the best vegan restaurant in ubud [or ever]

I'M NOT A VEGAN

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but my mom is, so i certainly appreciate vegan food after learning so much from her cooking [and have dabbled in trying to eat more veggies & less meat]. its a concept i can get behind for multiple reasons – it has been proven by many to be more sustainable for our environment, better for our bodies and really so much more that i won't get into right now. 

when we read about moksa, a 100% plant based restaurant in ubud, we knew it was worth trying based on all of the local ingredients available on the island. i booked a table for dinner and after our first bite immediately reserved a table for lunch the following day. 

THE MENU

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changes daily and is served in small plates so everything is shareable. each dish could not be more fresh or unique, and it is evident that the restaurant heavily supports giving back to the local community of ubud – sourcing everything from their own garden or local farmers nearby. vegan or not, this restaurant is affordable, well designed [both the exterior and cuisine] and likely one of the most delicious meals i've ever eaten. and the best part? for a dinner that left us full and beyond happy, we only spent about $23 for our entire dinner. if you don't make it here during your time in ubud, then you're missing out. 
 

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L I K E  T H I S  P O S T ?
P I N  F O R  L A T E R:

blackberry mojitos & chickpea flatbread

SF has legitimately been swallowed by a cloud. the days have been windy and cold and the nights have been foggy and more cold. a night in with a movie was in order. the only thing that inspired this cocktail was a random bottle of rum sitting on our bar that looked full and lonely. i found this recipe and loved the moody twist on a basic mojito. i later remembered we had some heirlooms waiting to be used which brought me to make this for dinner. 

it was nice to have a quiet night at home cooking and drinking something other than wine. this chickpea flatbread is crazy delicious, but a real b*tch to make [so much chopping and cutting and mixing and waiting involved]. it's definitely worth it, but i thought you'd like to know that going in. i dedicated a good 2 hours of kitchen time to this.

bon appetit and happy weekend!
 

5 vegan/vegetarian friendly restaurants in SF

Believe it or not, I'm still holding fairly strong on this whole vegetarian thing. With an occasional bite of meat here and there [mostly on the weekends – i'm only human!], SF makes it pretty easy to find other delicious options. While almost every spot listed on my travel guide will likely have something vegan/veggie friendly on their menu, I thought I would round up some of the more specific restaurants in the city that cater specifically towards this growing community. 
 

Gracias Madre, Vegan Mexican in The Mission
Open daily, 11am – 11pm
Locally sourced, organic, vegan, [image via]
 

The Plant, [8 Bay Area locations, including the airport!]
Most locations open for breakfast and lunch, some open for dinner
I love their Green Banana Almond smoothie, tofu breakfast burrito [and i don't normally like tofu] and Dino Kale Salad
 

Greens, locally sourced vegetarian in Fort Mason
Open for lunch & dinner
A fancier option, this vegetarian only spot offers delicious sustainable options with gorgeous views of the bay.
[image via]
 

Veggie Burgers
The city is full of them. But my two favorite places to grab a meat free patty are Super Duper and Roam 
image via

kale pesto pasta & vegan artichoke aioli

happy sunday, all! still trying to be vegetarian over here – so far so good. after almost a month of no meat and almost not dairy [cheese, i can't quit you!] i'm starting to crave more and more veggies, and i really do not miss meat at all. tonight i'm making a recent favorite that is packed full of protein, fiber and omega-3's. bon appetit! 

kale pesto [i plan to mix with noodles and zucchini strips]:

• 2 to 3 cloves garlic
• 3 cups packed kale (about 1 small bunch)
• ¾ cup hemp seeds or toasted walnuts
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• ¾ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• Red pepper flakes, optional (if you want to add some kick)
• ¼ cup flaxseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil (more if desired)

image, full recipe and directions via cookie and kate

artichokes & vegan aioli:

• 1 cup cashews [soaked for about 4 hours] these are what will give you the creamyness
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic 
• zest and juice of 1 lemon 
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 - 2 pinches of salt 

image, full recipe and directions via one ingredient chef

VEGAN RECIPIE: AVOCADO GREEN SMOOTHIE

so, recently i've tried to become a vegetarian [while also trying to be vegan as much as possible, but cheese and fish find their way into my life sometimes]. my mom is a vegan and i watched two documentaries that completely sold me: cowspiricy and forks over knives. i highly recommend both. 

to be honest, the diet shift feels so good and gets me excited for change. i thought i would start sharing some of my favorite resources and recipes here for those of you who might be interested. starting of with my new morning routine, this perfect smoothie. 

Serves 1

• 1 banana, peeled [frozen gives a nice chill to the smoothie]
• 1/2 cup frozen (or fresh) mango [i also substitute this for pineapple to mix it up]
• 1/2  avocado
• 1 cup  [or big handful] spinach
• 1 1/4 cups almond milk or homemade cashew milk
• 1 tbsp lime juice [about half a lime]
• optional: 2 tbsp hemp protein powder 

place all smoothie ingredients in your blender and blend till very smooth and creamy. this recipe is from the food 52 vegan cookbook  with a few tweaks. another great vegan cookbook can be found here. cheers.