Last night J took me to PF Changs for dinner and we ordered their vegan Ma Po Tofu and vegan Stir-Fried Eggplant. Arriving just before a Florida downpour the place was packed but we happened to get lucky with 2 seats at the bar. The atmosphere was wonderful and the staff close to perfect. When the bartender asked how we liked the dishes, J pointed to the eggplant and said "awful" and then pointed to the Ma Po Tufu and said "awesome". The eggplant was way overcooked into mush and recommend you try one of their other vegan entrees such as the coconut curry vegetables. Be aware that their spring rolls are fried. They say that all their vegetarian dishes are in fact vegan. Here is a link to their menu.
For this last week most of what I've eaten has been cooked. You may not be aware of this fact but raw food is better for you and cooked food can really harm you starting with the fact that most of the nutrients are cooked out. So I hit the Internet searching for a raw food recipe and came up with this one from http://aelida.com/ for Cardamom-Orange Coconut Flaxjacks! . OMG it was so easy that I'm posting her link and photograph. These are an adaptation of raw vegan chef Ani Phyo's recipe but it works very well. Don't expect these to taste like Aunt Jamima's or traditional flapjacks as you don't cook these. They taste great! These are not "hot" so just get over it and try them for something different.
Cardamon-Orange Coconut Flaxjacks (makes 2 small cakes):
1/4 c plus 1 tbsp whole flax seeds
1/4 c dried (unsweetened) shredded coconut
small pinch sea salt (optional)
pinch ground cardamom
3 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp agave nectar
Grind flaxseeds to a fine powder in a spice mill or coffee grinder and place in a small bowl. Grind the coconut if it is not already very finely shredded, and add to flax. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until a “dough” is formed. Divide in two and roll each half into a ball, then flatten into a pancake shape. Serve topped with fruit or fresh fruit syrup.
If you'd like to read up on the differences of raw fresh produce vs cooked food you can start with this article.
