Counter Culture Review

I have been dying to try a bunch of the vegan food trucks in Austin Texas since I read about them in VegNews Magazine.  Counter Culture (120 e. north loop, austin, tx, 78751) has been at the top of my "must eats" since day one.  So now finally I get to write a review about it.

Counter Culture is an all vegan raw foods trailer run by the chef Sue Davis. Davis worked in some of the top vegan resturants before coming to Austin and it reflects in her food.  She has veganized american favorates such as the Philly Cheese Steak, made with home made Setian, Cashew cheese, grilled peppers and onions on a whole wheat bun. (Which Will isn't going to be able to live without once a month now) and the Tuna Sandwich (Which I cant live without).

"Tuna" Sandwich

The food truck itself has an old school dinner feel about it, bathed in baby blues and silver with a bar stool at the front.  So where do you eat at a food truck?  Just a bit away you can walk into a small dining area with shade and matching blue picnic tables.  Some nights there will be documentary screenings there, vegan meetings and bands.

Diner Truck

Private seating area for Counter Culture Customers

All together we loved the food at Counter Culture and will be returning.

Upsides:

• Great food
• Great atmosphere

Watch out for:

• Cash only
• Does not sell drinks (But you can get them at the gas station next door.) 

A Challenging Week

This week I went on a work retreat for Americorps. I will not name the place that we went but I will say that is a very distinguished tennis ranch that runs about at least 300 dollars per person for a day. It is not cheap.

I am not the only Veg that is in my group, the only vegan yes but there is another vegetarian in the group and one of the facilitators is a vegetarian was well. My program manager called them ahead of time and told them that she had us in the party and about our food restrictions (Plus we had been there in December as well).

Now this is the problem that I have. We live in a connected world and when you are advertised in all of the premiere tennis and health magazines and we pay out the nose I expect you to be able to google what a vegan is. It is not hard to sautee some veggies in olive oil or steam some rice.

No, the first lunch we were told that they were going to get the ingreiants. Salad it was. Dinner we were served fish. Salad again. Breakfast the next morning....there was nothing I could eat. Not even a bowl of granola and soy milk. Luckily I had brought green juice. Lunch...pulled pork sandwiches so I had a salad again. There was pesto but that has cheese and my lactose intolerance will not be happy with me if that happens. Dinner I was brought out two plain potatoes which were rock hard and was told that there was cheese and sour cream in the buffet...Salad.

Now, I do not like making a big deal about my food when I travel but two days of salad and green juice was starting to make me feel...woosy. My other Americorp members told me that I could not be so demanding. I, however, feel like if your stay is being paid for and you inform them of your food sensitivities they should be able to accommodate, most of all when there was a grocery store right down the street that I know for a fact has an abundant of vegan burgers.

Three days and I ate nothing but salad and green juice. I still feel sick.

Cabbage Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing

Dressing:

- 1/2 cup of grated cabbage
- 2 Tbsp of freshly chopped ginger
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 white miso paste
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp grape seed or canola oil
- 1 tsp agave syrup

Salad:
- 4 cups of thinly sliced cabbage
- 1 medium radicchio thinly sliced
- 1/2 sweet onion thinly sliced
- 1 avocado sliced
- 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds (optional)

To make dressing: Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

To make salad: Toss together all of the dry ingredients. Pour in the dressing and toss gently. If you are using the hemp seeds sprinkle over the top of the salad and serve.

The Power of the Internet.

So I am deciding to take on a more challenging task and that is to blog about vegan things that are not just my favorite mouth watering recipes. So here it goes.

Today what I really want to talk about is the power of the internet in subcultures, specifically the vegan subculture. Technology is a wonderful thing and embracing it gives us such an amazing power. The power is to Connect. There is of course the ability to find information and recipes but that connection is just as valuable.

I think that sometimes we forget how much has been given to us with this amazing gift. I live in an isolated area when it comes to veganism. Texas does not have a lot of vegans and most of them are in Austin which is about an hour drive from where Will and I live.

It wasn't exactly easy becoming a vegan or even a vegetarian in San Antonio Texas. There are many judgement about people who are vegans here. As a friend said at dinner tonight. "You tell people you're a vegan and suddenly everyone is a nutritionist." I could not agree more with this statement. Even at my job, which is in the sport and health industry, there are jokes made about me drinking green juice.

Because of this I have found a lot of support in the web community. Twitter, Facebook and even meetup.com have huge veg communities where support is constantly glowing from people. I find this to be the most helpful thing in any life style change. There are web communities like The Crazy Sexy Life and The Kind Life that have message boards where support and ideas are constantly offered, free of judgement.

Search out support on these websites, even if you are a hard set vegan. You can support new veg-curious people. These communities make us powerful. Education is power!

Lunch Time Woo's

It’s hard working and being a vegan sometimes…not because of any weird reasons but just because of the hassle that Lunch Time can bring. Living in Texas makes that very hard (Unless you are in Austin; yes we know) considering the only places really around and fast are fast food places.

I always find it odd that I work for a sports and health agency that is devoted to promoting health for people in the community. Sadly very little of this has to do with eating healthy (It’s easier to not see the effect of fast food if your life is devoted to working out and playing sports…sadly the average Joe cannot do that.) and I see more than one bag of Bill Millers and Mc Donald’s a day.

This post is about finding ways to eat at work that are healthy, wallet friendly, and above all else, fast. (An hour lunch break is still a joke to me).

1) My first piece of advice is simple DON’T. Buying lunch is expensive 5 days a week…and I don’t just mean to your health. That wallet starts to look really anorexic if you eat out every day. Brining you lunch is cheaper (Money wise) and safer. When you bring your own lunch you know exactly what’s in it. And sandwiches are not the only lunch option that’s out there! Bring left over grains, pastas, casseroles and assortments of snack and you will be sure to have a different lunch every day of the week!

Above all, for me, brining your lunch saves you time. You don’t have to walk to decide with everyone where you are going all day, walk down to your car, drive where you need to go and then be sure you eat fast enough to do it all in reverse.

2) Sometimes you have one of those days…you know the one. You either wake up late and don’t feel like going to work…so you definitely don’t want to make your lunch. But where to eat? Taco Bell? KFC? Can’t do it.

Option one: Look at menus online of local take out joints. You have better luck finding healthy food at restaurants then at fast food.

Option two: My personal favorite. Find a grocery store…most grocery stores that small sections in them where you can buy premade food. I prefer Central Market. avocado sushi rolls or Chipotle quinoa are my personal favorites.

If you are like me you are more of a snack person anyway. I often buy a pack of raspberries or black berries or strawberries or blueberries (The list can go on and on!) and then go at it for the rest of the day!

So there you have it. Eat, love, live.

Aerogarden

So for Christmas my parents got me two things that are great for my loving of cooking. The first was a new digital camera. I hate putting up crappy pictures for everyone. The second was on back order and just came in: an Aerogarden. This little three pod garden gives me the ability to grow herbs and veggies all year round with no dirt, no mess and very little effort.



My first project that my mother got me with it was the Salad Package which contains Red Lettuce, Green Lettuce and Butter head Lettuce. It has been three days and I already have little lettuce shoots up and growing. I would recommend it so far but will keep up updated!

On that note I also have strawberries, artichoke, roma tomato,carrots, Bok Choi, basil, cilantro, chives, parsley, oregano, and radish growing conventionally. I would really recommend growing your own veggies and herbs to everyone. I live in an apartment and have been using container gardening so there really is no excuse not to. It is satisfying eating what you grow and gives you a deep respect for not only the food that you are growing but also respect to the farmers and people who grow all of the other food that you eat.

Apology

I really want to apologize to everyone. I haven’t been posting as much as I used to. I have to remedy that and I promise that I will. This has been due to two different factors. The first is that I have been moving. Sadly that means that I have not been able to cook while everything is packed up. On a brighter side it means that my kitchen is bigger and better. The stove is new and the refrigerator actually keeps things cold. There is also more space for ingredients. So nice.

The second reason is the fact that I have not had internet to use. But obviously I am having that fixed. So on that note I am going to be posting two new recipes today that I made in the past week. Please let me know what you think! And what you think of the new place!

Herb Garden 101

Alright, as many of you know I live in an apartment which is not the most conducive to cooking hard core anyway. One of the things that gets to me about it (Besides not being able to compost or have a gas stove installed) is the fact that I have no yard for herb gardening.

Herbs and spices are one of the best medicines for a sad boring dinner. There are no limits to how you can change something with just a layer of basil. So I started my own porch side garden in a pot. What I really want is an Areogarden but I don't see myself finding one hundred dollars in the new future. Either way traditional gardening has its own advantages.

Heres what you'll need:
1 medium to large gardening pot
Bag of organic gardening soil
Small bag of sand
4 kinds of organic seeds

Okay, for new gardeners sand might seem weird but trust me. Place a layer of sand about 2 inches thick on the bottom of your pot. This will keep water from running out when you water it and make the soil more absorbent. Next place a layer of the organic gardening soil until about 2 inches from the top of the pot. Don't pack it. You want the soil to be rather fluffy.

Next, divide the pot into four sections in your mind. Place the seeds under the soil about 1/4 of an inch unless the package directs you otherwise. Keep in mind that different plants will need different things so when you try to pick your seeds make sure that they have similar care needs! You can put markers in the soil if you want, labeling the kind of herbs that are in each section. Water, lightly so that you don't move the seeds around and place on your patio.

Depending on your herb you should water daily in the morning or evening. If you live in the south you know this is because less water will be evaporated by the sun.

And there you are! You should have your own little Herb garden sprouting up on your patio in the next 15 days!

Because Its Earth Day

So I couldn't think of anything to cook today for earth day that I haven't posted yet. Not to mention that I don't have any cash right now so buying food today is just not happening. But it is earth day and that in itself deserves applause. So yay!

On that note I do have some things that I would like to mention. The first is a cookbook for anyone that has kids ages nothing to teenagers. I found this on a blog that I follow (Food practice) and I am in love with it. Its called "Organically Raised" and it is something that I want when I have kids. I do have friends that have children and I suggested it to a few of them and they love it! For a full description of it on Food Practice click Here.

Another thing that I would like to share for Earth day is the Buddhist Shrine I made...or started today. Its a work in progress...just like living a mindful Buddhist life. For those of you that do not know a Shrine in this case is not like an alter (Just so I don't freak my family out). It is a focal point for meditation and a reminder in your home of being kind and compassionate to the world every time you walk out the door. So here is mine!

I hope you have a great Earth day and do your best to make the world the perfect peaceful place that you want it to me.

My Bike!

First off I would like to thank all of my friends for reading and promoting this blog! I am glad you like it so much and are liking the food on it. More so (no offense guys!) I would like to say how excited I am that my OPA and OMA are reading it! I really hope you guys like everything! Anytime you have any questions please give me a call! I love you all!

Okay well I have decided its high time to start doing more than yoga as a form of exercise. Eating well is not the only thing that makes one healthy after all. But i'm not much for the gym...they little money I have goes to my yoga classes anyway. Maybe when I get a big girl job. Instead of that I have decided to start being more active in my everyday life.

With that in mind, I will not longer use my car for anything 10 miles or under (Eventually I will make it more than that). I will use the bike that my sweet loving boyfriend got me for Valentines day! This means that I will no longer be driving to the market, to the school or anything else with a path that I could ride through. Keep in mind that San Antonio Drivers will hit me on site. Today I rode my bike to and from school. The route I take is roughly ten miles with a tonne of hills.

Not to mention that I hope to greatly reduce my carbon footprint. Right now it is 26.31 metric tons of CO2, which is pretty gross to me. But I'm hoping that by driving less and getting most if not all of my produce from local farmers will make a different in that. If you'd like to measure your own carbon foot print (And you really should just for perspective) HERE is the web site I used.

Again, though, this is meant to be a non activist blog...but consider this something that you can do thats healthy for you and healthy for the planet! The two are not exclusive at all! I know it sounds odd and rather sadistic but when you pedal your bike past a bunch of people in a drive though you get this great feeling that you are doing something out of the ordinary, well and healthy! Consider how many people that you see sitting in a car by themselves. Then consider that most of the time you drive you are not driving more than 15 miles from home. You could be burning off calories and making yourself healthier every step of that. And you could could be making the planet healthier too. Double win!

Local Treasures

I noticed that in all of my posts I have not stressed the importance of your environment. I, however, don't just means the idea that our earth is special and sacred . While that is important, being in touch with your environment doesn't just mean that. How can we really appreciate our towns and cities if we don't go out into them and find those local shops and restaurants that are hidden in the landscape of the vast array of chains that dominate the terrain?

So for a moment I would like to pay homage to one or two that I absolutely adore.

The first is Fruteria Tres Hermanos. This is a place to get giant fruit cups and other sweet and natural goodies that can be dosed with chili and lime juice. The also have mango's that are cut>into roses on a stick....like a giant lolly pop! The fruit is always fresh and juicy and cheap! $2.50 a cup! The down side is that its not on the nicest part of town...but I wouldn't pay attention to that. Many of the great foods that you will find are on the dodgie side of towns.




Last week we went to a farmers market and got a full reusable bag of fresh, locally grown produce for under ten dollars! It will do wonders on you tongue, stomach and wallet! This particular market is right at the 281 and 1604 cross roads. Not only is it full of local food grown by people in the area, it is also a craft fair. Most Sundays they will even have live performers there! It is full of fruit, veggies, jams, bread, flowers herbs and even a cup cake truck! These are all for a fraction of the store price.

I have to encourage everyone to look into the parts of their towns that they dont normally go to! Look for stores, road side stands and farmers markets. Supporting your local farmers is soooooo important I can not even express it! Local growers use less gas to transport their foods, they have less pesticide in the soil and their foods are typically more fresh. If your into micro-biotics they also only have whats in season!

Vegan Eating

I often get from my parents and other people around me questions about how I could possibly be getting everything that I need form a vegan diet. My boy friends mother even suggested that I needed to go and see a nutritionist regarding the lack of meat in my diet.

While I appreciate the concern I get from people regarding my health I politely have to tell them that some of the top research groups in the country (including the Mayo Clinic) support a plant based diet over the traditional meat and potato's diet that has been brainwashed into our society. Never mind that there are tons of athelites that have used a plant based diet to enhance their game including MMA fighters, runners, mountian climbers, dancers, triatholone winners, ect.

Still for new Veggies that I looking to replace things in their diets it can be a rather daunting task. I know it was for me when I started. In responce to that I thought it would be helpful to put up this Vegan Food Pyrimid.

Eat the Rainbow!

One of the first things that I learned as a veg was to "Eat the Rainbow". Eating a huge varitey of colours will give you an endless buffet of amazing eating options. And surprise! All of them are good for you! So dont limit yourself and dont be afraid. All of them are good for you and they taste good.



One of my favorates that I never really ate before are radishs. I use them in just about everything now. Food, drinks (Daikon and carrot tea is amazing). Again dont be afraid to experiment. These foods are cheap and you can get them in a split second. Also something is always in season so check what grows and what growns in your area. If you go to a farmers market like myself you can eat the berries and what not right out of the bag. Its great.

Health Plus (s): (There are so many in this that I cant even write them all down.)

Red:
Red produce like tomatoes, watermelon, berries, guava, peppers and radishes contain nutrients like lycopene, anthocyanins, ellagic acid and bioflavonoids including quercetin, and hesperidin.

Orange/yellow:
Beta carotene colors things like sweet potatoes, mangos, pumpkins, carrots, squash and apricots. Other oranges and yellows like citrus, peaches and pineapple contain vitamin C flavanoids.

Green:
Everybody knows greens are good for you. Cruciferous ones especially like broccoli, brussel sprouts, bok choy, cauliflower and cabbage provide glucosinolates, isothiocyanates and indole-3 carbinol (noted for its ability to inhibit cancer growth). Other greens like spinach, collards, kale and broccoli contain carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These greens are also loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Blue/purple (and a little bit of red):
These guys have been hogging all the attention due to their nutritional value. Produce like pomegranates, blueberries and grapes (red wine) are known for their high levels of antioxidants. These colors contains anthocyanins, lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, vitamin C, flavonoids, ellagic acid and quercetin.

White:
White might seem like a strange inclusion, but some white produce is super healthy, especially for your immune system and to help lower cholesterol. Things like garlic, onions and leeks (think inside the leeks) contain allicin.

Tofu, Seitian and other meat replacements

For most new veg or vegans tofu can become a staple very very quickly along with other meat replacment products. While they are healthier than animal products they still hold allot more protein then a person typically needs and can have side effects that are the same as the meat that you once gave up. (boldness, fatigue and depression)

Unfortunately it is a very common American idea that if something is good for you, allot of it is even better. This is not true.

Instead of soy milk try rice, or almond milk instead. These aren't just hippy store foods. They sell them in your local supermarket in typically in the cereal isle. They even have Chocolate almond milk that ROCKS!

Tofu or soy based products aren't the only way to make a meal. Try using organic non processed foods like fruits, veggies and high fiber, nutrient rich whole grains like quinoa, barely, oats, brown rice and bulgur.