Brunch for mixed company

Atlanta’s vegan brunch options are definitely limited. Sometimes you need a place that vegans and omnivores alike can be happy. Stone Soup Kitchen can take care of everyone. Kevin and I even go there every once in a while just the two of us.

I usually get the Tofu Rancheros. Beans, tortillas, tofu, a bit if spicy. Yum!

Kevin got the blueberry cornmeal pancakes. I think he likes Soul Vegetarian pancakes better, but I like the cornmeal. They do have Earth Balance and soy milk for coffee, just ask.

Fancy restaurant gets it right

Did we all survive another office holiday party season? For vegans, this usually sucks. If you’re lucky, you’ll get spaghetti with marinara or some sad steamed vegetables. Even at nice restaurants where you’d think the chef would have a little more pride. Just because we’re vegan doesn’t mean we lack taste buds.

My company doesn’t give a crap about the vegans that work here (no, I’m not the only one), so I don’t even bother going to work food events. Kevin’s company usually makes a pretty good effort. This year was really nice. The party was at The Mansion in Buckhead. Our entree was ravioli but the pasta part was celery root. The innards were tasty mushrooms. It came with various root veggies scattered around. Of course, I can’t remember what the sauce was, but it was good. See people, it’s not that freakin’ difficult!

Thanksgiving feast

Wait, didn’t I just blog a Thanksgiving feast? No, that was a Thanksgiving-themed feast. This here one was on actual Thanksgiving day! Totally different. This was a pretty small gathering of 3 couples, but we didn’t lack anything.

For my contribution, I baked because it’s what I do. I figured everyone would like ciabatta rolls, so I made some of those. There was also a maple walnut oat loaf made with white whole wheat. Kind of healthy but didn’t taste like it.

Somehow I didn’t get any pictures of the snickerdoodles I made. They were definitely a hit though. Who knew such a simple cookie could be so popular? The main dessert was this pumpkin cinnamon swirl cheesecake. Tasty, but I think I would have liked it a little denser. Others liked the fact that it was a little softer. It was perfectly set up though and cut and stayed together nicely. I forgot to swirl it though so it kind of looks like rock strata.

Here’s my plate of belt-loosening goodness, clockwise starting at 12: sweet potatoes with Dandies marshmallows, mac & cheese,  Stuffed Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En Croute By Field Roast, dressing and mashed potatoes under the gravy, Match Vegan Meats holiday roast (this time the pre-made version), the maple walnut oat bread and green bean casserole in the center. There were also two cranberry sauces: the regular jelled canned kind and a home made cranberry pineapple sauce. I had to clear some space before I could get them on my plate though.

Both the roasts were great but different. A more traditional person might like the Match roast better. I really enjoyed the cranberries, apples and crystallized ginger in the Field Roast. But I know ginger is a strong flavor and can turn some people off.

I’ve been cruising the vegan blogs today checking out everyone’s holiday meals in between working and mopping up drool. As with vegan cheeses, how much does it rock that we have an actual assortment of holiday roasts to choose from now?

Thanksgiving-themed vegan potluck

Oh man. The Sunday before Thanksgiving our monthly vegan lunch group (join us on Facebook) had a Thanksgiving-themed potluck hosted by the lovely Lisa & David. Two Thanksgivings in one week! Our potlucks always rock and this was no exception. Somehow we always manage to have the right mix of foods.

For my blogging about them completely unsolicited, Match Vegan Meats wanted to send me one of their holiday roasts but they ran out. So instead they sent me all the vegan meats I’d need to make one, or five. 🙂 They have the recipe posted online, so you can do it too. I didn’t follow the recipe exactly. Instead of herbed stuffing mix, I used cornbread that I added seasoning to. If you have a favorite stuffing recipe that isn’t super moist, you could definitely substitute it here. The amount you see here is a double batch of the recipe. I made a shiitake mushroom gravy to go with it. I also specifically shaped them long and thin so it wouldn’t totally dominate anyone’s potluck plate.

all sliced up for the potluck
all sliced up for the potluck

I think the Match went over really well. Some people hadn’t had it before so it was a good introduction. If anyone wants to comment with their thoughts on it, I know the Match folks would love to hear them.

But enough about me. There was a whole spread of deliciousness. I didn’t even get pictures of everything.

garlicky potatoes
garlicky potatoes

Vic posted the recipe for this root salad. I’m totally going to make it. I love eating stuff like this. Great way to make autumn/winter veggies pop.

redneck caviar and chips
redneck caviar and chips
green beans
green beans
cranberry sauce two ways
cranberry sauce two ways
sausages, fruit
sausages, fruit
sweet potato pie, chocolate almond brittle
sweet potato pie, chocolate almond brittle
my plate
my plate

My plate piled high. I see some mac & cheese, greens and stuffing that didn’t make it in the pics. Lisa also made a chocolate layer cake. Yum!

Breakfast at The Organic Grill

Our flight was at 2pm so most brunch options would be cutting it too close. The Organic Grill‘s brunch started at 10 and was pretty close by so we decided to try that. It’s not a vegan restaurant, but there were plenty of options. I got the tofu rancheros. I was completely happy with this. Right amount of food. Very satisfying.

Okay, so we might have gotten 3 breakfasts between the two of us. *blort* Kevin wanted the blueberry slamcakes. And he was glad we’d ordered an extra thing. The pancakes were pretty small and he didn’t love the scramble. I liked the pancakes but if you’re starving it might not be enough food.

The other thing that intrigued us was their tofu omelette. They really hype it up on the menu. And what could be bad about tofu stuffed with vegan cheese and veggies. We’re pretty sure they’re using Daiya cheese too. It was  huge, like almost burrito sized. They seem to shred the tofu and maybe mix it with little batter to make it into an omelette shape. The Daiya really made it though.

After this, we walked around the corner to get falafels from Mamoun’s since Kevin hadn’t had them yet. We ate them later on the plane. Kevin wasn’t impressed. I still think they’re pretty good but not necessarily the best I’ve ever had.