Veganomicon and Gourmet Canadian Rest-Stop Food - Not for the Faint of Heart
So I finally broke down and purchased Veganomicon - the newest all-purpose authoritarian vegan cookbook which is sure to form a solid foundation for my cooking for years to come. I consider it an essential purchase given that the holiday season is fast approaching; I’m preparing to spread around as much delicious food as I possibly can to friends and family: food is by far the most fun approach to spreading vegan love. With my family I have no concerns about culinary activism, but just hope to earn respect for my lifestyle and to achieve basic emotional survival during the intense holiday family time.
I have been reading all about Veganomicon on the vegan blogs in my reader, so I’m excited to get into the nitty gritty and try out some of these innovative meals. I have just finished going through and flagging all of the recipes I immediately want to try. So far, some highlights:
- Caesar Salad with Roasted Garlic Croutons
- Black bean burgers (after trying some delicious ones - see below, I’m ready to get on the homemade bean burger bandwagon)
- Snobby Joes (made with lentils)
- Lemony Roasted Potatoes
- Saffron Garlic Rice
- Chickpea Cutlets (the most talked about recipe on vegan blogs for sure)
- Asparagus Quiche with Tomatoes and Tarragon (a quiche not made with tofu but instead with beans and walnuts)
- Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce
- Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits (in their description: “Leeks, potatoes, carrots, peas and white beans in a savoury stew, with biscuits that are baked right on top of it”)
- Cholent (the picture makes it look delicious - a hearty Jewish “beef” stew made with kidney beans, lentils and TVP)
- Spinach Linguine with Basil-Cilantro Pesto and Artichokes (I can never resist pesto)
- Curried Udon Noodle Stir-Fry
The aspect I’m most happy about are the recipes that seem to flexibly work together for easy leftovers and conversions - when you make the spaghetti with (kidney) bean balls, for example, the leftover bean balls can be used in a bean-ball sub. Most recipes seem to be able to be re-purposed as sandwiches, combined with other entrees to create clever themed meals, and just generally support easy, healthy vegan cooking. The emphasis in this book is on whole, unprocessed foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds) - rather than processed soy, which is a great sign.
Last night was yet another Sara Banks dinner. A local vegan with a dream of opening her own restaurant, she puts together delicious themed and multi-course meals at her home. Since she hires a makeshift waitress, the experience is a unique one of sitting in a comfortable home environment yet still being catered to with amazing gourmet food. The theme was Gourmet Canadian Rest-Stop Food. Lots of familiar comfort foods you’d find at a rest stop on a road trip; yet healthy and cruelty-free. I’ll lay out the menu choices complete with reviews and photos! I was seated with great friends who let me taste test their choices. (My battery charger is still missing, so I borrowed my good friend Gordon’s to make sure these clever meals were captured on ‘film.’)
APPETIZER (choose one)
Apple Slices and Peanutbutter (silky and rich natural peanut butter with “ant” raisins and apple slices)
-or-
Carrot Sticks and Ranch Dressing - my choice. Wow, I never thought I would be eating ranch dressing as a vegan! Perfect balance of herbs, incredibly yummy. Since Sara’s recipes are off limits, I’d better start experimenting.
MAIN COURSE (choose one)
Poutine
handcut fries, mushroom gravy, and vegan homemade white cheddar cheese curds. Sorry, no pic of this one! J chowed into this before I had the chance to snag a shot.
Sub Sandwich:
Philly “Cheese Steak”
-or-
“Meat” Balls and a Raw-style Tomato Sauce
Homemade Burger (designed to be light and flavorful)
The bread will be thin with seeds on top. It will be a nut and bean based burger (no soy). Served with lettuce, tomato, and red onion.
SIDES (choose two)
Handcut Fries (fried in sunflower oil unless requested to be baked)
Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy
Green Goddess Salad (a side salad to be excited about!)
Pasta with raw-style tomato sauce
Okay, here are the shots of our choices:
The Philly “Cheese Steak” (homemade vegan cheese, caramelized onions - delicious!) on a large sub-style bun, mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy (words cannot begin to describe this deliciousness - apparently one of the secret ingredients was a vanilla soy milk… the potatoes definitely also had a hint of earth balance - decadent), and a strawberry spinach salad with slivered almonds.
The Black Bean burger (very hearty and so yummy I will have to try my hand at making a variant of them), the same sides as the sub above.
The pasta with raw-style tomato sauce and salad as sides to the poutine. The sauce was delightfully garlicky.
DESSERT (choose one)
Homemade imitation Twinkie (tried only a smidge of this one, but seemed delicious!)
Homemade imitation Snickers
Okay, this was the be all and end all of vegan desserts. A good friend at the table, Mandi, confessed that in her five years of being vegan this may be the dessert to top them all! We all made yummy food noises as we devoured this devastatingly decadent dessert despite being full from the entire meal - reminded me more of Oh Henry bars than Snickers, but what’s the difference? A great conclusion to a delicous meal I wish they served at all rest stops!
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