Strawberry Ginger Rhubarb Pie

by meaghan // August 29, 2007 // 1 Comment

Forgive this horrible picture but, Hooray for Pie! Pie screams summer, like no other.

Rhubarb is generally eaten as a fruit, but it’s botanically a vegetable. Because of rhubarbs superb amount of tang, and the strawberries being so naturally sweet, I figured the ginger would add a bonus flavor. I made this using my moms, ever so famous pie recipe. I had bought this red palm oil from whole foods, and decided its reddish hues would look nice in the crust. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit on the African palm tree. This particular brand is cold pressed, and works great for shortening! Sorry for the blurry picture. EEk!

Nature’s Express, the future of fast food

by meaghan // August 22, 2007 // 6 Comments

Its nearing the end of summer. August is 1 week away from being over, and sad to say so is Good Karma.

Just what have I been doing for the last 6 weeks? The people behind the scenes of San Diego’s beloved Kung Food, have another project in the works! As most of us are very familiar with the KF drive thru, we have also had a sister location on the Venice boardwalk.

Serving the most amazing vegan fast food, such as Soy Chicken Chipotle sandwiches, Pesto Burgers, Chili Cheese Fries, Homemade Ice Cream & Mylk Shakes!
Perfect for veg-heads who love their fried food, and hate having to question fryers shared with meat. Or those buff muscle beach lifters (see pic below!)
And more importantly, perfect for aging men and women who want to see a change in their diet, or maybe even their kids’ but don’t know where to start.
The concept behind good karma seems so appropriate for what our society needs. I could start to go into the million and one reasons why veganism plays a huge part in preserving our future, but I’ll save that for another day 🙂
Sad to say that Good Karma will be leaving the boardwalk, closing its doors August 28th. We will be relocating to La Brea, and Olympic, mid-city LA. We’re hoping it’ll be a fast change, and our loyal customers, some who drive from west LA to east LA, 4 times a week in LA traffic (ugh!) will still come out to visit.

So as for the future of vegan fast food? Well, the owners are changing the name to Nature’s Express. And this is just a start….

The grand opening of our Yuma, AZ. location should be in mid-September. Anyone wondering “Why Yuma?” I said the same. But after spending 2 weeks in Yuma, it was pretty apparent. People there have not one single option for healthy foods. And, they need it. More so than LA, maybe even more so then SD. The local folks there seem to rarely cook for themselves, and corporate America has made this small town a huge fast food community. People eat drive thru food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So why not get them thinking about a healthier option!

I just hope I last through the heat! Heres a great pic from the Good Karma pick up window! This place will sure be missed! Till the next episode in veggie adventures…..

Golden Tofu Nuggets

by meaghan // July 11, 2007 // 1 Comment

Yet another KF favorite. And oh so simple! I like serving them with a variety of sauces. Such as vegan ranch, curry ketchup, a yummy macro BBQ sauce, dill mustard, or even some tamari with a splash of brown rice vinegar.

Pike Street Market

by meaghan // July 2, 2007 // No Comments

Seattle

Well I only had an afternoon, but it was spent well. The weather was beautiful, as was the city. I love the atmosphere of port cities. Most of them anyway.

Lunch was quick, as I grabbed a sandwich from Wayward Cafe, and strolled down to Pikes Market. It was a blast. I even took a moment to watch the fisherman throw around there freshly caught salmon and trout. The market had a huge selection of veggie eats. Organic, local, and fresh produce, nuts, flowers, herbs, as well as a ton of arts-n-crafters! I can’t remember the name, but there was a cute little pastry shop that specialized in vegan cinnamon rolls and other yum yums.

I didn’t get to check out the Mighty-O Donut house, but a friend did bring me a bag of 6 different flavors!!! Lemon Poppyseed heaven! I think soon Ill have to make some of my own soon!

This one is for Mom….Everlasting statice flowers!

Bye Bye Birdie Tempeh Salad

by meaghan // June 19, 2007 // No Comments

Tempeh is made by fermenting soybeans, binded together by a mold called rhizopus. I know what your thinking….a mold?!?!? Yes a mold! This mold produces a medicinal antibiotic to increase our bodies resistance to infections, and helps to eliminate toxins. The most widely used tempeh, come in flavors such as flax or grain.

This recipe was a KF favorite, now yours to share! Tempeh is best marinaded overnight. So its worth it to give your self some extra prep time. If your feeling frisky, mix in some sunflower seeds for an extra crunch!

Marinade:

1 8oz. pkg. tempeh, cut in cubes
1 Tab. garlic, minced
1 Tab. ginger, minced
2 Tab. sesame oil
3 Tab. Tamari (wheat-free)

***Toss all ingredients in large bowl and let sit overnight

After marinaded, lightly sautee the tempeh, and all those yummy juices, till lightly browned. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, In another large bowl:

3/4 cup veganaise
1 Lr. celery stalk
2 Tab. red onion, minced
2 scallions, sliced thin
1 kosher dill pickle
2 Tab. fresh dill, minced

***When tempeh has cooled, mix into the large bowl. Test the flavor, you may want to add some sea salt & fresh ground pepper.

Raw-violi’s

by meaghan // June 16, 2007 // No Comments

This idea was inspired by Cilantro Live. Though I’m not a fan of their version, they are usually too small, and dry. But I thought the idea was way cool:)

The yummy filling consists of soaked pignoli nut pate, sandwiched between 2 vine tomatoes. I then dehydrated these for about 6 hours, flipped, and dehydrated again till they held together nicely. They were gone shortly after I took the picture! Good thing for veggie friends with big appetites!

My, how I heart M Cafe!

by meaghan // May 20, 2007 // No Comments

I think after this last visit to M Cafe, I can safely say it is my favorite eatery in all of California…..its true. And is what is not to love? The brunch is Amazing. Best Seitan Cutlets ever, and they’ve even started making ice cream! This months flavor was Black sesame! Grain sweetened Ice cream! I’ve heard they are opening a new location. Hopefully soon, they’ll be one in SD.

Tofu Florentine, with tempeh bacon

Edamame Inari

Cooking Classes

by meaghan // May 10, 2007 // No Comments

As many of you have probably heard, Kung Foods has changed its staff/direction, without any new location set yet in sight. It has been a hard and fast change, but doors are continually opening and expanding for new projects and ventures in San Diego County…

However, for now, I will be offering private cooking classes, for 2-7 people, to be held at your homes, or friends home, or other locations you might find!! Imagine: invite some friends over, have everyone bring over wines or juices, relax in the comfort of your own home as we go step by step through a full, gourmet vegan dinner – using your own utensils and kitchenware so that there is no further question as to how to precisely make your favorite vegan dish….

So for Spring, I will be offering a series of cooking courses for you – taking the spirit of bold tastes and optimal health in new directions, as we learn together how to grow in our own cooking abilities, and in our sharing of vegan foods to our friends, family, and for those in our lives who ‘just don’t understand.’

I am in the process of checking out new commercial spaces where we can host public cooking classes for now, and hope to have a location locked in within the next few months.
The commercial space will start out being used for a 4 course long series. An overview of each class will be posted here, at the website, as well as a sign up sheet for each class.