Restaurant Review: Lazy Jane’s Café

Left to my own devices, I’d go out to eat very rarely. I’m frugal by nature, and I have a hard time justifying the hit to my bank account when I can make my own meals for so much less money. I want my restaurant excursions to be special! I think this is partly because my parents didn’t have a whole lot of money when I was a young kid, so any time we went out to eat, it was a memorable and notable experience, so I still have a lingering (if diminished) sense that going out to eat should be special.

When I started dating S, though, I found myself hitting up restaurants more often. Although we enjoyed making dinner together at one of our apartments, there’s also something uniquely enjoyable about sitting in a totally different place and focusing on one another, not on preparing your meal. Plus, it reduces the tension that often arises in the kitchen – I’m a bit of a control-freak when it comes to cooking (stop laughing, family and friends who might be reading this!), and have a hard time biting my tongue if someone’s doing something in what I consider a less than optimal manner. Although I’d never have called S out on a perceived inefficiency when we were first dating, we’ve been together for well over a year now, and all bets are off. But eating in restaurants precludes the temptation to criticize S for not putting water to boil while chopping veggies, which I’m sure we can all agree is a huge inefficiency.

Anyway, a few months ago I decided we should further cut down our eating out, preferably to only once or twice (or thrice) a month, and that we should plan it and not use it as a fallback for lunch when we’re out running weekend errands or something. So, a few weeks ago, I told S we should go out for brunch at Lazy Jane’s Cafe on a Sunday. We’d been there once before, and I was pleased with my meal and wanted to return to try something else. S loves brunch, so he was more than amenable to the idea. Last time, I ordered a seitan hash, which usually comes with eggs. I replaced the eggs with more hash and received a giant plate of savory, tasty seitan and a side of potatoes. Yummy and incredibly filling.

This time, we both ended up ordering the Curry Tofu Scramble, which comes with a huge side of potatoes and toast. S recently decided to take the vegan plunge <insert fist pump here>, and the scramble is actually the only menu item that’s totally vegan without modifications.

Scramble, scramble scraaamble!

It was a quality scramble. The curry flavor was just spicy enough, with a complex blend of spices and complementary crisp, fresh, perfectly cooked veggies. The potatoes and toast were equally yummy. Lazy Jane’s uses bread from a local bakery, and even though S unknowingly chose a non-vegan bread for his toast, one of the cooks noted his vegan scramble order and kindly toasted up one of the vegan bread options just in case and then asked him which one he wanted – score one for customer service!

Despite its tastiness, I could barely eat a third of my scramble – we’d split a vegan Lemon Cream scone (!) while we waited for our meals, and between it and my delicious mug of coffee, my tummy was getting full when our order arrived. But it was totally worth it – the scone was a lemony dream, and I had scramble leftovers for lunch the next day.

All in all, this visit to Lazy Jane’s was a worthy use of one of our restaurant meals for May. It’s a cute, cozy fast-casual restaurant, so there’s no tip required, which saves a bit of cash. It is, however, always crowded and there’s always a line to order, but I don’t mind – it gives you time to drool over the pastry case, which allegedly always contains one vegan baked good. I do wish there were a few more vegan meals on the menu, though – it’s one of those places that advertises itself as being vegan-friendly, but having only one (and a half) vegan options really just makes you sort of vegan-semi-friendly, y’know?

How often do you go out to eat? What’s your favorite brunch food?

Tofu Balls: A Delicious Surprise

Tofu balls are a game-changer.

…that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say, but I am now saying it with complete and utter confidence, along with a healthy dose of humility. For many years, I associated tofu-based “meat”  items as the sole purview of 70s hippies, vegetarians who wore giant bell-bottoms and flowers in their hair and cavorted in meadows. I didn’t think I needed to bother with them – it’s 2012! We have Daiya and Gardein and Smart Grounds and hoverboards! Sure, I love a good slab of marinated tofu (…and tofu scramble and tofu “egg” salad…) as much as the next vegan, but I never felt the need to work tofu into my more traditional meat analogues, like burgers or meatballs.

Oh, how stupid I was, because I was missing out on these:

Tofu balls – not just for 70s hippies.

These are Isa’s Tofu Balls, based on a recipe from a book called Tofu Cookery. They are, in a word, delicious. The super simple combination of tofu, onions, soy sauce, bread crumbs, herbs and peanut butter all pan-fried in olive oil somehow creates an addictively tasty ball that crumbles pleasantly with some pressure but doesn’t fall apart on its own. Perfection.

I decided to make them last night after being reminded of their existence via this post about tomato sauce over at It Ain’t Meat, Babe. Paired with a variation on the tomato sauce in that post, served over whole-wheat fettuccine, and rounded off with a slice of roasted garlic bread, this was comfort food heaven.

Consider me roundly chastened. Never again will I doubt tofu’s adaptability and versatility, and never again will I doubt my hippie forebears. (Well, maybe I will… I’m pretty over bell-bottoms.)

What recipe pleasantly surprised you? Have you tried these tofu meatballs?

Seedlings, Veggies, and Cauliflower Manchurian

Wow, my post about the Hudson Valley Seed Library received lots of hits! Good to know that y’all are interested in gardening and such – I’ll be sure to share more garden updates and pictures this summer. The first of my seedlings sprouted yesterday, a tiny, bright green curlicue just peeking up above the soil. The weather’s been a bit erratic lately, so I haven’t been leaving my plants on the balcony – I’m afraid they’ll get drowned in the downpours we keep getting. But that means that they don’t get a lot of direct sunlight, so I’m a little worried about them. The one hardy seedling gives me hope, though, and today I took a chance and left them outside, so cross your fingers that nothing tragic happens to them and that my one little sprout has some friends soon!

Although I’ll be able to eat my own home-grown veggies soon enough, for now I must rely on produce from the farmers’ market and the co-op. Lately I’ve been on a big veggie kick. It’s not like I was terribly deficient in my vegetable consumption, but lately I’ve been cutting down on purchasing pantry staples and instead filling my bag with fresh produce. This is partly pragmatic – I’m moving in a couple months (!) and don’t want to cart around pounds and pounds of every kind of grain known to humankind – and partly because I’m inspired by spring and its delicious vegetables.

Last night, I enjoyed a meal that featured veggies and also helped me use up some of that aforementioned grain stash. I made the Cauliflower Manchurian from Everyday Happy Herbivore, added some peas, and served it over brown rice.

Cauliflower galore!

Everyday Happy Herbivore continues to impress! This is such a simple meal; the only real work is whisking together the sauce ingredients. The result is a spicy, tangy, flavorful dish with flavors you can adjust to your taste. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal, especially if you’re smart (not like me) and cook up lots of rice on the weekend.

What’s your go-to method for eating cauliflower? When I’ve got time, I love to toss the florets in olive oil and sea salt and roast them to crispy perfection. So good.

Signs of Spring: Seeds!

Are you familiar with seed libraries? Until a couple months ago, I wasn’t. Then my dad gave me a gift membership to the Hudson Valley Seed Library and voila – instant enlightenment! (If only all enlightenment were so easy.) The idea is pretty simple. The library collects, catalogs, grows, evaluates, and then offers different types of seeds to gardeners. Many of them are region-specific, and the library invites members to purchase seeds from them and then, when the growing season is over, send seeds back. That way, the library keeps growing – if, for example, you grown an heirloom tomato that’s not in the library, you can send the seeds to the library for them to investigate, grow, and perhaps offer in a few years. Pretty cool! This particular seed library also offers “art packs,” where local artists submit designs that are then used on keepsake seed packets. The Cosmonaut Volkov Tomato is one of my favorites!

My gift membership allowed me to choose ten free seed packets, and let me tell you, it was not easy to decide which ones I wanted! But I eventually narrowed it down and received them in the mail not long after ordering. Here’s my stash:

Puppy paw not included with purchase.

I think I may have gone a bit heavy on the greens, but it’s okay… you can never have too many greens, right?!

I plan to grow many of these delicious veggies in my work garden plot this year, and probably next year too. The work garden isn’t open yet, but I planted some seeds in temporary homes last week (late, I know!) and I’ll transfer the seedlings once the garden is open and the weather seems to have stabilized (it’s been a bit finicky lately…).

Pretty packets.

What are you growing this year?

A Simple Supper

I don’t know about you, but the onset of spring and summer always makes me crave simple meals that let me focus on the deliciousness of fresh, seasonal veggies. In Madison, there are ample opportunities to purchase just such produce. Two of our farmers’ markets opened this past weekend, including the one I most often attend: the West Side Community Market. Although it’s nowhere near as large or happenin’ as the Dane County Farmers’ Market (it’s difficult to outshine the largest farmers’ market in the country, one that surrounds Madison’s gorgeous capitol building!), I love the west side market because it’s nowhere near as crowded and it’s closer to where I live. So S and I made a point of stopping by this past Saturday, where we picked up a modest selection of produce, including two big, beautiful golden tomatoes.

When it came time to make dinner, I knew I wanted something simple that would let us savor the tomatoes, not drown them in sauce or hide them in a jumble of other flavors and ingredients. So I sauteed lots of garlic and a dash of red pepper flakes in a bit of olive oil, cooked up some whole-wheat fettuccine, chopped up one of the tomatoes, and then tossed the tomatoes and pasta in the warm, garlic-infused oil and topped it all with some freshly ground black pepper. With a simple side salad, it was the perfect way to celebrate spring and its bounty of fresh produce.

Simplicity at its finest.

What simple meals do you enjoy? I’m sure I’ll cook lots of beautiful, simple dishes this summer, because S and I have purchased a CSA share! I split one with my roomie two years ago, but didn’t get one last year. I’m very excited.

New Cookbook: Everyday Happy Herbivore

I recently found myself in possession of a $50 Amazon gift card. By “found myself in possession of,” I mean that Amazon gave it to me because I signed up for an Amazon Rewards Visa card. I did not really sign up for this card by choice – I was perfectly happy with my one credit card – but I needed two more forms of credit to raise my credit rating so that my mom can get removed as a co-signer on my student loans. Really logical, right? I need to potentially put myself in more debt to prove to the loan agency that I can pay off my large amount of existing debt. Yeahhh. I try not to think about it too much because it makes me more than a little angry.

Anyway, the upshot is that I signed up for the credit card (which I will use sparingly, pay off in full every month, and most likely close when Mom’s off my loans) and got a gift card. I spent it on a couple non-necessity items as a treat to myself, including two new cookbooks! One of them is Lindsay Nixon’s Everyday Happy Herbivore. I’m a big fan of her original cookbook, and so far this one is equally impressive. Lindsay promises that the recipes in EHH are quick and easy, so quick that you can get them on the table in 30 minutes or less. While I do enjoy labor-intensive and time-consuming recipes, I also appreciate easier ones for days when I’m hungry and don’t feel up to spending hours toiling in the kitchen.

Last night, for example, I got back from the gym and was not in the mood to spend much time cooking. So I whipped up a Grilled Cheeze sandwich (featuring an oozy, tasty, cheezy sauce) and had Natala’s Chocolate-Cherry Shake for dessert.

Rich & creamy.

Sorry that the photo isn’t great; it was cold outside and the light was fading fast. But the shake was delicious! I kind of failed to measure my ingredients and just eyeballed them, and I think I skimped on the cherries just a bit. Next time I won’t do that.

So far, I’ve also tried the Veggie Biscuit Potpie (so easy and really yummy!) and the Chickpea Tenders (meh – the texture wasn’t great). What else should I try? (Psst – you can check out the table of contents here, if you don’t own the book.)

I Tried a Kumquat (and I liked it!)

My first introduction to Brussels sprouts was in a magazine. I can’t remember what it was exactly – some women’s home magazine – but there was a photo spread that featured a dollhouse, with a picture of a Brussels sprout as a tiny cabbage. I’d never eaten Brussels sprouts or cabbage at that point, but that didn’t stop me from becoming instantly enamored with the idea of a tiny, edible version of a larger vegetable. Ever since then, I’ve had a special place in my heart for the small cruciferous orbs, even if it took many more years before I tried them.

This post is not about Brussels sprouts.

It is, however, about a different tiny piece of produce – the kumquat. Like my first introduction to Brussels sprouts, I have only shadowy, vague memories of the moment when I became aware of kumquats. I recall a fruit tray, and someone telling me I could eat the entire fruit, skin and all, and tentatively yet excitedly trying one.

I don’t, however, remember what I thought about it or what it tasted like. I do remember thinking they were awfully cute, those lilliputian ovular fruits. Not unlike tiny oranges…

So colorful!

When I purchased a large handful of kumquats at the co-op a few days ago, I didn’t know quite what to expect. S had tried a sample recently and reported that they were too tart, which only served to heighten my interest – I’m a big lover of all things sour, so I knew I had to try them. And when I realized that Hannah Kaminsky has a recipe for Kumquat Poppy Seed Scones in Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season, I knew the time was ripe for a purchase. If I didn’t enjoy the fruit raw, I could chop ‘em up and put them in a baked good!

Reader, I did enjoy the fruit raw – very much so. S might find them too sour, but I think they’re perfect – just bursting with juicy, lip-puckering goodness, surrounded by a thin, sweet rind that tempers the tartness just the slightest bit. Delightful! However, that didn’t stop me from baking up a batch of scones.

Can you spot the kumquat?

I really enjoyed these, too. They’re a creative twist on the more quotidian lemon-poppy seed combination, offering a greater contrast between the sour and the sweet. And the orange flecks of chopped kumquat are very visually appealing. Admittedly, I was dubious about these while they were baking – my dough was very dry and required more soy milk than the recipe called for, but they emerged from the oven perfectly baked, tender and moist with a beautiful, hefty crumb. I should know to trust Hannah’s recipes and guidance!

All in all, I’m more than glad that I’ve welcomed kumquats into my life. Discovering a brand-new (to me!) piece of produce is a rare treat, and I’m glad to have found one I like so much.

What are your feelings on kumquats? How do you like to eat them?