Happy VD Everyone!

Mmmmm...

Spearmint choco-vanilla layer vegan V-Day cake.

Mellow in Cary

Another favorite even though it's a chain: Mellow Mushroom of Cary, NC.

Excellent beer selection, very veggie-friendly, and far out fun theme.
Although this particular restaurant is so popular, it might be best to avoid the Fri & Sat night crowd.

There are just too many awesome entrees to choose from.

This time we started with a Muffuletta Cheese Bread. Then Kate got up-sold on a large Chef Salad (sub tofu for ham); the small salads are still large enough for an entree.
Rob got the usual Tempeh Hoagie (hold the green peppers if you please).

This was all really too much (and we didn't even order drinks!)
Next time, maybe we'll leave the cheese off the Muffuletta and just make it a Garlic Bread.

Save room for beer and hot pretzels!


Ok, so we weren't very vegan this time, but Mellow really is quite accommodating for true vegans.
Two thumbs up!

Agave Caramel Peanut Butter Bars with Carob Ganache

One simply must make decadent hors d'oeuvres for Super Bowl XLIX. Woot y'all!

Agave Caramel Peanut Butter Bars with Carob Ganache

I can't wait to see what's for Super Bowl L!

Recipe: Kate’s Vegan Lentil Tart

No traveling today. We had dinner guests over instead.
The main course was a big hit:


Kate’s Vegan Lentil Tart
(Serves 8-10 generously)

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

1. Prepare the vegan double-crust pie dough of your choice. I use a simple double-crust pie crust recipe (specifically, from Joy of Cooking cookbook), substituting Earth Balance shortening sticks for butter/non-vegan shortening. Here, either go ahead and roll it out and put in a springform baking pan 12+ inches in diameter. If you want or have to use a deep dish pie pan, cut the ingredients in half or you can make two tarts (*you’ll need to double the crust, though, as well.) Roll out and set aside the top crust or put it in the fridge to chill until you are ready to cover the filling.
2. Prep the filling ingredients as follows:
   
   • ¼ lb chopped onions - size to your own taste, I like diced.
   • ½ lb pre-cooked lentils (I buy mine at Trader Joes, most of the time.)
   • ¼ broccoli - if using frozen, just let it sit and thaw to room temp; if fresh, chop into bite-size pieces and steam just a minute to soften - Unless you like crunchy broccoli, then leave raw before cooking.
   • ½ lb cooked rice - I love Basmati for this, but anything like rice or Quinoa, etc will do well.
   • 6-8 oz. mushrooms - chopped to match chopped onions or broccoli size.
   • ⅓ lb petite diced or thinly sliced carrots.
3. Put all the prepped ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir in 4T dry or paste vegan soupstock/bouillon. I make my own that has a little corn starch added to thicken, but if you use regular bouillon, make sure to add cornstarch as directed below.
   
4. Add spices to taste:
   
   • 2T garlic, dry ground or 1T chopped
   • 2T onion powder (I love onion, so this gives it even more onion-ey flavor!)
   • 1t Rosemary
   • 1t Basil
   • 1t Salt (more to taste, of course)
   • ½ t black pepper
   • 2T corn starch (if you want it to really set up when cooking, add 1T more for a more solid tart.
   • 1T vegan worchestershire (optional, for smokiness - liquid smoke is also good)
5. Mix all the ingredients together and fill the pan, covering with top crust, rolling and crimping the edges when done. I like to use a paring knife to make small slices around the top, but it’s not necessary. I also use what little bit of dough I have left over to make leaves or shapes, whatever, on top as decoration (They are nice and crispy when the tart is done.)
6. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. Check it periodically and remove from the oven when the crust is golden brown. If you make a smaller pie or larger one, a nice, golden crust really determines doneness.
7. Let it sit for a few minutes to cool (it’s super hot inside). This will make it solidify and make slicing easier.

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Bosphorus restaurant, downtown Cary

A convenient Turkish restaurant in downtown Cary, NC. If you like Lebanese or Greek food, you'll like this.

Just arrive early, and be prepared to wait a while since this place can get crowded.
They bring wonderful fresh hot sesame pita & olive oil to your table while you wait.


The Mez platter is fairly large.
The spinach pide is like a nice personal pizza with feta.