veganchrys

Hi friends! I'm Chrys - a 24-year-old Communication Studies graduate from McMaster University. Most importantly, I'm a passionate ethical vegan. I mostly post recipes and meal ideas, but I also write about my adventures and experiences as a young vegan. Please feel free to send me a message or any recipe requests!

[veganchrys]

Vegan Hot Spots - Fiddler’s Pour House (St. Catharine’s ON)

A couple of months ago, I was contacted by Milan from Fiddler’s Pour House in St. Catharine’s to check out their bar and participate in a tasting of their growing vegan menu. This past Friday, Momo and I made the short journey from Oakville to St. Kitts to meet with Kyle, one of the managers. We also had the pleasure of meeting Jeremy, who prepared all of the delicious vegan dishes for us.  

Fiddler’s Pour House is in the middle of St. Paul Street, which is a long strip of restaurants, pubs, cafés, and shops. When we entered, we were greeted by Kyle, and passed by the large group of gentlemen relaxing and enjoying a late lunch and a couple of drinks to reach our table. Meeting and speaking with Kyle was worth the trip in itself. He had told us that his philosophy in life is that regardless of who you are or where you come from, you can do whatever you want as long as you aren’t harming anyone. Much the same, anyone can come to Fiddler’s Pour House and have a great time and a great meal. This all-inclusive atmosphere is much needed in this day-and-age, and was very refreshing to hear as a vegan who knows much-too-well the struggles of being able to go to a restaurant with people of all dietary preferences and have everyone feeling full and happy. With that being said, LET’S GET INTO THE FOOD!  

The first phase of the tasting was the appetizers, which are finger foods that perfect for sharing.  

The Cauliflower Bites are lightly battered and seasoned, and served with harissa sauce. One thing that always makes vegan food delicious is 1. the texture and 2. the sauce. The bites themselves were not over-seasoned or over-battered, which allowed for the perfectly tender cauliflower to still shine through. But, to kick up the flavour, the harissa added a nice sweetness and heat that complimented the cauliflower very well.  

We were also served Samosas with a tamarind sauce – one of the only items not made in house. Rather, the samosas are made by an Indian woman that the owner met many years ago. A delicious lentil mixture was encased by crispy, flaky dough. They were also smaller than samosas I’ve had before, which is perfect for sharing and nibbling on with friends.  

When I go to a non-vegan pub, one of the only options I go for is the sweet potato fries, which are usually served with a chipotle mayo that I give to my friends. We were served Sweet Potato Wedges with vegan honey garlic. I don’t believe I had ever had sweet potato wedges before Friday! They were lightly crisped on the outside and beautifully fluffy on the inside. Although they were delicious on their own, I’d highly recommend trying it with the honey garlic. Sweet, flavourful, and sticky – everything you’d want from a honey garlic sauce.  

The last appetizer for the tasting was the highly anticipated Pickle Fries – lightly battered and deep-fried pickle spears, paired with a vegan Cesar dressing that Jeremy was testing out. The Cesar dressing was perfect for this dish. Although a little bit thinner than Cesar dressings I have personally made before, a thicker dressing would have been too “goopy” and would have overpowered the pickles. Just the right amount of sauce was collected with each dip. The flavour of the dressing was also tangy and garlicky, but not so much that would knock over a vampire. It was delicious!  

Just when we thought there wasn’t any more food to be had, Kyle brought out a poutine and nachos. Both dishes I would also recommend for sharing with friends, as they were extremely generous portions.  

Let’s start with the poutine - a Canadian classic that I haven’t been able to eat much of since going vegan. All you need to know about this poutine is that I enjoyed it more than a poutine I had at a vegan restaurant in Montreal. Poutine may appear to be a simple dish of fries, gravy, and cheese, but there are many different little factors that go into making a great poutine. The fries have to be the right thickness, the gravy has to be smooth, and the cheese has to be very melty. There also has to be a generous amount of gravy and cheese so that all of the fries can be coated with flavour. This poutine hit all the marks for Momo and myself, and was definitely one of our favourites.  

Next was the monstrous serving of nachos – loaded with vegan pulled pork, Daiya, jalepeños and other veggies, and served with spicy salsa. Fiddler’s Pour House does not skimp out on toppings at all. These nachos were so packed full of different flavourful toppings that Momo and I didn’t have to fight for the “good chips”. When meeting with Jeremy, he told us that the preparing their jackfruit takes many hours, and includes both smoking and baking the jackfruit. The long process definitely pays off, as it was some of the best jackfruit I’ve ever had!  

The final phase of dishes were, in my opinion, more like meals rather than shareable options. We were surprised with Roasted Cauliflower, Vegan Chicken Wings, and Grilled Cheese. 

Roasting a large piece of cauliflower is something I have seen online in the vegan community, but always find mixed reviews saying that the texture and flavour on the outside is great, but the inner parts are often under cooked and under seasoned. This was not the case with this dish! It was bursting with flavour from the harissa, cilantro sauce, and other spices; and also had great textures from the almonds and cranberries. The cauliflower itself still had a great bite to it. A truly innovative and intricate dish I would not expect to see at a bar.  

Another highlight of mine would have to be the vegan wings. I cannot believe that a non-vegan restaurant with a non-vegan chef would produce some of the best seitan I’ve ever had. I was surprised to see irregularities in the seitan that made it more meat-like, without it being too realistic, which has sometimes turned me off of eating meatless meat. Again, nailing texture and sauces, the wings had a good, meaty chew, and paired great with the three sauce options – harissa, “medium”, and Franks Red Hot. 

The last menu item we tasted, with just one bite each because we were bursting at this point, was the grilled cheese. Chef Jeremy is a crazy genius for putting cheese both inside and outside of the sandwich, allowing for gooey, melty Daiya cheese in the middle, and crispy Daiya cheese on the outside. If you’ve been out having a few too many drinks, this is what you want to eat at the end of the night.  

As for drinks, Fiddler’s Pour House lives up to its name with 19 items on tap, and you can’t expect to go to the Niagara region and not find delicious wine options as well. Kyle was kind enough to offer us samples of beers and wine we haven’t had before. He also made sure to pair these samples with the menu items we were tasting.  

Overall, Momo and I had an amazing experience at Fiddler’s Pour House. Since this was a food tasting, it only makes sense to describe how we felt about each of the menu items. But we also have to give credit to the amazing staff who not only create such a great environment, but whose empathetic and inclusive attitudes allow for such an incredible vegan menu. I often hear from other vegans that non-vegan restaurants should serve vegan and vegetarians items that they are proud of, rather than throwing something on the menu just for the sake of having an option. In tasting the food and talking with Kyle and Jeremy, it was very clear to us how much they care about creating a memorable experience for all of their guests. We would like to extend our thanks to Kyle, Jeremy, Milan, and the rest of the staff at Fiddler’s Pour House for their generous hospitality and for being incredible dedicated to their craft. Momo and I will be back, hungry for more!  

[veganchrys]

Chick’un Fried Quinoa with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Happy Saturday pals! Ever find yourself with leftover plain rice or quinoa and don’t know how to use it up before it goes bad? My family always makes fried rice with leftover white or brown rice, so I thought I would try to make a fried quinoa when we had some leftovers recently. I was super happy with the results! It was just as flavourful as fried rice, but less heavy. I also whipped up a quick peanut sauce to add an extra kick.

For the chick’un fried quinoa, you will need (2-3 servings):

- 2 cups of cooked quinoa

- 1/2 cup frozen veggie medley (I used corn, peas, and carrots that are in Chinese restaurant fried rice... but feel free to add your own fresh veggies of choice)

- 1/2 cup vegan chick’un of choice (I used Gardein. Tofu could also be used instead!)

- 2 tbsp light soy sauce

- 1/2 tbsp minced Garlic

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp Pepper

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

To prepare the chick’un fried quinoa:

1) Bring a large frying pan or skillet to a medium heat with the 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the vegan chick’un and cook through as instructed on the packaging.

2) Add the quinoa, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and sesame oil. Add 1 tbsp of water if it begins to stick. Continue to cook until the quinoa is heated through and the frozen veggies are soft. ENJOY!

For the spicy peanuts sauce, you will need:

- 1/2 cup peanut butter

- 1 cup veggie broth

- 2 tbsp sriracha

- 1/2 tsp garlic salt

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tbsp sesame oil

To prepare the peanut sauce:

1) Add all ingredients into a small sauce pan. Bring to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer. Whisk to ensure the peanut butter is melted. Serve hot! ENJOY!

[veganchrys]

Easy Vegan Peanut Butter Cups (no-bake)

Hello friends! I posted this picture on Instagram a couple of days ago and everyone was asking for a recipe... so here it is! The easiest dessert you’ll ever make, and you only need three ingredients. I made other treats on this day, so I don’t know the exact measurements for how much chocolate was needed just for these peanut butter cups. But you can always start with a little and melt more if needed. I veganized a version of peanut butter cups from Buzzfeed Tasty, which can be found on YouTube. I’m sure you can make this without the icing sugar and just use plain peanut butter.

Ingredients: - vegan chocolate (I used dark chocolate from Lindt) - 1/2 cup peanut butter - 1 tbsp icing sugar

You’ll also need a cupcake tray and some cupcake liners to get the ridges on the outside of the chocolate.

Instructions: 1) Clear some space in your fridge. You’ll need to put the cupcake tray in there to allow the chocolate to cool. Line a cupcake try with cupcake liners.

2) Set up a double boiler with a small sauce pan or pot of water, and a heat safe bowl that fits on top of the pot. Make sure the bowl is large enough that it is not touching the bottom of the pot. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium so the water will not evaporate. Add the chocolate. Stir occasionally until melted through.

3) While the chocolate is melting, combine the peanut butter and icing sugar in a separate bowl. Again, I apologize for not know the exact measurements you’ll need for a certain amount of peanu butter cups. But you can always make more peanut butter mixture if needed.

4) Once the chocolate is melted, add a small spoonful to each cupcake liner. For a normal size liner, about 1.5-2 tbsp will do. For mini liners, which is what I used, 2 tsp. Feel free to add more if you want a thicker bottom. Personally I liked doing a thinner bottom so it would set quicker. Using a teaspoon or small spatula, evenly spread the chocolate along the bottom and sides of the cupcake liner. Set in the fridge to harden. Mine only took about 15 min but it might alter depending on the chocolate.

5) Once hardened, remove from the fridge and and a small spoonful of the peanut butter mixture to each. I found it easiest to just use my finger to evenly spread the peanut butter on top of the first layer of chocolate.

6) Lastly, add another layer of chocolate on top of the peanut butter. Set in the fridge to harden. And that’s it! ENJOY!

[veganchrys]

Bacon Cheeseburger Rolls (vegan)

Tomorrow is Superbowl Sunday! Superbowl foods are usually not friendly for vegans, but there are plenty of veganized versions of your favourite game day foods on the internet. Today, Momo and I made this cute little display of bacon cheeseburger rolls, BBQ cauliflower wings, and a celery goal post. The recipe for the cauliflower wings is an old one that you can find HERE. The inspiration for the cheeseburger rolls was from a Pilsbury recipe I found online. For pics to help you understand how to arrange and roll the dough, click here! Here’s is how you can make this vegan game day treat at home.

Ingredients (makes 16 rolls): - 2 packs of regular pilsbury crescents (make sure you check the ingredients so that it is vegan) - 1.5 cups of veggie ground round - ¼ cup chopped green onion - 1 tbsp BBQ sauce - salt and pepper to taste - coconut bacon - vegan cheese - sliced pickles - sesame seeds for topping

Instructions: 1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or aluminium that has been lightly greased 2. In a frying pan, cook the veggie ground with the green onions, salt and pepper, and a splash of water to prevent sticking. Set aside once heated through. 3. Arrange each square of crescent dough so it makes a circle, with the corners of each square overlapping. Add 1-2 tbsp of the veggie ground mixture to each of the squares, towards the inner half. Add two slices of pickles, and some vegan cheese. I used half a slice of daiya cheddar per square. Sprinkle a small pinch of coconut bacon (if using) 4. Roll the outer edge of each pastry square over the mixture, and lightly tuck and press down once you meet the inner edge to seal itself. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. 5. Bake at 375 F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. 6. Serve hot with ketchup, mustard, ranch, or any of your favourite condiments. ENJOY!

[veganchrys]

Mythology Diner: Toronto Vegan Eats

Momo and I decided to check out Doomies’ and Doug McNish’s new hot vegan restaurant - Mythology Diner. It’s located right beside Doomies on Queen St W, and has been raved about all over social media for its vegan takes on classic diner dishes. It took us quite a while to get there because we missed our highway exit and got stuck behind a major accident on the DVP. So we were quite hangry when we arrived, and not-surprisingly, there was a LOOOONG wait. We waited about 90 minutes, but they took our number down and texted us when our table was ready. When we returned, we were sat at the bar. It would have been nice if they had asked if this was okay, but I understand that they were busy. Luckily the bartender was super nice, and she recommended a nice Hawaiian style beer for Momo. Since I don’t drink, I had the Floral Fizz, which was absolutely delicious. Lemon, lavender, and soda water.

The Reubenator is a menu item I’ve seen a lot of pictures of online, so I made sure to try that. Usually when Momo and I go out, he lets me pick his entree. Knowing he loves burgers, I thought we were going to go with Doug’s Burger and The Reubenator. But the people sitting next to us had the Tempeh Fish and Chips, and Momo was set on getting that with a beer. We also shared the honey garlic boneless wings as our starter. 

We absolutely loved the boneless wings. The flavour was great and the texture was perfect. It was a mock meat that wasn’t too realistic. It had a toughness on the outside and a slight chew on the inside. 

The Reuben was extremely scrumptious and juicy. Along with the meatless meat, it was paired with sauerkraut which cut through all the fattiness. Although it was delicious, it was a little over-greasy for my liking. The fries were top-notch as well. 

I hate to say this, but the tempeh fish and chips were underwhelming. I found the batter to be perfect, although, again, a little too greasy but that’s what you should expect with a fried “fish” and chips. The tempeh was not as flavourful as I would have expected, but the texture overall was great. The tartar sauce and mushy peas helped a lot with adding flavour. I also had to ask the bartender for more lemon wedges to squeeze over the tempeh. Quite disappointed with this dish to be honest, but I commend Chef Doug for his innovation!

Overall, it was nice to go out and enjoy a meal with Momo. I think I prefer Doomies to Mythology, but I would consider going again to try new menu items. Momo and I both agreed that we might not be as into “dirty” vegan food as we used to be. I think we have moved on to eating more whole foods, especially with Momo having IBS. But it is nice to indulge every now and then!

[veganchrys]

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup (vegan)

The god of all comfort foods has to be bread bowls, in my opinion. I haven’t made this in a while because, from what I remembered, it was tedious. But after making it again a second time, it took no time at all! The hardest part is just prepping the broccoli and the bread. But you can just have this as a soup and skip the bread bowl, although I would 110% recommend doing it as a bread bowl.

Ingredients (this fills a large sourdough bread bowl, about 3 bowls of soup): - 1 box veggie broth (900 mL) - 2 cups chopped broccoli - 1/4 cup flour - 4 tbsp nutritional yeast - 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper (add more if needed) - 1/4 tsp turmeric (for colour, so this is optional) - 1/2 tsp paprika (for colour, so this is also optional) - Large sourdough or deep round bread 

Instructions: 1) Add 2 cups chopped broccoli, half of the broth (about 2 cups), salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, turmeric, and paprika to a large pot. Bring to a boil. 2) Reduce heat to a simmer. In a large bowl, add 1/4 cup flour. Slowly add the remaining broth, and whisk or stir with a fork until the flour is well incorporated and no longer clumpy. 3). Add the flour and broth mixture to the pot of soup. Leave on a simmer while you prepare your bread. This will allow it to thicken. If you prefer it thicker, prepare another bowl with a tbsp of flour and just use a ladle to take broth out of the pot to make another flour/broth mixture. You don’t want to add the flour straight into the pot because it will get clumpy. Keep doing this until you reach your desired thickness. 4) To prepare the bread, cut off the top like you would for a pumpkin. remove all the nice fluffy bread and break it up into pieces. Bake at 350 degrees C for about 5 min. Just until it’s warm. Feel free to leave it in longer if you prefer your bread a little more toasty. I left mine in for 8-10 minutes and thought it was a bit too crunchy.  5) Carefully add your soup into the centre of the bread bowl. ENJOY!

[veganchrys]

What I Ate on New Year’s Day (vegan)

Good morning, lovelies! 

Did you have a good New Year’s? It was absolutely freezing here in Canada... so much that all of the outdoor New Year’s Eve celebrations were cancelled this year! Momo’s birthday is on New Year’s Eve, but we had a big party a couple days earlier. This year we just stayed home and watched New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. 

The next day, we just had a chilled day and watched The Last Jedi. Here is what I ate that day!

Breakfast: Grilled cheese with Daiya cheddar, ketchup, and orange juice

Lunch/Snack: Cheatin’ on my New Years Resolution already and had a few pieces of Bombice (a Serbian chocolate, hazelnut dessert) and a small piece of leftover birthday cake.

Movie snack: Popcorn and iced tea at the theatre

Dinner: Quinoa taco bowl! Quinoa, kale, Tofurkey chorizo, pepper, tomato, green onion, coleslaw mix (without dressing), and a squeeze of lemon.

[veganchrys]

VegetarianHaven: Toronto Vegan Eats

Hello everyone! A couple of days ago, Momo and I made our first trip to Vegetarian Haven in Baldwin Village for Momo’s birthday dinner. Vegetarian Haven is an award-winning vegan restaurant that has Asian-inspired dishes. I love that this restaurant is the perfect balance between super healthy vegan food and “dirty” vegan food. They have salads, soups, lots of veg heavy dishes and seitan! It’s perfect!

For drinks, we had an organic hot apple cider and a ginger steamer, which was our favourite drink. The ginger steamer was fresh ginger juice with steamed vanilla almond milk. So perfect.

As our starter, we had a tempura king oyster mushroom and mock prawns in a spicy cocktail sauce. This was my favourite dish of the evening! The mock prawns were incredibly convincing, with stripes and a tail too. But the king oyster mushrooms were my favourite. They had a great meaty flavour and texture. Since some vegans prefer whole foods to mock meats, I think this is a perfect dish for anyone who wants to trick your mind that you’re having meat, without having to have seitan.

Our main dishes were the kale and quinoa salad, and the miso souper bowl. The kale and quinoa salad was perfectly balanced - kale, spinach, quinoa, seeds, cranberries, apples, beets, and a tangy vinaigrette. The miso souper bowl was a rice noodle dish, topped with lots of vegetables, homemade dumplings, and miso broth. Very simple, but perfect for a cold winter day.

If you’re ever in downtown Toronto, this is a great location. Amazing food and relatively close to the downtown core. 

[veganchrys]

Veganuary 2018

Happy New Year! It has been quite a while since I’ve posted. This blog has kind of been on the back burner, and my instagram has been my main focus lately. But for veganuary, I wanted to challenge myself by posting everyday - whether that be a recipe, what I ate today, a review, or just some words of encouragement.

To kick off veganuary, I wanted to post some great food pics from 2017 to help encourage anyone taking on this challenge this month. Being vegan can be tough at times, but if you keep your fridge stocked with good vegan staples, have a few good blogs and cook books to follow, and have a good community (whether that be in person or online), you’ll be very successful and very happy! Don’t be afraid to fail too! After three years of being vegan, sometimes I make mistakes too. If anyone needs some help with veganuary, feel free to leave me a message. GOOD LUCK!

[veganchrys]

Dessert Nachos (vegan)

HELLO EVERYONE! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted. I’ve been working a lot lately and haven’t really had a chance to post. I recently worked with Que Pasa to come up with something super delicious for instagram. I made the usual pub-style nachos but I also created a delicious sweet, dessert nachos - with vegan ganache and vanilla cashew sauce. Here’s how I made it.

Ingredients:

For the vanilla cashew sauce: - 1/3 cup soaked cashews - 1/2 cup non-dairy milk - 1 tsp vanilla extract (add more if you like) - 1 tbsp maple syrup - 1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the genache: - 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips - 2 tbsp non-dairy milk

Extras: - Que Pasa tortilla chips - Your choice of fruit (I used strawberries and bananas) - Icing sugar for dusting on top

Instructions: 1) Blend all the cashew sauce ingredients until smooth.  2) In a microwavable bowl, combine chocolate chips and non-dairy milk. Microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring between, until smooth. 3) Use a piping bag or a ziploc bag. Place the bag in a cup, with the opening wide enough to place the sauces in their own bags. Cut the tips, and drizzle over chips. 4) Add sliced fruit and icing sugar 5) ENJOY!

[veganchrys]

Avocado and Hemp Heart Pesto (vegan)

TGIF friends! I posted this on my instagram last week and some people were asking for a recipe. Avocado pesto was one of my staples when I first went vegan. I decided to substitute some of the avocado for hemp hearts to reduce fat and increase protein. It’s a super easy and quick vegan recipe - perfect for lazy vegans like me!

Ingredients: - 1 avocado - 1/4 cup hemp hearts - Basil leaves, I used about 5 but use as much or as little as you want - 1 tbsp chives - 1/2 tsp garlic salt - 1/4 tsp pepper - 3 tbsp olive oil - 2-3 tbsp of the pasta water (optional, but makes it extra creamy) Instructions: 1) Add avocado, hemp hearts, basil, chives, garlic salt, pepper, olive oil, and pasta water to a blender. Give it a quick blend until smooth. 2) Add to pasta and toss until well incorporated. Add nooch, basil, and chives as extra topping, if desired. 3) ENJOY!

[veganchrys]

Crispy “Chicken” Cauliflower (vegan)

Happy Thursday, friends! I recently posted a picture of cauliflower “chicken” burgers on my instagram, and everyone was asking for a recipe. I decided to make it a second time to perfect the recipe before sharing. 

Ingredients: - 1 head of cauliflower - 2 cups flour - 1.5 cups water - Panko bread crumbs (I don’t know how much I used… I just kept adding to the bowl as I went along. Probably ¾ to 1 box all together, depending on the size of your cauliflower.) - 1 tsp salt - 1 tsp garlic powder - ½ tsp pepper - ½ tsp thyme - 1 tsp paprika - ½ tsp chili flakes (optional) - Any sauces you like (if you want to coat cauliflower afterwards)

** All seasoning can and should be adjusted to your liking! Feel free to add or take away anything.

Instructions: 1) Cut the cauliflower! After rinsing, cut in half and remove the green leaves and stock. If you want to make sandwiches, cut the cauliflower into steaks. You can also cut into large florets to give the feeling of pieces of chicken. Or you can cut them into small florets for cauliflower wings. Just keep in mind that baking time will be different if you cut them into smaller pieces. 2) In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, water, and paprika. Whisk together until smooth. 3) In a separate bowl, combine 1.5 cups of panko with the salt, garlic powder, pepper, thyme, and chili flakes. 4) Have a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ready. Dip the cauliflower in the batter, and tap off any excess. Then bread with panko. Place breaded cauliflower on the baking sheet. Continue for all pieces. 5) Bake at 450 F for 35 min, flipping halfway through. If you wish to coat your cauliflower in sauce (buffalo or BBQ, for example), remove the cauliflower 10 min before the baking is done, coat in sauce, and return to the oven for the remaining 10 min.  6) ENJOY!!!

[veganchrys]

Easy Sesame Peanut Zoodles (vegan)

Ingredients: - Zucchini! As much or as little as you want.... I used one large zucchini - 1/2 cup peanut butter - 3 tbsp sesame oil - 1/2 cup soy sauce - 2 tbsp rice vinegar - Sesame seeds and green onions for topping

Instructions: 1) Prepare the zoodles! I used a veggie spiralizer to make the noodles. I then laid the noodles in an even layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 200 F for about 15 minutes. You can prepare the noodles however you like! Some people eat the noodles as they are, some people boil them. It’s totally up to you! This method wilts the noodles slightly but still keeps them firm.  2) To prepare the sauce, I blended the peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar until smooth.  3) Toss the zoodles in the sauce and top with sesame seeds and green onion!  4) ENJOY!

[veganchrys]

Watermelon Poke (vegan)

Happy Monday, friends! As some of you know, I went to Hawai’i recently and fell in love with O’ahu. I made a master post of some of my favourite places to eat on the island (click here). Although Hawai’i was extremely vegan friendly, I was a little bummed that I didn’t get to try poke! Poke is a raw fish dish that is similar to a sashimi salad, often marinaded with asian sauces. I was lucky enough to find tofu poke at Down to Earth, and saw that Island Vintage Coffee made cucumber poke... but as a foodie, it can be difficult not getting to try the real thing. I’ve heard of people using watermelon as a fish substitute, so i decided to give watermelon poke a try! With some sesame seeds, avocado, and nori, it actually tasted a lot like sushi! So I feel like it was as close to the real thing as I could get.

Ingredients: - Watermelon, seeds removed and cut into small chunks (use as much or as little as you want. I used about 4 cups so my family could have some.) - 1 tsp salt - 2 tbsp teriyaki marinade - 1 tbsp ponzu (could easily sub 3 tbsp of soy sauce for the teriyaki and ponzo) - 1/2 cup rice vinegar - 1/4 cup sesame oil - 2 tbsp agave 

Instructions: 1) Simply put all the watermelon and marinade ingredients into a tupperware and store in the fridge overnight (or 2-4 hours if you’re in a crunch) 2) Serve on its own or turn it into a poke bowl! I served mine with white rice, avocado, carrots, cucumber, green onion, sesame seeds, and nori. This would also go really well with spicy vegenaise!

[veganchrys]

Vegan Mint Chocolate Oats

Hi friends! My mom decided to get some mint for our herb garden this year, and I’ve been loving using fresh peppermint and spearmint throughout the day. We’ve been using the mint for teas but today I decided to try making mint chocolate oatmeal!

It’s a super simple recipe, but I thought I would share anyway.

Ingredients: - 1 cup oats - 1 cup water - 1 cup chocolate soy (feel free to adjust the amount of liquid depending on how you like your oatmeal. Also feel free to be a healthy bug and use plain dairy-free milk and cacao) - 1 tbsp agave - 1 tsp vanilla - 6-10 leaves of peppermint or spearmint (I used a combo of both) - Any toppings you may like! I used vegan chocolate chips, chia, mint leaves, and vegan apple honey that I got from the Vegan Wine and Cheese Fest

Instructions: 1) In a mortar and pestle, muddle the mint leaves. Add the oats, muddles leaves, water, vegan milk, agave, and vanilla to a sauce pan. 2) Bring to a low boil then reduce to simmer. Keep mixing until oats are cooked through to your liking. 3) Serve with your fave toppings!! 4) ENJOY!!!

[veganchrys]

Vegan Tofu Feta and Spinach Pastry

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I last posted a recipe! I have a really good one for you today. It’s a Greek spanakopita inspired tofu feta and spinach pastry. I don’t really feel comfortable calling it spanakopita because I used some untraditional ingredients. Feel free to used this tofu feta on any other dishes you’re making! It would go great on a salad or on a charcuterie spread!

For the tofu feta: Ingredients: - 1 block extra firm tofu, diced into cubes - 1/2 cup almond milk - 1/2 cup water - 1/4 cup white wine vinegar - juice from 1 lemon - 3 tsp salt - 3 tsp basil

Instructions: 1) Simply combine all the ingredients in a deep tupperware and store in the fridge over night to marinate!

For the rest of the dish: Ingredients: - 1 pack of Ternderflake puff pastry, thawed (or any other vegan puff pastry) - 1 pack of spinach (roughly 11 oz) - 1 tsp salt - Flour for rolling out pastry

Instructions: 1) In a large saucepan or frying pan, cook down your spinach on medium, low heat. Add salt and 1-2 tbsp of the tofu feta marinade. This shouldn’t take long. 3-5 min max. 2) Add spinach to a large mixing bowl. Crumble tofu feta into the bowl as well. For good measure, add 2-3 tbsp of the marinade and 1 tsp of salt. 3) On a well floured surface, roll out your pastry. The tender flake comes in two rolls. Roll each one out into a square, about 15 x 15 inches (or as thin as you can without it ripping). Cut each into three strips that are 15 x 5 inches. 4) Add filling to each strip of pastry and roll into a log. Then spiral the pastry onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Don’t spiral it too tight. But not too spaced out that it’ll leave gaps once it’s done baking. 5) Continue with the rest of the pastry, and then bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until golden. 6) ENJOY!!!

[veganchrys]

How to Eat Vegan in Oahu

Happy Wednesday! For those of you who don’t know, I took a little trip to Hawaii last month with my sister. It was the best trip I’ve ever been on, and I desperately wish I could be back on the island right now. I posted a little travel diary/vlog a few weeks ago. If you’re interested, click here to watch.

I thought I would do a quick little post sharing all the vegan friendly places we visited in Oahu. My number one tip for travelling is to always do your research. Look up vegan places, read blogs, and watch YouTube videos. Of course, always be prepared and pack  your own food. It saves a lot of money, and makes vegan travelling much easier.

If you’re in the Waikiki area, two places to check out are Banan and Marukame Udon. Banan has a location near Diamond Head, and one near Manoa falls; but they just opened a Waikiki location in early June. Most of their bowls come with honey, which I personally don’t think is vegan. So just ask for no honey, if you agree. Marukame Udon do not have any purely vegan or vegetarian options. But if you are a noodle lover like me, you have to try the Kamaage udon - plain udon in hot water, served with dipping sauce on the side. The sauce has fish, unfortunately. But the noodles are honestly so delicious on their own. Both places are relatively cheap and give generous portions! 

Most of the vegan restaurants can be found on King St in downtown Honolulu. The best place we ate at was Downbeat Diner. Their menu does have a few vegan options, but you can basically ask the server for anything on their menu to be made vegan - including Loco Moco. You MUST try Downbeat Diner! They also have a separate lounge where they host shows and parties.

Lanikai Beach is listed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. If you’re in the Kailua area, check out Whole Foods and Down To Earth Organics. They’re both located in the same plaza, and serve great vegan options. Down to Earth is especially awesome because they have vegan poke, vegan macaroni and mock chicken salad, and vegan desserts! 

You can’t visit Oahu and not take a drive up to the North Shore. Visiting Haleiwa was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. There are a few great places to check out in the North Shore. If you’re interested in something sweet, be sure to go to Aloha Wow Wow Lemonade for a refreshing glass of fresh lemonade. You can also buy a reusable jar - which is kinder to the environment and also makes for a great souvenir. You also can’t go to Hawaii without having an acai bowl. Stop by Haleiwa bowls for some delicious, instagram-worthy food. Again, they put honey on their acai bowls, so make sure you ask for no honey. Lastly, be sure to check out Anahulu’s Shave Ice and take a picture in front of the famous angel wings. There are other vegan options in Haleiwa that serve sandwiches and bowls, but we didn’t have time to check them out.

If any of you are planning to travel to Oahu soon, feel free to shoot me a message! I can’t wait to visit Hawaii again soon!