New Eats: Vietnamese Meatless Meatballs (Xiu Mai Chay)

Okay, since I'm playing some catch-up here, I'm going to go in for a two-fer-- offering both a restaurant recommendation and a fantastic drool-inducing recipe. First off, Zips and I are newly back from the Oakland area. We had an academic conference in early November, and the culinary highlights included not only managing to find our way back to Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco, but also finding some amazing new digs in Old Oakland. We actually stayed at the exact same (closet-sized) hotel we stayed at two years ago, but went the other direction in our explorations of the local environs. In contrast to the Vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant (with the cool neon sign blazing in the window, you know... the one we didn't care for...), Zips found and took me to Le Cheval, a wonderfully elegant Vietnamese restaurant that has a robust vegetarian section on its menu. 

  

It has an airy, spacious dining area. 

The veggie goi cuon were delicious. I had lemongrass tofu, and Zips enjoyed her vegetable curry. The Vietnamese coffee was to die for (as my mom would say).

Now that I've spent some time in the bay area surrounded with, no steeped in multiple Asian American food traditions, I'm a little wistful. So to satisfy my own longings, I'm offering up an excellent recipe I cobbled together back in July.

The Vietnamese meatball can be used as a filling in a lettuce wrap (which we did) or alternately in a baguette sandwich banh mi xiu mai chay (which I will definitely be doing soon-- when I have success, I'll post it here!). They're typically made with chicken or pork, and nước mắm, but we use Quorn chik'n tenders and a soy sauce-based nước mắm recipe. This one's nearly vegan, but I used an egg to bind the ingredients together. If you're a clever vegan, I'm sure you already know a work-around.

Xiu Mai Chay (Vietnamese Meatless Meatballs)

12 oz. bag Quorn chik'n tenders defrosted in a microwave until room temperature. Chop in a food processor and squeeze out excess liquid
3 cloves fresh garlic minced
1 Tb. minced lemongrass or fresh ginger
1 Tb. chopped fresh mint
3 Tb. chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
salt and pepper
2-3 Tb. Nước mắm chay*  

Mix everything together and add 1 beaten egg. Shape them into meatballs about 2" in diameter.

Here's the super-ultra secret ingredient trick: **Roll the meatballs in sugar. I put some sugar out onto a plate and rolled them around. Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.


Voila! The sugar caramelizes in the oven. They're savory, fresh, moist, a little sweet, and perfect to wrap in lettuce and dip in nuoc mam chay. Enjoy!

*: Oh yeah, while I'm at it. I have adapted the quintessential Vietnamese sauce, Nước mắm to a delicious, fishless variation. Having traveled in Vietnam as both a carnivore and as an herbivore, I assure you, this one passes muster with my Vietnamese relatives! Zips refers to it as our

"Righteous Indignation" Nước Mắm Chay

1 garlic clove minced
juice and pulp of 1 lime
2 Tb. rice vinegar
2 Tb soy sauce (we use low-sodium kikkoman most often)
1 tsp. garlic chili paste (Sambal Oelek)
1 tsp sugar

These are the ingredients I always use. Once you get a feel for how spicy/sweet/salty you like it, you can certainly fudge the measurements. You can also add scant shreds of carrot to garnish it. This is a perfect dipping sauce for the meatball lettuce wraps, or for cha gio chay.

Veg-Friendly in San Antonio!

On a quick trip to San Antonio, we tried out the lone star's lone all-vegetarian restaurant (well, in that town anyway), Green Vegetarian Cuisine.

It has an eclectic, arty look on the outside, and I was encouraged by the fact that the small parking lot was full and that the street out front was lined with parked cars. A full restaurant is a good sign!

I was also excited to see they also have several thriving garden beds out front that are chock full of herbs, kale and other greens that are served in the restaurant.
The inside has two narrow, funky boho-chic dining rooms.
Since we're in San Antonio, Zips was feeling like Tex-Mex and got the chalupa plate-- with refried black beans, guac, pico, tvp crumbles that came with a side of quinoa with cilantro and red onions. (She was waffling between that and the taco salad)
I opted for comfort food and ordered their "neatloaf", (tvp and breadcrumb base) which was a little dry, but very tasty. It had a pleasantly tangy, smoky flavor. And the mashed potatoes & gravy were delicious-- there were pieces of carrot in with the potatoes. And the wilted greens (from the garden out front) have left me completely craving this again. I'm going to have to go out and find me some kale!
They came right up to the table with a platter of desserts (rather than asking if we want to see the dessert menu-- they make it impossible not to order dessert). They boast a whole case of vegan desserts-- cupcakes, cookies, and even offer whole cakes and wedding cakes!

We got a take-away cookies and cream and a chocolate peanut butter cupcake. My cookies and cream was tasty-- the frosting tasted a bit like cookie dough (in a good way). Zips' peanut butter chocolate was less of a hit-- a little dry and unexciting.

We'd love to try eating here again, though. Especially the breakfast menu! We had a whole meal planned out, but then found out they're closed on Saturday! Next time.

Other places you MUST get to in Chicago

1. Molly's Cupcakes. On our favorite stretch of N. Clark St. This place is named after a 3rd grade teacher who would always bring cupcakes whenever a student had a birthday.

The place is decked out in a mix of styles: bare, industrial (lots of brown cake and cupcake boxes are stacked against virtually every surface and wall of the place); retro pop (some vintage 70's and 80's lunch boxes are displayed behind the counter); and playful (brightly colored round tables, swingset-inspired seating at one counter, board games you can play with as you eat)

The cupcakes themselves are the real deal. We went twice-- trying out their Blueberry Cheesecake (my favorite of them all!), Peach Cobbler (could have been peachier), Mixed Berry (meh), Tiramisu (delicious, but I actually think mine from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World is *gasp* better!) and brought home a Cake Batter for the crazy cat-sitter (reportedly it was delicious).

Supercute place. I'd bypass the other gourmet cupcake joints in town since this one's a local original.

2. Dave's Records a couple blocks further up N. Clark St. (see? I told you it was our favorite street!)
They offer an eclectic array of new and old vinyl and even 45's. Go.

3. Europa Books 832 N. State St. A couple blocks off the north end of the Magnificent Mile. Europa Books carries almost exclusively foreign titles, most formidably, French books. From French publishers. In France. Zips loves this place. I just wander quietly through the children's books and pick out Harry Potter books in different languages.

4. Quimby's Bookstore way down on W. North Ave.

It's an independent bookstore that carries TONS of zines, graphic novels, and arty books. In the future, I hope to mass produce my own zine and send it there to sell.

5. Fox & Obel Fancy gourmet grocery. Like Dean & Deluca's Chicago cousin.

This is like a foodie paradise. (Or a foodie hell if you have limited funds and only delayed access to a hotel mini-refrigerator!) In addition to a variety of produce, dry goods, regional honey, deli, (and yes, butcher), they have an amazing array of in-house desserts, bakery goods, candies, olives, cheeses, coffees. Look: Spices!

and Mmmmmm, the dessert case. They used to carry a creme brulee, which I didn't see this time. But their Fruit Tart looks fantastic!

5. La Creperie back on N. Clark. I'm telling you, I should just set up a cot.

So it's located conveniently across the street from one of our favorite movie theatres (Landmark Century Cinema), and tragically a couple doors down from a Borders Bookstore that's closing (*sob*). They offer savory and sweet crepes, both of which we've enjoyed. But most recently, food euphoria was achieved with their Crepe Suzette a la Germain. I think we've ordered this before (Zips is a little obsessed with Grand Marnier), but I don't remember ever having had this delectable orange reduction before. A-mazing.

It brings a tear to my eye now. And looking at this pic makes me want to scour the internet for a recipe to try out on my own. If I have success, believe me, I'll share!

That's it for now. These are some of our favorite haunts, both before we moved to New Mexico, and especially now that we've gone back a couple times for conferences. We still visit these places, and when we do, we feel like we've never left.

New Fancy Veg Dining in Chicago

Since we visited Millennium in San Francisco, I've been looking for other fine dining opportunities for vegetarian foodies. Zips did a little research and found Karyn's on Green, an upscale vegan restaurant.

The place is a bit intimidatingly posh. Very nice neutral tones throughout the restaurant, brown craft paper with the restaurant's logo stamped on it cover all the tables.

To take the edge off, though, on the wall of the hallway leading to the restrooms, they've painted the names of famous vegans and vegetarians (misspelling at least a couple of famous names!). And Chicagoan rapper Common autographed around his name in Sharpie. And possibly Flea.

We got one of those flowering teapots of green tea, and it looked like this after the tea "bloomed."

The menu offered an appetizer of "chorizo sliders with portobello bacon, frisee, (soy) cheddar, chipotle aioli, and tomato pepper jam" , so of course we ordered it. The mini burgers (probably made with tvp) were a bit dry, perhaps overcooked and were served on mini ciabatta rolls (that were also a bit dry and tough). The portobello bacon is this crisp dark brown thing hovering on top. Eaten alone, it tasted like a burned bit of something. Eaten with the slider, it tasted like a burned bit. The chipotle aioli was delicious (served with the steak fries, which I'll get to in a sec), and the tomato pepper jam was also oddly tasty. It was sweet and tomatoe-y. I felt like it was something that would get concocted on Top Chef.

While the sliders were a bit disappointing, the side of steak fries was anything but. Amazing. Delicious. Piping hot. Just salty enough. Also served with the spicy chipotle aioli and bbq sauce (Zips didn't appreciate this at all. And it tasted exactly like something you'd get in the grocery store for a buck). But the FRIES. THE FRIES. Really gourmet fries. Totally worth it.

We shared an entree (since we mistakenly thought the sliders appetizer & side of fries would be the equivalent of the second entree) and went a bit more adventurous here. Zips had decided on the Seared Tofu Gumbo with red quinoa, radicchio saute, fried leeks, and spicy tomato broth.

The whole thing was quite tasty. We agreed that we might not exactly call it "gumbo"-- that such a name suggests more spice than the dish contained. The tofu was seared perfectly, marinated and crisp on the outside. The "fried leeks" tasted a bit pickled and not fried at all. Neither of us could discern the radicchio that was under the bed of red quinoa. I thought it might be pickled cabbage or even beets. It was tangy in a nice way-- a bite of everything together was really delicious. (and another perfect protein-eating experience!)

After the experience I had with dessert at Millennium, I was up to try the dessert menu here. Zips ordered some kind of mocha cheesecake (she found the texture a bit icy, as though it had been frozen)

And I thought I'd do something different and got poached pears with a citrus cream cheese

The pears tasted like they'd been cooked in mulling spices, but were cold and crispy. The citrus cream cheese had a sort of funny aftertaste (that I also tasted in the soy cheddar on the slider), but the cranberry coulis was fantastic. It was an interesting-- not lightning-y-- dining experience, but all in all, I'd definitely eat here again. I'd try different entrees and desserts, but ABSOLUTELY order a side of fries with anything I'd be eating!

Best Veg-Friendly Breakfasts in Chicago!

One of the best places I've ever been to for vegetarian dining is Victory's Banner-- a brightly lit, quaint spot in Roscoe Village in Chicago. Although they're an entirely vegetarian restaurant, they're actually one of the best breakfast places I've been to EVER. They serve breakfast all day (well, they close at 3), and also offer a lunch menu after 11am.

Their website will tell you that the restaurant stands as a "spiritual expression," and that everything they offer, down to the sugar packets, adds to its uplifting atmosphere. And it's all entirely true.

From the lunch menu I've had the Neatloaf Dinner, which is a lovely old-fashioned "meat"loaf and mashed potatoes platter. The gravy alone makes me want to get back in the car to drive across the country to eat there again.But the star attractions are in the breakfast menu. Their scrambled eggs are fresh and fluffy, their grilled potatoes inspired my own breakfast potatoes, and their vegetarian breakfast patties are AMAZING. Really. I can't figure them out. Sage-y and hand-formed. Fried to perfection on the flat top. Here's their breakfast bagel sandwich which offers all 3 at once.
And a side order of the patties on their own.
But what Zips and I return for time and again is their French Toast. I don't know what they do. They are light, airy, sweet-- served with butter laced with peach, and maple syrup. Again, I've used this as my inspiration when I've made French Toast at home, or when I fancy-up some pancake butter with orange zest (a great trick!). I'm just trying to get at how delicious and perfect breakfast at Victory's Banner is.

Look. Even looking at the dining room makes you feel happy.

They also have excellent coffee and chai (spring for the bottomless cup) that they also sell to take home with you. Do it.

Seriously. I'm having withdrawal shakes.

New Adventures in Old New Mexico

Over the weekend, Zips and I trekked an hour up north to Truth or Consequences, NM to see what could be seen. We were met with an odd mix of artsy-crafty hippies, hot-springs spa tourists, and economically depressed townies. We did go for the hot spring soaks and really can't wait to go back.

The geothermal heated mineral waters did, in fact, seem to have healing properties for us. We got to lounge around in thin cotton robes, slather ourselves in locally-made lavender and lemon balm scented skin care, and just in general chillax. We each bought cheap paperbacks and packed an in-room picnic (apples, grapes, cheeses, crackers, and cookies). Unfortunately, the beds were too high off the ground and, like the pillows, TOO HARD. (That was a bit counterproductive to the hot springs soak.)

One charming little shop we found is Black Cat Books & Coffee, a clean, quaint place with a nice range of used books and good-looking blank books, and a friendly owner more than happy to share pics of her adorable kitty, Leonore, and the original Black Cat, Mr. Po. I shared pics of Zips with her in return.

Another happy discovery is Cafe Bella Luca, a swanky italian joint that, while it doesn't have a ton of veg-friendly choices, the ones offered there are deeeelicious.
Zips ordered the daily special, homemade spinach ricotta ravioli, and feeling adventurous, I went for the eggplant parmesan (which was awesome). The pasta was indeed homemade and fresh. They also had the best cappuccino we've had in a while, and both of us have newly-formed addictions to it.
We were so stuffed and happy that we came back the next afternoon for their white pizza (roasted garlic, spinach, and cheese). It was one of the best that I've had. On our way out of town to return home, I realized I'd left my leftover eggplant parm in the fridge where we'd stayed, so I actually turned the car around to fetch it again. Totally worth it, I had it for dinner the next day.
We look forward to going up again, since it makes a nice day trip or a nice overnight. Because of the beds, Zips is reluctant to stay at the same place, but I would-- maybe if we brought our own pillows. It's nice to be someplace close to home, but with access to real water!

Check out the Rio Grande! It was surprisingly cold!