Leftovers: They Belong In The Gut Not The Gutter

Leftovers: They Belong in the Gut not the Gutter

Putting hokey sentiments aside, let us all slam together into harsh reality - wasting food is a nasty privilege for those of us who are lucky enough to have never gone hungry. My friends, let’s bring an end to this needlessness and embrace the unknown. Experiment with your leftovers, cook ‘em up, serve them cold, bake them, fry them, nuke them - what I’m trying to say is, you’ve got options.

While I remain optimistic, I won’t deny it - a wilted salad from Panera Bread is not going to be the best contender for your leftover scenario - let’s add your ‘Famous Guacamole’, that no one seemed to eat, to the list of bad leftover foods too. If you want your use-and-reuse fantasies to come true, you best plan on finishing those perishables, buddy. 

Ideal leftover candidates are transformable ingredients that absorb flavor and don’t get too slimy or floppy or just plain icky. The obvious choices are carbohydrate, bean or cheese based entrees - your potatoes, noodles, burritos, rice, enchiladas, wraps, etc.

But you already know that. 

If you want to see the other side of leftover potentials, please read on for a puny little list of what some would think of as surprising leftover combinations and dishes.

Spinach. If you see a spinach salad on the menu, go for it - but only if it’s an oil-based dressing (... which, clearly, goes without being said, am I right? Am I right? #MayoTheCumOfCondiments). If you see a large pile of oil smothered greens in your doggy bag, go for it - you are about to have an awesome leftover experience. Spinach is an ideal candidate for eating cold (accompanied with some chilled noodles and other chopped veggies) or hot (add garlic) and then tossed into carbs.

Eggs. Making for surprisingly eggcellent leftovers, eggs can add an extra bite of protein to almost any dish. Although fried eggs aren’t 100% unsalvageable, I recommend using scrambled eggs or an omelet for the following suggestions. 

Consider adding leftover eggs to a fried rice dish. Simply sprinkle in leftover eggs, and soy sauce, into the pan after you’ve cooked your rice and veggies to the desired tenderness for a solid experience that’s super duper authentic... 

Create a unique breakfast by adding those leftover scrambles on top of a pizza - definitely pepper on extra cheese or veggies, if possible, as most scientists agree that the added moisture can revive the fluff in them ovums. 

Vegetables. Slimy and mushy, left over cooked vegetables are a child’s worst nightmare. But you can turn this nightmare into a lovely salted dream with some flavor, heat and fat. Oh yeah baby.

Take whatever you got - I don’t care if it’s carrots, broccoli, eggplant or the previously mentioned spinach, and sauté it. Add those revamped vegetables to some cheese and make yourself a got-damn quesa-dilla. Or heck, slap those veggies on some bread and add sliced cheese and make a grilled cheese sandwich. Or heck, a burrito! Or rice, or quinoa or noodles or ... you feel me.

(You also feel me on how this wasn’t at all redundant if you reflect on, or if you read, the little blurb on spinach.)

Tortillas. Have you ever gone to a Mexican restaurant and ordered the anything-whatever that comes with tortillas on the side? Next time, try taking what is left of those tortillas home and whip up a sensual dessert. 

Slather some melted butter on to the tortillas and add whatever you want (obvious choices would be sugar, cinnamon or coarse sea salt). Slice the tortillas like a pizza, you know small wedges, and bake in the oven at about 350 degrees on a baking sheet for a few minutes - untl slightly crispy. If you feel wild and out, sprinkle on slivers of chocolate, slice up some bananas or serve with a side of berries and whip, or chocolate sauce, or caramel dressing or peanut butter! Sugar and fat - you can’t go wrong.

Sauces and Broths. Ever order takeout food, like Thai or Chinese, and sometimes you’re so savagely hungry that you eat all the noodles, tofu or veggies, leaving behind a puddle of sinfully salty soup behind - or is that just me?

Instead of tossing out this flavorful sauce, save it in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days. The next time you sauté or steam up veggies and/or rice, toss this sauce on and take a nostalgic trip back to Southeast Asia. 

There you have it - thanks for reading, I hope these little thoughts of mine inspired you.

Love, one Angry Veg.

Pink Sauce: sinful, sticky love.

No one wants to admit that they like mayonnaise.

It’s made of pure fat and face it: it looks weird, it smells weird. All in all, it’s very unappetizing. Unfortunately that spanky sauce is the base of many many many delicious blankets of flavor that coat your favorite base vegetables, spuds and patties that would otherwise remain tasteless.

For those of us who grew up in the midwest, slurping Signature Sauces and Ranch dressing, the craving for sweet, tangy, complicated goodness can sometimes be too great to sweep the mayonnaise-loving shame under the rug.

Before you click away in judgmental disgust, rest assured that this insight into flavorful pleasure is 100% vegan and can be used in a variety of ways.

Ranch: this recipe is lit, make it.

Buffalo sauce: over light heat, combine 2 sticks of soft vegan butter and 2 cups Frank’s Redhot. Whisk together, vigorously. Add some apple cider vinegar, like a tsp, and a tbsp of vegetarian Worcestershire sauce. Let that shaz cool.

Pink sauce: at room temp, mix these two concoctions together as desired for a mouthwatering midwestern experience.

In this tantalizing pic, I’ve seared a nice cauliflower steak in the Buffalo sauce, and served with another heaping tbsp or two of pink sauce.

Veggie dippers are yum in this sauce, as well. Simply dip celery, carrots, fries and the like for your pleasure.

Enjoy!

A Lazy Denver Afternoon

There’s dry heat and there’s humid heat. Everyone has an opinion, it seems, on which is worse. I don’t really care, heat is heat, baby. And in The Mile High City, heat is here and it is up close and personal.

It’s summer in Denver. 

The streets smell like hot piss and average highs are in the mid to upper 90s. The Sun is eerily close to our little cement plot, generating a savage radiated heat, that cooks us all in microwaves. You wouldn’t know your own mother if she was standing in front of you, the merciless shine of the Sun beats down with such relentless, surreal and blinding light.

So what can you do?

Be anywhere but outside, duh. One of my go-to, loitering friendly, safe havens for veggin’ out is Denver staple, City O’ City. And when done right, you can save a lot of dough by catching their ridiculous Happy Hour, daily, from 2-6pm. 

There are a lot of juicy delights on this menu. Whether you want to keep it classic with sautéed kale and fries, or up the caloric intake with their vegan poutine - there’s plenty of mix and match selections for you and your homies. 

My favorite?

Tacos, hoes! I love the refreshing, pickled-spice of their over all delish chorizo seasoned cauliflower tacos. Available at a very respectable price - just $2 per taco - this is a street-food staple experience that we vegans and veggies never get a lick of. #acryforhelp

Thank you City O’ City for serving up that mouthwatering consistency.

Love,

Ya favorite Angry Veg

Accidental Vegetarian Restaurants in Denver

My fellow vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians, pollotarians, flexitarians, gluten free picky eaters and hipster sell out fad poseurs - fam, let’s be real, eating out when you have a peculiar and particular diet sucks. It is way too easy to come off like a rude and spoiled squab, a douche, with ‘special dietary needs’ that can seem very unnecessary and finicky in the wrong environment. Let me put it this way, you wouldn’t go to a fish taco truck and order a number five, ask where the fish came from, hold the fish, replace the fish with coleslaw and mention how ‘it wouldn’t hurt if you charged me less because frankly, I’m paying for bread and cabbage…..’ 

So where does this leave you?

You’re either stuck with a niche, culture-vulture establishment that serves overpriced food (a parasite, if you will, feeding off the vegan market looking to make money with only investors and half assed tofu-centric menu items at the core of its business, ubiquitous vegan establishments who will remain nameless) – or sad side items consisting of starches and ‘seasonal vegetables’, which are more often than not three sprigs of $6 asparagus cooked in bacon fat, or a minimal house salad where you will probably have to ask that the kitchen ‘hold the ham’, or the worst - nothing at all other than chips and a Cliff bar from 711.

Before you give up on going out, there is hope. 

My favorite places are what I call accidental vegetarian spots. Places, who, through their genuine effort and passion to provide flavorful, delicious food, have come up with menu items which are not only vegetarian friendly, but are actually made with quality ingredients and care… like someone actually took the time to think about what the fuck food they were preparing for you to eat. Unlike the trash veggie burger at Park and Company – if you’ve ever had that rice, corn slop – you feel me.

If you find yourself in Denver, out with friends, looking for something that will satisfy everyone - even those nasty carnivores you hang out with - see below for a short list of note worthy destinations.

My Brother’s Bar - getting lit as never been so charming

Established in 1873 and located just north of down town Denver, My Brother’s Bar is a delightful, fried food haven. All self respecting beer drinking Americans are encouraged to check this place out. In addition to the many brews and liquors available at this full service bar, the menu also features a variety of classics, including burgers, jalapeno poppers, hot dogs, sandwiches, salads and an incredible veggie burger – The Boulder Burger. When this morsel arrives to the table, professionally wrapped in fast food fashion, accompanied by what Yelp reviewers call ‘an interesting condiment box’ filled with pickles, onions, peppers and relish – it is an exciting experience like no other. On top of all that, this patty (made in-house) is as tasty and satisfying as that double cheese I know ya’ll miss from that golden arched McMonster. Whether you dine inside or out on the private patio, My Brother’s Bar is sure to hit the spot.

Torta Grill - quick, hot and satisfying (oooo baby)

Tucked away between N Williams St and N High St on Colfax is an affordable and deliciously unique compact take-out café – Denver’s Torta Grill. Vegetarians rejoice! Torta Grill has several tasty veggie options, including this cactus filled delight – The Enrique. Stuffed full between two delicate, fluffy slices of bolillo bread is cactus, egg, panela cheese, red peppers and other grilled veggies. Warm, gooey and grilled, this traditional sandwich boasts an awesome flavor. Cactus is not easy to find in Denver, and the chefs at Torta Grill are experts. Try this with their signature “Red” or “Natural” juice and you my friend are set up for a satisfying experience.

The Universal - brunch that will satisfy everyone (including ur sinning friends)

This traditional breakfast is perfect for vegetarians looking to soak up last night’s mistakes. The potatoes are crispy and salty, the toast is perfect for scooping up those escaped egg innards and The Universal’s vegetarian sausage patties are to die for. Friends, resist the urge to ask your server if a mistake was made with the order. Yes, they taste just like breakfast sausage, they look just like breakfast sausage but believe it or not, these little sausage patties are one hundred percent vegetarian. We swear! The next time a serious breakfast is in order, The Universal has you covered.

Whether you’re a vegan or carnivore, flexitarian or someone who just loves to flex on others with shitty labels that really don’t mean anything - srsly, google it - I love you and hope you enjoy these establishments as much as I do! 

Thanks for reading,

The Angry Vegetarian 

Power-slaw: a weekend ritual

Power-slaw is a simple combination of vegetables, seeds and/or grains that will not wilt or get yucky, but actually strengthen in flavor and remain exceptionally crunchy as deep into the week as Thursday.

It’s more than a recipe; it’s a ritual.

No, JK – but that is def how the advertisement would run.

So anyway, Power-slaw is simply a symbol of healthy living - a vegan tool, like Miley Cyrus, that can nourish you all week long until it feels annoying and overplayed.

Bear with me - there is a point.

Chop all of the following up in bites as large or as small as you want them: half a bag of kale, half a bag of spinach, half a bag of cabbage, half a bag of shredded carrots, a red pepper, half a head of broccoli, half a shallot and three cloves of garlic. Add pumpkin seeds and a bag of nuked frozen quinoa (at room temp, DUH). Drench the mixture with a vinaigrette dressing and there you have it.

Simple, effective and freakishly adaptable – I promise this Power-slaw will be the staple in your packed lunch this week.

I encourage you to not only eat this slaw on its own but to also top your falafel balls, veggie burgers and sandwiches with it - or even serve it on the side of potatoes, soup or some tofu thing.

(It goes without being said that you can chop up whatever you’d like in your slaw - make it your own! Go nuts for nuts, add a can of drained black beans, get spicy with a radish or use less garlic if you hate flavor. But heed my warning, if your aim is to make this slaw last, avoid mushy veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms and the like.)

Thank you as always for reading,

Love - The Angry Veg

Full Recipe

Power-slaw is a simple combination of vegetables, seeds and/or grains that will not wilt or get yucky, but actually strengthen in flavor and remain exceptionally crunchy as deep into the week as Thursday.

It’s more than a recipe; it’s a ritual.

No, JK – but that is def how the advertisement would run.

So anyway, Power-slaw is simply a symbol of healthy living - a vegan tool, like Miley Cyrus, that can nourish you all week long until it feels annoying and overplayed.