Monthly Archives: July 2010

07/31/10

Asian Summer Vegetable Tofu Scramble

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1 small summer squash
2 small banana peppers
handful of cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 package of crumbled tofu
1/4 fresh lemon

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper as needed
3-4 cloves of fresh minced garlic

low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of ginger (ground)
pinch of sugar

1. Start with ½ package of tofu. Cut in half and remove excess water. Put a
few tablespoons of olive oil into a pan and cook crumbled tofu until slightly brown.
Periodically sprinkle in salt and pepper. Remove tofu and set aside.

2. Sauté chopped summer squash, banana peppers and cherry tomatoes with
fresh minced garlic. Add crumbled tofu. Squeeze ¼ fresh lemon into mixture and
sauté for a few more minutes.

3. Add ginger, soy sauce, a small amount of rice wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar.
Mix and sauté for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

07/31/10

Poladroid Project

Is there anyone who doesn’t miss Polaroids? I just discovered this free software that can Polaroid-ify your photos. You simply drag and drop your photo onto the Polaroid camera icon, it “snaps the photo,” wait a few minutes and the image is ready! You can even add extra dirt and scratches to the picture!

Check out my images from Mas Tacos:

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Farewell, Saturday chores…

Here’s the website where you can download the software and let the fun begin!

Poladroid Project

07/29/10

Mas Tacos Por Favor – Nashville, TN

Mas Tacos Por Favor
732 Mcferrin Avenue
Nashville, TN
http://twitter.com/mastacos

Everyone is talking about Mas Tacos and I am included.

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Nashville’s infamous taco truck opened up a shop on McFerrin Avenue on Tuesday. I was initially overjoyed about the opening because of the extended (and permanent) hours for devouring delectable tacos. For many months I have obsessively checked twitter waiting for a hint that she might be out serving her sinful recipe of fresh and addicting food. I have lamented, ached and suffered symptoms of real withdrawal during the weeks she carelessly wrote “see y’all next week!”

Once, I visited the store, I was excited for much more.

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I love the decor. It’s an intimate, rustic room with far too many lovely vignettes to take in at once. From the mismatched chairs huddled around small round tables, cacti placed sporadically throughout, kitschy Mexican art, and bright colors – it’s a unique and hip space. And songs on the jukebox are free! Best of all, my favorite quinoa and horchata lunch combination is available in about 1/4 of the wait time.

Go often.

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07/29/10

Tomato Mozzarella Salad

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1 heirloom tomato from Avalon Acres CSA
1 handful of fresh picked basil leaves from backyard
2-3 ounces organic mozzarella
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
2-3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 pinch of salt & pepper

Perfect late lunch Saturday afternoon.

07/25/10

Field of Green’s – Houston, TX

Field of Green’s Healthy Cuisine
2320 W. Alabama
Houston, TX 77098
Phone: (713) 533-0029
http://www.fieldofgreenscuisine.com/index.html

When I pulled into the parking lot and saw the large sign reading “Field of Green’s” I was afraid that I had made a grave mistake. Surely a place that paid such close attention to organic and vegan ingredients would also be aware of basic spelling and grammar. I was relieved to quickly the learn the full name was actually “Field of Green’s Healthy Cuisine.”

This place is tiny; it’s a very bare-bones restaurant located in a strip center near Whole Foods. The ambiance is very simple, but the service is super friendly and the music was hip. The crowd appeared to be younger, but I’d bet the location attracts a variety of ages.

The menu offered a good variety and considered fish eating vegetarians by offering salmon in some dishes. I had so much trouble deciding from all the options, I had to ask my server for a suggestion. I finally settled on the VEGAN FISH TACO PLATTER. The dish consisted of grilled seaweed soy fish, pico, lettuce and lemon dill in a whole wheat tortilla. It also came with a small salad. This meal cost $11.

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I should have read the menu a little more carefully before ordering. I was imagining soft tacos for this plate, so was slightly disappointed. I’ve since realized that I don’t care for soy fish of any kind. Despite these two oversights, I could taste that the ingredients were fresh and I ate half the meal. It wasn’t bad, but I’d definitely order differently next time. I only wish that I had the opportunity to give this restaurant a second chance. I can tell this is a staple of the Houston vegetarian scene.

Field of Greens on Urbanspoon

07/25/10

Bless Your Heart – Lubbock, TX

Bless Your Heart
3701 19th Street
Lubbock, TX 79410-1204
(806) 791-2211
http://blessyourheartlubbock.com/

When I initially learned I was going to Lubbock, I worried about what I would eat. I had been to the city once before and couldn’t remember any healthy options. After a quick search on Yelp, I realized my perception of this sleepy West Texas town was only half correct.

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Bless Your Heart opened in Lubbock in 1989 and was one of the first to offer healthy dining options. It’s lighter meals – soups, sandwiches and salads featuring fresh fruit and vegetables. Everything on the menu is low fat. The atmosphere is casual and the service is friendly.

I tried a simple meal – a bowl of vegetable soup, slice of fresh baked wheat bread and unsweetened green tea. It was light, refreshing and less than $5. It was the perfect lunch.

Bless Your Heart Restaurant on Urbanspoon

07/18/10

Cafe Gratitude – Berkeley, CA

Cafe Gratitude
1730 Shattuck Ave (@ Virginia)
Berkeley, CA 94709
Phone: (510) 725-4418
Hours: 10 am to 10 pm
http://www.cafegratitude.com/

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To the average diner, the attitude of this restaurant might seem a little intimidating. The concept began with a couple who challenged one another to “live their lives together following and trusting intuition.” Their commitment inspired the development of the Abounding River Game. It’s an interactive game to share with a partner based around what they believed were important qualities to aspire to: Love & Acceptance, Generosity, Worth, Gratitude, and Creation or Responsibility. Cafe Gratitude was created initially as a meeting place for others to play this game.

Then, one of the owners stumbled upon a book about live foods and they experimented with this lifestyle for a month. They felt so good, they decided to create a menu for the cafe. Most of the food at this restaurant is organic, raw and vegan.

Sound like a lot to take in? I thought so, too, but once I arrived with my family my skepticism subsided. The Berkeley location isn’t large. Most of the tables were full on a Saturday for a late lunch. We were offered a cozy area with two couches and large coffee table connecting the space. Overall, the ambiance is calm, even soothing and casual.

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We started with the I AM ABUNDANT sampler plate. For $16, you’ll receive sprouted almond hummus, Asian kale-sea vegetable salad, hempseed pesto crustini, spicy cashew nacho cheese w/ flax chips, olive tapenade, buckwheat crackers, spring roll & mini house soup served on a large plate for sharing. These items taste great paired together. I especially liked the house soup and almond hummus.

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For my entree, I tried I AM WHOLE. This macrobiotic bowl contained shredded kale, sea vegetables, house made kim chee, sprouts, teriyaki almonds, quinoa, brown rice and a garlic-tahini sauce. I strongly recommend the 1/2 order ($10). Despite my best efforts, I was unable to finish. I felt satisfied, but not like I had overeaten.

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I AM RAPTURE completed our meal, with a scoop of creamy vanilla nut-milk ice cream. It was extremely had to believe this chocolate layer cake was vegan or raw. Bravo!

Without experiencing this place, the concept seems easy to ridicule, however, I encourage skeptics to open their mind and try it. The food is delicious and you’ll experience of the best feel-good meals you’ve had in a long time.

Cafe Gratitude on Urbanspoon

07/17/10

Greens – San Francisco, CA

Greens
Fort Mason, Building A
San Francisco, CA 94123
415.771.6222
http://www.greensrestaurant.com/

Greens is located in a converted warehouse on the grounds of Fort Mason. The warehouse also houses a variety of other cultural and non-profit environmentally friendly organizations. The Greens space is ideal for a dining room. The main wall is floor to ceiling windows and offers amazing views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Even if the area is surrounded by fog, the ambiance is airy and art filled.

After Millennium, the bar had been set pretty high, but I read a number a positive reviews of the Mediterranean, Mexico and the American Southwest influenced foods of Greens and insisted we give it a try.

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From the recommendation of our server, I opted for their signature dish, MESQUITE GRILLED BROCHETTES. This dish contains mushrooms, yellow finn potatoes, peppers, red onions, yams, sweet corn, fennel and Hodo Soy tofu with charmoula and cherry almond quinoa. My favorite of the skewered items were the tofu and sweet corn. Everything was seasonal, fresh, expertly marinated and grilled. The quinoa was the perfect pairing. This meal could have easily fed two guests and was fairly priced at $21. I would reorder this every time I came to this restaurant.

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Greens has been favorably reviewed by many top vegetarian food experts. I have hardly “discovered” something new, but if you ever stop through the Bay Area, Greens is a must.

Greens on Urbanspoon

07/8/10

Pasta Substitutes?

First, I discovered the Summer Tomato video blog about summer squash noodles. Then, I found the cucumber noodle recipe on the kitchn and Gourmet. Since cucumbers have been so abundant lately, I decided tonight was a great opportunity to try one of these. The cucumber noodle recipe, featured on Gourmet, seemed simple enough.

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I began enthusiastically peeling the skin off the cucumber and then slowly peeling “noodles” into a pan. Next, I blanched them in boiling water for one minute, drained in a colander and immersed them in a bowl of ice water for two minutes. I drained them again and dried off with paper towels. Then, I created a light sauce with margarine, spearmint, lemon, salt and pepper. I sauteed the “noodles” just until they were warm and coated with the sauce.

Here’s where I cheated:

1. I had no fresh lemons, so no lemon zest.
2. I foolishly grew spearmint in my garden this year, so I used that instead of regular mint.
3. I used margarine instead of butter.
4. I didn’t have the special equipment (adjustable-blade slicer with 1/4-inch julienne blade), just a normal peeler.

But, behold:

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Looks delicious, right? I lovingly photographed the finished product with visions of serving it again as a unique (and popular) side dish at future dinner parties. I couldn’t believe I had found a diet-friendly pasta alternative! I was pretty proud of myself until I tasted them…

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I choked it down and wiped away a single tear. Was it the half-hearted attempt at this easy recipe that led to its demise? A tiny seed wedged in a thin crack in the sidewalk, never to receive proper water and light?

Alas! The idea was too good to be true. My Italian taste buds rejected this pasta impostor almost immediately with a self-satisfied smirk. On the bright side, I can think of endless decorative uses for these cucumber “ribbons” for the future.