Double V-Ture: Fall Food and Seattle Lovin

It's been a while since my last post, apologies friends!

FALLing In Love with Vegan
First on the list is fall food! Around the middle of October I went a little crazy with seasonal recipes and subsequently gained 10 pounds of squash, apple and pumpkin. It was worth every gourd.
Apple-Squash Bake
I highly recommend slicing up Honeycrisp apples with butternut squash. Place in baking dish, drizzle with agave nectar, a little bit of Earth Balance vegan butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Place in oven at 350 and cook until tender (20 minutes give or take). YUM YUM YUM.
Carrot-Ginger soup
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger (I used bottled sushi ginger)
10 medium carrots
3 tablespoons olive oil (what up EVOO!!)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup hemp milk- just say NO to soy and YES to omega 3 and 6 fatty acids
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon agave syrup (maple syrup if you don't have agave)
little bit of salt n pepper ooh baby baby
1)basically you want to heat the oil, 2 tablespoons of broth, onion, ginger and garlic in a soup pan and saute for a few minutes
2)add the rest of the broth, hemp milk, pepper, honey, and carrots
3) bring to simmer and let carrots cook until they start to get mushy
4) let soup cool- no seriously...let it cool
5) use blender to puree ingredients 1 cup at a time
6) return soup to pot, heat it up and enjoy!!
although the recipe does not call for it, I added some melter Earth Balance for a slightly creamier consistency...this recipe takes patience (which I do not have) but it worth it!!
Vegan Chocolate-Pumpkin Cupcakes from the book "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World"
my dude friends were impressed by this one- a great addition to a 4o and 10 cups
1 cup canned pumpkin- I used the pie filling
1/4 cup hemp milk
2 tablespoon coconut oil
8 tablespoon vegan chocolate chips- yes, vegan chocolate chips exist
3/4 cups granulated sugar OR 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup agave syrup (it works double time)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup pastry flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking power
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1)Preheat oven to 350.
2)Mix wet ingredients together. Sift in dry. Stir with fork until just blended, fold in 6 tablespoons chocolate chips. Don't use a handmixer or overmix, batter will get gummy.
3)Fill cupcake pan and let bake 18 minutes.
4)At 18 minutes I take those bad boys out and put in the remaining chocolate chips into the center of the cupcake, they make a nice melter chocolate center when the cupcakes are done =) 5)Return cupcakes to oven for 4-6 minutes and then let cool.
6)I use the same frosting explained in my last post, except I add more cinnamon for a slightly spicy frosting.
Thanksgiving Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce (taken from Sunset magazine)
1 bag (12 oz.) cranberries, thawed if frozen
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
3 small sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1)In a medium saucepan, bring cranberries, sugar, molasses, and thyme to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Boil, stirring often, until most cranberries pop, 5 minutes. Make sure to remove thyme.
2) At the point, it looks and tastes kinda icky and you're wondering if you should waste a pomegranate on it. Never fear friends! Put it in the fridge overnight (or at least a few hours) to let sauce solidify.
3) Mix in lots of pomegranates and refrigerate for another few hours, then enjoy!
Thanksgiving Cranberry Ginger Sauce (also from Sunset)
2 bags (12 oz. each) fresh or frozen cranberries, any soft or decayed berries discarded
2 1/2 cups sugar
Finely shredded zest and juice of 1 orange
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (I suggest using a cheese grater to those not in possession of my mother's coveted zester)
1)Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until berries have popped, about 20 minutes.
2) Let cool over night. Patience friends, patience.

Sleepless In Seattle- from too much vegan food!!!
Short review of some great vegan/vegetarian eateries in Seattle. There's more out there, trust me.
A few places I have NOT tried yet but are worthy of praise from hype alone:
Cortona Cafe: All I know is they serve vegan Belgian waffles. And that's all I really need to know, to be honest
Pizza Pi: Vegan pizza including a build-your-own option and numerous fake meats.
Thrive: It's as much about the ambiance as the food. Their mission statement reads "Our menu is a testament to the decadence of Raw foods, demolishing the myth that to eat healthy you must sacrifice deliciousness. O, not so. We're vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, fatigue-free, and wholly pro-bliss, pro-joy, pro-shine. Dare to be beautifully buoyant. Eat. Drink. Live. Thrive."
Georgetown Liquor Company: Fabulous food in Seattle's historically industrial and recently hip Georgetown area (for all my DC loves just think less collared shirts, more tats and piercings). Unfortunately you have to be 21 to enter, but rest assured should I turn 21 in my city of birth this year GLC is where I shall dine.
Squid & Ink: I hear they serve a mean breakfast. Plus, an every changing menu gives one awesome chef a lot of room for creative/gastronomic growth.
OK, now on to some places I do know!
Whole Foods- sure they're all over, but only NW Whole Foods offer a delicious vegan chocolate cake so tasty even the most carnivorous palate can't tell the difference.
Cafe Flora- ALL TIME FAVORITE VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT (with vegan options yay). Seasonal specials from local farmers plus a core menu that never lets me down. I highly recommend the bucket of yam fries with the vegan aioli sauce for an appetizer. Our family typically orders Vegetarian French Dip (available vegan), Oaxaca Tacos, or the Portabello Wellington (sadly not vegan). Great atmosphere and a friendly staff who will put up with my dad's anti-veg/pro-carnivore jokes. Although I am always full by the end of dinner, this place is such a treat I soldier through a decadent vegan chocolate layer cake or sorbet for dessert. Gluten free options for all courses available as well.
Plum: Located across the street from very hip apartments with huge windows and a yoga studio, this Capital Hill location offers entertainment value in location alone. I really respect their chef, Makini Howell, owner of another Seattle vegan institution, Hillside Quickie. She is definitely a visionary/pioneer in the Seattle vegan scene and takes risks in her vegan delights. That said, Plum still has some kinks to work out. They are currently not serving yam fries due to ventilation issues. I ask you, what is a vegan restaurant without fried sweet potatoes?? Second, they should change the name from Plum to Pepper, as everything on the menu is SMOKIN hot. They aren't kidding when they call it Spicy Mac n' Yease. As long as your prepared for the heat, the food offers a good blend of Asian/Cajun inspired vegan cuisine.
Remedy Teas: My lover took me here over the summer for my birthday and I must admit I was impressed with his choice. First of all, I loveee tea- and with all the health benefits, you should too! I got to sample brick tea for the first time, very exciting after reading about it in "Liquid Jade", a book on the history of tea. Even better, all of Remedy Tea's libations are organic. They also offer several vegan and non-vegan food options to go with your drankage. I recommend the vegan versions of the pesto cream and apple pie tea sandwiches, plus any of the vegan pastries offered for dessert.

Yowzahs is this a blog post or a novel?
XOXO V-Girl