are very high quality, there are no substitutions or tweaks to menu items. The Farmers Market salad is vegan, and the website provides helpful tips on what sandwich, salad and wrap items are vegetarian.

Salad Photo Courtesy of Master Isolated Images.

I Love the Grocery Store

Hooray!  It's Rainier Cherry Season!

For me, going to the grocery store is like taking a six year old to Kay-Bee (well, when Kay-Bee actually was still in business).  I don't see grocery shopping as a chore, but, rather a place to discover new things and get myself a treat.

I tend to gravitate towards stores that put a lot of care into their produce sections, as well as offer whole grain breads, pastas and sides.  Also, stores that offer soy-free vegetarian products and packaged foods that don't have a ton of additives are a plus.

Thus I tend to spend a lot of my quality shopping time at the following places:

Empanadas, mango salsa and vegan crackers!

Grosvenor Market: This is located right next door to us, so bonus points for convenience.  They also have a decent produce section, a great prepared food and deli counter, lots of whole grain products and very helpful staff.  They carry Wild Harvest Organic and Culinary Circle products, both of which are high quality brands.  The downsides - due to its size, selection can be limited, especially when it comes to some of the specialty produce items I like to play with.  Also, they put their grape tomatoes on the wet rack, which is a no-no (never refrigerate whole tomatoes).

Balducci's: We have a Balducci's that's a mile away on foot or about five minutes in the car.  Since I'm vehicularly impaired (read: I don't like to drive), I enjoy walking down there.  Their produce section is incredible - a huge variety of lettuces, greens, and cut and whole fruit.  There are also hard to find tropicals (dragon fruit, mangosteen), as well as golden raspberries.  Their sandwich bar offers a variety of options, and they also have a nice selection of prepared foods, pastas and grains, spices and cheeses.  It's bigger than the Market, but some might consider it to be to small still (I don't personally).  The biggest downside for me is the price - think $9.99 for Cava Grill Crazy Feta Spread, $5.99 for those golden raspberries I love so much.  But, I think it's worth it for an occasional culinary indulgence and for hard to find items.

Whole Foods: We are fortunate to have multiple Whole Foods Markets' in our area, a number of which are metro accessible.  I alternate between the Friendship Heights store (metro accessible) and the brand new Rockville store, with an occasional stop at Dupont or the Kentlands.  Whole Foods carries a number of staples in my kitchen that I can't find elsewhere in my mostly pedestrian state - Westsoy seitan strips, Daiya cheese, Quorn products, Sunshine Burgers, Field Roast Grain Meat Company sausages, Earth Balance soy-free spreads, Vegenaise soy-free mayo, etc. Their produce department is also outstanding, and even bigger than the one at Balducci's.  The Rockville store also a has a neat area where you can buy spices in bulk, so if you only need a few spoonfuls of say, Zatar, you can get as much as you need.  You will pay a premium to shop there versus Safeway or Giant, but given the access to the vegetarian options, it's well worth it to me.

On that note, I did get a few treats last night at Balducci's that I wanted to share:

Rainier Cherries: Rainier Cherries are here!  They are yellow cherries with a blush of red.  I find them to have a lighter and more pleasant flavor than a Bing.  Also, they're super pretty to look at.


Panas Tamal Emapanadas:  Panas is an emapanadas shop on P Street in Dupont.  They are also available in the prepared foods section at Balducci's.  I tried the Tamal flavor, which has corn, onions, farmer cheese, scallions, and roasted jalapenos.  After five minutes in the toaster, they were ready to eat.  They have a nice kick and the ingredients were very fresh.

Mango Salsa: I'm a sucker for mango anything, so naturally, I couldn't resist Balducci's mango fruit salsa, which has fresh mango, pineapple, cantaloupe, onions and jalapenos.  It had a nice kick and paired well with Mary's Gone Crackers.

Sometimes You Don't Feel Like Cooking

My original plan for tonight was to make something with green lentils, but, given that I didn't walk into my apartment until 9:15 p.m., I couldn't bring myself to start making a dish that might take 45 minutes to prep & cook.

On nights like these, it's good to have something quick and easy, but also healthy, in your kitchen.  I am not a fan of "TV Dinners."  If I don't know what an ingredient is, I don't want to eat it.  There are exceptions to the frozen rule - Kashi, Amy's Kitchen, Evol Burritos, etc.

I do have some quick, non-frozen options available at my local market.  Sunneen Health Foods makes a number of fresh, ready to eat vegan meal options, including a Pesto Pasta with almonds.  They also make my favorite garlic hummus.

My other favorite quick meal is One Stop Naturals' Macro Vegan Dumplings.  They are good hot or cold.  I had mine tonight with a side of steamed broccoli.

I'd love to hear about your favorite quick and easy vegetarian foods!