Chow Vegan

Why am I drinking a root beer float in November? Because it was a nice balmy 85 degrees here a couple of weeks ago!

And in the freezer, I recently got in pints of the new Purely Decadent coconut milk ice cream straight from the manufacturer just waiting to be sampled. I decided on “Vanilla Bean” for the first taste test - the most basic of all ice cream flavors.

From the very first bite, it’s amazing. So smooth and creamy with a hint of coconut. So soft and rich. It’s everything ice cream should be and more - vegan, soy-free and dairy-free. The only downside is if you don’t care much for coconut, then you’re out of luck.

After that first taste, I just had to make a root beer float. Making one couldn’t be simpler - scooping coconut milk ice cream is much easier than soy-based ice cream. It doesn’t seem to freeze into such a hard block; it’s so much softer.

Starting with a bit of root beer in the glass, add the ice cream next. Then slowly pour root beer over the ice cream, be careful not to let the foam spill over the top of the glass.

For a nice frosty mug, run water over the glass and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Make sure it’s a glass mug, otherwise it could crack and then it’ll be no root beer float for you.

It seems a little odd, being a vegan and all, that I only like beans okay. And that’s a very apathetic okay. Yes, I know it’s an excellent source of protein and fiber, blah, blah, blah. What can I say, there’s no accounting for taste.

On the few occasions that I willingly eat beans, it’s usually in the form of chili. Since I’m no lover of beans, I’m not going to even bother to actually cook any. So if I’m going to be having some, it’s going to have to be canned.

On top of fries.

I like to go with Amy’s Organic Spicy Chili. It’s perfect. Just heat and serve. It’s got good flavor, along with the red beans, there’s lots of tiny bits of tofu and a nice spicy kick. It’s a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, fill-you-up type of chili.

Scooped on top of freshly baked fries, I have no problem at all getting that to go down.

Baking your own fries is pretty easy too. It’s very similar to the Spicy Baked Potato Chips but instead of rounds, cut the potato into 1/4″ to 1/2″ fries and season with just salt. Add olive oil and baked until desired crispiness (a thinner fry will take less time to cook than a thicker one).

This is what I’ll be handing out to the little kiddies for Halloween. Yummy granola.

Somehow I managed to snag one of the free Bear Naked Halloween kits which includes 30 sample packs of their fruit and nut granola, a reusable grocery bag to put them in to hand out, a Halloween edition Bear Naked t-shirt and a big sticker.

I’m thrilled to be able to offer a healthier treat than candy. Although they’re not vegan because it has honey, it’s still a very tasty, natural alternative. If you like to try it yourself, you can get your own free sample from Bear Naked.

Since I still have a bit of lunchbox fondue left over from my last post, I thought it might go well with ravioli. Someday I would like to try to make ravioli from scratch.

But not today.

Today, I need something kinda quick so I’m pulling out of the freezer a package of Rising Moon Organics Butternut Squash Ravioli. It’s vegan, organic and tasty.

They also have quite a few other vegan ravioli options, so far I like the butternut squash the best. It tastes like a cross between pumpkin and sweet potato.

Cook according to the package directions. Toss the pillowy ravioli with a little vegan butter or olive oil, (basically so the raviolis don’t stick to themselves in a big clump), then serve on a bed of sautéed baby spinach, surrounded by the cheesy fondue sauce. Top with a few basil leaves, and voilà, dinner is served.

I love fondue. It’s one of those super fun things to eat, what with all that stabbing and dipping with extra long forks. And fire too. Well, a little tea light flame but it’s still fire.

I first saw the recipe for vegan fondue on Jennifer McCann’s Vegan Lunch Box, probably one of the first food blogs I started reading way back when. I was amazed and impressed at the innovation and thoughtfulness that went into those lunches.

Her cookbook Vegan Lunch Box: 130 Amazing, Animal-Free Lunches Kids and Grown-Ups Will Love! was released recently, which I received a copy from the publisher. It’s packed full of recipes and tips, useful not just for lunch but for any meal or snack.

Take the lunchbox fondue recipe for example - Jennifer packed it in a thermos for her son’s lunch, that in itself is such an inspired idea. But you can also serve it in a small crockpot or fondue pot. I used a fancy butter warmer alongside bread and roasted vegetables including red potatoes, carrots and shiitake mushrooms. So simple and easy to make and so cheesy and creamy to eat.

I’m so looking forward to trying many more recipes from the cookbook and maybe a few bento style lunches too.

I’ve been enjoying various snack foods while watching the Beijing Olympics, one of which is Dandy’s Onion-Garlic Flavored Chips. They’re similar to the shrimp chips that are served with some Chinese dishes but without the shrimp flavor.

When I was a kid, my mom used to get shrimp chips as a box of colorful, dehydrated, semi-transparent hard pieces. When fried, the pieces get bigger and all puffed up. Dandy’s chips come right out of the bag already puffed.

The onion-garlic flavored chips are available at the Asian grocery store, but in the Asian section of some regular supermarkets I’ve only seen the shrimp flavored ones. The company is based right here in the San Francisco Bay Area, which I did not know. Fancy that, a local company.

Another broiling heat wave to start off the work week and no cool down in sight until the weekend. Luckily, I have ice cream sandwiches to cool and comfort me. For an extra special treat, fancy it up with a fresh cherry sauce and a sprinkle of crushed pecans.

I wish I could say I made the ice cream sandwiches myself but I didn’t. I’m not doing any more than I have to in this heat. And there’s no reason to, not when there’s So Delicious ice cream sandwiches in the freezer.

They’re produced by the same people who make the Purely Decadent ice cream pints. By far, the best, non-dairy vegan ice cream I’ve tried to date and I’ve tried a lot of them.

A childhood favorite, the ice cream sandwiches are exactly as I remember them. Smooth and creamy with just the right mouth-feel, if you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t believe it’s non-dairy.

Sometimes when I travel, I bring along ramen bowls as another backup option. Not on a plane because that would too much of a hassle, but in the car, I can have a couple of bowls rolling around in the back without too much trouble.

They’re good to have for those lunches or dinners where vegan food was scarce and I find I’m still hungry when I get back to my room. I used the in-room coffee maker to heat up the water for the ramen.

I get them from the Asian grocery store, the Kung-fu brand was $.99 each. My favorite brand was Doll, but I haven’t seen it at the store for a long time. I’ve noticed there’s less vegetarian/vegan flavors as well.

They come with the oil and seasonings/veggies in separate packets. It’s nice to be able to control how much of each to include, I usually use just 1/3 of the oil and maybe 2/3 of the seasonings.

They taste ok, like a typical instant ramen bowl, maybe a step up. I like the seaweed and tiny bits of cabbage. Since I control the oil and seasonings, it’s not too oily or salty. It’s good enough for a quick meal on the road when I’m starving, but nothing beats homemade. I’m glad to be back in my own kitchen.