janet @ the taste space

Archive for October, 2014|Monthly archive page

Chocolate Cherry Hemp Bars & YumUniverse Cookbook Giveaway

In Book Review, Desserts on October 29, 2014 at 7:40 AM

Chocolate Cherry Hemp Bars

I am no stranger to Heather Crosby’s fabulous recipes (seen here previously: Peruvian Bean Bowl with Fried Plantains, Blueberry Tarragon Dressing and more recently the Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream), I was excited to be able to review her first solo cookbook creation, YumUniverse as part of the #YUBlogTour and #YUHealthyHalloween Blog Tour

However, it is more than a cookbook. It is a fabulously complete introduction (and then some) to eating plant-based whole foods. Her book is built in three parts: why, how and do (let’s eat). First, why eat plant-based? Heather details numerous reasons to eat your vegetables. Her second part, teaches the reader the ins-and-outs of how to cook plant-based. She addresses protein and calcium needs and how to craft a week’s worth of eats. There are tables of how to properly store fresh and pantry ingredients (fruits/vegetables, oils, nuts, spices, flours, etc; whether they go in the fridge/freezer). She explains soaking and sprouting with times for common nuts and seeds. She explains different cooking methods and even how to correct oversalting. Once you have mastered feeding yourself, she has tips for social situations. She really has left no gaps. She even explains how to get rid of pesky fruit flies.

Next, the recipes. With adventurist recipes including Mung Bean and Eggplant Curry, Jerk Lentil and Avocado Wrap, Beet, Apple and Onion Gratin and Skillet Crusted Sweet Potato Gnocchi, there are boundless possibilities. That was just in the lunch/dinner section. Heather also includes breakfasts, dressings, dips/spreads, breads, beverages, snacks and other desserts and treats.

In short, this is the cookbook I wish I had when I first began my journey becoming a vegan.

Chocolate Cherry Hemp Bars

I made her Chocolate & Cherry Hemp Bars which are a spiffied rice krispy treat. Like Ange’s Glo Bars, brown rice syrup is the binder of choice but the bars are not that sweet. Calling them hemp bars is a bit of a superfood marketing ploy: they are barely detectable amidst the sunflower seeds, rolled oats and flaked coconut. Furthermore the chocolate chips melted seamlessly into the sweet binder, so the major flavour was from the tart cherries with a faint chocolate background.  Below is the photo you would actually find in the cookbook. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Hemp Bars & YumUniverse Cookbook Giveaway

YumUniverse recipes spotted elsewhere:

Buckwheat Noodle Pad Thai
Dark Chocolate, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Brownies
Hot Fudge Sauce
Maple Spice Sandwich Cream Cookies
Orange and Pepita Granola
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque
Salted Caramel Sauce
Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Kale with Miso Dijon Sauce
Toasted Super Seedy Power Bread

Thankfully, the publisher allowed me to share the recipe AND giveaway the cookbook to a reader living in the United States or Canada. To be entered in the random draw for the cookbook, please leave a comment below telling me your favourite meal (no recipe required). The winner will be selected at random on November 7, 2014. Good luck!

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Caramel Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (aka Vegan Lactation Cookies)

In Desserts on October 27, 2014 at 7:23 AM

Vegan Lactation Cookies (Gluten-Free)

First of all, no.

No, I am not lactating.

No, I am not pregnant.

I do know quite a few new moms, becoming an aunt twice within the span of two weeks. It was a bountiful Thanksgiving.

I also do not profess these cookies will induce increased breast milk production. There is not much scientific evidence to recommend dietary galactagogues, but I see no harm in eating wholesome cookies packed with whole foods, namely rolled oats, flax seeds, coconut oil, raisins and wait for the kicker: Brewer’s yeast.

Vegan Lactation Cookies (Gluten-Free)

While I use nutritional yeast regularly, Brewer’s yeast is entirely different. Both are inactivated yeasts but Brewer’s yeast is byproduct from brewing beer. Both yeasts provide a good dose of both B vitamins and protein although Brewer’s yeast traditionally is high in chromium.

Most importantly, while I like the taste of nooch (nutty/cheesy/tangy), Brewer’s yeast is typically very bitter. I tracked down a debittered Brewer’s yeast at a local health food store (it also appears to be stocked by Bulk Barn, should that interest you) and happily ranhobbled home to make some mama-friendly cookies.

You wouldn’t really know these were healthy cookies. These taste like a caramel-infused oatmeal raisin cookie. Soft and chewy with a firmer exterior. There is a slight tangy aftertaste that I attribute to the Brewer’s yeast but otherwise my brother and sister-in-law both gave them the thumbs up. No word yet on getting extra milk, though. My brother definitely not.

Did you try new foods when you were breastfeeding?

Vegan Lactation Cookies (Gluten-Free)

PS. I am sharing this with Random Recipes (google search for vegan lactation cookies) and Dead Easy Desserts.

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Raw Cauliflower Nigiri Sushi

In Appetizers on October 25, 2014 at 7:49 AM

Raw Cauliflower Nigiri Sushi

I was going to write a post for Thursday but somehow after the shootings on Wednesday, I didn’t feel like blogging. Thankfully everyone I know is fine and it is mostly back to business.

These are a cute appetizer if I ever saw one. Displaying cauliflower’s prowess in the kitchen, it lends as a fun rice substitute for these mock sushi nigiri. I like parsnip’s sweet undertones for sushi (see here and here) so I used a ripe mango to offset the dish with more sweetness. Although the biggest trick for these is definitely how to keep it all together.

Raw Cauliflower Nigiri Sushi

The secret is psyllium. There was a time when I made microwave chocolate psyllium cakes fairly regularly (pun unintended) but mostly because they were easy and single-serve. These are a bit more labour intensive (but too cute), so I understand if you turn them into regular sushi rolls, too. I can see myself adding psyllium to raw sushi rolls next time, simply to help them keep their shape better, especially after cutting.

Are you tired of cauliflower yet? I have a lot more recipes to share. 🙂

Raw Cauliflower Nigiri Sushi I am sharing this with Vegan Linky Potluck. Read the rest of this entry »

Peacefood Cafe’s Chickpea Fries & HappyCow Cookbook Giveaway

In Appetizers, Book Review, Sides on October 21, 2014 at 7:10 AM

Peacefood Cafe Chickpea Fries Recipe

I may not have promoted it here but I am a complete fan of Happy Cow. When travelling, I consult the reviews (and then leave my own) to find the best vegan eats around the world. Not only across Canada and the US, I chronicled my eats while travelling in Germany, Iceland, Mexico, Colombia and South Africa. Rightfully so, there are zero entries for Madagascar.

In any case, I was thrilled when I heard that Eric Brent and Glen Merzer were creating a cookbook featuring recipes from top-rated vegan restaurants, The Happy Cow Cookbook.

Peacefood Cafe Chickpea Fries Recipe

The neat part of this compilation was each restaurant’s profile, highlighting their popular and favourite dishes, important lessons as a restaurant owner/chef, and the future of plant-based food movement. Each restaurant shares one, two or more recipes, along with some photographs. As expected with a compilation, the recipes vary with respect to level of difficulty, recipe instructions and photographs. On the whole, the recipes seem solid. Millenium’s Pistachio-Crusted Eggplant Napoleon is way too complex for me to recreate, but makes me want to visit this San Francisco eatery.  There is also a recipe for Coconut Tofu and Blackened Tempeh with Grapefruit Yuzu (courtesy of Green in Tempe, AZ) that definitely beyond my reach. However, Lettuce Love Cafe’s Tempeh Reuben looks easy to recreate at home, as well as Netherlands’ Veggies on Fire’s Lemon Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce.

The book is ordered alphabetically, based on the name of the restaurants, which makes it difficult to find recipes. However, the breadth of recipes seems vast with little repeats (although you will certainly find many recipes for vegan cheese!). Recipes vary from Kimchi Nori Maki Rolls and Peruvian Leftovers Pie to Avocado Apple Tartare with Walnut Bonbons to Chicken Fried Tempeh and Carrot Cake with a Vegan Cream Cheese frosting. Sadly, what I was most disappointed, was the abundant use of vegan substitutes (ie vegan cream cheese, sour cream and Vegenaise), although that probably helps prep time for restaurants.

While I have never been to Peacefood Cafe, I was itching to make their “Award-Winning Chickpea Fries” which is basically an Indian-spiced baked fry made with chickpea flour. They were quite easy to make although I regret adding the bay leaf to the spice mixture. It became a predominant flavour and bothersome since I didn’t grind it to a fine powder. I didn’t make the Caesar Dipping Sauce as the recipe perplexed me. I was not sure why there was fermented bean curd in the sauce without directions to pulverize it with a blender. In any case, the recipe below is as seen in the book. Enjoy.

Peacefood Cafe Chickpea Fries Recipe

Thankfully, the publisher allowed me to share the recipe AND giveaway the cookbook to a reader living in the United States or Canada. To be entered in the random draw for the cookbook, please leave a comment below telling me what your favourite vegan-friendly restaurant is (and where). Bonus entry if you share your link to your review on HappyCow. The winner will be selected at random on November 7, 2014. Good luck!

PS. HappyCow Cookbook recipes spotted elsewhere:

Beet Salad with Shallot-Thyme Dressing (from Blackbird Pizzeria in Philadelphia, PA)
Cherry Royal (from Veggie Grill in Hollywood, CA)
Granada Chai
(from El Piano in Malaga, Spain)
Kimchi Nori Maki Roll (from Real Food Daily in West Hollywood, CA)
Moroccan Tajine (from SunCafe Organic in Studio City, CA)
Nutloaf (from Wayward Cafe in Seattle, WA)
Pasta with Pumpkin Curry Sauce (from Counter Culture in Austin, TX)
Pickled Beets (from Zen Kitchen in Ottawa, ON)
Pistachio-Crusted Eggplant Napoleon (from Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco, CA)
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon-Brown Sugar Cream (from True Bistro in Boston, MA)
Quinoa Tabbouleh
(from Chaco Canyon in Seattle, WA)
Raw Lime Parfait (from Plant in Asheville, NC)
Roasted Spaghetti Squash, Cauliflower, Garlic and Mashed Potatoes with Porcini Mushroom Gravy (from Peacefood Cafe in New York, NY)
Skillet Cornbread (from Cornbread Cafe in Eugene, OR)
Spicy Cha Cha (from The Loving Hut in Houston, TX)
Swiss Bircher Muesli (from Luna’s Living Kitchen in Charlotte, NC)

Other recipes from restaurants I have made:

Candle Cafe’s Paradise Casserole with Black Beans, Millet and Cinnamon-Miso Sweet Potato Mash
Fresh’s All-Star Salad
Fresh’s Miso Gravy
Gorilla Food’s Strawberry Bliss Up Shake
Live Organic Cafe’s Raw Pad Thai
Peacefood Cafe’s Raw Key Lime Pie

I am sharing this with the Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck.

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Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Fried Capers and Pickled Currants

In Favourites, Salads on October 16, 2014 at 7:18 AM

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Fried Capers and Pickled Currants

Welcome to my latest obsession: fried capers.

If you have yet to try them yet, try to imagine how they would taste. Crunchy, salty little nibbles. It surprised me how much they taste like popcorn, I kid you not. Combined with the pickled currants (tart and sweet), and the avocado (creamy!), this salad was perfectly balanced. I know I say that a lot here, but this salad rises above its peers. It could possibly be my best salad of the year. I thought my Cali-Coco BLT Salad was the best so far, but this week I switched allegiances. It could possibly usurp the former champion, crowned in 2011: The New Best Salad Ever aka Roasted Garlic Tofu Salad with Cilantro Rice, Black Beans and a Mango Salsa.

I am no stranger to quick pickled dried fruits, but the benefit of pickling dried currants instead of raisins, is that you don’t get the goopy juicy raisins that don’t particularly appeal to me.

My inspiration for this fascinating combination was the ever-fabulous Deb of Smitten Kitchen, although I changed many things, including adding the much maligned leafy greens. I also chose to roast my cauliflower and added the fantastically creamy avocado. I look forward to trying her riced fresh cauliflower in the warmer months. The fried capers? Completely her idea. Her poetic prose made me stock up on capers pronto:

Crispy fried capers are one of my favorite garnishes, ever. They are way more interesting than bacon bits — yes, I said it. When you drop capers (that you’ve patted out on paper towels as best as possible) in a little puddle of oil, magical things happen — their layers curl out and crisp, like the world’s tiniest blooming onion. Like all fried, crunchy things, they don’t keep long under the weight of dressing; I recommend adding them only right before serving. I usually use brined capers for this, but both brined and salt-packed will work.

Um yeah, totally try them out. Please.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Fried Capers and Pickled Currants

I am sharing this with Souper Sundays, Virtual Vegan Potluck and Simple and In Season.

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Ottolenghi’s Miso-Braised Cabbage

In Sides on October 14, 2014 at 7:00 AM

Ottolenghi's Miso-Braised Cabbage

I hope all my Canadian readers enjoyed their long Thanksgiving weekend. My small contribution to this year’s Thanksgiving spread was my silky smooth braised cabbage. Mostly because it is so easy to make. Also because I remade it last year and it wasn’t as good as I remembered it, so I wanted to try it again. This time, I read the recipe more carefully. I have to cook it for at least 2 hours and 15 minutes. I think I missed a whole hour last time, but this time, 2.5 hours later, we had glorious braised cabbage. Vindicated.

Although while searching for my cabbage recipe, I came across Ottolenghi’s new recipe for miso-braised cabbage. With half a head of cabbage leftover, I vowed to make his version when I returned home. Although, I fell victim to not reading the recipe. Or became confused. I mistakenly cooked it at 400F for 20 minutes and then 200F for another 3.5 hours. As such, my cabbage wasn’t as crispy golden as my other recipe for braised cabbage, but still silky tender, without a drop of oil. I probably could have roasted it for a final 15 minutes at 400F for a crispy exterior but I was quickly running out of time. I kept the original temperature in the directions below for your next attempt.

I often have troubles when I halve or double recipes, so I always make sure to write down the math for every ingredient, but this time the C and F conversion tripped me up. Too much information! How do you usually mess up recipes?

Ottolenghi's Miso-Braised Cabbage

I am sharing this with Bookmarked Recipes, Credit Crunch Munch, Healthy Vegan Fridays and ExtraVeg.

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Three Sisters Soup (Black Bean, Corn and Squash Soup)

In Mains (Vegetarian), Soups on October 11, 2014 at 10:35 AM

Three Sisters Soup (Black Bean, Corn and Squash Soup)

Despite what you make believe, I haven’t eaten any winter squash recently. I bought a colourful carnival squash but haven’t made anything with it yet. I have this recipe I made while in Houston. The giveaway? The frozen roasted corn. I can’t say I have seen that since returning to Toronto.

This is a perfect end-of-summer, beginning of fall soup, as the last of the local corn arrives and the first winter squashes arrive. Or perfect for the dead of winter, too, using frozen corn kernels.

Three Sisters Soup (Black Bean, Corn and Squash Soup)

The Three Sisters, referring to the dietary staples of the Mesoamerican diet: corn, beans and squash. They often grow together, each plant benefitted from the others. The lankly corn husks provided a structure for the beans to latch onto. The squash covers the ground, preventing pesky weeds from appearing. And like all beans, they return nitrogen to the soil to help nearby plants. It makes sense that meals would also center around such foods, equally creating a balanced meal. This meal is simple but elevated by choice herbs and spices (cilantro, chiles, smoked paprika, garlic) with a heavy hand of lime juice. I used the full amount in the recipe and even I, the lover of all things tart, found it off-putting. Please start with less and taste as you go.

Three Sisters Soup (Black Bean, Corn and Squash Soup)

The recipe comes from a cookbook I have been meaning to write about for a while, Extraordinary Vegan. I can see Allan is a partial kindred spirit in the kitchen as he realizes a few choice ingredients can elevate meals to become extraordinary. Like I have said, some of my favourite, albeit unusual ingredients, are Aleppo chile flakes, pomegranate molasses, smoked paprika and miso. These are a few of the ingredients Allan uses to create his meals. I had a few of these in my Houston kitchen, but still piecing together my larger pantry here, and now looking forward to trying other recipes. Many recipes are simple but a few use a few hard to find ingredients. Here are a few other recipes I have spotted around the web from Extraordinary Vegan.

Chocolate Banana Mint Smoothie

A Very Different Butternut Soup

Extraordinary Balsamic Vinaigrette

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Slaw

Artichoke & Lemon Lentil Salad

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Pears in Pomegranate Juice

 Are the squashes out in full force in your kitchen yet?

PS. I am sharing this with Shaheen’s Vegetable Palette, My Legume Love Affair and Souper Sundays.

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Cali-Coco BLT Quinoa Salad

In Favourites, Salads on October 9, 2014 at 7:20 AM

Cali-Coco BLT Quinoa Salad

You are too nice. I ran into the same low-light problem when photographing this salad after work. I wanted my standard front view and top view, but it was too blurry and grainy to work. I suppose that is when fun filters hide photographer faults? 😉

In any case, I decided the salad was too sweet not to share. Who knows how long my avocados will keep!

Cali-Coco BLT Quinoa Salad

My inspiration came from a meal I shared with Gabby at a hipster restaurant with a few vegan-friendly options. They veganized their Cali-Coco BLT sandwich which had a thick layer of sliced avocado, coconut bacon, tomato, arugula and vegan mayonnaise on a ciabatta bun.  Apparently, avocado + BLT = a California BLT. I also had a side of dal frites (yes a curry and fries poutine!), which was positively too much food.

I was still excited about recreating this at home, though. Unsweetened coconut chips were tricky to locate but my Mom helped locate these wonderfully shaped coconut slices. I am used to smaller coconut chips, so this was great. While I used mine with a salad, I think these bigger pieces would work better in sandwiches, too.

Handi Coconut Slice

I used my previous recipe for coconut bacon, added half an avocado, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a mound of arugula and then fortified it with cooked quinoa and smoked tofu. Rob thinks the smoked tofu looks like cheese, but I swear it is not. Mash up the avocado with each bite but I will admit I scooped a bit of garlic-infused mayo aioli with each bite as a quasi dressing. Delicious!

Now who wants a dal frites recreation? I am trying to convince Rob to combine our favourite beer-soaked fries with dal bhat!

Cali-Coco BLT Quinoa Salad
I am sharing this with this month’s No Croutons Required, Healthy Vegan FridaysSouper Sundays, Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck and Elizabeth’s No Waste Challenge. Read the rest of this entry »

Lemon-Miso Macro Bowl with Miso-Braised Swiss Chard and Lemon Chickpea Dressing

In Mains (Vegetarian) on October 7, 2014 at 7:06 AM

Lemon-Miso Macro Bowl with Miso-Braised Swiss Chard and Lemon Chickpea Dressing

Sorry for the blurry photo. Temperatures are dropping and the days are getting longer. We seemed to have misplaced my tripod in our whirlwind of a maze home still being unpacked so I am working with what I can.

This was a delicious bowl of goodness. Brown rice at its base, with a side of lemony chickpea spread and a hefty helping of lemon-miso braised Swiss chard.

The dressing is more puckering than my typical hummus and uses lots of lemon juice instead of balsamic vinegar (which I used in my previous hummus dressing). I was almost worried it was too lemon-heavy but it was nicely balanced when added to the brown rice.

I was channeling my mustard-hummus rice bowl with roasted cauliflower and truthfully, I was not really thinking of macrobiotics originally. However with the touch of nori in the Swiss chard, it reminded me more of my previous macro bowl with the miso-tahini sauce.

I also ended up adding peanuts for a nice crunch, so feel free to add something similar.

The miso-braised greens was adapted from Plant-Powered for Life, quite an gem of a cookbook. The original recipe was Miso-Braised Collard Greens with Cashews, and you can tell I adapted it by swapping chard for collards and peanuts for the cashews. The cookbook is filled with healthy plant-based recipes, each attached to a healthy eating tip. This recipe was found under tip 7: Aim for at least six servings of veggies every day. The tips range from Make variety your motto to Remember fresh isn’t always best and Pay attention to heritage foods. With such variety of the tips, the resulting haphazardness of the order of the recipes is the unfortunate result and make this an unwieldly cookbook unless you sport an electronic copy. Otherwise, you have a good novella to skim through, picking up small tips to help eat a bit better.

Recipes from Plant-Powered for Life spotted elsewhere:

Farro and White Bean Veggie Burgers

Red Bean and Okra Jambalaya

Tofu Mushroom Tacos

Tortilla Soup

Lemon-Miso Macro Bowl with Miso-Braised Swiss Chard and Lemon Chickpea Dressing

I am sharing this with Shaheen’s Eat Your Greens and Virtual Vegan Potluck.

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Mexican Spinach Salad with Salsa Baked Tofu Recipe

In Mains (Vegetarian), Salads on October 4, 2014 at 7:28 AM

Taco Salad with Salsa Baked Tofu

I just might need a very pretty picture to knock me out of a bloggers block. A simple recipe, I really only gave directions for the salsa baked tofu and told you what else I included in my salad. No measuring, just plating and eating.

I tried a bit harder to make this salad pretty.

It is kind of a cross between my quick and easy salsa chickpea tacos and my older Mexican salad with a creamy tomato saucy dressing with a little old school baked tofu. Yum!

Taco Salad with Salsa Baked Tofu

I am sharing this with Bookmarked Recipes and Souper Sundays.

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My Favourite Vegan Restaurants for Non-Vegans in Houston

In Events/Round-Ups on October 2, 2014 at 7:35 AM

I had been meaning to write this up in my final days in Houston but only now getting around to polishing up my recommendations. You will notice that most of my recommendations are not for vegan-only establishments. Those are few and far between in Houston and let’s be honest that most of my friends are not vegan and I like it when we can all enjoy our company and all enjoying eats together.

Without further adieu, here are my favourite places in Houston for vegan meals where there are also options that will satisfy serious non-vegans.

1. Green Vegetarian Cuisine

I originally encountered Green shortly before I switched to eating only vegan after a trip to San Antonio in 2011. Perhaps it was their scrummy dishes that reinforced I could totally eat vegan that made it easier to switch. Who knows, but what I do know is this Houston outpost is a vegetarian restaurant offering delicious vegan eats. They opened early in 2014 and I had many repeat visits. I recommend their sweet potato pancakes for brunch and their BBQ sandwich. I loved the filling so much, I would usually get the filling as a side to a protein bowl. YUM!  In retrospect, my recent hankering for BBQ sauce may have been spurred by a Green craving.

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Vegan goodness.

A post shared by Green Vegetarian Restaurant (@greenvegetarian) on

 

2. Khun Kay Thai Cafe (website currently down, so use info from HappyCow)

Thai restaurants are usually friendly for vegan eats but this Thai eatery excels with fresh, flavourful and light fare with a whole vegan section on their menu (including vegan coconut ice cream). It was their seitan mock duck larb that inspired me to make these delicious Laotian Larb Tofu Lettuce Wraps, so at least I will have the ability to make this from miles away.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCWPGeQhaUQ/

 

3. The Dosa Factory / dgn factory

They may have changed their name to dgn factory, but they still serve healthy dosa stuffed with your favourite worldly combinations. Not just Indian masala, they have cauliflower Manchurian and even Mexican-inspired options. My standard order was the not-spicy spring veggie dosa hold the cheese with the vegan kheer for dessert. Yes, it was their kheer that inspired me to make this Chai-Spiced Rice Pudding. My friends raved about their authentic AYCE sambhar.

 

4. Hugo’s

I loved going to Hugo’s. Mostly because my guests would positively rave about their food. They serve traditional but inspired upscale Mexican food. Think nopales and huilacoche. This is not standard TexMex. I think my friend still talks about the mole-stuffed cornbread. And that was a side. In any case, they have a vegetable-heavy vegetarian sampler platter (from their old menu so off-menu) that can easily be made vegan. Plus, once they know you are vegan, they will tailor the dishes for you. The churros: totally vegan but they will make sure there is no milk in the side of hot chocolate. If you call ahead they can make their refried beans vegan as well.

 

5. Radical Eats (now closed, so sad)

This is a vegan resto that went omni after relocating to my former neighbourhood. They offer an overwhelming multi-course Sunday brunch which is a great way to sample their food. Meat options are available but I think the vegan meals would satisfy even the serious meat lovers. Comfort Mexican-inspired treats, I found their vegan desserts were stellar. Call in advance to see what they have available. For a while we tracked down their vegan tres leches cake until Rob was more content with the non-vegan but best tres leches in Houstin from El Bollilo. They also offer free drop-in vegan cooking classes on a monthly basis so pay attention to their Facebook feed for details.

 

6. Pondicheri Cafe

This restaurant was already in Rob’s good books before we moved here as it was a favourite amongst our Houston friends. They have a handful of vegan options (I was partial to their uttapam and beet and barley salad since they were not too spicy). They serve fusion Indian food with options for everyone.

 

Have I missed your favourite restaurant serving vegan meals? Tell me more!