Grills Gone Vegan, a review

Grills Gone Vegan is a very comprehensive guide to all you need to know about vegan grilling. I mistakenly thought it was just about cooking on an outdoor barbecue, but I was wrong. Tamasin Noyes covers all the options from a stove-top grill pan or an electric indoor grill, to an outdoor charcoal or gas barbecue. Once you get the tools and techniques down, you're free to grill in the heat of summer or during the worst blizzard of winter.

The book starts with advice on buying outdoor and indoor grilling devices, and essential utensils to make grilling more convenient. She then explains how to maximize grill flavors with marinades, wet and dry rubs, and smoker boxes. Next is a short course on how to grill — preparing the grill, choosing and prepping the ingredients, and stocking the pantry. There's also a section at the back filled with amazing-sounding sauces and dressings.

I have to admit that when we barbecue at our house, it's usually a simple affair of slapping various veggies, tofu or tempeh on the grill — nothing fancy. We love the taste of grilled food in all its simplicity, but the idea of spiffing up our grilling and finding new ways to enjoy our beloved barbecue was very appealing. Since my husband usually wields the barbecue tools, he picked out the first recipe to try — portobellos smothered in ratatouille. Doesn't that sound good? I don't know exactly what went wrong but though he worked at it for 1-1/2 hours, the end result was not good. Neither of us enjoyed the meal and it didn't look good enough to photograph. Bummer. I think maybe it had too many steps for someone used to keeping things simple.

After a certain amount of resting from the exhaustion of grilling, he tried again, this time with a simpler marinated and grilled tofu — five-spice tofu. (He probably chose it because the marinade contained sriracha.) I wish the cookbook had pictures to reinforce the recipes — it helps a lot to see what a food is supposed to look like. Perhaps if my husband had been looking at a photo of glistening tofu slabs searing on the grill, he wouldn't have chosen to cut the tofu into cubes and skewer it with mushrooms.

In spite of his efforts to foil Tamasin's excellent recipe, the tofu was delicious, and we enjoyed our meal. He even managed to get the requisite grill marks on some of the cubes. Although the tofu was tasty, the amount of time it takes to marinate (eight hours to three days) will probably keep it off our grill list unless we learn how to plan ahead instead of being the last-minute grillers that we are. Potato slices are more our speed. But don't let our sloth-like ways inhibit your creative grilling impulses.

For the last recipe test, I took over, and decided to grill in the kitchen, the fresh bunch of asparagus we had just purchased at the farmers market. Although the recipe is presented as a salad with Chinese cabbage, I chose to make Tamasin's side dish variation of Asian asparagus spears.

I don't own a bona fide grill pan with ridges, but I do have a round cast iron griddle, and took some liberties with the definition of indoor grilling, to use it. The recipe was easy, and basically involved tossing the grilled asparagus with a light sauce. The result was delicious and visually appealing — something I would be proud to serve to guests. Although it was supposed to serve four, it was so good the two of us gobbled it up ourselves — along with pasta and soy curls with marinara sauce.

This is not a grab-a few-things-from-the-pantry-and-slap-them-on-the-grill kind of book. The recipes, for the most part, require a bit of thought and planning, but if you are looking for creative and delicious ways to make the most out of your grilling experience, you might want to take a look. "Grills Gone Vegan" will elevate your grilling skills into the realm of gourmet cooking, and you will discover new and unexpected ways to enjoy grilled foods.

I focused only on gluten-free recipes, but there are many recipes for seitan, and even desserts you may be interested in. Here's another review by Chow Vegan with different recipe selections. 

Asian asparagus spears

• 8 ounces asparagus
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium tamari
• 1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1. Preheat a grill, grill pan or electric grill to medium heat.
2. Put the asparagus in a medium bowl. Drizzle with canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss gently until the asparagus is evenly coated. 
3. Put the asparagus on the grill and cook, turning occasionally until marked, tender and bright green, about eight minutes. (If using an electric grill, keep it open and cook a few minutes longer if necessary.)
4. Toss the spears with the sesame seeds, tamari, vinegar, and sesame oil as soon as they come off the grill.

My recipe notes: I used 12 ounces of asparagus without changing the quantities of the other ingredients and it worked perfectly. I used less than 1/4 teaspoon of salt. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your asparagus spears. My asparagus was very thin and cooked in just a few minutes. I used unseasoned rice vinegar.

The recipe was reprinted with the permission of the publisher, Book Publishing Company.
Full disclosure: The book was sent to me free of charge. All opinions are my own. I was not paid to review the book.

Vegan product reviews (Vida Vegan Con swag) | Giveaway

My morning smoothie tastes so much better now that I can have it in a VVC mug. The mug was part of the enormous amount of swag we were handed when we signed in for Vida Vegan Con at the art museum in Portland. The bag was just the first collection of goodies we received — samples kept coming all weekend. Venders had samples, people handed us samples as we walked outside the museum ("would you like to try some vegan snacks?"), there were bags of treats on our chairs at the Battle Royale trivia contest — see what I mean?

This is what the collection looked like spread on the floor when I got home. Not all of it is in the photo, of course, because, well, some things may have been eaten. My husband was at the conference, too, so he also had a bag, but most of his things have mysteriously disappeared. We also received a nifty toiletry bag from Susan Nichole, and my husband was particularly excited about this, because his old bag was in tatters, and he left it behind in the trash.

I've been tasting and testing some of the products since we returned home, and am going to present a little review of some of my favorites so far.

I've always been a fan of Hail Merry macaroons, and was excited to see a bag in the collection. I can't show what they looked like because ... because they are so good they don't last long enough to photograph. They are magic and just disappear. The kale chips, on the other hand, I forced myself to photograph before they, too, disappeared.

I think the kale chips were my favorite snack I've tried so far. These are the best kale chips. The best. They are organic, gluten-free, raw and of course, vegan. They're made in Portland, and you can read all about them here. So good. I want more.

I think I found a new favorite boxed breakfast cereal. We had full-sized boxes of the cereal in our swag bags, and I ate some dry for breakfast one day in Portland. I also munched up a bowlful after I snapped the photo. It tastes like toasty buckwheat and is all crunchy and delicious. Attune foods is the company behind Erewhon supergrains. This morning I had it with almond milk and blueberries, and loved it even more.

Dang. Today I tried to buy a box at Whole Foods and was so dismayed by the $5.99 price that I bought Bob's creamy buckwheat cereal instead.

Here's an interesting little snack. It's chewy, spicy, salty and satisfying, and it's made from soy curls. You can find purchasing information here. I believe my sample came from Vegan Cuts.

Booda butter is an all-purpose body moisturizer that smells divine and leaves me with the light fragrance of a chocolate macaroon. At first I didn't like it. I applied it to my face after a shower and an hour later I had to blot it so I didn't look like a grease ball. After blotting, I applied very light makeup and my skin looked much dewier than usual, and felt very soft. Then I smoothed a tiny amount on my hair to tame some frizz — perfect. Today I used it as a body lotion after showering and although it doesn't sink in as quickly as some lotions do, it was very moisturizing, and I loved the feel of it on my skin. I gave my face some extra time to soak up the booda butter and I didn't need to blot. And the smell is so gentle and pleasing. I think it's going to become a favorite.

Can you believe this? A kombucha starter kit. Now I just have to find a one gallon glass jar and work up the courage to try it.  Has anyone tried a kit like this one? Any advice? Here's a link to their Web site if you want more information.

When I first looked at the tomato chips I wasn't impressed — not the most appetizing-looking snack I've seen — but by the time I'd finished the package I was hooked. They were spicy and cheesy, and I kept checking the package to see if I'd missed any crumbs because I wanted more. You can see the ingredients, here.

When I checked the safety of the BWC (Beauty Without Cruelty) shampoo and cream rinse on Skin Deep, the EWG (Environmental Working Group) ratings of body care products, I was dismayed to find a rating of 3. I like to stay within a safety rating of 0 to 2. But I confess I really like the way the extra body shampoo and cream rinse leave my very fine hair with more body. I liked the way the product worked, and the fact that it's cruelty-free, but some of the ingredients may be a concern. Still, I might buy some.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the Earth Balance Puffs.  In fact, we ate quite a few sample bagfuls in Portland and back at home. Non-GMO and gluten-free, the crunchy, flavorful puffs left a cheesy/powdery residue on my fingers exactly like cheese puffs/cheese curls used to. And I had to lick my fingers just like in the old days. They are beige rather than day-glo orange, and they don't have real cheese. The first two ingredients are corn and navy beans. And they don't contain palm oil. Earth Balance claims to use "responsibly harvested" palm oil for their other products but it still makes me nervous to find that ingredient in my food. (You can read more about the negative impact of using palm oil, here.)

Lush nuts are a sophisticated snack of dark cocoa, sugar and chili-coated Spanish peanuts. They are sweet, spicy and surprising. I think they came in our Vegan Cuts snack bag — not your ordinary peanut.

How cool is this? Along with all the samples — and filled with some! — was a great toiletry bag from Susan Nichole. It was given to us when we checked into our hotel.

Whew. This post is longer than I thought it would be when I started, and I've made barely a dent in my bag of swag. If you've read this far, you now have a chance to grab a little VVC souvenir of your own. Amey, from Vegan Eats and Treats, assembled a cooking zine with a favorite recipe from many of the presenters at VVC 2013. She's illustrated it with her wonderful, humorous cartoons. I bought a bunch to give out as souvenirs, and I have two for my blog readers. Just leave a comment and I'll randomly select two people to receive one. You have until Monday, June 10 at midnight to leave a comment. So what are you waiting for? (U.S. and Canada.)

And BTW, if you already have the zine, don't want one or are Amey, just put a minus (-)  at the beginning of your comment and I won't include you in the drawing!

THE CONTEST IS NOW ENDED BUT COMMENTS ARE STILL WELCOME.

VVC 2013 in Portland, day 3

If you read my previous post, you saw that I had a rather abbreviated, short-arm-version of a self-portrait-with-Amey, and promised to post the long-arm professional version taken by Amey herself, when she sent it to me. Not only can she  draw the best cartoons, she's a master of the self-portrait. Go Amey! (Taken at the end of Galarama and silent auction.)

Sunday morning started with breakfast in the Art Museum ballroom. I enjoyed Bob's Red Mill GF multigrain hot cereal sprinkled with hemp hearts, coconut chia pudding, Peeled snacks dried fruit, fresh fruit and something else that might have been a tofu scramble with veggies. Honestly I can't remember, and even trying to think about all the food I ate during the weekend leaves me weakened. What you see is only what ended up on my plate — there was more to choose from.

The first session I attended was Advanced Photography by Susan Voisin. If you follow Susan's blog, FatFree Vegan Kitchen, you know what a fabulous photographer she is. Self-taught, she shared her wealth of knowledge with us in an attempt to inspire us to make our blog photography the best it can be. Though she is widely-known and highly respected for her wonderful recipes and stunning photographs, Susan is as humble and kind as she can be. It was an honor being in her class.

After the session, we zipped out the door and headed to Powell's Books, where my husband wanted to look for a book he'd been unable to find at home. He didn't find it, but I found a hardcover copy of "Vegan Eats World"  at a can't-pass-up price.

After our shopping spree we headed back to the museum for lunch — a sandwich board affair with both regular and GF bread, and heaps of toppings — Nasoya mustard-herb tofu · Upton’s Naturals Bacon Seitan · Tofurky slices · raw walnut meat · Nayonaise · Happy Campers GF & Grand Central bread · raw greens · Earth Balance peanut butter · Lily’s hummus · grilled summer vegetables · GO Veggie! shreds · dressings and hot sauces from Organicville & Secret Aardvark. I had a tofu and raw greens sandwich and a collard wrap with grilled veggies and carrot shreds. With toppings.

Just after I snapped a photo of my lunch, one of my tablemates appeared with a very creative-looking plate, and I had to photograph hers as well.

There was ice cream for dessert. There was ice cream all day long, actually, and as I already noted, I ate more than my share. I probably wouldn't have sought out dessert but Bethany brought me some GF cookies & cream to try. I think it was Larry and Luna though I couldn't find it on their Web site. It might be a new flavor that hasn't yet hit the market.

These are my samples. Where are yours?

Speaking of ice cream, I'd be terribly remiss if I didn't mention the Wayfare Foods ice cream, which is made from oats. And no, it doesn't taste like oats. I sampled so much of the Wayfare ice cream that at one point I had to walk away from the table because the pile of empty sample cups in my sweaty palm was embarrassingly high. It's really good. My favorite flavors were vanilla creme, Vermont maple and lemon sunshine. I entered a drawing to become a new products tester for Wayfare, and I sure hope they pick me.

My first session after lunch was the very informative How Hot Topics in Nutrition Influence Vegan Advocacy by Gena Hamshaw, Ginny Messina and Jasmin Singer. Next up was Tech for Effective Web Presence by Jason Das. If my post titles become more boring (at least temporarily), it will be thanks (or no thanks) to Jason.

And then, all too soon, it was time for the closing address and the end of VVC 2013. The three lovely VVC organizing wizards, Janessa, Jess and Michele thanked us about 50 times (at least) for coming, but it was really we who should have been thanking them for creating such an amazing and inspiring conference. THANK YOU! x 50. I had a wonderful time meeting fellow bloggers and seeing old friends (Ricki from Diet Dessert and Dogs, Kim from Welcoming Kitchen, Megan from Gluten-free Vegan, Kittee from Cakemaker to the Stars, Amey from Vegan Eats and Treats, Kristy from Keepin' it Kind, Cadry from Cadry's Kitchen, Christy from The Blissful Chef, Marti from Tofu and Sprouts, Susan from FatFree Vegan Kitchen, The Food Duo, Dan from The Gay Vegan, Julie Hassan, Lydia and Mauro from A to Vegan,Jennifer from Vegan Dance if You Want To, etc. etc etc.)

But we weren't leaving until very early Monday morning, so we had one more meal to fit in. I really wanted to go to the Mississippi food trucks and get takeout from Homegrown Smoker and/or Native Bowl to take on the train the next morning, but we just couldn't manage it, and ended up walking to Prasad Café instead, for dinner.

It took me forever to decide what to get and finally I chose the urban bowl — mixed greens with olive oil, steamed kale, cabbage, sea vegetables, avocado,
carrots, scallions, sesame & hemp seeds with jalapeno cashew cheese sauce. I really had high hopes for Prasad, but even though I knew my selection had sea vegetables, and I usually like sea vegetables, I was unprepared for the vast quantity of sea vegetables. There was a huge pile of wakame on top, and lots of hijiki (my least favorite sea veggie) mixed in. It was just so fishy. I removed the sea veggies as best I could and ate the raw salad. Then, at the bottom of the bowl I discovered the steamed kale, but by that time I was so full I couldn't eat more than a bite or two.

My husband was much happier with his choice, the Kali bowl — quinoa, garnet yam vegetable curry, steamed greens, slow cooked mango chutney and cilantro. He also had a salad, and he was a happy eater. Next time I'll choose better.

We both enjoyed our juices — carrot-ginger for me, and carrot-beet-apple-ginger for him.

Before I close, I want to mention how much I love Portland. It's a beautiful, accessible city with great restaurants and shops, cool citizens, and to say it's vegan-friendly is an understatement. The downtown is filled with interesting buildings and street art, and is a pleasure to explore on foot.

And it's weird. But before you pack your bags and move to Portland, you should know that it does rain a lot. I think the weather is a small price to pay for all the rest of the package. But of course, I live in Seattle so what do I know?

coming up next: swag