Wild Cow.....Again

When we found ourselves in the Nashville area for Mr. GV's CE, we of course had to have a meal at The Wild Cow.  We went with our old standbys that we love so much.  

Mr. GV had the The Philly (which is spicy) with a side of Seasonal Mixed Vegetables with Garlic Aioli

and I had a Wild Reuben with Chickpea Salad on the side.  We split our side items, because they are both delicious.  

For dessert we had a slice of delicious cake.  My one stipulation was that it had to have chocolate, and the person who waited on us suggested this cake, which was chocolate with cookies on it!  Yummy.  

Mr. GV needed lunch for the next day, so he ordered the Three Sides (chickpea salad, couscous salad, and hummus and chips.)  

The Wild Cow is a great place to eat if you ever find yourself in Nashville!  

Good country cookin'

Things have been busy around here (new dog, a stray with multiple problems) and lots of other tasks so I've found myself without a lot of free time and/or energy to blog.  But yesterday we went to my Mom's house and had lunch with her.

Mom made kraut, stewed potatoes, crowder peas, and cornbread, and we brought the Field Roast.  It was a simple yet delicious vegan meal and there were even leftovers that she sent home with us.  Smile.  

Indian Buffet

Mr. GV ventured off to Nashville last week for some continuing education and I got to go along on the trip!  One day while he was attending class, I wandered off for some vegan Indian food for lunch.  

It was buffet....which is a dangerous thing for me at an Indian restaurant!  But I took my time and "only" got a couple plates worth.  

If I had to eat one type of food for the rest of my life (and didn't have to worry about getting too much oil/fat in my diet), it would be Indian food.  

Pizza Pizza

Sometimes it's just pizza time.  Thankfully the crust recipe I use is easy and doesn't take a lot of time.  I had some tomato sauce I made recently, still in the fridge and ready to add spices to, and it was easy enough to pick some fresh basil, and thaw out some Daiya cheese and vegan pepperoni from the freezer.

I added some pepperonis on top of mine so they would be crispy.

Mr. GV likes pineapple and bell pepper on his as well. 

Other than buying a can of pineapple, this was a meal from the 

pantry/freezer/fridge/front porch (basil.)  

Your Turn:  What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings??

Oatmeal

Oatmeal.  Just the sound of the word conjures up visions of pasty, gloppy food to me.  But there is an easy way to change that vision:  just add in lots of healthy, appealing foods that still have some texture to them!

For this particular batch of steel cut oatmeal, I added:  walnuts, raisins, dates (pitted and chopped), tart cherries, flax seed (ground), hemp, and salt.  Sometimes I add chopped apples, especially if I've got some older, going-South fast, wrinkly ones.  

I used to add cinnamon directly to the cooking pot, but it made the oatmeal stick even worse, so now Mr. GV just adds his to his individual serving.  

Your turn:  What do you add to your oatmeal to make it more interesting?  

Sushi

Until I was vegan, I never had sushi.  My idea of sushi was "Ewww....raw fish." Now I know that not all sushi is made with raw fish or even with animal products at all.  The word sushi refers to the rice, with some definitions saying it means "vinegared rice" and others saying "seasoned rice."  

A chain grocery store in a nearby town recently remodeled, and now they make sushi right in the store!  There are a few vegan options for us:  veggie rolls, vegetable gyoza, and veggie wraps.  I absolutely love the veggie rolls.

Carrot, avocado, cucumber, nori, rice, and sesame seeds.  Served with a bit of pickled ginger and wasabi, (which I don't really care for.)  

I also got the vegetable gyoza, seen in the picture below.  A few seconds in the microwave, with the gyoza in a small bowl and a saucer turned over top, and they were ready to eat.  

I really should start making sushi at home.  I've seen tutorials on it a few times and don't think I would have a problem making it, but so far I just haven't tried.  

Your turn:  Do you like vegan sushi?  Do you make it at home, buy it at a grocery, or indulge at a restaurant?  

Red Beans and Spice

I'm sure just about every vegan knows about Dr. McDougall.  We have a couple of his cookbooks here and have a few favorite recipes.  

One of those is Spicy Red Beans and Rice.  Mr. GV loves to eat it and I like it because I can just chop up a couple things, soak some beans (doesn't say you have to, but I like to), open a couple cans, put it all in the slow cooker and let it cook overnight.  

There are a *lot* of herbs and spices in this recipe.  We also add a bit of salt, even though you won't find that in the original recipe.  

Your turn:  Do you follow Dr. McDougall's diet or have any favorite recipes from his cookbooks?