Cleaning Greens: Did You Know?

It is important to clean greens (i.e. lettuce, spinach, kale, bok choy, collards, etc.) before consumption as there is often dirt, sand, or little unwanted creatures hidden between the leaves.* These harmless little nuisances can be easily removed by individually separating the leaves of your greens and soaking in cold, salted water. Why salt water? Because salt loosens the grip of bacteria and bugs, allowing them to be more easily removed. Use approximately 1-2 tablespoons salt per bunch of greens and allow to soak for 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring gently to ensure all leaves have been submerged. Rinse each leaf and allow to dry slightly on a towel.

*Finding bugs can be gross but this also means that your greens haven’t been doused with harmful pesticides!

Removing Garlic and Onion Odor: Did You Know?

Did you know that you ean easily remove the lingering odor of garlic and onions from your hands?

After cutting garlic or onion our hands can smell of them for hours. This is a problem that can be easily fixed by rubbing your hands on a stainless steel surface such as silverware or your kitchen sink. After 5-10 seconds of rubbing, rinse your hands and you’ll find that the smell has been significantly reduced.

Whole Wheat Carrot Zucchini Muffins

What’s not to love about carrots and zucchini mixed together in a healthy, whole wheat muffin? Carrots and zucchini are excellent vegetables to bake and cook with due to their versatility. Blending well in either sweet or savory dishes, these vegetables help create deliciously moist muffins, which offer a variety of nutritional benefits. Carrots are a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Potassium, and Vitamins A, C and K, and are also a good source of Folate, Manganese, Niacin, Thiamin and Vitamin B6 (source). These root vegetables are perhaps best known for their beta-Carotene, a cartenoid that is said to have cancer and age-fighting properties, in addition to supporting female reproductive health (source). Zucchini, however, is not without its health benefits either; check them out here in a previous post.

Whole Wheat Carrot Zucchini Muffins

1½ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup regular unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup shredded carrot
½ cup shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 400º F. Grease muffin pan or line with aluminum foil / silicone baking cups.

In a medium bowl mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add almond milk and vegetable oil, mixing just until combined. Add carrot and zucchini and mix.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Dijon-Marinated Portobello Mushrooms

Ahh, portobello mushrooms. The mature version of the button or crimini mushroom, portobellos have a nice, meaty texture and make nutritious replacements for burger patties or steaks. Raw portobellos are a very good source of Copper, Dietary Fiber, Folate, Manganese, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Potassium, Riboflavin and Selenium, and a good source of Iron, Magnesium, Thiamin, Vitamin B6 and Zinc (source). The selenium contained in these delicious fungi is said to assist with DNA repair, copper and iron help the flow of oxygen through our blood, zinc boosts immunity and helps heal wounds, and niacin has been linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease (source).

Marinated portobellos are delicious on salads and sandwiches (pictured below), in breakfast scrambles and wraps, or even enjoyed as a simple side dish.

Dijon-Marinated Portobello Mushrooms

1 large clove garlic, minced
¼ cup white cooking wine
2 tablesoons liquid aminos
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
4 drops liquid smoke
1 (6-ounce) package clean, sliced portobello mushrooms

Preheat oven to 400º F. Lightly grease a small, rimmed baking sheet; set aside.

Combine all ingredients except for mushrooms in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Brush generously onto both sides of mushroom slices and place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

How to Remedy Clumpy Salt: Did You Know?

In humid environments, pantry items such as salt, sugar and spices tend to clump together due to excess moisture in the air. If you’ve experienced this, you know what a hassle it can be to season your food. An easy remedy is to place a few grains dried rice in your salt shaker and it will absorb the excess moisture. Yay, free-flowing salt!

Crunchy Dill and “Sour Cream” Potato Bites

Sour cream is something that vegans don’t consume. DAIRY sour cream that is. Thanks to companies like Follow Your Heart, however, enjoying [non-dairy] sour cream is now a reality. Initially a food market and restaurant, Follow Your Heart was established in 1970 by a group of friends. Having recognized the need for commercially-available vegetarian products, the owners began creating branded items, i.e. their sour cream. Perhaps most well-known for their Vegenaise, Follow Your Heart has changed the lives of vegetarians and vegans worldwide.

Upon first tasting Follow Your Heart’s vegan sour cream, I noticed that it doesn’t taste quite as sour as the dairy version I remember, though definitely not a bad thing! I’ve tried making a few different things with this and each time they turned out well. Follow Your Heart’s sour cream fares well when used as a main ingredient for sauces or spreads, as a topping for burritos and fajitas, and makes for an excellent coating for potatoes.

Crunchy Dill and “Sour Cream” Potato Bites

1 large russet potato
¼ cup non-dairy sour cream (I used Follow Your Heart)
¾ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon dried dill weed, divided
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ cup panko

Preheat oven to 325º F. Grease baking sheet and set aside.

Combine sour cream, garlic salt, ½ teaspoon dill weed and onion powder in a small bowl. Place remaining ¼ teaspoon dill weed and panko in a separate small bowl, mixing to combine.

Scrub potato and cut into bite-size peices. Dip each piece into sour cream mixture then roll in panko mixture. Place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet and spray with cooking oil.

Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until bites are golden brown.

NOTE: The sour cream noted in this recipe was a free sample provided by Follow Your Heart. Vegan Food Addict is in no way affiliated with Follow Your Heart. The views and opinions expressed herein are strictly my own and do not necessarily reflect that of others.

Restaurant Review: Sublime Restaurant

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida has been put on the veg-friendly map thanks to Sublime Restaurant and Bar.  This fancy, 100% vegan restaurant offers delectable dishes and excellent service with beautiful decor including cascading window fountains and skylights. With a nice selection of mouthwatering dishes, Sublime offers a wonderful dining environment which not only pleases your belly but your heart as well. Continue reading for photos of some of the restaurant’s selections as well as a review of each:

Sublime Restaurant Sign

Cascading Window Fountains

Pesto Polenta

Broccomoli Dip with Flatbread and Marinated Cucumbers

Fire-Roasted Artichoke with Fresh Basil

Frito Misto

Sublime Picatta with Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes

Quiche Lorraine with Kale Salad

Penne Puttanesca with Fresh Herbs

Singapore Street Noodles

Sicilian Grilled Vegetables

Arugula Salad With Cashew Cheese and Green Onion Vinaigrette

Enchiladas

Watermelon Cosmopolitan

Sublime Mojito

Coconut Cake with Almond Tuile

Ice Cream Sundae

On our first visit to Sublime, we started off with some Reverse Osmosis Purified Water. Purified then enriched with minerals, this special water is truly unique. We also enjoyed some libations including the Sublime Mojito and Watermelon Cosmopolitan. The Mojito was refreshing and the Cosmopolitan strong with a nice watermelon flavor.

Our meal began with Pesto Polenta, compliments of the chef. Topped with fresh shredded basil, the polenta was lightly flavored but not too much. As appetizers we ordered the Broccomoli Dip and Fire-Roasted Artichoke. Having a mellow but pleasing flavor, the Broccomoli consisted of broccoli, avocado, chickpeas and lemon, and came with flat bread and marinated cucumber slices. The Fire-Roasted Artichoke was roasted in vegan garlic butter sauce and topped with panko breadcrumbs and shredded fresh basil. This is a fun appetizer as you take the leaves off one by one, scraping the flesh off the leaves with your teeth. As you get further into the heart of the artichoke, you can eat the leaves and the inner section, which is soaked with flavor. Recommended for artichoke lovers!

For my entree, I chose the Sublime Picatta, which utilized a Gardein chicken-style cutlet, drenched in lemon caper sauce and accompanied by mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. I highly-recommend this dish as it was delicious and satisfying. Also enjoyed at my table were the Quiche Lorraine and Penne Puttanesca. The quiche, in my opinion, tasted like real quiche and featured bits of crispy tempeh, roasted garlic, shallots and Daiya mozzerella, and was accompanied by a seasoned kale salad. The Penne Puttanesca featured a snappy red sauce with capers, kalamata olives and roasted red peppers. I like the flavor the olives added to this dish. All entrees were large and filling.

Dessert was nothing short of heavenly. Having been completely full from dinner, we split a piece of Coconut Cake. DELICIOUS. Made with white cake and coconut butter crème, and accompanied by almond tuile, it is understandable why this dessert is a favorite among dining guests. Not only was the cake deliciously moist and sweet, the almond tuile was delectable and buttery.

Enjoyed again on our second visit to Sublime was the Reverse Osmosis Purified Water, along with Pesto Polenta and a couple Fire-Roasted Artichokes as appetizers. In addition, we ordered the Frito Misto, another guest favorite, which consisted of crispy cauliflower, sweet chili sauce and sesame seeds. This appetizer was the favorite by far, of herbivores and omnivores alike, and it tasted amazingly like General Pao Chicken but without the guilt! It is a must-have.

For dinner this time around, I had the Mushroom Ravioli which I regrettably failed to photograph. Filled with mushrooms and cashew cream, and encompassed in house-made pasta, it was topped with a slow-roasted tomato butter sauce. The dish wasn’t as big as I had hoped and the ravioli needed a little salt, but other than that, it was decent. Also enjoyed at my table were the Enchiladas, Singapore Street Noodles, Sicilian Grilled Vegetables and Arugula Salad. The Enchiladas were delicious and consisted of shredded Gardein (“chicken” I’m assuming), brown rice, green peppers, black beans, Daiya cheddar and vegan sour cream. I would recommend this dish as well and am not surprised that it, too, is another guest favorite. For those of you who like a kick, the Singapore Street Noodles are an excellent choice. The more you eat, the hotter they seem to get. This dish consisted of “glass” rice noodles, asain vegetables, water chestnuts, red pepper, curry, basil, cilantro, ginger and chili siracha sauce. The Sicilian Grilled Vegetables were fresh and nicely flavored, consisting of bell pepper, broccoli, eggplant, red onion, sweet corn, tomato, yellow squash, zucchini, lemon and herbs, and were accompanied by a hearty ancient grain pilaf.

For dessert, I couldn’t help myself and had to get the coconut cake again. Having passed it around the table, everyone enjoyed it, especially the almond tuile, by no surprise of my own. Also enjoyed was the Ice Cream Sundae, consisting of vanilla ice cream (which I believe to be coconut-based) with a chocolate shell and crushed peanuts.

With our bellies full and cravings satisfied we left with smiles on our faces. I highly recommend dining at Sublime the next time you are in the Ft. Lauderdale area. It is one of the best vegan restaurants I’ve dined at. If you go, let me know what you think of it!

NOTE: Vegan Food Addict is in no way affiliated with Sublime Restaurant and Bar. The views and opinions expressed herein are strictly my own and do not necessarily reflect that of others.

Veg-Friendly Key West

Wow, what an awesome week! I spent my birthday in style with a vacation to Key West, Florida. When it comes to food, Key West, being an island, is typically known for its seafood. However, there is a nice variety of vegan food available. Ranging from Mexican, to Thai, to American, your hunger needs are covered. Though I regretably did not take pictures of most of my food, here is a run down of some of the vegan food options available:

Salsa Loca
Salsa Loca is a nice little Mexican restaurant. Their chips and salsa were tasty and their guacamole not bad. It looked as though it was made in a food processor and didn’t have the nice avocado chunks that fresh guacamole tends to have. Though it is always great as an appetizer whether it is fresh or not! For an entree I enjoyed the Veggie Fajitas sans rice as I was told it is prepared with chicken broth. The beans were full of flavor and the fajita vegetables themselves (green and red bell peppers, mushrooms and onions) were simple, seemingly just fried in oil. These were served with a side of ensalada (salad) and a dallop of guacamole. Also enjoyed at my table was the Veggie Sincronizada, which is described on Salsa Loca’s menu as, “grilled tortillas stuffed with mushrooms, spinach, cheese, tomatoes, jalapenos, & topped with sliced avocados”. It was ordered without cheese and was decent I’m told, though it could have had a little more flavor. I’ve also heard that at least a couple items are available with potatoes rather than meat, though I did not see these options on the menu. Perhaps they are available by special request?

Help Yourself
Next up is Help Yourself. This cute cafe/storefront has a little farmer’s market on Mondays, which offers excellent fresh produce. There is even a man there who sells fresh coconuts. For $5 he’ll cut open the end of a coconut with his machete, leaving you with fresh coconut water straight from the source. It is recommended to squeeze fresh lime juice into the coconut before drinking the water as it provides a more palate-pleasing flavor. Afterwards you can have the man split the coconut in half, allowing you to scrape out the coconut meat and enjoy that as well. Yum!

Help Yourself prides themselves in using fresh, organic produce, and don’t use refined grains, sugars or unhealthy fats. I ordered their lasagna which is described on their menu as, “layers of zucchini, brazil nut meat, pesto, fresh tomatoes, marinara, served with a green salad.” Thinly-sliced zucchini replaces the pasta in this lasagna. Creative! My sister had half of the TLT wrap (marinated tempeh, lettuce, tomato, avocado, chipotle mayonnaise and mixed greens) and the other half, the English Garden wrap (raw vegetables, garden herbs, pesto, mayonnaise and mixed greens). Help Yourself creatively makes their own mayonnaise, cream cheese, and other normally dairy-based condiments, with cashews and other natural ingredients. Now this isn’t the type of food that is laden with salt and sugar like your typical American fare. Instead, the food’s natural flavors are brought to the forefront providing a fresh, satisfying flavor. Also sampled from Help Yourself was the Fruit Parfait, and Chocolate Buzz, Tropical Green, and Purple Jungle smoothies. I enjoyed the Fruit Parfait with the exception of the yogurt they used. It tasted very strongly of coconut which is good, but it could have used a little sweetener, perhaps agave, to tone down the dominating flavor a bit. Their granola is delicious and the smoothies were very good. The Chocolate Buzz smoothie was the favorite by far.

Sugar Apple Natural Foods
A cute, well-stocked natural grocery store with an attached all-vegan kitchen (the only one I know of in Key West), Sugar Apple is my favorite vegan destination in Key West. This establishment is not to be judged by it’s size, but rather the delicious flavor that comes from within. The banana-peach smoothie was cold, delicious and refreshing, and the Pesto Rice with Tofu packed with flavor. Though the dish was a bit on the salty side, it was delicious and came with a nice salad, in which I opted for the Key Lime Vinaigrette dressing. Also enjoyed were the Tofurky Sub and Vegetarian Italian Sub which contained various types of vegan meat slices. The food was filling and very tasty. I would have loved to go back here and tried more of their dishes and hope to do so in the future!

Peanut Butter N’ WHAT?
This fun place features peanut butter in every menu item. Simply reading the menu will give you a good chuckle as they have some creative and funny names for some of their offerings. Peanut Butter N’ WHAT? offers a variety of items ranging from tofu squares to tacos to sandwiches to desserts, and includes some rather interesting ingredients such as jalapeños, mustard and carrots. A selection of items can be made vegan and the friendly people behind the counter are happy to answer any questions you might have. We enjoyed the Banana Surprise and Nutty Banana Nuggets. Both dishes had fresh bananas covered in warm peanut butter. The Banana Surprise also came with raisins and warm chocolate dipping sauce, and the Nutty Banana Nuggets were topped with peanut butter Captain Crunch cereal, which the friendly man behind the counter made sure was vegan. Great place to stop by even if for a snack!

The Cafe
The Cafe is a nice, hip sit-down restaurant offering many vegan options, noted by a star on their menu. I had the Curried “Chicken” Salad Sandwich which was delicious. Available on ciabatta or whole wheat bread and accompanied by a marinated bean salad, this dish contained slivered almonds and grapes along with vegan chicken slices. The curry provided a nice kick but not too much. Other items sampled were the Falafel Sandwich (also delicious) and Grilled Tofu Salad, which was good but the tofu needed more flavor. Otherwise it was fresh and satisfying. I would have loved to try their vegan carrot cake or coconut cake but unfortunately my pleasantly full belly would not allow for it.

Lloyd’s Tropical Bike Tour
Though obviously not a food establishment, I have to mention Lloyd’s Tropical Bike Tour as not only does the tour include a leisurely bicycle ride around beautiful, breezy Key West, you also get to sample fresh food along the way. Run by a guy named Lloyd who is overflowing with character, we were led through the island and allowed to sample fresh avocado with lime juice and this delicious Spike seasoning, as well as fresh coconut milk with lime and aged coconut meat (which is crunchy and tasty unlike young coconut). We also enjoyed some fresh tamarind and these deliciously sweet cherries straight from the plant. Unfortunately I do not know the name of the cherries but I can tell you that they contained three seeds in each. Very interesting and unlike your typical tart cherry.

Have You Been to Key West?
I’d love to hear about what you had there and other fun vegan findings you’ve found!

Restaurant Review: Santullo’s Eatery

New York style pizza in Chicago? Believe it! Santullo’s Eatery is a veg-friendly establishment that offers New York style pizza in addition to pasta, salads and sandwiches, each with vegan options. Be sure to ask which are vegan though as they are not clearly marked.

Upon entering the establishment, I got the feeling that this place knows their pizza. The big menu boards at the counter and the warmth of the ovens created a nice environment to walk into. After deciding what we wanted to eat, I approached the counter and ordered a custom 20″ pizza (the only full pizza size they offer to my knowledge). The man behind the counter was less than friendly. He didn’t smile, didn’t seem to want to be there, answered the phone while I was in mid-speech, just didn’t care. Nonetheless, I ordered the pizza and to my surprise, found that it cost a whopping $39.50…before tax! Looking over the receipt, I noticed the following breakdown:

• pizza: $19.50
• seitan pepperoni: $5
• seitan sausage: $5
• oven-roasted tomatoes: $3
• portobello mushrooms: $3
• spinach: $2
• garlic: $2

Surprisingly though, we weren’t charged extra for the vegan mozzarella cheese. I understand that businesses need to make a profit, but $39.50 seems a bit steep! Furthermore, I reviewed the menu boards again as well as a take-home menu. What I found is that Santullo’s doesn’t fully disclose their prices like other restaurants do, as the menu made no mention of what additional pizza ingredients would cost, or any of them for that matter. I could expand further but will keep it to a minimum as I want to talk about the food itself.

The pizza was the perfect size for the four of us whom shared it. Not to mention it was delicious! Possibly one of the best vegan pizzas I’ve had. The slices were large with thin crust, enabling them to be folded in half and eaten New York style. If you don’t eat the pizza in this manner, expect to eat it with a fork as the ingredients will slide right off once you pick up a slice. The ingredients are fresh and, in general, mesh well together. I’m not sure I’d get the portobellos next time though (if there IS a next time) as the balsamic vinegar they were marinated in didn’t quite blend with the other ingredients (my mistake). Instead, I would choose the regular thin-sliced mushrooms.

In conclusion, I write reviews to provide you with my honest opinion. I want you to know about the latest and greatest products and restaurants, and which ones are worth your while. When it comes to Santullo’s Eatery, however, I’m on the fence about recommending them to others. The pizza is delicious, but the price is steep and the customer service sub-par. If you decide to try it out, just be cautious!

NOTE: Vegan Food Addict is in no way affiliated with Santullo’s Eatery. The views and opinions expressed herein are strictly my own and do not necessarily reflect that of others.

Shamrock Shake

St. Patrick’s Day is named after Saint Patrick, a patron saint of Ireland. Now a celebration of the Irish culture in general, blue was originally the color of choice until green was adopted later on (source). In honor of St. Patrick’s Day I’ve created a vegan version of the popular fast food dessert, the Shamrock Shake. Peppermint, a hybrid mint, is a cross between wintermint and spearmint (source). It has multiple health benefits, some of which include soothing an upset stomach, inhibiting the growth of bacteria and tumors, and most commonly, alleviating breathing problems associated with asthma and allergy-related colds (source).

Seamlessly combining the refreshing taste of peppermint and rich flavor of vanilla, this Shamrock Shake is the perfect accompaniment to your Irish-inspired meal. May the Luck O’ The Irish be with you!

Shamrock Shake
Yields 2-3 servings

1 quart vegan vanilla ice cream (I use So Delicious)
1-1/3 cups regular unsweetened almond milk
½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
8 drops green food color (optional)

Combine ice cream and almond milk in blender and puree until smooth. Add extract and food color, blending until incorporated.