Home-made Vegan Stew

Home-made vegan stew is very easy and inexpensive to make. But it could take a couple hours to make it right. This is a good way to finish off left-over veggies. To save time, this can be cooking on low heat while other short chores are being performed around the house or campsite. This meal was unexpectedly satisfying and filling.

To make this hearty vegan stew, I added the following ingredients to filtered water, adding and cooking them in this order on low to medium heat:

Chopped carrot

Chopped onion

Chopped potatoes

Thyme 

Crushed black pepper

Seasoning salt

Marmite

Garlic Powder

More chopped onion

Cabbage

Left-over canned peas and carrots

Earth Balance

Vegan Shepherd's Pie Using Coleman's Full Of Flavour Shepherd's Pie Mix

I found this Coleman's Full Of Flavour Shepherd's Pie Mix in the international section of a local supermarket. It's vegan, so making vegan Shepherd's Pie is easily done by leaving out the mince and making the mash with almond milk and Earth Balance Buttery Spread instead of milk and butter. The recipe is on the back of the package. I used canned peas and carrots as a shortcut.

I had to convert a few things to get the recipe right, but it actually worked.  Here's what mine looked like.

This was excellent in every way. The Coleman's mix made it so easy and delicious. This was the best Shepherd's Pie I've had. And I proudly made it myself. I do give Coleman's most of the credit.

This was an inexpensive meal to prepare. Unfortunately this did require a good bit of time in the kitchen with plenty of clean-up. Next time I'll use a deeper baking pan to make the layers thicker.

Vegan Cocktail; Tropical Spiced Tea

Tropical Spiced Tea is easy to make. Just get a glass of iced tea and spike it with Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, then add a splash of lemon juice.

A Vegan Brunch At Gold Sprint Coffee In Huntsville AL

I stopped in at Gold Sprint Coffee to try something new. This coffee house has a mild cycling theme, and it's located just steps from Lowe Mill. I was told they had a few vegan options.

Upon arrival I told them I'd like to try something vegan. I was given several options, and the most interesting coffee option was the El Camino. I chose the Garden Flatbread Sandwich. They hooked me up with the good stuff!

El Camino
This is described as "our take on a Mexican mocha, the El Camino is a double shot of espresso, house-made mocha and house-made habanero syrup, steamed milk and topped with cinnamon". I had mine with oat milk to make it vegan. It was absolutely beautiful and delicious all the way to the end. The habanero syrup gave my tongue a slight tingle. Excellent in every way! I may not ever try the other drinks. This is my drink!

Garden Flatbread Sandwich
This sandwich was not on the menu. I was told about it. It must be a secret sandwich. This seemed to be made with flatbread, hydroponic lettuce, hummus, and tomato. They said it was vegan. It came with a side of grapes. This was a harmonious blend of flavors and textures. The grapes went very well with the sandwich. Everything was clean and fresh. It was perfect in every way. The serving size was perfect for a brunch.

 

My first visit to Gold Sprint Coffee was great. I really enjoyed everything I ordered. The service was friendly and helpful. The interior was clean and decorated with slightly industrial furniture. Large glass windows provided a good view of the changing neighborhood. The dishes looked like Grandma's good dishes. The atmosphere seemed youthful, professional, casual, and slightly weird.

 

UPDATE: I returned later for another amazing El Camino, this time to-go. Again, the coffee was great. The service on my second visit was not at all friendly. I was barely greeted and was not thanked. I don't remember seeing a single smile. A crowd of bitter-faced posers inside created a pretentious vibe that just wasn't for me. Maybe it's just different on the weekends. I don't know. The perceived value was greatly diminished by my second experience. I do plan to return with the hopes that a more positive and enlightened crowd will be there.

Click here to see the Gold Sprint website 

Peeled Snacks Peas Please

I discovered this vegan non-GMO snack at the dollar store. These are actually very good. What a great find!

More Vegan Christmas Hors d’oeuvres

I made these with Milton's Multigrain Crackers, Treeline Herb Garlic cream cheese alternative, and orange and green bell pepper chunks.

Home-made Vegan Chili With Rice

I enjoyed my Christmas Eve with a warm bowl of chili and rice. 

My pot of chili was made with two cans of pinto beans, a can of Rotel, about a quarter of a bell pepper, Adobo paste, a tiny bit of Marmite, chili powder, plenty of cumin, and salt.

A Vegan Loaded Potato From Get Loaded Food Truck In Huntsville AL

I had the opportunity to try another food truck in Huntsville AL. Get Loaded has vegan options!

When I approached the truck and read the menu I assumed there was nothing for me. But I saw they make potatoes and they have veggie toppings. I asked if there was any way they could throw something vegan together for me. They suggested a potato with all the veggies and with corn salsa but without sour cream, butter, cheese, or dressing. I thought that would be worth a try.

Vegan Loaded Potato from Get Loaded in Huntsville AL

My order was done in only about one minute. I was surprised to see this amazing mountain of fresh vegan favorites. There was a potato under there. You just can't see it. This included a baked potato, black beans, green bell pepper, tomato, red onion, black olives, corn, garlic, and jalapeno pepper.

This may have been the best veggie potato I've ever had. It was absolutely loaded with fresh, healthy toppings. The potato was perfectly cooked. The beautiful colors got some attention. People around me started asking about it. This was enough food to have 2 generous meals, so I ate half and had leftovers for later.

Vegans do have options at Get Loaded. This potato was clearly a winner. Vegetarians who eat dairy foods can get the Loaded Veggie Potato, Loaded Veggie Nachos, and Loaded Veggie Fry Bread right from the menu. And omnivores will love Get Loaded. I saw some of the other foods coming out of the food truck. It all looked awesome.

This was a great experience. I now have another food truck option in Huntsville AL.

Click here to see the Get Loaded Facebook page 

Peppery Vegan Christmas Hors d'oeuves

This is Milton's Multigrain Crackers with Treeline Herb Garlic cream cheese alternative with cracked pepper and pimientos. The cracked pepper gets the party started. The cool pimientos and cream cheese alternative keep things from getting too crazy. Unfortunately, this was a Christmas party for one because of the COVID-19 epidemic.  Things didn't get crazy at all.

Home-made Vegan Black Beans And Yellow Rice

The yellow saffron rice was made with Mahatma Yellow Rice, but I added diced onions, pimientos, olive oil, and garlic salt.

The beans were canned Simple Truth Spicy Black Beans. I added onions and olive oil. I mashed them up and cooked them until they were thick and dry like refried beans.

I garnished this plate with diced jalapeno and fresh cilantro, which is surprisingly still growing the organic garden in the back yard.

The cost of making this was very low, and the taste was excellent. Cooking time was about 45 minutes.

Vegans, be careful. Many saffron rices are seasoned with chicken fat. Another similar Mahatma product is not vegan. Also, canned black beans could be seasoned with pork. Always read the ingredients.

Home-made Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

I found a simple recipe for chickpea salad. I believe it's designed to be used as a tuna salad substitute. Because I've never had tuna salad, I can't compare the two. This tasted like a tangy, spiced up garbanzo bean salad. The pickles made this a real meal. I added alfalfa sprouts just because I had them. The hotdog buns were vegan. This is not really my kind of thing, but it was good.

Home-made Vegan Yorkshire Pudding WIth Vegan Onion Gravy

This is another attempt to create a more perfect Yorkshire Pudding using only common vegan ingredients. It's difficult to get the right lift without eggs and milk, but I believe I'm very close to getting it right. I'll gladly continue practicing.

This Yorkshire Pudding is very much like fluffy American breakfast biscuits, except these have really nice crunchy bottoms where the oil fries them in the muffin pan as they bake. The insides are airy and fluffy. The tops are almost flaky. Traditionally, Yorkshire Pudding is served as a side with meat-based dinners. The meat gravy is poured over or around it just like American biscuits and gravy. I used onion gravy on my vegan version.

If you want to give it a try, here's how I did it.

Vegan Onion Gravy

I can't give exact measurements for this gravy because I didn't keep notes, and I was cooking freestyle. I cooked about a quarter of a white onion in a skillet on medium heat with oil and water until it was a soggy mess. I transferred it to a pot and added almond milk, miso paste, about one teaspoon of Marmite, plenty of crushed black pepper, and small amount of Earth Balance Buttery Spread. I adjusted the ingredients and added water as needed. It simmered on medium heat for about two hours, maybe longer. 

Vegan Yorkshire Pudding

I preheated the oven to 430 degrees Fahrenheit. I mixed 2 cups of all-purpose flour with a teaspoon and a half of sea salt, one teaspoon of egg replacement powder, and a tablespoon of baking powder. I mixed in 2 cups of almond milk and created what looked like pancake batter. I poured about a tablespoon and a half of oil into each space of a muffin pan. I heated the oil and pan in the oven until I heard the oil popping and crackling. I carefully removed the pan with oil and poured the batter right into the bubbling hot oil, almost to the top of each muffin pan space. Oil ran over the sides a bit, but that was expected. I put all of it in the oven for about 18 minutes trying not to peek into the oven. I let them cool for about 10 minutes. The oil made it easy to remove these with just a twist.

I would like to mention that I'm American, and I've been an herbivore for decades. I have never eaten real authentic Yorkshire Pudding. I honestly have no idea how far off I am with this recipe. All I can say is this was very satisfying. I seriously doubt that adding animal ingredient would greatly improve this recipe.

Home-made Black Bean Burritos

I made these myself using canned black beans, alfalfa sprouts, Roma tomato chunks, and skillet fried onions. Easy, cheap, tasty, vegan!

Vegan Hors d'oeuvres For One

It's 2020. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic I am unable to go out to holiday parties and share my love for vegan food with like-minded people. I decided to make party food and eat it alone in a cold dark house.

This is Back To Nature Stoneground Wheat Crackers topped with Kite Hill Plain Cream Cheese Alternative with a sprinkle of dill weed and a few shreds of carrot.

Sweet Earth Veggie Lovers Pizza

Sweet Earth Veggie Lovers Pizza is another great option for vegans. This is one of my top choices for vegan pizza. It's loaded with all kinds of garden favorites; broccoli, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, onions, tomatoes, and garlic. It also have vegan "cheese". The crust is one of the best frozen pizza crusts out there. This was good! Really good!

Vegans, be careful. This Sweet Earth pizza is vegan, but the other Sweet Earth pizzas have real cheese on them.

Gardein Turk'y Cutlets

The Turk'y Cutlets with gravy is possibly my favorite Gardein product. This is amazing! I ate it with home-made mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans. I don't remember real turkey ever tasting this good. Vegans are missing out on nothing!

Click here to see the Gardein website

A Fruit Bowl From Publix

Primal Spirit Vegan Jerky, Hot & Spicy

Someone gave me a vegan jerky. Even in my omnivorous days, I've never been into jerky of any kind. But I'm always seeking new foods to try. I had no reason not to try this.

My first impression was that it had a weird appearance. It almost looked like chocolate, Laffy Taffy, or a dog treat. But the flavor was surprisingly good for such an odd looking product. It was not as hot and spicy as I would expect. It was chewy like most wheat protein, and there was a dominant mushroom flavor. I actually liked this product. It was a slightly addictive. This would be a great snack for bike rides, hiking, and camping. I'll try to remember this product and find it in stores. I would like to try the other flavors.

Click here to see the Primal Spirit foods website 

A-Sha Tainan Noodle

I found this Taiwanese ramen at Costco. I have enough of this to make it through the winter. Fortunately for me, this stuff is great! This is the most flavorful ramen I've had in a while. I'm enjoying this very much!

Finding vegan ramen is more difficult that it should be. Most of the prepackaged ramen have chicken, beef, fish, shrimp, or oyster ingredients. Also, they usually have a whole paragraph of unappetizing artificial ingredients. This vegan product is so nice because the ingredients list looks like this:

Ingredients List:

Noodle: Wheat Flour, Salt, Water 

Sauce: Soy Sauce (soya beans, water, salt, sugar), White Sesame Oil (sot oil sesame oil)

That's an ingredients list to be proud of. This is without a doubt the purest looking ramen ingredients list I've ever seen. This is real food!

While this is an excellent product by itself, I'm tempted to add some cabbage, green onion, and mushrooms. It would be as good as the food from a fancy restaurant. It already is.

Click here to see the A-Sha website

Vegan Krystal-style Sliders

I was recently remembering the pleasure of eating at Krystal. Spending much time on the threshold of  poverty in the South was greatly enhanced with the very affordable and satisfying Original Krystal burger. The last time I ate beef was also my last time eating a Krystal. The Krystal was with me until the last day of my omnivorous life. 

This plant-based meal was made to show respect to the Krystal. I used Gardein Beefless Sliders and added steamed onions, yellow mustard, and dill pickle slices.

While this was very enjoyable and completely satisfying as a plant-based food, it really wasn't the same as Krystal burgers. But it was close enough for me.

 

Click here to see the Gardein website

Amy's Asian Dumplings In A Savory Hoisin Sauce

Amy's continues to add to the collection of tasty plant-based foods. They now offer so many vegan options I can't remember which one's I've tried. I haven't tried any Amy's vegan product I dislike. This Asian Dumpling bowl reinforces Amy's reputation as the leader in frozen plant-based meals. This was very good!

The best parts of this meal were the savory sauce that's poured onto the noodles and the flavorful filling inside the dumplings. But every part of this meal was good. Another winner from Amy's!

Click here to see the Amy's Kitchen website

English Beans And Toast

I wanted to connect with my English heritage. Here in the United States it seems a bit strange to put beans on toast for breakfast. Beans are usually served for dinner with cornbread and pickled peppers over here in the southeast. I love beans almost any way they come, as long as they are vegan. What you see here is toasted Dave's Killer Bread 21 Whole Grains And Seeds with Heinz Beans In Tomato Sauce dumped on top.

I got the beans from the international section of the supermarket. They are real English beans from England. Over here in the United States, I believe most of us would say these taste like "baked beans". They're small, mild, and covered in a slightly sweet and tangy tomato sauce. This is a great breakfast. I have no reason to dislike this. It's still weird, but I'll gladly eat this anytime.

Vegan Poutine With Onion Gravy

I used Simple Truth Crinkle Cut French Fries, Daiya Mozzarella Shreds, and home-made onion gravy to make this great meal. I can't give you the recipe for the gravy, but I used, onion, miso, soy sauce, Marmite, flour, water, and black pepper.

Home-made Nachos With Jalapenos And Lettuce

I made this meal with Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Tortilla Chips, Daiya Cheddar Shreds, fresh jalapeno slices, and fresh green leaf lettuce. I regret putting that many pepper slices on this because they were extremely hot!

 

Chipotle Bitchin' Sauce

I enjoyed the Original Bitchin' Sauce so much I had to try this Chipotle Bitchin' Sauce. This was also a good one. This one just has a bit of heat. It makes a good dip for veggies. I imagine it could also make a nice sandwich spread.

Rhythm Superfoods Naked Organic Carrot Sticks

Click here to see the Rhythm Superfoods website

 

Vegan Biscuits And Gravy At Mason Dixon Bakery In Huntsville AL

I've been wanting to try something new at Mason Dixon Bakery for a while. I finally made my way back. This time it was for breakfast. Here's what I ordered.

Vegan biscuits and gravy!

Vegan Biscuits And Gravy At Mason Dixon Bakery In Huntsville AL

The COVID-19 pandemic forced me to enjoy this breakfast in the front seat of my car. Mason Dixon was only doing curbside service. The curbside service was fast and friendly.

This was a very good vegan version of a southern classic breakfast. They did a good job with the vegan biscuits. Those can be tricky. These didn't have the light fluff of real buttermilk biscuits, and they did seem a bit heavy, but the taste was nearly right on. The gravy was very flavorful with large chunky, funky mushrooms. The peppery creamy gravy, along with the exotic flavor of the mushrooms, gave my tongue a tingle. This was almost a mushroom overload with mushrooms in every bite. Because I usually have a very light breakfast, if any at all, I was unprepared for the heaviness of this traditional breakfast. This should satisfy any regular breakfast eater.

The price was a bit high for biscuits and gravy, but there's really no other place that I'm aware of to get this in Huntsville. And this was very good. It was worth the price as a special occasion. The price was $9.

Once again, Mason Dixon Bakery gave me another really good meal to remember. This was another rare vegan breakfast option in Huntsville.

Click here to see the Mason Dixon Bakery website

Amy's Black Bean Burrito

This is one of my regular products. The Black Bean Burrito also has potato, corn, bell pepper, broccoli, and other goodies inside. It's a quick and easy meal. Very good!

Click here to see the Amy's Kitchen website