Spicy Pierogi Pizza

Fellow Canadians: this one’s for you.

The top five dishes I’ve eaten, as per my Instagram 2: electric bugaloo

Whoever said you shouldn’t post your food on Instagram is a hater.

Listen, I don’t care who you are or what you do, if you get a meal that you just need to show to the world, please do it! We don’t need more cynicism in such dreary times, we need more filtered photos of tacos.

Today, I have for you my list of great things I’ve eaten, according to my Instagram account. The last time I went through a list like this, my life was very different. Being vegan now, I’m not keen that those top-five foods I chose have meat, eggs or milk in them.

Naturally, it’s time to revisit this for an update.

Grilled Portobello Burgers

You know when you have a truly life-changing meal that forever shifts your perspective of how vegetables can actually be the star of the dish and not just the sidekick to a main?

That’s what this portobello burger has done for me.

Chipotle Jackfruit Sandos

Can I share a secret with you?

If you need to seriously impress meat-eating family members at a holiday party, make something with jackfruit in it. I guarantee they …

a) never knew such a wildly meaty fruit existed, and …

b) will absolutely love it.

Jackfruit is like the gateway vegan ingredient that all omnivores enjoy.

It’s so simple to prepare – not to mention very cheap! I like to keep a can of it around my place at all times, just in case I need it for something I’m craving.

Keep rolling, rolling, rolling

Take it straight from the veracious meat-eater himself: “This might as well be eggs and sausage, it tastes just like it.”

Gobble, gobble, no gobble

This year, I had my first Thanksgiving without turkey.

Actually, it was a big thanksgiving of ‘firsts.’ First Thanksgiving away from my immediate family, first Thanksgiving with my boyfriend, and first Thanksgiving that I was going to be preparing for other people.

I’ve decided to give Pescatarianism another whirl, but opted to make the challenge even harder by preparing an all-vegan thanksgiving for myself this year. Yippee!

*wave emoji*

Hello, old friend. It’s been a hot minute, hasn’t it?

As it happens, I started a new writing endeavour and committed to the idea of a regular schedule, just for my life to get flipped upside down.

Since I last posted something that wasn’t from the archives, I moved across the province and started not one, but two different jobs. Everything has been crazy, but I’m not complaining one bit. It’s been the best kind of crazy. My life has been insane this year, and I welcome any regularity something like a side-blog can provide.

So here I am, in front of you, hoping you forgive me for the worst of internet sins: leaving you hanging waiting for more content. Not leaving a note or anything.

It’s now fall, but to make up for my lack of presence, I will share with you my summer of incredible food.

#TBT: Where them veggie sandwiches at?

When’s the last time you had a really good veggie sandwich?

I used to work in a cafe that had daily lunch specials, and one was a veggie croissant. Essentially, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and green peppers on a croissant with mayo and mustard. You know how they always say “less is more?” That was the philosophy working here. Something about it worked wonderfully, and it was always a hit.

A wise woman (well, more like one of my best friends) once said, “Veggie burgers and sandwiches are usually better because they have to make up for the lack of meat with flavour.” And she’s so right.

#TBT: Here are some healthy salads even your boyfriend will eat

Let me just say that getting on board with salad is a universal struggle. It is hard and we all have to do it to live happy, healthy lives.

Not too many people grow up loving it unless they’ve been fed proper delicious salads all their lives. But, unfortunately, most people envision iceberg lettuce smothered in ranch dressing with a tomato on top when they think of a salad, and that’s off putting to everyone, even healthy people.

So with that in mind, sometimes I don’t blame long-suffering partners of fit people for having a hard time wanting to eat salad with their SO to help support their diet changes.

Taco Tuesday!

Really, what are tacos if you’re not going to celebrate by eating them on Tuesday? Unconstitutional.

Tacos are kind of a staple in my diet. I almost always have tortillas in my pantry, just waiting. These ones I have here today are black bean tacos. I opted for black bean tacos because I had a lot of them to use up. I got impatient with a big bag of bulk beans I bought, and cooked them all at once. But that’s another can of worms.

My go-to is typically chicken or fish if I’m having one with meat, but I almost prefer the simplicity of a taco with tofu (Sofritas, maybe?) or black beans. They don’t feel heavy or greasy that way, either.

When they’re lighter, you can eat more of them. See, vegans are on to something. And that’s what these tacos are, is vegan.