Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Chili Dogs, Chips & Guacamole, and Berry Tartlettes

I can’t believe I made a chili dog dinner! It’s okay that chili dogs were requested, but I felt so guilty that I wasn’t really cooking. In fact, I took a picture of “stuff I didn’t make” and should have included the smart dogs, soyrizo, and canned beans.




And I felt so guilty that I bought a package of tortillas so I could make chips for the guacamole. I’ve made these chips many times before. They are so good, lightly oiled, then sprinkled with a mixture of chili powder and sucanat.



We love Alton Brown’s guacamole recipe. I haven’t made it since February, so you have to look at it again.


For the chili, I sauted the soyrizo with some chopped onion and garlic, then added in a can of black beans and lots of chili powder and cumin, oregano, cayenne, and salt and pepper. I had never had soyrizo before. I had a taste of the chili and it was really good. Not pretty, but spicy good.




Here’s Chase’s dog, with lots of chili and some nutritional yeast. The green stuff on the top bun is wasabi mustard (yum!).



I also boiled some fresh corn on the cob and steamed some broccoli. I made a “butter sauce” for the corn by adding the leftover chili/sucanat to some melted margarine (yum again!).




I didn’t eat a chili dog. Not because it’s beneath me to do so, but my stomach has decided to rebel against tofu, which really sucks since being gluten intolerant keeps me from having seitan too. I switched to rice milk awhile back because I suspected soymilk was bothering me. I’ll keep making tofu and seitan dishes for Chase, and I’ll keep admiring all of your wonderful creations, but I’ll only be having a taste of stuff I make for others. Thank goodness I love my veggies!

We can’t get enough fresh strawberries! I “made” vanilla pudding and filled some graham cracker shells, and added in fresh strawberries, blackberries, and grapes. Are you impressed by the grape flower in the center?



It’s been SOOOO rainy here lately. But this past Saturday was sorta nice, so after I took Chase grocery shopping at the asian market, and saw the apartment he’ll be moving into at the end of the month (close to me – yay!), we went to the bookstore. I got 2 new cookbooks and I also got Chase “Students Go Vegan.”




I can’t wait to try making sushi! I was also very excited to buy this book as a birthday present for a friend of mine who needs to lose 100 pounds. She asked to borrow my copy, but I thought a copy of her own but would be a great gift. It inspired me to become vegan. I hope it inspires her to really think about her health.




After shopping, we needed an Indian food fix. We hadn’t eaten at Sarovar before, and we were not disappointed. We had Chase’s gf with us, and she snapped a cell phone shot. It’s blurry, but you can see we had a huge amount of food, all for about $10 apiece. We told the waiter we wanted vegan entrees, and he instantly pointed out about 10 choices. We had a masala entrée with basmati rice, lentil soup, dahl curry, tomato curry, sambar, and a huge basket of delicious naan. They also serve a lunch buffet which Chase can’t wait to go back and attack!




We’ll be going out for Mother’s Day dinner at the Driskill, a five star restaurant. You may remember that the chef was on Iron Chef and narrowly lost to Bobby Flay. Well, he has since moved on, and his right hand man has taken over. He posted his buffet menu, which is $48 per person, and I think Chase and I will have to eat $48 dollars of hummus and fruit! It's a beautiful spread, and all the moms get a gift bag from Saks or some such place, but my gosh, that chef puts butter and cream and cheese in everything! I was thinking for my next Sunday dinner, I’d like to fix some Mom’s Day food my style. One thing I would love to make is broccoli crepes – you know, with the whole stalks inside and the little trees sticking out. I guess that would be crepes divan? Does anyone have a savory crepe recipe? Thanks!

33 comments:

Sheree' said...

Wow! What a spread. Which dogs did you use? They look really big.

I am sorry your tummy is not liking tofu right now. I have been trying to eat alot of beans and grains lately.

Your lil pudding pies look good. The grape flower is adorable. I love spring time and all the wonderful food that springs forth.

My mom is taking me and my daughter out for mothers day and I am afraid I too will be eating hummus and fruit.

aTxVegn said...

Hi, Sheree. Those are Jumbo size Smart Dogs. They come 5 in a pack, so I did get to have the leftover bun from the 6 pack! We'll compare notes after mothers day.

Anonymous said...

mmm... as usual. i'm curious about the sushi book you got there!

Anonymous said...

looks good, i like chili dogs. cute grape flower!

laura k said...

Wow! Ain't nothin' wrong with a dinner like that! :) I haven't tried soyrizo either, but I hear it's pretty decent in the arena of meat-like subs...

I have that vegetarian sushi book too! I haven't exactly used it a whole lot yet, but now that I have more time (as I'm finished with school FOREVER) I'll probably tackle sushi again soon. At any rate, the pictures in that book are gorgeous. I hope your friend enjoys the book you got for her and that it does inspire her.

Emmy said...

Your fruit and vanilla pudding in the graham cracker shells sounds so good. That's great Chase will be living close by. Congrats on your two new cookbooks. Both are excellent. That's a great book gift you got for your friend. I wish her lots of luck on her weight-loss journey :)

Your Indian meal out sounds wonderful. What a deal too.

erica said...

Sorry about your tummy, Dian(n? never sure if one n or two). I've started having a spoonful of Apple Cider Vinegar before meals, it seems to be helping a bit with my digestion - can you believe even bananas are giving me heartburn on occasion? Stomach problems just suck, I've had them since childhood, so I feel your pain (truly). Maybe your body just decided it was time for a break from soy?

I love me some soy dog, but don't think I'll be able to eat them anymore due to the MSG in processed soy protein. Not that I feel I *need* soy dogs, but I do want them :) The spread looks like idylic summer picnic, and if that's organic corn I'm totally jealous. We're having a "Quatro de Mayo" party at work on friday (because it's the fourth and we're a bunch of dorks) and I am making fresh salsa, but I wanted to make some raw corn chips and can't find any organic corn yet. Dang!

Judy said...

Mm, Indian food. It's been so long, I may have to indulge this weekend.

Just wondering, if it is $48/person, which seems like a lot, and all you can have it hummus and fruit, why are you going? It's your day, isn't it?

Mikaela said...

That chili dog meal looks like so much fun! :)

Kati said...

I'm so impressed with your chili dogs - they look like something straight out of a fair vendor's cart! It's a bummer that soy has been giving you trouble, but I'm sure you'll find lots of other yummy things to eat. I would love some corn on the cob...is it summer yet??

Mary Worrell said...

I'm excited that those graham crusts are vegan....I'm gonna have to grab some - I hope stores around here have them. Also, Chase will not be disappointed with the "Students Go Vegan" book...there are some cheesy recommendations, but there are lots of good recipes. One of my favorites is a curry sweet potato wrap.

scottishvegan said...

That chilli dog looks good! I’ve never eaten a chilli dog in my life, I am intrigued. In fact I don’t really remember eating a real hotdog at all before turning veggie…what a sheltered life I lead! I do like veggie dogs now! Your guac looks fantastic….yummy! That’s such a shame you are having trouble with tofu. I sympathise as I have had IBS for years and as of last year I developed some kind of allergy to beans (apart from my beloved chickpeas for some reason…thank goodness!). It’s very frustrating to not be able to eat the vegan food you want!

aTxVegn said...

Thanks, all! I took my friend to lunch for her birthday today and she was thrilled to get her book, so we'll keep our fingers crossed!

Erica - Diann. Not many people spell it right. I'm going to try the vinegar trick starting tonight - thanks! The corn was not organic, and we can't grow it locally.

Judy - as for the dinner, it's also my mom's day. She is a wonderful mom and I wouldn't dream of not spending the day with her. It's just one day, and as Chase often reminds me, it's not about the food, it's about the family.

Mary, that's so good to hear about Students Go Vegan. Maybe Chase and I can break in his new kitchen with some of those recipes.

SV - I never ate hot dogs. I'm reminded of a friend of mine, when we'd go to fairs or ball games, she would ask for a hot dog without the weenie!

Seitan Wörshipper said...

That wasabi mustard must be wery HOT I think.. I like wasabi and that sounds wery intresting. Did you make it for your own or was it Pre-prepared?

bazu said...

That meal is nothing to be ashamed of- I've found that we all get cravings for the fun/comfort foods of childhood every once in a while, and the fact that you can indulge in such a high-quality way is even better!

I can't wait to hear about your mother's day meal, or better yet, YOUR mother's day meal. Bring on the broccoli!

Unknown said...

Love the chili dogs. Chili dogs are very popular in Chicago. I ate them all the time as a teenager and sometimes I'll make them now as an adult.

KleoPatra said...

Diann, i feel bad about your health issues, even tho i know you deal with them just fine. You have to miss out on some of your most wonderful creations!! i have had a life-long allergy to eggs, but other than that (which is no prob since i wouldn't eat 'em for animal-loving reasons), i've never had problems eating or drinking anything... as you are well aware being veg, there are so many things to eat!

$48 for a buffet? OMG, that is just so ridiculous!!!

i still need to read "Eat to Live" just to see what the good doc has to say. i don't need to have fast or sustained weight loss, but any book that supports healthy eating of no animals is my kinda book, and my kinda writer/doc, too!

i <3 corn on the cob. Brings me back to my childhood. Also love a good veg chili dawg. Your soyrizo mixture looks HOT, as in GOOD!!

And last but not at all least, Diann, i love love love your pie and yes, i'm impressed with the grape flower. LOVELY!!

Kate said...

What a yummy spread of food you have! Student's Go Vegan is a good cookbook.

aTxVegn said...

Seitan - I found the wasabi mustard in my local grocery store. It is very hot and I love it!

Bazu - I told you I was feeling guilty! But whenever you have happy eaters, it's worth it.

Kleo - thanks for the sympathy. I usually tell myself "it's only food," then I think - what am I saying! The lady I gave the book to is getting tested for food allergies. Along with the usual wheat and nuts, she's also allergic to grapes, which means wine too! I had never heard of that one. I hope you read the book. I re-read it frequently for inspiration.

Kate - your post was the first one I read that mentioned Students Go Vegan. And you posted so many great looking dishes from it that I knew it would be perfect for Chase. Thanks!

vko said...

Love me some chili dogs- haven't had that in forever. I need to "make" that too. No shame in making putting together a delicious vegan meal!

Sorry about to hear about your soy/tofu reaction, hopefully it's just a fluke, but it is good that you get all veggies in now- I need to do that, sometimes, I try to limit my soy intake if I can.

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

It all looks fabulous -- yes, even the chili dogs! lol! We've been enjoying soyrizo in tofu scrambles lately (sorry to hear your tummy isn't liking tofu) & in the chili must have been awesome. I know you like it spicy!! :o)

Sheree' said...

Thanks Diann, We bought the smart ones, but the smaller size. Brandie was wanting hot dogs so bad. Oops, forgot buns. lol

urban vegan said...

Soyrizo? Where can you buy it? Yum.

What a wonderful psot of food, and how sweet of you to buy that book sfor your friend. I'm sure it will help her.

I've looked throught that book and it is full of sound advice, regardless of your weight. Funny, I was just looking through Extra-Vegan-Za at Borders tonight, and I put it back. Let me know how you like it, OK?

Amey said...

Wow! So much to comment on.

First of all, sorry to hear about your growing tofu/soy issues. That is a drag. But, like you said, good thing you like beans and veggies!

It's super cute that you made a chili dog dinner. That sounds like something Musty would request. He often comes up with funny "non-vegan" requests that I have fun veganizing.

The fruit tartlett looks great! Fresh fruit tarts with vanilla pudding are one of my all-time favorite desserts to make.

I can't wait to hear what you think of "ExtraVeganZa" - I've been eyeing that book for so long. Also, I haven't read "Eat To Live" yet, although I've heard a lot about it.

Hope your high-end hummus feast is good!

ps. VwaV has a great crepe recipe - it works every time for me!

Anonymous said...

Sometimes you just need a little Vegan Fast Food. Yours looks quite tasty.

What a thoughtful gift for your friend. As someone who needs to lose quite a bit of weight, I think that giving the gift of knowledge/health (via a book) is the best thing you can give someone. I'm sure she will really appreciate it.

MeloMeals said...

Wow, I've never been to a 5 star restaurant... hell, I've never been to a 3 star restaurant... hehe..

Loved the chili dogs... Chase is a lucky kid... you always make him such nice meals.

Briggitte said...

I just made mini chocolate silk pies in those mini crusts sooo cute!

I should make your tarts next time

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