Just Another Meatless Monday...

Whoa-oh-oh. (Sorry, Bangles, but that's probably the most cultural referencing you've had in a while.)

 When I started this blog, I was a vegetarian living with an omni husband and a pescatarian son. Now I am vegan, although still evolving, and sometimes realize that something I thought was vegan all along isn't (like my favorite cereal and bagels--damn you, whey!) and my son still eats fish, but has given up eggs and my husband has given up beef and pork. Phew. It makes for an interesting dinner-planning journey.

 One thing we ALL love is this totally vegan potato & chickpea meal, served over fluffy brown rice, with a nice green salad, avocado and guilty pleasure roll (no nutrition in that sucker, I'm afraid!) I don't know why I was afraid to make things like this for so long--I mean, it's easy, it's quick, and whenever I don't have an ingredient (I'm looking at you, coriander) it never seems to suffer from the exclusion. Double the recipe: TRUST. Keep some in the freezer, take some to work for lunch, eat it right out of the pot with a spoon. It's so good, simple and flavorful. Even my dog licked the pan with so much enthusiasm, it spun around and down the hall, his tongue insistently licking the whole time.

http://localfoods.about.com/od/winter/r/PotatoChickpea.htm

Doomie's Home Cookin': Los Angeles

 Tucked away in an unassuming strip mall in Hollywood is Doomie's Home Cookin'. I had become obsessed with trying Doomie's since reading about it on the awesome Quarrygirl blog and from discovering their menu on Facebook.

 Doomie's is all vegan & vegetarian and duuude, it is GOOD. This is not the kind of place you go when you want some floofy quinoa salad--you go when you want a hearty stick-to-your-ribs (and other body parts) meal: burgers, chicken sandwiches, country fried steak and fries. This is the food you wish you could find on every corner when you have a craving for a Big Mac or when you are terribly hung over. This isn't everyday food, but man oh man, when the mood strikes and you just need some buffalo legs with ranch? Doomie's answers the call. GO, you will not be disappointed!

Doomie's Home Cookin' Address...1253 Vine St Hollywood, CA 90038
Browse their menu & food photos here!  http://www.facebook.com/doomieshomecookin

Veggie Grill: Los Angeles

I can't even begin to describe the love I have for Veggie Grill. I hadn't heard of it until I received a PETA notice several months ago, saying they were having a fundraiser there on an upcoming Saturday. My ever-indulgent husband, who was going to take me to L.A. that weekend anyway, said, "Sure! Let's try it!" You have no idea how rare that is for a Cuban American male who was raised on ropa vieja and chicken fried steak....vegan food in his family would probably be considered bean stew simmered with pork. "But there's no MEAT! You can't even see it!" Oy.
Veggie Grill is like a nice, clean fast food joint--all plant based. All the sauces, mayo, even desserts are nondairy. They serve wheat and seitan-based meat substitutes, salads, chili and what my teenage son describes as the best sweet potato fries ever. They are pretty epic. They have a few new items, including the Buffalo Bomber (pictured above), which my meat-loving hubby devoured instantly and loved. My standby, the Santa Fe Chicken (below), never disappoints. It's the best chicken substitute I've ever had, slathered in spicy sauce and avocado, sitting alongside those sweet potato fries and a dollop of spicy vegan mayonaise. Now, I'm not one of those long-time vegans who sniff and say they only eat kale and hemp for dinner and that "meat analogs" are disgusting. The first time I read a blog that mentioned "meat analogs", I had to look it up to see what the hell they were talking about.

 I might also add that my first visit to Veggie Grill (propelled by that PETA fundraiser) was certainly not my last. That first visit was also met with the slightest disappointment that PETA wasn't actually there, dressed in meat suits and squirting ketchup on people. I really wanted a photo with the PETA End-Circus-Cruelty elephant! Oh well. Go to Veggie Grill and enjoy.
http://veggiegrill.com/