Category: Vegan Food

Tulum: Plant-based Paradise

We recently returned from Tulum; where we got married! It was our second time visiting the beautifully romantic Mexican beach town and the once again, the food is amazing. I am continually impressed at the selection of vegan and vegetarian options available there. Here is a quick rundown of my favorite selections, which is just the tip of the iceberg!

  • Mamasan– for only $5, you can enjoy deliciously prepared bruschetta. Shown in photo. I ordered two days in a row- that good. Make sure to grab a juice and smoothie. I also have had their vegan macaroni which is SO GOOD.

Located on the Tulum beach strip. They have a fantastic rooftop where you can enjoy views of the jungle.

Straight from the menu; “Red pesto made from heirloom tomatoes, Genovese basil, peanuts and fine herbs on Multigrain German bread with macadamia vegan “cheese”, Mayan style pumpkin seed tabouleh, avocado and a dew of Lebanese extra virgin olive oil.”  

  • Burrito Amor– for under $4, you can get a vegan burrito. I like to order in a bowl and they bring a coconut tortilla on the side. The mojitos here are the best I’ve ever had. You will not regret this choice!

Located in the Tulum City Center right off the main road.

Straight from the menu; “Vegan nopal (cactus) & chaya (mayan spinach) grilled w whole black beans, amor rice, pico de gallo & avocado. epazote dressing.”  

  •   Ziggy’s– while it isn’t an exclusively vegan or vegetarian restaurant, I do enjoy the options here! The quinoa salad is utterly delicious and satisfying.

Located on the Tulum beach strip. They are right on the beach and the ambiance is very relaxing.

Straight from the menu; “Mix of quinoa, beet, sunflower seed, green raisins, Jamaica flower reduction, macerated grapefruit and coconut cream.”

  • Raw Love Cafe– the best. I particularly love their breakfast bowls. We also love the beach club where this is located at so I always order and then stick around to play in the water and lounge. Additionally, you can order from the actual Beach Club that they are located. I always get the grilled veggies and french fries from there!

Located on the Tulum beach strip. They are at the Ahau Beach Club right on the beach.

Order it all!

Whenever in doubt in Tulum, trust that there is avocado toast everywhere…

What are y’all’s favorite Tulum spots?

 

Raw Bars

Made these bad boys the other day in order to have some healthy snacks around the house. Since I work from home, I find myself wandering into the kitchen more often than I care to admit.

For these bars, I used steel cut oats, but next time will be subbing in old fashioned oats as the steel cut made for a crunchy rather than chewy texture.

I used this recipe from Song of Style’s youtube channel. Like I said, I swapped in steel cut oats (was out of old fashioned oats), added some flax seed and agave syrup to her original recipe.

RAW BARS

  • 1 cups oats of your choice
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup flax seed
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds
  • 1 tsp. of agave syrup (if desired)
  • Handful of dried cherries (if desired)
  • Chopped almonds or walnuts (if desired)

Mix thoroughly, spread mixture of oats, coconut oil, chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seed,  and hemps seeds on parchment paper and cook on 350° for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, mix in dried cherries, agave syrup, any chopped nuts and place in parchment-lined loaf pan.

Freeze for 1 hour, remove and slice into bars!

ENJOY! What are your favorite raw bar recipes?

Roasted Chickpeas

So.Addicting.

Make sure to look at the nutritional facts on the chickpeas can first. Don’t be like me and eat the whole can after you’ve roasted and then decide to look at how many calories there are!

These are SO easy and quick. They are quite fabulous by themselves, but also make excellent salad toppers.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 can of chickpeas
  • 2 tbps olive oil
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • salt
  • cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F
  • Open chickpea can, drain, rinse and dry with towel
  • Remove any outer skin that has shedded from the chickpeas during the rinsing and drying process
  • Combine olive oil with spices in bowl
  • Stir in chickpeas
  • Place in oven on baking sheet
  • Bake for 25-30 min with a 3 min broil at the end (or until golden brown).

The Rise of Meatless Patties – Fast Food Edition

Once I heard that Carl’s Jr. had launched the vegan Beyond Meat Burger, I rushed out to get one. The only hiccup… no Carl’s Jr. nearby… I settled my craving for a New Years Day hamburger with the local chain P.Terry’s vegetarian patty- completely worth it. While the patties are vegetarian, they are not vegan (as I learned later). Their recipe consists of; brown rice, cream-simmered crimini mushrooms, black beans, oats, two-kinds of cheese, fresh-cut parsley and a special spice blend. 

It had me wondering how many more fast food chains are going to be taking this approach of providing veggie patty options. Burger King offers a Morningstar patty and White Castle has veggie patty sliders. With the exception of Carl’s Jr. rolling out the Beyond Burger and local chains like P.Terrys Burger Stand, the options are few and far between! Many of the vegetarian options at fast food, consisted of fries slathered in cheese sauce.

Beyond Meat touts itself as “the future of protein”. The Beyond Burger consists of 20grams plant protein, no soy/gluten, and no GMOS! They applied to list on NASDAQ at the end of last year which will make them the first vegan company to go public.

With the rise of vegetarians, and big named investors (Bill Gate and Leonardo DiCaprio to name a couple) backing the company, the potential in companies like Beyond Meat is hard to ignore.

Where did all the protein go?

Where will you get protein from? That was the one question I heard over and over after going vegan. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how to answer! While I knew there were numerous options available (besides animal products) I wasn’t sure how to incorporate them into my every day diet.

The Dietary Reference Intake suggests 56 grams of protein/day for the average sedentary man and 46 grams of protein/day for the average sedentary woman. Key word: sedentary- think about how much more you need when you’re active! To check your personalized protein needs, use this calculator.

Here are some suggestions for quick protein options to spice up your salad and get the necessary protein!

  • Beans/Lentils
  • Chia Seeds
  • Plant-Based Patty
  • Nutritional Yeast
  • Nut Cheese
  • Quinoa
  • Tofu

Vegan Restaurants – Austin, Texas Addition

Austin, Texas is surprisingly progressive when it comes to the selection of vegan/vegetarian restaurants! I have been using the app, “Happy Cow” to locate all of these amazing spots.

I recently visited the incredibly aesthetically pleasing vegan restaurant, The Citizen Eatery (only to get take-out and miss out on the atmosphere). I can confirm, it tastes just as good out of the box. I ordered the Citizen Power Bowl, consisting of quinoa, avocado, marinated kale, chickpeas, almonds, sunflower seeds, red peppers, tomato, and citrus vinaigrette. I couldn’t leave without indulging with some fries, I left with….a whole lotta them – the mixed basket gives you their house style fries, texas tumbleweed and yuca fries. So. good.

Some other places I cannot wait to visit:

What are your favorite vegan/vegetarian spots? Austin or elsewhere!