This Vegans last meal…or is it?

trillium wrapmatt Trillium

I decided to get back to Trillium this morning to try that breakfast burrito with tofu scramble instead of eggs. Matt helped me navigate the options to have in addition to my tofu…I added potatoes, roasted peppers & onions, salsa, and some vegan cheese. This breakfast burrito is one that will satisfy! Additionally there was a fresh cut fruit bar, hot cereal station, as well as some whole fresh fruit and cold cereal options to be had…Nice job Chef Jacob and Jill! Trillium has plenty of options for a vegan breakfast and the entire staff was very friendly and helpful!

Vegan vegetable Soup at Synapsis.

Vegan vegetable Soup at Synapsis.

So on campus we serve a lot of fish on Friday and did you know almost everyone has Clam Chowder? But wheres the vegan minestrone? Well Synapsis delivered this afternoon and with the help of Sarah and her team I was able to find lots of options when I originally thought there wasn’t much to be had.

But seriously was I wrong. Sarah pointed out that there were lots of options for a vegan lunch. She directed me towards the soup crocks and told me they were serving a vegan vegetable soup jam packed with veggies which smelled and tasted great. She told me that they can make vegan versions of almost all of the pizzas and pastas as well as with the magic of some vegan cheese they make a vegan grilled cheese sandwich as well. A nice selection of salads were available for additional choices along with fresh cut fruit, vegan snacks, and some veggies and hummus from the grab and go area.

Tuscan Vegan Pizza from Synapsis. Lots of veggies, tomato sauce, and vegan cheese on a crispy thin crust.

Tuscan Vegan Pizza from Synapsis. Lots of veggies, tomato sauce, and vegan cheese on a crispy thin crust.

I ended up deciding on the Tuscan flat bread pizza with fresh tomatoes, red peppers, onions, & artichoke hearts and some melted vegan cheese. I have to say it was good combination of veggies on the wood fired thin crust, but I would probably save the vegan cheese for the grilled cheese sandwich as it had more the texture for that application. I do want to go back at some point for the grilled “cheese” and try with a cup of tomato soup.

cookie monsterWell in closing on our last day I wanted to say thanks to Cornell Dining for allowing me to participate in this experiment. I loved this experience! It has opened my eyes to how great of a job Cornell Dining is doing already and also made me aware of those areas of where we can improve to help our dining community! I look forward to hearing everyone’s feedback and experiences. I do have to admit I am OK its day 5, and while I enjoyed my entire experience and will continue to eat certain vegan meals…I will also be enjoying a big juicy burger that I will be grillin’ up tonight…along with some chocolate chip cookies and a big glass of milk!

 

Amazing lunch down on West…Becker House Kicked it Up!

A beautiful mix of Sauteed  kale and Chinese broccoli with tofu

A beautiful mix of Sauteed kale and Chinese broccoli with tofu

Wednesday lunch time I sent out an email to my team and was joined by Melissa, Chef Cathy, and Chef Bryan at Becker House. I walked around to really check out what I was going to be able to eat. This process has made so much more aware of what I am eating and really thinking about my choices overall. I looked at Melissa and say WOW…we can eat almost everything here today! There were a ton of vegan options and they all looked really beautiful. I was excited to to be having my lunch with my teammates and to have some time to talk with the chefs about the food. Chef Tony stopped by our table to say hello and ask how everything was, I was very happy to tell him how great my lunch was and how impressed I was with all of the options.

There was a very appealing salad bar with lots of fresh veggies and a couple composed grain salads that looked delicious and sparked my interest immediately. But I have to say the star of the day was the fresh greens sauteed with hot peppers and tofu. The flavor was quite outstanding and the colors of the dish were just beautiful. You could tell by the cuts and the presentation that this super healthy, tasty dish was given some thought and the care and that time was given into its preparation!

Chickpea Salad & Lentil Vegetable Salad

Chickpea Salad & Lentil Vegetable Salad

I also found a bright green plate of steamed asparagus which was cooked just perfect! No sauce or butter to smother this delicious beauty was necessary – some things can look good naked even in the middle of winter! Both Melissa and I were going the same route as we met by the salad bar and chuckled that our plates were almost identical and how “green” they were. I went for the lentil salad which had fresh carrots, celery, green onions, red peppers, and maybe some cucumber, it was fresh and quite filling. Melissa tried both and raved about the chickpea salad. I recently read how lentils pack a ton of protein and are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber so I was happy indulge. Lentils also provide good amounts of important minerals & B-vitamins and pretty much have no fat. With the Cornell Wellness Weight Loss Challenge around the corner: “Hey  teammates…eat lentils!!!” They only have 230 calories for a whole cup of cooked lentils and you will feel super filled up.

Delicious Vegan lunch at Becker House on West Campus.

Delicious Vegan lunch at Becker House on West Campus.

 

I guess I was starving at that moment because looking back at the picture of everything I ate I am really surprised I consumed that much! On top of the tofu stir fry, lentil salad, and asparagus I grabbed a bowl of perfectly cooked rice from the quesadilla station and added some black beans and a very peppery pico de gallo. I perused by the salad bar but I really didn’t want more greens so I just complemented my dish with some fresh crisp sugar snap peas and whole beets. This was the over kill- I grabbed a veggie burger! It was tasty but I do still love eating them with cheese and bacon…yes at my house I call them the garden of sin burger! Again for sure today no room for dessert but I heard North Star has Vegan Chocolate Cake from the bakery on the menu…maybe a late afternoon snack!

 

Vegan Breakfast at Trillium

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Self serve sugars and cinnamon at the hot cereal bar

I went to Trillium this morning because I was told about a yummy tofu scramble. I looked on all the menu boards however I was not able to find it? I wandered a bit back and forth and most have looked lost.

Everyone behind the line was very friendly and said hello and I was asked if I wanted some hot cereal today. I said sure and just passed on the idea of asking about the scramble.

There was oatmeal and cream of wheat for my cereal options and I went for the cream of wheat as I actually have never tasted it before. I selected cranberries and golden raisins and they were cooked right into my cereal on the spot.

We chatted a bit while she made my cereal which didn’t take very long at all. Would you like a little cream on that? YES!!! I wanted say but I told her I was vegan! Another worker joked a bit with me and told me how he hated that non dairy cheese. I said well its not for everyone, but at least you have these options.

Toppings to add to the hot cereal. You get a choice of two then its .99 for each additional topping.

Toppings to add to the hot cereal. You get a choice of two then its .99 for each additional topping.

I added a little bit of brown sugar and ground cinnamon to the top. The cereal was quite good and really reminded me of grits of which I am a huge fan. It was very filling and the portion was quite large. I actually only ate 1/2 of the container. Interesting how when they cooled the texture is very firm like polenta. I think I will try this at home with a savory version with some caramelized onions and green peas…Vegan of course 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Risley Lunch “Vegan Paradise”

 

I had it in my mind that a lunch meeting at Risley would be no problem. Vegans and Vegetarians should love Risley…the Risley team of chefs do such a great job preparing food that has minimal or no allergens and for the most part follows the eating Well at Cornell standards. Plus Risley is known to have has a lot of vegetarian and vegan options!

Happy to say that today was no different! In fact I was surprised by two delicious Vegan Soup choices: a brothy brussel sprout and potato soup and a rich red bean & tofu gumbo. Both were flavorful and very hearty…& look ma no meat!

Risley Salad Bar

The salad bar was full and everything looked fresh (thanks to Sean who always greats you at the door with a huge smile.) I had a mixed green salad with lots of choices of beans, seeds, fresh and dried fruit as well as a good choice of vegetables including some roasted spiced cauliflower. I had a house made tahini dressing along with some wheat berries to make for a hearty salad. Soup and salad for this kid today and I was full and happy!

Risley stir Fry

Just to note however the stir fry station here is awesome! If you have never been before it’s worth the visit. Tons of choices of fresh veggies, noodles or rice and all of the sauces today were vegan…score. I will be back for that another day! Risley rocks out an A+ for today’s vegan lunch experience!

Risley Vegan Sauces


 

 

Vegan Lunch at North Star

Monday lunch at NS

How was lunch? I replied “great…quite full and I actually skipped dessert!” (although there was a  a strawberry rhubarb pie fresh from the bakery calling my name) I gravitated to chefs table first for some vegetable couscous & roasted fresh roasted vegetables. I then made my way to the salad bar which was full of variety with beans & grains & overall looked very appealing. I was able to find lots of options there & additionally two chef inspired composed salads, I had the Farro with cranberries. I was impressed at how many options there were for vegans. I actually had more things to choose from then I could actually consume & was pleasantly satisfied at this North Campus all you care to eat dining hall! Lastly I did have a re-fried bean crispy taco from the taco station, which really I may have over done it by eating. Although I still managed to ask about that dessert…Denise who works at NS was able to find out that the pie I was eying earlier was indeed vegan! I told a few of my teammates and dairy free compadres… I was really full from my salad and grains so no pie for me today…another day sweetness!

Asked for Breakfast options staff was helpful!

Day one on Team Vegan….I began my day at North Star with a cup of coffee this morning and I had my choice of Soy or Rice Milk to replace my milk. OK this is not so bad!  Walking by though I had to say “Back away from the omelet station!” Eggs, cheese, meat…all my normal breakfast friends. So what am I going to eat? I asked Danielle in the Chefs Kitchen to help me find some Vegan options. She directed me to the hot oatmeal station or the homefries on the hot line, additionally she told me about the fresh fruit bar, assorted cereals, and bagels. I went for the fresh fruit bar and had a bowl of oatmeal with strawberries. Feeling good and full! In a vegan world though I can see that this may get a little boring. Having cooked at Risley I know of plenty of vegan lunch and dinner options, but we didn’t serve breakfast. I guess I’m going to consult my vegan friends and see what they do for breakfast!

fruit day 1

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