Your Vegan Mom

BBQ Tempeh Sandwich

It's pretty chaotic at my house right now.  That's why I'm not there.  Currently I am hiding out in the back bedroom at my mom's house stealing a moment to write about it.  You see, last week I came up with this ingenious plan to switch bedrooms with the boy.  The reasons are unimportant- needless to say, you agree with me-it's a brilliant idea.  So this little whim of mine has since turned into a pretty major overhaul, involving crumbling walls, paint bubbling with chemical solvents, lots of grumbling, and Desmond and I pretty much decamping to avoid those toxic fumes and the destruction dust of eighty years worth of paint and plaster coming off the walls.  So poor, poor Paul has been left to contend with all this.  That's why I've been kind of quiet.  During the very little time that I have spent at our house this past week, I have felt far too guilty to use any of it in front of my computer.  If I don't have a sander in hand, I had better at least be taking another cursed trip to the freakin' home stupid depot, or better yet, feeding that wonderful, selfless, hard-working friend o'mine. 

Anyway, all this blah blah blah is to say that, in our house at least, it's sandwich season.  That's the season that follows the stultifying days of summer and precedes the good movies and occasional rains of fall.  It is characterized by the massive project.  For it is the sandwich that fuels these enormous undertakings.  One needs a simple satisfying meal to make it through a day of sanding.

The sandwich is a humble meal.  Some might even call it a snack.  But as Paul will tell you, just a little bit of extra care, a little bit of love, transforms a sandwich into something worthy of being called dinner.  In this sandwich the love comes in the form of rosemary, but that's a whole other story.

BBQ Tempeh Sandwich

1 package tempeh, sliced thin (about 1/8 inch)

1/2 c. barbecue sauce (Use a good one, you're really going to taste it.)

1/2 c. water

about 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced

3 good rolls (Yes, I know, in the photo I used toasted sourdough and that will do in a pinch.)

1 large carrot, shredded

1 avocado, mashed (Again with the photo.  As you can see, those slices are slipping right off the sandwich. But mashed avocado, on the other hand, makes a delicious sandwich glue.)

Vegenaise (I love vegenaise and paranthetical notes.)

Heat the oven to 350.  Whisk the barbecue sauce, water, and rosemary together.  Spread the tempeh out in a 9 x 9 inch baking pan.  Cover with sauce.  Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes.  Remove the cover and continue baking for about 15 minutes until the sauce is mostly absorbed and the tempeh has developed some chewy edges.  Slather those buns with vegenaise, slap on your tempeh, top with avocado and shredded carrot, and take a moment to enjoy.

This recipe makes enough for three sandwiches which is an odd (hee hee, math humor, did I mention that I taught fourth grade?) number for recipe results, but if there's two of you, you'll have enough left over for the next day's lunch to help alleviate your guilt with a sandwich for that person that's working so, so hard. 

   

Me and Mani Used to Hang Out in the 90's

Well not really, but I did frequent the eponomous bakery-cafe back when Paul lived down the street. And we did once overhear someone at an adjoining table bragging to his companion about hanging out with Mani in the previous decade, and so now it's just become something we like to say. We think we're so funny.

So, right along with the rest of the city, Mani's has become even more vegan-friendly. They always had a few clearly-labeled baked goods for us, as well as a couple of savory items from the regular menu that could be made vegan with some minor alterations, but now, well, now Mani has become down-right vegan-intimate. Va va va voom.

Currently, everyday except Monday the soup is vegan. The bakery has three different kinds of vegan cakes. In addition to the tried and true vegan carrot cake, they now also serve a carmelized apple cake and a german chocolate cake. All but one of the pies are vegan, in addition to many of their other sweet little treats. I'm partial to the turnovers, in particular the peach or the blueberry.

Now, I must tell you, these are not the kind of baked goods I usually go in for. They're kinda healthy. According to their website they use "organically grown wheat and unrefined sweeteners such as fruit juice reduction, agave syrup, organic evaporated cane and granulated maple syrup." But once in awhile, especially first thing in the morning, enjoyed with an excellent cup of coffe, it's nice to have a tasty little pastry with some nutritive value.

Also, I love that the vegan (as well as the wheat-free, fruit-juice sweetened, etc.) products in the bakery case are all clearly marked. The employees are also knowledgable about the food. The busguy told us with confidence that the delicious whole grain toast that came with our breakfast did not contain honey. (I'm not usually quite so zealous about honey. We don't eat it at home, and I generally avoid it, but it's critical that the boy avoid itty bitty baby botulism.)

Along with that peach turnover and the superb coffee, Paul and I shared the tofu scramble hash. The firm crumbly tofu is scrambled with crisp asparagus, fresh spinach, and mushrooms and seasoned with nutritional yeast and miso. And if that's not evidence of Mani's lusty affair with the vegans I don't know what is.

You too can get some at:

519 S. Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 938-8800

Mäni’s Bakery Hours
Mon-Thurs 6:30AM - Midnight
Fridays 6:30AM - 1:00AM
Saturdays 7:00AM - 1:00AM
Sundays 7:30AM - Midnight

Café/Restaurant Hours
Mon-Thurs 8:00AM - 11:00PM
Fridays 8:00AM - Midnight
Saturdays 8:00AM - Midnight
Sundays 8:00AM - 11:00PM

A Photo Review of Flore Vegan Cuisine: me so lazy

Go ahead.

That's it I'm not moving to Portland, yet: a review of Pure Luck in newly-founded Vegan Town

So I was going to write about how great Los Angles has gotten become for vegans in the last few years, but then I heard John's voice mocking my word choice, and then I read this on Super Vegan, and was feeling all inferior again. I want a vegan nacho cheese dispenser in a vegan grocery store in a vegan minimall. I've been thinking about this for some time really. Well, not the fake cheese pump per se, but a little vegan corner of the city with specialized vegan businesses. You know - the vegan donut shop, hotdog stand, the italian deli/cafe, the corner grocer...ah my neighborhood.

A sort of version of this seems to be developing behind LACC, growing up around the Bike Kitchen. First there were all the vegan choices at Scoops, and now there is the neighborhood vegan pub right across the street. Called Pure Luck, or uck, as the old neon sign reads, it shares the name of the Korean place that used to live here, but now offers a daily menu of vegan beer food along with an impressive little list of refreshments on tap.

On the evening we visited we debated between the Rosemary French Fries with homemade aioli, and the Platanos Tacos topped with sweet cream, and the "Avocado Bomba." (I feel like I missed an important opportunity here. It's "2 small whole avocados, filled with tomatillo salsa, covered in cornmeal flour and fried." Seriously, a whole, no two whole fried avocadoes, when am I going to have the chance to eat that again? I hope it's on the menu next time we visit. I can't stop thinking about it.)

It was late and we decided that a grilled tofu torta and the jackfruit carnitas tacos would sit better with two people not that far away from bedtime. We drank something good with this. Was it the Craftsman Triple White Sage, or perhaps the Orange Grove Ale? They have several Craftsman beers on tap in addition to Fat Tire and Heavenly Hefeweizen, though I get the impression that like the food, the beer menu changes pretty regularly. Anyway, in addition to it being late, these were also no where near the first libations of the evening. I want to say that they were out of the summery Orange Grove, and so we both drank the Sage which is a strong beer (sweet, redolent of white sage, and high in alcohol).

Like the beer, the food was good. My mind is still reeling from the concept of jackfruit carnitas. How did that guy come up with this? Has anybody here ever heard of such a thing? This meaty taco filling was flavorful and moist. The waitress told me that the jackfruit itslef has a mild flavor that absorbs the Mexican marinade, but what a clever carne alternative! The beans and rice served on the side were simple and comforting. And we were equally pleased with our torta.

I want to go there right now. Apparently, they intend to open for lunch at some point. Soon I hope. For the moment they open at 6:00 PM. Stay open late, til' somewhere between midnight and 2:00 AM depending on how busy they are. Every time I am in this part of the city, I find myself looking around, seeking For Sale signs thinking, I could live here, in this, my neighborhood.

Ravioli

Saturday, with a whole day before us and no plans, we finally busted out the pasta maker that Denny gave me for my birthday back in May, and made ravioli. I used Nonna's recipe for pasta of course. As I familiarized myself with the machine, Paul whipped up a simple tomato sauce and a rich creamy filling. I had been craving that classic ravioli combo for weeks and this certainly satisfied that craving. Or maybe just whet my appetite...I can't stop thinking about that single serving of ravioli in the freezer...and that Paul's going back to work tomorrow...so if I can just wait 24 hours...I can have it all to myself.

Here's a link to Nonna's article about making homemade vegan pasta.

For the filling Paul halved Nonna's recipe for tofu ricotta, and added about 1 Tbsp. Soymage; 1/2 cup frozen spinach, steamed and squeezed in cheese cloth to remove water; about a half dozen leaves of fresh basil; a dash of nutmeg; and salt and pepper. He whizzed all of this in the food processor until it was fairly smooth.

Once all of your other components are ready, cut pasta into about 2 1/2 inch squares, add about a teaspoon of filling to the center of the square. Place another square on top and seal edges with a fork. Boil a pot of water. Add ravioli in batches so that it doesn't stick together. Remove with a slotted spoon when it is done (about 2 minutes), and serve (to me) with your favorite tomato sauce.