thevegandiva – The Vegan Diva

Vegan In Miami Beach

Hey!!! Is it fall already? Where did the time go?? Happy Autumn Season!!

So my birthday was in mid September and I decided to go on vacation with my girlfriends for a few days in Miami. Before I got to Miami I was concerned about finding vegan restaurants and if the food would actually taste good. Well, I am here to tell you that the vegan food in Miami is absolutely amazing. I enjoyed every single moment of beautiful weather and delicious food. Here are a few places I tried and I would highly recommend going there:

This photo is not the property of thevegandiva.com

DIRT (232 5th st)

DIRTeatclean is a farm to table restaurant hence the name. I had the pleasure of going there about 3 times that’s how much we loved this place.

I had the Bombay Bowl. The Bombay Bowl’s ingredients: arugula, roasted curried cauliflower, cucumber, fine herbs, butternut squash cashew “cream”, golden quinoa, extra virgin olive oil.

Nutritional facts: CAL / 450 PROTEIN / 15g FAT / 16g CARBS / 66g

Plant Theory (744 6th St)

Plant Theory is an all plant based vegan restaurant with gluten free raw food options & gluten free cooked food options. This restaurant is very conscious about what they serve to the public. I’m very happy to have come here because you can literally ask the staff any questions on where the food comes from, the most popular items and they’ll gladly answer your questions. One of the lovely staff members suggested the Phyliss Cheezesteak Burger.

Ingredients: thin strips of bell pepper, onion, portobello mushrooms in our piquant marinade, topped with melted cheddar cheeze and special SOS sauce.

Please visit these two wonderful vegan/vegan friendly restaurants. You won’t be disappointed. I promise!

Veganized Foods: Burgers Galore

Hello my fellow plant based lovers !!!

So today I’m going to show you my favorite veganized food: burgers. What is veganized? Veganize(d) means to modify something that is non vegan and create a veganized version of it! For example: spaghetti and meatballs, hamburgers, pizza and even ice cream! You can create these dishes by using plant based vegan ingredients.

Now let’s get started.

1) Bareburger: Guadalupe Burger

Located: Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, NY

Bareburger is an organic burger spot with many locations throughout New York City that also happens to sell vegan options. Yay! The Guadalupe burger was so delicious with its sprouted bun (they have gluten free options as well) , black bean burger, guacamole, vegan cheese (there’s an up charge for this) , red onion and alfalfa sprouts. They also have vegan based sauces you can ask for as well. Just drooling thinking about it right now. Must try !!!!

Don’t Forget The Sweet Potato Fries!!!!!!!

2) Champs Diner: Fish Filet Burger

Located: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Okay so I never knew there was a vegan diner right here in New York City

This. Place. Is. Absolutely. The. Bomb.

The burgers my friends and I had were absolutely delicious. The chicken and fish filet were absolutely amazing guys. The spicy chipotle sauces and tartar sauces are a must for you to try if you decide to go. They do have gluten free options for those of you that would prefer to stay wheat free. We also have the Chicken and Waffles which I would highly recommend to try whenever you’re in a breakfast mood. Did I forget to mention that they also have tater totssssssss I haven’t had those since I was in elementary school. It just brought back great memories of my childhood. Thank you Champs Diner!!!

Side bar: Start with these “Bbq Wings” with tartar sauce first and a healthy fresh pressed juice.

Thank you Champs Diner!!!

3) Seasoned Vegan: The SV Burger

Located: Harlem, New York

Let’s get into this burger though!!! Seasoned Vegan has a great soy based burger that’s out of this world. It’s topped with lettuce, tomatoes, Mrs Beener’s special sauce, a side of raw ketchup and you can also add: Cheddar/Mozarella, Cashew Cheese or Avocado to your burger! Yum! At the time I visited Seasoned Vegan they were serving sweet potato fries [an occasional item]. Doesn’t it look Deeee-lish? Definitely not gluten free but guess what? They have a raw burger for my raw foodies and gluten free peeps!!!

I hope you all enjoyed this post and will get your vegan burger fix like I did!! See you next post!!!!!

Dealing With Vegan /Plantbased Haters…

Before I thought about going vegan, I never turned my nose up to those who were vegans. I just knew at that time my will-power was low and I was ill-informed. When you lack the proper knowledge of certain things you tend to turn your back against it. I know many people who act very ignorant when they think of the concept of veganism. Why do I care? I care because not only are our generations becoming morbidly obese, the food is losing its nutrients due to hybrid seeds. People wonder why at times I go so hard to spread “health peace” but they still walk around eating at McDonalds/BurgerKing/Wendy’s/Applebee’s. Every week there is a new discovery of harmful ingredients at these fast food chain restaurants. For instance, have you not seen the nasty Halloween Burger from Burger King?

blackburgerkinghalloweenwhopper — Halloween burger ( This photo is not the property of TheVeganDiva)

How is this acceptable in our country? Why are people still purchasing things like this and not protesting against these companies? Spend your money on things that will elongate your life. Why would you feed your children this garbage? Their tiny bodies are not meant to digest these poisonous objects. This isn’t even real food. Can we be a bit smarter folks???

This photo is not property of TheVeganDiva

We have a lot more access to healthy foods than other people and we should take full advantage of that. Some places can be expensive but I am sure many can find cheaper stores. Learn how to budget when spending money on groceries. Learn how to food prep that will help you out so much.

Let’s wake up and take action by eating properly. Peace

TVD Kitchen: Biscuit Burger

Hello Readers,
Ever since I became vegan I do have cravings for veganized foods. Lol. I love food so much I have to satisfy my cravings. I grew up in a West Indian household so burgers weren’t apart of our culture. Honestly the only time we would eat burgers was during the summer at our family barbecues. So it was pretty much a treat for us growing up.
Anyways so I came across Beyond Meat few years ago and I have been using their products ever since. Beyond Meat is an all meat-free gluten free non gmo company that produces mock meats for vegans. They have soy options and non soy options as well. My favorite products is their Beef Crumble (soy free) and Southwest Chicken Strips (soy based). A few weeks ago I came across this Beastly Burger (soy free/gluten free/non gmo) via Instagram and I said to myself, “Girl, you need to find this ASAP” so I went to Whole Foods yesterday and found it!!!
I give you my Gluten Free Garlic Biscuit Burger.

AMMMMMMAAZZZZINGLYYYY DEELICIOUSSSSSSSSS…. That is all.
Ciao.
-TVD

The Vegan Diva: Veganized Foods

While summer is coming to a close I decided I would write a post on my favorite 5 great VEGAN FOODS FOR THE SUMMER! During the summer I really enjoy cold foods, soups, sandwiches, lots of salad and fruits and when I think of summer I think of bright colored foods, don’t you?

1) SHRIMP PO’BOY – Here we have a delicious Shrimp Po’Boy Wrap. My mouth is watering just looking at this picture. What’s in it? How does this replicate shrimp? If you go to the store you can actually buy soy-based prawns or non-soy based prawns that look exactly like shrimp. Even the reddish pink colored marks are on the “prawns.” Inside of this po-boy is a remoulade sauce that taste like heaven on earth. It reminds me of a chipotle sauce made with love and the perfect seasonings to go with it. I love the fact that it has mixed greens [and a side of Mrs. Beener’s famous salad dressing, YUMMM] inside of it because we all need greens for energy and for our organs to function properly.

2) RAW VEGAN PIZZA – This is a raw vegan pizza made by a Chef at Seasoned Vegan. There are so many ways to make a raw vegan pizza and we tend to overlook it. Look at this presentation! Raw tomato sauce, my favorite vegetables and a flax crust to die for!

3) STUFFED AVOCADO

It’s stuffed with cashew cheese and almond meal, topped with pico de gallo with a side of mixed greens. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. This is pretty much perfection at its finest. The organic avocado is so sweet and the cashew cheese just adds that kick you won’t even miss real cheese. This is pretty much a better version of a deviled egg. I think we take for granted the fact that we can make a lot of these foods at home but choose to eat out at restaurants.

4) GRENADIAN CURRY SOUTHWEST CHICKEN

The other day I was craving grilled southwest chicken and something with curry in it. I went to the health food market near my house and figured I would make some for my family. I am of West Indian descent, a little island called Grenada. Grenada is known as the Spice Island country and I figured I would go back to one of my roots and created a family favorite. This “chicken” is actually made from a pea-protein and the texture replicates chicken strips. I sautéed my chickpeas, southwest chicken with onions, garlic, curry powder and my Kelp Seasoning by Braggs. My family loved this and even told me that it tastes great and tastes just like chicken. I am very pleased with my results you have no idea. I matched it with basmati rice and brown jasmine rice and I also sautéed some collard greens with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, ginger and a little raw brown sugar. A light meal for the summer and healthy as well.

Vegan Curry Chicken w/ Sundried Tomato Collard Greens

5) BUTTERSCOTCH CUPCAKE WITH COCONUT BACON

HERE WE HAVE A BUTTERSCOTCH CUPCAKE WITH COCONUT BACONNNNNNNNNNNNN……WHAT? YES I SAID COCONUT BACON! Chef Reese at Seasoned Vegan is one of the best Vegan Pastry Chef’s I’ve encountered. Usually I am not a huge fan of sweets. You really will never see me buying pastry. I love to have a small sample of pastry, I won’t eat the entire thing. Anyway, this is the best cupcake ever. It’s so moist and just melts the right way. The coconut bacon is my favorite because it looks like bacon chips and gives you a slight taste of bacon. You definitely taste the coconut but this is everything to me. I am so happy that there are so many talented vegan chefs in New York City because I am able to try a variety of their talents. The fact that this has less ingredients than a regular dairy based cupcake and tastes 100x times better than it just blows my mind.

HAPPY VEGAN EATING!!

TheVeganDivaCooks Breakfast

The McGriddle Sandwich

Hey Foodies!!! So, the other day I was craving a McGriddle sandwich but obviously I cannot eat that preservative and artificially meat based sandwich from McDonalds. I kept thinking to myself how could I make this happen while also being on a budget. I really wanted to make this and show people when you veganize certain foods, the outcome is great health wise. So, I went to my local health food store and bought organic pastry flour, vegan non-soy sausage, Daiya cheese and some organic extra firm tofu.

Now onto the recipe:

McGriddle Bread
1-2cups of Pastry Flour
1/2 cup of water
2 Tbsp of Raw Agave Nectar

(Don’t Forget to add Baking Powder)

Make sure when you are making this batter that it has a thick consistency but don’t overdo it! Place the batter mix into the pan by using three 3Tbsp for each slice of McGriddle bread.Once you are finished you will need a few more things for the next step:

For the tofu you need to cut it in thick “egg-like” blocks, sprinkle turmeric powder till the entire block of tofu is completely yellow.

: Tofu Egg

Then sprinkle some chili powder over it then place it in a hot skillet with organic Olive oil. The sausage comes in a casing but when you take it out just slice it down the middle vertically and place it in a hot skillet using Organic Earth Balance butter till it becomes brown on both sides.

: Vegan Apple-Sage Artisanal Sausage

: Organic Earth Balance Butter

Stacking Your McGriddle

First, get a plate and sprinkle some Raw Agave Nectar onto the middle of the plate. Place one slice of your bread onto the nectar that you have on your plate. Next, add your tofu-egg. You can add either one or two pieces. This really depends on your palette. After this I melted my Daiya cheese with my Organic Earth Balance butter in a skillet until it gave me a thick consistency then placed it on top of my tofu-egg. Finally, we add the Apple-Sage Sausage, drizzle more Agave Nectar then place the bread on top

and

VOILA!!!!!

: Vegan McGriddle (top) vs Meatbased McGriddle (bottom)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MY VEGAN MCGRIDDLE? PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW!

Vegan Lunch in Harlem

The food you love, veganized. Is Seasoned Vegan’s motto.

As you walk in you are drawn by the Harlem neighborhood mural inside of the entrance.

Seasoned Vegan is known for their veganized soul food which was created by Mrs. Beener. Mrs. Beener and her son Aaron Beener are the owners of this vegan restaurant. Mrs Beener started cooking and eating vegan food for over 20 years. This restaurant serves a different theme of food on a daily basis (Tuesday-Sunday), they aren’t opened Mondays. I commend the Beeners for raising awareness by opening this vegan restaurant in this Harlem community where the “chicken spot” and food that is drenched in genetically modified artificial colors, trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup; which is known to be extremely detrimental to your health aiding in cancerous diseases.

Now onto the Food Review:

Mac N' Cheese x Broccoli x "Fried Shrimp" — Mac N’ Cheese x **Stewed Fish** x Broccoli x ***Fried Shrimp***

This dish was very different in comparison to what I usually have at SV. The fried shrimp which is made from organic fermented soy, has an interesting taste but still gives you the flavor of real shrimp. The stewed fish blew my mind. Mrs. Beener you have done it once again!! Mrs. Beener’s stewed fish is made out of fermented soy with seaweed as the “skin” on the sides. Her recipe is reminiscent of actual fish my mum would make on the weekends. It smells and tastes like real fish. I love the fact that Mrs. Brenda Beener can capture the flavors of non vegan food into vegan food. I’ve been to many vegan restaurants and they lack flavor in all honesty. If a lot of these places added more flavor and seasonings into their recipes they would have a lot more non vegan customers as well as potential vegan eaters as well.

**Crawfish x Spinach Salad x Spinach Pesto Mozzarella Pasta**

That crawfish is MMMMMMMHMN GOOD and I need this recipe because the seasonings make you feel as if you’re eating seafood. It’s made out of burdock root (a rooted vegetable) which has a lot of health benefits such as: anti-inflammatory and stunting the growth of cancer cells. I really enjoyed eating this dish because the spinach pesto pasta was just amazing. The Daiya cheese blended in so well you couldn’t tell if it was dairy or not. Thank you Katie for making this pasta, it was BOMB.COM

Vegan Mac N' Cheese — **Vegan Mac N’ Cheese**

I am absolutely head over heels over the Mac N’ Cheese at Seasoned Vegan. This is one of their staple dishes at Seasoned Vegan which is a best seller. People come in wanting and craving the Mac N’ Cheese every day.

I’m so happy to be working at a place that is found in an urban community. People of color need to eat healthier. Brenda and Aaron are doing a fantastic job in bringing the community together to eat well-seasoned delicious vegan food that is made with love.

Please come visit at: 55 Saint Nicholas Avenue (West 113th Street) New York, NY

Veganism & Depression

: B12Vegan Photo by veganhousewives.com

Veganism is a great lifestyle to adapt to. The health benefits are great and you lessen the chances of heart disease if you follow the appropriate veganism lifestyle. I never mentioned this to anyone but when I became vegan, the first few months were great. My body responded very well to this new lifestyle. As each day went on I noticed at one point I became depressed and filled with anxiety. I was wondering why I was feeling so lethargic because the first few months I was feeling great and happy. I started doing some research and talking to a few doctors. I knew prior to that those feelings I was having were symptoms of depression.

: Say No To Depression

During that time I was hospitalized and the doctors ran some tests on me and my vitamin D was significantly low as well as some other vitamin levels. My doctor stated I needed some sort of dairy and meat. At that point I knew that I had to take it into my own hands.

: Vitaminb12 Benefits

Self-research is always important because you know how well your body responds to certain things. I found many articles on vegans and their need for extra doses of Vitamin b-12 and Vitamin D. Within those articles, I also read there are millions of people that have low levels of these vitamins. Many dairy products allegedly contain these vitamins but with the cost of your health. When you lack vitamin b-12 you also deal with the chances of memory loss, fatigue and other body harming stressors. The only way to up the levels of your vitamins is to consume fortifying plant based foods such as: hemp milk, nutritional yeasts, nori, seaweed and other holistic green foods. You can also purchase vitamin supplements but be cautious of the synthetic vs non-synthetic vitamin supplements. Always do your research prior to purchasing anything. There are way too many synthetic supplements in stores that will prevent you from really getting the proper nutrients you need from them. Let’s come together and help each other gain the proper knowledge and nutrients so that we can live longer. I want to lessen the amount of heart and mental disease issues in our country so spreading the word is just the first step.

Stay tuned….

: Operation Happy

Food For Thought: 2014 Resolutions

Hello Readers,

This year I think we should focus on building a better immune system so that diseases will not surface. Less drinking, less smoking, more nutritional foods.

Try to incorporate ginger, amino acids, probiotics/live cultures (contains good bacteria to fight off bad bacteria and boost your immune system) , Omega 3′s, fiber and lots of water into your current diet.

These are health tips for the general public and not solely for vegans. I want to see everyone living longer because our death rate is increasing whilst the average death age is decreasing quickly. If we want to live longer than our grandparents and parents I suggest everyone be mindful of what they consume.

Earth foods are not the enemy. We need them in order to survive this era of Genetically Modified Society. Food Commercials are there to make you think that their preservative, artificial and Genetically Modified Food is actually good for you. How can you be healthy internally eating sandwiches, soda, sweets etc. made with ingredients you can’t even pronounce?

Think about it.

Let’s try to open our eyes this year and start reading the ingredients on the back of our products so we that we can make conscious decisions when we make food purchases. Next week I will break down some nutrition & vegan myths and bring you facts to help you out if you’re struggling to incorporate a vegan diet into your busy schedule.

My Palate Craves Dao Palate

I’ve been searching for places in New York City with flavorful vegan dishes. It just so happens I work in Park Slope, Brooklyn where there are a plethora of restaurants to choose ranging from Thai food, Mediterranean and Organic / Vegan food. I came across a place called Dao Palate on 7th Avenue. I took my younger sister here since she’s never had vegan food before.

Dao Palate has a tranquil, romantic dimmed-light setting when you enter the restaurant. The menu consists of appetizers, entrees, smoothies, Chinese herbal teas, freshly squeeze juices, sake and vegan desserts. I decided to get the Soy Cheese & Watercress Vegan Wontons w/ mango sauce appetizer. When I say DELECTABLE , I mean it!

Soy Cheese & Watercress Vegan Wontons w/ mango sauce

This was so amazing; I’ve never had anything like this before and I instantaneously fell in LOVE with this dish. It was cheesy and filled with my one of my favorite greens, watercress. The mango sauce was clearly made with LOVE. It wasn’t overly sweet nor overpoweringly sour. It was a perfect mixture and every time I come here this is the first thing I order. Next, I ordered my entree and prior to this I received a delicious miso soup in a small Chinese bowl with a white miso soup spoon. YUMMMMM!!!

Afterwards, I received a vegetable pad Thai and my sister ordered spicy glass noodles with shrimp. On another occasion I did order the black pepper seitan w/ Chinese broccoli and brown rice. This was absolutely delicious and if you decide to come here, get this dish. I wasn’t crazy about the brown rice but the rest of the food was great.

*Black Pepper Seitan w/Chinese Broccoli & Brown Rice*

I personally would recommend this restaurant because the food is delicious and the service was great as well!!!!!!!

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The McGriddle Sandwich

Now onto the recipe:

McGriddle Bread 1-2cups of Pastry Flour 1/2 cup of water 2 Tbsp of Raw Agave Nectar

(Don’t Forget to add Baking Powder)

Make sure when you are making this batter that it has a thick consistency but don’t overdo it! Place the batter mix into the pan by using three 3Tbsp for each slice of McGriddle bread.Once you are finished you will need a few more things for the next step:

For the tofu you need to cut it in thick “egg-like” blocks, sprinkle turmeric powder till the entire block of tofu is completely yellow.

Then sprinkle some chili powder over it then place it in a hot skillet with organic Olive oil. The sausage comes in a casing but when you take it out just slice it down the middle vertically and place it in a hot skillet using Organic Earth Balance butter till it becomes brown on both sides.

Stacking Your McGriddle

and

VOILA!!!!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MY VEGAN MCGRIDDLE? PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW!

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During that time I was hospitalized and the doctors ran some tests on me and my vitamin D was significantly low as well as some other vitamin levels. My doctor stated I needed some sort of dairy and meat. At that point I knew that I had to take it into my own hands.

Stay tuned….

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McGriddle Bread
1-2cups of Pastry Flour
1/2 cup of water
2 Tbsp of Raw Agave Nectar