Dining Out in Boston - Fazenda Coffee Roasters

Lemon Pepper Tofu Sandwich - Fazenda Coffee Roasters

I stopped in to Fazenda Coffee Roasters quickly while on my trek around JP to put up flyers for my upcoming Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale. I should have tried the coffee, but I was too hungry and distracted by the vegan items on the menu. For lunch items they offer a couple of vegan sandwiches - Lemon Pepper Tofu and a Hummus sandwich, and a vegan salad - Tofu Chicken. They also sell vegan baked goods like donuts, cupcakes, and tarts brought in from Sabertooth Bakery. I wish they offered more in the way of lunch items, since my meal was delicious! This coffee shop is clean, modern, and decent-sized with lots of small tables and bar seating at the window. 

For lunch I ordered a sandwich to go, the Lemon Pepper Tofu. This large sandwich is marinated tofu, hummus, olive tapenade, green peppers, and baby spinach, on soft and chewy ciabatta bread. I ordered it knowing I am not a fan of olives and thankfully that didn't matter, though the flavor was still there I thought the rest of the ingredients worked well. It was very gourmet, and brought in new flavors than what I'm used to for a vegan meal. I really enjoyed it and it was super filling. I'll be back for sure!

Fazenda Coffee Roasters

3710 Washington Street

Jamaica Plain, MA 

02130

Fazenda Coffee Website

Dining Out in Boca Raton - 4th Generation Organic Market

Organic Vegan Tempeh Reuben - 4th Generation Organic Market

I was so happy to find this "mini-Whole Foods" near where I was vacationing in Boca Raton. Despite it being rather expensive, it's the kind of place I would go back to again and again. When I walked in and saw the variety of prepared vegan foods I was overjoyed! Sandwiches, wraps, salads, side dishes, desserts, packaged foods, beverages, frozen food, produce, you can find it all. 

Sandwiches & Wraps - 4th Generation Organic Market

I ordered an Organic Vegan Reuben with Tempeh Bacon, Sauerkraut, and 1001 Island Dressing on Hemp Bread, heated and pressed on a panini grill. I had to try some desserts, too. I got the Lemon Blonde, a raw macaroon, made with unsweetened shredded coconut, agave syrup, coconut oil, lemon oil, raw cashews, vanilla, and salt. I also ordered an Oatmeal Sandwich, made with some interesting and healthful ingredients - teff, sorgum, quinoa, millet, agave syrup, baking powder and soda, vanilla, powdered sugar, potato flour, oats, raisins, soy butter, lemon, and coconut oil. 

Everything was delicious, my sandwich was flavorful and filling, the desserts were satisfying and sweet. I really loved the Oatmeal Sandwich - crunchy cookies with the perfect creme filling! I only wish the prices were a little easier to digest. I was surprised at how small my $10 sandwich was. The bite-sized Lemon Blonde was $1.69 and the Oatmeal Sandwich was decent-sized and $2.49. 


If this was near me in Boston, I'm sure I'd frequent it for a quick lunch or to satisfy my sweet tooth. There were so many things I wanted to try, so I hope I can return in the near future!

Dessert Case - 4th Generation Organic Market

4th Generation Organic Market

75 SE 3rd Street
Boca Raton, FL 33432

4th Generation Organic Market Website

Dining In - Coffee Almond Crunch Cupcakes

Coffee Almond Crunch Cupcakes - Chloe's Vegan Desserts

 

I made these for a friend's surprise birthday party and all of the guests loved them! My number one taste tester, my boyfriend, said "holy crap, this is amazing" and even claimed they were the best cupcakes I've made to date. Coffee and chocolate are a superb combination. The layering of coffee-flavored frosting with chocolate cake and chocolate ganache on top makes this so moist, unlike other cupcakes that may have too much dry cake on the bottom that desperately needs that bit of frosting in each bite, this cupcake gives it to you. Although there is a lot of sugar in this recipe (the only unfortunate part), the taste is not overly sweet. This is a three-part, time intensive recipe, but the result is so beautiful and incredibly delicious. It looks intimidating given it's such a gourmet recipe, but it all came together fairly easily. Based on the response from those who tried it, this recipe is on my list for the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale (just over a month away!). You can find this recipe and others in Chloe Coscarelli's new cookbook, Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here).  

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk, canned (I used Trader Joe's Light variety)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

Coffee Frosting
1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder, mixed with 1/4 cup water

Chocolate Ganache
1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut milk, canned
2 tablespoons canola oil

Garnish
3/4 to 1 cup toasted almonds, chopped
14 chocolate-covered espresso beans (I found dark chocolate covered ones at Trader Joe's)


To Prepare Chocolate Cupcakes:

Chocolate Cupcake Batter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a one-dozen cupcake pan with cupcake liners. You do not need to grease. 

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate medium-sized bowl, stir to combine wet ingredients: coconut milk, oil, vinegar, vanilla, and espresso powder. 

Pour wet ingredients into dry and blend until just combined, but do not overmix. 

Spoon batter into cupcake pan, filling each liner three-quarters of the way full. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely before assembling cupcakes. 


To Prepare Coffee Frosting:

Use a stand mixer (I christened my brand new Kitchen Aid mixer for this recipe!) to smooth out shortening for one minute. 

Slowly add in powdered sugar and vanilla, while beating on slow speed. Add one tablespoon at a time of the espresso liquid, blend in completely and continue adding tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach the proper consistency for frosting. Continue to blend on high speed for two minutes until frosting is fluffy. Set aside.


To Prepare Chocolate Ganache:

In a medium bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and coconut milk together. I usually do this at medium power for 30-45 second intervals stirring in between until chocolate has melted. Add in the oil and stir. 

Chocolate Ganache

To Prepare the Finished Product:

Using a large, sharp knife slice the top dome part off of the Chocolate Cupcake, using the liner as a guide. You'll end up with a flat cupcake and a separate top piece. 

Chocolate Cupcakes

Using a frosting or decorating bag, fill with Coffee Frosting and the appropriate piping tip. Pipe frosting onto the flat surface of the cupcake and then place the top back on, at a slight angle to show off the filling. 

Next spread a thin layer of the Chocolate Ganache on the top part of the cupcake. 

Sprinkle toasted almonds on top so they stick to the chocolate. 

Pipe a small circle of Coffee Frosting and press an espresso bean in for "the cherry on top"!

Dining Out in Miami - Green Gables Café

 Sautéed Vegetable Wrap - Green Gables Café

I stumbled upon this café while driving around the area. I was on the hunt for a lunch that would suit my vegan needs, as well as keep my boyfriend happy. Yelp led me to Green Gables. 

Green Gables Café serves organic and locally sourced food with a focus on sustainable practices. It's a small restaurant with a decent number of tables. As more of a lunch spot, they are closed in the evon the weekends. The menu has labeled vegan options, but unfortunately there aren't too many and they are the typical things you could pick out at a normal restaurant. Oatmeal, hummus, soup, vegetable wrap, and vegan burger make the list. I was impressed that they offer fresh fruit and veggie juices, like carrot, cucumber, beet, apple, orange.

I ordered the sautéed vegetable wrap with zucchini, red peppers, onions, tomatoes, arugula, and hummus on a wheat wrap, served with a side of greens dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. The size was decent and it was very tasty. For $12 I would expect a bit more, although you're paying a price for the organic ingredients and it was certainly fresh. If I lived in the area I would likely visit again and give the juices and vegan burger a try. 

Green Gables Café

327 Alhambra Circle

Coral Gables, FL 33134

Green Gables Website

Dining Out in Fort Lauderdale - Sublime Restaurant

Mushroom Ravioli - Sublime Restaurant

I spent a long weekend in Boca Raton, FL this month visiting my boyfriend's family. As with any travel, I do my research before boarding a plane to find great vegan places I want to try. This special restaurant wasn't even on my list! My boyfriend's mother found it and booked us a reservation. Sublime is a decent sized restaurant located along North Federal Highway in Ft. Lauderdale. It took a little while to get there, but in my opinion it was well worth it. 

Sublime Restaurant is 100% vegan which makes for a carefree and exciting sit-down meal. They also donate all profits to organizations that promote animal welfare and veganism. That is tough to find in the restaurant business. The owner Nanci is detail-oriented and strict with keeping the menu and the actual restaurant completely vegan. It's gotten good press and attention from some famous people, too. Pamela Anderson, Paul McCartney, and model Joanna Krupa have all dined here. 

Vegan dining with my boyfriend's family made me a little nervous since none of them are vegan. I've fed my boyfriend enough vegan food to not have to worry about him, but his father is a meat and potatoes guy. Despite not having your typical beer selection (all local breweries), and service that was a tad bit slow, it went well. We left the meal on a high note - the fabulous dessert! 

Sliders - Sublime Restaurant

We started with two appetizers, the raved about Frito Misto and the Sliders for the carnivores at the table. The Frito Misto is cauliflower battered and fried with a delicious sweet and sour chili sauce topped with sesame seeds. It was out of this world! I could have easily had it for a meal but of course that's because it was fried. The Sliders were Gardein patties with "cheddar", onion, romaine, and special sauce. The mock meat patties were tasty and left the meat-eaters at the table satisfied, but the wheat buns were tough and dry. 

Frito Misto - Sublime Restaurant

Thai Red Curry - Sublime Restaurant

For our entrees we ordered two of the waiter's recommendation of Mushroom Ravioli, along with Sublime Picatta (the "meat and potatoes" dish) and Thai Red Curry. The Mushroom Ravioli is house-made mushroom-filled raviolis, cashew cream, tomato butter sauce, and basil. These are popular for a reason, the pasta was delicious and the filling creamy. I loved the roasted tomatoes. My order of Thai Red Curry was huge! The flavor was excellent - Asian vegetables, grilled tofu, red pepper, onion, broccoli, celery, bean sprouts, and jasmine rice in a creamy coconut red curry sauce. I had this for lunch the next day and it was just as good cold. I didn't try the Sublime Picatta, but this was the dish that our waiter recommended for the meat-like flavor and texture - it's a Gardein cutlet served with mashed potatoes, green beans, and a lemon-caper sauce. My boyfriend's father cleaned his plate.

Sublime Picatta - Sublime Restaurant

Coconut Cake - Sublime Restaurant

The highlight of the meal was the Coconut Cake! We devoured it in minutes. I'll be craving this cake for a while until I can find or bake something similar. Rich, moist cake layered between creamy sweet coconut frosting, served with toasted coconut garnish and a delicious delicate almond cookie.

I would go back in a heartbeat and wish it was closer to home so I could!

Sublime Restaurant

1431 North Federal Highway

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Sublime Website

Dining Out in Boston - Life Alive

Green Goddess - Life Alive

I don't know why it took me so long to try Life Alive, but I'm so glad I did. It has a surprisingly high number of Yelp reviews for a vegan place (440!), that's likely due to its proximity to colleges (hello, Harvard) and the more liberal, hipster population in Cambridge, MA.

Waiting in line to order...

The staff busy at work making smoothies

There were a few things about the dining experience that turned me off, but based on the food I would go back in a heartbeat, and contemplated doing so the day after I went! I did actually go back within a week. I really wish this was closer to me so I could have it everyday for lunch or dinner. I went with my parents on a Friday night and it was packed. What's so good about it? Fresh (almost raw), delicious, quick vegan food and drinks at a reasonable price! What I didn't like, which I can probably get accustomed to, was the unique dining atmosphere. The decor and staff fit with its earthy, hippie, crunchy-granola vibe. Seating is limited, but there are a few tables upstairs and some shared tables, "cubbies", and benches downstairs, which reminded me of a basement set in the 1970s. You wait in line, which unfortunately takes about 10-15 minutes, to place your order, cafeteria style, but luckily there is entertainment for the wait - the staff prepares smoothies and juices non-stop at high speed, grabbing fresh ingredients from a huge cooler. You are given a number to display on your table and your order is then brought to you when ready. 

I ordered a demi (or half) size of the Mystic Mountain salad - mesculin greens, corn, carrots, beets, cucumber, sprouts, granny smith apples, cashews, lemon-garlic hummus with lemon vinaigrette. This was far from a boring salad, and delicious! For my entree I got the Green Goddess dish based on high reviews, it comes with dark greens, broccoli, tofu, sprouts, avocado, and brown rice covered in a ginger sauce with flax oil and garlic. Yum! I couldn't help but order a smoothie from their delicious selection, it was a very difficult choice. I tried the Carrot Cake Alive smoothie - hemp protein, carrots, banana, cinnamon, ice cream and rice milk. The ice cream is coconut-milk based and actually comes from my favorite local vegan ice cream place, FoMu! When I went back the second time I ordered the same salad, but also tried the Goddess (their signature dish) with carrots, beets, broccoli, dark greens, tofu, short-grain brown rice, and ginger sauce. I loved all of my meals!

Mystic Mountain Salad - Life Alive

Goddess (To-Go) - Life Alive

Life Alive

765 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02139

Life Alive Website

Also located in Lowell, MA & Salem, MA. 

Dining In - Chocolate Mug Cake

One Minute Chocolate Cake in a Mug - Chocolate Covered Katie

Mug Cake - Sold in the Grocery Store!
Not Vegan.

A single serving, delicious, quick, easy vegan cake recipe - what's not to love? Part of me wishes I never discovered this recipe because it makes it that much easier to eat baked goods whenever I want, particularly when I'm home alone and have a craving for sweets. This uses the same ingredients you'd find in a typical cake recipe, but on a much smaller scale. It cooks up super fast in a microwave. I spotted a Mug Cake product in the grocery store recently and thought psh, who needs this when I can get a much better, vegan version at home! The recipe comes from vegan dessert blogger extraordinaire, Chocolate Covered Katie, you can find it here. There are endless variations you can make, I'm sure I'll be testing out a few soon :)


1 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons evaporated cane juice (sugar)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet of stevia
2 teaspoons canola oil
3 tablespoons almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all dry ingredients - cocoa powder, flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, stevia - in a mug or ramekin. Stir very well and make sure to press out any clumps. 

Add wet ingredients to mug - oil, almond milk, and vanilla. Stir again until well combined. Microwave for 45 to 60 seconds. Let cool. Enjoy with a spoon!

I added a scoop of peanut butter to mine for "frosting" so yummy!

Dining In - Mongolian BBQ Seitan

Mongolian BBQ Seitan - Chloe's Kitchen

This was my first time preparing a dish with seitan! I've tried it a few times in restaurants, all dishes were creative and delicious. It's one of the more difficult vegan foods to persuade non-vegans to try. To begin with there's the name and appearance that certainly don't make it appealing. Describing what it actually is may also turn people off - wheat gluten, the opposite of gluten-free friendly. However, there are reasons why it's worth trying - it soaks up flavors and makes a really nice substitute for meat because of its chewy texture. Seitan also contains a ton of protein, another name for it is "wheat protein." For 1/3 cup, there are 120 calories, 2g. of fat, and a whopping 21g. of protein. 

I've been wanting to give this Mongolian BBQ Seitan recipe a try for some time now, but I had to get my hands on some seitan first (I might try making it myself soon). Unfortunately Trader Joe's doesn't carry it and it's difficult to find in a local grocery store. Your best bet is Whole Foods, which is where I picked up the West Soy brand seitan strips (pictured below). 

This dish was delicious and filling, a little goes a long way. The sauce was sweet and tangy. I will certainly be making this again. It didn't take much effort and was ready in about twenty minutes! You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here). 

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil 
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
8 oz. seitan strips
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
4 oz. snow peas, peel off the strings
2 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cups brown rice, cooked

In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, water, soy sauce, agave, lemon juice, and chili-garlic sauce. Set aside

Cook seitan and mushrooms until slightly browned

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms and seitan until browned (5-7 minutes). Add in ginger, cinnamon, and cloves and cook a couple minutes longer.

Add the snow peas to the skillet and allow to soften a bit, then add in sauce. Stir so ingredients are coated in sauce. Cook until sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in scallions and cilantro. Serve atop rice. 

Dining In - Pad Thai Noodles

Pad Thai Noodles - Chef Chloe

This simple Thai dish delivers with the traditional sweet and salty sauce, but does so using drastically less oil (only one tablespoon). With brown rice pasta, it can be gluten free if you use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce, and of course it is vegan. This was an easy and quick dish to prepare. It could be even better if it had more protein or fiber to make it a more filling meal, possibly adding some tofu or mock meat marinated in the sauce would do the trick. You can find this recipe on Chloe Coscarelli's website. Enjoy!


8 oz. brown rice noodles
3 cups broccoli florets (I used frozen)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, extra wedges for serving
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 scallions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Roasted, salted, chopped peanuts for garnish

Cook pasta according to package in salted water. Before the pasta is done cooking, add in broccoli. Cook for about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cool water, and then drain again. Set aside.

To prepare sauce, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, and soy sauce in a small bowl.

In a large skillet heat oil on medium-high heat, add in scallions and garlic. Add the sauce, then add the cooked pasta and broccoli. Stir carefully until sauce is evenly distributed and the ingredients are heated throughout.

Serve with chopped cilantro and peanuts, with a lime wedge on the side.