Eating out in the wilds of suburbia

I had one of the best vegan meals I've gotten in a chain-type restaurant tonight at California Pizza Kitchen (CPK).  Surprising, no?

CPK even has a special section (PDF here) on their website to very clearly spell out which menu items are vegan (which helps clarify things for their serving staff too, so I don't have to!)

So tonight, my mom and I (both vegan) shared a grilled veggie salad and a veggie pizza (hold the cheese). We asked for the fat-free balsamic on the salad, which made it a much healthier choice at no cost to taste.

I'm a very happy diner - thanks CPK!!

Tasting is believing

Oh my delicious dinner, how I wish you were more photogenic because you are divine.  I was mostly following yet another Happy Herbivore recipe (a sweet potato bowl) but I only had a cold sweet potato (cooked) so decided to do it as a water saute instead.  I also added onion to the mix.

Sauteed 1/4 cup water, 1 cubed cooked sweet potato, half a diced onion, black beans (from can, rinsed), and spinach for about 5 minutes, added a dash of Bragg's liquid aminos and about 2 tablespoons of Sriracha hot sauce.

And wow.  Spicy goodness balanced with the sweet from the sweet potato and given earthy goodness with the spinach and onion.

I heart Happy Herbivore and here's why! Plus, ode to the chickpea.

If you're trying to figure out how to eat a healthful vegan way and keep it simple (and affordable), may I heartily recommend checking out the Happy Herbivore, a.k.a. Lindsey Nixon.  As she says, it's all "plant-based, low-fat and easy to make."  I can TESTIFY that this is true, but she undersells the YUM part.

She has several excellent cookbooks, a blog, and a 7-day meal planning tool you can buy online.  The planners have been seriously saving my tempeh bacon, I tell you.  I just download the PDF file each week and there are all the possible meals for the week, plus a shopping list for everything I'd need to make it all.  She offers plans for individuals or families of four.  I'm sure if you are cooking for two, you could easily just double everything on the individual plan.  It's seriously logical - the day after cooking up a dish, she often includes the leftovers in the next day's lunch.  She's thought it all through for you, including giving you tips on what items can be done in a "cook ahead of time" way, which I love to do on a Sunday so that my workdays are easier.

It's got me cooking up new dishes because they don't look daunting - and then once I've mastered them, it's easy to improvise my own changes.  I'm so relieved to be getting the hang of it with Lindsey's help. Someday I hope to meet her and give her a big old hug from my skinnier healthier arms.

Today's lunch is my riff on her Fat-Free Salsa Chickpea Lettuce Wraps.  I made the chickpea and salsa mixture a day ago and the flavors have mingled nicely.  I added avocado slices and lime and snapped this before I wrapped them, since it really looked a mess once wrapped!  But TASTY and filling.

And chickpeas!!  Also called garbanzo beans, these meaty little dudes are a saving grace when I want something solid and hearty.  They hold up to cooking and don't get soggy.  If you used to like to cook chicken or fish with a particular veggie or sauce, try that on your friend the chickpea and see what happens.

When I'm feeling highly lazy, I toss rice, water, vegan soup (Amy's makes some good ones) and chickpeas in the rice cooker.  This trick also works well with frozen or fresh spinach, chickpeas, rice and marinara sauce.  Yes, you probably will get a little brown, almost burnt area right at the bottom of the pot.  Some of us think that's the tastiest of all.

And since summer hasn't quite left the building (perhaps I'm in denial), don't forget good old-fashioned three-bean salad too.  

Rabbit rabbit! It's Day One of Vegan MOFO!

September 1 says "welcome to a Vegan Month of Food (MOFO)!"  And I say back to it, "Rabbit, rabbit!"

Again I'm feeling grateful to live in under-appreciated Richmond, California (and not simply because I love both the underdog and a bargain).  Richmond may have its issues, but the local dog park (Point Isabel) is right on the bay and features a dog wash and cafe where vegans have lots of nice options.  The cafe is aptly named "Sit and Stay Cafe" and looks out over the park,  the water and, on a clear day, the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline.

Vegan choices include the "Herbivore Salad" with greens, onions, tomatoes, cukes, hummus and avocado, a red bean soup, soy lattes (made with locally roasted Catahoula Coffee), and a veggie club sandwich (just ask for no mayo).  They also have a seitan "Reuben" that can be made vegan if you ask for "no dressing, no cheese."  

I had the the veggie club while my dogs were getting a bath at the adjoining "Mudpuppies" shop.  

I love these guys - always very friendly and accommodating.  It's also great people and dog-watching territory.  I'm surprised not to see more sketchbook-wielding artists out here, since it seems like a gold mine for "free candid models"!

This week, I lost a 1/2 a pound and made some more progress on getting my house organized and de-cluttered.  I am trying to remind myself of the "rabbit and the tortoise" story and not get frustrated with this pace.  My old frame of mind was that change needed to be dramatic and brag-worthy, but I'm sure that was mostly my ego (and id??) talking.  But the truth is, the steady and slow progress is the only thing that is working, so I need to just keep on keeping on.

I was feeling a lot of self-induced pressure to have my life look a certain way by mid-September when I turn 50.  Something about this big milestone freaked me right the eff out!   Now that I'm just a couple weeks from there, I'm realizing it's all going to have to be fine if I'm not 100 pounds lighter by then since it's just not going to be reality.  As those wise friends of mine in my 12-step program say, "It's progress, not perfection!"  I really love Kelly Clark's take on that message. 

Rabbit, rabbit indeed.  Or should I say, "Tortoise, tortoise!"