Your Vegan Mom

12 Days of Thanksgiving: Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Beets with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

 

I love this salad, or side dish, or whatever you want to call it.  It's perfect for Thanksgiving because you can make it ahead of time and serve it at room temperature, but it's good pretty straight from the oven too.  Plus it makes a lovely cold accompaniment to your day after sandwich.  

I need to add, though I'm certain that you already know this, that if you or anybody you know thinks brussels sprouts are gross it's because you haven't had them roasted.  The outer leaves get crispy and browned in the hot oven, the center gets tender, and they have a mellow sweet-bitter flavor that is wonderful with the earthiness of the beets and the slightly sharp maple mustard dressing.  Good, good stuff.   

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Beets with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Serves 4 - 6

• 1 pound brussels sprouts
• 2 large beets
• olive oil, salt, and pepper
• 1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces
• vinaigrette: 
  • 1 medium shallot, roasted 
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 400.  Cut large brussels sprouts in half, and trim any tough stems.  Peel and cut the beets into biggish chunks (about an inch).  Peel the shallot.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and nicely browned.

Remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the vinaigrette.  Roughly chop the shallot and throw it and the other ingredients for the vinaigrette into the blender.  Puree until smooth.  In a medium bowl, toss the vinaigrette with the brussels sprouts, beets, and walnuts.  Taste for salt and pepper, and serve.  Can be prepared up to two days ahead of time. 

Today I am thankful for my neighborhood.  Incredibly rare for Los Angeles, I can walk to just about everything I need - Desmond's pre-school, the dreamiest park (where we took that picnic to yesterday), a great library with a children's story time, a weekly farmers market, Trader Joes, the post office, a train stop, and really nice people.  I am so lucky.  

Apple Town

 

Last Friday we drove to Oak Glen to pick apples for Paul's birthday apple pie.  There weren't any apples to pick.  Before we left I read that you should call ahead to find out what is being harvested.  You should call ahead.  Especially before you tell your three-year-old for a week that he'll be picking apples on Friday, and before he's started practicing at home with some sort of paint scraper or something that he calls his apple picker, and definitely before you check out books from the library to help him get excited about picking apples, and then before he starts speculating about whether he'll need a ladder.  You should call.  I'll give you all the numbers you need at the end.  There were some raspberries though.  And they were delicious.  Desmond ate about half that basket before we got home.

We also managed to pick a pumpkin.  (When we got home the boy had a melt-down because I wouldn't let him eat it.  Ah, the son of a food blogger.) We also watched apples being pressed into cider and brought home a gallon of our own.  

And we bought apples - little tiny sweet tart cameos for snacking.  And then a big bag of granny smiths and another of pippins (I think.  We bought those just before we drove home at 2:30 when we had finally resigned ourselves to not picking apples, and by that point we all really needed a nap, and the bag's not labeled.) for baking.  

There were also old-timey tankards of cider for drinking.  Riley's Apple Farm does this whole big colonial schtick - New England colonial - with costumed guides and candle making demonstrations and kids rolling hoops on the big center lawn.  We went for a pint in the period reproduction tavern, but the only thing on tap at Riley's Apple Farm is juice.  You should know this before you tell your husband for a week that he can have a nice pint in a big tankard, before he starts imagining what sort of ales they'll have on tap, before he says that he doesn't mind that his birthday's not a big deal this year - just as long as he gets a good pint.  

Despite the disappointments (that could have been avoided with a bit more research and preparation on my part) we actually had a pretty fun day out.  The weather was crisp - we got to wear sweaters. And we had our first successful family of four major outing. (Did I tell you about our previous family of four outing where we forgot Desmond's shoes?  So the relative success of Apple Town was huge.)  We'll go back.  Cheers.    

 

Riley's Apple Farm  (909) 797 - 4061
(In the future, I will save the colonial schtick for field trip groups.)

Riley's at Los Rios Rancho (909) 797 - 1005
(We picked a pumpkin here.)

Willowbrook Apple Farm (909) 797 - 9484
(This seemed like one of the least gimicky apple farms, but they're only open on the weekends.)

Snow-Line Orchard (909) 797 - 3415
(This was my favorite - fresh pressed cider, berries to pick, and picnic tables underneath a huge chestnut tree.  Incidentally they're famous for their apple cider donuts, but I haven't checked on their vegan-ness so I wasn't going to bring it up.)

Your Vegan Hospital Stay

...will require take-out.  

 

That lasagna is not vegan.  And those steamed vegetables?  Not delicious.  I should have specified.  My special diet is vegan and delicious.

If you have any overnight plans for Cedars Sinai, put this list of take-out options in your hospital bag:

Mani's (323) 938-8800
Holy Cow (323) 852-8900 
Real Food Daily (310) 289-9910
Cafe Flourish (323) 939-3932
Chipotle (310) 855-0371 
Vegan Glory (323) 653-4900
 

Also, there's a Starbucks on site for your coffee with soy milk and New York Times needs, but if it's not an emergency, I'm sure you know that Mani's has much better coffee and those fruit turnovers.      

(With Desmond's birth, I fared no better at Kaiser Harbor City.  There was a really yucky incident involving Not Vegan Salsbury Steak.  Does anyone have anything nice to say about veganism and hospital food?  I would think that a center of health and wellness would put a greater emphasis on healthy meals and meeting the needs of special diets.  I would love to hear about your experiences.)

Vegan and Delicious.  

Free Cooking Class This Friday! Bring the Kids!

In addition to all the baked good eating that I have planned for you this week, I'm going to need you to pencil in a date for Friday as well.  One of my favorite cooking mother-daughter duos is teaching a vegan class at the Whole Foods in Redondo Beach this Friday from 5 to 6 PM.  Entitled, Summer Treats, this class will focus on kid-friendly fare like smoothies and popsicles and ice cream and a berry topped chocolate cake to take to your 4th of July picnic.  There will be an as yet to be determined (by 10-year-old Tyler and her mom, Dawn) main dish as well.  (They're looking for a compromise between mac and cheese and a picnic salad.  Can you guess which side the young lady is on?)  

Filled with tasty samples and simple summer recipes, this should be a fun evening for the whole family.  And if you would like to make a night of it in the South Bay, Dawn and Tyler recommend dinner nearby at The Spot, Green Temple, Veggie Grill or Happy Veggie (I love the Vietnamese Chicken Salad).  

See you Friday!  (And Thursday and Sunday!)       

All Sorts of Baked Goods

Just in case you haven't heard, there are all sorts of vegan bake sales happening the world over this next week.  If you're not already baking and are looking for some treats to enjoy in your neighborhood you can find the nearest one here.

And if you live in my neighborhood, you have three to choose from.  This Sunday (June 21) and next (June 28) there will be a table set up outside of locali in Hollywood from 11 to 5.  On Thursday (June 25), you will find a booth next to the fountain at the City Hall Farmers' Market from 10 to 2.  

Do you mind if I just plan your weekend?  Because locali is awfully close to Griffith Park and makes a great place to pick up a sandwich on your way to go play.  But for the next two Sundays you can also load up on all sorts of homemade treats to take on that picnic.  If you park at the bottom of Ferndell and take that leisurely walk through the shade, then you will certainly need a cake break by the time you get to the picnic tables under the trees by the little playground.  And if you choose to hike from there, up the trail to the Observatory then you will need some serious snacks at the top.  And then again on the way back, I imagine you'll stop under those same trees at the top of Ferndell before heading home.  And of course it would be sad to go home empty handed, so set some time, cash, and calories away for this Sunday and next. 

And I happen to know that some seriously talented bakers will be plying their wares.  If you've ever lusted after what comes out of this kitchen or this one or this one, here is your chance to actually sample their cooking.  

The Thursday sale downtown will benefit the L.A. River Keepers.  And if you're interested in donating vegan baked goods to this sale you can contact Monica Valencia.

 

Good thing I'm eating for two.  

 

My Hot Saturday Night: the vegan drive-thru experience

*On second thought, I probably shouldn't have even brought this place up.  Their suppliers seem to be inconsistent so there is little way to tell if their products are completely vegan.  Read the comments for gross stories.*

Since we now live something like three miles from Orean, I thought it was time I give the old drive-thru another try.  I reasoned that without the cross city trek building up my expectations maybe it wouldn't be such a disappointing experience.  

This time around I knew enough not to order anything with the African salsa (I just don't like it.  Others do.  Please don't let me dissuade you.)  Or cheese (it's soy-based, but not vegan).  Or the breakfast sandwich (I can't remember when you're allowed to order it.  Rules, man.)

On a beautiful Saturday evening when we weren't quite ready to be home or cook dinner, Paul and Desmond and I settled into a red picnic table nestled into the 70's era fast food hut just next to the drive-through lane.  In between keeping a toddler from hopping into traffic, we took bites of sandwiches and fries.  

Paul's chicken burger with all the fixings was pretty satisfying - a breaded chickeny sort of patty on a soft wheat bun with barbecue sauce and vegenaise and lettuce and tomato and pickles and onions.  My filet-o-soul tofu burger was an inch-thick slab of mildly seasoned defrosted tofu with tartar sauce replacing the barbecue.  I won't be ordering it again.     

The air fries were mostly crisp, much better than the week before when they were thick and starchy and tasted like beef.  Consistency is not Orean's strong suit.    

And then there was the soft serve.  We strolled away with perfect drippy, creamy cones, somehow diverted Desmond's attention from the McDonald's Playland across the street, and appreciated Orean for what it is: decent fast food for Pasadena vegetarians.   

Also, where else in the city (let alone 3 miles from my house) can I get a vegan root beer float while my toddler, none the wiser, sleeps contentedly in the back seat?  (That's not a rhetorical question.  If you know, please tell me.) 

Orean Health Express
817 N. Lake Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 794 -0861

9:30 - 9:00

PuPu Platter: where I pile a lot of different topics on the plate

My dad, at my dining table last Sunday, reading aloud from the March issue of Vegetarian Times magazine: "Hot Chick of the Month: Your Vegan Mom!"

Me, yelling from the kitchen: "Hot Click, Dad!  Click.  Like website."

Did you see it?  I figure since March is almost over, I ought to mention it real quick.  I was very grateful that they edited out all the stupid things I said in our brief interview and wrote a sweet little paragraph about this blog.  Thanks. 

If you haven't read it yet, it's on page 22.  I'll wait.

Also, 

• Did you notice that Silk no longer exclusively uses organic soy beans?  To be honest, I was always pleasantly surprised that such a big company did, but now they've pulled this sly switcheroo that just leaves me kind of icked out.  They have a separate new organic line, but I'll stick to Wildwood or Trader Joe's organic from now on, thanks.  Or ideally, homemade, but that just doesn't always happen these days.
• Have you visited C'est La Vegan?  It's a beautiful new blog written by the popular baker behind the vegan cupcakes at Leda's and photographed by her husband.  Also, you'll find a link there to her on-line bakery.  I can tell you that her oatmeal cookies are perfect, and I bet the pecan bars and almond loaves are too.  Quarrygirl just did a nice write-up about her as well.  
• And for your next vegan baked goods smack down, maybe you should get some treats from Vegan Bake Sale to put head to head with C'est La Vegan's wares.  And invite me over, please. Vegan Bake Sale was officially launched yesterday by the lovely baker that pens Cute and Delicious - which, by the way, totally lives up to its name.  These people make me feel so lucky to live in Los Angeles.  
• I think these lipbalms would make great easter basket stuffers.    
• Whole Foods has extended their vegan pizza offerings and Desmond and I have since had lunch there almost everyday.  Also, at the Pasadena Whole Foods yesterday there was a vegan calzone on offer.  My dream has come true.  
• Shojin is celebrating their one year anniversary all month (as in for the next 5 days, sorry) with nightly dinner specials and a blow out on Sunday involving a vegan sushi chef. 
• Happy Weekend!  

Vegan Cupcakes in South Pasadena

A new bakery opened recently on Mission in South Pasadena.  This is noteworthy because My Sweet Cupcake stocks three vegan flavors on Thursdays and Saturdays.  They are delicious.  

My Sweet Cupcake
954 Mission St.
South Pasadena, CA 91030
(626) 441-4010

And to all a good night.

My fridge is full of vials of various hues.  One is filled with a viscous pink fluid.  One is a pale gold.  Another is a rich amber, redolent of pear and ginger with a hint of cloves and lemon. That’s the one I wound up bringing to the party.

  

Last Saturday night was the first of, I hope, many Los Angeles Vegan Blogger Potlucks, and I was providing the evening's cocktail.  Clearly it had to be good.  All over Los Angeles, vegan bloggers were powdering their noses, grilling their sandwiches, battling traffic to the Valley, and swinging by Thai Town to pick up exotic party snacks.

 

The participants had been instructed to bring an appetizer to share, both with the evening's gathered crowd and then later, with the internet.  This was to be both a real life and a virtual potluck.

Back in my temporary kitchen, just hours before party time, pots of sugar and fruit and spices still bubbled away.  

All week I had been trying to concoct a pear-tinged gingerale to mix with bourbon for a very merry christmas, but it just was not working.  The flavors were too subtle.  I should have scrapped the concept days before.  But I just continued to dig myself deeper.  I made a last minute run for pear brandy.  With wet hair and tense conversation Paul and I tasted the final draft and deemed it good enough to serve, but it still wasn't my fantasy festive libation.

  

I would never be sharing the recipe with you today if I wasn't already woefully late to this computer clambake.  I figured that I better not show up empty handed to boot.  So here's the recipe, but don't make it.   If you have an inspired solution to its mediocrity, let me know.  I wash my hands of it.  I think I have a much better idea for a holiday cocktail.  Rain check?  

And to All a Good Night

2 oz. bourbon

top with soda water (4 - 5 oz.)

1 oz. pear ginger syrup

squeeze of lemon

dash of pear brandy

garnish with pear slice

Pear Ginger Syrup

4 c. water

about 1 c. sliced ginger

2 pear cores, slice the flesh off the core and reserve for garnish (toss it with a squeeze of lemon to keep it pretty)

4 cloves

yellow peel of 1 lemon

2 c. sugar

In a medium, heavy bottomed sauce pan, bring the water, ginger, pear cores, cloves, and lemon peel to a boil.  Turn down the heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes, until reduced by about half.  Add the sugar, return to a boil, and let simmer about 10 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved and you are left with a thin fragrant syrup.  Strain into a glass jar and use for cocktails.  

By the way, I like making this kind of drink that can easily suit boozers and teetotalers alike.  If you fill a tall glass most of the way with ice and soda water and top with the flavorful syrup and lemon juice, then you have a refreshing non-alcoholic alternative that will be seriously appreciate by pregnant women, children, and those designated to drive. 

Fortunately the imperfect beverage was overshadowed by the zesty company and fabulous food.  You've got: 

Thai Balls from To Live and Eat in L.A. 

Miniature Panini from Cute and Delicious 

Potato Parsnip Laktkas from Hugger Food 

Mushroom Walnut Pate from Yo Soy 

Toasted Ravioli from vegan-la.com 

Doritos, Spinach Dip, and Chocolate Chip Cheesecake from Quarry Girl  

Brisket and Jelly Donut Twinkies from Veganize It...Don't Criticize It 

Miniature Cinnamon Rolls from the Vegan Collection

Popcorn and Ice Cream (and adorable little tiny cupcake charms that were not for eating, which is appropriate because this website focuses on pretty stuff as opposed to tasty stuff) from Vegan Beauty Review

 

Bulan Thai: I still love you.

On Santa Monica Boulevard just below Sunset Junction, in that funky little wedge-shaped building that used to house a different Thai restaurant, the new branch of Bulan Thai is now open, and just as delicious as the original.  The space is a little more casual, but the menu is the same.  And the "crisp fish with green apple" is even better than I imagined it would be.  

Bulan Thai

4114 Santa Monica Blvd.

Silver Lake, CA 90029

(323) 913-1488

Hours: daily 11 - 10

Vegetarian