Zudaka: healthy Latin food in Boulder
Zudaka at 4457 N. Broadway in Boulder
One of the best things about the Colorado town of Boulder is the wealth of terrific restaurants featuring ethnic cuisine from all over the world. Even better, Boulder is a veg-friendly town, so many of these restaurants offer vegetarian and vegan fare. Fabulous. But Zudaka and its Latin dishes stand out, even from this illustrious crowd. This little restaurant offers vegetarian and vegan Venezuelan and Colombian traditional foods. And it’s damn good. Check out the Zudaka menu.
I tried the hallequitas: two Venezuelan tamales served with black beans, fresh salsa, guasa, and an arepita (a small corn cake). The ingredients were fresh and delightfully spiced, and it was a real treat to enjoy a vegan tamale. We’ll have to track down a recipe…
Hallequitas at Zudaka: Venezuelan tamales with black beans, fresh salsa, guasa, and an arepita
Whenever I find an amazing restaurant that caters to a special niche audience, I can’t help but wonder whether the establishment will make it. I think we’ve all felt the disappointment of driving to a favorite restaurant while anticipating a delicious meal and pulling into the parking lot only to find vacated premises. If you’re in the Boulder area, please visit and support Zudaka. It’s a treasure, and we need more restaurants like this one.
Delicious dairy-free milks
Our favorite all-purpose "milk"
Dairy-free milks have come a long way in recent years. Many restaurants and coffee shops offer soymilk or rice milk (and unlike years past, the servers usually know what you’re referring to if you ask for it). And I think that every major grocery chain now offers soymilk and almond milk in the dairy cases. But even more options are available.
Although I was accustomed to the “beany” taste of soymilk, I can’t say I ever really got off on it. About a year ago, my friend Jill recommended coconut milk, and I haven’t gone back to soy since. I love the creamy texture of the coconut milk in my coffee, soups, and baked treats. I buy the organic So Delicious brand, which can be found in the refrigerated section. Aseptic packaging on the shelf is also available, so I keep a few extras in the pantry. Try it in broccoli rice soup.
I love the taste of almond milk. Although some brands lack the thick, creamy texture that I prefer for coffee, it’s a great choice for cereal and also in baked cranberry walnut oatmeal. It also adds a terrific nutty flavor to smoothies.
Hazelnut milk is similar to almond milk. Look for it in aseptic packages on the shelf.
Like soymilk, rice milk is available in unsweetened versions as well as flavors like vanilla and chocolate. Although I don’t cook or bake with it, I do use it in smoothies. And the mini packages are nice to take along on trips and camping excursions – no refrigeration required.
One dairy-free milk that I haven’t tried yet is hemp milk. It’s on my next shopping list. Let us know if you’ve tried it.
Diabetic adopts “100-percent healthy plant-strong diet,” avoids medical complications
Besides introducing us to a Phoenix restaurant called the Heart Attack Grill, a recent John Robbins article in the Huffington Post titled Being Fat in America also profiles a young, obese diabetic woman named Natala Constantine. Natala avoided serious medical complications (including a partial leg amputation) by adopting a vegan diet. After returning to her doctors and asking why they had not recommended this course of action to her, the response was, “because it isn’t practical.” (As Natala points out, losing a leg at age 30 doesn’t seem practical either).
It’s a mystery to me (and other vegetarians and vegans) why plant-based diets continue to be viewed as weird or not practical, but one of our goals at Ethnic Vegan is to combat that myth and help you to incorporate plant-based meals into your everyday life. If you also find articles like this one interesting, check back here as we’ll occasionally include links to relevant news/ediorial items in this blog.
Chamomile, the wonder flower
Chamomile flowers
Sue says:
What an amazing herb, this chamomile! A relative of the daisy family, the tiny dried chamomile flowers can be made into tea or essential oils. The oil is known as bisabolol and has many healing properties, such as anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, and antioxidant; possibly even antiviral. The antispasmodic qualities of chamomile tea are helpful for indigestion, nausea, and menstrual, stomach, or intestinal cramps. It has also been recommended as an anti-inflammatory to help ease migraine headaches, and it can be used as a mouthwash.
Let’s start with chamomile tea. A cup of chamomile tea made with two teaspoons of dried flowers can relieve anxiety. It can also make you sleepy, and is a lot healthier as a sleep aid than that martini – fewer calories, too. Over time, though, one can develop a tolerance for chamomile’s ability to cause drowsiness.
Chamomile essential oil (found at natural food or vitamin stores) applied to the skin can ease the pain of abrasions, scrapes, burns, and skin conditions such as rash or itching. You can also use a cloth moistened with a strong blend of cooled chamomile tea on skin irritation or burns.
Make a compress out of a couple of steeped, cooled chamomile tea bags on your eyelids for refreshing relief from eye fatigue.
If you have allergies or are pregnant, talk with your health care provider before you drink chamomile tea or use the essential oil. Never administer to an infant without first discussing with a health care provider.
Chamomile is easy to grow, and its mini-daisies are pretty touch in your flowerbed, but it can take over empty space in your garden quickly. If you keep it under control, chamomile can make a pleasant difference in your garden, your life, and your health.
Meatout is March 20
“More than 30 million Americans have explored a meat-free diet.”
Whether you find that statistic heartening or depressing depends on whether you’re a glass-half-empty or a glass-half-full type, and a good argument could be presented for either opinion. In any case, here’s a heads up that Meatout is fast approaching.
Every year on March 20 (the first day of spring), supporters of the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) ask people to “kick the meat habit” and explore a wholesome, non-violent diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. If you’re interested in hosting an event, check out FARM’s action center and a terrific handout called Live Vegan.
Grapefruit soda
We’re extremely fond of a certain imported Italian grapefruit soda from a well-known natural foods chain. Inspired by the abundance of excellent citrus in stores right now, we wondered if we could make our own homemade grapefruit soda and duplicate the flavor of the imported soda. Well, the results were REALLY GOOD.
First, halve a grapefruit and squeeze the juice from the fruit. (We averaged about 3/4 cup of juice from each grapefruit, but these seemed to be very juicy, and I suspect that most grapefruits may yield a bit less.) Pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup juice per glass. Add sparkling mineral water and a squirt of agave nectar if you like a bit of sweetness. Stir and add ice. Sip and enjoy.
Homemade grapefruit soda
Latin-inspired meal
Fried plantains, fiesta beans and rice, and pico de gallo. This meal is a medley of Latin-inspired flavors, and these three items work SO well together. The slightly sour bite of the lime in the pico de gallo is balanced by the warm, sweet plantains…and the beans and rice complement both of them. I found myself trying to get a bit of all three on the fork at the same time…try it!
A Latin medley
A new favorite: Chimayo chile powder
We adore heirloom foods and ethnic ingredients, so we cheered the tale of the Chimayo Chile Project and the efforts of the Native Hispanic Institute in Santa Fe to preserve this 400-year-old chile. We purchased some back in November and promised to test it and let you know the results.
Well, we LOVE this chile powder. We tried it in veggie chili, south of the border soup, burritos, and breakfast potatoes. It adds a delightful, subtle smoky heat that we are now addicted to. And look at this amazing color:
Is this a fabulous color or what?
I’m planning to give these little packets as unique gifts to my cooking-obsessed friends during 2011. We’ll let you know when we find other noteworthy products worth sharing.
I will reserve a spot for Chimayo Red in my spice drawer.
Homemade vanilla extract
I recently experienced sticker shock at the grocery store while shopping for vanilla extract, which prompted me to instead purchase vanilla beans and vodka. Time to make homemade vanilla extract!
First, I checked Barnivore to find a vegan-friendly vodka and settled on a pint of Skyy. Then I found two empty jars with lids. You can use one large jar, but I’m going to divide my batch and give my kitchen cohort Sue a jar of homemade vanilla extract so that she can bake something yummy for me.
Everything you need for homemade vanilla extract.
Slice four or five vanilla beans down the middle and split each one, place them in the jar(s), and cover with vodka. Seal tightly and let sit for at least 5 weeks. The longer they stew, the stronger your extract will be.
PCRM files suit over vegetarian alternative to MyPyramid
This week, the organization Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed suit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for failing to respond to PCRM’s petition that offers the Power Plate as an alternative to MyPyramid.
Although obviously we’re in favor of a USDA plant-based eating plan made available for Americans, I was also interested in this news story from another angle: usability. The Power Plate graphic is simple and user-friendly. The PCRM recommends eating from the following four groups every day: fruits, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Bam. That’s it. The graphic is easy to understand, and clicking on any of the four groups also takes you to recipes that incorporate them. I didn’t find navigating MyPyramid to be that simple.
Anyway, I finally found an online form on the MyPyramid site to enter specifics and received a “customized profile.” Try it. If you’ve been vegetarian or vegan for awhile, the results are an eye-opener. My profile suggested that I eat 3 cups of dark green vegetables per week. Per week? Often I consume that per day, or sometimes even per MEAL. Wow.
We give PCRM a huge thumbs-up for undertaking this endeavor (plus bonus points for usability).
