Vegan Week - Day 5 (The Finale)

Mexican-Inspired Salad.

Well, today was the last day of my being a vegan lab rat, a plant-based diet guinea pig.

I brought a tote-able breakfast of applesauce and trail mix (almonds, walnuts, berry-flax granola, dairy-free dark chocolate chips, and dried cran- and blueberries) to work. It was quick, it was easy, it was good. It was really good. As someone who has a tendency to graze, it was a perfect snack.

Trail mix and applesauce.

For lunch, I'd made some Italian-style vegetable soup filled with lots of wholesome vegetables: mushrooms, onions, zucchini, tomato, carrots, celery. To go with it, a couple of slices of the ciabatta loaf were easily packed up. But since I had such a late breakfast, eating at work rather than at home, I wasn't actually hungry for the soup before I left to go on my Friday afternoon schlep through Kroger.

Italian-Style Vegetable Soup.

As I'd reviewed my groceries and my menu options before heading out for the day, I wasn't sure what I was going to do about dinner. Then my friend Olivia posted a picture of a salad on Facebook, filled with avocado, corn, lettuce, tomatoes ... all items I had on hand! She and I both planned to make this tonight.

Sure, the original salad contained chicken; but I could simply leave that out. So, I set out all the ingredients around a scoop of the leftover beans from Monday night, drizzled salsa over everything, and enjoyed an exceptionally nice dinner. A few crumbled corn chips on top didn't hurt, either ... :)

So ... my thoughts after five days as a vegan?

First and foremost, I'm looking forward to eating cheese. I want parmesan on my pasta, feta on my spinach, cheddar on many, many things. I want to be able to use eggs again. I want my Coffee-Mate, which offers no redeeming nutritional value along with the richness of cream.

It seems as though I've been snacking more, as though I'm feeling some sort of loss on a cellular level. It's not as though I've deprived myself of calories or protein or fats or sugars or anything else fun. But there must be some sort of recalibration going on. Ordinarily, if I have a big lunch then I only need a salad for dinner. I found myself still nibbling beyond that, though.

Of course, we can thank the Fritos and the faux-reos for that, singing their Siren songs to me in the night. I bought them so I wouldn't feel deprivation, to be able to have treats and not just denial, to show everyone that a vegan diet doesn't have to be just about rice, beans, lettuce, and tofu. But it's so much easier to resist that kind of stuff at the store, rather than at home! I usually don't buy those things, when I'm on my own. I know I'm weak. I proved that once again, these past few days.

I do think I'll be a mostly-vegetarian after this. My personal feeling is that cows are producing milk, chickens are laying eggs, and bees are making honey whether we eat and drink those products or not. As long as the animals are treated humanely, living happy lives, then those items should be a part of our diets. Veganism is simply too extreme, and unnecessarily so.

And while one might adopt a vegan diet for health reasons, bulking up on fruits and vegetables and whole grains, that gets very boring very quickly (for me, anyway, as someone who constantly craves variety). And it's also potentially expensive. I could have special-ordered vegan "cheese" from L.A., and "meat" from Minneapolis. I could have gone to various markets and restaurants around Toledo to get vegan dishes. I could have made "cheese" from cashews.

Really, that's just excessive. Be conscientious about what you eat - for political, ethical, moral, health, financial, and other reasons - but exercise moderation.

The thought of eating some chicken that's in the freezer, though ... I'm not so keen on it. Or the sausage that I'd intended to use in making red beans and rice on Monday.

The seed for this week's experiment was planted at an event a few weeks ago: braised veal cheeks were on the menu.

I was uncomfortable as they were presented to me, even as they smelled divine and were tender enough to melt on the fork. I tasted them, out of politeness (and for work); they were wonderful. I felt guilty.

And yet, I'm debating whether to grab a burger this weekend. How is it that I can eat the mother but was uncomfortable when the baby was on my plate? Because I knew which part of him I was chewing on? Because I buy the mother wrapped in plastic, displayed on styrofoam?

Once again, as I've done many times before, I'm hanging my head in shame and disgust as a hypocrite. I admit it, though not proudly. It is something I ruminate about, contemplate, grapple with, discuss, and consider at great length and with great frequency.

While I don't want to say I'm ruling out meat - or that burger - entirely (especially since I'll be judging a chili cook-off in two weeks, and there are only two or three vegetarian options being served), I can see myself becoming more of a vegetarian. Not that I eat meat all the time, but I can certainly feel comfortable eating it even less frequently now. Until temptation, like barbecued ribs, lures me in, I'm sure.

So, after all the thought and planning I put into Vegan Week's menu - and I probably have another two weeks' worth of meal suggestions that didn't get eaten - I have no idea what I'll have for breakfast tomorrow morning. It may be more Elvis-style oatmeal. It may be bacon and eggs. I might even go all-out and have a steak, which is usually a once-in-a-decade option.

The point is that I'll have a choice. I'll have lots of choices, rather than having entire food groups eliminated and having so many options taken away from me (or, more correctly, taking them away from myself).

Vegan Week was definitely a worthwhile experiment. It fed me, my blog, and also my column for this Tuesday. And it offered food for thought.

But now it's time to go back to eating whatever I want whenever I want. Time to go back to being an omnivore ... except for tofu and sushi!


Italian-Style Vegetable Soup

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large mushrooms, caps removed, sliced
1/3 cup sliced zucchini
1 small stalk celery, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled, chopped
1 scallion, chopped
A very generous splash of red wine
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
A generous handful of baby spinach
1/2 cup water
Pinch of sugar
Italian seasoning

Place the oil into a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat with the red pepper flakes. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms; cook for 2 minutes, until mushrooms are softening. Add zucchini, celery, carrot, and scallion; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, spinach, water, sugar, and Italian seasoning; bring just to a boil, then cover partially and lower heat to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Source: Mary Bilyeu


Mexican-Inspired Salad

Oil
Corn kernels
Shredded lettuce
Chopped avocado
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Chopped red onion
Leftover Pinto Beans with Rice and Quinoa
Fresh salsa
Sprinkle of cilantro
Corn chips, crushed

Quantities are variable, based upon number of people being served and ingredient preferences.

Place the oil and the corn into a small skillet; stir together. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until corn is toasted and golden.

Place lettuce on a serving plate. Place corn, avocado, tomatoes, and onion around the circumference of the plate, on top of the lettuce. Place the leftover beans in the center of the plate. Drizzle salsa over the salad, then sprinkle with cilantro and the crushed corn chips.

Source: Mary Bilyeu (Adapted from cleanfoodcrush.com)

Vegan Week - Day 3

 

Fruit plate: Cara Cara oranges, prunes, dried cranberries, and toasted walnuts drizzled with pomegranate molasses.

I made some progress with the morning adventure: trying to drink tolerable coffee. I combined the vanilla soy creamer with a splash of the insipid caramel almond creamer, and it was not bad. It wasn't my usual rich vanilla bourbon pound cake-flavored Coffee-Mate-infused coffee. But we had definite improvement today!

Being a vegan doesn't necessarily mean you're eating health food - remember, the Fritos and mint faux-reos are vegan. Just as vegetarians can still be eating mac 'n' cheese and fried ice cream, while omnivores might be carefully eating lean proteins and salads, it's all about the choices you make.

And I've been choosing to eat Fritos and faux-reos a) because I like them, and b) likely as a bit of compensation for all the foods I'm currently depriving myself of, like cheese. I miss cheese. I haven't eaten pasta yet, despite it being on my "to do" list, because the thought of not even sprinkling a bit of parmesan on top of it is just kinda heart-breaking.

Now, this is my own personal little experiment and I could change the terms of my mission: I could allow the Coffee-Mate, with its bit of cream, or the parmesan. My personal feeling is that cows are producing milk, chickens are laying eggs, and bees are making honey no matter what; there's no reason not to eat these products, though you'd certainly want to be conscientious about the animals' living conditions and happiness. However, this particular lab rat is very goal-oriented and disciplined when she has to be, so I'm stickin' with it. I set the plan in motion - vegan, pure and simple - and will see it through.

And that means no cheese. Whimper ... :(

So, anyway .... Instead of lots of carbs like oatmeal or rice or noodles or muffins - which seem to have dominated my meals these past two days - for breakfast I ate a simple fruit plate: Cara Cara oranges, which I love, topped with prunes, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and a drizzle of my beloved pomegranate molasses. This is an integral ingredient in Middle Eastern and Persian dishes. It is sweet and tart and a fabulous condiment - go get some! Use it in salad dressings, sauces, as a glaze, or even just dribbled into club soda. Do it. You'll thank me!

Fennel slaw, assorted olives, baguette spread with Earth Balance butter substitute.

After today's photo shoot (three different menu options I couldn't eat!), my kitchen was its usual disaster of dishes and bowls and scraps and mess. By the time I got that cleaned up and threw a load of laundry in, I just made a simple lunch: the last of the olives, some more of the fennel slaw, and a chunk of good bread spread with Earth Balance butter substitute. (It has a kinda grey-ish aura to it, but tastes pretty good.) Nothing glamorous, but nice nonetheless.

Chocolate Banana Almond Milk Shake

For a snack mid-afternoon, as I typed with three stories due tomorrow (and needing a few more details before I can file two of them), I made a milkshake: banana, chocolate almond milk-based ice cream (which is so dark and chocolaty!), and vanilla almond milk. This, I have to say, was really, really good! Not a compromise at all ... :)

Chopped salad with toasted pita chips.

Still trying to finish Tuesday's feature story for the Food page, I just made a simple Israeli-style chopped salad for dinner. Chop lots of vegetables - in this case, carrots, cucumber, celery, broccoli, tomato, and red onion - in small pieces ... that's it. I thought about sprinkling it with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil, but decided instead to use Garlic Expressions salad dressing, made in Perrysburg (which is just outside Toledo).

If I get my story filed tonight (please, please, please!), I'll reward myself with a dessert. I'll include that in tomorrow's post ....


Chocolate Banana Almond Milk Shake

1 banana
1 generous scoop chocolate-flavored So Delicious almond milk non-dairy frozen dessert
Generous splash of Silk caramel-flavored almond milk creamer
Vanilla-flavored almond milk

Place the banana and the ice cream into the blender. Pour in a splash of creamer, then pour in enough almond milk to reach half-way up the banana and ice cream. Blend, drink, enjoy.

Yield: 1 serving
Source: Mary Bilyeu

Vegan Week - Day 2

Ramen with carrots, mushrooms, pea pods, broccoli, red and green onions, some chile garlic sauce, and toasted peanuts and sesame seeds.

Well, another day as a vegan!

I still don't like the almond milk coffee creamer, though it was a bit more tolerable this morning. So, while I was at the grocery store to get supplies for tomorrow's photo shoot (for next Tuesday's lead story on the Food page), I looked for coconut milk creamer but couldn't find it; I settled for a soy milk creamer, which I don't have a lot of hope for. But it's not good to start the day with bad coffee ... bleah! This is a work in progress ... or an opportunity for an entrepreneur.

Applesauce muffins and a banana.

For breakfast, I had a banana and an applesauce muffin. Craig had tried one of the muffins yesterday, before leaving, and even said he liked it ... wow! Instead of an egg for protein and structure, I used 1/4 cup silken tofu. The muffins baked up beautifully ... :)

Now, tofu, to my mind, is not food. I've tried marinating it, searing it, chopping it, tasting it in various Asian restaurants, and virtually every other means of dealing with it. And you know what it tastes like? Vomit. Truly. No matter what, unless I simply bury it under chocolate or peanut butter or cinnamon or some other strong flavor. But tofu works perfectly as an egg replacement in baked goods - let's celebrate that, and not employ it for any of its lesser uses. (Your amusement du jour: Craig actually likes tofu! What is it with his taste buds?!?!?)

Fennel Slaw and French fries.

Like yesterday, lunch included a salad: Fennel Slaw, which is one of my very favorites. Lots of crispness and crunchiness, with just a hint of that famous (infamous?) licorice/anise flavor. Because I had prep work to do for tomorrow's photos, I didn't feel like chopping or stirring or sautéing or anything that required much involvement on my part. So I just made a very simple accompaniment for the slaw: a handful of extra-crispy french fries, sprinkled with a touch of salt and an equal touch of Old Bay seasoning.

(Aside: I want some credit for doing a non-vegan photo shoot tomorrow! I could've given y'all tofu, wheatgrass, and other such fare, rather than the omnivore fest that will be of greater interest. As Spock says, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one." Even if the one is the one who has to prepare the food.)

Then, after eating the fennel and cabbage and onions, I did my breath - and, thus, the pussycats - a favor and ate a few of the generic mint faux-reos which may be my new favorite junk food. (They're double-stuffed, which is gross and excessive in traditional Oreos, but is perfect for the ones with the minty filling!)

On a chilly, dreary, rainy, snowy, icy "March comes in like a lion" evening, a nice hot dinner was the perfect comfort. Ramen. A huge bowl of it, loaded with carrots, mushrooms, pea pods, broccoli, red and green onions, some chile garlic sauce, and toasted peanuts and sesame seeds.

And there will likely be more faux-reos in my future, this evening ... :)


Applesauce Muffins

1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/8 cup silken tofu
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
Pinch of kosher salt
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together applesauce, tofu, and almond milk until smooth. Add flours, salt, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, flax seed, and walnuts. Stir until combined.

Divide batter among the lined muffin cups. Stir together sugar and remaining 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over muffins, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes until muffins feel set when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Yield: 12 muffins
Source: Mary Bilyeu


Fennel Slaw

1 small fennel bulb
4 cups shredded green cabbage
1/2 small red onion, halved, sliced thin
1 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
Pinch of kosher salt
Generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Trim stalks, fronds, and root end from the fennel. Slice remaining bulb in half, then slice thin; place into a large mixing bowl along with the cabbage and onion.

Combine sugar, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper; pour over vegetables and mix. Let rest for 30 minutes or, preferably, several hours for the flavors to blend.

Yield: 8 servings
Source: Mary Bilyeu


Vegetable and Peanut Ramen

1 teaspoon sesame oil
Few mushrooms, sliced
Few pea pods
1 thin slice red onion, halved
Few broccoli florets
1 small carrot, peeled, sliced thin
1 small stalk of celery, sliced thin
1 large scallion, root end trimmed, sliced thin
Vegetable broth
2 tablespoons peanut sauce
1/2 teaspoon chile garlic sauce
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 package ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Handful of chopped peanuts, toasted

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat; add mushrooms and sauté briefly. Add pea pods, red onion, broccoli, carrot, celery, and white part of scallion; cook for 1 minute. Pour in broth to cover vegetables by 1 inch. Stir in sauces and add noodles. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes, until noodles are just done.

Pour everything into a deep bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds, peanuts, and green parts of the scallion.

Yield: 1 generous serving.
Source: Mary Bilyeu.

Vegan Week: Day 1

Fattoush.

Well, it took me three months, but I'm back ... for a little while, at least.

My favorite picky eater, Craig, left today to go visit his kids in California. They'll indulge in pizza, pizza, Mexican food, and more pizza. Craig may make some of Jennifer's and Justin's favorites: chicken and rice pilaf or indulgently overstuffed chicken tacos.

I miss him while he's gone - I do! But when Craig goes away, all his little dietary quirks go away, too. Remember, he's a man who won't eat peas. Or sweet potatoes. Or biscuits. The list goes on ....

So when Craig is off having fun with his kids on the West Coast or visiting flea markets on the East Coast, I always relish the opportunity to have foods that I can't eat otherwise. I love to cook, but it's just a bother to cook two separate meals for two separate people. And the dishes ... oy.

This time, I decided to do something different. This time, I decided to challenge myself.

So, folks, welcome to my experiment: Vegan Week!!! From this morning's breakfast through Friday's dinner, I am eating a plant-based diet.

No meat. No eggs. No fish. No cheese. Lots of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. And treats ... treats, absolutely!

This required a fair amount of advance planning, without regular meals like burgers or fried eggs to fall back on in a pinch, so my pantry and refrigerator needed a boost. A schlep through the grocery store yielded a cart filled with fennel, spinach, scallions, mushrooms, zucchini, squash, lime, whole grain flatbreads, soy ice cream, almond milk, salsa, and Fritos (yes, they're vegan. The double-stuffed mint-flavored generic store brand Oreos are vegan, too.).

So, I got started this morning.

Full of anticipation and curiosity, I made my coffee. I added the almond milk-based coffee creamer ... and I nearly gave up my week's mission right there. Bleah.

The "creamer" was thin, and it bore no resemblance to the caramel flavoring the carton had promised. I drank it, because giving up animal products was one thing; giving up coffee ... nope. And black coffee? I'm not ready for that much challenge yet.

But things got better with breakfast: Elvis-Style Oatmeal, thankyouverymuch!

Elvis-Style Oatmeal, with peanut butter and banana.

Made with a splash of almond milk, a dollop of crunchy peanut butter, and a sliced banana, it had creaminess, crunchiness, and comfort all in one bowl. I ate an entire generous serving that likely could have fed two, if Craig had shown any interest in it (and if there had been any left!) when he woke up this morning.

For lunch, I brought my favorite salad to work: fattoush, a Middle Eastern salad flavored with sumac for a pinch of tart spice. I had purchased just a few assorted olives at the grocery store (another verboten item, as Craig only eats the tinny black California variety), and tucked them into my lunchbox, too, along with the vividly green mint faux-reos.

Dinner was a more glamorous take on the standard beans and rice, which was actually pinto beans served over a mix of rices and quinoa. I sautéed the beans with garlic, red and green onions, red pepper flakes, a bit of chopped orange pepper, some chopped tomatoes, and a dash of chipotle-infused salsa. And then, for a little extra crunch and flavor, I topped it with ... no, not cheese. Fritos. Crushed Fritos. It was the perfect touch.

Pinto beans with onions, garlic, orange pepper, corn, tomatoes, and Fritos.

So, join me on the adventure, whether by enjoying some of the meals (recipes will be posted each day, I hope!) or, at least, living vicariously through the pictures.

It's good to be back ... :)


Elvis-Style Oatmeal

1/2 cup vanilla-flavored almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup quick-cook oats
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1 banana, sliced

Place almond milk, water, and oats into a small saucepan; bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Stir until oatmeal is thickened, then stir in peanut butter. Place oatmeal into a bowl and top with the banana.

Yield: 1 generous or 2 smaller servings.
Source: Mary Bilyeu


Fattoush

Lettuce, torn into small pieces
Thinly sliced cucumber
Thinly sliced radish
Bits of red onion
Crushed pita chips
Lemon juice
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Generous pinch of ground sumac (available at Middle Eastern markets)

Proportions and quantities are variable, depending upon personal taste and the number of people eating the salad.

Place the vegetables and the pita chips into a mixing bowl. Whisk together lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, and sumac; make it more/less sour, more/less salty, etc., as you like it. Pour the dressing over the salad; toss and serve.

Note: Feel free to add sliced carrots, chopped peppers, tomatoes, parsley, or other items that you'd like.

Source: Mary Bilyeu


Pinto Beans with Rice and Quinoa

1 bag Minute Multigrain Medley (rice and quinoa)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
Generous pinch of red pepper flakes
Ancho chili powder, to taste
Chili powder, to taste
1/3 cup corn kernels
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped orange pepper
1 small tomato, cored, chopped
1 15.5-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh chipotle salsa
A few Fritos, crushed

In a small saucepan, combine rice/quinoa with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes until water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, red onion, and red pepper flakes; saute until onion is translucent. Add chili powders and corn; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add scallions, orange pepper, and tomato; cook 2 to 3 minutes, until pepper softens. Add beans and salsa; bring just to a boil, then simmer.

To serve, place the rice/quinoa mix onto a plate and top with bean mixture. Sprinkle the crushed Fritos over the top.

Yield: 2 generous servings.
Source: Mary Bilyeu

Frugal Floozie Friday - NeoPapalis

I had a fabulous Girls' Night Out recently with my BFF Wendy and our new friend (who seemed immediately like an old friend!) Vicki. Both eat a vegan diet, so I wanted to find a restaurant we could all enjoy without having to impose too greatly upon the kitchen or leave my dining companions with only a few meager options.

Fortunately, NeoPapalis - one of Ann Arbor's newest pizza places - offers a little something for everyone ... and at prices which happily meet our Frugal Floozie Friday budget of $5 per person.

There are four basic pizzas to choose from, costing either $6 or $7, which easily feed at least two people.  A few toppings - butter crust, oregano, or a four pepper olive oil - are available for free, while others cost $1 each.

The $6 Red Marinara version comes with tomato sauce, sliced Romano tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, roasted garlic, oregano, and sea salt ... and it comes with no cheese. It was perfect!

To the left, you'll see the "as is" version that Wendy chose; to the right, you'll see the one I ordered with caramelized onions and Kalamata olives. At the top of the post is Vicki's pizza, topped with pineapple and green and red peppers. Each of these allowed two slices per person, as we mixed and matched and took home leftovers. You could add more toppings if you're hungry, but the pizza is delicious even with no frills.

You could supplement your pizza with a $5 salad, and still stay within budget by sharing lunch or dinner with loved ones. The base price offers a salad large enough to feed a small family, and the following items are even included at no charge (choose whichever ones you like): sliced mushrooms, cucumbers, red onions, green and red peppers, Kalamata olives, Roma tomatoes, roasted garlic, broccoli, beets, Jalapeno peppers, hot pepper rings, pineapple, and artichokes. Cheeses cost $1 each, meat items cost $1.50 each, and dressing options beyond Ranch, the house vinaigrette, Chipotle Ranch, or Balsamic Vinaigrette cost an extra 75 cents. Pizza and a hearty vegetable-laden salad make an exceptional meal to share with your family or friends at very little cost!

I also ordered the sweet potato fries, for a mere $3, because I adore them.  Most places offer soft, baked versions; NeoPapalis' fries, however, are crisp and served with a Chipotle Ranch dipping sauce that is an ideal, spicy complement. I devoured these, and continue to fight cravings for more. They are a great appetizer to share before pizza or salad, or make an excellent snack all by themselves with a $1.50 soda, lemonade, or iced tea.

I'd had such a lovely meal with Vicki and Wendy that I brought Jeremy and Craig to NeoPapalis soon after for lunch. Craig ordered a $5 pita sandwich which, unfortunately, wasn't particularly photogenic although it was enormous. For the base price, you get a nearly foot-long meal containing one meat, one cheese, one dressing, and any vegetables from a list of sixteen - yes, sixteen potential additions for no extra money. If you want extra cheeses, they cost $1 each; extra meats cost $1.50 each. But trust me, they're superfluous - the basic sandwich is huge.

Jeremy ordered the $7 Bianca pizza: an herb butter base, Asiago and Mozzarella cheeses, extra-virgin olive oil, and honey. He topped it with bacon, because he's my child. This was rich, delicious, and easily splittable by 2-4 to stay well within our mandatory Frugal Floozie Friday budget. Even Jeremy, a 22-year old male - a species notorious for its appetite! - advocates for sharing something this hearty.

I ordered the sweet potato fries again, because I like them so much, and split them with Craig and with Jeremy. I'm not ordinarily a creature of habit (at least with food), but this time I couldn't help it.

For great values, good fresh food, and a menu that is inviting to virtually any diet, NeoPapalis is a welcome addition to town!

NeoPapalis
500 E. William St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-929-2227
Sunday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 12 a.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.



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Frugal Floozie Friday - Siam Cuisine

Siam Cuisine is today's Frugal Floozie Friday feature, where there are a variety of delicious treats available for less than our mandatory budget of $5 per person.

Craig and I enjoyed a really lovely lunch there recently, before heading off to an afternoon of holiday shopping. Rather than splitting a dish - though there are many that meet our criteria - we decided to sample an assortment of appetizers.

We shared each of these, except for the Tao-Hu Tod (pictured at left) - "deep-fried bean curd, served with sweet and sour chili peanuts sauce."  It cost a mere $3.50, and Craig loved it. The Chicken in Peanut Curry Sauce (at right), served with a dipping sauce as well, was wonderfully flavorful and tender; it was very, very good.

The beef salad pictured above was a generous serving for $5.25 - just over our individual budget - and enough to share with another appetizer for a light meal. Crisp, fresh vegetables topped with zesty, but not spicy, chili-sauced beef strips ... it was an excellent dish.

The Po Pia Tod - "Spring rolls stuffed with shredded chicken" - were crispy and not at all greasy. Overstuffed, like a comfy chair, they were a substantial starter. And at only $2.95 for two, the order can easily be split with a dining companion leaving room financially, and otherwise, for another option to round out your meal.

Our final choice was the Geaw Grob, which cost $3 for 6 large beautifully fried, crispy-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside shrimp. These were served with a cucumber chili peanut sauce for dipping, which was a perfect complement.

Siam Cuisine is at the front of the Braun Court strip of restaurants and small shops, in a warm and cozy house. Service is very friendly and welcoming, making customers feel very much at home.

So, for good food, good service, and good value, head over to Siam Cuisine for your next meal.

Siam Cuisine
313 Braun Court
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-663-4083



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Frugal Floozie Friday - Zamaan Cafe

I've enjoyed several lovely meals with loved ones, recently, at Zamaan Cafe - today's Frugal Floozie Friday feature. Good food, good service, good prices ... what more do you need?

The Baladi pictured above - hummus topped with tomatoes, red onions, black olives, parsley, and feta - was rich, creamy, and presented beautifully. (Hummus is a fairly bland-looking beige food, most of the time; this was enticing!) Served with a generous portion of pita bread, it was large enough to share but good enough to guard selfishly against those who might want to help deplete your supply. At only $4.99, it falls within our mandatory $5 per person budget either way. Craig was happy to help me polish off the serving, which was larger than I could finish on my own despite my being a hearty eater.

The meat pies are tender, with a soft rather than stiff dough; the filling is enhanced with onions, tomatoes, and spices. Often these can be dry, but at Zamaan Cafe they are very moist and full of flavor. At $3.99, they are an excellent value. Spinach pies are available, too, for the same price.

A plate of grape leaves - either meat-filled or vegetarian - costs $4.99. The latter variety - stuffed with rice, parsley, onions, tomatoes, spices and olive oil - are tender, and feature a bright tartness. Jeremy has never been a fan of these before, and yet helped me devour this plateful.

The falafel, at $4.99, was another excellent value. Jeremy polished these off without even offering me a taste! But since I was enjoying my small - in name only - Greek salad (a mere $3.99), that was okay.

A pastry case offers different varieties of baklava, as well as honey cake; desserts cost less than $2 each, some far less. The walnut and pistachio treats pictured here cost $1.29 each, and are a perfect way to end a meal.

For friendly service, great value, and delicious food, try Zamaan Cafe!

Zamaan Cafe
3580 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-213-3350
Monday - Saturday: 10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.



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Frugal Floozie Friday - Beezy's Cafe

Jeremy and I had a lovely lunch recently at Beezy's, on a beautiful fall day. I hadn't been there in ages, so it was good to have a chance to eat there again.

We were given a tremendous greeting by Jesse, who was wonderfully welcoming and friendly. In just the few minutes it took to place our order, we exchanged names, discussed fashion and thrift shops, and had a grand time!

Jeremy chose the Roasted Chicken Club sandwich for $6.95: "Sliced Amish chicken breast with bacon, tomato, red onion and spring greens with blue cheese pesto mayo."

The sandwich is huge and can easily be split, even among two hungry people. Jeremy - a 21-year-old male, among the world's heartiest eaters - could only finish half of it. And if you buy two bags of Michigan-made Better Made products for 99-cents each, this lunch would, indeed, be "all that and a bag of chips" for two people while staying within our mandatory Frugal Floozie Friday budget of $5 per person.

The air was just crisp enough (for me, anyway, since I'm always cold) that it warranted soup. So I ordered a bowl of the Creamy Chicken and Garlic soup for $3.50. As you can see, it was thick and rich with huge chunks of meat and carrots. Warm and delicious, this was a perfect antidote to the slight chill.

I also ordered a small Washington Street salad for $4.95; this offered "greens tossed in maple vinaigrette and topped with sliced roasted Amish chicken breast, sliced apple, raisins, and spiced pecans." In other words, it offered sweet and savory, tenderness and crunch, a variety of tastes and textures all on one plate.

Beezy's offers a number of options for vegetarians, and each of the salads is available in a small portion for less than $5. They promote Michigan products like the chips mentioned above, as well as Faygo sodas. The Redpops Jeremy and I each ordered were bright and fruity, and just seemed the perfect choice to complement our lunches.

For friendly service, good ol'-fashioned wholesome food, and a genuine feel for community - both in terms of being a gathering place and a supporter of both Ypsilanti and Michigan - Beezy's is the place to go!

Beezy's
20 N. Washington St.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
734-485-9625
Monday - Saturday: 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.



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Frugal Floozie Friday - Pita Pita

Jeremy and I ran several errands recently, and decided afterwards - frankly, even before we were done - that we were hungry. We decided to stop in at Pita Pita.

I hadn't gone in looking for a Frugal Floozie Friday feature; I was just looking for lunch. But as Jeremy and I perused the menu, it was clear we'd serendipitously found ourselves a place to post about!

Just as Jeremy will order a Reuben if he sees it on a menu (with one exception: he will never again order what he deems the worst Reuben he's ever eaten, which he'll readily rant about if you just ask him about it!), I will order fattoush if I find it. It's so simple - just vegetables, toasted pita bits, and a light dressing - but it's so, so good! The sumac that is integral to the vinaigrette is what makes it perfect, with just a hint of sourness. I ordered the small portion for $3.95, and you can see that it was an enormous plateful! That alone could have kept me happy, but this was just a portion of my meal.

For $4.95 - just under our mandatory $5 per person Frugal Floozie Friday budget - I also ordered the large Sujok sandwich, filled with spicy Lebanese sausage, tomatoes, garlic sauce, and pickles. There is another sandwich listed on the menu with this very same description, the Mecanik Sausage sandwich; but our waiter very nicely explained that the Sujok is less intense, so I thought I'd give it a try. Jeremy doesn't like very spicy food, and this would give him a chance to taste the dish, too.

Sandwiches are easily a foot long, and can readily be shared; if you split the fattoush and a sandwich with a dining companion, you've still come in under budget and feasted on a generous quantity of fabulous food for a stellar price. The sausage was very flavorful, not at all lost among all the other tastes. And while Jeremy raved about his own sandwich, he liked the sausage so much that he actually debated trading the remaining halves so that we could each have a portion of both delicious treats.

Jeremy had ordered the beef shawarma, filled with tender beef, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and Tahini sauce. It, too, was an ideal balance of tastes and textures, with no one flavor overpowering the others. It was exceptionally good.

I had to ask for a take-out box, as I couldn't finish both the fattoush and my sandwich. As a waitress brought this to me, she asked if we'd like any rice pudding. Oh, it sounded wonderful! But there was no more room at the inn for dessert. She explained, though, that there was simply a large quantity still left, and she was generously offering to give some to us.

Scented with rose water, sprinkled with cinnamon, and drizzled with honey, the rice pudding was creamy and fragrant and wonderful! I had brought it with my lunch the next day, and enjoyed it at my desk after just warming it up slightly in the microwave. At $2.50, this is another great option for a treat that costs very little while offering enormous satisfaction.

Pita Pita's menu features hummus and bana ghannuje that cost $3.95 for small servings; six different salads that come in at under $4 for small sizes; 20 different sandwiches that cost less than $5 for large portions; and an extensive vegetarian menu. There are many, many options that will allow you to eat well for very little money!


Pita Pita
2649 Washtenaw
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
734-528-3333



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Frugal Floozie Friday - Palio

Palio is the restaurant my BFF Wendy chose for our celebratory dinner in honor of her recent birthday. She hadn't been there for a long time, and I had remarkably never eaten there. (So many restaurants, so little time! And I like to cook, of course, so I don't eat out as often as people think I do.) Wendy had offered to go anyplace I might want to write up for a Frugal Floozie Friday feature, and I'd offered to take her anywhere she wanted to go for our party of two. Turns out, we each won!

Now, a girls' night is a fabulous thing even if you're sitting on the sofa in sweatpants, only eating popcorn and ice cream. But it's an even more wonderful time if you can look out over Main Street on a gorgeous Friday night as the sun is setting, and spend hours talking, hoping, and dreaming while enjoying wonderful food. We were thrilled to find that the rooftop - Palio del Sole, with its own menu differing a bit from that of the restaurant downstairs - had a table for two just waiting for us.

Wendy ordered her favorite dish, the Cannelloni di Funghi [cahn-eh-LOH-nee dee FOON-ghee]; it was a tremendously generous portion, enough to feed at least two people, but the pricing puts it out of our mandatory budget of $5 or less per person. (Worth every penny, but ....) Should you not be striving for budget consciousness, it is a stellar feast of pasta with mushrooms, cheeses, and a Florentine tomato sauce.

I, however, found two ideal frugal options, though one would never know they were inexpensive to see or taste them. I started with a simple Insalata Verde [een-sah-LAH-tah VAYR-day], expecting a small-ish bowl the size of a side salad. As you can see, there was a full dinner plate of gorgeous fresh greens, luscious ripe tomatoes, and my beloved Gorgonzola. This was lightly dressed with good green extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, in a subtle vinaigrette that just coated the vegetables.

I also ordered the exceptional assortment of tapenades pictured above: Roasted Garlic with Olives, Artichoke Lemon Herb, and Goat Cheese with Sun-dried Tomatoes. For a mere $7.95, I received generous portions of each spread, which could easily have been split by two to average out at less-than-$4 per person. I was able to take about two-thirds of this home (having started with the salad, of course), and thoroughly enjoyed them all again the next evening. These are delicious treats that are a tremendous deal!

The olive tapenade was my favorite, with a vivid flavor that let hints of the garlic shine through. The artichoke spread was wonderful, with a chunky texture. It was great to find true artichoke flavor, rather than having it diluted with the ubiquitous spinach. (Not that I haven't eaten my fair share of that famous dip!) The sharpness of the goat cheese shone through in the tomato variety, and it was so rich and creamy.

Now, a birthday party isn't a real celebration without sweets. So, of course, we asked our fabulously charming waitress, Erin, to bring the dessert tray 'round for a perusal. Never underestimate the skinny girl with the sweet tooth or her amazing BFF who runs half-marathons: I ordered an obscenely decadent, brandy-laced tiramisu and Wendy ordered the rich and spicy carrot cake ... and yup, we chose a third dessert and split the unbelievably seductive chocolate-drizzled peanut butter pie.

I think Erin was both appalled and yet rooting for us. But she's also a distance runner, so we all bonded over celebratory eating as a great motivation for either runs (Wendy) or long walks and free weights (me) since one must burn off the calories. Desserts are $5.95 each, but are so large that they are easily split by people who are less ... let's be polite, and say "indulgent." (Yes, we finished every extraordinary bite.) So they can easily come in under the $5 per person budget, and would make a lovely treat after a movie or a concert, or "just 'cause."

So, whether you want a perfect summery salad all to yourself, or whether you want to split a distinctive appetizer or luscious desserts, Palio has a variety of frugal options to choose from. Go! Enjoy!

Palio
347 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-930-6100
Monday - Thursday: 5 - 10 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 5 - 11 p.m.
Sunday: 4 - 9 p.m.



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Guest Post: Spicy Lamb Sausage with Beans

I'm very happy to introduce Bobby Hoffman, guest blogger du jour! I met Bobby and his friend Johnny recently, while having dinner with Johnny's and my friend Ingrid. Bobby's passion and enthusiasm for food shone brightly, and I immediately knew that all of you would want to meet him, too. Read this post enviously, wishing you'd shared in such an amazing dinner. Quite frankly, and with no shame (well, maybe a little bit - 13 years in Catholic school and all that Jewish guilt, after all!), after pining over all of this, I just simply violated every rule of etiquette and practically demanded an invitation to a future meal!

Since moving to Ann Arbor from Chicago this past month, I have been sampling and savoring everything that the city has to offer! I’m a sensualist whose passion for food and drink knows no bounds. As soon as I’m done with a meal, I immediately begin planning what, and where, I’m going to eat next!

I had a few friends over for dinner the other night, and planned a menu which showcased the ingredients that I picked up at the farmers' market and Biercamp. (Mary's note: Biercamp is a fabulous shop that specializes in artisan sausages and jerky. It was recently featured on Frugal Floozie Friday.)

Blackberry Mojitos: I keep homemade simple syrup infused with fresh mint in the fridge all summer long. I’m always prepared to whip up a batch of Mojitos or Mint Juleps in seconds!

Wedge Salads: I love to serve cool, crisp iceberg lettuce on a hot summer day. I updated this classic by using Biercamp’s pea meal bacon.

Spicy Lamb Sausage with Beans: Some recipes are particularly successful, and the star of the menu was definitely this dish. It was fresh, hearty and bursting with flavor! I did all my prep in advance, and assigned the task of grilling the sausages to a friend while I began assembling the dish tableside. I kept the ingredients cool and added the hot sausage at the last minute. The last step before plating was to sprinkle the feta cheese on top.

Peach Almond Cobbler: Not wanting to get stuck in a hot kitchen while my friends enjoyed the sultry summer night, I baked the cobbler in the afternoon. I used firm peaches and grilled them first. I added finely chopped, toasted almonds to the dough, made fresh whipped cream with a couple drops of almond extract, and finished each dish with toasted almonds.

I hope you enjoy!

Spicy Lamb Sausage with Beans

• 6 links of spicy lamb sausage
• 1 can of Garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 can of small white beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 medium Vidalia sweet onion (chopped)
• 2 medium tomatoes (diced)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• black pepper (to taste)
• coarse salt (to taste)
• 1 cup of crumbled Feta

Grill the sausages while preparing the rest of the dish.

Combine the beans, onion, tomatoes, rosemary and thyme. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, and salt; pour over the other ingredients and toss gently.

Slice the sausages and mix into the other ingredients; place onto a serving platter, then top with feta.

Chicago, Chicago

I took a mini vacation recently to Chicago, and had the most wonderful time!  Food, fun, friends ... it was fabulous!

Initially, my plan was to attend the exceptional and extraordinary exhibit of Roy Lichtenstein's work at The Art Institute of Chicago.  However, that morphed into a plan to finally meet my blogging buddy (so woefully inadequate a term!) Leanne, of From Chaos Comes Happiness, so that we could tour the retrospective together.  Leanne is both an artist and a beautiful, kind soul; she was the perfect person to attend this event with.

Sometimes you just know that you've found a cherished friend, even if you've never met her.  Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett fell in love via letters, after all.  Words have meaning, and Leanne's sincerity, empathy, and heart pour through in hers.  Her sister-in-law noted that our cyber-"relationship" and long-sought meeting reminded her of finding a new boyfriend on a dating site!  But we knew that we were already friends, rather than merely hopeful that we'd like each other.  Sometimes you just know ....

Leanne came running down the stairs of the Art Institute as I ran up them  - we had agreed, in a fashion similar to meeting at the Empire State Building in "An Affair to Remember," to meet at the south lion out front - and we squealed and hugged and smiled and laughed ... oh, it was so wonderful to finally really see her smile, the shine in her eyes, her joy!  We wandered in to the museum and were off on our adventure.

I have to truly say that the Lichtenstein retrospective is amazing!  Oh, the breadth and depth of it, from the earliest work to ones completed shortly before his death; from sculptures to the well-known comic strip paintings; and from homages to predecessors like Monet and Picasso to Asian-inspired landscapes.  Leanne and I kept leaning in to the pictures, studying and analyzing the color schemes, the famous screened dots ... until we were chastised a couple of times by the security guards for getting too close and for - gasp! - pointing.  We weren't just admiring, but really wanted to understand the process and the technique, as well.  We must have been cute, though, 'cause the guards let us off with just lighthearted warnings.

There were readily accessible pictures, like one of a hot dog and another of those ubiquitous black-and-white composition books we all had in school.  Part of the philosophy of Pop Art, of course, is to represent and transform everyday objects, as well as to elevate the graphic arts that we simply take for granted because they surround us in commercial venues and on marketable products.

But then there were more serious pieces, like my new favorite picture, "Ohhh ... Alright ...".  Which of us hasn't uttered those two words with deflation ... with resignation ... with frustration ... with sadness ... with exasperation ... with disappointment?  I took this fellow redhead into my heart, and Leanne and I called her "our girl" - someone we both could so easily relate to, a friend we wanted to console - for the rest of the afternoon.  It is a hallmark of the power of the artist that his image - distilled and deconstructed - could elicit such a response despite its seeming simplicity and deceptively cartoonish style.

We then toured the gift shop seeking presents and souvenirs, mementos of our afternoon immersed in art and in heartfelt conversation about dreams, loves both current and lost, dancing, hopes, fears, and family.  A magnet for my refrigerator - which I now look at each day, prompting memories and a smile - a postcard to frame.  And then there was not only a room devoted to books, but two of those books were calling my name loudly: Midwest Sweet Baking History: Delectable Classics Around Lake Michigan and Food Lovers' Guide to Chicago: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants & Events ... sigh.  Temptation as I read, longing to cook and bake and eat!

Leanne's husband, Phil, had very sweetly made a dinner reservation for us all at the Park Grill, right near the Art Institute; he was going to bring their daughters, Katie and Ella, into the city for the afternoon and then we'd all meet up for our evening meal.  I'd hoped to be able to meet those dearest to Leanne, but I was only going to be in town until Sunday at noon; so this was a perfect plan!

Phil is a sweetheart, happily wound 'round the pinky fingers of all three of his "girls;" some men are just born to be the daddys of daughters, and Phil is absolutely one of those true gems.  Katie and Ella are gorgeous and sweet, polite and kind.  But still, even though you have faith that they'll behave beautifully in such a grown-up setting, be sweet to each other rather than bickering as siblings can often do (particularly after a long day in the heat), and be gracious hostesses to an out-of-town visitor, it was still so charming and wonderful to see them actually be those fabulous girls.

Dinner ... oh, my word, dinner was extraordinary!  And not just because of the very fine company, but also because it was sublime and succulent.

I am the least decisive person on Earth when it comes to food, as Leanne can now attest to herself having seen me in (in)action!  For starters - a salad? calamari? soup?  As an entree - Alaskan salmon? A Kobe beef burger?  And sides - sides!  Oh, too many choices!  It would be so easy if I were a picky eater and might only like one very simple, benign item.  But everything sounded wonderful!  Too much temptation!

Because I have that combined Catholic-Jewish guilt complex - a powerful entity if ever there were one - I finally forced myself to pick the melon salad and avoid making the waiter come back yet again.  This selection was light and bright and crunchy and sweet and salty ... every taste and texture working in perfect unison in each bite.  There were three types of melon, lightly toasted pine nuts, crumbled feta cheese, and a creamy cilantro dressing that added a lovely zest in contrast to the delicate fruit.

Leanne and Phil both ordered the roasted beet salad with goat cheese and pistachios, which Leanne generously let me taste in all its tender, sweet, gorgeous glory.  Leanne also let me try a bit of her creamy risotto, which featured springtime vegetables and was perfectly cooked; it had just the tiniest hint of an "al dente" firmness in the center of each grain of rice, a testament to great skill and patience in the kitchen.

Then I chose the bone-in pork chop, which the waiter had recommended with great praise.  It was tender and juicy and utter perfection, enhanced by fingerling potatoes and by a kale-bacon-mustard saute that offered both color and an ideal complement to the chop - a variation on the theme of "pork" that seconded the motion rather than competing with it.  (And I want to thank Leanne and Phil again for their very sweet gesture of taking me out to dinner, including me in their family and not letting me contribute anything to this cause.)

We didn't order dessert at the restaurant, as we were on a mission afterwards: Intelligentsia, an immersion in all that is perfect in a cup of coffee.

They take their coffee very seriously at Intelligentsia, offering classes and instruction, French presses, pour overs, finely-honed equipment, extraordinarily well-selected beans ... everything you could need for a perfect cup of coffee whether it's enjoyed at the shop, taken to go, or brewed at home.

Ella ordered an apple juice, though she tasted others' drinks; Katie was in her glory sampling decaf and a vanilla latte.  I chose a simple decaf, as I am a chronic insomniac and hardly needed anything more stimulating - or, rather, more stimulating than the excitement of visiting happily with friends! - to further impede my already limited ability to sleep.

But alas, young girls need to find their way home after an adventure in the city.  And old ones, like me, needed to get back to real life.  My new family - truly, they all made me feel so loved and welcomed and included! - walked me to my hotel, where there were hugs and kisses, smiles and teary eyes, lots of love and many promises to visit Ann Arbor and to come back again to Chicago.  It's my kind of town, after all!  With people who welcome you to their city, and also into their hearts ....