Welcome to Monk Island, a food blog with a new perspective. This blog documents my experiences as a roaming vegan with limited time, money, and resources. I search the land for simple, plant-based meals for one person, and I share those here with you. This blog is for herbivores on the go who don't live in the kitchen, don't have a kitchen, or don't have a home. No politics or extremist rants. Just peace, respect, and veggies.
Friday, September 28, 2018
Earth Fare Hot Bar Lunch Plate
One thing I like about Earth Fare is that they have complimentary tea, coffee, and water.
A Vegan Meal at Rock N Roll Sushi
Rock N Roll Sushi has locations throughout the mid-south. They have a rock music and sushi theme. The menu covers are old classic rock album covers. Rock posters and vinyl records decorate the walls. New and classic rock is played with music videos shown in multiple locations in the restaurant. Rock N Roll Sushi has plenty of food for the omnivores and a few good options for herbivores. Check out the link for more information.
Click here to see the Rock N Roll Sushi menu
Ben & Jerry's Non-Dairy PB & Cookies
Starlite Cuisine Cream Sauce Enchiladas
Potato Leek Soup at I Love Juice Bar
Click here to see the I Love Juice Bar website
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Vegan Moroccan Plate at Whole Foods
This plate had some really nicely spiced foods. It included :
Green Chili Black Beans
Curry Rice
Sas Hanout Potatoes
Caraway Cabage
Grilled Asparagus
Taco Bell Bean Burrito With No Cheese
Taco Bell can be a good place to eat healthy foods while maintaining a tight food budget. Just go for the simple foods like the bean burrito with no cheese, the tostada minus cheese and chipotle sauce, and the taco with beans instead of meat minus cheese.
www.tacobell.com
Monday, September 24, 2018
Beyond Meat Southwest Style Beyond Chicken Strips
My first impression is that the cooking process really made my environment smell like home. It has that real chicken smell that always lingered in places I felt most comfortable as a child. Once I wrapped it up and started to eat, my mouth had flashbacks of a time when it experienced real chicken meat. It was almost too real. I gave up chicken long ago with no desire to go back, so this was weird for me. The flavor and texture brought back the sensory memories of chicken, so I assume it does taste like real chicken. However, I remember real chicken being very greasy and sticky, and this product was not at all greasy or sticky. It had a nice clean mouthfeel and was almost too dry. The dressing made it just right. Some vegan foods are bland and taste like plant protein. This is not one of those products. Beyond Meat tastes like real food. It was actually very good.
My conclusion is that Beyond Meat has a winner here. I'm not really sure how else I would use it, but I liked it in my wrap. I suppose it would be good on a salad. This product is very good considering it's a meat substitute. Omnivores will surely like this product and may not even notice a difference. This is absolutely worth at try if you like or once liked chicken.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Home-made Vegan Deep Dish Pizza
Icehouse
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Harvest Snaps Green Pea Snack Crisps, Black Pepper
Dan Dan Noodles at Mei Wei Asian Bistro in Huntsville AL
Dan Dan Noodles at Mei Wei Asian Bistro in Huntsville AL |
UPDATE: I went to the other Mei Wei in Huntsville, my favorite one near downtown, and I ordered this exactly the same way from the vegan menu except I added tofu. The vegan menu didn't say to substitute the egg noodles, and the regular menu description said "egg noodles", so I asked about it. I was told they will substitute the egg noodles for rice noodles and omit the chicken seasoning to make it vegan. After my questions, she said they should probably get a new vegan menu. I sat down to wait for the vegan Dan Dan Noodles and the lady who took my order came out to said THEY COULD NOT MAKE THIS DISH VEGAN. So I changed my order to the vegan Singapore Noodles and sat there wondering what they have been feeding me. The replacement dish was good, but I found little greasy crusty things in my food. Was it chicken? Maybe it was egg. I have no idea! They probably used a dirty wok.
What are they feeding the vegans at Mei Wei? Is the food vegan or not? I now have no idea. I really want to love Mei Wei. I just can't trust them. The vegan menu has an egg noodle dish on it. They have oyster sauce in the food listed on the vegan menu but say they leave it out. Mei Wei could be such an awesome place for vegans, but they need a vegan audit. My conclusion is that Mei Wei is a great place to eat delicious Asian food, but vegans should not trust that the vegan food is vegan.
Click here to see the Mei Wei website
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Roasted Veggie Masala Bowl at The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant in Nashville TN
The Roasted Veggie Masala Bowl had familiar Indian flavors but without all the oil that I've experienced at Indian restaurants. This was a cleaner, fresher Masala bowl. The bold spices were held back just enough to let the veggies shine equally with flavor. Those veggie chucks are bit-size chunks of onion, bell pepper, okra, and eggplant.
I also got a small side of the vegetable medley. It was cooked until soft. The flavors melted over my tongue. It was as comforting as a big hug from Mother Earth if that could even be possible.
As always, this Wild Cow meal was excellent! During this visit it was very crowded and the post-punk music was a bit too loud. The restaurant has many concrete surfaces, and sound really echos in there. The food and great service make it worth it. I always enjoy the food, and I feel like I'm with friends. Everyone should visit The Wild Cow in Nashville TN.
Click here for The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant website
Friday, September 7, 2018
Vegan Swamp Snack
Thursday, September 6, 2018
A Vegan Lunch at Legends Steak House in Shelbyville TN
I knew they probably don't get many vegan weirdos coming into their small town steakhouse so I made it very clear what I wanted. Using the V word in Shelbyville could lead to confusion or misunderstanding. I ordered "a baked potato with absolutely nothing on it...no butter or anything, just a plain baked potato, and steamed broccoli with nothing on it....just plain broccoli with no butter, and a sweet potato, also plain with absolutely nothing on it" and a sweet tea with lemon.
I couldn't tell if the cooking process was 100% vegan. I did see some brown residue on the bottom of the potato. It could have been caramelized oil or meat juice. I avoided that part just in case. The food was great! Both potatoes and the broccoli tasted fresh and were perfectly cooked. The tea was very good. With a few shakes of salt and pepper, this was an excellent meal.
Legends has several locations in Middle Tennessee. This Shelbyville TN location is very nice. The interior has brick, iron, and wood details that gives it a slightly formal but cozy environment. It was nice and quiet at the time of my visit. The dining area and restroom were clean. The service was very slow. Every part of my visit was slow, but I wasn't in a rush. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a good meal and has time to take it slowly. Meat eaters and vegans can find something to eat at Legends!
Another Lunch at Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL
Cauliflower Bisque at Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL |
This is very creamy, thick, and flavorful with interesting spices. I really liked this, but I should have chosen the cup instead of the bowl. With flavor this rich, I was satisfied about halfway through it. I would definitely order this again, just not so much of it.
I then had some Sweet Potato Chips. These were crispy and light, but heavier, like kettle chips. These were great. Not too salty, but lots of flavor!
Sweet Potato Chips at Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL |
And how could I not get a vegan cup cake for later? I chose the perfectly named Chocolate Heaven. Oh. This was so good!
Chocolate Heaven cupcake at Mason Dixon Bakery in Huntsville AL |
This was a good lunch. I will return!
Click here to see the Mason Dixon Bakery website
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Daiya Supreme Pizza
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Amy's Veggie Loaf Meal, Light in Sodium
I buy this every once in a while. I like the regular meal better than this low sodium version, but this was still good. The flavors and textures were mild and clean. The centerpiece of the meal is the loaf . It's not really an imitation meat loaf. It's more like a soft veggie burger loaf with chunks of peas and carrots inside. The gravy provided a nice mushroom flavor and moisture to make this meal more like a home-cooked meal.
Click here to see the Amy's Kitchen website
The mild flavors and soft textures are great for younger and older people and perhaps those healing from surgery or dealing with health issues. This is not my favorite Amy's meal, but sometimes I do get a craving for it. It's good vegan food. Amy's has another winner here!
Monday, September 3, 2018
Pacific Cashew Carrot Ginger Soup
Pacific Cashew Carrot Ginger Soup has a creamy, smooth texture and a rich, spicy flavor with just enough sweetness from the carrot. It doesn't have the sharp ginger tingle that would be expected. It's a mild tingle that young and old can enjoy. It awakens the tongue without being offensive. This is a thick broth, but it's thin enough to drink from a cup. The flavor is just amazing! And it's vegan!
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Gardein Home Style Beefless Tips
I decided to use it just like I would use beef. I stir fried it with onions and green peppers and tossed it over some rice.
To made this dish I used the Gardein Homestyle Beefless Tips, onions, bell pepper, olive oil, soy sauce, non-GMO corn starch, water, and black pepper. I cooked the onions and peppers a few minutes first, then added the Beefless Tips and cooked as directed.
I must admit this was really good. It looks and cooks just like beef. It has a nice beefy flavor, but I wouldn't say it tastes like beef. It has a taste of its own that has the essence of beef. Beefless Tips have a smoother, softer texture and cleaner mouthfeel that is equally satisfying as dead cow muscles. This product will not fool omnivores, but it's good for opening up meal options for herbivores. While this isn't really my kind of thing, this is another great plant-based product from Gardein. I plan to use the remaining portion for a vegan beef and broccoli meal. I can imagine this would also make good fajitas.