Dining Out in San Francisco - The Plant Cafe Organic

Plant Burger with Mixed Greens - The Plant Cafe Organic  

During my first trip to the West Coast I had a layover in San Francisco, a city I've always wanted to visit. While I only saw the airport this time around, I was excited when I stepped off the plane and saw a vegan-friendly restaurant in my terminal (hint: fly Virgin America to get access to this gem). 

I power-walked my way up to the counter at The Plant Cafe Organic and upon seeing "Awarded 1 of 10 Best Burgers in San Francisco" I decided I would give the Plant Burger a try. Though tempted by the vegan cupcakes and cookies, I started with a real meal. It is a house-made burger with lentils, mushrooms, beets, cashews, and bulgar wheat served on a sourdough bun with lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions and aioli. It comes with a side of mixed greens and a citrus dressing. The burger was like comfort food, filling, tasty and a little bit of an indulgence. Any time there is a creamy dressing or sauce on my vegan food it's a treat. The burger patty even looked like a rare meat burger from the red beet coloring, which is gross in a way but also amusing :) 

After waiting around some more and fully digesting, I went back for a smoothie to take on the plane. I got the Blue Green smoothie. It interested me because of the spirulina. I often feel the need to overdose on vitamins and nutrients when traveling to avoid getting sick. Spirulina is a green superfood loaded with protein, amino acids, and iron and is found in tropical lakes (think algae). I had a smoothie that looked similar to this years ago from Whole Foods. This one contained bananas, blueberries, almond milk, coconut milk and spirulina. It was the right amount of sweetness and the combined fruits worked well together. 

They also offer a number of fresh fruit and vegetable juices, along with a longer list of vegan-friendly entrees and baked goods. With a growing number of locations throughout San Francisco, I would say this place is doing pretty well. I applaud them for offering travelers a healthy option - it was certainly my first encounter with truly delicious vegan options in an airport.

Blue Green Smoothie - The Plant Cafe Organic

Toasted Coconut Cupcakes - The Plant Cafe Organic

The Plant Cafe Organic

Terminal 2

San Francisco Airport (SFO), CA 94128

The Plant Cafe Website

Other Locations: 

Strawberry Village Shopping Center 

800 Redwood Hwy, Suite 810

Strawberry, CA 94941

3352 Steiner Street
San Francisco, CA 94123

101 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94111

Suite 108, Pier 3, The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94111

1395 Burlingame Avenue

Burlingame, CA 94010

Dining In - American Flatbread Vegan Harvest Pizza

Vegan Harvest Pizza - American Flatbread

I picked up this frozen pizza at Organic Basic Food in Hoboken, NJ, but I'm sure they are available in other grocery stores (in fact, here is the American Flatbread Product Locator so you can check it out yourself). I wanted something quick, but still tasty and a little bit indulgent and while I didn't plan to eat the entire pizza... I did. Indulgent? Check! This pizza reminded me of Naked Pizza (which sadly seem to be closing quite rapidly, including the two Boston locations). It had a nice thin crust, tomato sauce, seasonings, and a generous amount of Daiya cheese.

This was very easy to prepare. All you have to do is preheat the oven to 425 degrees and put the pizza on the rack (no pan needed) for about 6-8 minutes until crispy. It's a thin crust so it will crisp up, which I loved since the frozen pizzas I remember had thicker crusts that were soft or soggy when done. Try not to eat the whole thing like I mistakenly did, but do know that if that happens, stay calm. Here's the overall damage - 520 calories and 18g fat, not good, but not awful for a whole pizza. 

Check out the American Flatbread website for more details on this vegan-friendly variety!

Dining In - Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Baked Macaroni & Cheese - The Almost Vegan

It's another Pinterest-inspired quick dinner recipe! The ooey, gooey, cheesy look of this baked mac 'n' cheese convinced me to try it. I've made quite a few vegan mac 'n' cheese recipes at this point (here's my favorite), but I'm always up for a trying a new one that has slight variations. This one incorporates shredded cheese into the dish and as a topping, so you get a creamier, cheesier sauce. My one issue with this recipe was the overpowering mustard flavor. This could easily be fixed by reducing to 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard or using a more mild variety. Otherwise I really enjoyed the thick sauce and of course the breaded-cheese topping is hard to resist. This was a pretty simple recipe, but did involve a stove-top, blender, and oven. I might serve this as a side dish for a future meal, since I felt like I needed to eat a few servings to feel full! You can find the full recipe on the blog The Almost Vegan (don't worry, this recipe is completely vegan!) - see it here.

10 oz. pasta (I used gluten-free shells)
1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup plain almond milk
1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight or boil for 10 minutes)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (See comments above, I recommend using less)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon paprika, use more if desired

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup vegan shredded mozzarella (now available at Trader Joe's!), divided
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 inch square pan.

Boiling Raw Cashews

Boil cashews for about 10 minutes and then drain and set aside. 

Cook pasta according to directions on package, rinse, drain and set aside. 

In a large saucepan, melt the margarine and add onions with a dash of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onions soften and start to brown. Add in garlic and flour. Stir until it starts to thicken. 

Add almond milk, cashews, nutritional yeast, mustard, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and pinch of cayenne. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring throughout. 

Sauce Before Blending

Carefully pour mixture into a blender. Blend until well combined and creamy. 

Pour pasta into prepared pan. Add about half of the sauce to the pan with the pasta and mix together. Add 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese and stir again. Top dish with remainder of sauce, followed by remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with dash of paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crispy on top! 

Dig in!

Dining In - Tiramisu Pancakes

Tiramisu Pancakes - Chloe's Vegan Desserts

I made these as a special surprise breakfast for my boyfriend. Pancakes are his most common choice when we go out for brunch so I was excited to test this gourmet vegan version on him. I'm not a big fan of tiramisu, but making a unique pancake flavor intrigued me. This was as easy as making regular pancakes. With a hint of rum and strong coffee flavor these were a more adult version. The added chocolate chips and whipped cream made them look even more mouthwatering and taste much sweeter. My only complaint is that they were a tad bit on the dry side, but that's where the syrup comes in! You can find the full recipe in Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here). 

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Canola oil, for cooking
Powdered sugar, for garnish
Coconut whipped cream (I used store-bought "Rice Whip" by Soyatoo! found at Whole Foods)

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt. 

Pancake Batter

In a separate small bowl, stir together water, syrup, and rum. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined but do not overmix.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet or griddle on medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto pan. You can make as many as will fit on the pan or griddle. Watch carefully and flip pancakes when you see bubbles start to form in the center. Let other side cook for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and stack pancakes on a plate. 

Serve with powdered sugar and whipped topping, with maple syrup on the side!

Dining In - Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake

Mayan Harvest Bake - Kashi

Mayan Harvest Bake - Kashi

For a busy workday I like to have a few quick vegan lunch options available and stored in the office. I've posted before about a few other frozen vegan meals that I've enjoyed, like Amy's Light & Lean Spaghetti Italiano Bowl. Here is another. This one is from Kashi, like Amy's it is less processed and though frozen, still a meal you can feel better about eating.

I tried the Mayan Harvest Bake entree which has plantains, black beans, sweet potato, kale, Kashi 7 whole grain and sesame pilaf, amaranth, polenta, spicy ancho sauce, and pepitas (pumpkin seeds). The taste is unique in a good way, sweet with a kick of spice, but the texture is a bit mushy once you mix it all together. I wish it had a bit more protein (9g.) but the fiber is there (8g.). Overall I would get it again, but only if it's on sale. At some grocery stores these cost as much as $6, and I'd rather go out and get a fresh meal that's a bit more filling instead. Glad to have the vegan option and see it's labeled though!

Kashi Vegan Entrees - Black Bean Mango & Mayan Harvest Bake

Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake - Nutrition Facts

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 - Tempeh BLT Sandwich

Vegan Tempeh BLT Sandwich

Nutrition Facts - Tempeh Bacon

While I try to limit mock meat consumption and reduce the amount of processed foods I eat, sometimes you just need a little variety and a little indulgence. It was only a couple months ago that I tried fake bacon. I had ordered a "bacon" wrap at a vegan-friendly restaurant and it was delicious, so I decided to pick up a package while shopping at Whole Foods. I got the tempeh variety because it was organic, non-GMO, and the ingredients list was a little shorter than the other soy varieties. I was surprised at the nutrition content. Seven small slices of bacon is only 130 calories, 1g of fat, and 12g of protein.

I made myself a BLT sandwich with toasted whole wheat bread sprinkled with some Daiya cheese, lettuce, tomato, and vegan mayonnaise. You can also add some avocado or use it to replace the vegan mayonnaise, both add the desired creamy texture. I've also made a BLT salad using the same ingredients, minus the bread, and it was quite satisfying.

For another out-of-this-world fake bacon recipe, try this Caramelized Onion Bacon Dip.

Vegan BLT

Dining In - Caramelized Onion "Bacon" Dip

Caramelized Onion "Bacon" Dip - This Can't Be Vegan

On special occassions like Super Bowl Sunday it can be a challenge to come up with tasty vegan appetizers and side dishes that stack up against the competition of more traditional, though less healthy wings, nachos, and creamy dips. This incredibly rich and savory dip is a perfect addition to the Game Day feast. However, it would be wrong to call this healthy, so enjoy with moderation. I recently made this for a work event and people never knew it was vegan, with bacon in the name I can see why, but it was pleasing to see the taste had them fooled! You can find the specialty vegan products for this recipe at Whole Foods. I saw this recipe in a VegNews article called "13 Most Decadent Vegan Recipes Ever." You might recall I made another recipe from the list not too long ago - The Aurora Borealis. This one comes from a site called This Can't Be Vegan (see my earlier post about a delicious dessert recipe I tried). And now for the last link.. see the full recipe here :)

2 teaspoons Earth Balance margarine
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 lb. sweet onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (I used balsamic vinegar and it worked out fine)
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (or a pinch of dried thyme will do)
1/2 cup Tofutti sour cream
1/2 cup Veganaise (or Trader Joe's Reduced Fat Mayonnaise, yup it's vegan!)
1/3 cup Daiya shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup soy bacon bits (Betty Crocker Bacos or generic Stop & Shop Brand, found with the salad dressings)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat margarine and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sugar and salt. Cover skillet and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are a golden brown, being careful not to burn them. 

Creamy Mixture for Vegan Dip

Remove onions from heat. Mix in vinegar and thyme. 

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, vegan mayonnaise, cheese, bacon bits, and pepper. Add in the onions and stir. Transfer to a small oven safe dish, that can hold about 2 cups. Sprinkle a handful of cheese, if desired.

Cook for about 20 minutes, the dip should bubble and cheese will melt. Serve with pita chips, crostinis, or other dipping vessel of your choice. 

Caramelized Onion Facon-Bacon Dip - Before the Oven

Dining Out in New Hampshire - Cafe Indigo (Part Two)

Sunday Brunch Sampler Plate - Cafe Indigo

I've posted about Cafe Indigo before, when I took home one of their mini vegan carrot cakes from the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival. Well, I finally had the chance to dine at the vegan restaurant in Concord, NH this past weekend. On the way home from a snowboarding trip my boyfriend and I took a detour, and I really mean detour. Unfortunately Cafe Indigo is not in an ideal location, it's not far from the highway, but it's hidden in an industrial-looking office park. The space itself is small, with a little storefront area for their desserts and a dining area with mismatched tables and chairs. Hopefully with the success of their baked goods they can relocate, as I can guarantee they'd get a much higher volume of visitors. 

Sunday Brunch (Vegan) Buffet - Cafe Indigo

We went for Sunday Brunch, which they only offer twice a month. It was a great deal - for $15 per person you get your choice of entree and all-you-can-eat appetizers, side dishes, and desserts (includes their well-known Carrot Cake) and coffee and tea, set up on a side table. It was a treat to have a whole spread of dishes to choose from and serve yourself - there was pea salad, coleslaw, hummus, salsa, chips, raisin bread, and a peanut noodle dish. They offer wheat-free versions of their menu options, too.

Carrot Cake, Chocolate Cake & Lemon Poppyseed Cake
- Cafe Indigo

For my meal, I ordered the Sampler Plate, because why not try it all at once. It came with cinnamon french toast, lemon rosemary potatoes, tofu scramble, a cornmeal pancake, and a homemade soy sausage patty. Overall it was very satisfying. I excitedly proclaimed, "this is the first vegan french toast I've had!" It was delicious, probably my favorite thing on the plate. My boyfriend ordered the Cornmeal Pancakes which also came with homemade vegan sausage patties and potatoes. Whenever I take my boyfriend to an all-vegan eatery I'm a little uneasy, wondering if he'll enjoy his meal or come out of it thinking "you owe me one."  He loved the cornmeal pancakes and the potatoes, but when he bit into the sausage patty he reached for his water, and then his coffee to um, wash it down. You win some, you lose some. 

Cornmeal Pancakes - Cafe Indigo

After our meal, we dragged ourselves over to the dessert case to take home some goodies. As I've mentioned before it's difficult to find vegan baked goods in Boston so I was eager to stock up. We took home a Whoopie Pie, Blueberry Muffin, Mini Donuts, and slices of the cakes from the breakfast buffet. Reasonably priced and so yummy, particularly the Whoopie Pie. The cream filling was outstanding!

Vegan Carrot Cake - Cafe Indigo

Vegan Whoopie Pie - Cafe Indigo

Vegan Blueberry Muffin - Cafe Indigo

Vegan Mini Donuts - Cafe Indigo

I was happy to read recently that Cafe Indigo got a deal with New England Whole Foods stores to sell their cakes. Later that day I happened to be grocery shopping and spotted their products on the shelves!

I'm going to be craving their desserts now, guess I just have to stop in to my nearby Whole Foods to satisfy my taste buds.

Cafe Indigo Cakes on the Shelves at Whole Foods!

Cafe Indigo

128H Hall Street 

(Corporate Office Park, Building #3)

Concord, NH 03301

Cafe Indigo Website

Dining In - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Vegan Cookie Dough Truffles - Chef Chloe

This is one of the BEST desserts I have ever made or eaten! That is a bold statement coming from someone with an intense sweet tooth. Besides the fact that these are indistinguishable from the real thing and don't come with a risk of salmonella, there is something else about them that makes them so mouthwatering...maybe it's the salty sweet combo, or the perfect bite-sized portion, or the crunchy chocolate coating. Whatever it is it doesn't matter, I just want a constant supply of them all to myself!

It seems that everyone who's tried these vegan cookie dough truffles feels the same way. For the number of times I've made these, I have never heard a single complaint, only requests for more and for the recipe. Hardly anyone can believe they are vegan. At one point I was making a batch of these every other week for various events! With the holiday season here, I'm back at it. You can find this recipe on Chef Chloe Coscarelli's website, it was posted before her cookbook was published!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ball

1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup mini dairy-free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life Brand found in the Stop & Shop Natural Foods section)
10 to 12 oz. dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (for outer coating, I use vegan chocolate chips from Whole Foods)

Line 1 large or 2 regular sized baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl use a mixer or handheld mixer to combine margarine, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and water. Add in flour slowly until well combined. Remove from mixer. 

Add in mini chocolate chips and fold in until evenly distributed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Naked Cookie Dough Balls!

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and line up on parchment-covered baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and put in freezer for 15 minutes. 

Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave. Give it a minute to cool off, without allowing it to harden. Using a spoon, coat each cookie dough ball completely with the melted chocolate and put back on baking sheet. 

Keep refrigerated until serving and store leftovers (if there are any!) in the refrigerator.

Note: The original recipe says this will make 45 balls, but I don't think I've ever made them small enough to make that many, oh well.