Chana Masala and My Camera

Happy Tuesday!

I have finally found my camera charger in the mess that is my sunroom (which is currently holding just about everything from my old apartment until I move again) and therefore my picture quality will greatly improve in the posts from here ok out! I've currently been using my iPhone, which is great for what it is, but can't compare to my digital SLR! 

It's been a busy week with lots of late dinners. Lots of food has been made but the only item I managed to snap a picture of was my Chana Masala. And let me tell you this is an awesomeeee dish! I could eat it for days! And it's so quick and easy too, my mantra for the week! I got the recipe from Veg Angela, a favorite site of mine for vegan recipes! 

Chana Masala

Serves 2

1-2 tbsp oil

1 onion chopped

1 clove garlic minced

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp ketchup

15 oz can chickpeas partially drained

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 handfuls spinach

Salt and pepper to taste

2 servings of rice
Vegan sour cream on the side

Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and sautée until soft. 

Add garlic, curry and ketchup. Simmer for 2 minutes. 

Add chickpeas and liquid, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Simmer until chickpeas are softened. 

Stir in spinach, heat until wilted. 

Serve over rice with sour cream on side. 

Weekend in Dallas

On our way to eat at Nora

I spent this past weekend in Dallas with my boyfriend Atticus and was extremely surprised and impressed by the vegan food options we found! We found several awesome restaurants that were either exclusively veg or had awesome veg options. I never expected to find such a great veg scene in Texas, but I was pleasantly surprised by all that we found! Let me apologize ahead of time for the pictures of half eaten food - I kept forgetting to whip out my camera until after we had already started to eat! Whoops :)

Tofu scramble sandwich

Our first morning in Dallas we ventured over to a diner I had found online prior to going to Dallas. As someone with very specific dietary needs, I often try to have a game plan ahead of time of restaurants that have good veg options - otherwise I end up eating lots of pasta and salad. Spiral Diner is an entirely vegan diner in the Oak Cliff neighborhood. We went for brunch and were very impressed by our choices. I ordered a tofu scramble sandwich and hash browns, while Atticus had the tofu scramble with soy sausage and hash browns. It was the vegan version of typical diner food - exactly what we were looking for!

Tofu scramble with soy sausage and hash browns 

After breakfast we ventured out into Dallas to explore the West End. It ended up being a rainy afternoon so we decided to grab a late lunch at a pub I had read about before heading to a movie. Anvil Pub ended up being an awesome find. They had a great selection of draft beers and an awesome vegan pub menu. While it isn't a vegan pub, they did have extensive vegan options. We ordered a couple of beers and vegan nachos which were amazing! We had a great bartender - very personable. When he found out it was Atticus' birthday he bought him a shot of Jameson and let me take his lighter so we could light a birthday candle later at our hotel!

(What's left of) vegan nachos

For dinner that night I had made reservations at a restaurant called Nora's Restaurant and Bar. I wanted to take Atticus somewhere with a "date night" atmosphere to (belatedly) celebrate his birthday. Nora's ended up being the perfect experience. Great food - middle eastern cuisine with several veg options, great service - friendly staff, great atmosphere - very much the "date night" atmosphere I had envisioned and reasonably priced. Unfortunately we were so caught up in the night that we didn't take any food pictures however I did snap a shot of the restaurant on the way out!

When we got home from dinner we used the lighter that our bartender at Anvil so graciously provided us with and had birthday fudge! I used Chef Chloe's recipe from Chloe's Kitchen for the fudge.

Sunday we went for breakfast at a local coffee shop my boyfriend found on Yelp. Ascension turned out to be a great find! The coffee was amazing and the breakfast was just as good. They have definitely perfected steamed milk art! We both ordered the avocado toast and my god it was incredible. Such a simple dish but such a fresh and yummy start to the day!

Soy latte

Avocado toast (I got mine without the poached egg)

After breakfast we headed downtown to go to the Sixth Floor Museum - a museum that educates on the life of JFK and the tragic shooting that took his life in Dallas. No pictures were allowed, but I highly recommend checking it out - it was very interesting and informative. It's quite sobering to stand in the building from which a US president was killed.

For lunch we decided to go to Whole Food's and make ourselves a picnic. We spent the afternoon at a park next to White Rock Lake. It was an extremely relaxing afternoon and it was nice just to spend some time together.

White Rock Lake park

After such a relaxing afternoon we decided take out was in order for dinner and decided we couldn't leave Dallas without having some Mexican so we ordered some food from Soleo Mexican Kitchen. And if it wasn't some of the best Mexican I've ever had! I ordered fajitas while Atticus had enchiladas. We spent the evening in bed eating our Mexican and watching movies.

           Our hotel, the Renaissance 

Monday was our last day in Dallas. We had gotten muffins and scones from Whole Food's for breakfast and decided that for lunch we would try a vegan Pho place called D'Vegan. We again decided on take out and took our Pho to Bachman Lake Park over by the Love Field airport. We ate on the grass and watched the planes land. It was a beautiful day and the food was excellent! I ordered a traditional Pho and my boyfriend decided on the spicy version. Both were awesome.

Overall I was so happy with all of our finds in Dallas. I would go back to any and all of the restaurants we tried over the course of the weekend! It was a perfect weekend :)

Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce

So this enchilada recipe is amazing! I modified this recipe slightly and was super pleased with the results. This is the second time I've made this recipe and have enjoyed it immensely both times. It is not your typically enchilada recipe - there is no cheese substitute with the exception of a small amount of nutritional yeast. The freshness of the veggies combined with the lack of heavy non-dairy products makes this a lighter and healthier meal.

Vegan enchiladas with cilantro cream sauce

Makes 4-6 enchiladas



For the enchiladas:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion (chopped) 
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 zucchini (chopped)
1 bell pepper (chopped)
2 handfuls spinach (chopped)
1 can black beans - drained and rinsed
 2 cups enchilada sauce (I mixed green chile and red sauce)
1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast 
1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice (to taste)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Chili powder (optional)

Black beans, chopped red pepper, zucchini and spinach

For the cilantro avocado cream sauce:

2 avocados
2 tbsp water, or more as needed to thin out
Half a lime
Cilantro (to taste)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Cilantro avocado cream sauce

Preheat oven to 350F and grab a baking dish large enough for 4- 6 enchiladas. 

In a large skillet or pot, add 1 tbsp oil and bring to medium to low heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until translucent. Add in garlic and reduce heat to low and cook for a couple more minutes. Now add the chopped pepper, zucchini, drained black beans, and chopped spinach. Cook for about 5-7 more minutes on medium-low heat.

Now add in your enchilada sauce. Stir well, and add in your seasonings: nutritional yeast, fresh lime juice, salt, garlic powder, and chili powder (optional). Adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir well.

Scoop about 3/4-1 cup of the mixture onto the bottom of your casserole dish and spread out in a thin layer. Scoop about 1/2-3/4 cup of the mixture onto each tortilla and wrap, placing the fold down on the casserole dish. Repeat for the remaining 3 tortillas and leave a bit of filling left to spread over the top. Sprinkle with vegan cheese if preferred - I sprinkled a tbsp of nutritional yeast on the top. 

Bake enchiladas at 350F for 18-20 minutes. 

While the enchiladas are baking make the cream sauce. In a food processor, process the avocado flesh and water until creamy. Now add in the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth and well blended.

Serve enchiladas with cream sauce over the top. 

Vegan Spinach Quiche

I have been wanting to try making a vegan quiche for awhile now. I found this recipe on the vegan food blog Veg Angela. I really loved the flavor of this quiche, however it was a little less firm than I was expecting. I would like to play around with the consistency a little bit more. but the taste is dead on so I would highly recommend this recipe!

Vegan Spinach Quiche

Serves 4-8

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove (minced)
½ bag fresh spinach 
½ cup cashews - soaked in water for an hour and drained
½ block firm tofu
¼ cup nutritional yeast
4 tbsp soy milk
½ tsp tumeric
Salt and pepper to taste
1 vegan pie crust
1-2 tomatoes (sliced) 

Preheat oven to 375F

Heat olive oil over medium heat, and saute onions and garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Grind the cashews in food processor until very fine. Add tofu, nutritional yeast, soymilk and tumeric. Blend until you have a creamy, even consistency (add more soymilk if needed).

In a mixing bowl, combine the onion mixture with the tofu mixture. Season with salt & pepper.

Pour the tofu mixture into the pie crust and spread it evenly. Top with tomato slices.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes, or until mixture is set and crust has browned.

The Perfect Tofu Scramble

The perfect tofu scramble is something I have been after for awhile now. I wanted to find a recipe that made me go "wow!" I think this one comes pretty close! This recipe is the result of multiple trial and errors - most of the ingredients can be done to taste but I will put some measurements to them for those who are more "by the book". 

Tofu and "sausage" scramble

Serves 4-6

For the scramble:

1-14oz block of firm tofu 

1 yellow onion (chopped)

1 tomato (diced)

3 handfuls of fresh spinach

3-4 tbsp nutritional yeast (depending on how "cheesy" you want it)

2-3 tsp turmeric (mostly for color)

2 tsp minced garlic

Cumin to taste (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

For the "sausage":

1- 8oz package tempeh 

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp minced garlic 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Oil or earth balance for cooking

Start by sautéing the onion over medium heat in a little oil or earth balance. Cook until soft but still solid (not mushy). 

While the onions are sautéing, put a little oil or earth balance into another frying pan and crumble the tempeh into it. Cook the tempeh at medium heat, adding in the soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat until tempeh is browned. 

While the tempeh is browning, add tofu to sautéed onion and mash with a fork until crumbled. Add in the turmeric, nutritional yeast, garlic, cumin and salt and pepper. Mix well and continue to heat, stirring frequently. When the tofu has begun to firm up, add the tomatoes and spinach. Heat until spinach has wilted. 

Remove scramble from heat and add in browned tempeh. Mix well and serve immediately. 

This scramble can be stored in the fridge and reheated for up to a week. 

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do! If you want to mix it up, trying adding some different vegetables!