GOLDEN MEAN CAFE

Yesterday, my husband and I had lunch with a friend at GOLDEN MEAN CAFE in Santa Monica.

A small vegan cafe serving soups,sandwiches, salads, and pastries.

The place is small with a downstairs and upstairs eating area.

The cafe is casual and very cozy.

The food is clean tasting and the servings are perfect!!!

We each ordered a different dish and shared.

Our friend ordered the PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM PANINI-Roasted portobello mushroom, onions, peppers, baby arugula, vegan mozzarella on a ciabatta roll with a side of Lentil Arugula Salad.

I ordered the "LEAN MEAN" VEGGIE BURGER-Bean and veggie patty with lettuce, tomato, pickles, avocado and special sauce on a ciabatta roll with a side of Kale and Golden Beat Salad.

And my husband ordered the SOUP AND SALAD COMBO- Red Potato Salad and Butternut Squash Soup.

THANKSGIVING FOR 2

THANKSGIVING 2009

NUMBER OF GUESTS: 2- Me & My Husband!!!

I spent all day preparing this meal for the LOVE of my Life!!!

I loved every minute of it!

So what am I THANKFUL for this year?

I am so thankful to have found my true love so early in life (high school sweethearts) and for being married to my best friend!!!

And now on to the food!

THANKSGIVING FEAST FOR 2

LENTIL APPLE WALNUT LOAF- Recipe from CLEAN FOOD by TERRY WALTERS.

Lentils, grated apples and carrots, raisins, walnuts, and topped with a sweet apple butter glaze. Good, but fell apart too easily.

ROASTED GARLIC BRUSSEL SPROUTS AND FINGERLING POTATOES-Brussel sprouts, fingerling potatoes, garlic, crushed red chili pepper, olive oil, salt and pepper. Simple and so delicious!!!

POBLANO MASHED POTATO SQUASH BLOSSOMS WITH BABY ZUCCHINIS-Made these almost 2 weeks ago and they were so good! We just had to have them again. But this time, with the baby zucchinis still attached.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH-Butternut squash roasted with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Another simple dish, yet so full of flavor!

LEFTOVER POBLANO MASHED POTATOES

CRANBERRY APPLESAUCE-Apples, cranberries, cranberry juice, and maple syrup, blended and eaten alongside the Loaf.

DESSERT:

OVEN-ROASTED BANANA RUM CHEESECAKE WITH SPICED PECAN CRUST-Recipe from THE CONSCIOUS COOK by TAL RONNEN.

Whole bananas roasted (with peel) and processed (peeled) with FYH cream cheese,rum, and spices.

Baked and cooled for a few hours and topped with chopped pecans.

Original recipe called for a MAPLE RUM SAUCE, but mine didn't come out right, so I dumped it.

ROASTED BANANAS WITH SKIN

RED FLANNEL HASH

This Morning I Made:

RED FLANNEL HASH for Breakfast.

Recipe from VEGAN BRUNCH by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Cubed yukon potatoes, beets, onions, salt/pepper, and the magic ingredient, LIQUID SMOKE.

If you're not familiar with LIQUID SMOKE check out wikipedia!

The hash in cooked in an iron skillet over the stovetop for 30 minutes then transfered to the oven until tender.

I served toasted slices of our new favorite VEGETABLE SOURDOUGH BREAD made by OLD TOWN BAKING CO. and sold at the Hollywood Farmers' market.

I really can't believe that we just bought the loaf yesterday, and now we only have 4 slices left!!!

IT'S THAT YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AGAVE LIME GRILLED TOFU WITH ASIAN SLAW AND MASHED SWEET POTATOES

Last Tuesday I Made:

AGAVE LIME GRILLED TOFU WITH ASIAN SLAW AND MASHED SWEET POTATOES for DINNER.

Recipe from The Conscious Cook by Chef Tal Ronnen.

This dish is really made up of 3 different recipes:

1. AGAVE LIME GRILLED TOFU-Baked, grilled and basted with the leftover marinade sauce,which caramelizes the tofu.

2. ASIAN SLAW-Cabbage, green onions, carrots, sesame seeds (both white and black) and julienned sugar snap peas (substituted for the daikon radish) in a sweet but light asian dressing.

3. MASHED SWEET POTATOES- Sweet potatoes, soymilk, earth balance, cashew cream, salt and pepper and 1 chipotle chili.

There are three things that must be done ahead of time: pressing and marinating the tofu and soaking the cashews for the cashew cream used in the mashed sweet potatoes.

All 3 dishes come together in a flash and taste really gourmet.

So many different flavors, your taste buds go wild!!!

Spiciness from the mashed sweet potatoes, sourness from the slaw and sweetness from the tofu.

CABBAGE-VEGETABLE SOUP and SPICY GARLIC BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Last Night I Made:

CABBAGE-VEGETABLE SOUP and SPICY GARLIC BRUSSEL SPROUTS for DINNER.

Soup recipe from the latest issue of Everyday Food Magazine.

Simple soup made with cabbage, leeks, potatoes, carrots, and vegetable broth.

Very clean tasting and perfect for a cold day.

Our new FAVORITE vegetable,BRUSSEL SPROUTS!!!

So fresh, it's still on the stalk.

Just look at the picture above!

In season right now and available at Trader Joe's for only $2.99.

Just twist off each brussel sprout, cut in half and saute with minced garlic, red chili peppers, and salt and pepper.

So delicious, even a brussel sprout hater will love to eat them this way!!!

VEGAN COOKIES INVADE YOUR COOKIE JAR AND THE CONSCIOUS COOK

The two newest VEGAN cookbooks every vegan MUST HAVE!!!

VEGAN COOKIES INVADE YOUR COOKIE JAR.

The cookbook every vegan has been waiting for was finally released Nov.10!!!

Perfect timing with Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner.

This book is really THE ultimate vegan cookie cookbook.

Isa and Terry both have done it again!

First it was VEGANOMICON.

Then VEGAN CUPCAKES TAKE OVER THE WORLD.

And now, VEGAN COOKIES INVADE YOUR COOKIE JAR.

Can't wait to start baking!!!

One problem, can't decide which cookie to make first.

Filled with beautiful pictures and really helpful information,

The Conscious Cook by Chef Tal Ronnen released on OCT.6.

Chef Ronnen is famous for being Oprah's chef for her 21 day vegan challenge.

Because of this, The Conscious cook can easily be found at any bookstore.

Gourmet quality recipes yet easy enough for anyone to do.

Chef Tonnen uses a lot of WHOLE FOODS as well as the latest meat substitute craze, Gardein™ - garden protein in his recipes.

STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS WITH POBLANO MASHED POTATOES and FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

Last Night I Made:

STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS WITH POBLANO MASHED POTATOES and FRIED GREEN TOMATOES for Dinner.

I ended up plating the blossoms over leftover poblano mashed potatoes.

Yesterday my husband and I went to the Hollywood Farmers' Market for our very first time.

Let's just say I almost fainted, it was a cooks heaven-on-earth!!!

And I really can't believe that we live 20 minutes away and we've never been here!

The market is 5 blocks long and has everything from freshly picked produce to awesome vegan food vendors.

We bought:

-pencil thin ASPARAGUS

-LEEKS

-CABBAGE

-RED ONIONS

-BROWN ONIONS

-SUGAR SNAP PEAS

-RED OAK LETTUCE

-GREEN LEAF LETTUCE

-BABY CARROTS

-GREEN ONIONS

-RED BEETS

-CILANTRO

-FRESH THYME

-PEA SHOOTS

-POBLANO CHILIES

-SQUASH BLOSSOMS

-GREEN TOMATOES

-TURNIPS

-OLD TOWN BAKING CO. VEGETABLE MEDLEY SOURDOUGH BREAD

-SUGARCANE JUICE-FORTIFY DETOX ELIXER

Cleanses the liver and it tastes sweet,tangy,spicy and really YUMMY!!!

Made with cane juice,ginger,lime, and cayenne pepper.

We bought so much, guess I got too excited!

Two things did stand out to us, SQUASH BLOSSOMS and GREEN TOMATOES.

I'm always on the lookout for them at Whole Foods, but they never seem to have either one.

As soon as we got home I decided to make FRIED GREEN TOMATOES.

Then I came up with an awesome recipe using the blossoms and a few poblano chilies from the Farmers' Market poblano chilies and Trader Joe's Russet potatoes.

But I can't reveal either recipe.

Because, one day I'll have enough original recipes to publish my own cookbook!!!

My husband and I can't wait to go back next Sunday.

If you are ever in the Los Angeles area, you MUST make it a point to visit the HOLLYWOOD FARMERS' MARKET on Ivar and Sunset Blvd.

Open from 8am-1pm.