Tag: vegan

SLC Vegan Food

Posted by miss alix – 2 Feb ’12

After all my adventures at AltSummit, Shawn and I were finally able to visit some of the vegan restaurants in Salt Lake City. First, we headed over to Sage’s Cafe for their weekend brunch. I was beckoned by the pesto crepe, filled with warm seasoned vegetables. I was craving something hearty after grazing on salads and snacks in my hotel room the previous days. (Note to Alt: us vegans could use a few more options.) The restaurant had a really nice atmosphere, with a sunlit, enclosed patio and local artwork. They also made a fantastic almond milk cappuccino.

Even more exciting was fulfilling a not so healthy craving with this vanilla shake and tender tigers from Vertical Diner. Vertical is owned by the same people as Sage’s but obviously with a diner style menu. Let me tell you, this shake was so satisfying. Unadulterated vanilla goodness. Paired with the fried seitan of the tender tigers, I was in heaven.

They were so good. Shawn also ordered a portobello quesadilla which was fantastic. All of their seitan is handmade and they also make their own nutritional yeast cheese. Big fan, right here.

We enjoyed it so much we stopped for breakfast on our way out of town. I got the breakfast sandwich. Also amazing. Soft french bread, cheesy sauce, spiced veggie sausage and some tofu scramble. Yum.

I can never say no to biscuits and gravy.

Our last moment in Salt Lake City before the snowy drive home. I don’t think Shawn was particularly happy about me standing in the middle of the street to take this photo.

There were so many other places we didn’t get to try on our short visit. I heard there are two vegan bakeries in SLC. I’d love to go back and explore more.

Sunday Breakfast

Posted by miss alix – 29 Jan ’12

Happy Sunday everyone. It’s the first full weekend at home I’ve had in awhile with all the adventures, events and celebrations of the last few months. It’s been so nice to actually get a few things done around the house (I did SO MUCH laundry yesterday) and focus on the things I care about.

For one, that means more home-cooked meals. I’ve been feeling a little bit like a scavenger in my own kitchen recently, but that changes this week. I’ve made a plan for a few healthful and tasty meals over the next week and bought supplies and ingredients. A little bit of planning in advance goes a long way.

This morning we had my favorite pancakes. I’m more of a waffle girl than a pancake girl but these are just so good; they have exactly the right amount of sweetness and fluffiness. Full disclosure, I had these for dinner earlier in the week too. Oops.

I also made a broccoli quiche for dinner last night. Despite making the world’s worst pie crust, it was really satisfying. Even for dinner. I think the secret is extra broccoli and fresh herbs.

Just a little announcement, Cute and Delicious is now on Facebook, so you can like it HERE and keep up with new posts and other discussion. Yay!

What are you making for dinner this week?

i’m in veggie heaven

Posted by miss alix – 10 Jan ’12








I keep trying to come up with the words to describe how totally in love with Veggie Heaven I am, but I think it’s fairly clear from the photos how utterly amazing this restaurant is. It’s a little spot in New Jersey we go to whenever we’re in the area (which is not all that often). We visited this year the day after Christmas and the whole place was packed. I’m sure you can imagine why; vegan sushi. We’re not talking about your average cucumber rolls and tofu tempura. They have spicy “tuna” rolls, seitan eels rolls and a bunch of fancy combos like the Dynamite Roll. Every dish is just spot on for flavor and while there are tons of vegan offerings here in Los Angeles, there really is just nothing that satisfies my sushi cravings like Veggie Heaven.

pizza love

Posted by miss alix – 8 Jan ’12










This past Saturday was Shawn’s birthday. To celebrate, we ate lots and lots of pizza (and made ice cream sundaes, but that’s for later). We had pizza with cashew cheese, with teese, with follow your heart and pizza with daiya. There was buffalo chicken pizza with ranch dressing, pear and truffle oil pizza, pepperoni pizza, avocado pizza and many variations in between. Though there were many kinds, we kept each pizza simple by using only a few topping on each one. I think there were also about 3 pizza ideas that never made it to the table, but we’ll just have to make those next time.

So much pizza. So much delicious pizza.

What’s your favorite kind of pizza?

Thanksgiving 2011

Posted by miss alix – 27 Nov ’11






I can’t believe our tiny Thanksgiving break is almost over. It flew by in what seemed like a matter of seconds. I suppose that’s what happens when you have lots to do over a few days. We started off our celebrations at Madeleine Bistro for a four course Thanksgiving feast. We’ve been to Madeleine’s for the past few years but this meal topped them all. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a delicious Thanksgiving meal in my life. Everything was exquisite. Next year we plan to have Thanksgiving at our house and I hope we can make something even just a fraction of how good this meal was.

We spent the rest of the weekend with friends and family relaxing and eating lots. I did very little cooking considering. I made this wonderful green bean casserole and an apple pie. Yesterday Shawn was in a short film so I had the day to myself. I spent it watching British period dramas, knitting and sewing. It was pretty nice to not have to worry about work and projects for a whole day.

When I was a kid, after every school break I would make a list of all the cool things I did in my time off filled with movies I’d watched or things I’d made. This year if I made a list, the two biggest things would be finishing the binding on our wedding quilt (which took FOREVER) and hanging up some clothes that have been sitting in our bedroom for about a month. Pretty simple, but a major relief to have finished at the same time.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. What would you put on your list?

Bat cupcakes

Posted by miss alix – 19 Oct ’11

While technically speaking I’m no longer in the cupcake business, I had a special request for some bat cupcakes and I just could not turn it down. Especially with Halloween coming up, I couldn’t miss an opportunity to try out some bat decorations.

I spent a long time practicing drawing bats in frosting and but every one felt like something was missing. I was about to give up and go another route when I realized what it was. Eyes! They needed eyes. I grabbed some sprinkles and very carefully placed two tiny beady eyes on each bat.

They manage to still be a little cute without being cartoonish. These would be perfect for a Halloween party or just for some who liked bats. Just imagine a dozen of these little guys at a party.

I’m debating making cupcakes for our Halloween gathering this weekend, as I make cupcakes every year. Maybe I’ll make ones with pumpkins on top. What’s your favorite way to decorate cupcakes?

Lentil Loaf Sandwich

Posted by miss alix – 13 Oct ’11

Hello! I’m back with more lentil loaf. This second recipe is even more flavorful than the last lentil loaf recipe. It doesn’t have the chewiness, but instead has a grainier texture. We ate this loaf in sandwiches, which worked out great as they were tasty and filling; perfect for a picnic lunch.

So without further ado, here is the recipe:

Vegan Lentil Loaf – take two

  • 2 cups cooked lentils
  • 2 cups whole wheat couscous
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp arrowroot
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 375°

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl mashing the lentils as you go. Make sure you mix everything really well.

Put into a lightly oiled loaf pan and brush the top with ketchup.

Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Easy!

lentil loaf

Posted by miss alix – 10 Oct ’11

lentil loaf

As soon as the weather cools I find myself drawn to the kitchen to make wholesome foods. With all the wonderful fall flavors to experiment with, I generally find myself making sweet desserts: pumpkin loaves and apple pies. This year though, I’ve been fantasizing about savory fare like potato topped, vegetable pies and seitan with gravy.

This weekend was full of projects and hard work which left little time for fun in the kitchen, let alone trips to the grocery store. Instead I cooked up 2 lentil loaves using the dregs of our pantry and leftovers in the fridge. While that might sound unappetizing, that is the simple beauty of a lentil loaf. You can throw nearly anything in there and it can still turn out delicious.

While I often include some veggies in our lentil loaves, this one is pure faux-meaty goodness. It’s moist and a little bit chewy, with a tiny bit of spicy here and there. We had it with some almond gravy, but it would be wonderful with some simple brown gravy as well (in fact, it doesn’t even need the gravy, but I like gravy and will eat it at any opportunity I get).

I made two completely different recipes, so today I’ll share the the first and once we try the second I’ll post it as well.

Vegan Lentil Loaf

  • 2 cups cooked lentils
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup ketchup, plus more for topping
  • 1/4 cup bbq sauce
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried sage
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup vital wheat gluten
  • 1/4 cup vegetable broth

Preheat your oven to 375°

Heat a bit of oil in a small pan and saute the onions and garlic until soft and fragrant.

Mix all ingredients, minus the wheat gluten and veggie broth in a bowl. I like to use potato masher to smoosh (yes, that’s a technical term) some of the lentils. Mix together until you have a consistent mush.

Add in the vital wheat gluten and vegetable broth and knead together until it becomes slightly elastic. Press the dough into a greased loaf pan. Brush the top with ketchup to cover it.

Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.


in the kitchen

Posted by miss alix – 23 Sep ’11





Despite all the hard work it takes to put together a supper for eight, I do love being able to spend so much time in the kitchen creating an assortment of dishes. Yet again, I got so caught up in preparing and serving everything for our most recent secret supper I didn’t take a single photo the night of the event when everything was finished and presented. I still think just the colorful vegetables, spices and ingredients are beautiful though. Oh and that quiche, it’s making me dream of quiches and pies to come.

The days are getting darker and cooler and I am looking forward to the many delectable meals that will be prepared in our kitchen. The turn of the seasons and the coming of fall brings me so much happiness.

Have a wonderful weekend!

vegan nutella

Posted by miss alix – 22 Sep ’11



When planning for our last A Moveable Feast, I knew I wanted to make crepes, and I new I wanted to make them extra special. What’s extra special? Nutella.

While I was apprehensive at first about this recipe, it seemed like the best option rather than getting into a recipe testing spree trying to recreate vegan condensed milk. You can’t really argue with a fresh nut butter and a good cocoa mixed together.

The key to this recipe is the simple act of toasting the hazelnuts, giving it a warm, rich flavor. Peeling the hazelnuts is a pain, even if you scrub them with a damp dish towel, but other than that, this recipe is easier than pie. A word of warning though: hazelnuts, they’re not cheap. It’s totally worth it though as the decadent dark chocolate delicacy is better than any pre-made treat you can buy.

I may or may not be eating this with a spoon for dessert for eternity (or until the jar runs out).

fried green tomatoes

Posted by miss alix – 12 Sep ’11

green tomatoes
green tomatoes
fried green tomatoes

Finally made some fried green tomatoes before summer has ended. Although, here Los Angeles, it feels like it’s just begun. For all intents and purposes, I followed this recipe, although I was pretty loose on that. I’ve never actually had fried green tomatoes before, but I enjoyed these quite a bit. What’s not to love about breaded & fried vegetables?

Been making a few special meals here and there, but nothing profound. Just tasty combinations of things. As it starts to cool down, I know I’ll bee in the kitchen more and sharing various dishes.

Breakfast Feast

Posted by miss alix – 9 Sep ’11

sweet crepe

A quick announcement that Kim and I will be hosting another A Moveable Feast on Saturday September 17th. I’m particularly excited that the theme this time around will be French inspired breakfast for dinner. So many of my favorite dishes are breakfast treats.

If you’re interested in reserving a seat (and there are only a few left) email veganfeast@gmail.com