Food Find Friday

PDX Eats | Virtuous Pie

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Months ago I was watching an Instagram story that featured Virtuous Pie in Vancouver BC. I was seriously salivating over all the pizzas that were featured and then at the end the person made mention that they would be opening a location in Portland OR. Well months went by and I just completely forgot all about it until we happened upon the Portland location when we tried The Baker’s Mark a sandwich shop just next door at SE Division and 12th. Since that day I have been anxiously waiting for Virtuous Pie PDX to open and that day has finally come! This week they had a soft opening and tomorrow June 10th they will have their grand opening starting at 8am with coffee and pastries from Shoofly Bakery. 

Tonight we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to stop by and try out a few pizzas and ice creams. I should note that everything is 100% plant-based.The 100% plant-based pizzas combine unique flavor pairings using three-day dough and house-made nut cheeses, including cashew mozzarella, almond ricotta, and non-GMO tofu feta. The full menu can be found here.  If you are gluten-free you’ll be in heaven because most of their pies can be made gluten free and they even have gluten-free waffle cones for their ice cream. 

We struggled to narrow down which pizzas to order for our first visit but initially settled on the Meatball & Chevre and the Stranger Wings. To go with the pizza Neil chose one of the local beer offerings and while I wish I could have joined him I decided to start with water. Now I maybe a total geek but I was so excited to see that they had both still and sparkling water for you to serve yourself. 

We chose a table outside and within a matter of 6-8 minutes our pizzas were ready and after getting my Instagram shots we dived in and those pizzas were gone in about the same amount of time it took us to wait for them. At first bite we were a bit underwhelmed with the Stranger Wings but the second slice completely changed both our minds and we were sold. It had a bit of spice (although could maybe have used a touch more for my personal taste) and the blue cheese sauce was seriously amazing. If you are from Maritime Canada I would closely relate the blue cheese sauce here to donair sauce. Neil couldn’t get over how close he thought it tasted and we are considering buying up a few sides to have with homemade vegan garlic fingers (again a Maritime thing).

Stranger Wings | Bianca, Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower, Crisp Fried Shallots, Blue Cheese Drizzle, Scallion

Our second pizza was the Meatball & Chevre that came out with a vegan parm that not only looked like freshly grated parm but SMELLED like parm as well. This pizza was packed with so much flavor and we instantly fell in love. The meatballs were so flavourful and lemon herb chevre was like nothing I’ve ever had. Seriously amazing.

MEATBALL + CHEVRE | San Marzano Tomato Sauce, Baerlic Brewing Chorizo Meatballs, Creamed Spinach, Lemon Herb Chevre, Basil, Fresh Parm.

Once we finished these two pizzas we opted to go for a third for one out of pure curiosity and also because neither of us had really eaten much all day. We narrowed it down to three options and ultimately went with the Kim-Jack a Korean inspired pizza. I have to say this wasn’t the one I would have chosen just based on the description alone because while I love Korean flavors I’m not big into jackfruit but it was suggested so I agreed. The pizza came out and it was love at first bite. The jackfruit on this pizza was incredible and combined with the cashew mozza it was even more incredible and ended up being both Neil and my favorite of the three pizzas. 

KIM-JACK | Hoisin Crema, Cashew Mozzarella, Kimchi, Gochujang Braised Jackfruit, Roast Brocollini, Scallion

We ate most of the Kim-Jack before deciding to pack up the remainder to go and switching gears to something a bit sweeter. Since we really wanted to full experience we decided to go with an ice cream flight. I left the flavor choices up to Neil and he chose the Double Chocolate & Salted Caramel, Coffee & Donuts and Lavender & Meyer Lemon. All of these ice creams had really great flavor and out of the three my favorite was the Lavender & Meyer Lemon. Next time I’d love to try the Turmeric & Black Pepper and the Marionberry Cheesecake. 

The Verdict? If you live in Portland (or Vancouver BC) you need to drop everything and head to Virtuous Pie. One of the best food experiences I have had in awhile and I already have plans go back tomorrow morning for a mug of Heart Coffee and Shoofly Pastries and again next week for a mamas night out so I can try another pizza and more ice cream (assuming this baby doesn’t come first). 

Have you tried Virtuous Pie? Which is your favorite pie and/or ice cream?

What To Eat When It’s Too Hot To Cook

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The post was created as a part of the #GenesisTodaySuperfoods August Challenge.
I don’t know about where you live but here in Portland we have hit a heat wave. I’m telling you I can’t even walk out my front door without instantly breaking a sweat. Who knew the PNW could be so dang hot? Anyways all this heat has me avoiding our stove and oven like the plague. So what does one eat in a heat wave? Smoothie Bowls!

genesis superfoods acai bowl

This whole idea of smoothie bowls and acai bowls is not new and it’s actually a culinary concept that I resisted for years but here I am blogging about them now because currently they are my life. They are perfect for any meal and are extremely versatile. Below is my current go-to Acai Smoothie Bowl:

genesis superfood bowl

Protein Packed Superfood Acai Bowl
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Base
  1. 1 banana
  2. 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  3. 1oz Genesis Acai 100
  4. 1 cup frozen mix berries
  5. 1 scoop Genesis Trim Protein Powder
  6. 1/2 scoop Genesis Greens Powder
Top
  1. Almond Butter
  2. Berries
  3. Coconut
  4. Banana
Instructions
  1. Blend base until smooth.
  2. Pour into a bowl and top!
Naturally Lindsay http://3.232.172.97/
The Trim Protein from Genesis contains a mixture of quinoa, amaranth, chia and other sprouted seeds. It has 16 g of plant-based protein per serving and is packed with superfoods such acai, mangosteen and goji berry. It also contains Garcinia Cambogia a fruit native to Southeast Asia that contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA) which is known to help promote weight loss.

I add the Greens powder because it helps support healthy digestion and daily nutrition. It also contains two of my favorite superfoods spirulina because it contains many essential vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and 18 different amino acids and flax seeds an important source of Omega-3 fatty acids. A bonus that this greens powder 25 Billion probiotics per serving, in other words your gut will thank you.

My last superfood add in is Acai 100 because I love to nourish not only my insides but also my outsides. Acai is known to promote healthy skin. I also can always use the energy boost acai provides especially when it comes to spending my days chasing two littles.

genesis superfood smoothie bowl

What is your favorite acai or smoothie bowl base and toppings?

Disclaimer: I am blogger ambassador for Genesis Today. I received monetary compensation for this post. The opinions are my own and based on my own experience.

#FoodFindFriday | Bontà Natural Artisan Gelato | Ice Cream | Bend, Oregon

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2016.06.18. - Tumalo 8

A few weeks ago we made our second big trip down to Bend, Oregon for some camping, hiking and gelato eating. Prior to our trip I looked up ice cream shops to visit and Bontà was one of the first spots to pop up. I checked to see what they had for non-dairy options and when I saw flavors such as chocolate coconut, lemon sorbetto, and vegan spiced latte I knew that we just had to give Bontà a try.

2016.06.18. - Tumalo 4

Our first day in Bend we headed downtown and to our delight we not only found the Bontà store front but their was a food festival also going on which included the Bontà gelato cart. After perusing the flavors we decided to get the coconut with Jem nutbutter from the cart and the raspberry sorbetto from the shop. We also sampled the chocolate and the lemon which where absolutely amazing and I have dreams about going back for a scoop of each. 

2016.06.18. - Tumalo 7

The dairy-free gelato was smooth, creamy, and incredibly rich. Exactly what I love in a gelato or non-dairy ice cream. I will say we went for a regular size of the coconut with Jem and it was more than we could finish because it was so rich but oh it was so good. 

Overall A+++ when it comes to quality, selection and taste and easily one of my most favorite #FridayFoodFinds.

Disclaimer: this post is in NOT sponsored. 

#SummerStrong | Eating Simply & Healthfully | Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (Ideas)

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Bob’s Red Mill and FitApproach sponsored this post. All opinions are my own.

Weekly Eats- Burrito Bowl

One of my goals for this month is to focus on eating much more simple meals.  Simple breakfasts, simple lunches and simple dinners with a few more fun and complex meals throw in on the weekends. Simple, yet tasty, satisfying and nutritious. Simple Meals filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and plant-based protein.

For breakfast I flop between savory and sweet but whichever I choose I always go for something easy because this mama doesn’t have time to mess around at breakfast. For savory breakfast I love avocado on toast with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of chili flakes or a big bowl of grains with sauteed baby spinach and a sprinkle of tamari and nutritional yeast. When it comes to sweet you’ll most likely find me with a smoothie in hand or in a bowl topped with whatever we have on hand. Lately I have been loving smoothie bowls with frozen bananas, a splash of almond milk, sometimes the rest of my coffee that has gone cold and a scoop Bob’s Red Mill Chocolate Protein Powder (yes, I know I was surprised when I found out they made protein powders too!). I like to top it with more banana, some granola, coconut flakes and drizzle of agave. This smoothie bowl leaves me feeling energized, full and satisfies me until lunch time rolls around.  

Bob's Red mill

As for lunch and dinner I like to keep it super simple – basically beans, greens and grains. I know you might be reading this and thinking well that sounds awfully boring. Well it does sound boring and can be but the key is to make it more fun with sauces and add-on’s that personalize your meal and make it more tasty.

For us beans, greens and grains meals will be happening most Monday-Thursday because those are some of our busiest days of the week. It allows us to it simply, healthfully and easily. It also helps to prevent us from turning to takeout on those nights when we just don’t feel like putting something together or are out late. I simply am making up a batch of grains and serving with whatever greens and vegetables that look great along with a plant-based whole foods protein.  So how am I jazzing things up? Well that’s when we break out the sauces from tahini to coconut aminos to hot sauces and barbecue sauces. I also love the addition of various fermented veggies (kraut, kimchi, ect). I also love adding avocado, hemp seeds and nutritional yeast to top things off.;

On the weekends we might jazz things up a bit more and have meals that take longer to prepare or even eat out. We often like to make pancakes and tofu scramble on the weekends for breakfast but honestly you’ll probably find us having the smoothie bowl I listed about because;it’s one of Neil’s favorite breakfasts. Lunch and dinner are usually a little more wild if we are in the mood or sometimes we just keep it simple. 

Keeping things simple helps us to eat healthier, have less cravings, and more energy. 

What are you go to weekday and weekend meals? How do you feel about the smoothie bowl? I’ll be honest when smoothie bowls first because a thing I was all like WTF but now I’m obsessed. If you are also a lover of them and are in PDX you must go to Kure and get one because they have the best smoothie bowls ever. 

Friday Food Finds & More

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summer splash

Happy Friday! 

Who is ready for the weekend? It’s supposed to be over 100F here in Portland this weekend – hot, hot hot! 

I have a bunch of ripe bananas begging to be frozen and these creamy popsicles on the agenda to beat the heat. 

Hot coffee isn’t going to cut it in 100 degree weather so bring on the iced coffee -specifically this one. 

Looking for something a bit stronger than coffee? Cool down with this cocktail that combines two wonderful things – strawberries & whiskey!

And for eating lets keep it fresh and green like these tacos because no one wants too spend a hot day cooking in a hot kitchen.

A few other shoutouts this week…

The first is to Katie Heddleston who launched her BAMR bands subscription box this week! 

The other shout out I have to give to Nicole Culver the creator behind the amazing Food Entrepreneur Summit that I am so thrilled to be (online) attending right now!

Feeling seriously lucky to have such inspiring women who I can also call friends in my life.

 

Food Find Friday | #hempproteinsmoothie

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RWT-manitobaharvesthempprotein_1

Hemp seeds are these crazy little things that taste amazing and are so versatile and they are incredibly nutritious. We have been eating them for years at our house so of course when Manitoba Harvest came out with their new Hemp Protein Smoothie I jumped at the opportunity to try it.

I have tried Manitoba Harvest‘s HempPro 70 in the past and I really like it for a protein to add to my smoothies when all I want is protein and omega’s. However sometimes you want a little bit of flavor and sweetener and even maybe even a few greens and that is where the new Hemp Protein Smoothies are a great option.

The Manitoba Harvest Hemp Protein Smoothie powder combines their HempPro 70 with coconut sugar <– love this because most protein powders either use cane sugar or stevia and I personally prefer coconut sugar, a greens blend which includes organic spinach, organic kale and organic broccoli and either chocolate, berry or chai flavoring. Each 30 gram serving has 15 grams of plant-based protein. 

These smoothies are super easy to because you can simply mix them in your shaker cup with some of your favorite non-dairy milk perfect for a quick post workout shake or mid-day pick me up or you can add it to your blender with some non-dairy milk, frozen fruit of your choice and any other of your favorite smoothie add-ins such as coconut or chia seeds or nut butters. For me I’m all about the chocolate Hemp Protein Smoothie because I just love a chocolate peanut butter and banana smoothie – it’s basically like a healthier milk shake. 

What flavor would you like to try? What’s your favorite smoothie combo? 

This post was sponsored by Fit Approach on behalf of Manitoba Harvest. All opinions as always are my own.  
15% off Hemp Protein Smoothie. Promo code:hempsmoothielaunch16 (good until April 30, 2016)