Natural (Anaheim, CA)

Just a quickie before I turn in for the night!

I had the most *wonderful* opportunity to visit Anaheim this past weekend for work and gratefully traded in my umbrella for flip flops and sunglasses.

 On the morning that we left for the airport to go home, I talked M into visiting Natural, a clean little "fruiteria"-like eatery less than 5 minutes from Disneyland / Anaheim Convention Center. While I must say that that most of the eats during the trip were far more healthy than what we usually eat during trips, we *did* have a couple of guilty indulgences as well.

In fact, the reason why we visited Natural was mostly because of a heavy meal the night before!

Natural is unlike anything we have at home, or on trips - it is fresh, fruity, and can be light. Can be? Well, aside from Mexican-style fruit cups and salads, there is a delicious looking shrimp cocktail, an interesting corn cup, and fresca con crema (strawberries with cream|) that intices other indulgences.

On this particular occasion, we ordered a bionicos, a mixture of watermelon, cantaloupe, succulent papaya, apple slices, banana chunks, sweet strawberries, coconut, and pineapple. The fruit salad was topped with honey-sweetened yogurt, raisins, and a sprinkle of granola. This totally hit the spot as we had a huge meal the night before (more on that later?) and were in a hurry to get to the airport.

As Natural offers fruit, salads, smoothies and other fresh dishes, the menu can be customized to become vegan friendly (minus any honey & dairy products), or be served vegetarian as is.

Since I've been told that this particular business trip would become an annual homage, I'm looking forward to visiting Natural again and trying their other offerings!

Modified Gomaae (Cold Spinach Salad)

A couple weeks ago (has it been that long?! I was supposed to post this up the following week!) I posted about my lunchtime inari. Inari is a fried sweet bean curd that is cooked in noodles, salads, and also split open partway and stuffed. On that one occasion, I stuffed the inari with seasoned brown rice, then a variety of toppings, including a kimpura endive and gomaae which I had modified by utilizing what I had on hand, cashew butter in place of tahini / sesame paste.

I don't usually order gomaae in restaurants since it is so overpriced, and almost always, it is some sort of fail - too small a portion, too little sauce, too much sauce, sauce is bland, sauce is watery, or spinach is too leggy.

Being that is so simple to prepare and customize, I've been known to go through Costco sized bags of baby spinach in a week, just eating gomaae. Its been so true that I've had to manage my Costco shopping trips so that I don't OD on vitamin A, vitamin K, or iron. (You laugh, but it is true. Vitamins A and K are fat soluble, meaning they, along with iron can acccumulate in your fat stores and, in high enough concentrations, cause toxicity issues. Spinach also contains oxalates, which bind calcium. This can contribute to kidney stones. Thus the Asian belief that spinach shouldn't be eaten with tofu; however this is only partly true - tofu does not contain considerable amount of calcium unless calcium sulfate is used in its production; GDL or other coagulating agents are used in different methods.

Try to use baby spinach; otherwise, trim the stems off of older spinach leaves, as it will affect the texture of the final product.

Ingredients
1 bunch spinach, washed thoroughly and trimmed, or 6 handfuls of prepackaged baby spinach
2 t cashew butter
1 t water
1/2 - 1 t sugar
salt to taste
1-2 drops sesame oil
1 t sesame seeds

Method
Bring to a boil a large pot of generously salted water. Blanch prepared spinach 1 minute; quickly drain and rinse with cold water.

Prepare dressing - blitz cashew butter, water, sugar, salt and sesame oil in a small food processor or magic bullet until combined. Adjust with cashew butter or water to desired consistency (depends on your brand of cashew butter).

Squeeze water out of cooked spinach. If you used a bunch of spinach (instead of baby spinach), you may want to roughly chop the squeezed spinach. Arrange in dish or on a plate and pour a teaspoon or so of dressing over top. Garnish with sesame seeds. Makes about two servings, although I have been known to down two recipes in one night...

Simple, isn't it?! You can adjust the seasonings, using tahini instead, adding soy sauce or tamari instead of the salt, or adding other flavourings, but I like it in its simple form the best. The dressing is also nice on other steamed or raw vegetables like cherry tomatoes, celery, carrots, and bell peppers.

Recipe: Butternut Squash & Romano Bean Soup

If you've been following my twitter, you may have noticed that I declared a temporary meat ban last week. While I haven't been 100% successful (from fistfuls of ham when M was making pea soup last week to dinner with the family this weekend to AYCE Thai lunch with Karl, Sherman, and Kim), the rewards have been generous. I *swear* I can see a change in my complexion, and I feel healthier. I'm also looking to get back into jogging (goal is a half marathon later this year, but please don't hold me to that).

Thankfully, I'd like to say that I truely enjoy my share of vegetables. I was probably one of the only ten year olds that counted broccoli and cauliflower amongst my favourite foods. Today they still are, along with a variety of squashes, beets, mushrooms, eggplant and kale. Here's a hearty but healthy butternut squash and romano bean soup that I whipped up last week to comfort against the cold weather. I pureed a portion of the soup after it was done to thicken it up. The bean and squash texturize the soup very well - you don't miss meat or cream here!

Ingredients
1/2 small onion, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
~2 t vegetable oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 t ground cumin
3/4 t ground coriander
Salt & pepper to taste
1 butternut squash peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes
1 - 16 oz romano beans
Water to cover

Method
In a large saucepan, over medium to medium-low heat, saute the onion, celery, and carrot until the onion is translucent and fragrant (about eight minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Do not brown.

Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add the squash; stir and cook 1-2 minutes more. Season again.

Add romano beans and add water to just cover vegetables. Simmer on medium low for 20-30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Remove half (or more, your preference) of the soup into a blender or food processor. Pulse until texture is uniform. Return to pot and simmer on medium low until desired consistency is obtained.

I garnished my soup with a sprinkle of dukkah and some rice milk drizzled over top. With the sweetness of the squash and bean, and the savoury spices, I really enjoyed it. It was a *little* reminicent of the infamous squash at East is East, but in a good way. :) It made for a nice vegan / vegetarian lunch the next day too.

I haven't pinned it down to what exactly I'm trying to accomplish with the meat detox. If anything, just to be healthier and lessen the amount of antibiotics / drugs / crap in my body. So far, it hasn't been hard. But dining out is pretty tricky. Stay tuned for more.

Vegan Recipes for the Bake Sale for Chile!

Just a reminder that the (Vegan) Bake Sale for Chile takes place tonight! 6:30pm to 10pm, at the Radha Yoga & Eatery on 728 Main Street. Here are my two contenders for the event. It is not my first time baking vegan (previous work experience allowed me the expense of learning to substitute certain ingredients for healthier or more ethical options!).

What is vegan? Vegan is a lifestyle that, for health, religious, or ethical reasons, does not utilize or consume any animal-based, or animal-derived products. That is, no meat or use of products like eggs, dairy milk, honey, nor gelatin. The vegan lifestyle also shuns products like leather, silk, or wool, or even other textiles and products that may be be animal derived.

When I was younger, I used to order home-delivered produce through an organization called Urban Organics. It was a company based in Vancouver who would "surprise" you with a weekly delivery of fresh local produce - sadly, I cannot find them on the web. I believe they were bought out by SPUD?

Along with the weekly delivery came a newsletter with recipes and other tidbits of information, and (once) a book by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer titled, "How It All Vegan!". It is a *really* great vegan resource, and as I worked on different projects and looked for healthy recipes, I turned to it time and time again! My favourite recipe is one that includes rice, beans, and zucchini (SO perfect for a winter night!) It is a wonderful stepping stone if you are looking to transition to veganism, as there tips for vegan substitutions for milk and eggs, and a whole section on other consumables such as beauty and pet products.

While I am not vegan, and not even vegetarian, I can appreciate vegans who make the lifestyle choices to avoid consuming any animal products. And vegans who join together to contribute to a charitable cause like relieving Chilean earthquake victims? Even better!

Here are my two contributions to the night: mini babingka cakes, and brownies.

If you've been following my twitter, you'd have seen that I'm erring on the side of using rice milk exclusively, with only skim milk for a "backup". The beauty of having rice / almond / soy / potato milk in the pantry is that it (aside from tasting yummy!) has a long shelf life. The only dairy milk substitute that I *cannot* stomache is hemp milk. Yes, I know we live in BC and I know it is probably one of the healthiest, "whole" food alternatives, but had too much of it at one time and can not drink it anymore. *shudder*

I used a combination of rice milk, coconut milk, and tofu in this babingka recipe to substitute out the butter, egg, and milk that is sometimes used in this Filipino dessert. I also utilized rice flour to make this product gluten-free; while this affects the texture of the finished product (short texture feeling), it pairs nicely with the coconut. I am pretty pleased with the results as the cakes were moist and had a nice coconut flavour.

Ingredients (makes about 24 mini cakes
1 c white rice flour
1/2 c organic cane juice solids
2 t baking powder
1 c coconut milk
1/4 c tofu (I've used original dessert tofu, although a coconut dessert tofu and a mango-peach flavoured dessert tofu were wonderful substitutions as well!)
1/4 c rice milk

Method
Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a medium bowl, sift together the white rice flour, cane juice solids, and baking powder.

In a separate bowl, mash tofu, or blend until no large chunks remain. Mix or blend in the coconut and rice milks.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and mix in the wet ingredients until just mixed. Pour into paper-lined mini muffin tin and bake 12-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cake comes out clean.

You may cool and serve as is, or you may sprinkle with additional cane juice solids and broil or brulee with a blow torch until the cane sugar caramelizes.

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The brownies came out a little drier than I had hoped. Next time I'd bake it in a smaller pan for shorter amount of time, and also add some extra chocolate chips for flavour.

Ingredients
2 c all purpose flour
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 ripe banana
2/3 c organic cane sugar
1 c rice milk
2/3 c vegetable oil
1 t vanilla

Method
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl, mash banana together with the cane sugar. Beat in vanilla, rice milk, and vegetable oil.

Spread into a greased (I greased with vegetable oil) 9x3" pan (I would use an 8x8" or 9x9" pan next time!). Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Cool and cut with a serrated knife.

This was a well-organized event with many volunteers in a great venue. Radha Yoga and Eatery serves vegan (many raw options) fare four nights a week. All baked goods were vegan and were paid for in donations. About $1500 was raised, and will be matched by a corporate sponsor!

Food Bloggers Dinner: East is East (Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC)

What do you get when ~20-odd Vancouver Food Bloggers converge on a Kitsilano eatery? A whole lot of (light)flashes, a load of DSLRs, a handful of P&S cameras, and a busy dishwasher!


The first large food bloggers dinner of 2010, organized graciously by Sherman of Sherman's Food Adventures took place about a week ago at East is East on Broadway. There is another location on Main Street, but during the planning stages of the dinner, the Main Street location was deemed to be too cozy for the large group.

East is East features lives entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays and serves Middle-Eastern inspired cuisine that traces the silk road.

We arrived a couple minutes early and introduced ourselves to Victoria of Victoria's Food Secrets. I recognized her from her picture on her site, so it was very nice to meet her in person! We also bumped into Kevin (604foodtography), Wilson (La Petite Vancouver), Jenny (My Secret Eden) and Ricky. We had met Wilson, Kevin and Jenny previously at Brave Bull's, Alvin Garden, or the Long Table Series at the Irish Heather. While we were waiting to be seated, we were served some complimentary chai.

A couple minutes later, we were ushered out the door and to the adjoining dining area where Sherman was already waiting. Yes, in addition to the upstairs seating area where the weekend buffet is served, there is another dining area next door. Now that I look at the website, East is East seems to have divided their Kitsilano location into three separate entities: Silk n' Spice, Chai Gallery, and East is East. This would explain the three dining areas!

About the Chai... You know how you can only make one first impression? East is East does it right by serving you piping-hot, spicy chai full of ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon notes that makes a lasting impression. Being that it is complimentary is a bonus, and the potent brew is served in a justly-sized espresso cup. The shots of flavour and spice introduce you to the euphoria that is East is East.

We sat down at a wooden table and were joined shortly by Jonathan and his brother, blogger (and guest blogger!) of foodandtell.com. Let's just say that the seating at East is East is low and intimate. On one hand, that may be preferable for a romantic dinner date. On the other hand, it makes it a little awkward if you are sitting and dining at a coffee table in a larger party.

While we chatted about the Olympics (can you believe it is less than two weeks away??!) and Jonathan looked half scared, half amused when I mentioned that sleeping cots were on sale, Kim (I'm Only Here for the Food!) and Anita (Petite Foodie) arrived. Since space was at a premium, Kim snagged a spot at an adjoining table, While Anita (and her brand new Canon T1i!) joined our table.

An order was placed and food appeared at a quick pace - as we wanted to sample a little bit of everything, our entire table (save for Anita) ordered the Eastern Plate, which came with your choice of two items, as well as salad, Dhal / pea soup, roti (one stuffed with sauteed onions, one plain), Afghan and coconut rice, and a onion pickle.

The great part (for M, anyways), was that the portions of the two choice "mains" were unlimited - thus we sampled portions of the lamb kebab, chicken masala, beef kebab, afghan eggplant, alu gobi, and the mango butter squash.

Overall result? We loved it! M was particularly fond of the chicken masala and the lamb kebab. The chicken was tender and flavourful, and the lamb was flavoured with mediterranean / Moroccan herbs. As for me, I was impressed with everything, but *really* loved the Afghan eggplant, alu gobi (cauliflower & potato dish) and the beef kebab.

I was predominantly taken with the vegetable dishes that East is East prepared. The alu gobi blew me away. I think my tablemates can attest to this - I got quite quiet as I slowly savoured my portion of alu gobi! I love cauliflower and potatoes in all shapes and forms, but this stewed cauliflower potato dish not only had a smooth, buttery flavour, but also texture. In a cuisine that offers overcooked, soggy vegetables, you could tell the vegetables from each other at East is East!

The eggplant, braised with a bit of chili for heat and sundried tomatoes was enjoyed by three of us at our table, and the mushrooms stewed with the beef kebabs took center stage for that dish. As an aside, the dhal / lentil soup which accompanies each Eastern plate is delicious and rich as well. It's been a long time since I've had a tasty fiber-rich food.

The miss of the evening would have to be the mango butter squash. I'd been forewarned about the texture of this dish to be similar to baby food, but I wasn't prepared for the puree that appeared from the kitchen, nor was I prepared for the sweet / tangy / savoury flavour of it either. I don't know, maybe I just didn't get it? I thought there would be *some butternut squash chunks in there, or that the flavour would be more "rich butternut squash" instead of tangy mango. The good thing is that if you go to East is East with your grandpa or your friends with a baby, there'd be something for them on the menu. ;)

The price of this feast? A mere $20. M and I agreed that we were relieved that East is East wasn't closer - we would be quite round thanks to their $20 Eastern plate. We would return to East is East, and have already recommended the restaurant to Ms' brother has his son is a pint-sized veggie monster. Yes, you put some vegetables or fruit in front of him, it will disappear...

I'd also recommend East is East to vegans or vegetarians, or someone looking to get out of the typical Chinese / Japanese / Indian that Vancouver has to offer. East is East is decidedly Kitsilano, if anything, and their menu has lots of options for carnivores, omnivores, or herbivores alike!

After dinner some folks left, but mostly everyone stuck around for a while to chat and mingle. It was nice to see some old faces, but a lot of new faces as well! I was really excited to see Angie (Sea Salt with Food) there - her site is *full* of gorgeous photography and recipes. Surprised, as well to see B, Joyces' boyfriend there. It goes to show how small Vancouver really is, as he used to live behind my parents, and graduated with my cousin dearest. Of course, recognizing him was one of those classic Jessica "foot in mouth" moments!

It was a great meal as we'd been meaning to try East is East for a long time. Thank you to Sherman for organizing the dinner and notifying us about it. Another aside, it was sure interesting to see how small Vancouver is, even through the food blog scene. I'm sure there's a lot more connections that we'll only begin to unravel as time goes on!



East is East
3243 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6K
P: 604-734-5881




Bloggers in attendance:
Sherman : Sherman's Food Adventures : Post is up!
Joyce & Frank : Van Foodies
Tiffanie : [eating club] Vancouver
Victoria : Victoria's Food Secrets : Post is up!
Darina : Gratinee
Kim : I'm Only Here for the Food! : Post is up!
Kevin : 604Foodtography
Anita : Petite Foodie
Jenny & Ricky : My Secret Eden
Jonathan : Food & Tell
Angie : Sea Salt with Food : Post is up! (With a fantastic pineapple tart recipe and video!)
Wilson : La Petite Vancouver
Mijune : Follow Me Foodie: Post is up!
Melody : Gourmet Fury

Recipe: Simply Sunny Fruit Salad

It is a week of sunshine like this, with the cherry blossoms blooming and clear blue skies that make Vancouver such a likeable city.

The sun also made me indulge in a bunch of fresh fruit and melon - perfect for snacking on, or an accompaniment to a healthy lunch!



Feel free to incorporate any of your favourite fruits!

Ingredients
1 baby watermelon, diced
4 small organic kiwis, peeled & diced
2 Alphonso (Philipine) mangoes, peeled & diced
1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced

Method
Mix all ingredients together gently. Enjoy within 2-3 days!

I've been eating this all week - the tart kiwis with the fragrant mangoes and the sweet pineapple *all* go so well together!

Recipe: Zucchini and Carrot Pappardelle with Parsley Sauce

Sunny days call for sunny recipes! . . .too bad this is being posted a day late. Vancouver had a sunny weekend that extended two days into the work week. Unfortunately, this morning it gradually clouded over.

Although, while it was sunny, I had the chance to whip out the pasta machine again and made a batch of pappardelle, a thin, wide ribbon pasta accompanied by equally wide ribbons of tender zucchini and carrots that were sliced thin on my handy mandoline.



I brought the veggies and fresh pasta together with a fresh (and raw!)parsley sauce blended together in my handy magic bullet (this entry should be a kitchen gadget entry!).

Ingredients

2 small zucchinis, trimmed and sliced with a mandoline to 1/8" (~0.3cm) thick
2 small carrots, peeled, trimmed and sliced with a mandoline to 1/8" (~0.3cm) thick
1 pasta dough recipe

1 bunch parsley
1/4 cup piave vecchio, parmesan, romano, or other hard cheese
Juice of half a lemon
5 cloves of roasted garlic
3 T olive oil
2-3 T hazelnuts or pepitas
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup water

Method

Divide the pasta dough recipe into three portions. Roll each portion out with the pasta machine. Start with the lowest setting, run the dough through once, fold the dough into thirds, run through the machine again, and repeat.

Increase the thickness setting and run the dough through the machine; dust lightly with flour if necessary, and run through twice more. Repeat this step with all the thickness settings until you get to setting 6. Dust the pasta strip with more flour, fold or roll loosely into a bundle, and cut into approximately 3/4" (~2cm) strips. Dust with more flour, and hang on suspended wooden spoon handles to dry slightly while you roll out the rest of the dough.

For the sauce, blend together the last 7 ingredients together in a blender, food processor, or magic bullet. Taste for seasoning; add more cheese, salt or pepper to taste. Set sauce aside.

Slice the vegetables with a mandoline to about 1/8" (~0.3cm) thick. Slice the strips lengthwise in half if necessary.

Bring a large stockpot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Quickly blanch the vegetable strips for 30-60 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to an ice bath. Drain and reserve in a large bowl for later.

In the same large stock pot, bring the water back to a rolling boil. Drop in the dried pappardelle and stir to loosen and separate the strands. Cook for 5-8 minutes, or until desired doneness. Remove with tongs or a pasta fork to bowl of blanched vegetable strips.

Add parsley sauce to pasta and veggies, toss lightly, and serve!

Be sure to enjoy in the sun. :) It makes all the difference in the world!