Chow Vegan

Beanfields Bean and Rice Chips

October 21, 2015 By chow 2 Comments

Beanfields Bean and Rice Chips Ranch Flavor

Chips has always been a major weakness for me. For awhile, I was doing so well, mostly by avoiding the chip aisle at the store. Then one fateful day, I absentmindedly took a shortcut through said aisle only to come eye-level with Beanfields Bean and Rice Chips. Ranch flavor. And they’re vegan.

Oh dear. I was tempted and now addicted.

At first bite, I was indecisive over whether or not I like these chips. A couple more bites later and I definitely like them. The flavor is very ranch-like but the chip itself seems thinner than the ranch tortilla chips that I remember pre-vegan. That’s not actually a quibble, it’s more of an observation.

Beanfields Bean and Rice Chips Ranch Flavor

Like regular potato chips, it’s very easy to eat the whole bag in one go (not that I’m saying I did that). The bag is not that big (who am I kidding?). I thought about making a dip for the chips but before I knew it, the chips were all gone (now you know). I don’t feel too guilty about it though, the chips are made from a blend of black and navy beans and long grain rice. They’re gluten-free, corn-free, sugar-free and non-GMO.

Beanfields Bean and Rice Chips Nacho Flavor

And just to torment me further, there’s also a nacho flavor of the Beanfields Bean and Rice Chips. While the taste is reminiscent of a nacho chip, it doesn’t actually taste like one of those bright neon orange tortilla chips. Which I’m kinda glad it doesn’t, the Beanfields Bean and Rice Chips are good in their own tasty, alright-so-I-ate-the-whole-bag-myself kind of way.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon links, I get a few coins tossed my way if you click on any of the links and make a purchase of anything.

Kabocha Squash Home Fries

October 12, 2015 By chow 8 Comments

Now with comfortably cooler temperatures, I can turn on the oven again without worrying about sweating away half my body weight. I picked up a humongous kabocha squash (also called Japanese pumpkin) for $2.29 each from Trader Joe’s big bin o’ squashes to roast for a side dish.

The next day, I made breakfast home fries replacing the usual potatoes with the leftover roasted kabocha cubes. It’s a fun, seasonal switch up. Kabocha is naturally sweeter than butternut squash and the flavor is like a cross between pumpkin and sweet potato. Toss in aromatics like leeks, onions and garlic, and you got yourself one tasty breakfast.

The only thing is, it didn’t crisp up quite as much as I would have liked but I also didn’t use very much oil and I was worried the kabocha would turn out too dry. Next time, I’ll try it with more oil and see if I can get it a bit more crispy.

Kabocha Squash Home Fries
Serves 2

1 teaspoon or more coconut oil
2 cups roasted kabocha squash cubes*
1/4 cup chopped leeks, white and a little of the green part
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, onion and garlic and stirring frequently, cook until translucent. Add the kabocha cubes in a single layer and let cook, flipping only occasionally until browned on all sides. Season generously with salt and pepper.

* To make roasted kabocha squash cubes
You can leave the peel on, it’s totally edible and will soften after cooking. I normally leave it on as it saves a step, just give it a good wash. I’ll peel it if there’s a lot of blemishes and/or bumps as that just doesn’t look appetizing to me.

Cut the kabocha into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss with coconut oil and salt, then spread out in a single layer on a baking pan. Roast at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, flip over and continue roasting for 10-15 minutes until tender.

Virtjuice Acai Power Bowl

October 3, 2015 By chow 5 Comments

Virtjuice Acai Power Bowl

I never really got the whole acai bowl thing. Oh sure, I’ve seen them around for awhile now, but couldn’t figure out what was the big deal. Then in a moment of breakfast desperation while traveling, I finally tried a bowl at Virtjuice located in Arroyo Grande, a sleepy little town on the California central coast.

For the bowls ($8.95), you can have your choice of acai or pitaya (another thing I’ve yet to try). I got the Power Bowl with acai, banana, berry mix, almond butter, veggie protein and almond milk blended and topped with banana, superfood cereal mix, granola and strawberries. Ask to leave off the honey to make it vegan.

It tasted just like a thick smoothie, a really good smoothie that’s not overly sweet or tart but packed with anti-oxidants and other wholesome things. I sheepishly thought I could eat this every day for breakfast. Why, oh why, didn’t I try it sooner? And the people at Virtjuice are super nice too and family-owned. You can watch them make everything fresh right in front of you and ask them questions or just chat it up with them.

Besides the bowls, they also have a number of freshly made to order juices and smoothies. I feel so virtuous eating there and so happy to have a new, healthy breakfast option whenever I’m in town.