VeganMofo: Day 2: HeartWood Bakery and Vegan Cafe

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Originally uploaded by B_A_Dxxx88

Heart wood is one of the many fabulous local buisness in Halifax that cater to vegetarians, vegans and those with dietary constraints. Don't let the dessert case fool you, heartwood means seriously filling, healthy, and organic eating.

The majority of their menu items rely on fresh local produce and changes slightly to accommodate regional flavours and what they have on stock. Lately it's been beets. In everything, included our beet salsa and freshly grated redness over everything.

Whenever I'm feeling under the weather or as if my non-green days have been too many, I hit up heartwood. On cold rainy halifax days, their soups call to me. Different batches each day full of vegetable goodness they never disappoint.

Another daily go to is their special board. The daily special changes daily (duh) so try and get it while it lasts. Unlike most daily specials this isn't a reduced price main, but rather a unique creation made by the kitchen staff based on sheer whim and fairy dust. I've only rarely seen specials repeat, so it's always a good bet to try it out while it's there, because who knows when you'll get the change again.
The special is usually 10.99 and includes a main, side, condiments and other assortments based on the dish. This time it was a vegan Quesadia stuffed with black bean, vegetables, tofu all sauted in spices with some fresh herbs, peppers, onions and shredded carrot. There was a spicy mole sauce on the side, the ww crispy tortilla was topped with their vegan cream sauce. Kinda like cheesy sour scream but with more flavour.

The side was steam greens a heartwood favourite. We also ordered vegan nachos to start. And I couldn't resist dessert, which was much better than I remembered.

The lovely mole sauce


All their desserts are gluten free and often chocolate free as well so i've had issues with the texture (i'm a gluten snob). But the cheese cake today was great!

The lovely chocolate PB, so creamy smooth. Despite their lack of sweeterners it was pleasantly rich and tasty.

VEGANMOFO-FILLER:Veganism Survey: Via Kittee on the mofo forum, via some student looking for mofo-info

1. There are many definitions of veganism out there. What is your definition of veganism? Moreover, what is the difference between being a vegetarian and being a vegan?
Veganism may have started out as a simple dietary change and movement away from something I was no longer comfortable supporting. But since then it's become a lot more, Veganism is now one of my defining characteristics, my lifestyle, a movement, and most of all it's a community. I've met a lot of people whom I consider family, and in reality our only ties are veganism, cooking and a little spot of Internet. Veganism for me is compassion and making simple life choices to make your world a better place.

The difference between vegetarian and vegan can be a lot of things, for various people but strictly speaking it's an abstinence from all harm (dairy eggs honey etc).
2. What are the benefits to being a vegan? Is it a lifestyle choice, or is it restricted solely to what one eats?
Lifestyle choice all the way. The immediate benefits for me personally was a vast improvement of health. It cleared up my skin, brought me down to a healthy weight, helped me overcome issues I had with food and provided me the ground work for overcoming my eating issues. Since going vegan, everything has gotten a little brighter. I went from being a sickly kid, missing weeks of school/work due to common illness to rarely ever getting sick. Taking charge in the kitchen and having something to be passionate about and work towards. It helped me focus and brought back my love of food, cooking and baking.
3. What are some common misconceptions about vegans or veganism?
Mainly that vegan food is simple, boring or bland. That vegans don't eat and are unhealthy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Also that there are no vegan guys, they exist (they just have to spend some time in hiding to avoid being mauled by ladies/boys)
4. University students don't usually have the time or financial means to cook proper, nutritious meals everyday. What would you recommend to students in this situation?
Cooking tasty and healthy doesn't have to break the bank! Some of the cheapest and healthiest things are vegan. The Cheap Vegan is a zine that changed my life, it's amazing rational guide for eating well and living thrifty. The best thing I did in university was a) move out of the dorms and get a real kitchen b) buy a crock pot/slow cooker or pressure cooker and get to it! There are all kinds of cheap living and cooking advice out there. The best thing is to know what you like and shop accordingly. Buy bulk grains, legumes and beans. Shop on discount days and get an easy simplistic cookbook full of recipes you like. If you enjoy your food, you'll enjoy eating and making it too. Plus crock pots are great for cooking beans during school etc and coming home to chili, soup or other amazing dishes.

Don't give up! Plan ahead! and find some recipes/favourites to love!

5. The University of Victoria is currently ranked in second place by PETA2's Most Vegetarian-Friendly University Campus Ranking in Canada. How can students promote more awareness about vegetarianism and, more specifically, veganism?
One thing that worked well for us was hosting monthly vegan potlucks on campus, try talking to your women/gender centre to see about a partnership and being able to use their space. Advertise in local free papers or through posters. We also did monthly cooking classes which introduced students to cheap, easy meals they could make that tasted great and were vegan! cupcakes 101, fancy eatings on cheap livings and basic intro to cooking courses had great success.

We also did some postering, leafleting on campus and hosted film screenings. They are pretty easy and quick to get going.
6. This is the fourth year for the Vegan Month of Food. What are some of the biggest changes you've noticed since the event began?
Publicity! Each year Mofo is getting bigger and badder! This year the blog list alone is outstanding and press is really starting to notice our little endeavour. I've witnessed a lot of blogs and bloggers growing in both their design, writing, photo and recipe skills. Each year people are getting better, learning to cook better and improving in some way. It's amazing to watch people learn as we go along. Some of the ideas and creativity is just unbelievable.
7. Lastly, what are the main goals of Vegan Month of Food?
To raise awareness about veganism and the love of food. Showing people through good food and food geekery what veganism looks, taste and smells like. Feeding people and food are one of the greatest forms of activism we have. Once people see how awesome veganism and vegan food can be, it makes the politics and their implications just a little bit less scary. And shines some warm fuzzies on veganism.

VeganMofo: Day 1!

Ok, so a less than impressive start. Despite my lack of cooking, photo taking and general free time, I've decided to post anyway!

Today my food related activities are limited to grocery shopping at Planet Organic the local organic market. But, I bring you halagonians fantastic news. THEY NOW HAVE DAIYA!!!!

I know, I'm soo excited... It's lurking in my fridge now, so stay tuned for some reviews and trials.

What's more as my dad was in town I also splurged on a few new cool vegan items like tofurkey breakfast links and soy yogurts.

I will try to keep up to date with the Mofoing. Mostly a run down of what I manage to eat in a day with my busy schedule and maybe some suggestions for things to make or grab on the go for the busy among us. Specifically, I splurged at the market and bought a lot of processed/ready made foods I normally wouldn't go near for budget reasons.

However, lately my commitment to not buying pre-made has turned into a commitment to not eating because I'm too lazy/busy/tired etc to make food. Which is bad, so sometimes the extra $ on things like mini soy yogurts or other grab and go foods are justifiable if it means eating something when you would otherwise have nothing, go without or eat out (which is not budget friendly!).

I've also been in the bad habit of eating out, a habit I may continue for mofo and do some HRM Vegan Review series of where to eat and what to order!

Happy Mofo everyone!

And because posts are incomplete without photos I bring you Cell Phone shot of the coconut banana creme pie from the HeartWood bakery/cafe. Please excuse the bite marks.

Thanksgiving: Last minute and beyond epic

Sorry no photos, it was a hectic and less minute affair with 16 people to feed!

Items made:
I made two different roasts, one was the holiday roast from everyday dish, the other was a round one like tofurky but stuffed with homemade stuffing and then marinaded/pressure cooked with veggies.

Candied Lime Sweet potatoes, sweet potato maple garlic grattini, stuffing, stuffing more stuffing some dry some steamed in the rice cooker. Roast garlic mashed potatoes, two kinds of gravy, stuffed and roasted acorn squash, sweet chili maple roast squash, ginger garlic roasted veggies (carrorts butternup sweet potatoe), green bean casserol, pumpkin pie, apple crisp, faux meat pie, apple baked beans, roasted carrot/squash soup, braised carrorts with white wine/EB and finally roasted garlic brussel sprouts.

I think that was it.

Photo issues

I apologize again for the lack of postings. My Flickr account expired and paypal is screwing up. Life's been hectic, and soon school's starting, where the heck is my break?!

Working full time, but will hopefully be able to call and fix the photo issue then I can at least give you lot some short foodporn posts.

GUEST POST: Shannon Wills: 5 Easy Steps to Becoming a Vegan

I recently received an e-mail from a reader, Shannon Wills asking if she could write a guest post for the blog. I agreed and this is what she wrote, an easy no frills guide to going vegan. Mind you everyone comes about in their own way and for their own reasons. I for example went vegan instantaneously after learning about how 'food' animals were treated, others more gradually. So here are some easy steps for soon-to-be-vegans.
5 Easy Steps to Becoming a Vegan

Change is never easy, especially when it comes to getting rid of habits that have been ingrained in us from childhood and cultivating new ones at the same time. And because food is an integral part of our daily lives, one that we are so passionate about, it’s doubly hard to turn over a new leaf and adopt a vegan lifestyle after eating meat and dairy your whole life. But if you really want to go vegan for any reason whatsoever (concerns over your health, care for the environment, or just because you want a change), there are ways to make the transition easier and not so much a sudden change. And here they are, five easy steps to becoming a vegan:

* Give up one at a time: If you’re used to eating both non-vegetarian food and dairy, don’t give up both simultaneously. While cold turkey works best for addictions like smoking and drinking, when it comes to food, it’s best to ease off one by one. Start with your least favorite non-vegan food, and every few days or so, add another item to the list. When you avoid going out and limit the ingredients and food items in your home to vegan, it’s easier to stick to your resolution.

* Eat what you really love: Make the switch to vegan more appealing by choosing foods that you love in this category; it doesn’t matter that they may not be the healthiest of choices, all you need to do is ensure you try to stick to vegan as much as possible. And by opting to eat what you love, you don’t crave meat or dairy so much.

* Try it for a week or fortnight: When you start out, don’t tell yourself that you’re going to become vegan for good. Instead, set smaller goals that you can achieve and feel proud about – choose to go vegan for a week or a fortnight, and then as you taste success in the short term, push yourself to go a little further. This way, you have the satisfaction of adhering to your goal and being able to give up meat and dairy little by little.

* Find substitutes: Make the change easier by finding suitable substitutes – if you enjoy coffee or tea, try soy milk or low-fat non-dairy creamers as an alternative to milk. Talk to people who are long-time vegans and get yourself a few good recipes, a list of acceptable substitutes, and the necessary supplements to prevent vitamin and other nutritional deficiencies (food from plant sources lack Vitamin B12 and iron, so you may have to use fortified vegan products or take supplementary pills to prevent deficiencies and related illnesses).

* Don’t force yourself to stay the course: If you find the going tough, remind yourself why you decided to effect the change. And if you still crave meat and/or dairy, give in to the temptation once in a while just so you prevent a binge and a complete relapse. It’s better to enjoy the guilty taste of your favorite non-vegetarian dish once in a while than go back to your old eating habits for good.

By-line: This guest post is contributed by Shannon Wills, she writes on the topic of physical therapy assistant schools . She welcomes your comments at her email id: shannonwills23@gmail.com.

FoodNetworkFriday (FNF!): Spicy Cherry Ribz!

This week's recipe, originally from Guy Fieri,, for sppicy cherry ribs. First off, this sauce is amazingly complex, like you can almost feel/taste it's flavour changing in your mouth. Not at all what I would describe as a BBQ sauce, but yet still rich, smoky, sweet, spicy, savoury blending all at once.


I made a few changes because canned cherries do not exist in CANADA. I tried every store, spoke to managers, they were not having it. I could have cherry jam, cherry pie filling, frozen cherries or fresh. Fresh ones were on sale, so I used those (which was messy! but so good). I also didn't measure my ginger/garlic, instead i opted to use purees of both 3 spoons of ginger and 2 heaping spoons of ginger. I was also tempted to add a little brown sugar to my sauce but held off.

For my ribz, I decided to utilize the beautiful and head sized portobello caps I had from costco. As such, I should have reduced the amount of spice rub used but didn't. I sliced halfway through the caps to create tear-able riblettes. Brushed the top sides of the caps with mustard as the recipe suggests, and then just shorta dumped the rub on and mixed it a bit.


Then they went covered into the fridge for way longer than required (I sorta forgot about them for a week).
Mushroom version

Bringing us to today! I cooked up the sauce as the recipe describes, painfully pitting and chopping cherries. As a result my final sauce was kinda jelly like, thick with little sweet/sour cherry bombs throughout. I smushed them up while cooking, but I kinda liked the chunks. In the future I may try blending the final sauce for a smoother glazing approach.



I baked the rubbed mushrooms and last minute sliced a bit of seitan I had into sticks/ribs. The seitan wasn't rubbed or marinated, just brushed on both sides with olive oil. I baked at 350 for 15 minutes on one side while the sauce cooked, flipped then another 15 on the other.



Reduced heat to 250, and here came the tough part. I couldn't choose between a light glazing/brushing of sauce to create an extra crispy sell served with additional sauce OR if I should stick with the recipe and dump the whole mess into the pan to broil. I started with a light coating on side, baked for 10. It looked pretty good, but after reading all the other posts decided to flip everything and then liberally cover with sauce and bake for another 15. Then out and flipped once more with everything bubbling, stir around the sauce and broil for 5-6 minutes.


The results were amazing!!The seitan developed an amazing colour/glazed coating. Nice and crisp while soft and chewy in the middle. But the mushrooms really stole the show! they were moist, meaty, chewy and simply amazing. The texture was out of this world.

Seitan Riblet

Here's the thing, through baking the mushrooms let out a LOT of water which I drained and all was good. But i really should have drastically reduced the rub because while baking, mushrooms sweating, spicy ribz rub ran everywhere and mixed into the sauce. So my ribz where extra hot! The baking and additional Cayenne really turned up the heat! So I would try halving the rub next time, or maybe try leaving it out. In the mean time I'll be eating these tasty babies in small batches.

Mushrooms had such a unique meaty feel.

To round out the meal I mashed some taters in skin mixed with an amazing Vegan-mayo styled dill/chive/garlic dip from the Farmers Market. It was very similar to a super thick cream cheese/sour cream dip. Making a nice creamy, slightly tart, with a bit of bite, extra flavourful side dish! And added some steamed veggies for colour!
I even had enough for lunch for work! yum!

I'm also planning to use some of the remaining seitan/mushroom ribs for a rib sandwich if I can find a nice, easy, cooling,creamy slaw to serve it with. Another idea I toyed with was serving the ribs pho style atop a rich noodled broth with veggies.

More photos on Flickr.