Top 10 Vegan Food In Washington DC

Washington DC is not known to be a vegan-friendly city. I have lived in the city for three years and still see restaurants with no vegan (and sometimes even no vegetarian) options.

With patience, time and tasting some horrifying food, I have managed to find restaurants with great vegan options and even some 100% vegan establishments.

Savory

Daikaya $/Haikan $

If you are a Ramen-lover, then do not miss out on going to either Haikan or Daikya. These sister restaurants both offer a 100% vegan Ramen full of veggies and spice. Daikaya is the original most-loved ramen place in DC and it usually has a line out the door. Haikan is larger and a bit more modern since it opened in Fall 2016 and has great outdoor seating. I prefer the veggie ramen at Daikaya ever so slightly more because it is more traditional.

Daikaya: Veggie Ramen $13.75

Haikan: Veggie Ramen $13.75 + Veggie Spice Bomb (orange paste) $1

 

Zaytinya $$

This Greek/Mediterranean tapas restaurant owned by renound chef José Andrés has a wealth of vegan options. You are first greeted at your table with their oven-hot house-made pita and pomegranate olive oil. Start out by ordering the Baba Ghannouge and Hummus. Then try their Mushroom Couscous, Seasonal Mushrooms, and Roasted Aspargus. The wine selection is also fantastic. I recommend a glass of the ’15 Akakies Rose.

Thai X-ing $$$

Every Tuesday and Sunday night, Thai X-ing presents a chef’s menu of Taw’s favorite vegetarian dishes, most of which are vegan. There are 5 to 7 courses including desert and the dishes are constantly rotating. This experience is $30 per person.

HipCity Veg $ V+

This fast casual restaurant is one of my favorite places for an all vegan lunch.  Their menu features lots of fake meat like Chik’n and tempeh and a load of veggies. Their packaging and plasticware is compostable and there is an overall great eco vibe.

Ziggy Burger + Kale Lemonade = $14

Rasika $$

Award Winning chef Sunderam puts a high end twist on traditional Indian cooking at Rasika. Start out your meal by ordering their mixed Papadums served with two excellent house-made sauces. All the vegetarian entrees are fantastic and fill of spice. Also grab some carbs in the form of Nann. Their truffle and garlic are the best.

DC Cafe

This meditiranean Cafe has been in DC for more than 25 years. They make everything from scratch which is why there is such great flavor. The prices are cheap and the service is fast. My go-to is the eggplant sandwich which is the most filling vegan meal you can get in DC for under $7.

Eggplant Sandwich $6.99

For The Health Nut

South Block Juice Co. $$

Peanut Blast Smoothie, California Acai Bowl, Super Green Smoothie

This local to DC establishment has everything a health nut dreams of.  They have the best Acai bowls in DC, but that comes with an $11 price tag. They also have fruit smoothies, green smoothies and protein smoothies. All the Protein Smoothies can be made with vegan protein powder instead of Whey. Recently they have also added toast to their menu which I have still yet to try. They have expanded to nine locations now, so wherever you are in the DC area, there shouldn’t be one too far.

Fruitive $$ V+

Iron Berry Smoothie, M.L.T. Sandwich, Illuminade Juice

Fruitive is the first certified organic 100% Vegan fast-casual restaurant in the United States. Although famous for their cold-pressed juices, they also have delicious smoothies, superberry bowls, supergrain bowls, toasts, wraps, sandwiches, salads, and collared tacos. Their M.L.T sandwich is my go-to.

 

Sweets

Sticky Fingers $

Peanut Butter and Coconut Bacon Cupcake, Lemon Cupcake With Lavender Frosting, Snickers Donut, Boston Cream Donut

Pancakes Brunch Plate $11

This two-time winner of Cupcake Wars does nothing but impress with everything on their menu. My favorites are their Boston Cream Donut, Sticky Bun, and all their Cupcakes. They also carry regular food such as vegan mac and cheese, chili, and great brunch plates. This place a must go if you are in DC.

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I would also like to give an honorable mention to one of the worst restaurants in DC that has an image of being farm-fresh and very vegetarian-friendly, but rather brings quite the opposite. Tom Sietsema, food critic of the Washington post, ever so perfectly describes Founding Farmers in this article where he gives it Zero Stars. What I still cannot fathom is that there is a line out the door almost every night. Here is a link to his review.

 

Top 10 Documentaries For Your Health, The Planet, And Animals

 

Food

What The Health (2017)

What The Health exposes the government corruption behind the pharmaceutical industry. The trillion dollar healthcare dollars are ending up in the hands of big businesses that are helping keep us sick.

Forks Over Knives (2011)

Forks Over Knives examines the claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that affect us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting intake of animal-based and processed foods. It shows how certain diseases are virtually non-existent in parts of the world where animal-based foods are rarely consumed.

Food Inc (2010)

Food Inc. unveils some of the sombre practices underpinning the American food industry, exploring how corporations place profits before consumer health, worker safety and the environment. This documentary argues that industrial production methods are not only inhumane, but they are also unsustainable from an economic and environmental standpoint. Watch Full Documentary Here

 

Meet Your Meat (2002)

This 12-minute eye-opener narrated by Alec Baldwin is an assemblage of undercover footage that exposes the cruelty behind factory farms. This can be a hard one to watch, but try and make it through the 12 minutes. Watch Full Documentary Here

Planet

Before The Flood (2016)

In this new documentary, Leonardo DeCaprio takes you on a journey around the world to show how climate change is real and is already taking affect. He meets with scientists, activists and world leaders to discuss the dangers of climate change and possible solutions. Watch Full Documentary  Here

COWSPIRACY (2014)

COWSPIRACY, my favorite documentary of all time, uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it.

An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

This documentary follows Al Gore on a lecture circuit to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming. He argues that climate change is man-made, and its effects will be cataclysmic if we don’t act now. The sequel to this documentary, Truth to Power, is being released July 28, 2017.

Animals

Earthlings (2005)

This documentary is an investigation of animal abuse due to humankind’s total dependence on animals for economic purposes. It is narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, actor and activist, who has been vegan since the age of three. This documentary I find is the hardest one to watch. Please be mentally prepared. Watch Full Documentary Here

Blackfish (2013)

Blackfish dives into the animal cruelty within the multi-billion dollar sea-park industry. It tells the story of Tilikum, a captive killer whale that is forced to perform and ends up killing several people.

The Cove (2009)

This documentary exposes the slaughter of more than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises off the coast of Japan every year. Dolphin meat, containing toxic levels of mercury, is sold as food in Japan and other parts of Asia, often labeled as whale meat. The remaining dolphins are sold to dolphinarius and marine parks around the world into a lifetime of captivity.

 

Jump Rope Cardio Warm-up

Jumping rope is one of the most effective ways to rapidly increase your heart rate. For the past month, I have been jumping rope at the beginning of my workouts in order to get my entire body warmed up.

The jump rope I use is from PROCIRCLE. I like this one because you can adjust the length and it was built for speed. I jump rope for 10 minutes with breaks and then continue with the rest of my workout.

First 5 Minutes

60 Seconds Forward Jump

60 Seconds Backward Jump

30 seconds Right Leg Jump

30 seconds Left Leg Jump

60 seconds Alternating Jump

60 seconds Double Jumps

Rest 2 minutes. Stretch anything that feels tight.

Second 5 Minutes

60 seconds Foot-Cross Jump

60 seconds High Knees

30 seconds Right Leg Jump

30 seconds Left Leg Jump

60 seconds Forward Cross-overs

60 seconds Backwards Cross-overs

Rest 2 minutes. Continue with the rest of your workout.

 

No Equipment Workout

Working out while traveling can be difficult due to lack of equipment or set workout schedule. You can however work out anywhere as long as you make it a priority.

The routines below are an example of what I did while traveling in Panama for 3.5 months where I never had access to a gym or other equipment. I alternated between leg day and upper body day for a total of around four workouts a week. These workouts went along with other exercise, such as snorkeling, hiking, soccer, horseback-riding, yoga, beach running, etc.

 

 

Skater Jump

Bridge

Donkey Kick

Cross Body Mountain Climber

Oblique Crunch Mountain Climber

Toe Touches

Leg Day

3 reps

30 squats

10 forward lunges (20)

10 backward lunges (20)

20 single leg dead lifts (40)

 

3 reps

40 bridges

50 donkey kicks (100)

20 single leg bridges (40)

30 fire hydrants (60)

 

3 reps

40 skater jumps

10 burpees

20 jump squats

 

Upper Body

3 reps

40 mountain climbers

40 cross-body mountain climbers

40 oblique crunch mountain climbers

15 tricep dips

15 pushups

1 minute plank

 

3 reps

50 russian twists

50 raised leg toe touches

30 leg lifts

10 v-ups

 

 

My Cruelty Free, Vegan Skincare Routine

My skincare routine has dramatically evolved over the past two years. I have switched from using animal-tested, chemical-filled drugstore products to vegan and cruelty-free ones. The brands I use are conscious about the planet and animals which is why I enjoy supporting them.

Look for these two symbols when shopping for products:

Cruelty-free = the product does not test on animals

Vegan = the product does not contain any animal products

Daily Use

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a cheap, natural way to remove makeup. I take roughly half a teaspoon  and gently rub it over my eyes and my entire face and then use my face wash to wash off the makeup and oil.

Burt’s Bees Sensitive Facial Cleanser

Unlike most cleansers that strip your face of all your natural oils with harsh soaps, this cleanser is extremely gentle on your skin. I only use this cleanser on days that I wear makeup. Other days, I just splash my face with water and then continue with my skincare routine.

Acure Eye Cream

ACURE is one of my favorite brands. I use this eye cream every day, sometimes twice a day. It is very hydrating!

Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil

The only moisturizing agent I use on my skin is natural oil. Argan oil is one of my favorites as it is not too heavy and thick. I apply a few drops to my face after every time I wash my face.

Desert Essence Organic Coconut and Jajoba Oil

I use this oil blend from Desert Essence interchangeably with the Argan oil to moisturize my face.

 

Occasional Treatments

Derma E Microdermabrasion Scrub

I use this gentle scrub two times a week to exfoliate my skin.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree oil is a natural cleansing oil and disinfectant. I use this oil for any blemishes on my skin or any other skin infections. Never use it directly on your skin as it is very strong. I dilute it with water and put it on any spots or as a general face cleanser on rare occasions when my skin is really acting out.

Indian Healing Clay

Calcium Bentonite Clay is the only face mask I use. I mix equal parts of clay and apple cider vinegar or water until it makes a paste and then leave it on my face for about 10 minutes and rinse off. I use this 2-3 times a month to give my skin a deeper clean. I do not use it very often because face masks can remove too much of your natural skin oils that keep your skin at its healthiest.

Andalou Naturals Beauty Balm SPF 30

Sun exposure is the number one reason for premature aging skin. The only sunscreen that I ever use on my face is this Beauty Balm with SPF 30 from Andalou Naturals. It has a slight very sheer mineral tint to even out your skin and not give you that white cast that some  sunscreens do. I wear this on days where I will have a larger amount of sun exposure.

Vegan Fluffy Pancakes with Candied Pineapple

 

Serves 1

Pancakes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup Flour (any kind)

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1 1/4 cup Non-Dairy Milk

1 tablespoon Maple Syrup or other sweetener

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients

2. Add in the non-dairy milk and sweetener and whisk until well combined

3. Heat pan to medium heat and add in a tiny bit of oil of your choice so the panckes do not stick

4. Pour batter onto pan and flip once you see bubbles forming

Pineapple Topping

Ingredients

1 cup cubed fresh Organic Pineapple

1/2 cup Water

3 tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, dissolve sugar in the water over low heat until it thickens

2. Add in pineapple and sauté on medium heat until the pineapple is soft and brown

3. Once taken off the heat, stir the vanilla extract.

4. Pour over pancakes and enjoy!

 

Easy Potato Latkes With Homemade Apple Sauce

Serves 2

Apple Sauce

Peel and dice six apples (preferably organic).

 

Add the apples to a pot and set it over medium heat with a lid. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until mushy. (Depending on how juicy your apples are, you may have to add a bit of water throughout the cooking time so that they do not stick to  the bottom).

Once the apples are soft, use a hand blender, regular blender, or food processor to purée them. I love using a hand blender for this because then you don’t have to transfer anything. Mine is from Cuisinart and I love it so much!

And there you have it. Homemade Apple Sauce! No added sugar, no preservatives.

Potato Latkes

You will need five medium sized potatoes, a peeler, a grater, and the oil of your choice.

Peel and grate all of the potatoes.

This is what it should look like when you’re done.

On a non-stick pan, add a small amount of oil over low heat. Add small heaps of the potato and spread them out as thin as possible. This is important because otherwise you could end up with raw potato in the middle of your latke. I also like to add a pinch of salt onto each one at this point.

Flip them when they are brown on one side and then let them brown on the other side. Transfer to a paper towel when done. Repeat with rest of potato.

Eat them with your homemade apple sauce!

Full Recipe

Ingredients

5 apples

6 medium-sized potatoes

2 tablespoons oil

Instructions

1. Peel and dice the apples.

2. Transfer them to a pot and cover. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until soft. You may have to add a little water during this time depending on how juicy you apples are.

3. Once the apples soft, purée the them using a hand blender, regular blender, or food processor.

4. On a non-stick pan, add a small amount of oil over low heat. Add small heaps of the potato and spread them out as thin as possible. This is important because otherwise you could end up with raw potato in the middle of your latke.

5. Flip them when they are brown on one side and then let them brown on the other side. Transfer to a paper towel when done. Repeat with rest of potato.

Homemade Almond Milk

Almond Milk is a staple in most vegan’s diet. I use it in so many dishes and drinks like pancakes, soups, smoothies, cookies etc. It’s overall just a much healthier and Eco-friendly version of regular milk.

Step-By-Step

You will need a blender, bowl, strainer, cheese cloth, and storage container such as a mason jar. The only tool that you will need that you probably do not have already is cheese cloth. It’s just a very fine cloth strainer. You can easily get it on Amazon.

First, strain and rinse the almonds. Then add them to the blender and add the water. Do not use the water that the almonds were soaking in!

Blend the almonds on high for about one minute, or until it looks white and creamy.

Pour the mixture into a bowl covered with cheese cloth.

Then strain out all the liquid.

Transfer it to an airtight jar and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Full Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight

3 1/2 cups water

• Optional add-ins: vanilla, cinnamon, dates

Instructions

1. Combine water and almonds in blender

2. Blend on high for about one minute or until creamy

3. Strain and squeeze all the liquid through cheese cloth into a bowl

4. Pour liquid into an airtight container and store in fridge for up to five days

New Vegan Foody Books

I LOVE getting new books. Not so much the story ones, but anything that you can truly learn something from. I got these four books for Christmas, and wanted to review them to see what they are all about.

Eat Smart

The Eat Smart cookbook by Niomi Smart I was by far the most excited to get. Niomi lives in the UK and is a vegan video blogger that I have been following for a while.

Her book is the most beautiful cookbook I have ever seen. The layout and formatting of the entire book is perfect to the last detail. It is organized into six sections; Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Sides + Snacks, Desert, and Drinks. This makes finding meals to what you are looking for so much easier.

One of my favorite things about the recipes is that they do not require any obscure ingredients. Below on the right I created the Creamy Carrot Soup With Roasted Broccoli (pg. 86). The ingredients are so simple and the directions were very easy to follow. I also added some oven baked garlic bread with chili flakes on the side, because why not.

Next I was so excited to try the Macaroni ‘Cheese’ (pg. 136). This was by far the best vegan mac and cheese I have ever had. It was super creamy looked exactly like real mac and cheese.

My overall impression of the book so far is that everyone who is vegan and loves cooking, should get this book ASAP!

The Homemade Vegan Pantry

The Homemade Vegan Pantry is very true to its title. It has all the vegan versions of items non-vegans eat. The recipes are very diverse, ranging from Almond Feta to Unfish Sticks, Mountain Bars, Buckwheat Pasta, Unsteak, and Not Nog.

If you’re a fan of all the vegan versions of non-vegan things, then this book is definitely for you. If you like more of a whole foods diet with mostly fruits and veggies, then don’t go for this.

Another thing is that some of the recipes require some not so common ingredients like wakame, wheat gluten, liquid smoke, and xanthan gum. If you however love getting creative definitely try this book!

Thug Kitchen

Thug Kitchen is definitely a very alternative cookbook compared to the standard. The recipes are all very fun to read and use a lot of foul-mouthed language.

The book has a huge number of Tex Mex and Latin American inspired recipes. They include, Mixed Veggie And Tofu Chaquiles, Tofu Scramble Tacos, Sweet Corn And Green Chile Baked Flautas, Tortilla Soup, and Pozole Rojo.

It also has many Asian recipes such as Mango Curry, Vegetable Pad Thai With Dry-Fried Tofu, Vegetable-Noodle Soup With Ginger Miso Broth, 5-Spice Fried Rice With Sweet Potatoes, Grilled Eggplant With Soba Noodles, and Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad

The first recipe I made from this book were the Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes (pg. 13). The recipe had very basic ingredients and the directions are funny as they are in the entire book.

The pancake mixture however turned out to be quite thick. They weren’t light and fluffy as I had hoped they would be. I would add at least another 1/4 cup of almond milk in there next time. Besides that there were great! Check out how I make my own Almond Milk here.

I will definitely be trying out more recipes from the Thug Kitchen. I do think this book should be a staple in the vegan foodies kitchen!

Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms

The Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms is a must have for mushroom lovers. This book focuses specifically on mushrooms from the Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic, where I live. The mushrooms are categorized based on which season, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, they grow in. This organization makes it much easier to identify and study mushrooms since there are hundreds of varieties.

It gives the rundown of the parts of the mushroom, and how to identify them. For each mushroom there are detailed descriptions on their size, growth habits, edibility, copycats, and more.

There are books on mushrooms for every area in the world where mushrooms grow. With a little research, you should be able to find a book that can show you the mushrooms of the area you are interested in. I would highly recommend this for any amateur mushroom hunters like me.

How I Keep Bleached Hair Healthy

I have been dying my hair for seven years. This can take quite a toll on your hair and causes a lot of damage over time.

I naturally have light brown hair. In the past years I died my hair darker browns and even black.  Over the summer of 2015 I decided to try going lighter, which I had never done before.

Ever since then I have gotten full foils about three times a year to get this blonde hair.

My Hair Care Routine

Bleaching your hair dries out your hair. If you use heat tools on top of bleaching it, it can be very easy to fry your hair off and have constant split ends. I try to minimize my heat use. I never use a blow dryer and only straighten my hair once every few weeks for special occasions.

I also only wash and condition my hair at a maximum of three times per week. Why do I do this? Washing your hair strips your hair of its natural oils that come from your scalp. These oils are designed to nourish your hair. So if you are constantly stripping your hair of its natural oils, you will get dry, dull hair.

I only use cruelty free products for my hair and all skin-care. Most drug store brands like Herbal Essences, Pantene, Dove etc. test on animals, mostly bunnies, which is very cruel. Here is a list from Peta of cruelty-free hair products.

One of my favorite brands of all time is Acure. I recently picked up this clarifying shampoo. Clarifying shampoos are great because they get rid of build-up from any hair products and dirt more than a normal shampoo. It will result in more vibrant hair, especially if you color or bleach it.

Alba Botanica has become one of my new favorite brands. This conditioner makes my hair so smooth and soft. I apply conditioner all over my hair, especially to the ends, but avoid the roots of my hair so that it doesn’t weigh it down.

Occasional Hair Treatments

Every other week, or whenever my hair is feeling a little “meh” and dry, I do an oil treatment. I take either Jajoba oil or Coconut oil, or both and saturate my hair with it.I try to leave it on as long as possible, usually around 2-3 hours before continuing with my normal hair care routine. The oil makes my hair extra soft, smooth, and shiny and helps repair split ends or any other damage.

I use this Jajoba oil from Trader Joe’s. Another great one I use is from Desert Essence, which is easy to find at Whole Foods or on Amazon.

Other than shampoo and conditioner, and oils, I do not use anything on my hair. I hope this helps you keep your hair healthy and strong. Good luck!