This evening it was too humid to go for a run so I settled for a chocolate milkshake instead.
Choco Chip Milkshake
Makes 1 serving
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 2 mins
1 cup almond milk (sweetened or not, whatever suits your indulgence)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup (or other sweetener of your choice)
1 tbsp nut butter (I like almond)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 frozen banana
3 ice cubes
Well, not literally. But if you read that title thinking, “everything she ate today must’ve been inspired by that great vegan and gluten-free blog/cookbook” then yes, you may take it literally.
Because today I went on an Oh She Glows kick and it’s had me feeling all domestic. Maybe it’s the rainy weather, maybe it’s the yummy food or maybe it’s having the apartment to myself and blasting old school hip hop while I heat up the kitchen. Ok, maybe the last part doesn’t exactly fit the definition of “domestic” but whatever, it made me happy.
Sunday mornings I try to make something nice and different for breakfast; throughout the week I usually stick to my trusty Green Monster smoothie or cereal, if I’m giving the Vitamix a break. So Sundays are when I flex my vegan breakfast muscles.
And this Sunday was no exception. Last night I flipped through the Oh She Glows cookbook and decided to try her “Out-the-Door Chia Power Doughnuts” with Coconut-Lemon Whipped Cream for breakfast today. Thankfully there’s a 24-hour grocery store nearby so I popped over for some midnight grocery shopping to grab all the ingredients and this morning it was go time!
Look at those beauties! A fantastic way to start the day, if I do say so myself.
The doughnuts don’t have any gluten, sugar or oil. They’re baked in a doughnut pan (or, if you don’t have one, a muffin tin) and are light, fluffy and a little crunchy thanks to the chia seed. So not only is it decadent but it’s also pretty healthy! 5-star rating from me, for sure.
Angela doesn’t share the recipe on her site so I’m not going to share it here; you’re gonna have to buy the cookbook yourselves if you want to try it.
But I will give a tip about the coconut whipped cream (which is on her site). Angela recommends using a hand mixer to whip the coconut milk but, alas, I do not own one. So I had to call in the Vitamix. A risky move considering the Vitamix creates a lot of heat that can quickly turn your coconut whipped cream to coconut milk soup.
So here’s the tip: if using a Vitamix (or similar type of blender) add the solidified coconut milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup and blend on high for no morethan 12 seconds. Just enough time to whip all the ingredients and get that desired consistency, but not enough that it starts to get too hot up in there.
Also, that coconut whipped cream is dangerously good. Like, lick the bowl kind of good. Eat alone with a spoon kind of good. Use as — ok I think you get the point. It’s really, really good. So once you master the preparation of it I think it’ll be a welcome addition to your life, as it has become to mine 😉
Anyway, that was breakfast.
Dinner came from her cookbook as well and was the broccoli & cashew cheese-quinoa burrito. Another recipe I won’t share but another sauce that deserves its own mention.
That cashew cheese sauce. Oh. My. God. Lick the bowl kind of good… Eat alone with a spoon kind of good… Yeah, today I was definitely having a moment with sauces/toppings.
This isn’t the exact same cheese recipe that’s in her cookbook but it’s pretty close:
I highly recommend it. I think what got me was the addition of Dijon – such a nice, subtle flavour. YUM!
For dessert I also tapped into the cookbook and made banana soft-serve ice cream topped with chopped strawberries and, yep you guessed it, some of the leftover coconut whipped cream. A perfect dish to end a day of perfect meals.
She’s working on a new cookbook and I’m pretty stoked for it. She knocked it out of the park with OSG1 so I have nothing but high expectations for OSG2. It’s a sequel I’m actually excited for!
A cooking post! Woooo! First one in awhile, I know. And unfortunately it’s a little bit of a tease because I’m not posting one of the recipes below (buy the cookbook!)… But whatever 1/2 isn’t bad.
I’ll admit, this took so long to come up with because I haven’t actually COOKED anything since before my trip to Costa Rica… so that would December 2014. Yikes. But I’m back on track as a culinary goddess so never fear!
So, boring fact about me (one of many): I pretty much eat the same thing everyday, Monday-Friday.
The reason for it is a mix of laziness + saving money attempts + trying to ensure a healthy diet. It’s just so much easier to accomplish all those goals when you have an eating schedule!
That means every week I sit down and decide what lunch (which I pack and bring with me to work) and dinner (which I scarf down after getting home from work before rushing off to whatever social plan I have going on) will be for the week. Then I buy all the ingredients, do one big cooking sesh and pack away it in my fridge for easy grab-and-go consumption during the week.*
Last week the winners both came from the Oh She Glows recipe bank – one from the cookbook, one from the website. And they were definitely winners.
Let’s start with the first one: lunch
Protein Power Goddess Bowl
This week I took a page from Angela’s book and got my protein on. Her protein power bowl is for sure filled with both – I was full for the rest of the afternoon and had enough energy to avoid succumbing to the mid-afternoon drowsy I-want-to-go-home-and-sleep stage I usually feel at work. Plus it was absolutely delicious. A fantastic work lunch.
The recipe features lentils, spelt berries, onion, garlic, red pepper, tomato, spinach and parsley. I could not find spelt berries anywhere in my grocery store so I used quick-cooking farrow instead. Also, I subbed out the red onion (the worst of the onion family IMO) for leek. This mixture is coated in a super yummy lemon-tahini dressing. Honestly guys, I ate this bowl everyday for four days straight and not once did I get sick of it. It is so tasty. I think it will be back in the rotation very soon…
It was really easy to make; the dressing is combining all the ingredients in your blender, the bowl is cooking the lentils, farrow then mixing everything else together in a large skillet. It makes a HUGE quantity so, again, it’s excellent if you’re meal planning for the week or if you’re feeding a hungry crowd.
The weather has finally started warming up here in Toronto so I decided to celebrate with a spring-inspired salad. I don’t like eating too many carbs at dinner so salads are my usual go-to for weekday evening meals. I made this salad for my family at Easter last year and it was a hit so I decided to revisit it.
I did add the strawberries but not to the pan or in the tupperware that I stored the leftovers. Last year I found that they got soggy when mixed together with the rest of the salad so this time I kept it in its own separate container and only added them to the bowl right before eating.
Overall, it is a nice, light meal and I always feel really good afterwards. Plus it looks so pretty! The dressing is great, too – I made an extra batch to keep in my fridge to add to my regular salads.
So there you have it. My meal planning secret is out. In case you’re wondering, my breakfast is Oh She Glows-inspired as well: Angela’s Classic Green Monster Smoothie. Every morning, yo.
*weekends are a free-for-all, let’s be real. Some week nights, too. Maybe a lunch here and there. Basically this is me trying to have a weekly eating schedule and mostly succeeding…
…That I’ve had so far. I won’t get carried away and call it the best in the entire city when I haven’t tasted ALL of the vegan comfort food here but, my gawd, it is good. For the tastebuds and the soul.
The Hogtown Vegan is located on Bloor St. W. and Havelock St. It’s a hip little spot with turquoise painted walls, interesting art adorning those bright walls and a big bar taking up most of the floor space. Booths and tables are spread out throughout and on the tables are little signs explaining the vegan substitutions. Handy for those who aren’t well acquainted with vegan takes on classic animal-based dishes and wouldn’t know what tempeh or cashew cheeze are.
Like I said earlier, it’s a small spot so I imagine seating is limited when it gets to more popular dining hours. As it was, my friends and I were meeting for dinner there at 5:30 p.m. on a Monday so there was plenty of seating available. We were able to snag a booth in the corner next to the bar. By the time we left at around 6:30 p.m. almost all the tables were filled.
I was really excited to be eating dinner there because I’d heard great things about its mac ‘n’ “cheese” and have yet to have a decent mac ‘n’ cheese dish that is entirely vegan. Also, I adore comfort food (who doesn’t?!) so I couldn’t wait to try it out for myself.
I’ve eaten there before but it was for brunch and wasn’t a dining experience that was particularly noteworthy. I had the BLT with a side of homefries and everything was decent. Good but not great.
But dinner is a whole other ball game. And it was one I’d heard Hogtown Vegan knew how to execute on so I was amped to give it a shot.
The restaurant bills itself on its comfort food and so the menu is rife with southern-inspired dishes: mac ‘n’ “cheese”, pulled “pork” sandwich, “chicken” and waffles… Right away I knew I had to get a dish that honoured the inspiration and would best represent the restaurant.
Although the unchicken & waffles is noted on the menu as Hogtown Vegan’s signature dish, I wasn’t really in the mood for waffles. Instead I went with the Southern combo: breaded soy “chicken” strips, mac ‘n’ “cheese” and sautéed garlic collard greens with a side of BBQ sauce.
Look at that beauty. It is 100% as good as it looks. Actually, better. Because that mac ‘n’ “cheese” is some of the best I’ve ever had in my life – including my pre-vegan days. It doesn’t even taste like fake cheese. I actually wondered if this “100% plant-based menu” thing was all a trick and they used real cheese in it because it was that authentic tasting.
My friend got the pulled “pork” sandwich with a side of fries and her meal was really good too. I would order that sandwich for sure. And the fries were great – perfectly crispy, not overly salty and generally made just the way fries should be. My other friend got the Southern combo too.
The dessert menu was compelling but we were short on time. We were headed to a Raptors game and, with a 7:30 p.m. start, wanted to get there with ample time to buy beverages before tip-off. Priorities, you know. But I think on my next visit I will make sure to sample it because that fried apple pie with soy ice cream was just calling my name.
When it was all said and done my bill came to $25. I’d indulged and got a (large) glass of the red wine sangria. I’d like to take a moment on that:
In my experience sangria is rarely done well, or properly for that matter. Most restaurants and home bartenders usually half-ass it and it ends up tasting overly sweet or like a glass of wine mixed with ginger ale and cut up fruit. I would like to say that Hogtown Vegan does not do that. Its sangria was fantastic. You can tell effort goes into making it and honouring what the drink is supposed to be. Thumbs up to the bartender!
Anyway, almost a week later and my friends and I are still talking about the mac ‘n’ “cheese” so I think another dinner at Hogtown Vegan is in our (near) future… Maybe it’s in yours too?
Note: Hogtown Vegan offers a gluten-free menu (which includes the mac ‘n’ “cheese”… just sayin’) and accepts payment in the form debit and credit, along with cash. Just wanted to point those things out because a friend who’d been there awhile ago said neither of those were true when she went so they must be new additions.
I’ll be honest and admit that I’ve never been a fan of the Creme Egg (I find it waaay too sweet*) but a vegan version of anything appeals to me so off I went to the Bunners bakery located in the Junction.
And of course once I got there I couldn’t get just one thing. I ended up walking out of the bakery with the egg, a piece of raspberry crumb cake and a mini cinnamon bun. It’s Easter! Treat yo self!
Here are my thoughts on each of the delightful treats I picked up:
Raspberry crumb cake This one was my favourite and I think it’s because it was the least sweet of the three. It has a hint of lemon, which, combined with the tart raspberry flavour, offsets the sweetness of the crumble on top nicely. The only thing I didn’t like so much about it was the grainy texture and taste the cake has. But that’s a taste/texture I’ve noticed in almost all gluten-free flour products I’ve had so I can’t hold it against Bunners. Plus the cake was super moist and the crumble was perfect.
Overall: 4/5 Easter eggs
Bunners creme egg
The star of the show and my second favourite. Bunners did a great job in mimicking the original Creme Egg. The chocolate is similar to that of those mini tinfoil wrapped eggs the Easter bunny would hide around the house and the inside is a very sweet filling. Not as viscous as the original but just as sweet! It has the consistency and slight flavour of cookie dough, which I loved. Who doesn’t love the taste of cookie dough?!
3.5/5 Easter eggs
Mini bun
I grabbed the mini bun because I’d heard a lot about Bunners cinnamon rolls. It has a sweet, sweet icing on top and a caramel glaze on the bottom. The bun itself isn’t very sweet though so it has a nice balance. This may be a result of it being gluten-free but again I find the taste and texture of the bun to be a little too grainy and, unlike the crumb cake, a bit too dry. But, to end on a positive note, it has the perfect amount of cinnamon incorporated into it.
3/5 Easter eggs
Bunners also offers a selection of savoury items. At last year’s Toronto Veg Food Fest I attended a Bunners cooking demonstration starring the owner, Ashley. One of the items she made was pot pie pockets. There were samples to taste afterwards and it was ridiculously good. The gravy and mixture of flavours in the pot pie were amazing. I would definitely buy one. Everyone in the audience received print-outs of the recipe but the (GF) pie crust looked a little too out of my league so I haven’t yet tried to make it on my own. Maybe one day…
There’s also a location in Kensington Market, if that part of the city is more your style.
A lil story: last summer while browsing the display near closing time one of the employees gave me and my friend a free cinnamon bun. So that was awesome.
All in all, I’m a fan of this bakery. In fact, it’s my favourite vegan bakery in the city. If you’re not afraid to go a little GF I highly recommend you try it.
*I ate most of it and ended up feeling sick anyway. This food blogger can’t handle her sweets! But actually. Sugar + Erika = regret
I know I’ve been quite… exuberant, let’s call it… about a lot of the places I’ve reviewed on this blog. Everything I eat seems to be the best ever or so fantastic I would go do outlandish things to have it again.
But, readers, if you are going to take any of these posts seriously, please make it this one. Because I truly mean it when I say Me-Va-Me Kitchen Express served the best falafel shawarma I have ever had in my life.
Let’s take it back a bit…
After raving to a family member about the wonderfulness of Banh Mi Boys he countered with his own rave review about a new restaurant that had opened near his work on Queen Street West.
Me-Va-Me served “really, really good” shawarma on fresh made, in-house prepared laffa bread that was “so good.” He highly recommended it. A recommendation I tucked away in my brain and silently vowed to test out next time I was in the area.
As it so happened, I ended up having coffee with him a couple weeks later to catch up. On Queen Street near his work. Perfect.
After it ended, I did some quick shopping and then hit Me-Va-Me on my way to subway.
Once inside the clean, spacious express kitchen restaurant I had to decide if I wanted the falafel laffa wrap or grilled vegetable laffa wrap (the two vegan options).
Because I was definitely getting the laffa, no question about that.
Feeling in the mood for something with more substance, I went with falafel. At the cash they also ask you to pick your toppings so I chose lettuce, red cabbage, tomatoes, hot peppers, pickles, hummus, tahini, garlic sauce and hot sauce (there’s a list of all the toppings posted next to the register).
She handed me a numbered card and invited me to take seat while they prepared my wrap. Since the laffa is indeed made-to-order I had no qualms about waiting. It also allowed me to scope out the restaurant.
Walking into the restaurant it appears to be a take-out only joint but if you look towards the back, beyond the counter, it opens up to a large dining area with tables and booths for those who prefer the true in-house experience.
Trying surreptitiously to take a picture of the dining area on my iPhone… I didn’t do so well.
Since I was eating at an odd time (3 p.m.) it was fairly empty and there were only a couple other patrons in the restaurant with me. Luckily this meant I didn’t have to wait too long for my falafel.
My shawarma getting its finishing touches: the falafel balls!
A few minutes later my shawarma was wrapped and ready to go.
I brought it home and, guys, it was really, really good. The rave review I’d heard was totally on-point.
The falafel was well cooked and an interesting combination of flavours. Sometimes I find falafel to be a little too bland or a little too greasy but this one was neither.
And that laffa bread.
That bread is what classic love songs are inspired by, probably. So soft and fresh and warm and… perfect. Just perfect.
So consider this my rave review. Go to Me-Va-Me and experience it for yourself. Get the laffa bread (definitely get the laffa bread). The one I went to is located at 240 Queen St. W. The staff there are friendly, quick and clean. My falafel shawarma came to a total of $7.85 and was big enough that I could have split it into two meals if I wanted (I didn’t).
Snakes & Lattes: come for the board games, stay for the food. Seriously.
Last weekend I finally got to check off “go to Snakes & Lattes” on my Toronto to do list and I’m very happy I was wise enough to have put it on there because it is definitely worth going to.
I originally went to meet my friend’s boyfriend and play a few board games. Snakes & Lattes is the perfect environment for this kind of scenario because it’s casual and fun… and playing a board game takes the pressure off having to make awkward small talk. Also, since it was me + a couple, it was a great set-up so I wouldn’t feel like a third wheel. Thankfully no one at the table is uber competitive so it was a perfect meeting-of-a-good-friend’s-boyfriend event.
Anyway, I could talk for hours about the board game selection (there are hundreds) or the lattes (also quite a variety) but what really matters here is the food; it was superb.
I went into this thinking it would be a couple hours, tops. Arrive at noon, leave by 2pm. Maybe grab a bite on the way home (S & L is on Bloor St. W. near Bathurst so there are ample restaurants to choose from). But after three hours and four board games, it became apparent I would have to solve this lunch problem here because we weren’t going home anytime soon.
The menu is two-sided; one on hot drinks, the other for food. The food menu is not extensive but it offers classic cafe staples such as sandwiches, salads, snacks and desserts. Oh and quiches, but we all know I didn’t bother there.
Snakes & Lattes is not expressively vegan friendly but I figured there would be something modifiable or, worst case, a garden salad for me to munch on. But I was in luck because its sandwich menu boasts a vegan sandwich. Appropriately called “the Option” it is grilled portobello, roasted zucchini and caramelized red onion with vegan garlic aioli on a ciabatta bun. Perfect. Lunch problem solved. I ordered that (sans the red onion because I just really don’t like red onions, caramelized or not).
And it was so, so, so good. Shockingly good for a board-game-and-latte-focused establishment. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and well seasoned, the bread fresh and soft, and the aioli on-point. I would definitely order it again. I’d probably even go back just to order the sandwich, to be honest.
My friend got the California club and her boyfriend had the grilled cheese. Both loved their sandwiches as much as I loved mine. So there you have it, folks. If you’re ever bored and hankering for a really good sandwich, Snakes & Lattes is where you need to go.
All in all, it was a really lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We got there right before it got too busy, so there wasn’t a wait for a table (S&L doesn’t take reservations so it’s first-come-first-serve). I’d recommend arriving early because by 2pm there was a line up of people waiting for tables. But there are plenty of tables inside so I noticed most of the people didn’t have to wait long to be seated.
My bill for an afternoon of board games, a sandwich and a tea came to $18; $5 for the games, $9 for the sandwich, $2.50 for the tea + tax. Worth it.
Friends and readers alike, today marks one year since I decided to go vegan! One year already in the books, wow.
It’s not like I didn’t think this would be a long-term choice when I first made the change but it still blows my mind to think it’s been a year already.
I had goals for my veganism when I started last year. Specifically: to be less of a chegan and more of a 100%-all-the-time vegan by this point. But as I’ve said in previous posts, adopting a very strict attitude towards major lifestyle changes (especially related to diet) make those changes really difficult to adhere to. I honestly don’t think I would have made it to the one-year mark if I berated myself every time I slipped up on being all plant-based all the time. I still enjoy milk chocolate from time to time – pretty sure it was just last night I indulged in some mini eggs… But in the big picture, those little dairy cheats are so small in comparison to my overall veganism that I truly don’t feel bad about it. I believe that even incorporating a little bit of veganism into your life is better than none at all.
Going plant-based has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and is one lifestyle choice I’ve made that makes me happy and am constantly feeling good about. It’s such a joy to know I’m doing something for my health, animals, the environment and my overall wellbeing.
So today, whether it be your veganversary or not, take a moment to celebrate yourself and the good you’re doing. There are so many reasons to feel good about adopting a plant-based diet that it shouldn’t be hard to pick one (or all!) to celebrate.
I’m a big fan of peanut butter but it doesn’t come close to almond butter. Not at all. I first discovered almond butter two years ago and it totally changed my nut butter lyfe. Now that I’m vegan it’s an even bigger part of my life since nuts are such a great source of protein.
The only downside is the cost; It’s almost double the price of peanut butter for a much smaller jar. I’m not saying it’s not worth the higher price but it can be a deterrent at the grocery store for sure. I will admit there have been a few times where the price has scared me towards buying peanut butter.
I’ve tried making it on my own, with the aid of my Vitamix of course, but I can never get the consistency right. It usually ends up coming out in cookie dough-type form versus a smooth, silky butter. I’ll keep trying though. When I finally nail it you can bet I will have an extremely detailed blog post outlining the steps – you know I love sharing my vegan successes 😉
But back to the topic, almond butter is heavenly and you need to try it if you haven’t already. I love it on toast, sometimes sprinkled with dark chocolate chips for a treat, or in smoothies. Mmmm makes me want to go eat a spoonful right now… brb
This one is a warning post for all the Toronto vegans about a restaurant that should be avoided because there is basically nothing on the menu for a vegan.
I went there with my family for dinner. As you can probably guess, we went there because it was near the hospital. And because there wasn’t a long wait for a table like there was at the other restaurant we tried. So Reds it was.
Right off the bat the waiter told me there were no vegan options. Well, except for the edamame appetizer. Nothing that they were willing to modify for me. Nothing they could whip up for me in the kitchen. Just…nothing. Except edamame.
I won’t lie to you, I was in a bad mood so in move of defiance and stubbornness I decided that I would not be eating. Screw your edamame, Red. I ordered a glass of wine and sipped while my family ate their steaks, salad with chicken, and seafood in hollandaise sauce.
They enjoyed their food and because the wait for our (their) food took so long the waiter brought us a free round of drinks, which was appreciated. And, sure, the decor is nice, the music inoffensive and wait staff pleasant – our waiter was super apologetic about the lack of vegan options – it’s not a bad restaurant. In fact, my parents really loved it there. They would 100% go back.
But as a vegan with a blog based on giving tips & tricks to other vegans looking for places to eat in Toronto, I’m decidedly unimpressed. It’s 2015 and with all the diet restrictions out there I think they should have at least SOMETHING of substance for someone with a dairy/meat aversion. Or at least offer to make something off menu. Vegan meals are cheap; it’s essentially vegetables and carbs. I don’t think I’m asking for much here. Even The Keg Steakhouse managed to pull together a vegan meal for me!
Anyway, stay away from Reds if you don’t want an item that doesn’t have dairy, meat or edamame in it. You’ve been warned.
Vegan in the City 