Here in Seattle we are in the midst of a snow and ice storm, the sort of which blows through every year or two, shutting down the city for a few days before if all melts away. Now all of you from other places (well not from California or other places that don’t get snow, you can shut up) can make fun of us with how we deal with snow, but it is really the ice that gets us. Inevitably, it always goes something like this: one evening we get a nice dusting of powdery snow, we marvel at how lovely it is. In the morning the snow melts away into brown slush and we go on with our lives. That night it drops to below freezing and all the slush turns to a hard bed of solid ice. Then it starts to snow again, and we get snow on top of ice. The cycle repeats itself until the city is covered in some sort of hellish, frozen lasagna. On top of this, the city owns approximately three snow plows (and until a few years ago, wasn’t legally allowed to use salt. Now we can and I believe this will be a turning point for Seattle winters). The snow only ever lasts for a weeks or so, and we only get a significant amount every other year or so, so I support the decision to let the city shut down and everyone play in the snow for a few days rather than invest in a fleet of snow plows. Heck, I’ve never felt it necessary to invest in a snow shovel.

Fortunately, right before the storm hit us I had whipped up a batch of what will henceforth be a winter favorite of mine: hot buttered rum. Hot butted rum batter, actually. As I am a big fan of seasonably appropriate drinks, this had been on my list of things to make going into this winter. The recipe I used as a starting point for the batter was immense, and I elected to scale it down to half that size in case it turned out I didn’t like it (it still made quite a bit and we haven’t used it all yet, even a few parties and more than a bottle of rum later). Next winter though I may make up a batch of the original size (double the one below) and keep it in the freezer for the season.

A note on rum: you want a dark rum for this (rum comes in a couple varieties, most common being light and dark). Dark rum is most common in cooking and has much more flavor. Myers is the most standard dark rum and will do you fine. I used Coruzan Black Strap rum, which is cheaper than Myers (but I think smoother) and has a deeper and more pronounced molasses flavor. Use what you like, but go with a dark rum.

Vegan Hot “Buttered” Rum Batter

1 pint vanilla vegan ice cream (I used a soy based one, but I bet a coconut one would be awesome)
1/2 lb Earth Balance
1/2 lb brown sugar
1/2 lb powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Leave the ice cream and Earth Balance out at room temperature until soft. In a large bowl combine the softened Earth Balance and ice cream and mix with an electric mixer (or beat with a whisk) add the rest of the ingredients and mix until you have a smooth, relatively uniform mixture. Transfer the mixture to a container and store in the freezer until ready to use.

Vegan Hot “Buttered” Rum

2 oz dark rum
3 tbsp vegan hot buttered rum batter
1/2 cup hot (boiling or nearly) water

Combine rum and batter in the bottom of a mug. Add the hot water and stir. Enjoy!

Now this isn’t a “if you call ahead and ask real nice they will come up with something” sort of thing. They offer a periodically updated four course vegan menu. There is no mention of it online, or on their normal menu, but ask for the vegan menu and they bring a second printed menu with a four course vegan meal (complete with dessert and a wine pairing option). None of the dishes on the vegan menu appeared on their standard menu. The standard didn’t even offer a vegetarian entree.

The first night I just went for the pre-fix menu as it was.

The first course was “Crisp Garlic Humus Tortellini, Spiced tomato dill sauce”. The slightly warm humus in the center of the fried tortellini was a little odd, but mostly served as a creamy, garlicky filling. They were surprisingly delicious. The sauce was wonderful, and had a nice bit of spice to it (which is always a pleasant surprise, since many restaurants are afraid of serving spicy food).

The next course was “Big Island Hearts Of Palm Carpaccio – Nalo arugula, grape fruit, Kahuku sea asparagus with soy ginger vinaigrette. What emerged from the kitchen was a very elegantly put together (both in terms of presentation and flavor) salad. The palm hearts (which I like, but they don’t have a particularly strong flavor) served as the base. On top you had peppery spice from the arugula, saltiness from the sea vegetable, and bitter from the grapefruit that melded into an wonderful experience.

The entree for the vegan menu was “Roasted Eggplant Steak – grape tomato chili Nalo herb relish, coconut peanut sauce & sweet potato fries”. From the get go I was excited. What isn’t to love about peanut sauce? The eggplant was well cooked. The tomato relish was phenomenal. It was spicy (so much that I have a feeling some people would have taken issue, but I loved it), and the herbs and seasoning were fantastic. The peanut sauce was creamy and wonderful, as peanut sauce should be. The fries were lightly battered and well cooked (they were crisp and not soggy).

Perhaps the most astonishing part of the whole meal was the dessert. “Orange and Coco Nib “Ricotta” Cannoli with Dark Chocolate Sorbet”. It is always a pleasant surprise when there is any vegan option for dessert at a non-veg restaurant. Usually, though, it is sorbet or maybe a fruit crisp. In this case they went above and beyond and prepared a dessert that was superior to what I have found at some veg restaurants. Crisp cannoli shells were filled with a Grand Marnier and coco nib “ricotta” filling. They were served along with a scoop of dark chocolate sorbet (that was rich and awesome).The meal was one of the best I have had, and surpassed what I have had at several nicer veg restaurants. The whole pre-fix was very reasonably priced at about $35 for four courses (versus about the same price for a single fish entree).

The next night when we returned I decided to try and make a meal of the limited vegan options on the normal menu for the sake of mixing things up (none of the dishes on the vegan pre fix appear on the standard menu). The previous night my mom had had the pressed water melon salad as an appetizer (which was vegan and gluten free without modification). I had tried it and it was fantastic, with a chili dressing, onions and radish. I elected to get that, as well as the “vegan roll” (actual name on the menu) sushi roll and the tofu and tomato carpaccio (which I had to have them leave of some fish flakes that normally top it). The waiter also suggested a few dishes that could be done with grilled tofu instead of fish, but I went with the selections I had found on the menu.

This turned out not to have been the best choice, and I would have been better off, and much happier, ordering the same four courses from the night before.

The tofu and tomato carpaccio was the most disappointing. The tofu was fresh and creamy, but the tomato was terrible. It was just a crunchy, flavorless, grocery store type tomato. Not the sort of thing I would even serve on a burger, let alone as a main component to the dish. The dressing was a well spiced mustard dressing. The heart of palm dish from the vegan menu was certainly a superior dish.

The pressed watermelon salad was great, as the night before. Well presented, well put together, and delicious.

The “vegan roll” was, good, but only one step above your average veggie roll. I expected more from a restaurant of this level (especially what I had seen the night before). The roll included asparagus, avocado, and I can’t remember exactly what else. It was served with a tart fruit based (maybe Japanese plum) sauce. It wasn’t terrible, but even with the restaurant being just across the lobby from the hotel, I never considered running over to grab another.So, if you end up in Waikiki be sure to get dinner at Roy’s. Just be sure to order off the vegan menu. The wait staff were very friendly and accommodating, both of my veganness and in finding gluten free options for my mom. I’m not exactly sure how they would deal with a gluten free vegan, but I’m sure they would come up with something for you. They do stock gluten free tamari as well.

Portobello Vegan Trattoria

This trip I finally got a chance to try Portobello. I have heard great things about Portobello, but have never remembered to make a reservation in time when I have gone down (make a reservation, the few times we tried to stop in without one the wait was around three hours). The menu is primarily Italian inspired (it is a trattoria after all).

I had the seitan scallopini with brandy pan sauce, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and cream brussels sprouts. It was like a tasty, fancy thanksgiving dinner. The seitan was very well prepared, with a great texture and flavor. The yams were good, but unevenly cooked and a few were a little on the crunchy side.

We also ordered a pumpkin ravioli in a cashew cream sauce. It was good, but fairly small in size (we ordered the smaller size of the dish, which ended up being four raviolis).

For dessert we got the tiramisu. It was delicious, but honestly didn’t scream “tiramisu” at me. It was more like a really good white cake. It was really good though.

Over all the meal was good, the service was friendly, and the space charming. The portions were a little on the small side, and I wasn’t blown away. I’ll likely go back in the future, but it won’t be the top on my list next time I visit.

Hungry Tiger Too

Another stop this trip was Hungry Tiger Too. This dive bar (located conveniently just around the corner from Portland’s vegan mini mall) features a large vegan menu, but also serves meat. There is a dining room side that is open till 10pm, so you can bring the young ones too.

The menu is mostly bar or diner style food. On Wednesdays they have vegan corn dogs for $1.25 all night. Stop in and eat a few. They are good, but it appears that on Wednesday nights (as well as happy hour when they are $2) they skimp on the batter a little. If you go in and order the corn dog basket (two dogs and a big pile of tater tots) then you will get a fluffier, better coated dog. Either way though, the are pretty darn good, and you don’t often get a chance to order vegan corn dogs.

Also on the happy hour menu are tofuffalo wings (we had a hard time figuring out how to pronounce it too). For less than $4 you get a basket of fried tofu drenched in spicy buffalo sauce (also available BBQ for those not as keen on spice). The menu also features a range of breakfast items (served all day) as well as burgers, sandwiches, and more.

While this time we stuck to happy hour, I have had other things in the past and it has always been good. The service was also great both times we were in there.

Cartopia

No visit to Portland is complete without hitting a food cart or two. While there countless vegan options, one of the best spots is Cartopia at 12th & Hawthorne. This food cart pod features several carts (almost all of which are vegan friendly), covered picknic tables, and is open late (most carts open till about 3am on weekends). Vegan options there include vegan poutine (which I some how have yet to try), fried pies, crepes, pizza, and mexican.

We got a vegan crepe from Perrîera Crêperie. Filled with vegan cream cheese, spinach, pepitas, mole, roasted peppers, and more, it was good. A little on the pricy side for street food though at $8.

We finished with a fried pie from Whiffies Fried Pies. They offer a changing menu of savory and sweet pies. When we were there they had one vegan savory option and all their sweet options were vegan. We went with peanut butter and chocolate chip, and it was a very good decision.

Sweet Hereafter

The folks behind The Bye and Bye (Portland’s first all vegan bar, mentioned in my last post on Portland), have opened another bar in Belmont. Located just down the street from Avalon nickel arcade (a great way to waste a few hours), The Hereafter offers the same sort of slightly upscale vegan bar fair as Bye and Bye. The interior is charming, although dark. The focus is on the bar here, featuring 12 taps and a fairly large wine list (all vegan of course) and a selection of house cocktails. The bar is new. They don’t have a website or even a Facebook page, so I had to track down all the info on it via other blogs or review sites.

For food we got the buffalo sub. I’ve been on sort of a buffalo kick recently so I was excited. The sub is comprised of soy curls (one of my favorite proteins) along with some sort of miso “cheese” sauce, lettuce and tomato on an artisan baguette. I think this would have been a perfectly good sandwich had they not called it a “buffalo sub”. It was lacking any spice, and there wasn’t very much sauce on the soy curls. I think the salsa that came with the chips was spicier. If I had been given this sandwich with no explanation, I would have enjoyed it, but would never have picked up that it was supposed to be buffalo.

Their signature drink “The Hereafter” is an arnold palmer (tea and lemonade) with vodka and bourbon served in a mason jar. That is one of the larger size mason jars, so at $8 it wins for budget drink. I didn’t see anything else served in mason jars, which seemed a little odd.

Their drink menu also features some more sophisticated offerings, including ”The company daiquiri”. Their take on the classic daiquiri included apple pepper syrup, and apple bitters.

While the sub didn’t blow me away, I liked The Sweet Hereafter and will be back for sure.

Voodoo Donuts

Voodoo is at the center of every visit I make to Portland. I gave all the details in this post.

While Chinese may be a common option for vegans eating out, that is no reason not to make your favorites at home. Here is a great rendition of orange “chicken.” If you are looking for the neon orange, sickly sweet sauce found in grocery story delis, look elsewhere. If you are looking for some vegan Chinese that will make you reconsider dialing for take out, keep reading. I used Trader Joe’s Chickenless Strips for this (two eight ounce packages), but you can use any vegan meat you like, or tofu or seitan. Serve with steamed rice and whatever veggies you fancy.

Vegan Orange “Chicken”

1 lb vegan “chicken”, seitan, or tofu cut into bite size pieces.
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
water as needed (about ½-1 cup)

oil for frying, enough to fill a pot or wok with 1 inch of oil

Sauce
1 tablespoon ginger, minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more to taste)
3 green onions, sliced (about ¼ cup)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
6 Tbsp rice vinegar, divided
5 Tbsp soy sauce
5 Tbsp sugar
zest of 1 orange
juice of 2 oranges
1 Tbsp corn starch dissolved in ¼ cup water

Combine baking powder, salt, pepper, canola oil, cornstarch, and flour in a large bowl. Add enough water to make a smooth batter (should be thick enough to coat pieces, but should flow around the “chicken”). Toss the “chicken” pieces in batter to evenly coat.

Heat oil in deep fryer or a wok to 325°. Add the “chicken” pieces to the oil (one at a time) and fry in batches till golden brown, about 3-4 min. Remove from oil and drain on a plate covered with paper towels.

Combine 5 Tbsp rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, orange juice, and orange zest in small bowl and set aside. In wok over high heat, stir fry sesame oil, garlic, ginger, green onion, and 1 Tbsp rice vinegar until fragrant and slightly browned. Add the orange juice mixture and allow to boil. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens (should only take a couple min). Add the fried “chicken” pieces and toss to coat. Serve over rice or with vegetables.

I love tamales. While they can be labor intensive, they keep well, so enlist some friends and make a day of assembling some. The recipe below used one pound of fresh masa. I usually make much larger batches (5 lbs), so I suggest making more and scaling the recipe accordingly.

Cooked tamales keep in the fridge for several days and much longer in the freezer. They can be reheated in the steamer or they can be heated in a dry cast iron pan. Heat them over medium high heat until the husk is slightly blackened.

This time I made them with a green chile and cheese (this also was a perfect opportunity to try out the Daiya pepper jack flavor) filling, but the sky is the limit as far as fillings.  Black bean, mushroom, seitan mole, or your favorite veggie meat are all great options.

A note on masa: Always use fresh masa if you possibly can. If there is any Mexican population where you live, you should be able to find some at a latin market. Avoid using dry masa harina if possible. It will make a world of difference. Alton Brown has a recipe for making it from scratch here.

Tamales

Dried corn husks

1 lb fresh masa
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
Salt to taste (about 1 tsp, depending on the broth)
2/3 cup cool vegetable, mushroom, or other vegetarian broth

Filling

2-3 large, mild, green chiles (such as poblano), roasted, seeded and skinned, and diced. You can use canned as well.
1 package Daiya pepperjack

Place your corn husks in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Weight with a plate or pot lid and set aside while you prepare your dough.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine shortening and baking powder and beat until light and well combined. Add half the masa and mix to combine. Alternate adding the remaining masa and broth until you have a well mixed, light dough. Season with salt to taste and mix well to combine (remember this is all gluten free, so don’t worry about over mixing).

Drain the corn husks (they should be soft and pliable). Lay a corn husk in front of you and spread a few tablespoon of dough across the middle of the husk. The amount will depend on the size of the corn husks. Place a small amount of filling chiles and cheese in the center. The husk should be able to wrap around the dough and overlap. Tie the ends with strips of husk.

Steam the tamales for 45 min – an hour. The filling should be mostly set when they are done (it will completely set as it cools).

After writing my series on my last trip to Mexico I, of course, had Mexican food on the brain. Tamales have been on my to do list for some time. I have made them in the past, but they are kind of a large project. Because of the involved nature of tamales, I usually make a lot if I am going to make them. They freeze and reheat well, so you might as well stock up. I made both sweet and savory tamales. The savory recipe will come soon, but I am a little more excited about this one, so it is going up first.

Sweet tamales, or tamales de dulce, are common in Mexico. While you can certainly serve these as a dessert, they are often served along side the rest of the meal. This is my seasonal take on the classic idea. They pretty much are like solid pumpkin pie. I kept these pretty simple, but you could add rasins, currents or dried cranberries that have been plumped in water or apple juice to the dough. Some nuts would also work well. Serve plain or with your favorite vegan whipped topping.

A note on masa: Always use fresh masa if you possibly can. If there is any Mexican population where you live, you should be able to find some at a latin market. Avoid using dry masa harina if possible. It will make a world of difference. Alton Brown has a recipe for making it from scratch here.

Pumpkin Tamales

Dried corn husks

2 lbs fresh masa
1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (I used Spectrum shortening. You could also use buttery Earth Balance here too.)
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups pumpkin puree (Fresh if you can. I have directions on roasting pumpkin here.)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp mace
1 cup soy milk

Place your corn husks in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Weight with a plate or pot lid and set aside while you prepare your dough.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine shortening, baking powder, and sugar and beat until light and well combined. Add half the masa and the salt and mix to combine. Alternate adding the remaining masa and soy milk until you have a well mixed, light dough. Beat in pumpkin and spices and mix well to combine (remember this is all gluten free, so don’t worry about over mixing).

Drain the corn husks (they should be soft and pliable). Lay a corn husk in front of you and place a few tablespoons of dough into the center. The amount will depend on the size of the corn husks, but I used a small ice cream scoop. These are not being filled, so the dough doesn’t need to be spread across the husk. The husk should be able to wrap around the dough and overlap. Tie the ends with strips of husk.

Steam the tamales for 45 min – an hour. The filling should be mostly set when they are done (it will completely set as it cools).

I wrap up my series on Mexico with one more restaurant review and some extra pictures.

This trip, I found reference to a new(er) vegetarian restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. We didn’t get around to heading over and checking it out until our last day (in fact on our way to the airport). Boy, am I glad I did.

Mary’s Vegetarian Restaurant is located in the Centro district, which makes it less convenient to where I was staying, but closer to the airport and the hotel zone. Like Planeta, Mary’s is a buffet. The focus of the food here is more traditionally Mexican, and the majority of dishes were vegan. The buffet offered a range of dishes, including soy protein dishes, interesting vegetable dishes, soup, and drinks. The food was all delicious and it was very inexpensive.

Soy protein with green chiles.

Fried plantains and broccoli.

A soup featuring balls made from a type of pumpkin seed.

Of course, there were also some incredible salsas.

Mary’s is now at the top of my list for next time I make it down. The food was all wonderfully prepared, and the staff (including Mary herself) were very friendly and helpful.

Overall, I would say Puerto Vallarta is a great choice for a vegan looking to get away and increase your vitamin D stores. I’ve always been able to find great food to eat. Even as I have traveled into the smaller villages nearby, I have always been able to find food (the best falafel of my life was in a small surfing town north of Vallarta). A little Spanish will take you a long way, and people are generally very helpful and friendly.

I’m taking a break from any serious writing to spend some time in the kitchen so I can post some exciting new recipes later this month. For today, here is a roundup of some of my favorite recipes I posted over the last two Vegan MOFOs:

Vegan Salt Caramels

Vegan Mozzarella Sticks

Vegan Croissants

Chocolate Chestnut Tart

Daiya Mac and Cheese

Truffle Mac and Cheese

Vegan Toffee

New England Style Mushroom Chowder

Cheesecake with Earl Grey Salt Caramel Sauce

You can view all my previous MoFo posts by clicking on the appropriate tags in the cloud to the right, or you can view all my recipes here.

There are few pleasures as great as a fresh coconut enjoyed in its natural habitat. I actually kind of spaced out on that this trip until the last few days and ended up on a massive coconut water binge.

And we continue on to part 4 of my series on vegan eating in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

My father taking off on a zip line

One of the non-food highlights of this trip actually involved getting away from the beach and heading up river (The Rio Cuale runs from the mountains through Vallarta to the ocean) into the mountains for a zip line tour. There are several zip line tours around the area but Canopy River was recommended to my parents, and several members of the family that run it live in their neighborhood. The tour consisted of about 10 lines criss crossing through the jungle over a river valley. The highest line was almost 200mi above the ground and the longest was almost half a mile in length. The views were spectacular and the guides were charming and funny. The tour started and ended at a beautiful location featuring a restaurant (where we had chips and guacamole) and a tequila tour.

On a previous trip upriver we had stopped at a roadside restaurant and were able to cobble together a decent meal of whole beans, steamed veggies, guacamole, chips, and tortillas.

Every time I head down to visit I always check Happy Cow to see if anything new has popped up. This time I found a recommendation for a restaurant called Red Cabbage, billed as being a “haven for vegetarians” or something like that for the reviewer, and it was listed as vegan friendly. It turned out we walked past it every time we walked into town from my parents’ neighborhood.

Red Cabbage is tucked away on the edge of the Romantica district of Puerto Vallarta. It has a cozy, artsy vibe, and features a Frida Kahlo theme. The ambiance, and ordering at a restaurant rather than a buffet like the other vegetarian places was a welcome change.

Red Cabbage is not all vegetarian, but does offer a small vegetarian section to their menu. Of that there were only two or three vegan options. We ended up ordering black bean soup, potato tacos with mole, and guacamole.

The black bean soup wasn't bad, but was in no way remarkable.

The mole was in a little side dish, which is hiding at the back of this picture.

The highlight of the meal was certainly the mole. The tacos where not particularly impressive, being filled with what appeared to be instant potatoes, but the mole was outstanding, and the tortillas were above average as well. If I was to end up there again, I would likely just order tortillas and dish of mole. Over all, if your time is limited, it isn’t worth a special trip over.

A short (and inexpensive) water taxi ride across the bay from Puerto Vallarta is Yalapa, a small village with beautiful scenery. Nothing notable on the food front though, but I still recommend a trip over.

And we continue with my series on vegan eating in Jalisco, Mexico.

As I mentioned previously, Vallarta boasts two all vegetarian (and both are largely vegan) restaurants. The older of the two sits in the heart of the Viejo Vallarta (Old Vallarta) district. Planeta Vegetariano is tucked away just around the corner from the main cathedral in Puerto Vallarta (Our Lady of Guadalupe, I believe).

Planeta Vegetariano serves up three meals a day of vegetarian goodness. Served buffet style (and all you can eat, score!), a rotating menu of dishes are offered, featuring a mixture of traditional Mexican dishes  (gluten menudo or soya fajitas anyone?) and Asian inspired dishes made with soy protein or gluten. Typically you will find a soup, three to four entrees, and an always present assortment of beans and rice. Occasionally, one or more of the entrees will contain some cheese or some other dairy, but it will almost always be marked on the sign for the dish (and often a creamy looking soup will be labeled as “dairy free” if it is vegan). The staff is very friendly, but mostly doesn’t speak a great deal of English, so it helps if you can use a little Spanish to ask what has dairy in it (but some of the staff know what vegan means, and will point out what is safe).

The food is always delicious, filling, and plentiful.

The buffet is easy on the wallet (coming in at less than $8 usd) and includes drinks, ranging from healthy green juice concoctions to sweet agua frescas. In addition to the hot entrees, there is also an impressive salad bar featuring fresh and pickled vegetables. Dessert is also included. You will have to do some asking to find out if it is vegan though. We were quite pleasantly surprised when we decided to ask if the cake they walked out with one evening had eggs, butter or dairy in it, and it was in fact vegan. Although I didn’t make it to the breakfast buffet on this trip, they do a lovely spread featuring vegan pancakes, tofu scramble, chilaquiles, oatmeal, and fruit.