Food Monster App

I'm back! It's been a while, I know. Lots going on. I promise I have a large backlog of photos and recipes to share with you all and plan to do so in the very near future. Looking forward to some fresh spring vegetable dishes!

I've also been checking out some great apps and recipe books, and I've got one to talk about here, as it will be released imminently.

If you haven't checked it out already, One Green Planet is a website with an admirable mission, self-described as "your online guide to making conscious choices that help people, animals and the planet." They approached me last year about featuring some of my recipes on the site, and I was more than happy to oblige.

The One Green Planet site has a lot going on. They feature plenty of animal interest pieces, videos and other headlines, a lifestyle section with tips and ideas, and stories about caring for the planet. They also happen to have a huge section on food that is good for you, the planet and the environment (right on!). Their hand-picked selection of recipes is thoughtful and features some delicious dishes, so I was excited when they announced they would be releasing a new app!



They've asked me to review their new app--it is called Food Monster and it features over 5000 vegan recipes, with approximately a dozen new recipes planned to be added each day.



It is super easy to navigate and read, which I definitely appreciate. Where it really excels is in the curation of the recipes. (Did I mention they have many of my recipes on there? Like my kimchi tofu tacos, balsamic seitan, and barbecue apricot meatballs)


They have great categories like seasonal and holiday recipes, as well as some more unusual ones, like "umami" and "spiralized veggies"--over 100 different categories in total. You can also search by ingredient or by your specific dietary restrictions (including gluten-free, raw, soy-free and many  more). They have essentially categorized these recipes in about every way you can imagine, which is the wonderful thing about viewing your recipes on this kind of platform. The options are unlimited!

It has many other features which I'd expect in an app like this, you can "love" recipes, see what's trending and also bookmark recipes to save them for future access. Seeing what's popular or similar to the recipe you have just viewed can be a great place to start when trying to find a quality meal.

And you can easily share links with anyone you'd like using the arrow in the top of the screen (I especially like this feature!).




The ingredients lists are easy to read and straightforward, and they really try to focus on simple, fast, delicious recipes.



The directions are similarly well-presented.



There are a few things I could do without--some of the recipes have "3-D photos" that kind of jump around very quickly on the screen. Although I don't mind a slow pan, I'd really much prefer to just have my food images in one place as I'm browsing through recipes. Occasionally the app can also be a little slow to load, but I am hopeful they will improve on this with time.

What's the catch? A subscription is required to access the recipes. It is $1.99 a month which is pretty reasonable, so you can always try it out and see if it strikes your fancy! If you do like it, it's worth paying $19.99 for the one year subscription.

The app will be released tomorrow, on Earth Day, but today they're offering special early access to all my readers, so here's a link to check it out!

Vegan MoFo Day 30: Fusion Challenge!

Today's final Vegan MoFo entry is a fusion challenge!

I decided to go with my all-time favorite fusion--kimchi taco. Kimchi tacos are all the rage these days--I first had one on a food truck in Los Angeles, and have since progressed to regular lunches at Kimchi Grill in Brooklyn, which offers a variety of great vegan options!

I've never, however, made them at home, so I thought this was definitely a good excuse to give it a whirl!

Vegan Kimchi Tacos with Cashew Crema

What You'll Need:
1 package extra-firm tofu, cut into cubes
Marinade:
1 cup veggie broth
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup kimchi (just be sure it's vegan--some have fish!)

Purple Slaw:
3 cups cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp mirin

Cashew crema:
1/2 cup cashews (soaked for a few hours, if you don't have a highspeed blender)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp garlic powder
juice from 1 lime (approximately 3 tbsp)
salt to taste

What You'll Need To Do:
Press your tofu and cut into 1/2" (or so) cubes. Place in the marinade for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight. While the tofu is marinating, you can prepare your cashew crema and purple slaw.

For the purple slaw, simply mix all of your ingredients together.

For the cashew crema, add all ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth (this may take several minutes depending on your blender).

Tips and Tricks:
You can save that kimchi marinade and use it for something else, or even put the cabbage in your taco for an extra kimchi kick!

Cashew crema is my way of making an easy, unprocessed cream, but if you want something even easier, you can also mix the lime juice and garlic powder in with some yogurt or even vegannaise (I know it sounds crazy, but trust me on this one), and then add a little dairy-free milk until you reach your desired consistency.

Vegan MoFo Day 29: Vegan Road Trip!

Today's Vegan MoFo prompt asked what you'd bring on a road trip? I figured there was no better time to rehash a few of my snack-time favorites.

I promised you more "junk food," Sally Ride!

And here it is!

To acquire all the vegan goodies required for this entry (and for my pantry), I tried a new online grocery delivery service--Thrive Market. Thrive is kind of like the Costco of natural foods, in a way. You don't order in bulk, but they do offer you bulk prices on everything, in exchange for an annual membership.



With the number of natural foods we have access to here in New York City, and with services like Instacart (for my Whole Foods groceries) and Fresh Direct, I'm not quite decided on whether I'll stick with these guys, as the delivery does take several days, and you can't schedule a time slot (which is especially hard in our apartment).

However, I absolutely love the huge variety of options they have (more even than the other aforementioned companies), particularly for people with restricted diets. And they have a relatively unique feature, that allows you to look specifically at their "vegan", "gluten-free", and "raw" options. You can even sort by "for Moms" and they feature a lot of sustainable home goods, and even bath and body stuff! And like I said, they have bulk prices, which means their stuff is significantly cheaper than it is in New York City.

I especially love that they have the Earth Balance mac and cheese, which can be hard to find but is a real treat for us!

I digress...on to some other "good stuff":


I discovered these fruit ropes by Clif Kid many years ago. While they're technically geared towards kids, they are really tasty--and a nice pick me up on a hike, or during a long afternoon at the office. They're made from organic fruit puree, and colored with vegetable juice. (They're also gluten-free and kosher!)


I discovered Beanfield's tasty bean and rice chips at my work! They are really good--and they are not only gluten free, but corn free. I especially love the Nacho flavor, which definitely reminds me of some Nacho Cheese chips you might already be familiar with...


These aren't the best kale chips I've ever had...but they are kale chips. 'Nuff said.


Peanut butter sandwich crackers! Perfect for some road trip munchies!! This company, Late July, is great--they have all organic and non-GMO ingredients.


And it all comes back to Earth Balance--these guys are making so much more than butter these days--and they're knocking it out of the park! I love the aged white cheddar flavor popcorn and the vegan aged white cheddar flavor puffs are totally addictive.

I guess that more or less coves my most recent snack food bounty! That should be enough to get you through the road trip for at least a few days, right?

Vegan MoFo Day 28: Tacos vs. Burritos

Today's Vegan MoFo entry asks the age old question...taco vs. burrito--who reigns supreme?

I know, I've chosen a pretty ambiguous photo!

That's because--let's get real people--it's all about the fillings! And I'm not taking the easy way out here, though I could see how you might think that. I am a taco girl at home and I am all about the burritos at restaurants.

Why?

At home I can have as many tacos as I want, and I don't have to fold them into a burrito shape. In the real world, I can eat a gigantic burrito, and have someone else stuff it for me. I do occasionally stray from this rule...(Kimchi Taco, anyone?) but generally speaking, that's how I roll. Also I like to fry my soft shells in a little oil before I eat my tacos (yummy! and a little harder to do with a burrito).

So let's talk about those taco/burrito fillings!!



Upton's Naturals makes a pretty kickass chorizo seitan. I combined these with my bean filling (see recipe below) and some cashew crema and my husband said it was hands down the best burrito he'd ever had (I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, but I have to say it was pretty darn delicious).

Also, how about some beans!!
Easy Taco/Burrito Bean Filling
What You'll Need:
1 tbsp oil
1 small white onion, chopped
1/4 tsp chile powder
1/8 tsp cayenne, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp salt, to taste
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp coriander
1 tomato, chopped
1 package Upton's Naturals chorizo seitan
1 can black beans (15 oz.), drained and rinsed
1 lime, halved (optional)

What You'll Need to Do:
Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat, then add your oil. Add your onions and sauté with a few dashes of chile powder, cumin, salt and coriander. Add in tomatoes and seitan after 5 minutes, and continue to sauté until your onions are golden and beginning to brown slightly, another 3-5 minutes. Add in your beans and the rest of your spices and cook until heated through. Remove from stove and add a squeeze of lime, if desired. Add to taco or burrito!

*Tips and Tricks:
In a pinch, you can make this sans seitan. The flavored black beans are also very yummy on their own.

You can also add a bit of salsa into the mix. Stir in a little bit with the beans, or at the very end.

Check out more Upton's Naturals products if you can find them at a store near you--they are delicious! I can't wait to try the chili lime carnitas jack fruit--sounds like another amazing taco/burrito filling!

Vegan MoFo Day 27: Favorite Herb or Spice

Today for Vegan MoFo we are talking about our favorite herb or spice! This was a super easy one for me. The spice I reach for pretty much anytime I'm making a pasta or gnocchi, the herb I like to throw at anything to give it a little somethin' somethin', whether the recipe calls for it, or not, is:

Rubbed sage!

Just thinking about it makes me happy. I love the way it feels between my fingers, the way it smells when I take it out of the jar. It has an incredible aroma--earthy, a little piney. It's a beautiful herb!

Rubbed sage is different from ground sage in that it is obtained by rubbing dried whole sage leaves, rather than finely grinding dried sage. This results in a light, fluffy herb that still contains the oils of the leaves, and is thus a favorite of sage "purists" (or so the internet tells me). The oils will allow the flavor to release into your food more quickly than with dried sage.

Looking to get real fancy with your sage? Dalmatian rubbed sage is like the queen of all sages. It is super mellow and smooth, with an amazing aroma.

No rubbed sage in your kitchen? Go get some! No time? No interest? No money? No problem. You can sub ground sage--but you'll want to use only half the amount of ground sage in place of rubbed sage.*

*but trust me, just try the rubbed stuff.

My Favorite Cuisine: Italian

Today for Vegan MoFo we are sharing our favorite cuisine.

If you've been following my posts, you know that I seem to be leaning in one direction...pasta! And piccata, and pizza...

Apparently, I'm a real Italian lover.

So here's a little roundup for my fellow Italian Foodophiles:


Seitan Piccata


Local Vegan Pizza


White Pasta


Red Pasta


Brussels Sprouts (they're kind of Italian, right?)


Garlic Bread


Tea Poached Pears


Home-Made Vegan Cheese--I'll also throw this in the "roughly Italian" category


Gnocchi

If you're not an Italian food lover--just try one of these recipes! You'll be a convert in no time!

Vegan MoFo Day 24: What Sally Ride Would Eat If She'd Been Vegan

"Ride-s". Licensed under Public Domain via Commons.

Today's Vegan MoFo prompt asks us to write about what [Insert Someone Famous] would eat if they were vegan.

Although she passed away in 2012, I decided I'd write about a childhood hero of mine for this entry: Sally Ride, the first woman in space.

She was not just an awesome astronaut; she also advocated continuously for science and math education in schools, and wrote one of my favorite books when I was young: To Space and Back. I could go on to detail more of her remarkable accomplishments, but if you just follow the links above, you'll get the idea.

When I was young I was pretty obsessed with space and space travel. Aside from my impressive book collection (including several, remarkably intricate coloring books), I went to Space Camp (twice) and was thrilled when my school also took a week-long trip to Astro Camp. My interest in outer space followed me all the way to college, where I was torn between an art major or astrophysics. I ultimately opted for the art, but my love of outer space and admiration for women like Sally Ride endures.

In researching for this post, I discovered that Sally Ride was not much of a cook. She's been quoted as saying she was not much interested in home economics in her day --  not surprising, given how all her other interests must have occupied her time!

She did say, that she "winds up eating junk food a lot."

Vegan junk food? I happen to be something of an expert in this area.

I will cover this topic even more in my upcoming "road trip" entry, so for today I tried to think about an American classic "junk food" meal; I opted for good ol' Kraft macaroni and cheese.

I know I've tried plenty of vegan mac and cheese recipes, but what comes closest to the classic Kraft, while meeting the same easy-to-make ("Sally Ride friendly") requirements?




The answer: Earth Balance vegan cheddar flavor mac and cheese. This is it. Complete with the macaroni elbows and the cheesy packets you love and adore. Instant vegan macaroni and cheese has arrived.

This stuff can be a little hard to track down, though most Whole Foods stores carry it. You can also try ordering online, which is always a great option if natural foods options are limited in your area.

And what if making her own mac and cheese was just a little too much effort? Well if Sally Ride happened to be in Brooklyn, I would have told her to head on down to Morgan's Barbecue. They have a pretty epic vegan mac and cheese--complete with avocado, tortilla strips, jalapeños and vegan chorizo. Yummy!



For more "junk food" I'm sure Sally Ride would have loved, stay tuned for my vegan road trip entry... coming September 29th!