Comfort food the Hogtown Vegan way!

I have a mild addiction...well the kind of addiction where you go into a place to pick up your takeout and they know you by name.  However, my addiction cannot be seen as a bad one.  For I am addicted to the Hogtown Vegan!  The Hogtown vegan is located at 834 Bloor St.  They have a delicious menu, that even non-vegans approve of.  My father, who LOVES his meat, was pleasantly surprised when we  went there for my last birthday.  And that is when the love for this fabulous restaurant began to bloom.  This evening I am having my favourite dish on the menu the Pulled Unpork Sandwich.  Since I can have bread I get this dish put on a bed of their garlic collard greens.  It is super yummy!  The variety is amazing and the prices are not too bad.  Visit there website (http://www.hogtownvegan.com/) or better yet pay them a visit!  Also please take note that they only accept cash.  Below is a pic of my delicious dinner. Thank you Hogtown Vegan!  M

Simple Kale Chip recipe

I was at my friend's house last night for a party and she was saying how she would like to make kale chips for her husband to get him to eat kale, but didn't know how.  This got me thinking that I should post my easy kale chip recipe.  Kale is super good for you. It is full of amazing nutrients and when cooked right it is super tasty, especially in chip form.  I know my boyfriend seemed a little skeptical at first, but after one bite he thinks they are super delicious.  You don't need to eat a lot of them because they are really filling.  I like to have them as late night snack or as a quick and easy side dish with dinner.  They are best served when fresh out of the oven.

Kale Chips
As much kale as you want to eat (I usually do a handful)
Olive Oil
Salt

Wash and then rip kale up into bite sized pieces.  Discard any hard stems. You don't want them bigger because the kale doesn't hold up to being bit into once cooked.  Place kale pieces onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Toss the kale, olive oil and salt with your hands.  Then put into a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  Be sure to watch it closely as it burns easily and I don't recommend eating burnt kale chips.

Enjoy this easy and tasty recipe!

M

Desperately seeking some comfort food

I can't really eat out right now nor can I eat anything that is "bad" for me, which means I can't have any sugar.  I had a craving for mac n' cheese.  So I decided to make up my own vegan mac n' cheese.  Since it has been so hot (and I don't have air conditioning) it was important for me to come up with a recipe that didn't involve me turning on my oven.  Instead I used inspiration from my friend who is also on a limited diet.  She used to eat Mac n' Cheese at least once a week, but now is not able to indulge in her old standby.

I cooked kamut pasta, but you can your favourite pasta.  I then made a cheese sauce in a separate sauce pan.  This recipe made enough for my boyfriend and I to eat dinner, plus a small portion as leftovers.  The recipe for the cheese sauce:
1Tbls Earth Balance Butter (or other vegan butter)
1Tbls whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other alternative milk)
1 1/2 Daiyan cheese (this is important is melts)
Pepper to taste

Melt the butter with flour in a small sauce pan until browns a little.  Add the "milk" and stir.  Add the "cheese" and pepper to taste.  Stir frequently until the cheese is melted.  Pour over cooked pasta.  Then enjoy!

M