Ketchup

Sheesh.  Last week kicked my butt.  I am here, now, to ketchup on last week's posts all in one. 

Two for Tuesday: Long Beach Vegan Eatery
I skipped out on Dan Tuesday to check out the new Long Beach Vegan Eatery.  I am so excited to have this option in Long Beach, which up until recently has had no strictly vegan restaraunts. (Now there are 3!) And after reading about their mission to have vegan "stick to your ribs" comfort food...well, if you know anything about me, well then you know that this is my kind of menu.  I was there on the 2nd day of their soft opening.  (I don't think they've had their official "Grand Opening" yet).  I got the California Chick'n Sandwich and Sweet Potato Tots.  Yes.  Sweet.  Potato. Tots.  

California Chick'n Sandwich and Sweet Potato Tots from Long Beach Vegan Eatery

After having a chance to chat with Jeff (owner/operator) a few days later, he was excited to report that a lot of the early kinks have all been worked out, and each day just keeps getting busier and busier.  How awesome is that?  I can't wait to go back and have to wait in a really long line.  I am always eager to wait in line at a vegan establishment.  It really warms my heart.

Worknight Wednesday: Red "Meat" Lasagna
This one goes all the way back to 500 Vegan Recipes.  But it is a classic.  And definitely makes enough to have leftovers for the rest of the week.

Red "Meat" Lasagna

For the Lasagna:

12 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 recipe Meaty Marinara (BELOW)
1 recipe Tofu Ricotta (BELOW)
2 tablespoons (15 g) nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons (14 g) ground cashews or ground walnuts

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5).

A quick note before assembling the lasagna: be sure to keep some sauce and ricotta to apply at the very top of the lasagna. You will have 4 layers of pasta in all, so divide each ingredient accordingly.
In a square 8-inch (20-cm) or 9-inch (23-cm) baking dish, start with a thin layer of sauce, add three noodles in a single layer, add another layer of meat sauce, then a layer of tofu ricotta another layer of noodles.       
Repeat until you get to four layers of noodles.
Top with a final light layer of sauce and ricotta and then sprinkle with nutritional yeast and cashews or walnuts.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is beginning to brown and your noodles are nice and tender.
Let stand for at least 15 minutes before serving, so that the portions don't fall apart when cut.


For the Meaty Marinara:
28 ounces (784 g) canned diced tomatoes with the juice, no salt added
8 ounces (227 g) tomato sauce
6 ounces (170 g) tomato paste
1 tablespoon (2 g) dried basil, or 3 tablespoons (9 g) fresh, chopped
1 tablespoon (13 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (22 g) molasses
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves (or one head) garlic, minced
1 cup (160 g) finely diced white or yellow onion
1 1/4 cups (120 g) TVP granules (textured vegetable protein)

Place tomatoes, sauce, tomato paste, basil, sugar, and molasses in a large stock pot.  Bring to a simmer on medium-low heat.

Meanwhile, in a skillet place the olive oil, garlic and onions and sauté until garlic is fragrant and onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and onions to the pot. Cover and continue to simmer for 20 more minutes. Uncover and simmer for ten more minutes. Stir in TVP, cover and let sit for ten minutes.

For the Tofu Ricotta:
14 ounces (397 g) extra firm tofu, drained & pressed
1/4 cup (35 g) raw cashews, finely ground
1/4 cup (30 g) nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (6 g) finely chopped fresh basil, or 1 tablespoon (2 g) dried
Salt and pepper to taste

After you have drained and pressed your tofu very well, crumble it into a bowl until it resembles ricotta.

Add in all the other ingredients and mix together with your hands.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Should keep at least a week.

Thoughtful Thursdays: Green is the New Red by Will Potter

Green is the New Red by Will Potter

I bought this book at Food Fight Grocery when I was in Portland, Oregon for Vida Vegan Con in August.  It was a very eye opening read.  I've been fired up ever since.  If you are vegan, vegetarian, or even just someone who cares about our planet, YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK.  Rather than tell you what I liked about this book, I am going to tell you what I didn't like.  The truth.  I don't like it.  I will be honest with y'all.  I have been a naive person.  I trusted too easily and had too much faith in things I didn't fully understand.  No more.  Will Potter's book has taught me that our laws are not there to protect us.  They are there to support the money, and those that have it.  It is timely that I read this book just before the "Occupy" movement began, because, man, I am really down with the 99%, of which I, my family, and virtually everyone I know is a part of.  I am not going to get to philosophical, political, or opinionated here, because afterall, this is a blog about great vegan food, but please read this book, check out the website, and GET FIRED UP!

Freedom Fridays:  Pizza and Beer
Going out to dinner with my dad can often present a problem.  One would think that if 2 of your daughter's are vegan you might be a little bit more open minded when it comes to trying new things.  Yeah, well, no.  Not my dad.  So we often end up in uninspried chain restaraunts or a pizza joint.  Pizza is pretty easy for me.  No cheese.  done.  So that's what we did on Friday.  Spent a couple of hours with my dad, his wife, Laura, and Dan.  Noshing on cheeseless pizza, and sipping on beer.

Wonderful Weekends: A Very Lazy Saturday Spent on the Couch watching Lifetime Movies, and Avoiding any of my Real Responsibilities
Well, that pretty much sums up my weekend.  Today I head out to work.  It is my last day in Venice.  So it will be a bittersweet day.  I will miss my Venice peeps, but I will not miss that drive!

Wonderful Weekends: Hotel Motel Holiday Inn

Last Thursday was my birthday.  On my actual birthday, I went to Glen Ivy Hot Springs, relaxed by the pool, soaked in the mineral baths, basked in the sun, and sipped on Pina Coladas all day long.

Map of the Grounds at Glen Ivy Hot Springs

Then Dan whisked me away to The Veggie Grill for Dinner.  I got the Grilled Chick'n Sandwich with Sweetheart Fries.  Dan Got the BBQ Sandwich with Mac and Cheese and we split an order of Buffalo Wingz.  All was delicious (except we didn't really care for the mac and cheese much, but no fault of the Veggie Grill..it is great for a GF option, we're just not big fans of rice pasta.)  and I brought home a piece of carrot cake to enjoy in bed while watching TV.

Dinner at the Veggie Grill in Irvine

We headed to Long Beach to the Holiday Inn to meet up with friends for drinks in the penthouse bar.  For those who are familiar with Long Beach, this round tower of a hotel is in a pretty random spot. Sure it's pretty close to the airport...but so is all of Long Beach.  Neither Dan or I had ever been there, but would always tease about how when we made it big, we would stay in a room at the Long Beach Holiday Inn and have drinks in that bar.  Silly us.  Anyone can hang out in that bar, and you certainly don't have to be highfalutin to enjoy a nice room on the 11th floor overlooking the runway.  Since most of our friends and family still live in Long Beach, we thought it would be a great place to meet up.  Dan and I got a room, so we wouldn't have to worry about driving (Thank goodness, because we both had way more than our fair share of drinks!)

Holiday Inn of Long Beach

Sunday morning we headed to an old, old favorite...The Potholder, to get a greasy breakfast to fight off the hangovers.  We hadn't been there in many years.  So long in fact, that I didn't remember whether or not they had any vegan options.  Well, they didn't haved much, so I settled on a side of breakfast potatoes, a dry veggie burger, and some toast.  Ha.  It's a good thing I'm not too picky, and was happy just to get some food in my belly.  And we were a day off because I did find out a bit of interesting news.  Long Beach now has its very first vegan restaurant.  Long Beach Vegan Eatery opened its doors today.  I'll be heading there tomorrow to check it out!

We headed home to our girls and spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around watching TV and snacking on pita chips and hummus. 

A wonderful weekend indeed.