Spicy, satisfying vegan fare at Disney World's Sanaa

Right off the bat I have to tell you that the pictures I have uploaded will not do justice to the beautiful dishes I was presented with at Sanaa (a South Asian-African fusion restaurant at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom Lodge). We ate there after a long day spent wandering the parks. The sun was setting over the savana and although you could still see giraffes and zibras strolling by the windows, the lighting was not ideal for a photo session.

Sanaa is a new edition to Walt Disney World's culinary landscape. It offers a range of dishes that are inspired by the flavour profiles of both indian and african cuisines. One of the most exciting things about this restaurant is that it offers a completely vegan menu. There is a standard menu with all sorts of animal parts braised, roasted and glazed. But for those whose appetites are suppressed by that description, fear not, there is something at Sanaa especially for you.

From the vegan menu we ordered a number of different dishes and everything was incredible. We asked for the chef to prepare our order with spice as we know they tend to tame the fiery impact of traditional Indian dishes for the mainstream palate of most visitors. We really enjoy a spicy curry and we did not regret our request. The chef created the perfect balance of rich texture and strong, deep flavours. There is just something soul-satisfying about a bowl of creamy lentils simmered in spices.

We started our meal with a bread service accompanied by a myriad of tasty dips and spreads. I didn't catch a picture but it was a really delicious way to whet our appetites for what was to come.

Dan's favourite green curry dish

At Sanaa the entree option is a selection of various dishes from a list of their vegan offerings. My Mom selected the black lentil dhal, green beans and roasted cauliflower curry.

Dan also ordered the lentils and cauliflower but complimented them with the green curry dish that he has come to adore (pictured above). In order to broaden the range of dishes we were able to taste I opted to try the salad sampler. As with the entree, you create your order by selecting three dishes from a list of enticing options. I settled on the carrot salad, chickpea salad and beet salad. Each one had a bright, citrus vinagrette that was a lovely contrast to the strongly flavoured dishes my family members ordered.

To calm her burning tastebuds my Mom selected the vegan sundae to end her meal. A big scoop of tofutti ice cream was presented.

It wasn't the most amazing dessert she had ever tasted but it certainly helped to cool her mouth and satisfy her sweet tooth.

It was another amazing meal spent enjoying flavours and textures rather than worrying about cross-contamination and animal cruelty.

Fabulous Vegan Meal at WDW's 'Ohanas

I love the joy of a new pleasant discovery. Okay, more than pleasant...let's say, fantastic.

Have you ever consider Walt Disney World to be a vegan destination? Probably, not. Especially if you read the menus of the most popular restaurants at this famous family vacation spot. However, the amazing thing about Walt Disney World is their commitment to customer service. My Mom and I both have a number of food allergies, which are always a concern when eating away from home. She took me to Walt Disney World for the first time when I was thirteen and we were both blown away by how the chefs would cater to our culinary requests-with enthusiasm rather than annoyance.

Walt Disney World has since become my Mom's destination of choice (I still prefer to venture more broadly to discover new places around the world with fewer gift shops). Before each trip my Mom makes a few restaurant reservations at spots she loves or places she can't wait to try. This trip was no different.

On our second night in Orlando, we had a reservation at 'Ohanas, a restaurant at the Polynesian resort. This may seem a very strange choice for a table full of vegan diners (given it has an all you can eat meat menu). When we walked in you could not ignore the waiters wandering around with huge skewers of meat and seafood. But we knew that our favourite chef had taken over the helm. T.J. used to serve up amazing meals for us at Animal Kingdom Lodge...so we followed him. It turns out, the effort to find T.J. and ignore the meat dancing around the room (in the arms of the service staff) was completely worth it.

Our meal started with a refreshing salad, scattered with fresh fruit and bright lime vinaigrette.

We also had garlic broccoli but I didn't get a picture before it was devoured. My family really likes broccoli. A lot.

Next the chef presented us with two hummus dips and freshly fried pita chips.

T.J. delivered an amazing platter of avocado summer rolls to the table. The slivers of pineapple were a delightful surprise and sweet contrast to the spicy ginger mango sauce.

And then...the tower of vegan deliciousness arrived. At the bottom is sweet glazed tofu, topped with sauteed mushrooms and peppers. The whole dish is surrounded by tempura broccoli and topped with crisp rice noodles. My brother took most of this home and enjoyed it for a couple of days. It was a huge platter of incredible food.

We ended the meal with a tiny sweet bite. T.J. presented a lychee filled with coconut sorbet and topped with a fresh raspberry. This dish was perfect.

Although the dinner was delicious and very filling, my favourite aspect was the impact on other diners. As we finished our meal we were approached by numerous diners who were intrigued by the exciting dishes they had seen arrive at our table. We happily reported that we were vegan and that the chef had prepared a special meal just for us. I was happy that they had found the vegan dishes so enticing that they just had to stop us and make sure they found how to get that kind of food to arrive at their tables.

I don't want this to be an advertisement for Disney-they certainly have a strong enough marketing team without my help. But I think it is important to be grateful to the chefs who embrace the opportunity to make amazing vegan food that will impress the masses. If you ever find yourself planning a trip to Walt Disney World, rest assured that you can eat very, very well there.

Stay tuned for one more Orlando review tomorrow.

Cafe 118: Delicious delights in Winter Park

Wow, I can't believe it has already been a couple of weeks since my last post. I was getting so good with consistency during Vegan MoFo. But I have a good excuse. I left the country. I hopped on a plane and went south for a 5 day visit with my brothers in Orlando. It will be no surprise to readers of this blog that the vacation centred around trying some of the best vegan eats that Orlando has to offer. I have a few days of restaurant posts to publish (so stay tuned for more). Today I present our amazing experience at Cafe 118.

As soon as I heard that my brothers were moving to Orlando, I did what every good big sister would, I jumped on the internet and did a scan of Happy Cow and Vegdining to see what the vegan options would be like in the vicinity. This research was partially in preparation for my future visits, but also because one of my brothers is vegan. Although the offerings are not as bountiful as Torontonians enjoy, I was impressed that there are a number of restaurants that cater to vegetarians and vegans in the area. One of the options that stood out in my search was a raw restaurant called Cafe 118 . I love the explosion of raw food restaurants that is occurring. I find the meals at these establishments innovative and interesting (and almost always delicious). Our lunch at Cafe 118 was no exception. My two brothers, my Mom and I ordered a number of dishes and passed them around to make sure everyone got a taste of each of the options. We are very good at sharing (we have had a lifetime of practice).

The meal was a celebration of fresh flavours, rich creamy sauces and surprising spice. We all left incredibly impressed by the culinary creations we had consumed and very full.

Here is what we ordered:

Strawberry Pearfection Smoothie (strawberry, banana, pear juice, lime juice, ginger)

Sundae Drive Smoothie (banana, cacao, walnut milk, hemp protein)

Avocado, Mango, Shiitake Maki Rolls

Pad Thai

Lasagna with Macadamia Ricotta and Sun-dried Tomato Marinara

Crispy Summer Rolls with Spicy Macadamia Dressing and Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

Strawberry Parfait (vanilla bean cream and dark chocolate sauce)-recommended by The Traveling Vegetarian (Yvonne Smith)

Smores!

The desserts were amazing, decadent, indulgent, delicious. I am very happy that we made the trip to Winter Park. Although the cafe has a casual atmosphere, each dish is a work of art in both preparation and presentation. It was a meal I won't soon forget.

Ending on a sweet note: Raw Caramel Apples

This is it, my final Vegan Mofo III post. It has been a fantastic month of food. I have really enjoyed reading the blogs of other participants.

This month has been an excellent challenge for me. It has encouraged me to post a lot more often and even when I'm tired. Knowing that I needed to post something also pushed me to be a bit more creative in the kitchen.

Take this morning for example. I knew I had to post something fun for the last day of the mofo but since I'm leaving for Orlando tomorrow, my fridge is pretty bare. But I was able to find what I needed to craft a fun fall treat: raw caramel apples.
I had a couple of apples left in the crisper and found the rest of the ingredients in my pantry.

To make the caramel (more than enough for one large apple) I combined:

6 dates

1 heaping tsp cashew butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp water

in my food processor. I pulsed and scraped until a smooth paste was achieved. I then spread it all over this JonaGold apple (I stuck a fork in the centre to make it easier to maneuver). Then I added some cashew bits, raisins and unsweetened shredded coconut.

I happened to have some raw chocolate that I melted and drizzled on top. This is definitely an optional step but it makes this apple a very special treat.

Happy Halloween, Happy Vegan MoFo and Happy World Vegan Day (November 1st). I'll be back next week.

A month of food causes empty fridges and green oatmeal

So here is the honest truth, I don't always eat adorable cupcakes or homemade sourdough pita bread. Sometimes I just eat cereal, toast or a couple of apples.

I'm heading out of town on Saturday and have been out every night this week. These factors have lead to a fridge entirely void of interesting produce to convert into a delectable dish to continue the celebration of vegan mofo. Tonight, I was otherwise engaged in a little project for a few hours after work and found myself struggling with what to post. In the meantime, I added what I found in my fridge to the blender in an attempt to create something edible for tomorrow's breakfast.

It was in that moment, staring at the greeny-yellow porridge that I decided to come clean. Tomorrow morning I'll be enjoying a dish that combines 1/2 cup of soaked oat groats, a handful of cilantro, 2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1 frozen banana and 1/2 cup of water. I'm eating this because it tastes pretty good and uses all of the ingredients I have.

I got a little fancy with raisins and coconut.

Have you ever made a fantastic flavour discovery when you were forced to combine random ingredients because they happened to be what you had access to in a moment of hunger? Maybe that's how some of our favourite combinations have come to be.

Don't worry tomorrow's post will be more enticing. But don't let the colour fool you. This porridge is actually quite satisfying.

Reliable Resources

With just a couple of days left of Vegan MoFo I hope this month has proven to a be a huge source of culinary motivation. It has led me to try new ingredients, new recipes and new restaurants. This internet event has created the impetus for me to really celebrate the diversity of dishes that fit within the parameters of a vegan diet. Now when people ask, "what do you eat"? I can send them a link to the 1000s of foods posts in my RSS feed.

Just in case you go through some withdrawal when the month draws to a close, I thought I would share some of my favourite online sources of inspiration.

Let's say you come home with some fresh ingredients...

I suggest searching for fantastic recipes on some of my favourite sites:

1. The Sunny Raw Kitchen recipe index

Carmella is a raw food genius. Her recipe index is huge and contains everything from complex gourmet dishes to simple smoothies.

2. The PPK recipe page

I'm sure all of you already know about the PPK, but let's say you're away from home and in need of help from the vegan dynamic duo (Isa and Terry), then this is the place to find a few of your favourite dishes from their cookbook collection.

3. Everyday dish

Julie Hasson has compiled an impressive list of fantastic recipes and demo videos from some of the best vegan chefs and cookbook authors.

4. Gone Raw

I used to search vegweb a lot but these days I find myself spending more time perusing recipes on goneraw.

5. VegNews

Since they launched their impressive and interactive site a year ago, vegnews has become a standard stop when I'm surfing for new recipes online. They have a few videos and quite an interesting mix of enticing entrees, appealing appetizers and decadent desserts.

If you find a great new recipe to try in your kitchen, I would like to suggest an engaging soundtrack of vegan podcasts to keep you entertained while you chop all of those veggies. I have a number of favourites but here are the top 5:

1. Vegan Freaks

Bob and Jenna don't post often but the results are about quality not quantity. When they do add a new show, I save and savour it to extend the pleasure of engaging with them in witty repartee. (Warning: Bob and Jenna use adult language to express their emotions)

2. Vegetarian Food for Thought

Colleen Patrick Goudreau produces the most informative, well-researched vegan podcasts on the net. Her passion and engaging personality make it easy to keep listening even when the topics are emotionally challenging. It is an amazing resource for anyone looking for answers about why veganism matters.

3. Let's Get Baked

Matt and Dave's vegan baking show featuring musical guests is such a joy to listen to. I love the enthusiasm they bring to preparing fabulous vegan dishes and their personal mission to increase maple syrup consumption around the world.

4. Vegan Radio

Sometimes slightly bizarre, but always entertaining.

5. Animal Voices

Lauren has addressed some of the most challenging questions that face vegans everyday. I love her engaging interviews, she asks the tough questions that push us all to examine our attitudes and behaviour. Lauren also interviews Terry and Isa often and that makes me happy.

What are you're favourite sources of inspiration online?

Dinner delights

Here is another quick post. At least this one has photos!

I just got in from an amazing dinner party with some former colleagues. The party was in celebration of the retirement of my former manager. She is an incredible woman who certainly deserves all of the accolades she has received and many more. In her honour we prepared a delightful feast. Everything was vegan except one dish! We all really enjoy experimenting with flavours and recipes so our dinner parties tend to be fairly elaborate.

On this occasion I prepared a raw pad thai. It was pungent with garlic and ginger, sweet with tamarind and dates, creamy with almond butter and a little spicy with the addition of chili powder.

For dessert I prepared a raw fauxtess cupcake. I was inspired by the cupcakes Rawdorable has been profiling during vegan mofo and really enjoyed creating this decadent dessert for my friends.

It is a chocolate cupcake made of walnut and dates, a whipped coconut filling and a ganache made of cacao and avocado.

Sweet?