So what about understanding both sides of the story?

The cheesesteak. I had one of the famous ones in Philly, waited 45 minutes in line for steak-ums on white bread with cheeze whiz at a premium of $7, needless to say I was disappointed.  The cheesesteak was developed in the early 20th century “by combining frizzled beef, onions, and cheese in a small loaf of bread,” according to a 1987 exhibition catalog published by the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. I find nothing appetizing about “frizzled beef”.  Most places will use cheeze whiz, provolone or white cheddar to hold together the globby mess.

I am not against Cheesteaks, in fact on a road trip through Connecticut, and friend brought me to Kruaszer’s, and I couldn’t seem to get enough. Who would know the best cheeseteak would be in CT?  Freshly baked bread, globs of sauce and heavy amounts of cheese…. not to mention the next day my pee would smell like garlic. Pure heaven, but looking back at these photos, I can see why my eating habits had me about 20 pounds heavier.

Bulgogi literally means “fire meat” in Korean, which refers to the cooking technique—over an open flame—rather than the dish’s spiciness. Usually made with beef, the term is also applied to variations such as dak bulgogi (made with chicken) or dwaeji bulgogi (made with pork), although the seasonings are different

Bulgogi is made from thin slices of prime beef marinaded with a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, pepper, sesame oil and sugar.  Possible add-ins are shitake mushrooms, button mushrooms, scallions and onions.  Some regions serve it over a bed of cellophane noodles and others over rice.

Cleveland, Ohio serves it up on a whole wheat hoagie, because we’re classy.

Let the fusion of late night comfort food between the east and west begin…

• One block very dense extra firm tofu frozen, thawed and drained, or 2 handfuls shitake mushrooms and 1 package seitan
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 average sized onion, sliced
• 1 heaping tsp fresh grated ginger (grate fine, otherwise you may end up with unpleasant chunks of ginger in your bulgogi.
• 2/3 cup wheat free tamari or soy sauce
• 4 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 6 tbsp organic sugar
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup shredded pear, skin and all or 1/2 cup apple sauce

-Chop all your veggies and thinly slice your seitan, tofu, mushrooms or any combination of the aforementioned delicacies.

-Mix the last 8 ingredients (you know, for the marinade!) on the list in a shallow bowl or pan.

-Place your tofu, seitan or mushrooms in the bowl with the marinade and cover with the veggies. Make sure that everything is covered by the marinade.

-Cover and refrigerate overnight. 8-15 hours is best.

-Remove the goodies from the marinade with a slotted spoon and fry in a hot skillet or pan. Pour enough marinade to lightly cover the goodies. If you want to go the traditional route, you can BBQ them on a grill with some foil, but my iron skillet works just fine for creating a nice char and carmelization.

-Let cook until most of the marinade has reduced, and the bottoms of the goodies are a nice caramel brown. Flip over tofu strips and cook until other side turns brown. Continue to cook until all of you normal vegan goodies have transformed into delicious Korean bulgogi goodies!

Now for the cheesesteak part.

-1 whole wheat roll (I used sourdough because I am a bread snob)

-daiya mozzarella, or 1 slice low fat provolone if that’s your game.

-1 teaspoon reduced fat veganaise

- handful baby spinach

Cut the roll lengthwise and hollow out the center, creating a little boat to stuff all your goodies in. This not only reduces calories, but I think just makes the sandwich more aerodynamic. Lay cheese on the bread and place in a toaster oven until the cheese is slightly melted.  Spread the veganaise on the bread, spoon in some bulgogi and cover in spinach! I enjoyed mine with baked sweet potato fries!

But first… to understand the original dish, and what makes it 400 calories per cup. Only after fully understanding the beast can we tame it.

Macaroni is mentioned in various medieval Italian sources, though it is not always clear whether it is a pasta shape or a prepared dish. However, pasta and cheese casseroles have been recorded in cookbooks as early as the Liber de Coquina, one of the oldest medieval cookbooks.

Macaroni and cheese is generally cooked macaroni with white sauce that has a cheese flavor. In the French style of cooking, such a sauce is called Mornay sauce. A white sauce, called Béchamel sauce in French cooking, is traditionally made by whisking scalded milk gradually into a white flour-butter roux (equal parts clarified butter and flour by weight). Another method, considered less traditional, is to whisk kneaded flour-butter (beurre manié) into scalded milk. Followed by adding copious amounts of cheese to white pasta.

Sounds like a great way  to achieve flabby arms and a fat ass. Thanks Julia Child.

Some of you may think that the boxed version is much better. Not only is it lacking in flavor, it’s seriously lacking in nutrition. It may take just a little more time to make a much healthier version, but believe me, it’s worth the effort.

This version replaces the butter and cream with tofu, nutritional yeast  and almond milk, cutting calories and adding protein. White pasta is switch with a whole wheat noodle, and white bread is switch for whole grain in the bread crumbs.

-1 box whole wheat noodles, pick a fun shape!

-2 Cloves Garlic

–3 T olive oil

-2T flour

-1.5 cups almond milk

-2 T fresh lemon juice

-2 T Dijon mustard

-2 T Sherry wine

-1 cup nutritional yeast

-2 Tablespoons Worcester sauce.

-1 quart (3 large blocks) Firm Tofu

-Teaspoon sea salt

-1 T hot sauce (I like Tabasco Chipotle sauce)

-Pinch Thyme

- 2 slices whole wheat bread

-6 oz of your favorite cheese (optional) I like sharp cheddar. Or try half Parmesan and half cheddar, mix it up!

-Cook pasta in salted water until aldente (just almost done) it will still continue to cook in the oven.

-Preheat over to 420

-Saute the garlic and the olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the flour and whisk with a fork, a few lumps are ok. Add the sherry, whisk, add Dijon, lemon juice and Worcester (use vegan version for vegans)  sauce, whisk.

Add the nutritional yeast, and whisk, yet again.

Squeeze the tofu between your fingers until it resembles cottage cheese, feel free to add in a little lemon juice if you have some left over. Layer half of the tofu on the bottom of a casserole pan, then add a layer of half the pasta. Cover with half the sauce.

Layer the other half of the tofu, then layer the other half of the sauce, seem familiar?

Dice the bread (cut it up into little squares) or tear them into tiny pieces, it’s your dish.

Sprinkle the bread and shredded cheese on top of the cheesy delicious in front of you and pop in the oven for 20-35 minutes until there is a crispy golden crust on top.

Feel free to bulk it up by adding lots of veggies like broccoli, peas, carrots or okra. Go the extra mile and bake them in individual ramekins for portion control. This dish has quickly become a comfort food favorite in my kitchen, and I am sure it will in yours.

I have been several times since, in fact, it’s my new favorite hang out.  Offering a full coffee bar with non-dairy milk and cream, soups, salads, crispy panninis, unique burgers and of course THE BAKERY! My favorite dessert so far is the red velvet cupcake… It’s not too sweet, or heavy.

I have never had a bad meal there, and I am always greeted by a smiling face behind the counter. They even offer table service, which I find more personable for a cafe than yelling “number 26, you’re orders ready!”. However, a full meal with coffee can still bring you under $10, still making it a cheap date.

The cube, as I like to call it, is no stranger to veggies. Everything is jam packed with enough greens and crunchy veggies to keep you fueled throughout the day, and not a shred of iceberg lettuce in the place. Any salad wrap is jam packed with fresh mixed greens and so big it requires 2 hands.  Thier panninis are served crispy and in just the proper porportions. My favorite is the Medditerainain served with a hearty artichoke spread topped with roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, fresh spinach, red onion and tomato served with a homemade side and a pickle ($6.95).

The cafe even offers a small storefront full of vegan goodies like tofurky roasts and braggs amino acids, which can defiantly save you a trip to the food co-op. Vegan cook books and other eco-friendly products as well. Speaking of eco-friendly, the lack of downtown parking forces you to be eco friendly. I would highly recommend biking there, but if you are taking the bus or the rapid it is a conveniently across the street from the station. Parking is available down Euclid, is most likely available after the bushiness day comes to a close.  No worries though, it just gives you a bigger push to be green while going to get your greens!

This place has it all, great food, great service and they are eco-friendly to boot. Plus Vegans have the opportunity to order from the entire delectable menu, which is a rare but welcomed treat. This place meets all of the requirements for 5 stars, so come downtown and get your herbivore on!

For a full menu: http://www.flamingice.com/Menu/MenuClevelandDownload.pdf

Located at 140 Public Square

Cleveland, Oh 44114

Cafe hours are

Mon-Fri: 7:30am-9pm

Sat: 11am-9pm

Closed Sunday

-2 cups  sundried tomatoes, soaked in water for 3 hours or more and then drained
-8 Roma tomatoes, the riper the better, quartered
-1/3 avocado
-1 large red pepper, seeded and quartered

-5 leaves of fresh basil

1 sprig oregano

-1/3 cup nutritional yeast

-Juice of 1 lemon
-2 Tbs. agave nectar (can substitute 3 pitted fresh dates)
-1 large zucchini

In a blender, combine soaked sundried tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, avocado, red pepper, basil, lemon juice, agave nectar (or dates), and salt, if using. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Using a Saladacca garnishing machine, create spaghetti noodles using the zucchini. If you don’t have a Saladacca, just shred the zucchini with a food processor or a hand grater.

Serve the sauce over a bed of zucchini “noodles.”  Try sprinkling a bit of chopped basil and kalamata olives for a little extra color and flavor.

Desserts resembling cheesecake dates back to the early Roman days, but what we know in the US as cheesecake came around in 1872. William Lawrence from Chester, NY, along with other dairymen, came up with a way of making an “un-ripened cheese” that is heavier and creamier by accident, actually looking for a way to recreate the soft, French cheese, Neufchatel. Lawrence distributed the cheese in foil, becoming a brand that is familiarly recognized as “Philadelphia”. Later on in 1912, James Kraft invented a form of this cream cheese, but pasteurized it- this is now the most commonly used cheese for cheesecake. Along with cream, eggs and all sorts of other heavy foods, it’s about time it got veganized, and what better than RAWr Vegan!

Crust
1 cup Brazil nuts (or almonds)
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup dried figs (or dates)
1/4 cup raisins
2 tbs. of orange juice
pinch of salt

Filling
2 cups raw cashews (soaked for 10 hours)
1 cup almonds or mac nuts (soaked for 2 hrs)
3 tbs. pine nuts
2 tbs. rejuvelac or lemon juice
pinch of salt
1/3 cup coconut water and 3 tbs. chopped meat
1 sun dried vanilla bean or 1 ts. vanilla extract
4 tbs. agave nectar or honey or 7-12 soaked dates

Whipped Cream
1 cup young coconut meat (chopped up)
3 tbs. raw cashews or mac nuts (soaked for 8-10 hrs)
8 soaked dates or 2 tbs. honey (or more if you like it sweeter)
3 tbs. coconut water or almond milk
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
drop of vanilla extract

Topping
1 pint really ripe red strawberries (sliced fine and put into a bowl)
3 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tbs agave nectar or honey
pure water (not tap)

How to: Ok, begin with a round cheezcake pan (spring form pan). Process all the ingredients for the crust. Press the mixture into the pan and set aside (chill in the fridge).
Now the filling. In the vitamix or champion juicer blend/process the cashews and almonds or macnuts untill they are creamy. Put this in a bowl and add the rejuvelac and salt. Mix really well. Put in a nut milk bag or cheese cloth or bowl covered with a towel and leave it out in a warm place (room temp) for 10-12 hrs. Combine this “cream cheez” mixture and blend it with the 1/3 cup coconut water and coconut meat, vanilla bean or extract, agave nectar or honey. Put in the freezer until ready to use.
Blend all the ingredients for the whipped cream and chill in the freezer
Now for the topping. Take the strawberries and strain them, to get the strawberry liquid from the bowl, mix that with the lemon juice and a little agave nectar or honey. Set aside until ready to use.

Assembly:
Yay, we’re almost done. Ok. Take the spring form pan, pour the filling in and tap the pan down to get all the air bubbles. Layer the slices of strawberries on top and pour the lemon mixture over it. Put the whipped cream in a star tipped pipping bag and pipe it all along the sides of the cake, or all over. Garnish with extra lemon zest, and put in the freezer for 8 hrs.

Make a strawberry sauce to go with the cake.
1 cup frozen strawberries or try black berries, or blue berries, or cherries!
1 tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup water or orange juice

Blend in a high speed blender, and strain out the seeds. Serve along side the cake.This cake is soooo good, it’s better to make two. It’s a little time consuming but well worth it. Trust me.

Not quite a pie, not quite a cookie or cake, these fun desserts are somewhere in between. A sweet creamy filling is sandwiched between two chocolate cakes and served with a fork. These little diddies are a New England phenomenon and a Pennsylvania Amish tradition. According to food historians, Amish women would pack these little confections into farmer’ lunch boxes and called them hucklebucks. However,  every time the farmers were confronted with a hucklebuck in their lunchbox they would shot “whoopie!”, resulting in the popular name known today.

Here is a recipe for my own vegan version:

• 1 cup dairy-free almond milk
• 1 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/3 cup dairy-free soy margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 T. egg replacer powder mixed with 3 T. hot water

Filling

• 2 cups confectioner’s (powdered) sugar

• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening

• 3 tbsp milk substitute of your choice

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2  vanilla beans (optional, but defiantly worth it)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper (this makes clean up so easy!). In a small bowl, whisk together the dairy-free almond milk and apple cider vinegar, and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, or until thickened and slightly curdled. Set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat the dairy-free soy margarine and sugar until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the Egg Replacer mixture, and beat until the mixture is creamy and well combined. Add the dry mixture in several additions, alternating with the almond milk mixture, until all ingredients have been added and the mixture is smooth.

4. Using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup, scoop the batter onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 2″ between cakes. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when pressed. Use a spatula to transfer the cakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before filling.

5. For the filling: beat the shortening and the sugar on medium speed until fluffy, then slowly add the liquid ingredients. If you wish to add the vanilla bean, slice the bean down the center and scoop out the “caviar” with a spoon. Discard the husk (or keep it in your sugar to make vanilla sugar!) and add the vanilla “caviar” to the mixture. Beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, then whip the mixture on high-speed for 2 minutes.

6. When the cakes are  	completely cool, spread the flat side (bottom) of one chocolate cake with a  	generous amount of filling. Top with another cake, pressing down gently to  	distribute the filling evenly. Repeat with all cookies. 

7. Enjoy them now, or to save them for later, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to a month.

Sloppy Joe day always resulted in stained t-shirts and messy countertops because the food is well, sloppy. However, that does not mean it didn’t bring a tomato stained smile to American faces both young and old. The tradition beef dish is about as american as chared hot dogs and corn over an open grill, but where did it come from? Who is Joe? Is he really sloppy, or is it just the sandwich that is?

Well, the history is a bit more interesting than I had thought. Sloppy Joe’s is a bar located in Key West Flordia.  When it opened in 1933, the bar went through two name changes before they settled on “Sloppy Joes”. The final name was suggested by a regular customer, Ernest Hemingway.  The name was coined from a bar in Old Havana, on the corner of Zulueta and Anímas, that sold both liquor and iced seafood. In the Cuban heat, the ice melted and patrons taunted the owner José (Joe) García Río that he ran a “sloppy” place.

Here is a painting of sailors having a sloppy shindig at the place.

The exact story of how the sandwich came to be is unknown, but we can see how quickly became part of American culture. Women left their kitchens to for factory labor during WWII, and didn’t have much time to cook. Meat rations were low, and were often just ground beef. Sloppy Joes  made it both cheap and easy stretch 1 pound of ground beef to feed a family. Now with women still in the workplace, busy moms still cook the All-American Sloppy Joe. I hope this Vegan version is everything you remember of a sloppy joe, but with a bit more of a grown up appeal.

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 green pepper, diced small
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon yellow mustard (wet mustard)

4 to 6 kaiser rolls or sesame buns (wheat free if it is a concern)

Directions
Put the lentils in a small sauce pot and pour in 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are done boiling, preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute a minute more.

Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, nutritional yeast and mustard and heat through.

Turn the heat off and let sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can’t wait. I like to serve these open faced, with a scoop of snobby joe on each slice of the bun.

1 lb. dried red lentils (brown lentils also work fine)

12 cup water

3 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cup chopped onions

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup bulgur/couscous or 1 cup cooked rice

4 cup vegetable stock

2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1- 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes with juice

2 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup chopped parsley

3 tablespoon lemon juice or pepper-infused vinegar

Directions: In a huge stockpot (5 qts), bring to a boil 12 cups of water. Add the lentils and 2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile in a 3 or 4 qt. pot, saute onions, garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in the olive oil until slightly brown.

Add the bulgur, pepper and cayenne. (If you are using rice instead of bulgur, don’t add it just yet.) Stir until well combined and slightly toasted. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and stock. Simmer 15 minutes. Add tomato mixture, chopped parsley, and rice (if using) to the lentils, and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Before serving, stir in lemon juice or vinegar. Taste for salt and pepper. Garnish with more chopped parsley if desired. Serves: 8-10 Preparation time: 1 hour

ZAM!!

It’s homemade vegan protein bars! I got tired of paying close to $2 a piece for conventional bars/glorified protein powder in a chocolaty casing. My entire family is on a exercise and protein kick, and I felt that $24 a week per person was tossing money in the trash. Besides, I don’t need a fancy wrapper to make me feel better about myself, I need high doses of protein!
These are great as a meal replacement, or cut up into 1 inch chunks make an amazing snack. Also perfect for hiking, long bike rides and such, just make sure to keep them in a separate baggie, as the chocolaty goodness gets a bit messy. Then, lick the chocolate sensually off your digits.

-4 cups oats

-1/2 cup golden ground flax

-10 scoops vegan protein powder, I used “Alive”-Vanilla by Nature’s Way

-3/4 cup hot water

-2 cups crispy brown rice cereal

-egg replacer for 3 eggs

-3 cups vegan chocolate chips

-2 cups  unsalted mixed nuts (I used raw walnuts and raw almonds)

-1 cup vegan caramel (optional)

Place the first 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Add the egg replacer (mixed with the appropriate amount of water, this varies by brand) and mix well. Spoon the mixture in the bottom of a shallow sheet pan lined with wax paper or saran wrap, this ensures an easy clean up.

Press the the crispy rice cereal into the mixture, then add the nuts pressing them well into the oat mixture. Drizzle the caramel over the nuts, and smooth out with the back of a spoon.

Freeze until cool.

Meanwhile melt the chocolate chips with a double boiler method. Fill a pot with water, and find a bowl that easily fits on top. The steam from the boiling water below will melt the chocolate chips with an even heat, not burning them.

Once the bars are cooled and solid, drizzle the melted chocolate over the bottom layers and smooth with the back of the spoon. Feel free to add more chocolate for a thicker top layer, if you are looking for more of a candy bar than a protein bar.

Freeze until hard

To cut, using a long sharp knife cut 1 inch by 4 inch long bars and store in the freezer. I also cut small 1 inch chunks to keep as snacks in a tupperware.

Vegan Tiramisu Cupcakes:

1/4 cup non hydrogenated margarine (softened)

1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (softened)

2 cups of confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Second! Prepare the cupcake batter. You will need:

1 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar mix vinegar and soy milk together and let sit to curdle for about 10 minutes

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour mix your dry ingredients together with a fork and set aside

2 tbsp cornstarch

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup canola oil mix wet ingredients in a mixer for a few minutes and then add dry ingredients a bit at the time

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

Third: Prepare your soaking liquid

1/3 cup espresso or strong coffee

1/3 cup Kahlua or other coffee flavored liqueur

Save for last to sprinkle over cupcakes and garnish:

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1

2 chocolate covered coffee beans or chocolate chips

Mix your icing and put it in the frig. Mix your batter and bake it for 22 minutes at 350 in cupcake papers Let your cupcakes cool Cut a little cone shape of the top of the cupcake and save it Pour about 2 tablespoons of Kahlua in to the divot you cut in your cupcake top and let it soak in Fill the divot with icing and then swirl some up on top Dip the little cone shaped piece of cup cake you cut out in to the Kahlua mixture then place it on top of the icing Put another little dollop of icing on top of that, then dust with cocoa, cinnamon, and add coffee beans and chocolate chips. Serve right away! You might want to make a double batch once you’ve mastered this one. They go fast!