Chow Vegan

Mango Gazpacho From The 30 Minute Vegan

September 27, 2009 By chow 12 Comments

Since there’s still a lot of tomatoes hanging around on this warm Autumn day, I decided to try the Live Mango Gazpacho from The 30-Minute Vegan. An interesting twist to the chilled raw vegetable soup, the mango adds a refreshing sweetness to the spiciness of the gazpacho.

As for the time, it took me 50 minutes to cut and chop up everything and I only made half of the recipe (ok, so I’m a slow cutter). And then 30 more minutes for the soup to chill.

But hey, after all that chopping, I got to kick back and enjoy a light, healthy meal without heating up the kitchen. I like how the cookbook includes a selection of live recipes. Of course, gazpacho by its nature is already raw but I’m looking forward to trying some of the other raw recipes.

Live Mango Gazpacho
Serves 4

3 cups mango, cut into small cubes (about 3 medium-size mangoes)
2 cups tomato, chopped small (about 3 medium-size tomatoes)
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped small
1 teaspoon seeded and minced jalapeño (optional)
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley

1. Mix all of the ingredients together well in a large bowl.
2. Transfer 2 cups of the mixture to a blender and blend on high speed for 20 seconds and return to the bowl. Mix, and if desired, chill for 30 minutes, otherwise serve immediately.

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Loving Hut Review

September 23, 2009 By chow 8 Comments

I stopped by Loving Hut, an organic, vegan, fast-food chain restaurant in Palo Alto. Don’t ask me why, it’s just what it’s called. It’s a little space with bright lights and a cafeteria-like ambience, where you place your order at the counter.

I got the Crumbed Sensation – deep fried yam flour pieces, served with vegan tartar sauce and a small heap of cole slaw. Not too greasy and it has a firm texture that it reminds me of fried shrimp. I thought it was great, then again most fried food taste good.

I also tried the Shepherd’s Pie. That was just ok, seemed a bit on the dry side, like it needed gravy or some sort of sauce. It had soy crumbles, eggplant, carrot and onions on the bottom with mashed potatoes on top. It came with your choice of soup or salad. I got the soup – butternut squash and navy bean. Beautiful color on the soup, but not a real strong squash taste to me. It’s more beany than squashy. At least it wasn’t overly salty like some restaurant soups.

This location has a limited menu compared to the ones in San Francisco and Milpitas. It doesn’t seem like they do much actual cooking. It’s more heat and serve or scoop into a container for to-go. Still it’s nice to have an all vegan place right there in downtown Palo Alto.

Pink Pomegranate

September 14, 2009 By chow 16 Comments

Cruising the farmer’s market this week, I spied a cluster of brilliant, light pink jewels glistening in the sunlight. They were pink pomegranate seeds!

Not only pink but they’re also sweet with a bit of a fruit punch flavor. And nowhere nearly as tart as the familiar deep red pomegranates. I had no idea there was even different varieties of pomegranates available.

Once home, I pulled on gloves and my oldest, grubbiest t-shirt to peel the pomegranates only to find I didn’t need to – it’s non-staining! As an added bonus, they’re also easier to peel.

So good and refreshing, I just ate the seeds as is and didn’t have any leftover for a salad. Now I have to wait until the end of the week to get more. If you see it, give it a try. Pomegranates are pretty tasty in pink.