Vegetarians at the Cottage

It's the end of May and we are officially into cottage season! For vegetarian/vegan guests and cottagers hosting non-meateaters, it can be a bit troubling to figure out how to feed everyone. So here are a few meal suggestions that will satisfy everyone:

1. BBQ. Nothing says summer like the smell of barbeque, and what better way to feed everyone then burgers and hotdogs. Of course, most vegetarians prefer that veggie burgers are put on the grill before the meat, so if you want to be really accomodating I suggest cooking the veggie meals first, or at least putting them on one side of the grill and using separate tongs. Other than burgers, the buns and most toppings are usually vegetarian anyway. If you are trying to score brownie points, pick up some vegan cheese so the vegans can make cheeseburgers.

2. Pizza. Ok, so maybe we don't eat cheese or meat or anchovies... but believe it or not vegans can still eat pizza. So what do you need for a vegan pizza? Pizza dough and tomato sauce are often vegan (check your labels to be sure!), so all need you need is toppings. Any veggies will work, but in particular I recommend Daiya vegan cheese and Yves "pepperoni".

3. Grilled Cheese. Yes! Really! Just use Daiya cheese shreds and Earth Balance for butter and you're good to go.

4. Veggie soups (the options are endless). Just don't add meat. Nuff said.

5. Quesidillas. My favourite veg version is made with refried beans and mashed sweet potato. Again, Daiya brings this dish to another level.

Bi Bim Bap

Several times now I have eaten at Bi Bim Bap and it is time for me to share it with the world (although based on my most recent visit, it appears the word is out). Bi Bim Bap is a Korean dish served in a hot stone bowl. It consists of rice and various toppings. At Bi Bim Bap, the restaurant on Eglinton West, you choose your rice (white or brown), your topping (yes, there’s tofu) and your sauce. Then it is cooked up and served in a stone bowl that remains very hot throughout the entire meal. The sauce is served in a small bowl on the side, which you must mix into the bowl. The quantity of sauce provided is quite small, so throughout the meal I often request different sauces, such as apple, sesame bean, and soy garlic, for no extra charge.

There is meat on the menu, so it is a great place to go with people are not vegetarian. It’s also great for those who are gluten-intolerant as the meals are all based around rice.

The service is great, and the staff never rush you with the bill (in fact, we always have to ask for it).

  

I have never made reservations, but on my most recent Friday dinner I did have to wait about 20 minutes, so I recommend making reservations if you are going on a Friday or Saturday night at prime dinner time. But if they’re too busy, you can always walk across the street to Loving Hut!

Castro's Lounge

Is it just me, or has Castro's Lounge completely flown under the radar? With only one review on Happy Cow, it seems Toronto vegetarians have yet to discover this vegetarian gem in the Beaches (oh, excuse me, the Beach)...

Castro's, despite its name, looks nothing like a lounge and everything like a bar. Had it not been my destination, I would have walked by Castro's assuming it had nothing but bar food to offer. And would I have ever been wrong! We walked in to find an excellent live band at the front of the restaurant, and the small restaurant seated close to capacity. The menu is entirely vegetarian, with interesting options for vegans and the celiac/gluten-intolerant crowd as well.

We had the chickpea bowl and okra burrito. The menu contains a variety of Indian and Mexican dishes, and some interesting mixes of the two. Unfortunately (and fortunately) they were out of their vegan desserts so we didn't get to sample any of those. As an FYI, Tori's Bakeshop is just down the street, so you can hit two birds with one stone if you're making a trip to the area. Tori's was closed by the time we finished dinner, so be sure to check out the store hours beforehand.

Cruda Cafe (at St. Lawrence Market)

In the midst of camel burgers and hanging cows, Cruda Cafe is a bit of an oasis at the St. Lawrence Market. Serving smoothies, wraps, and other entrees,  everything is raw, vegan and delicious. My favourite is the gnocci; it's a "spaghetti and meatballs" kind of meal, with dumplings on noodles and an amazing sauce. The sweet potato sandwich is also very good; it's a thin flat bread with very flavourful toppings served over salad. I have also tried two of their desserts. The parfait was good, but the nanaimo bar was exceptional (and huge!). They also have beautiful-looking cupcakes with real flowers on top, and the takeout containers are compostable. In a city that loves its markets, it's nice to know that us non-meat-eaters can still show up and join the party. But you may need to avert your eyes...

Papyrus

Many people assume that because I'm vegan I care about the environment. I always want to tell them to drop the stereotypes about vegans, but the problem is... they're right!  For those of you who also care about the environment, I wanted to share a new discovery in the GTA.

My favourite environmentally-friendly greeting card brand for the last few years has been Papyrus because of the beautiful embellishments. I usually head to Indigo when looking for Papyrus, but just this week I was walking through Bayview Village and there it was -- a free-standing Papyrus store! Just wanted to share!

Green Living Show

My goodies from the show: vegan ceasar dressing from Organic Garage, various Live Clean products, spelt milk, LPK buns, organic craisins, mini Luna bars...

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Today I went to the Green Living Show at the Direct Energy Centre and, as always, the best part of the show is discovering and sampling new products.

My favourite discovery was a new line of non-dairy milks imported from Italy; I sampled the hazelnut rice, buckwheat, kamut and spelt . The brand is BIO and I recommend the spelt and buckwheat in particular. Products are not yet carried in Ontario, but can be ordered through the website. (http://www.thebridgesrl.com/prodotti/bevande/farro/bio-farro-drink-natural/?lang=en)

LPK had awesome samples of pesto on gluten-free vegans buns, and we bought three packs of the buns to take home. Now if only I could re-create that pesto...

I also sampled Earth Balance's new coconut-flavoured spread and it was delicious. It will be fantastic in baked goods.

Unfortunately, the show ended on a low note. Like, last year, there were few vegetarian options in the food section. As well, food must be purchased by first buying tickets, which seems particularly wasteful in the context of the green living show. But here is my vent...

We scouted out options and realized there was only one vegetarian offering - at Keriwa Cafe - so we bought the right amount of tickets and lined up at that station. Well, the people working there took the sign down while we were in line and increased the price from 1 to 2 tickets, so we now did not have enough tickets for all of us to buy lunch. We stayed in line because it was our only option, but while my order was being prepared we noticed the staff eating as they garnished (with hands), and then one licked her fingers! So I left my untouched bowl (no refund or apology offered, of course!) and headed to LPK's to fill up on vegan sweet potato donuts (mmm......) It's disappointing to end on a low note, but as you can see from the photo I did not go home empty handed!

One Restaurant (Yorkville)

I love to share and recognize restaurants that are accomodating of vegetarians, vegans and others with various dietary restrictions. My most recent discovery is One Restaurant, a Mark McEwan restaurant on Yorkville Avenue. Yes, it's beautiful and has great service, but what really impressed me was its vegan-friendliness. Vegans generally have a difficult time with fine dining, but One was amazingly accomodating. For starters, there were several vegan (or veganizable) options on the breakfast menu. I had a generous serving of oatmeal, raisins and brown sugar. More importantly, however, was the fact that they had soymilk. I usually have pretty good "soydar" but One was so off my radar I didn't even think to ask about soymilk, until of my colleagues kindly piped up on my behalf. I also have to share that One has gluten-free bread. In addition, they informed us that if you call ahead they can accomodate all kinds of requests. So kudos to One Restaurant!