Tag Archives: vegetarian

Tofu Pirate Plush Makes a Perfect Vegetarian or Vegan Gift

Is it a marshmallow? Is it a ghost block? No, it’s the tofu pirate plush, an excellent choice for all your vegan gift needs!

The tofu pirate is one of the products I’ve been making the longest and even if she isn’t a top seller I love having her around.

I originally thought of this plush as a more niche product but have learned over the years that lots of people love the tofu pirate, especially kids. When I do craft shows, this unassuming white block draws lots of people to my booth who really love seeing tofu represented. You’ll frequently hear someone saying to their friend “Guess what this is? It’s TOFU!”

When I did the Vegan Beer and Food Fest in Portland, Oregon this past fall, she was a huge hit. That Dang Vegan and The Hungry Taurus both did nice write ups that mention the tofu pirate and some of the adventures they’ve had together.

If you’re looking for a fun and unique vegetarian or vegan gift, you can’t go wrong with a tofu pirate plush toy from Panda With Cookie.

Support Handmade: Tami Noyes of Vegan Appetite

Vegan Appetite is one of those blogs I read back in the day, when there were only about 10 vegan blogs floating around and it was an outright event when new posts went up. It wasn’t until some time later that I got to know the author, Tami Noyes, through forums and facebookeries. She is a delightful person and I’m pleased to have some of her cookbooks in my collection.

Her first, American Vegan Kitchen, came out in 2010. It contains my favorite muffin recipe that I have ever made, the delicious Cinnacrunch Muffins. You should buy the book for this recipe alone, but wait! There’s more! You’ll also get a great burger bun recipe, the cheesecake pictured on the cover, the All American Incrdiburgers, and many more!

Tami Noyes has also published a few books co-authored with the amazing Ms. Celine Steen, among them Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day.

The chickpea shawarma is a must and I loved the beet barley burgers. And you don’t have to make just sandwiches. There are recipes for various meats, spreads, and toppings that can be used however you like. I highly recommend the bierocks if you love you some rye bread and sauerkraut.

You can buy any of her cookbooks over at Herbivore and keep the small business love rolling. And check out Tami’s blog now for a preview of their upcoming Great Vegan Protein Book and a giveaway!

Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes and Plans

I am no recipe creator but I’ve been seeing friends post plenty of great vegan Thanksgiving recipes this year. I’m doing a little round up of delicious things you can make this week to share or to keep for leftovers all week.

First up is squash dressing. I’d never heard of this dish until Johnp blogged about it for vegan mofo a few years ago. Cornbread and summer squash mixed up together and baked. Pictured is his squash casserole, which uses that same ubiquitous squash with cracker crumbs. Choose your own casserole adventure!

I’m also a big fan of the Campbell’s soup recipe for green bean casserole. This one is super easy to veganize. Substitute soy milk for the dairy milk. The cream of mushroom soup can be subbed with the recipe from Cookin’ Crunk or by using a vegan boxed soup such as Imagine Portobello Mushroom (just thicken the packaged soup with some flour or cornstarch).

If you want to make your own roast, why not try out Isa Moskowitz’s seitan roast stuffed with shittakes and leeks? Or try out her cornbread stuffing with pecans and pears.

For dessert, I’m eyeing this pumpkin cheesecake pie from Joni Marie Newman. You can’t go wrong with pumpkin and cream cheese and this recipe looks very easy to make. Just remember to invite me over when it’s all done!

Earth Burgers Veggie Food Cart, Portland, OR

Earth Burgers, a new veggie burger food cart, opened in Portland in late May. I was waiting in much anticipation since the closing of Off the Griddle. I love a good veggie burger and it’s usually my meal of choice if there’s a good menu option.

Earth Burgers has a selection of five different burgers and a small selection of non-burger items such as Field Roast franks. They also have a number of add ons, such as grilled onions and guacamole. French fries are available as well, and I love me some fries.

I’ve been to Earth Burgers three times thus far, getting a different burger each time. So far I’ve sampled the Casbah (a chickpea burger with tahini, cukes, pickled onions, and greens), the PDMex (a black bean and sweet potato patty with red onion, guac, salsa, and more), and the Beautiful South (a black bean patty with slaw, greens, and barbecue sauce)(pictured).

My favorite by far was the Beautiful South (which will surprise no long time readers of my blog). The barbecue was just spicy enough and went great with the cool crunch of the slaw and the black bean patty. It was a little saucy to eat, but in a good way. The casbah was a bit dry for me but the pickled onions on it were excellent. The toppings on the PDMex were also excellent and I love that all their patties are handmade and not just a packaged veggie burger from a box. I don’t have the french fries pictured, but they were perfectly fried and plentiful the single time I got them. And I really need to head back for more.

Earth Burgers moved this past weekend and is now located at the Tidbit food and garden pod at SE 28th Place and Division. Their current hours are Wed. through Sun, 12-3 and 5-8 pm (or until they sell out). Closed on Mon and Tues. They do not have a current website but can be found on Twitter. Prices range from $7-$8 per burger.