Pine Nut Couscous and Carrots

Hey guys, I have another couscous post for ya!  I love couscous for a number of reasons.  First of all it is super fast and easy to cook, it is also healthier for you than pasta.  Another reason I love it is that it is vegan! I love adding different spices and veggies to it to keep me on track with making good vegan choices. And last but not least, its delicious!







I started this bowl with Near East Toasted Pine Nut Couscous, which I have to say was really great on its own!  I am a little bit obsessed with pine nuts, but they are so expensive I never get them.  I tend to love expensive foods like pine nuts and goat cheese.  Unfortunately my wallet doesn't love them.

I thought some steamed carrots would work nicely with this couscous...and I was right!



Every once in a while I would bite into a pine nut and get that pop of flavor.  The crunchiness of the carrots really worked well with the pine nuts. All the flavors mixed perfectly!

Have you had Near East's Toasted Pine Nut Couscous? Are you going to try it with carrots?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Amy's Bowls Broccoli & Cheddar Bake

Hey everyone! Today I have another Amy's meal to show you!





Amy's has been making these bowls for quite a while, from mac and cheese with tofu, to pasta and peas in tomato sauce.  However the Amy's Bowls Broccoli & Cheddar Bake are a new addition to the bowl family. Since it's Amy's they are of course organic and vegetarian, and on top of that, the Broccoli & Cheddar bake is gluten free too!







I love the flavor of these bowls. The cheese is a nice sharp cheddar flavor, and of course broccoli pairs perfectly with cheddar.  The bread crumbs on top are the perfect touch to make these bowls taste like they came right out of the oven.  The pasta tastes great too, you can't even tell that it's gluten free!

Have you tried the new Broccoli & Cheese Bake Bowls?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

A Cozy Little Breakfast

Hello everyone! Today I wanted to show you guys my favorite quick breakfasts.  I normally don't eat "traditional" breakfast foods, especially when I go out to a restaurant, since I either can't eat, or don't like most of the foods.  I don't eat meat, so that knocks out sausage and bacon, eggs creep me out, so no omelettes, most yogurts have gelatin in them, and I don't like overly sweet foods like pancakes and waffles.  However, when I am in the comfort of my own kitchen, I have the ability to experiment more with breakfasts, and I finally found one that I love!



I have recently rediscovered my love for oatmeal.  I used to love it as a kid, but for some reason I stopped eating it.  My friend at work is gluten free, and she got me hooked back on to the warm oat cereal. In order t make this breakfast more "traditional", I added Morning Star Hot Spicy Sausage Patties. I love how spicy and savory they are to cut the sweetness from the oatmeal.



 Finally I finish off this spread with some cinnamon toast.  It's a really simply concoction that I found floating around on Pinterest.



All you need is some butter, cinnamon, sugar, and a slice of bread.  I used oatmeal bread for this, but any kind would work.



Instead of cinnamon and sugar, I used my Trader Joe's Cinnamon Sugar Grinder.  It has cinnamon and large chunks of sugar in a grinder just like a pepper grinder. It is really cool, and easy to add a bit of cinnamon and sugar to anything you want.

Just mix the butter, cinnamon, and sugar together in a small bowl, spread it on the bread, and broil it until golden brown.

That's it, super easy and really tasty!  And what I love about this is that I can add as much or as little sugar as I want, so its not overly sweet.

What is your favorite breakfast? Are you going to try this easy cinnamon sugar toast?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Amy's Mexican Tofu Scramble

Hey everyone!  I wanted to show you what I had for lunch today. Yes, it's another Amy's meal.



I have mentioned before that eggs totally freak me out, and I try to avoid them as bast as I can.  I always loved scrambled eggs, and its a food a miss, not because I am a vegetarian, but just because the idea of eggs creep me out.  I was so happy when I found Amy's Tofu Scramble! Finally I get to have scrambled eggs again!  Amy's makes a few different tofu scrambles, and today I have the Mexican variety to show you.



This scramble comes with tofu on a gluten free tortilla  covered with salsa, and re-fried beans and potatoes on the side. The tofu scramble doesn't taste exactly like its eggy counter part, but it is still really tasty!  I like how there is salsa on top, but unfortunately it not spicy, so I add some hot sauce to the mix.  The re-fried beans are really flavorful, and the potatoes complete this breakfast.



It is always a great feeling being able to eat a "normal" breakfast, but still maintaining my beliefs and commitment to avoiding eggs.  I love getting lots of protein in this meal too, and of course lots of flavor!



I love this Mexican Tofu Scramble! I hope you guys try it, because I know you'll like it too!

Have you tried Amy's Mexican Tofu Scramble?  Do you like Mexican food for breakfast?

Bye from  the Veggie Side!

Stouffer's Vegetable Lasagna

Hey guys, hope everyone is doing well :)

Today I have another delicious frozen meal to show you! This one is from Stouffer's.  Stouffer's is not a vegetarian brand, and sells other frozen meals like chicken Alfredo and meat lasagna, but the couple of vegetarian items they have are really delicious  and I always keep a stash in my freezer when I'm craving a quick pasta dish.



I love the new Farmer's Harvest Vegetable Lasagna  It is made with whole grain pasta, and no preservatives.  What I love about this lasagna, compared to the Amy's lasagnas  is that it has a really nice and smooth cream sauce, instead of tomato sauce.  I'm not a huge fan of tomato sauce  its actually my least favorite pasta sauce, so it is a really nice change of pace to enjoy a lasagna that isn't so tomatoey. Its also filled with carrots, broccoli, and spinach, and then covered with a layer of bread crumbs.  This lasagna is so creamy  flavorful, and really filling!




Mmm, so good!

have you tried Stouffer's Vegetable Lasagna? What are your favorite lasagna fillings?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

The Veggie Burger Chronicles: The Brazen Fox

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of the veggie burger chronicles! Today's post is aabout a local bar and restaurant, The Brazen Fox.  The Brazen Fox is located in White Plains, NY, and serves many kinds of bar munchies, meals, salads, and sandwiches. I discovered the Brazen Fox when I was out on new years eve.  My friends and I were looking for a bar to hang out in until the ball drop, so we stopped in here.  While I was more interested in what beers they had that night, I couldn't stop myself from just checking out the menu.  While I didn't order any food that night, I wanted to try so many things on the menu, so I  went back a few months later to make sure I finally got to try the food.

I was given the menu, and the specials menu (and of course the drink menu).  I usually just toss aside the specials, but that day there was a southwestern black bean veggie burger on the specials and I knew I found the winner!



The burger itself was really delicious! The outside was crunchy and the inside was soft and creamy.  I usually don't like black beans, but you could taste all the spices more than the actual flavor of the beans so I was really pleased. It also came with melted cheddar and avocado which pretty much made it a win in my book! Of course they had to include the classics: lettuce, tomato, and pickles. You can choose from a number of sides including fries, and sweet potato fries, but I opted for the healthier salad.  This salad came with a really tasty balsamic vinaigrette.

What I also love about the Brazen Fox is that you can make ANY normal burger on the menu, and change it to a veggie burger.  I love that since most places have one veggie burger but like 10 meaty ones, so eventually I get tired of getting the same thing.  But now I can try all the different kids of burgers they offer and still keep it meat free!

Have you been to the Brazen Fox? If you are in the area will you plan a visit? What are your favorite veggie burger toppings?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

SNL Veganville

Hey everyone! This is not a normal post, but something I needed to share with you guys.  I'm not a fan of SNL, but I just saw this video and it's pretty epic! Take the time to watch it, I know you'll like it :)

Haha! The songs are pretty funny, and I found myself cheering every time he said "bring it on down to Veganville!" It also has a great message. Hopefully people will appreciate the use of humor to help inform people about meat and veganism :)

What did you think?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Dr. McDougal's Asian Entree Spicy Szechuan Noodle

Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a good week.  On my quest to veganism I have discovered Dr. McDougal's, a brand of instant soup and noodle.  And they are all vegan! Some of them are even gluten free too.  I love making these as a quick meal at work for lunch, or eating them at home with some tofu.  Today I have Asian Entree Spicy Szechuan Noodles to show you guys.





These noodles are full of that szechuan flavor and I love that it has veggies mixed in.  However, its not really spicy, it just has a hint of heat which is good if you are not a big spice fan.  However if you love spicy food like I do you might be a little disappointed.  Not to worry though, just add a bit of siracha sauce and it kicks the heat up!



These noodles taste great, and best of all are quick to make and vegan!  I was worried that trying to eat more vegan foods would mean I would have to do a lot of cooking, which isn't my thing.  But these reassure me that I can make good vegan choices and still be lazy :-P

Have you tried any Dr. McDougal's instant meals? Which ones are your favorites?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Awareness Wednesday: Maraschino Cherries

Hello everyone and welcome to March's Awareness Wednesday!  I feel like most of my posts lately were about foods containing gelatin.  While many foods have gelatin in them, I thought it was time for a change.  So today I have a food for you that is not vegetarian, and this time gelatin is not the culprit.



Source.

We all know about these little cherries, though I don't even know if you can still call them "cherries" since they taste nothing like real cherries.  They are super sweet and artificial, and usually found on top of sundaes or drinks.

According to the FDA, "The term 'Maraschino Cherries' is regarded as the common or usual name of an article consisting of cherries which have been dyed red, impregnated with sugar and packed in a sugar syrup flavored with oil of bitter almonds or a similar flavor."


Source.

So what makes them not vegetarian? The ingredient in the red dye: Carmine color.  Just to refresh your memories, carmine color is a red dye that comes from the scales of the cochineal insect.  The scales are ground up and the deep red color is extracted.

Ground up bugs. Yum.

Alternatives to Maraschino cherries?  How about some real cherries!  Not only are they vegetarian, but all natural and healthy, as opposed to all the chemicals and sugar that gets added to the Maraschino verity.


Source.

So next time you are making desert, opt for real cherries from your produce section, and make sure when going out for drinks you let the bartender know to not put any cherries in your drink!

Will you be swapping Maraschino cherries for real cherries for your next dessert or drink?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Amy's Shepherd's Pie

Hello everyone!  Today I have another Amy's meal to show ya.  Are you guys sick of Amy's yet? Well I hope not since I love them!  Every meal tastes amazing, and they are all organic. You can't beat that!  Here's is one of the first Amy's frozen mean I had ever tried, the shepherd's pie.  I tried it when I was very young, I remember I didn't even know what shepherd's pie was.  My dad explained to me it was lamb and veggies all cooked up with mashed potatoes on top, of course this Amy's version leaves out the lamb.

This combination of veggies in a bowl really reminds me of my grandma's cooking!  I can't say she ever made me a shepherd's pie, but just the flavorful mix of vegetables in a broth brings back memories of my grandma cooking me dinner. This meal is really comforting and hits the spot, especially on a cold winter day.

Have you tried Amy's Shepherd's Pie?  What foods remind you of your grandma's cooking?

Bye from the Veggie Side!