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.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Nongshim Soon Veggie Noodle Soup
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Vegan Thanksgiving 2019
For desert my pumpkin pie was topped with So Delicious Coco Whip. This was some awesome home-made pie! I'm not sharing the recipe. Sorry. Something this good needs to be a secret.
This is my first time trying the non-dairy Coco Whip. I had no idea it even existed until recently. It was a perfect addition to my amazingly delicious pumpkin pie. If you want to look for this whipped topping in stores, here's what the package looks like. This stuff is great!
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Ener-G Stuffing Gluten-free Traditional Stuffing
I made it mostly as directed. I went heavy on the seasonings. This was so good I forgot it was gluten-free. Most gluten-free products have a weird texture. This was just like the home-made stuffing Granny makes for Thanksgiving. And yes, this is all there was for this meal. No turkey for vegans.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Another Veggie Delight at Subway
Saturday, November 23, 2019
A Snack at Gadsden Variety and Cafe in Gadsden AL
Monday, November 18, 2019
Bagel & Lox From Hippea Camper In Huntsville AL
Bagel & Lox from Hippea Camper in Huntsville AL |
Click here to see the Hippea Camper website
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Kombucha Flight at Rosetta's Kitchen in Asheville NC
Every one of these were excellent with very noticeable individual differences. Kombucha isn't for everyone, but I like it. If you've never tried it, you should. But be prepared. It can be intense.
It pays to be kind and patient with each other. Don't be like those grumpy people. If you're in a bad mood, don't spread it around. We are all one big family. Just be nice to people. Fake a smile until it's real. Have a kombucha and chill out a while.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Tacos At Rosetta's Kitchen In Asheville NC
Bean Taco Minus Cheese At Taco Bell
Taco Bell does have several options for vegans, and we really do appreciate their efforts to offer us something we can eat. The food tastes pretty good, even without meat and cheese. Try the Bean Taco minus cheese, Bean Burrito minus cheese, the Spicy Tostada minus chipotle sauce and cheese, a side of Black Beans or Refried Beans, Chips and Pico De Gallo, and Cinnamon Twists. You can try to order a custom nacho plate, but that's really pushing it. At some point, changing the order that much is not even worth the effort or the price. Keep it simple at Taco Bell. They don't have time for your complicated order.
The main thing to remember is that the employees must throw this food together as quickly as possible, so the kitchen could be a mess with little bits of cheese or meat scattered across everything. You will often find cheese melted into the beans, meat stuck to the bottom of your Tostada shell or on the burrito tortilla, cheese mixed into the lettuce and pico de gallo, or worse, chunks of meat in the beans. I'm not picking on Taco Bell. All fast food is like this. But I still go to Taco Bell. I've been a regular customer for decades, and I've seen it all. I'm just giving you the truth. Vegans can enjoy food at Taco Bell, but we need to keep it very simple and inspect the food before eating.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Home-made Vegan Taco Casserole
She said this dish is good for beginner vegans to take to vegan potlucks because it's so cheap and easy to make. Everyone loves casseroles!
Monday, November 4, 2019
Veggie Wrap at Osa's Garden in Florence AL
Veggie Wrap at Osa's Garden in Florence AL |
This monster-sized wrap was perfect in every way. It was so big I had to take half with me. The ingredients were fresh and chunky. This was made with real food from the earth. Vegans don't have many choices in Florence AL, but this is an excellent one. The price almost scared me away, but this gave me 2 satisfying meals. I enjoyed every bite.
Osa's Garden is on the north side of Highway 72, just east of Florence. It's easy to miss, but it's worth finding.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
A Vegan Breakfast at Honest Coffee Roasters in Huntsville AL
Daybreak Bagel at Honest Coffee Roasters in Huntsville AL |
This was excellent! Everything about this breakfast was perfect. The Daybreak Bagel is a blueberry bagel topped with almond butter, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, and chia seeds. I will definitely be back for more of this!
Click here to see the Honest Coffee Roasters website
Friday, November 1, 2019
A Vegan Lunch at BurgerFi in Montgomery AL
According to the website, the Vegan Beyond Burger and fries are the only vegan items on the menu. That is what I ordered.
The Vegan Beyond Burger came with lettuce, tomato, mustard, and ketchup. The manager said the burger is cooked separately from the meats. The burger looked and felt just like a beef burger. The taste was very mild, and it didn't really taste like beef. But that's good for me. Vegan food that tastes too much like real meat scares me. This was a pretty good plant-based burger.
The fries were nice and crisp on the outside. The serving size was larger than I expected. I was told the fries have their own frying oil, which is peanut oil.
I was pleased with my vegan meal at BurgerFi, however this meal was quite expensive. It was about $20 with a drink. While it was all very good, my opinion is that it was a bit overpriced. I would like to return, but the price will scare me away on most days. I'll reserve this for special craving days.
At BurgerFi, lacto-ovo vegetarians have the option to order the regular Beyond Burger (it comes with mayonnaise and a white bun), the VegiFi Burger (a veggie patty made with eggs and milk and served with mayonnaise), and onion rings (made with milk).
Click here to see the BurgerFi website
Fresh Gourmet Crispy Jalapenos
Fresh Gourmet Crispy Jalapenos make a good vegan snack and taste good on salads. And they're non-GMO!