Your Vegan Mom

On the Road with the Vegans

Stop and Play

We were in San Jose last weekend for the Cinequest Film Festival.  It was spectacular to see Paul and Sean and Kiley's movie on the huge screen in a beautiful theater with a crowd of people that were laughing and crying and audibly digging the movie.  It was so good.  I am so incredibly proud of them.  

It was a whirlwind weekend - I dropped the boys off with Nana and Tapa, grabbed Banh Mi and Spicy Noodle Soup from Tofoo Com Chay and picked up Paul from the San Jose airport.  La Pinata did an admirable job putting on a nice spread after the screening.   It was intensly fulfilling and emotional to spend time with some of the people who made the movie possible and who identify with the story so much.  The food was entirely beside the point, and yet still I noticed.  The margaritas were excellent, the beans were vegan, and with some coaxing they made a tray of vegetable enchiladas with green sauce.  Thumbs up, La Pinata.  

We couldn't find vegan breakfast in San Jose (What the what?  They're must be vegan breakfast in San Jose, right?), so we just grabbed a bagel with avocado and a cup of coffee and hit the road.  We had a day with the whole family in Pacific Grove, which of course, included lunch at El Cantaro, the little vegan Mexican place in Monterey, right up the hill from the aquarium.  And the next day we drove home in time to get Paul to the office in the afternoon.

We continue to practice the drive and eat - stop and play - drive and eat model for family road trips, and apart from the roadside shopping center with the enticicingly muddy field where we stopped (Juicy peaches!  Ha!  The nemesis of the backseat on this trip was two boys coated in three inches of mud.), it was a success.  I had swung by Whole Foods in Monterey for provisions.  We had crunchy apples and excellent sandwiches that consisted of:

Sumano's Sourdough + Vegenaise + Sonoma Brinery's Bread and Butter Pickles + Field Roast Lentil Sage Deli Slices

I'm still thinking about those sandwiches.  Such a good combination.  And almost completely lost on the children - the seven-year-old, my pickle-eater, preferred his without, and the four-year-old ate bread.   

What's your current favorite road food? 

 

Weekend Lunch: Smoky Tempeh and Brussels Sprouts Sandwich

crusty bread + mayo + dijon + smoky tempeh + shredded brussels sprouts = weekend lunch

For the brussels sprouts: Cut them in half and then shred them fine with a big, sharp knife.  If you have a few shallots, sliced those up too.  Heat a skillet over high heat.  Add a bit of the oil of your choosing.  Throw the shredded greens (and shallots) in the hot pan with a big pinch of salt.  Give them a stir and let them really brown.  Add a glug of apple juice, turn the heat down to low, and braise them in the juice until they're soft and sweet, about 15 minutes.  When the apple juice has cooked off, and your brussels sprouts are tender, season them with a splash of apple cider vinegar, a few cracks of black pepper, and a pinch more salt if it needs it.  

As per usual, this Saturday sandwich is totally designed to go with a beer.  

Happy Weekend!  

Pancake Layer Cake

 

You guys, the broccoli we talked about?  It's not ready yet.  It cooks a long time.* 

In the meantime, let's talk about birthdays.  In our house, the special day starts with a pancake layer cake. Ideally the number of pancakes in your layer cake corresponds to your age, but this morning when we made one for Grandma, we rounded down to three.  In addition to the pancakes, you need something to hold them all together.  

In Desmond's cake from last fall (seven layers!), peanut butter syrup holds together oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes.  Excellent choice, son.

And last summer, Felix's pumpkin pancakes were held together by yogurt frosting (soy yogurt + raw cashews + maple syrup -> Blend until smooth.)

For Grandma, we made multigrain pancakes with layers of lightly sweetened yogurt and berries.  She looked like a little girl on her birthday as the teetering tower of pancakes topped with a candle came her way.  

To turn our basic pancake recipe multigrain, I used a cup of whole spelt flour, 1/4 cup of cornmeal, 1/2 cup of all purpose, and 1 cup of oats in place of the 2 cups of flour called for.  Pancakes are the perfect place to use up whatever odds and ends you have.  Leftover rice?  Throw it in the pancakes. Overestimated how many pecans you needed to toast?  You get it. 

I love birthdays and pancakes and watching my boys snuggled up against their grandma at breakfast.

It's been a good day.  Happy Birthday, Mom.

*(Also, I'm not 100% happy with the recipe yet.  It's coming.)