My cat loves spinach.

You see that furball to the right? That's Zelda. She may look all fur and cuddles, and in reality, she's a monster. That's our roommate, Huxley, to the left. He's pretty cool.

Zelda is greens seeking monster. I haven't had a salad or side of spinach that she hasn't harassed in over six years.

An adorable monster.

There's something to be said for a cat that reminds you to eat your vegetables, but she even tries to eat sauteed greens out of hot meals. She has a nose for these things. Anywhere I sit, she's on my lap and then at my plate.

In a different world where I had a garden, and was sane enough to let her outside, well, I wouldn't have a garden anymore. Unless she learned the rewards of letting plants grow. She eats every one I try to grow!

Zelda's birthday present, 2004.

Sometimes she's just curious, and likes to leave her hair on my muffins.

My friend Erin tried to add some variety to her diet with carrots. Didn't stick.

And surely there's a green vegetable in these spring rolls from Bay Leaf, because I think she ate them, dipping sauce and all.

She's the best.

This post was brought to you by my VeganMoFo Approaches entry.

VACATION

Maybe you'll hear from me, maybe not - I'm off to Boston and NYC till the end of the month. Ciao!!

I'll miss you Zelda, and Huxley, and Portland....

Edited by Tiffany.

Another reason to love/hate Portland, OR....

I don't mean to jump the gun, but in a week or so, Portlanders will be able to buy containers of freshly simmered, locally made seitan at Food Fight!  It's called Cast Iron Seitan and the makers are Homeskillet LLC - who just happen to be Isa Chandra Moskowtiz and her awesome husband Justin, who's really doing all the work.  

I was happy to be given a sample and used half of it for yesterday's lunch.

Peanut Noodle Bowl

To keep things appropriately charming and tasty, I decided to grill the seitan over peanut noodles ala Vegan with a Vengeance for yesterdays's pleasantly made-at-home lunch on a leave-early-from-work snow day (and then it stopped snowing, holla).  

Naturally I changed the recipe a bit - I grilled the seitan and red bell pepper instead of sauteeing, omitted the onions, added raw julienned carrot with the cucumber and as for the sauce, I used locally made Thai and True yellow curry paste and a squeeze of fresh lime in place of dried coriander (ew).

I have never gotten my seitan as perfectly textured via simmering, and this stuff is darn wholesome and convenient, and made with something resembling love.

Huxley's a fan.

Maeve from Strawberryrock stopped by and had herself a bowl and a couple cookies.  I rarely cook meals for others these days so there was a little bit of casual excitement.

Mocha Mamas.  

Another test recipe for Terry and Isa's Upcoming Vegan Cookie Book.  

I went to a fancy benefit dinner in the name of cats

That's how vegan I am.  And Portlandy.  And a fan of Isa's vegan food and Sweetpea.  

But mostly, cats.

The benefit dinner was to benefit the House of Dreams Cat Shelter, where my friend Sharin volunteers.  I had been having a horrible day and this night out for kitties with friends like the Shiz really helped turn things around.  

Every table was adorned with at least one ceramic kitty to take home - here's a group shot of the ones passed on at the end.  How sad at an event to benefit a No-Kill Cat Shelter, right?

White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup with Fresh Rosemary

Roasted Shallot and Golden Beet Salad with walnuts and apples

Between courses, I sent my camera all by its lonesome into the kitchen for

 behind the scenes action.

The busy staff.

The entree was an Autumn Plate: Acorn Squash with cornbread stuffing and chorizo sausage, Smoky Grilled Tempeh and Wild Mushroom Ragout over Garlicky Kale

I think about moaning whenever I eat tempeh that Isa has prepared.  I think I have.  It's the woman responsible for bringing homemade tempeh bacon into my life!

Dessert was a bowl of Warm Apples in a Caramelized Maple Sauce with vanilla soy cream, candied ginger and a homemade Gingerbread cat cookies.  

Knowing the chef= an extra cookie!

My table also sent Veganaddict an extra cookie from across the room.  

Check out her blog for more pretty photos!

The Master Chef, hanging out back.  

Check out the PPK blog for her thoughts on the event and some fun photos.  Thanks, Isa!

Squash Prep Station - including blogger Kimmykokonut.

Phew.

Portland Nursery Apple Festival, you MoFo

Why is this plate empty?  Because it's the best apple!

Hey, hey, hey!  I found myself a new USB cord and have past photographic blogging material to catch up on.  As I've mentioned, last weekend I went to the Portland Nursery's Apple Festival for the third year in a row.  There were over 60 varities of locally grown apples and pears for tasting!  

I've have an all time favorite apple in place since I went apple picking as a young girl in New York, but I'm open to others.  McIntosh, McIntosh, McIntosh is the winner in my heart.  

Living in Portland I'm spoiled again with the freaking multitude of local apples from here and nearby Washington.  No offense, but this girl is not eating an apple shipped from New Zealand any time soon.

Zelda, apples and asian pears

Strawberryrock tries an apple or two or forty.

Sampling rows.

The Juiciest red pear in sampling.

Applefest also includes a scarecrow contest.  Last year my favorite was the Beeker, from the Muppets.  This year, I don't know whether I am impressed or 

simply creeped out by this entry -

They're abandoned baby scarecrows!, dropped off at the Nursery to be raised.  I should feel bad, but instead I'm worried about nightmares.

My favorite pears were Asian - Twentieth Century and Shinseiki.  I had two today already, swoon.  I also picked up a couple other varieties of apples for 89 cents/lb besides McIntosh  - tart ones, naturally.  This weekend is the final festival weekend, if you're in the area and are looking to go!

The next day, I went with friends to the final day of milkshake season at Sip, the all vegan & organic milkshake, smoothie and juice cart outside of People's Coop.  Daily soups and hot cocoa varities coming this week!

Peanut Butter meets Cookies and Creme Milkshake, with Soy Whip

What a fucking indulgence.

My brother, with his Orange Julius Banana Smoothie.  

He's back in NY and missed.  This same night he helped cook dinner and a homemade apple pie for friends, more on that on the next MoFo!

Need something to post about for MoFo?  Don't forget about the survey on my last post! 

Vegfest this weekend & Grocery Outlet in town

My office is closing early today, and I'm looking forward to a very-vegan weekend.
The Portland Vegfest starts tonight, with a talk from Howard Lyman, the actual festival is tomorrow at Benson High School, and on Sunday Webly and I are recording another podcast with the Veganshizzle about the festivities. Here is a $1 off coupon on admission!

If you're coming to Vegfest, be sure to check out the Try Vegan Week table, where they're selling Temptation Ice Cream, in it's Portland debut, as a fundraiser.

Hopefully I'll have a bit of time left for relaxing like Zelda here..

And as to what I've been creating and will be creating, the newest vegetable addition in my kitchen is this January cabbage I picked up from the People's Coop farmer's market.

I used some of the cabbage in a recent almost no oil fried rice concoction - with leftover baked
Pomegranate Teriyaki tofu, cashews and more veggies. I already baked the tofu as slices, and cut into strips, baked again 10 minutes or so, and threw it into my concoction -
I loved how it looked!

Just some tempeh taco crumbles. I missed tempeh lately.

Pre-bake shot of the Sundried tomato and roasted garlic (gluten free) stuffed mushrooms I took to the farm sanctuary work party picnic last weekend.

Hey Portland, if you haven't heard - Grocery Outlet is now open in Hollywood, where the
Value Village used to be.

I was surprised by the lack of fun vegan items, but have hope for the future.

I picked up these random items: Reese's Puffs (for Tommy, as funny gift, and he had a bowl for dinner), Sicilian red wine, Horse Shampoo (I used to use this stuff when I was little, and it's animal free), organic deodorant, Queen Helene Apricot facial scrub (I like this alot), soap and Jason toothpaste.

Good Gracious Greens

Zelda is thrilled about fresh chard.

As am I....

The downtown PSU farmer's market had it's opening yesterday, and sure as hell I was there. Thank you global warming? but there was sure a lot more produce than the past couple years. Here's what I picked up:

• Rainbow chard
• Chinese broccoli
• Maiitake mushrooms
  
• Kale
• Apple juice - sure some of it is still frozen, and I'm clinging onto the past season, but it's goooood.
• Thai and True yellow curry paste. This is a local company that makes a variety of sauces, and vegan curry pastes. Not all sauces are vegan, fyi.
• Dave's Killer Bread - Rockin' Rye (aka the best bread in portland)
  

Tofu Stir Fry, Soup & Italian Grilled Portabella Burger

I honestly have more meals to report, but our internet was down at home for a couple days, and it just didn't feel right not to make another post by the weekend.
For now, I'll share three meals, a big ole grocery trip and a cat.
I have some Yellowrose Recipes Lowfat Cookbook testing to report - herbed polenta - with a cherry tomato, basil and navy bean sauce I made three nights in a row (grilled and panfried) I liked it so much, but that will wait for now...

In case you missed it, check out Isa Chandra Moskowitz's recent Satya article for their final issue: "Vegan Culinary Activism in 10 Yummy Steps, where she gives a nod to Get Sconed! (don't mind the web address mistake, she knows). I'm freaking honored.
And more PPK news, brace yourself - Veganomican is set to be released October 28, 2007. I have actually tested 55 recipes myself, and that's not even half of them, for real. I have tags on some of them, but of course I forgot to do all of them. When did this post become primarily text?

Another stir fry with broccoli, tofu, cremini mushrooms, shiitakes, carrots, zucchini, cashews and sugar snap peas.
First I pan fried the drained and pressed tofu in a bit of sunflower oil and toasted sesame oil, and sprinkled it with crushed red pepper flakes. I remove it from the pan, and stir fried the vegetables and cashews with garlic, ginger, sambal olek, vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce, hoisin, tamari, toasted sesame oil, pepper, brown sugar, rice vinegar. As per veggiegirl's suggestion, I served it over quinoa~


Vegan yum yum tester - Velvetting Vegetable Soup, with navy beans

Italian influenced grilled portabella burger - with tomato/basil traditional bruschetta topping, roasted red peppers, greens, vegenaise and basil. The shroom was marinated in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh basil, dried oregano and tamari.
On the side is what may have been my last local asparagus of the seasons, roasted with olive, oil, sea salt & fresh ground pepper.

A recent giganto grocery trip to Limbo in SE Portland and Trader Joe's. 50 cent organic cherry tomato pints at Limbo & again, giganto organic portabellas~
Though not local, $1.50 for a HUGE container of organic spinach, too.

Zelda says hi, by the way.


Alright, I'll be away on business for the next few days, starting tommorow morning, in Washington again (prentending to be a grown up?) - enjoy the rest of your weekend~

p.s. I finally posted the Stumptown Vegans review review for Teapot Vegetarian House review for Teapot Vegetarian House in Seattle, check it out if you're interested!
P.P.S. Webly and a couple of ours friends went blueberry, strawberry, raspberry and mulberry picking today and I am in pure sweet heaven.