When I first went vegan, I relied heavily upon online resources to make the best cruelty-free choices available, like Leaping Bunny for cosmetics, The Post Punk Kitchen to figure out how to make stuff to eat and HappyCow for finding vegan restaurants. Although recalling and using most of the information pulled from these sites is now second nature to me, I still revisit HappyCow when travelling—whether it’s within the US or beyond—because vegan options are constantly growing, changing and evolving.
When we visited Scotland a few years ago, HappyCow told us where to go to find vegan food, and led us to Café Arriba in Isle of Skye, and Henderson’s Bistro and Black Bo’s [now closed] in Edinburgh. Wouldn’t it be a great idea to have a book that showcased similar dishes from vegan restaurants around the world that included recipes, photos and a bit about their history?
Voila! The nice folks over at BenBella Books have thought of just that, and they’ve released The HappyCow Cookbook, which features more than 80 recipes from almost 50 restaurants, spanning 11 countries around the world. If you want to feel like you are being whisked away to a Denmark- or Israel-based restaurant by making one of their signature dishes, or would like to recreate a favorite dish you just had in Japan, you can just crack open this cookbook to experience it once again in your own kitchen.
When I received my HappyCow Cookbook review copy, I made Studio City-based SunCafe Organic‘s Moroccan Tajine. This dish offers a simple yet flavorful balance of rich and sweet, and a beautiful array of textures and aromas. The technique behind making this dish was completely new to me, and I loved the aromas it released during the baking time. Bella Books has kindly allowed me to share the recipe for the Moroccan Tajine here, and is also offering a free copy of their book through this post!
**To enter for a chance to win, just leave a comment below including the best dish you’ve ever had at a vegan restaurant, and include the restaurant name in your comment, along with your email or some way to contact you in case your name is drawn as the winner. Shipping is restricted to US and Canada only. I’l randomly pick a winner on August 26 … good luck!**
The winner of this giveaway in Sanni, congrats!
Moroccan Tajine
Yield 4 servings
From SunCafe Organic in Studio City, CA | Reprinted with permission by BenBella Books
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/8 cup lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the stew:
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
- 1 large zucchini, chopped
- 1/2 apple, chopped
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
For the date/cinnamon sauce:
- 1/2 cup whole dates
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Small pinch cayenne
- 2 1/2 cups water
To assemble:
- 1/2 cup raisins (garnish)
- Dill sprigs (garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Gather together the sauce ingredients in a blender. Mix on high until smooth. Next gather together the stew ingredients. Mix them with the sauce in a large bowl. Place on a baking tray and bake in the heated oven for 15 minutes. Set aside.
- Combine all the date/cinnamon sauce ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Set aside.
- To assemble: Mold tajine in 3 1/2-inch mold circles or use a 1 cup measuring cup. Drizzle date/cinnamon sauce over the top and around the plate. Garnish with raisins and dill sprigs, then serve.
For more information, visit HappyCow.net on Facebook, twitter and Pinterest.
i love the Quinoa Onion Rings and the Mega Life Salad, both from Fresh in toronto!! gooberific@yahoo.com
Sadly, we do not have many vegan establishments in Salt Lake City. We do have a couple. All the products at Vertical Diner are good, but the Jerk *Chicken Burrito was my favorite.
sondi.hardy@gmail.com
Ecopolitan in Minneapolis makes the best vegan/raw flaxseed tostadas!
Fried green tomato and black eyed pea salad… Mmmm.
msred5 at gmail dot com
Karen 🙂
The Philo Purse at True Bistro in Somerville, MA, is always amazing.
Agreed — we loved dining at True Bistro when we lived in Boston!
I haven't had the opportunity to dine at many all-vegan restaurants but I loved the BBQ Ribz from the Land of Kush in Baltimore, and the bean dip from One World Cafe (a pescetarian, mostly-vegetarian restaurant) also in Baltimore. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
http://www.shangri-lavegan.com/ !!!
Lettuce Love Cafe in Burlington – their goddess bowl is to die for 🙂 jerilynmfisher@gmail.com
Just one favorite? How about three: the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich at Terri, the Pan-Seared French Horn Mushrooms Panino at Peacefood Cafe, and the Pistachio & Pepper Dusted Tofu at V-Note. Delish.
nophie_w-v@hotmail.com
What stunning presentation! I love tajines but have never seen one like this.
I love the idea behind the Happy Cow Cookbook and use the Happy Cow site all the time. I'm in the UK so don't enter me into the giveaway!
the only reuben i've ever had is the vegan reuben from Chicago Diner. for me, it is its own destination, and well worth the 6-hour drive. and while you're there, make sure to grab a thick-as-mud chocolate & peanut butter vegan milkshake. yummmmmm
Vegan Lafa Wrap from Lands in Love hotel in Costa Rica. Delicious, hearty, filling, and "exotic" (for an American)!
Close second would be anything from Vertical Diner in Salt Lake City.
Veggie Grill in Carlsbad, CA is delish. I love everything I've tried on their menu. I recently had the carrot cake and it was amazing!
ashleymcdoniels@gmail.com
We've been to a few Veggie Grills in the South Bay, and they are all surprisingly consistent. Love their carrot cake as well, the frosting is to die for!
I remember Eden Cafe in Bar Harbor Maine. I think it closed, which is sad because they had the yummiest bento box with locally sourced tofu and seaweed! I even found the restaurant through Happy Cow.
Yes, Eden was wonderful — a highlight of out trip to Maine!
The best vegan meal I've ever had is from Shojin in LA. Incredible vegan sushi!
I've been there too, Michaela — they have gorgeous food!
I loved the vegan Dragon Roll at Laughing Seed in Asheville, NC.
Wow, the best dish I've ever had at a restaurant is a nearly impossible question to answer! Maybe the chocolate souffle from (now-shuttered) Madeline Bistro.
Black Sesame Ice Cream (mung bean milk) at Hibiscus in Toronto.
The special of the day (chipotle portobello phyllo was the highlight) at Millennium's Restaurant in San Francisco five years ago. It was lovely, and impressed my omni aunts.
Chely at pepitajobo at icloud dot com
Well I've been vegan awhile so I'll go for most recent. Soft tacos with cashew cheese at Gracias madre in San Fran.
bittofraw (at) gmail.com
home grown cafes omelet! sarahcttr at gmail!
Quinoa risotto at Cafe Lebenbauer in Vienna. It was mind-blowingly good. Vienna in general has a lot of pretty amazing vegan options, including a vegan ice cream shop (Veganista) and an all-vegan grocery store 🙂
Ooops! Email is holly dot elyssa at gmail.com
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Karma Road in New Paltz,NY! The best Vegan eatery I have been to. Hard to say what is my favorite, but if forced to, I will say there shepherds pie and sweet potato biscuits! YUMMY! Pumpkin061@aol.com
Oh, that's SUCH a difficult question! I think I can only narrow it down to the best meal I ever had at Vedge restaurant in Philadelphia, complete with shaved brussels sprouts in creamy mustard sauce and finished with a pistachio-date cheesecake. ali.seiter@gmail.com
Café Mana, Brookfield, WI. The guac potato skins with cashew sour cream are amaaaazing! MissVioletLove at Gmail dot com
We don't have any vegan restaurants near us and haven't had the pleasure. Although a new restaurant The Johnston House, offers the Vegan dish of the day – hopefully, they still offer that and we'll give it a try. Our best meals have always been at home by our own hand!
Too hard to say! I'll have to go with the most recent "best dish" – the reuben at Native Foods' Chicago Loop location. Whenever I find vegan reubens on the menu, I HAVE to order one. Native Foods' version was perfection.
Hands down, VEDGE in Philadelphia is the BEST!! Spicy grilled tofu with gochujang (a Korean chili paste) on a bed of edamame puree with smoked miso and topped with a yuca cracklin! AMAZING!! Heaven on a plate! I want this right now!
I love the Postada at Lydia's Sunflower Center in Petaluma, CA: Chopped oven baked fries, black beans, salsa fresca, avocado, cilantro, red onions & “Kreemy” Chili Sauce — the chili sauce is awesome!
My favorite restaurant is Shojin in downtown LA but the dish that I will never forget is the hearts-of-palm "crab" cakes from Horizons in Philly. I think they have moved on with a new location and name but that meal will forever be in my heart. Mmmmm…
We don't have any all vegan restaurants nearby that I know of. I did however love the raw vegan tacos from Lettuce In (Concord, CA). I could eat those every day! aimeesavon@hotmail.com
Unfortunately, the south shore has no vegan restaurants, so the only place I can eat out at is bangna garden in Kingston. Great Thai food in a hole in the wall!!!!
Carolyn
Cjacibson82@Gmail.com
The potato salad from Spiral Diner in Fort Worth, Texas can't be beat. It's light and filling, with a smooth dill and mustard flavor. It definitely deserves a place in a Happy Cow recipe book.
The vegan take on fish n chips at Veggie Galaxy in Boston.
Thanks for this wonderful giveaway 🙂
My favorite vegan meal was a won ton soup at Zen in Québec, Canada. The salad dressing overthere was also quite amazing.
The closest I've come to a vegan restaurant is The Grit in Athens, GA. I absolutely love their weekend brunch menu. Yumminess abounds, but my favorite is biscuits with yeast gravy. "Oh to swim in an ocean of yeast gravy."
My favourite vegan dish is the kale quinoa salad with tempeh that I recently had at Fresh in Toronto! victoriaess at hotmail dot com.
It's called Pra-Ram at the Good Karma Vegan House in San Jose, CA. It's got rice noodles, vegetables, Thai peanut curry sauce, etc. Very good!
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
My favorite…Beet Tartare from Portobello in Portland. It is INSANELY good. remy . gobears at gmail . com
Oh man, I don't know how I could ever pick! The meal I had at Candle 79 a few years ago will forever stick in my mind…but I have had so many incredible meals since. Thank you so much for the giveaway!
We only have a couple of dedicated vegan restaurants in Albuquerque, and no vegan bakeries. But what we have is pretty tasty! I love the spicy tofu and eggplant from Thai Vegan. Comes with brown rice shaped into a heart 😀
I still dream of the reuben at Chicago Diner I had years ago. I'm not sure if it was the best vegan meal I ever had, but I was newly vegan and the taste blew me away. Definitely memorable.
I've only eaten at one vegan restaurant – Native Foods. I enjoyed their Sesame Kale Macro Bowl – grilled tempeh on top of steamed kale and brown rice with a creamy sesame sauce, sauerkraut and onions. Very satisfying! cynthiajaiken@gmail.com
Mac and Yease at Plum Bistro in Seattle is to DIE FOR! It's a secret family recipe that they don't give out. They have a Mac and "cheese" in their cookbook, but it's not the same dish. 🙁
I wish there were vegan restaurants anywhere around here! I have to cook them myself, which is why this cookbook sounds lovely! 🙂
alicia.bayer @ gmail.com
Portobello Sausage Burger from Native Foods! Best ever burger.
Mississippi Bowl at the Native Bowl food cart in Portland, OR. Delish.
Wayward Cafe in Seattle has the BEST "Chick'n Fried Steak" breakfast plate. I'm sort of craving it now in fact!
Mac and cheese with greens and soy chicken salad.
Soul Vegetarian Restaurant in Atlanta
Thanks
Saniel Underwood
Sanielj@gmail.com
Wow such a difficult question ….I would say Zen Kitchen in Ottawa Canada, they have a wonderul fried oyster mushroom, Zen Tapas as well as their eggplant medallion. ChuChai in Montreal Quebec has an amazing BBQ "Duck" that is awesome!!
Vegan portabello and sausage burger at Native Foods, Costa Mesa, California. Yum. rose_forest@hotmail.com