Salad Works

Hello everyone!  Today I have a restaurant to tell you about.  Ever since I have been dating my boyfriend, Ben, I have been bugging him to take me to this place called Salad Works but his house.  We go to the Petco right by it pretty frequently, and I always beg him to take me to lunch there. Well finally we got to go! I don't have one in my area, but I knew they are a chain, so many of you might have been there before.  I was hoping for one of those giant salad bar places with a hundred different things.  Salad Works was more like a Panera, Ben and I agreed.  They have soups and sandwiches and a made to order salad bar with an overwhelming amount of options.  They also have a set of pre-made salads, but they were all meaty, so I decided to order my own mix.



I ordered a half and half plate, with a small salad and half a sandwich. You can get a half and half of any combo of salads, sandwiches or soups, or get a whole order of just one item.  Panera has a similar set up, just with more focus on the sandwiches and less on the salads. They have about 10 sandwiches, only one is vegetarian, the caprese panini, so ordered that one.  They also have different soups each day, some are veggie, and some aren't.



I started my salad with spinach leaves, but you have a few options to start with.  Then I added tomatoes, feta cheese, walnuts, mandarin oranges, and chick peas, but you can order any 5 toppings of the ginormous list.  Then you choose from the, again, ginormous list of dressing.  I picked the green goddess, which is kind of like a garlic ranch...but green.




Over all I really enjoyed Salad Works.  I love how many options there are for making your salad, you could get a different one every time.  I wish there were more vegetarian options for sandwiches however.  Everything tasted really great and service was good too, you even get chips and a pickle with your order.  I can't wait to go back!

Have you been to Salad Works? Are you going to try it out?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

The Veggie Burger Chronicles: Elevation Burger

Hello everyone! Today I have another installment of The Veggie Burger Chronicles. As a vegetarian that doesn't just eat salads, veggie burgers are a big part of my dining out diet.  They are found it many different restaurants from diners, to American cuisine. However, what I really love is how veggie burgers are becoming more and more common at burger joints! Most people go to burger places to eat cows, that you wouldn't even think they would have vegetarian options.  But with vegetarianism gaining popularity, so is the veggie burger.  My best friend, Sara recently found a new burger spot in our area that she new I would love, so the two of us, plus another friend, went to check it out.



It is called Elevation Burger (you totally want to click that and check out the website).  While elevation burger is primarily a beef kind of place, all the meat is organic, and the cows are free-range and grass-fed.  While I'm not a fan of eating meat, if you are going to eat it, that is the way to do it and I can totally get on that bandwagon!  The menu has a handful of beef burgers to choose from, plus a salad and grilled cheese.  But what I am here to talk about is the veggie burgers.  They have two..yeas TWO kinds!  In a place with such a small menu, I was shocked and pleased that there was actually a choice! Most places just offer "the" veggie burger.  Hold on, it gets better.  One of the veggie burgers is actually vegan!  How freaking awesome! As I am working on making better choices, I chose the vegan burger, and my 2 friends each got veggie burgers.  Once you pick your burger (veggie or otherwise) you then pick any toppings you would like.  Going with the vegan theme I opted out of cheese and added lettuce, tomatoes. and balsamic mustard. You can pick any toppings for any kind of burger, and there is also an option to wrap your burger in lettuce instead of eating it on a bun.



They offer a few sides, but I chose the french fries.  My burger came out looking just like the meat ones, on a tray wrapped in paper, really giving it an authentic feeling.



This little vegan burger was packed with veggies.  It has a great grilled flavor, without tasting like meat.  The sauce on it was tangy and delicious  and a nice change from the basic ketchup.  While the portions are a bit small, everything was pretty filling, though I did feel like I could eat a little more soon after.



This was Sara's veggie cheese burger.  This had a much more meaty, and less veggie taste, if you are looking for something that tastes more like a regular burger.  I tried some and it tasted great! Very flavorful and delicious, and even Sara who eats meat loved it!

Overall I really liked this place! For the portions/price it was a tad expensive for what seems like a fast food place, however everything tasted amazing and of course there were plenty of vegetarian options.  I love that you can customize your meal and that everything is made-to-order.  I also feel good taking my meat-eating friends here. I mean if you are going to eat meat, I'm glad it can be cruelty-free and organic. One thing they were lacking was a turkey burger, which I thought was pretty weird since they offer two veggie burgers and turkey burgers are very popular for those that don't eat red meat.

I would recommend that any vegetarian, vegan, or meat eater to try this place!  They have locations in a number of states so I hope all of you can be able to try it!

Have you been to Elevation Burger? Would you want to try it?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Near East Broccoli and Cheese Couscous

Good morning everyone.  Today I have the food so nice they named it twice :-P Yes, I am talking about couscous, a Mediterranean grain that is perfect as a side dish, or a meal all on its own.  One great thing about couscous is that on its own it is vegan.  I found one thing that made veganism difficult is that involves eating a lot of veggies, as many breads and pastas have milk and/or eggs in them. While I do like a select few veggies, I can't make a meal of just veggies and feel full after.  Couscous allows you to create a vegan, but filling meal with as many or as little veggies as you like.  Near East makes some of the best couscous.  It feels like you are cooking, since you are making it fresh, but it is insanely quick and easy to make. That is right up my alley! While couscous on its own is vegan, I decided to try this broccoli and cheese variation.  But don't worry, as I am trying to make better vegan choices, I just bought 3 boxes of vegan variations of this amazing grain, and I will make those and show them to you soon.





As I mentioned, couscous is probably the easiest fresh food to make.  Just bring some water to a boil, and add in any other ingredients needed.  The plain couscous you only need to add some butter or oil (to make it vegan), but since I was making the broccoli and cheese version, I needed to add some milk too and the flavor packet.



Mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, take the pan off the heat, mix in the couscous, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes.  I use that 5 minutes to prepare anything else that needs to go into the couscous.  You can add any kid of veggie, nuts, or anything else your heart desires.



After 5 minutes, uncover and fluff with a fork.  How freaking easy is that?



Mmm!  While this was delicious on its own, but it is broccoli and cheese couscous, and I thought it needed more broccoli.  So I heated some up quickly and piled it on top.



So there you have it, one of the easiest and quickest meals you can cook. It is both tasty and very versatile  allowing you to add any of your favorite things.  So have fun with couscous!  Cooking for a family? Make a big bowl of the plain version, and allow everyone to pick what gets to go into their bowl.  It will be fun for kids to customize what goes into their dinner. Or just whip up a box for yourself when you are looking for something quick and easy.

Do you guys love couscous as much as I do? Will you be making some Near East couscous soon?

Bye from the Veggie Side

A Vegan Update

Hello everyone! I hope you are all staying warm and filling up on soup and hot chocolate (with vegetarian marshmallows) this winter and keeping up with any resolutions you have.  I thought it would be a good time to update you on how my quest to veganism is going.

I started by attempting meat-eggs-dairyless Mondays, and that lasted...one week. Even for just one day, I found it extremely hard to get out every single animal product from my diet.  I also was ill prepared.  I was making my lunch to take to work, and I had absolutely NOTHING to take.  I ended up bringing an apple and peanut butter for my lunch, and a bowl of soup for dinner.  I was still hungry at the end of the day since I didn't have any substantial vegan food in the house.

So the first thing I learned was: get prepared.  It is impossible to make a dietary change without having the new diet available to you.  How can you say "I am going to eat healthier" and then look in your fridge and its full of junk?  I needed to stock up on vegan items, and do some research to find vegan food staples, brands, and recipes to have on hand.

I still found giving up every animal product for a full day to be hard.  It just seemed overwhelming and daunting.  I decided what was a better place for me to start was making better choices.  Make food choices with less eggs and cheese.  Now when I go out to eat I try to pick more vegan options, with out completely eliminating dairy and eggs all together.  Recently I went out to a burger place with my friends, and they had a veggie burger option and a vegan burger option.  I could had chosen either, but in trying to make better choices, I chose the vegan one.  Normally I order cheese on my veggie burgers, but I left it off.

After a few months I found that I would be having dinner, and I realize that the meal I am eating was completely vegan and I didn't even try! It just came second nature. The longer I do this, the more I find myself wanting to choose the vegan options over the vegetarian.

I might not be a vegan, or even able to spend a whole day eating vegan, but I find myself eating 2-4 vegan meals per week!  Which is more than I planned doing vegan Mondays.  I am buying more food brands and meals that are vegan (I have a few new products to post about soon!).  Just like when I gave up meat, the same principle of supply and demand applies.  If I am buying a vegan product over a non-vegan one, that's one more saved chicken or cow.  And it makes me feel good!  I feel good when I eat a vegan meal or buy a vegan product, and that's really what all this was about to begin with.

How did your traditions to veganism and vegetarianism go when you first started?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Amy's Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Hey everyone! I have a new food to show you today that I am really excited about.  You all know by now how awesome Amy;s foods are.  My favorite Amy's frozen meals would be the lasagnas.  While my favorite is the Tofu Vegetable, the cheese, and the vegetable are also great too (and don't worry, I plan on showing those to you guys eventually!).  But there's a new lasagna on the block, Amy's Roasted Vegetable Lasagna!

As always, the Amy's signature organic ingredients with no preservatives.

Unlike the other lasagnas, this one has a really good bread crumb crust which gets nice and crispy.  The vegetable flavor in this lasagna is more apparent, you can taste all the zucchini, broccoli, and all the other strong veggie flavors, so if you are a big veggie lover, this one is for you!  I'm not a huge fan of  an intense vegetable flavor, but what I love is the cheese layered in between.  It is so delicious and creamy, unlike the other lasagnas which have a more melty kind of cheese.







Over all I would chalk this up to a win, adding yet another vegetarian lasagna to the list! Take that meat lasagnas!

Will you be trying this new Amy's lasagna?

Bye from the Veggie Side! 

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Hello everyone!  Today I bring you one awesome meal that you wont believe is vegetarian!  It all started a few years ago, with a conversation between me and my boyfriend, Ben.  Ben eats meat, a lot of meat, and many kinds of meat and meat related things.  But one food we loved to share was pizza.  Ben opened my eyes to the most amazing sauce to dip my pizza crusts into, ranch dressing mixed with hot sauce.  Then during one pizza dinner Ben says "I with you could try Buffalo chicken pizza, they pour the ranch dressing right on the pizza!"

One of my goals as a vegetarian is to be able to eat any meat food, vegetarian style.  I have had my share of veggie burgers, soydogs, and even vegetarian sausages. Just because I am a vegetarian doesn't mean I wont be able to eat Buffalo chicken pizza!  I felt the need to show Ben that it was possible.  Just a quick trip to the super market and a call to my favorite New York pizza place and the vegetarian Buffalo chicken pizza was born!

I started with my favorite brand of soy meat, Morning Star Farms. They make all kinds of veggie meat from ribs, to sausage, to chicken, including Buffalo wings.





These chicken nuggets are shaped like mini drumsticks and covered in bread crumbs. And of course, a layer of spicy Buffalo sauce flavor.  This is where I started on my quest for Buffalo chicken pizza.

I popped a few of these in the microwave, and cut them up into bite sized pieces. I then grabbed a couple of slices of pizza that I ordered in for a local pizza place and put the chicken pieces on top.  Of course I had to finish this pizza off in the way all of this stared, with ranch dressing.  Now I have never had "real" Buffalo chicken pizza, but I like to think what I made was pretty damn close!








In the end what I had created was delicious.  The spicy Buffalo flavoring and the ranch work together perfectly, and nothing is better than pizza!  And proving Ben wrong.  So for those of you that have given up Buffalo chicken pizza when you became a vegetarian, or those that never had it and want to try something new and meaty (without any meat) you need to try this pizza.

Will you be making your own veggie version of the Buffalo chicken pizza?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Amy's Nacho Snacks

What do you call snacks that aren't yours? Nacho Snacks.  Luckily these tasty little rolls can be yours, if you buy them from your local super market or health food store. I am talking about Amy's Nacho Snacks, little pockets filled with beans and nacho cheese.  I am not a huge Mexican food or bean fan, but I can't say no to all natural, vegetarian, easy food to make!

And I have to say, I am glad I tried them because they are delicious! There is so much flavor packed into each little bite. And you can tell they are all natural, without any of those "fake" flavors that you might get from Mexican fast food. Nasty.

One reason I stay away from Mexican food, is because most Mexican restaurants don't gear themselve to vegetarians,  They set them self up to be an AMAZING vegetarian meal. Tomatoes, fresh avocado  crunchy tortillas, and of course, lots of cheese.  But then they ruin all that by adding beef. And if you don't want beef, the only option is beans, which if not done right can be a disaster. 

These little pockets are great as a snack on their own, or as part of dinner.  Pick these up and add them to your next Mexican meal! Maybe dip them in some salsa, sour cream, or guacamole! Mmm now if you'll excuse me, I need to make these now.

Have you tried these Amy's Nacho Snacks?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Amy's Vegetable Barley Soup

Hello veggies and non-veggies alike!  Today I have the perfect food to warm you up by the fire on a cold January night.  Of course that would be Amy's Vegetable barley soup.  As I have mentioned before, Amy's makes a large variety of vegan and vegetarian foods, which are all really tasty and always organic.





These are ingredients you can feel good about eating.  I love barley soup so much!  I was always one of my favorites from when I hate meat, and after I gave it up too.  This soup is really flavorful and loaded with all kids of vegetables, and of course, lots of amazing barley.





You can see each spoonful is really hearty.  Its perfect for filling you up, and warming you up.  This soup paired perfectly with some quick make shift garlic bread I whipped up.



I couldn't get over this garlic bread!  I just took some lefter over Italian bread from when I ordered pizza, drizzled on a bit of olive oil, and sprinkled this garlic and herb mix that I picked up in Disney World  I popped it in the toaster oven until it started to brown.  The garlic went really well with the veggies and barley in the soup, and I loved soaking up the broth with the crunchy bread. Mmmm!

Have you ever had Amy's Vegetable Barely Soup? Will you be buying some (and pairing it with garlic bread)?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Awareness Wednesday: Flintstones Vitamins

Hello everyone!  I hope everyone enjoyed their new years, and everyone has recovered, and decided on their resolutions.  I am continuing to try and make conscious vegan choices.  One common resolution is to try and be healthier, for yourself, and maybe even your family too.  Besides exercise (and vegetarianism, of course) one easy way to be a little healthier is so take vitamins.  I am terrible when it comes to taking vitamins, but it is a great habit to get into.  But just when you think something is safe for vegetarians, they find another food to put animal products in. What's that? Flintstones Vitamins!  Yes, those chewable, tasty vitamins with out favorite Flintstones characters on them!  Wanna guess what's in them?


Source.



Source.

Of course, gelatin.  Always the culprit!

However, vitamins are one of those things that many vegetarians take, whether it is because they gave up meat because they are health conscious, or they started taking them to get more vitamins after giving up meat, so there are plenty of vegetarian vitamins.

Vegetarian Vitamins  is an online store dedicated to only selling...vegetarian vitamins!  Also, don't forget to check your local Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or any other health food store.  They carry lots of vitamins, and I'm sure it will be easy to find ones without gelatin.

Did you used to take Flintstones Vitamins?  Will you be switching to different vitamins, or even begin taking them?

Bye from the Veggie Side!