Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette & Field Roast

Wow, it's been almost a month since I've posted. I've been doing some traveling for work and pleasure and staying extremely busy! Wanted to share a recipe for an amazing, quick homemade vinaigrette salad dressing that I make on the reg, and also review one of my favorite new faux-meat products - Field Roast!

The inner carnivore in me is always looking for hearty, delicious things to chew on that satisfy my protein cravings and make me wonder, with all the amazing products out there, why I took so long to stop eating meat! Many vegetarians don't take well to the fake meat replacements, and I guess its fair to say that some of the products out there tend to be rubbery and un-appetizing.

Tofu & Broccoli with Israeli Couscous

 
Upon learning that I am a vegetarian, people generally ask me something along the lines of, "Well, if you don't eat meat - then what do you eat?" They scratch their heads with a perplexed look on their face and reveal an ever so commonly held misconception, which goes something like, "I need meat to survive and stay healthy and active." Come to think of it, back in my days as a ravenous carnivore I wondered the very same thing. One of the main reasons I started this blog was to answer that question, and shed a little light on what this vegetarian/vegan prepares on the reg to stay nutritiously hooked up and flavorfully well-fed.

This dish is most definitely a staple of my diet. It is so unbelievably tasty and easy to prepare, as well as being crazy healthy and energizing. I make it again and again and never grow tired of the exciting burst of flavor and the happy tummy it gives me. It is a great one to share with meat eaters, simply because it's friggin' delicious...

Gallie's Shells and "Cheese"

Macaroni and cheese. There's just something about it... I've always loved it. Although it is far from being a gourmet culinary masterpiece, it is one of those things that I have always gotten cravings for from time to time. I believe that lands it in the 'comfort food' category. As I got older and started getting more creative in the kitchen, I began experimenting with variations on the theme. I found that I absolutely love jalapeños in mac n' cheese. Broccoli is also a definite winner.

Belgian City does "Meatless Thursday"

What a rad idea! An entire city sponsoring a meatless day every week to minimize the environmental and health-concerned impact of meat consumption.

Click here to read a post about it by awesome fellow blogger Powered By Produce.

I was recently in Ghent, it is a charming city. Cheers to them, I hope it catches on!

Vegan Huevos con Chorizo

I am finally all settled back at home in Los Angeles after some post-tour leisure travel. I swear - the thing about home that I miss most while on the road is my kitchen! I haven't posted in a while, but I'm back to getting creative in the kitchen and eager to share what's cookin'...

Trekkin' across Europe

Just finished up the French leg of our tour - a literal "Tour de France," as we pretty much zipped around the entire country. We started about 2 weeks ago in the Northeast in New Brittany, an area known for its crepes and alcoholic cider. We then made our way around counter-clockwise, hitting some lovely cities like St. Nazaire, La Rochelle, Marseille, Reims, Villeurbane, Dijon, Calais and finishing up last night with an incredible sold out show in St. Germain en Lay, a suburb of Paris.

Oh, how I had missed this royal treatment! The venues and promotors here take great pride in making their artists and musicians comfortable, and it really makes a difference in life on the road. We generally arrive at the venue mid-afternoon for soundcheck. Upon arrival, we head to the dressing room or catering where a gorgeous spread of salads and snacks awaits, while the crew at the venue carries in our equipment and sets it up. The lunch catering is always chock full of delicious veg/vegan goodies. The standard fare is couscous, shredded carrots, cornichons, fresh greens with an insanely good vinaigrette, and a big bowl of fresh fruits. And of course, a few bottles of local red wine. Also, a food blog about France would not be complete without mention of the bread - I'm not quite sure what they do that is so different, but nothing I've ever had in the states even comes close. I have managed to stay 90% vegan on the trip, but the local cheeses they give us with that insanely good french bread is something that I simply have to indulge in a little when I am here...

On The Road Again...

Time for another episode of Mi Vida Loca! I just got back from a great run of shows in Arizona - rocked a bunch of great parties for Oakley and the Phoenix Open. Met lots of wonderful people and just had a generally awesome time. Was slammed with work all day yesterday and now I am left with one free day to do laundry, pack and purchase a few necessities, as I am leaving at 6AM for 3 weeks! Flying into Paris tomorrow and playing a bunch of shows in France, Denmark, Netherlands and Germany. Then flying from Amsterdam to Austin, TX to spend 4 zany days at the South By Southwest music festival, where I'll be playing a bunch of fun shows with a few of my favorite peeps. Living VEG on the road is always an interesting adventure. I'm heading to the store today to pick up a bunch of healthy snacks - what I like to call "my trusty nutsack." Hehe...

Be well. Au revoir mis amigos...