Whole Foods: Sweet Chili Soy Nuggets

Of all the faux-chicken products available, I have found my new favorite! The chefs at Whole Foods have outdone themselves with this mock chicken item available in the prepared foods area. The taste and texture are incredibly close to that of chicken (scary, almost)! They occasionally prepare a savory mushroom version of these soy nuggets (tasty, but a bit gelatinous--even reheated). If you have not tried these yet, do so NOW! According to the clerk, these soy nuggets have become so popular, they quickly sell out and are placed on back order for weeks! 

The Counter?

Have any of you been to The Counter?

Check out all the vegan options!

Fresh European CLOSED

The economy seems to have taken another one out--this time it was one of ours! Fresh European is now CLOSED. Their concept was pretty cool, but I guess it just didn't take. 

Sad.

Pizza by Marco

Yes, it’s true. Dallas, too, has “cheesy” vegan pizzas! We no longer have to make our own--or go to Houston or Austin for a "cheese" pizza. Thanks for the heads-up, CCK. Pizza by Marco uses Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet "cheese" and offers a healthy (and by "healthy", I mean plentiful) selection of vegan toppings (faux pepperoni, sausage, and hamburger…oh, yeah—and veggies, of course). The crust is thin and crisp to perfection, and 100% whole wheat crust is available for just $1 more. 

There are three PbM locations--none of which are near city central--but guess what...THEY DELIVER! The Royal@Preston store will deliver as far as DOWNTOWN with a minimum purchase of $25. Let's support this business that's been serving our community for years!

Pizza by Marco

Royal@Preston - (214) 363-6122

Tollway@Parker - (972) 378-4085

Beltline@Preston - (972) 392-4100

Oh, yeah...did I mention all PbM locations are BYOB?!

Raw Carrot Cake Cupcakes

My latest raw creation was inspired by a recent juice fast I suffered through. Sounds strange, I know, but it's a long story I'm sure no one cares to hear about (sorry you had to C&S)! So during the fast, I juiced a lot of carrots, consequently collecting piles of pulp! Since I don't compost, I decided to freeze the pulp until I figured out a good use for it. This is what I came up with :) And I must say, the cupcakes are pretty amazing! Come to THIS EVENT if you'd like to try one! Or follow the recipe below...but I will warn you--the process is quite elaborate--and don't even get me started on the clean-up!

Carrot Cake "Dough"

5 cups raw carrot pulp (from juicing device)

2 cups finely ground flax seeds or flax meal

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raw agave nectar

2 cups dates (pre-soaked/puréed)

2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (non-alcohol)

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients (carrot pulp included) and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients and kneed well. "Dough" should be fairly malleable. 

Use cupcake pan to fill parchment cups halfway with mixture, using finger tips for leveling.

Place filled cups on one dehydrator pan. Dehydrate cupcakes at 110 degrees F for 3 hours. Store cupcakes in refrigerator while you prepare frosting.

Cream "Cheese" Frosting

3 cups raw cashews (pre-soaked)

1 cup raw agave nectar

1 1/4 cups virgin coconut oil

Purée cashews and agave nectar in a food processor until you reach an even consistency. The mixture will be quite runny. In a large bowl, combine cashew/agave purée and coconut oil. Use hand mixer to whip into a frosting consistency. Place frosting in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before decorating cupcakes. I used a large tip to dress my cupcakes (a fun technique I learned in my days as a Spiral Diner cake decorator).

Raw Food Picnic at Lee Park

'Tis that season--for potlucks and picnics and such!

If you can't make it to THIS....

Local integrative health coach, Susie Haces, has organized a raw vegan picnic at Lee Park this Sunday around noon. The gathering follows a 5 Rhythms dance meditation at Cosmic Cafe. Come play!

Click HERE for more information.

 

Veggie Girl on City of Ate

Kudos to The Observer for their new weekly feature on City of Ate called Veggie Girl--a blog about veg-dining in Dallas. I wish I had thought of that! Oh, wait...I did :) 

Okay...City of Ate does have a larger audience, and rightfully so, so I'm excited to see where Veggie Girl's "urban foraging" adventures take her! Let's keep up, shall we?

And total side note: check out Chocolate-Covered Katie (local girl and vegan extraordinaire) for a chance to win a case of Jocalat Bars!

Spring into Raw Radiance with Waking Dallas Raw

Waking Dallas Raw is hosting its Spring Equinox potluck this weekend. Come experience a world of cuisine you've never even dreamed of and meet some of the big guns in the Dallas raw foods movement! I'm working on a new recipe that I'll post soon...

Click HERE to join the event.

Fireside Pies?

Fireside Pies has vegan options! Listed below are the vegan menu items forwarded to me by their senior operations manager. Have any of you been to Fireside?...thoughts??

Openers
Bruschetta – no cheese
Oven Sampler – no meat or cheese, add extra roasted vegetables

Salads and Appetizers
Baby Arugula Salad – no pepperoni or cheese
Warm Tomato/Mozerella/Portabella Salad – no cheese

Fireside Pies
All pies can be made vegan by omitting cheese, tomato sauce (which contains a small amount of parmesan cheese), and adding olive oil. The following vegan toppings are available to create a pie:

Portabella Mushrooms
Crimini Mushrooms
Red Peppers
Red Onions
Sundried Tomatoes
Fresh Tomatoes
Roasted Garlic
Arugula
Spinach
Pineapple
Pepperoncinis
Jalapeños
Black Olives
Fresh Basil

Fireside Pies

2820 N Henderson Ave

(214) 370-3916