So we just got back from Hawaii and I will be eating nothing but plate lunches for some time. I am sorry if I bore you, but I'm afraid that's just how it's going to be. You see, I was overwhelmingly jealous of the big families out on Sunday with their hibachis and rice cookers and football team size coolers of Hawaiian punch. Apart from the fact that I wasn't invited to these barbecues, I also knew that those delicious smells eminating from the pop-up tents on the beach and in the park were not for the vegans. And my efforts to track down the elusive vegan plate lunch from a little hole in the wall called The Well Bento were met with disappointment I am so sad to say. I hate to speak ill of anyplace that offers me a vegan plate lunch, let alone the only place on Oahu, but it just wasn't very good. My teriyaki seitan was spongey and salty. The macaroni salad and coleslaw were fine. The seitan was served atop good brown rice with a mild tahini sauce and steamed vegetables. The broccoli was overcooked. The potatoes were delicious. But it certainly didn't solve the problem of my lust for everyone else's lunch. So though it is always a little sad to come home from vacation, especially when you were in Hawaii with people you love and don't get to see very often, it is always a pleasure to return to your own kitchen.
So today, finally, back in California, Paul and I had a satisfying plate lunch in our own house. We ate teriyaki tofu and two scoops rice and macaroni salad and a slice of papaya. It was good. It was everything that I had been hoping for. Sometimes, it's nice to be home.
Basic Vegan Macaroni Salad
(An exciting recipe? No. I said it was basic. Sometimes, that's just what you have a hankering for. Exciting variations will follow.)
3 c. cooked elbow macaroni
1 large carrot, shredded
1 green onion, snipped
1/4 c. vegenaise
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. agave nectar
1/4 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
pinch of salt
grind of black pepper
shake of paprika
Mix it together.
