Signs of Veganism in SE Portland

Literally, this post is about signs regarding vegan options in SE Portland.  Noticed a pattern in my flickr stream from this past weekend....

First up, posted a couple blocks away from Junior's Cafe on SE 12th:

I think seeing this touched my heart.  I haven't been to Junior's in months and am planning on changing that awful truth pronto.  Their Superhero Scramble is possibly my favorite* in town, and their Vegan Potatoes plate with creamy tofu sauce and fresh sage sorta rocks my mouth with yum.  Add sauteed tofu to that and you won't be sorry.

SE 12th and Hawthorne Food Carts

Snowpocalypse, December 2008 

Moving north on on SE 12th, you come to a food cart dominated parking lot at SE Hawthorne. Home to Potato Champion and vegan poutine, a vegan-friendly pasta cart and where I truly wished Gorditos II had opened (but it's okay, I can easily go to the original or vegan Ankeny location).

Looks like El Brasero Mexican cart has clearly gotten wind that vegan-friendliness can = increased business in this town.  Anyone been?

The vegan options are written at the bottom of this board.  I can't say a $6.50 vegan burrito has much pull for me, I just love Gorditos' so much, but I'm sure I'll stop by at some point and give it a go and support this vegan effort.  Let me know if you do and if there's something great!

I noticed these menu updates at Q BBQ a couple months ago - Tofu Nuggets and a Veggie Dog. Haven't stopped by when they're open or heard if they're actually vegan, but here's hoping (and that they don't taste like bbq chicken in a bad way).

These are simply some signs I photographed this past weekend.  I am well aware of many, possibly most?, of the ever-expanding actual instances of vegan-friendliness in SE Portland.

*included as one of the Top Ten Best Things the Stumptown Vegans have eaten for 2007 in the Travel Edition of Herbivore Magazine.

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Best Wishes to all during the end of December 2008!  I don't really celebrate anything myself, besides time off from work and the possibility of snow - and Portland had a White Christmas!!

According to the National Weather Service Forecast Office, this was an event - the probability of it happening was less than 0.08%.  End of the world, thanks!  It's now turned to rain and in the 40s again, but I was happy for real, inches of snow while it lasted and extra time away from work.  I really don't hate my job, I just prefer not being there.  Shocker.

Bittersweet chocolate and peanut butter tofu mousse

Food wise, I've been soaking beans, eating Thai, baking cookies and playing with my

new Vita-Mix.  Recently I learned that I could turn my homemade Roasted Garlic and Red Wine Marinara into tomato sauce silk.  I also took 3/4 of a block of silken tofu and blended it with chunks of bittersweet chocolate, almond milk, peanut butter, vanilla and a little bit of sugar to see if it would mousse it up, and it absolutely did.  No need to melt the chocolate beforehand! I let it set in the fridge for a couple hours and then enjoyed this vegan classic.

Chili sin Carne ala Mole - from Vegan with a Vengeance

Using soaked small red beans and black beans, I made this recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance.  I used the last of my locally made Cast Iron Seitan sample and added carrots and yellow bell pepper.  I've never had seitan in chili before and call me a fan.  

This was my Christmas eve dinner above - with a Full Sail Limited Edition Lager Recipe #1 and side of gluten free cornbread.  The only gluten free part of the meal was based on the Veganomicon recipe, using Bob's Red Mill gluten free baking mix for the flour.

Vegan Lunch Special Soup from Pad Thai Kitchen

On Christmas Eve, I ended up meeting a few friends for lunch at Pad Thai Kitchen on SE Belmont.  It's proven to be a reliably vegan friendly Thai restaurant.  

Vegan Pad Thai lunch special, with tofu and vegetables

Citrus Glitters 

From the Isa and Terry Vegan Cookie Book test kitchen - 

here's a slide show of what I've made so far.

Almond Soy Latte from Tiny's in SE Portland.

Snow Serpent from another time...

V-I-T-A L-O-V-E & Snow day Love

Ladies and Gentleman, I've been using a Vita-Mix. I know, my life is changing!

I have found myself complaining when pureed soups aren't quite smooth and I encounter a teeny piece of noticeable onion or fresh herb, and this baby is smoothing things out in every way possible. Vita Mix users - share your ways with me! I'm sure to be documenting my usage here.

Veganomicon's Creamy Tomato Soup

Chunky

Smoothy

Vita-Mix, you rule for sending this to me for review! The biggest perk of being a food blogger, ever.

Snowed In - Lower Fat Gluten Free Mac and Cheeze - Leftovers Edition

Making Snow Angel Dogs this weekend...

cookies, portabella cheezesteak & snow

Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti -

 a tester for Terry and Isa's upcoming Vegan Cookie Book - cookie testing is back!  I believe the book is due out in late 2009.

Karla and I volunteered this past weekend as waitresses at the most recent Apron Activists dinner at Sweetpea - Dinner for the Doggies.  We poured 400 glasses of water and brought plates to and fro tables - I had Vegan Addict at one of mine, how a-dor-a-ble!  We were lucky to take home a cookie doggie-bag each after the guests had departed with theirs.  We usually go on a date to these dinners, like we used to at the Red & Black benefits, but our wallets needed a break and we decided to help out as we could.

The cookies: including sparkled ginger, peanut butter, chewy chocolate chocolate walnut and another cranberry white chocolate biscotti.

Philly Portabella Cheezesteak - a test recipe for Urban Vegan's upcoming cookbook! 

Bear with me with for the poor photo, but last week I made another one of 

Isa's Swiss Chard Frittatas.  I had previously made it as a test recipe for Vegan Brunch last winter and posted it here.  I had chard, tofu and wanted to use my oven and there ya go.  I love how easy it is - keep an eye out for this book!

And Portland has snow! Real snow!  It's may not be snowball fight snow, but it has yet to be rained or slushed on, and for that I'm giddy.  Photo by Karla.

More test cookies on my next post!