Greening Austin Daily

Restaurant Review Friday – Kerbey Lane

24th September, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Last weekend I had an enjoyable dinner at the North location of Kerbey Lane.  I’ve been to the Northwest location several times, and to the campus location a couple of times and I’ve usually have a pretty good experience.   Kerbey Lane is listed in the Austin Environmental Directory as one of a handful of restaurants in Austin that uses locally grown food, and if you are looking for something vegetarian, they have a lot of choices (in addition to great non-vegetarian dishes.)  The food is inexpensive, and while often compared to Magnolia Cafe, I have to say I like Kerbey Lane better. However, as with many Austin restaurants, the service is not always great and that’s my biggest complaint.

Last week when I went though, the service was good, and so was my dinner. We ordered the queso, which was  tasty.

My husband had a salad and I ordered a tomato pie from the seasonal menu. I was expecting something with a flakey crust and was a little disappointed when my meal arrived and saw what looked to be a piece of bread topped with tomato and cheese.

The presentation wasn’t great, but my disappointment ended there. I don’t know how they made it, but it was so delicious I would like to go again tonight and pick up another.  The crust was soft and rich, the tomatoes were well seasoned, I didn’t even notice the olives on it and I hate olives, and the cheese was melted and a little  tangy.  It was so simple but it was wonderful.

I’ve also had their pancakes (always good) and salads (always fresh). So check it out if you haven’t yet!

Restaurant Review Friday- Aster’s Ethiopian Restaurant

3rd September, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 1 Comment

Last week I was able to revisit Aster’s Ethiopian Restaurant, which is located right off of 35 (west side of highway) near Manor.   They have a lot of really great vegetarian options, and the employees are always really friendly. If you’ve never eaten Ethiopian food before, it’s a fun experience you should check out – the food is served on a dish of spongy, slightly sour bread called injera, and you use the bread to scoop up all the food.

I had the fasolia wott,  which the menu describes as “potato, green beans, carrots, onions, tomatoe sauce with cinnamon, garlic, and ginger sauce. It came with three side dishes so I picked the bedergan (“Eggplant spiced and prepared with tomatoes sauce, garlic, onions, and special Ethiopian seasoning”), alicha miser (“Split lentil cooked to perfection with ginger and garlic”), and gomen (“Ethiopian style collard greens cooked with onion, garlic, and spices”).

here's a picture of my food with my husband's

For $10.95, it was a good deal for how much food I was served – they also have a great all you can eat lunch buffet for $9.99 which is also really good, although you will be in a food coma for the rest of the afternoon at work if you check it out.

Restaurant Review Friday – Banzai

20th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 3 Comments

Last week I went to Banzai on North Lamar (3914 North Lamar Boulevard), a small Japanese cafe.  This is another restaurant that doesn’t have a website, so without being able to look at the menu online, I can’t say for sure what I ate.  Whatever it was, it was delicious and everyone in our group liked their food! I love sushi, and was impressed by the number of choices of everything Banzai had, but I was especially impressed with all of the vegetarian choices they had.  I had one roll that had sweetened egg and veggies in it, and another that had cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, and carrots in it. They were both really good and pretty authentic tasting. Plus the restaurant was very clean, and although the service was a little slow, I would recommend checking it out.  Sorry the pictures aren’t that great, when you’re with a group of people it’s pretty awkward to pull out your camera to take a picture of your food, so I like to pretend I’m checking my cell phone and quickly snap a blurry, unappetizing pic. But the food really was good!

Recipe Tuesday – Farro and Roasted Acorn Squash

17th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Last week my husband tried out this new recipe and it turned out really well! We actually saw the recipe on the back of the farro package (farro is a type of grain), but I also have seen the same recipe several places online.  He used acorn squash rather than butternut squash because we had some leftover, and he didn’t use walnut oil, just olive oil.  Here are the ingredients he used:

2 cups farro, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt
5 cups water (or stock)
3 cups acorn squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large red onion cut into 1/8ths
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup walnuts, deeply toasted
3 tablespoons toasted walnut oil (or more olive oil)
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled

And the directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine the farro, salt, and water in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender, 45 minutes to an hour, or about half the time if you are using semi-pearled farro. Taste often as it is cooking, you want it to be toothsome and retain structure. Remove from heat, drain any excess water, and set aside.

While the farro is cooking toss the squash, onion, and thyme with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a couple big pinches of salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange in a single layer and place in the oven for about 20 minutes. Toss the squash and onions every 5-7 minutes to get browning on multiple sides. Remove from the oven, let cool a bit, and mince just 1/2 of the red onions.

In a large bowl gently toss the everything (except the goat cheese) with the toasted walnut oil (or olive oil). Taste and add a bit of salt if necessary. Garnish with the goat cheese.

Recipe Tuesday — Mushroom Barley Soup (the Feel Better Soup)

10th August, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

I made this soup the other day as an alternative to chicken noodle soup when my stomach was a little upset . It was a little bland at first (which was desirable given my tummy ache), but I thought it could use a little something extra so I added some soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic powder. Although some of the mushrooms had sort of a chewy texture, the soup had an overall hearty, comforting taste and was just the right thing to make me feel better. The recipe is from How to Make Everything: Vegetarian Cooking.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cup pearled barley
• 1/2 cup peeled and roughly chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup peeled and roughly chopped onion
• 1/2 cup peeled and roughly chopped celery
• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, any kind
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh dill, minced chives, or minced parsley leaves

Directions

1. Put the water in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Add the barley, carrots, onion, and celery.
2. Turn the heat to low and partially cover; the mixture should be bubbling, but only a little. Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water to cover until tender (about 10 minutes), and clean, trim, and slice the fresh mushrooms.
3. Strain the soaked mushrooms; reserve their liquid. Add all the mushrooms to the simmering soup. Add the mushroom-soaking liquid to the soup. Simmer the soup for 30-45 minutes more, until the barley and vegetables are tender.
4. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in half the dill, chives, or parsley, then top individual servings with the remaining herb.

Meatless Monday Campaign

9th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

NPR had this fun story about the Meatless Monday Campaign. The article covers the health benefits of cutting down on meat, but also focuses on the environmental benefits:

A lot of consumers have lots of questions: Where is my meat coming from? How was it raised? And what is the impact on the ecosystem?

“One of the biggest advantages of cutting back on meat consumption is the reduction in the water demand,” says environmentalist Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute.

Gleick says people are shocked when they realize how much water it takes to grow the grain needed to feed cows to produce 1 ton of beef.

“It takes 140,000 bathtubs full of water — that’s millions and millions of gallons,” Gleick says. And it’s not something people consider when they try to imagine their “water footprint.”

It’s these kinds of sustainability issues that first attracted Colleen Levine to the Meatless Monday movement. She now cooks meatless meals in her home each Monday — and she writes a mommy food blog called Foodie Tots.

“I was vegetarian for a couple years in college,” says Levine. But she says she tended to rely a little too much on pasta.

This time around, she’s a lot more creative. With two children and a not-psyched-about-tofu husband, she’s adapted lots of recipes using grains such as quinoa and lots of beans. On her menu Monday night: stuffed zucchini boats and panzanella.

“No one wants to cook a big, elaborate meal on Monday after work,” says Levine. “So this is a good way to start the week on a healthy note.”

She’s also noticed that most of her meatless recipes take a little less time to prepare — and cost a little less. Especially if she’s swapping meat for beans.

Check out the whole article!

Restaurant Review Friday – Bouldin Creek Coffee House and Holy Cacao

6th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments

Over the weekend I stopped by Bouldon Creek Coffee House for a light dinner.  Bouldin Creek Coffee House is a really cool little place on South 1st, with a lot of outdoor seating – it’s a great place to relax and  talk with friends. Along with having delicious food (an all vegetarian menu), Bouldin Creek is also a good business to support because they take little extra steps to be green, such as having compostable straws (which I took home with me and added to my compost bin!)

I had the “Chick Pea “Chik’n” Salad Sammich” which is described as “homemade mock chicken salad on toasted rye, with lettuce and purple onion.”  My husband had the ”Kool Summer Sammich” which the menu describes as “grilled ciabatta bread layered with chipotle-pecan pesto spread, stuffed with roma tomato, red onions, sprouts, cucumbers, field greens, and carrots.”  Everything was very fresh, a must-have at a vegetarian place.  I really liked my sandwich  – the mock chicken salad was a little spicy and creamy, and I liked that it wasn’t trying to imitate meat’s texture or flavor a whole lot, but rather was just a tasty, satisfying filling.  And the asian coleslaw that came with it was also nice and light – not too mayonnaise-y, and nice and tangy.

My husband also really liked his sandwich and agreed he would go there again.

We got both sandwiches and 2 drinks for about $17  – a pretty good deal too.

Then we walked to Holy Cacao, which, although there didn’t seem to be anything notable about it being green, I thought I would write about since it’s a cute local business.  Holy Cacao accepts the “Go Local” card, and they are very friendly people.  The cake balls come in 6 flavors, and I think the best are the brass cake balls – “peanut butter cookies mixed with chunky peanut butter, then dipped in chocolate and topped with crushed peanuts.”  Each little cake ball is served on a stick and wrapped in a little plastic baggie  - it would be great if they changed their policy to only wrap to-go balls in baggies, or to offer customers the option of picking one that’s not bagged.

Update: I thought I would add the following comment from Holy Cacao since the comment section only shows up if you click on the entry:

Thanks for the visit and the mention. We are strong believers in keeping Austin green at Holy Cacao. In fact, it’s one reason we opened a trailer as opposed to the traditional “brick-and-mortar” restaurant concept which will carry a heavier footprint. Your suggestion is good on the wrappers though presents some challenges. We’ve been researching post consumer recyclable wrappers. Further, we are working with Torchy’s (the landlord at the Trailer Park & Eatery) to explore a composting station for our paper products. The company that we’ve been talking with about this is working on one that works even with meat products. I should also mention that Holy Cacao attempts to source as much LOCAL product as possible in the creation of all our desserts.

Very cool!

Recipe Review – Okra and Green-Pea Curry

3rd August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

On Sunday I tried out this new recipe from Food and Wine - “Okra and Green-Pea Curry”.    I had some okra I wanted to use up, and I’ve only ever had okra fried or plain, and wanted to learn to make something different with it.  I thought this turned out pretty well and was very easy to make. I’m not crazy about okra, but I thought the okra went well in this dish because (and this sounds gross) the mucus-ey insides of the okra gave the dish extra thickness.  I served it with buttery vegetable curry from this entry, which is by far one of my favorite vegetarian recipes, and this okra dish didn’t really compare, but it’s probably a lot healthier.

Here are the ingredients and directions from Food and Wine:

• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes with their juice (from one 15-ounce can)
• 2 10-ounce packages frozen cut okra, defrosted
• 1 10-ounce package frozen peas
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the fennel seeds, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer. Increase the heat to moderate. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until no liquid remains in the pan, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the okra, peas, water, and salt and simmer just until the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. 

Restaurant Review Friday — Somnio’s Cafe

30th July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

I went to lunch at Somnio’s Cafe yesterday with my friend Melissa, and everything we ordered was really delicious. I had the Uncle Bob salad, which came with quite a bit of shredded beets on top and a slightly tangy honey soy vinaigrette with a little kick:

apologies for the cell phone pictures

I also ordered the Nynavae’s Tacos–fried mushroom goodness with a crunchy, spicy slaw of jalapeno, cabbage, and carrots:

It was served with chips and salsa, but by the time  I got around to those, I was too full. The tacos are pretty substantial–I didn’t even need the salad. Melissa ordered the hummus wrap with chicken and the tomato soup and had only good things to report:

We both had our Go Local cards with us (and remembered to use them!) so we each got a free drink out of the deal. Both of us ordered the Lavender Earl Grey iced tea, which I thought was a nice twist on the basic early grey, but if the taste of lavender reminds you of soap, another tea might be a better choice.

This place is also a great local business to support because they strive to use all local and organic produce and grass-fed, humanely treated, local meat. It says on their menu that they recycle, provide compostable-recycled disposables, use waste water to water the plants, and compost. There’s just not much else I can think of to make a restaurant more eco-friendly. Also, located on South First, this little restaurant is surrounded by large trees and has a nice little vibe going on. I’ll definitely be back to try out other items on their diverse menu.

Recipe Tuesday — Spicy Quinoa, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad

27th July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

My friend Melissa sent me the link to this healthy recipe from the New York Times. I like quinoa recipes (see here and here), and I love pretty much anything with avocado, so I knew this would be a winner. This was a very easy recipe with simple, seasonal ingredients–I found the tomatoes, cucumbers, and jalapeno at the farmer’s market! I didn’t use the onion or cilantro, but the vinegar, jalapeno, and lime juice provided enough flavor to go around. This is a nice summery dish, served hot or cold.

1 cup quinoa

3 cups water

Salt to taste

2 cups diced cucumber

1 small red onion, finely minced (optional)

2 cups finely diced tomatoes

1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers (to taste), seeded if desired and finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 avocado, sliced, for garnish

1. Place the quinoa in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes. Drain through a strainer, and rinse until the water runs clear. Bring the 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt (1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon) and the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and translucent; each grain should have a little thread. Drain off the water in the pan through a strainer, and return the quinoa to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean dishtowel, replace the lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes. If making for the freezer, uncover and allow to cool, then place in plastic bags. Flatten the bags and seal.

2. Meanwhile, place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber with cold water, and drain on paper towels. If using the onion, place in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and drain on paper towels.

3. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber and onion, season to taste with salt, and add the quinoa and cilantro. Toss together, and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with sliced avocado and cilantro sprigs.

yum

Restaurant Review Friday – Bombay Bistro

23rd July, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Last week I visited Bombay Bistro with a friend, and we both had great meals.  It’s located in the Great Hills area at 10710 Research Blvd, Ste 126 (right by the HEB), and it is rated pretty well by customers on yelp and urban spoon (4 out of 5 stars for both places).  The restaurant’s website isn’t working well for me, and without being able to look at the menu again I can’t tell you what I had, which makes this a pretty inadequate restaurant review, but what I can tell you is that this was probably my 4th visit to this restaurant in the past 2 years, and I’ve never had a bad meal and the service is always good.  Each time I’ve always gotten a vegetarian dish, of which they have a good variety, and I’ve always overeaten.  It’s American-ized Indian food, so it’s probably not very authentic, but it’s a nice spot to go during the week if we don’t have time to make dinner. The lighting is sort of dim and it’s decorated very nicely (big comfy booths, bronze decorations, sort of an exotic feel) – you wouldn’t expect such a nice looking restaurant to be located in an HEB strip mall - it’s a very relaxing, comfortable atmosphere.  The prices are reasonable ($10-15) at Bombay Bistro, and if you are trying to eat vegetarian meals more often when you are eating out, Indian restaurants in general are a great place to start because there’s always such a great variety of interesting vegetarian dishes!

Recipe Tuesday – Broccoli Enchiladas

20th July, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments

Last week I tried another recipe from my vegetarian cookbook and it turned out pretty well – how can anything with a lot of cheddar cheese not turn out well though?  I modified the recipe slightly.

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups broccoli heads
• 8oz ricotta
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 6-8 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 c cheddar cheese
• 6 flour tortillas
• 1 cup veggie bouillon
• 1 jalapeño  pepper, diced

Directions:

• Bring a pan of salted  to a boil and blanch broccoli for 1 minute, then rinse in cold water and drain
• Cut off stems and peel broccoli and dice the remaining heads
• mix broccoli with garlic, pepper, ricotta, cumin, and half of remaining cheeses
• fill tortillas with mixture, rolling them up and arrange in oven-proof dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake in preheated oven at 375 for 30 minutes

Recipe Tuesday–Lentil Patties with Creamy Lime Dressing

13th July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

I had some leftover lentils from when I made lentil hummus a few weeks ago, so I was happy to find this lentil patty recipe on one of the green blogs I read. I didn’t know it when I started the recipe, but the end product is a lot like a veggie burger. My patties didn’t stay together very well, so I think adding some more egg to the mixture might keep them together and make it easier to fry ‘em up. Other than that, the dish turned out great and had a meaty texture and a little bit of spice from the jalapeno. The sauce was really strong on the lime flavor, but in small amounts it added the right amount of tang. Served with a salad and some potatoes on the side, it was a really hearty meal.

1 Tbs olive oil
1 jalapeno, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 carrot, peeled and cut into a small dice
1 cup cooked lentils
1 egg + egg white, beaten
2 Tbs cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 Tbs + 1 tsp cumin, divided
2 limes, juiced
4 Tbs reduced fat sour cream
salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or frying pan. Sauté the jalapeno, garlic, onion, and carrot until they are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the cooked vegetable mixture to a large bowl and mix in the lentils, egg, cilantro, breadcrumbs, and 1 Tbs cumin. The mixture should be pretty wet and a little sticky.

2. Drop tablespoon sized portions of the lentil mixture into your frying pan over medium-high heat and press down gently with a spatula. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the bottom has browned and formed a thin crust. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.

3. Whisk together the lime juice, sour cream, 1 tsp cumin, and salt to taste. Drizzle dressing over top of the patties, or serve separately.

photo via healthy.delicious.

Restaurant Review Friday – Mighty Cone

9th July, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

A few weeks ago, I went to Mighty Cone for the first time.  Located on South Congress, Mighty Cone is a well known Austin favorite. I tried out the avocado cone, and it was really delicious. If you’ve never been before, the cones served are filled with chicken, avocado, or shrimp that has been breaded and then fried, then stuffed into a soft tortilla with a delicious but not overly mayonnaise-y coleslaw served on top, drizzled with a creamy, somewhat spicy sauce, and the whole tortilla is placed inside a paper cone to make it easier to eat.  The cones are made fresh when you order them, and the breading is very good – originally a recipe for fish breading from Hudson’s on the Bend. It’s a fun and decadent meal (I say “decadent” because I felt a little gross after I scarfed mine down – not because the food wasn’t good, but because it was so good that I was licking my paper cone by the end of the meal,  and yet it’s a very filling, somewhat unhealthy meal).  It was a great vegetarian meal I would highly recommend, and a portion of the proceeds from Mighty Cone go to the Sustainable Food Center, which is also very cool. Check it out if you haven’t yet!

Recipe Tuesday – Black Bean Burgers

6th July, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Yesterday my husband tried a new recipe from Food and Wine by Laurence Jossel that turned out really well.  Check out the link for all the details as well as a sauce recipe for the burgers!

My husband followed the recipe exactly and served the burgers with lettuce (from our garden!) and tomato.  They were really delicious and worth all the prep that went into them.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cups dried black beans, rinsed and picked over, then soaked for 4 hours and drained
• Kosher salt
• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup farro
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Vegetable oil, for sautéing
• 8 toasted buns

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan, cover the beans with 2 inches of water. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 1 hour; add water as needed to keep the beans covered by 2 inches. When the beans are tender, season them with salt and let stand for 5 minutes; drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the farro and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the grains are al dente, 30 minutes.
3. In a small skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the diced onion and cook over moderate heat until softened. Add the crushed red pepper and garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes.
4. In a food processor, pulse all but 1/2 cup of the beans to a chunky puree; transfer to a bowl. Fold in the remaining 1/2 cup of beans, the farro, the onion mixture, eggs, bread crumbs, basil, cilantro, pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt. Form the mixture into 8 patties. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 1/8 inch of vegetable oil. Add the burgers and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until browned and heated through, about 6 minutes.

They didn’t stay together very easily while they were being cooked, so you have to be gentle, but he had about a 50% success rate at keeping them intact, and the ones that fell apart a little were still good.  I forgot to take a picture at dinner last night, but the pic from Food and Wine is a little more appetizing anyway:

Restaurant Review Friday–Little City

2nd July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

photo credit

I eat at Little City pretty frequently because it’s conveniently located within walking distance of where I work but also because the food is really tasty.  They have several vegetarian options that aren’t too expensive and are great for a quick, light lunch. Also, they use organic greens in a lot of the salads and sandwiches, and their coffee is fair trade.  When I go, I usually do the combo, which is a half sandwich and half salad with a drink and chips and salsa, all for $6.95. Not bad. I like the Mediterranean Veggie sandwich: tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, hummus, and sprouts on wheat bread. It’s surprisingly filling and the bread always tastes really fresh. The salsa is spicy and flavorful, so that’s a nice little addition. I’ve also had the Raspberry Pepper Salad, which combines greens, dark chocolate, strawberries, and blue cheese for a really interesting flavor. My one complaint with the salad is that even the large size doesn’t feel like a completely full meal. It’s satisfying, but it typically leaves me hungry a few hours later. The same is true for the Avocado on the Half Shell–a whole avocado stuffed with tomato, red onion, chili powder, and cilantro, drizzled with hot sauce and citrus. It’s really good, but not one of their more substantial items. Several of my friends have ordered the Poet’s Plate, which offers seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables, hummus, olives, pesto, havarti cheese, blue cheese, and fresh bread. While I haven’t ordered it myself, it looks like a good amount of food and seems to be one of the more popular items on the menu. I also enjoy the place itself–there’s usually interesting art on the walls inside and there are spaces to sit outside and watch people pass by on Congress. Overall, it’s a really nice, local establishment near a lot of downtown offices, and it’s nice to have a veggie- and organic-friendly option for weekday lunches or coffee breaks.

Restaurant Review Friday – Marakesh

25th June, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

This week I went to Marakesh for a light lunch. I think their website is under construction, but here is some info on the restaurant.  It’s right on Congress near the Capitol, and it’s a nice relaxing place for lunch with pretty quick service.  You order at the front, and then you can find a table and your food will be delivered right to you.  I had the vegetarian plate #1, which included falafel, tabouli, and humus with pita. The humus and tabouli were pretty standard, but I thought the falafel was some of the best falafel I’ve had.  In general, I think Mediterranean restaurants do vegetarian foods really well, and Marakesh was no exception! I’ll try to update with a picture later today if I can figure out how to transfer it from my phone.

Recipe Tuesday – Turkish Kabobs

22nd June, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

This is another recipe adapted from my vegetarian cookbook.  It was very easy to make and it a nice light lunch – probably not enough for dinner by itself though.

Ingredients for kabobs:

• 1 eggplant
• 1 green bell pepper
• 6 roma tomatoes or plum tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 zucchini
• 1 lemon

Directions:

• cut veggies into chunks and put on skewers. Brush lightly with olive oil and grill on medium heat, turning frequently.

Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 cup of chick peas, smashed with a potato masher
• 1 cup of plain yogurt
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Directions:

• stir in yogurt, spices, onion, and garlic. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.  When kabobs are ready, gently heat the sauce and serve.

Restaurant Review Friday–Koriente

18th June, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments

Koriente is this adorable little restaurant nestled at the very end of 7th street, right by Beauty Bar. They serve up Asian-inspired dishes, with an eye for offering healthy and fresh meals. They have a lot of vegan options, and many of the items are served with organic spring greens. I’ve gone there on several occasions, and I love getting the Noodle Garden: “a nest of spiced mung bean noodles on organic spring greens, with avocado, red bell pepper, red cabbage, and cucumber in our own balsamic soy sauce.” Delicious and just the right amount. Also, if you dine in during lunch, you get free miso soup and salad with an entree. At $6.50, it’s a steal. They also offer bubble tea, regular tea, and Ruta Maya organic coffee. The people who work there are so nice, and the place itself has fun decorations and lots of windows with natural light and pretty flowering plants outside. Check it out the next time you are looking for a quick and healthy option for lunch.

Noodle Garden