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.
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Buddha's Feast at P.F.Chang's
Click here to see P.F.Chang's website
Vegan Orzo Pasta
Cashew Coconut Cupcake at Graze in Nashville TN
I was told by the staff that this was made by The Moody Foodie, a vegan bakery in Nashville.
Click here to see the Graze website
Monday, January 28, 2019
Vegan Pepper Steak with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, and Bread
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Home-made Curried Potatoes and Peas
Beyond Meat Beyond Beef Crumbles
I cooked some of this in a skillet with Dale's sauce and put it on a sour dough hoagie bun. This was similar to a Po Boy or Sloppy Joe. I made vegan slaw as a side item. This was really good! This is a product I will be buying again. I'm sure this will make a great "meaty" spaghetti like the one on the package.
Vegan Liquid Part 1
Liquid Vegan Part 1
This blog entry highlights some of the many vegan beverage options. I just picked some of my own favorites. These drinks do not contain blood, pus, or bee vomit. Drink up!Coffee at Panera Bread |
Alo Crisp Aloe Vera Water |
Silk Very Vanilla Soymilk |
Kevita Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic |
Hanson's Cola |
Bojangle's Tea with extra lemon |
Sweet Greens from Juice Bar in Huntsville AL |
Milo's Sweet Tea |
Spice Of Life juice at Graze in Nashville TN |
Panera Bread sweet tea and green tea mix in Cullman AL |
Martinelli's Apple Juice |
Teavana Shaken Iced Passion Tango Tea from Starbucks |
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
A Snack at El Olmeca in Huntsville AL
Vegan Hot Dogs With Peppers
Monday, January 21, 2019
Late July Jalapeno Lime Tortilla Chips
Maya Kaimal Everyday Dal
This tastes like a hearty vegetable soup with more exotic flavors. This product is mild enough for the young and old, but it still has the nice spices I would expect from a mild Indian dish. The kidney beans, carrot, and tamarind give it a slight sweetness. This was very good. I ate mine with Sprouts Tandoori Naan. This ws another good vegan meal.
Friday, January 18, 2019
Roots Spinach Hummus
Home-made Guacamole Salad with Beans and Rice
Big Sir Breakfast Burrito by Sweet Earth
A Vegan Pizza at Your Pie in Birmingham AL
This was a clean restaurant with good service at the time of my visit. I was surprised to see they have vegan meat and cheese. They have plenty of other toppings for omnivores. The crew behind the counter casually made the food at a slower pace than other places, but that's probably why the restaurant was so clean and organized. Some places are in such a rush that they make a mess of the makeline. This slower pace let the crew keep things nice and neat. I appreciate mindful food building. This meal was excellent! They did accidentally give me a piece of green pepper, but it's okay. It's all vegan!
Your Pie restaurants can presently be found in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee, but I expect more locations in the future.
Click here to see the Your Pie website
Saturday, January 12, 2019
A Great Breakfast at Panera Bread
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Buffalo Tempeh Strips at The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant in Nashville TN
Like everything else at The Wild Cow, this was very good. The tempeh was mostly firm and chunky with a noticeable skillet fried char flavor. The Buffalo sauce tasted like a typical vinegar based hot sauce with a little bit of oiliness. The carrots and celery were as good as expected. The vegan ranch dipping sauce was amazing and enhanced the flavor of each stick perfectly. The ranch was the highlight of this plate. It brought everything together.
The tempeh's dirtier flavor was balance with the fresh, clean flavors of the veggie sticks and the light, refreshing ranch sauce. This is a great choice for anyone. I may order this again.
Click here for The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant website
Plant Snacks Vegan Cheddar
Oreo Cookies
Vegan Rob's Jackfruit Puffs
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Veggie Burger at The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant in Nashville TN
I ordered the Veggie Burger which is described as a "house made black bean patty with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and veganaise, served on a whole wheat bun". It comes with a choice of one side item. I chose the Vegan Queso Dip and Chips.
The patty itself was soft inside and firm outside, much like a pot of refried beans after cooling. The patty includes some whole black beans and other chunks to give it a nice mouthfeel. The flavor wasn't what I expected, but it was pretty good. It was pleasantly beany with a charred smokiness like that of skillet fried foods found at greasy spoon type roadside cafes. It wasn't as clean and natural as I expected it to be, but once I realized what the deal was with it I enjoyed it very much. Meat eaters would like this choice becuase it is a bit dirtier in flavor. The toppings and bun were all perfect. They did forget to include the Vegenaise, but it was great without it. I may order it again in the future.
The queso was excellent. The texture was a little bit slimy, but the taste was perfect. The chips were also perfect.
This was another great meal at The Wild Cow. I will return soon!
Click here for The Wild Cow Vegetarian Restaurant website
Lilly's Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Things I Found In My Vegan Food Part 1
mystery meat in the grilled veggies at Zoe's Kitchen |
dozens of live rice weevils in Earth Fare bulk rice |
mystery meat at Whole Foods burrito bar |
disgusting body fluid on falafel at Zoe's Kitchen |
a fortune in the tea at P.F. Chang's |
meat hiding under a Tostada at Taco Bell |
Cali Bowl at Fire & Spice TexMex Smokehouse in Huntsville AL
Cali Bowl at Fire & Spice TexMex Smokehouse in Huntsville AL |
The
Cali Bowl is made with layers of rice, pinto beans, roasted onions and
peppers, corn salsa, cilantro, hot sauce, and guacamole. Everything
about this was excellent! The seasoned rice and corn salsa really got my
attention. This meal was not cheap. I paid about $15 plus a good tip
for this meal. That's way too much money for the average beans, rice,
and veggie bowl with tea. But this was not average! It tasted like real
food made with fresh ingredients by people who actually care. Real food
does have a price, and I'll pay that price when I can. It was worth what
I paid, but I will need to save this kind of spending for special
occasions. The Cali Bowl is a large bowl of food, so it could easily
make two meals.
During this visit the large crowd
was unusually quiet. The classic pop music was playing at a reasonable
sound level. It was peaceful and comfortable even with a full house. The
service was friendly enough and fast enough.This was another great lunch at Fire & Spice!
UPDATE: I returned to Fire & Spice for another awesome meal. I have more details on the food. All fried foods share the same oil, so the tortilla chips and fried cauliflower may not be considered acceptable for very strict vegans. That explains why I thought the chips tasted kind of dirty during my first visit. The sauteed veggies are cooked on the flat top grill, but they do have a separate area for the veggies. This may still not be acceptable for strict vegans, because it is the same grill with possibilities for cross contamination. The vegan burritos and quesadillas are toasted on the same flat top grill.
On my latest visit, I had a friendly discussion with a server and a member of management just for clarity. They are very familiar with food restrictions. They went over the menu and helped me understand how things are done in the kitchen. For my recent meal they gladly made it "allergy style. They used a clean pan for the sauteed veggies and to toast my burrito. They made it their mission to make it right. The service and food were excellent. It was the best food I've had in months! I will surely return!