Thursday, March 18, 2010

Top 10 vegetarian entrees in Winston-Salem, Part 1

In honor of National Meatout day Saturday, Julie and I decided to share our lists of the Top 10 vegetarian entrees that you can get in restaurants in Winston-Salem. Maybe our lists will give you a new idea of someplace to go out to eat to celebrate the day. Today, here’s my list (check back tomorrow for Julie’s):

1. Chef’s Vegetable Tasting at Bleu: This changes from day to day, depending on the chef’s whim and what vegetables are fresh, so it’s a bit of a leap of faith to rank it No. 1. But the plate I had at a recent dinner was so exceptional, it had to be done. That plate included two big slabs of tofu with Asian-style vegetables, an artichoke-and-sundried-tomato risotto, and peas and mushrooms. All the vegetarians at the table who ordered it agreed that it was one of the best things we’d ever eaten.

2. Artichoke Cakes Benedict at Finnigan’s Wake: Finnigan’s Wake is a vegetarian-friendly place – especially for an Irish pub! – but my favorite dish is served only at brunch. Imagine crab cakes with artichokes instead of crab. Excellent! They’re served with a side of hashed white and sweet potatoes and a broiled tomato for a filling brunch entree.

3. Vermicelli Salad with Tofu at Xia: (above) A huge bowl of rice noodles, lettuce, cilantro, cucumber, carrots, peanuts and a sliced spring roll. It comes without tofu, but ask them to add it for $1 more – it’s definitely worth it, with its crispy, lemongrassy coating. The spicy, vinegary sauce that comes with the salad on the side is too hot for me, but I don’t even miss it. It’s a perfect, filling meal for a warm day – but sometimes I crave it even when it’s cold outside.

4. Vegetarian Thali at Nawab: Indian restaurants are almost always vegetarian-friendly, and Nawab is no exception. Can’t decide which entree to get? Try their vegetarian combination meal. It comes with vegetable korma (which almost made my list by itself), palak paneer, chana masala, rice and bread, PLUS an appetizer (a samosa) and dessert. This is a great pick when you want some variety. And I almost always have leftovers, which can be even better the next day.

5. Pho Vegetables and Tofu at Soups: (above) When the icy winter wind is howling down Fourth Street, there’s nothing better to tuck into than a huge, steaming bowl of soup at Soups. There’s just one vegetarian soup (along with a couple of entrees), but it’s fabulous: Tofu and a wealth of vegetables (broccoli, carrots, snow peas, mushrooms, baby corn) come in a savory, flavorful broth. No weak, watery broth here.You get lime wedges, bean sprouts, hot peppers, and cilantro or Thai basil on the side so that you can doctor it up how you like. Want it hotter? There’s a spice wheel provided for that, too.

6. BBQ Tofu Sandwich at Mary’s Of Course: Messy to eat but oh-so-good. A mound of tofu, slathered in BBQ sauce and piled on a bun with cole slaw and Swiss cheese. It’s a great vegetarian comfort food, simple but memorable, and one that I’ve often re-created at home. You can also get it made with tempeh instead of tofu.

7. Tofu Pad Woonsen at Cha Da Thai: I love Thai food, and my go-to dish is pad woonsen. I love the interplay of the thin rice noodles, eggs, vegetables, tofu and light sauce. And whenever you order a dish with tofu, they make sure to ask if it’s OK if there’s egg in it, in case you’re vegan – a thoughtful, with-it touch.

8. Vegetable platter at the Greek Festival: OK, this one is a cheat, since it’s available only twice a year and it’s not at a restaurant, but it’s something I look forward to every time. It’s a great deal compared to the meaty entrees: spanakopita (above), rice, bread, a Greek salad and those yummy, tomato-sauced green beans.

9. Sides sampler plate at Mooney’s Mediterranean Cafe: A gem of a restaurant at the corner of Fourth and Liberty streets, this Lebanese place offers several vegetarian dishes. The best bet is a sampler plate of four sides, served with pita bread. My favorites include falafel, summer couscous, herb-heavy tabouli and the smoothest hummus I’ve ever had. In fact, the hummus is so good, it’s almost ruined all other hummus for me.

10. Spinach Feta Pizza at Burke Street Pizza: Sometimes nothing hits the spot quite like a big slice of pizza, and this is perhaps the city’s best vegetarian option. It’s practically impossible to stop with just one slice. Now, if Burke Street only used fresh mushrooms instead of the unfortunate canned variety, it would be the perfect slice.

To find out more about Meatout, go here.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Meatloaf without the meat

This past weekend, I had a package of Lightlife Smart Grounds original that was going to expire pretty soon, so I set about trying to figure out something to make with it. I finally decided on a vegetarian meatloaf.

I used to really like meatloaf, back when I ate meat, but I hadn’t tried a vegetarian version since a rather unappetizing instance several years ago. But I came across a promising recipe on AllRecipes.com and altered it to fit my tastes and what I had on hand. It was quick to put together, and I have to say, it turned out FABULOUS. I’ve been singing its praises to my friends ever since. I hope you’ll enjoy it, too.

Vegetarian Meatloaf

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) package vegetarian burger crumbles
1/3 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspon dried rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
In a bowl, mix 1/2 of the tomato sauce with the vegetarian burger crumbles, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and egg. Season with thyme, basil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Transfer to the loaf pan.
Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Pour about half of the remaining tomato sauce over the loaf, and continue baking 20 minutes, or until loaf is set.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

The King of Vegetables

King Louis XIV of France enjoyed asparagus so much that he had it grown in special greenhouses so he could eat it all year round. Like the Sun King, we can have asparagus at any time; but it is still most associated with springtime. This time of year, asparagus is often on sale and on my mind.

Asparagus has a lot of history behind it, as well as some mystery. It is known to be a member of the lily family, as are onions and garlic. It is believed to be native to the eastern Mediterranean area, but it grows wild in so many places that there is some disagreement about where it originated. The ancient Greeks attributed medicinal qualities to it, believing it effective against ailments from toothache to heart trouble. Though it’s not a panacea, asparagus is a healthy vegetable—low in calories, and high in B vitamins, especially folate; potassium; and Vitamin C and other antioxidants. It was certainly eaten in ancient Egypt, and it may have been cultivated and used as an offering to the gods (again there is some uncertainty about this). It was cultivated by the Romans, and it is also said that emperors assembled “asparagus fleets” to scour the empire and bring asparagus back to Rome.

Asparagus can be enjoyed prepared very simply. One of the easiest ways to enjoy asparagus is lightly steamed with a simple sauce. A half-pound of asparagus is about right for two people. Wash and snap or cut off the tougher bottoms of the stalk. Lay them in a pan with perhaps a half-inch of water. Bring it to a boil, and then steam for about five minutes. A “dijonaise” sauce of about 1 tablespoon of Vegenaise and 2 teaspoons of mustard—it can be Dijon mustard; but yellow or brown mustard also work well; adjust the quantities to your taste – goes well with this.

Vegetarians in Paradise has other simple preparation suggestions for asparagus, including ways to roast, stir-fry and barbecue it. More elaborate preparations, such as lemon-asparagus risotto and cream of asparagus soup, are also delicious ways to showcase this royal vegetable.

Friday, February 19, 2010

By the Book

While I was recovering from a nasty cold recently, my mom stopped by with a DVD of Julie & Julia. The parts about Julia Child were engrossing; the parts about blogger Julie Powell were not; and the abundant meats were just gross. But it did get me thinking about one thing: If I decided to cook my way through every recipe in a vegan cookbook the way that Powell cooked her way through Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which cookbook would I choose?

Perhaps Great Chefs Cook Vegan, in which Linda Long persuaded dozens of top chefs to present a beautiful variety of dishes? All these recipes are inspiring, and many are very “do-able”—but some are frankly beyond my reach. Really, where would I get hold of the cotton-candy machine required for one of the recipes?

Possibly Vegan With a Vengeance, the first and to my mind the best of the cookbooks written or co-written by the Post Punk Kitchen’s ppk.com Isa Chandra Moskowitz? But the unassuming little paperback, wonderful as it is, may be a little thin to serve as the bedrock of a monumental undertaking.

Erik Marcus at Vegan.com yesterday mentioned that the blogger PinkVegan “has set the insane goal to cook and blog every last recipe from Tal Ronnen’s The Conscious Cook and Colleen Patrick Goudreau’s The Vegan Table .” So those are contenders in someone’s mind.

Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian —with its global range and unfailingly delicious results, excellent all the way from adzuki bean to zucchini—would be a great contender. The only problem is that some recipes include eggs or dairy. Maybe with some vegan tweaks….

But I’m still not sure; what cookbook would y’all suggest for such an undertaking?

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Vegan! Vegan! Read all about it!

Want to know what’s going on in the world of vegetarianism and veganism? I recently discovered a great Web site that compiles links to more blog posts and Web sites on the topic than you could possibly read in one sitting. Click on this page and get lost in the links.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Soup’s on

For a while after Soup’s Vietnamese restaurant opened (at 219 W. Fourth St. in downtown Winston-Salem), I avoided it in disappointment because I didn’t see anything vegetarian on its menu. Happily that has changed.

Informed by kind friends that it now served a vegetarian pho, I was eager to try it. As my group walked in recently, the outgoing owner recognized us from our previous visits to his other restaurant, Downtown Thai, and announced that in addition to the vegetarian pho, many of the other menu items could be made vegetarian.

I chose the Bun Curry. A bowl of flavorful curry with tofu and vegetables was served with a giant plate of noodles, bean sprouts and shredded lettuce. You pour the curry over the noodles, etc., and mix it all together well. As a meal it was warming and filling, yet somehow also light and delicate—and totally delicious. A friend’s bowl of vegetarian pho was also a winner…. We’re talking about going back tomorrow.

For more information about Soups, you can check out its menu here; or read the Journal’s Dinner Belle review here.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Nicer Rice

It’s not just a vegetarian thing—more a health-food cliche—but I prefer brown rice to white. It’s healthier and tastier, all-around more satisfying. So I’ve often lamented the difficulty of getting brown rice at restaurants around Winston-Salem.

Well, things are getting better. Sampan Chinese Restaurant, at 985 Peters Creek Parkway, and Thai Sawatdee, inside the Harris Teeter at 2281 Cloverdale Ave., both offer brown rice as an option with meals. There is often an extra charge for subbing brown rice – brown-rice fans will likely be glad to pay it. Both restaurants also offer a variety of veg-friendly meals, so they’re getting close to tofu paradise.

Does anyone know of other restaurants around town where brown rice is an alternative to white?

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Trader Joe’s rumors and wishes

I was in Charlotte over the weekend, so of course I had to swing by one of their three (grrr) Trader Joe’s on the way home. I was chit-chatting with one of their employees, and he said that the next N.C. store locations being talked about were Asheville and Wilmington. Bah! Those are even further away from us.

In other “desperate for Trader Joe’s” news, there is a new Facebook group devoted to urging Trader Joe’s to open a store in Winston-Salem. You can join here and show your support.

Friday, January 08, 2010

The return of Boca sausage!

Oh, happy day! I was shopping at the Cloverdale Harris Teeter last night, when what should my astonished eyes see in the frozen-food aisle but Boca breakfast sausage links! Yes, my friends, they have returned! I refrained from dancing in the aisle, but let me tell you, I was doing a jig inside.

I know this development should make some of you as happy as I am—I got a lot of dismayed feedback from readers from my blog entry about the discontinuation.

According to the fellow I spoke with at Boca, customers clamoured for the sausage’s return, so the company obliged. So letting companies know how you feel about their products and decisions can sometimes have a positive effect. He had not heard anything about a comeback for the Italian sausages, though, so if you’d like to see those back, too, you can call the company at 1-877-966-8769 or fill out an online form here.

I know what I’m having for breakfast tomorrow….

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Past Is Prologue

A famous line from Shakespeare’s The Tempest — “What’s past is prologue, what to come in yours and my discharge” — is apt for the turning of the year. We tend to look back at what happened in the past, and forward to what we hope to make of the future.

Erik Marcus, the vegan activist and author behind the Vegan.com blog, has done a bang-up job of looking back at “The Year in Meat: 2009”—and giving hope for a more compassionate future. As Marcus writes, “Reading this article is likely the best way to quickly get up to speed on everything that’s happened in 2009 related to animal agribusiness and vegetarianism. I think this piece makes clear that, amazingly enough, the animal protection movement is actually moving us somewhere; and quickly.”