Avocado Nacho Bowls (Great for Parties!)

First off, our apologies for not posting a new blog since... October... whoa! We've been having a lot of success with our Etsy shop (check the right side bar!) and have been very busy getting our new url going. We have managed to maintain the Facebook/Instagram/Twitter but have been neglecting the blog since VeganMoFo ended. Sorry! Soon to be remedied! We have lots of write-ups for vegan-friendly destinations and restaurants we have visited in the last few months in the works, and of course, tons of recipes to share!

Now, if you've been following us on Instagram then you've probably seen these little avocado nacho bowls pop up in your feed. We have had a lot of requests for the recipe and we are more than happy to share it!




-For the basic recipe-

You will need:
1 small avocado
1/2 cup Daiya or other vegan cheese (cheddar or pepper jack is best)
Salt
Pepper

What to do:

First, cut the avocado in half and remove the pit.

Then, fill the hole with vegan cheese and continue to stack on top until covered with a vegan cheese mountain.

Bake in toaster oven at 450º for 10-15 minutes. Could be longer depending on your toaster oven. (Alternatively, you can bake in a conventional oven at 425º for 20 minutes.) Work with it a bit if needed. The goal is to get the avocado soft enough to eat with firm tortilla chips and melt the cheese throughly without burning it to a crisp.

Once removed from oven sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with firm tortilla chips.

Make tons of them if you want! They're fantastic for parties!


We've seen some great variations of this little recipe already.

eatmygraaains did a version with jalapenos and mixed vegan cheeses that looked really awesome on Instagram.

We also experimented by filling the avocado holes with salsa and topping them with grape tomatoes before baking. That was pretty yummy as well!

We would love to see your take on this idea! If you make this appetizer please take a picture and tag us on Instagram! @twoveganladies

We'll be back soon with more blog posts! In the meantime don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and of course Instagram.

With peace, love, and compassion-
The Two Vegan Ladies

The Two Vegan Ladies take on Key West (Day Two)

The next morning we rented some bikes and took a trip back to Help Yourself to get some of the veganized French Toast we had seen on the menu the day before.

We sat at the little nook overlooking the cash register and juicing zone. It's pretty cool to watch the ladies that work there pull the wheat grass from trays lining the counter and throw it into the juicer. So fresh! And the smell is terrific! Certainly a great way to wake up in the morning.

We ordered the french toast (make sure to specify to make it vegan!) and a sprouted whole grain bagel with cashew cream cheese, tomato, and avocado. We also grabbed one of their house-made bottled lemonades!

Our first breakfast at Help Yourself was pretty impressive. The french toast was thick and the syrup had a great flavor. The large green grapes and other fruit topping was a nice touch as well. The bagel was fresh and the cashew cream cheese was a delight. The slices of tomato and avocado were cut thick so even though it was just a bagel it was quite filling. Their house-made drinks all seemed really interesting so we had to give one a try. We settled on the strawberry lemonade and man was it tasty! A little pricey, ($4.50 for 16 ounces) but very refreshing! 

After getting pretty full over there we jumped on our bikes and rode around the town to do some shopping and see the sights for a few hours before bumping into another place we had heard of (and one that came highly recommended from our hosts at Deer Run) called The Cafe.

The Cafe is located at 509 Southard Street not too far from the corner of Southard and Duval. It is also not fully vegan/vegetarian but very vegan friendly! 

The atmosphere is cute and laid back with fabric covered benches and small tables. The waitstaff is helpful and answered all the questions we had. 

Unlike Help Yourself, The Cafe has full table service- so it is much more suited for a sit-down lunch or dinner than a quick-service breakfast.

We weren't crazy hungry when we arrived but really wanted to try a few snacks so we ordered the spring rolls and truffle fries. 

Everything is marked on the menu with a cute little star if the item is vegan (also a boxed letter G if gluten-free) and the truffle fries happen to not have an adorable little star by them. That's because they typically come with parmesan cheese. We asked to go sans cheese and the waitstaff assured us that that would make them 100% vegan. He also told us that if they hadn't been out of Daiya that day he would have offer it as a replacement. Cool!

Now, let us tell you... these spring rolls... wow, they will knock your socks right off! We consider ourselves experts in the spring roll field and these were just out of this world delicious. Very crispy, thicker than most spring rolls, and filled with an array of flavors and paired with a spectacular sweet chili dipping sauce- they are a must order at this joint!

The truffle fries were pretty good as well. Great flavor and good portion. But the springs rolls really took the vegan snack cake for this visit.

After our snack we spent some time at the welcome party for Womenfest and met some really interesting ladies then headed back to our hotel. We had planned to do a little sit down dinner at Amigos but after getting settled in we figured take-out would be just as much fun.

(This place also delivers. Not that we knew that until after we walked the four blocks to go pick it up!)

We're glad we took the trip to check it out though. It was very cute inside. Lots of atmosphere and tons of sauces all over the dining area labeled with intended spiciness. There's even a sign on the wall marking all the vegetarian and vegan friendly options they serve. 

Stars=vegan, again. Are they trying to tell us something? We must all be stars! 

We ordered corn tortillas with our veggie quesadilla and burrito because they were marked as being vegan while the flour were not. Unfortunately, we were then informed they were out of corn tortillas. The server seemed very knowledgeable about the veg options and then informed us that the flour tortillas were vegan aside from a final step where they were quickly sauteed in butter before being served.  She offered to tell the cook to omit that step and make them vegan. Sounded good to us!

We walked the four blocks back and got settled into the hotel room to enjoy our food. They had given us all sorts of side sauces and salsas to dip our food in, and they were all quite good. The quesadilla was packed with black beans and lots of sauteed veggies. Very filling. And the burrito was overstuffed with rice, beans, sauteed veggies, corn, lettuce, and tomato. 

This is another place that is open later than the other veg-friendly places and is great for a late night snack. It was reasonable price/portion wise. We got our two meals for under $20 and had left overs for the next day.

If you're craving some late night Mexican this is the place to go for sure. Well priced, right on Duval street, and extremely veg-friendly.

Day three coming tomorrow!

With peace, love, and compassion-

The Two Vegan Ladies

Holy Guacamole! Mexican Alfredo Pasta!

So what do you do when you have a veggie basket full of avocados left over from Cinco de Mayo? Well first you pick out the survivors and then you make Mexican alfredo pasta!


Guacamole is delicious but sometimes you want that wonderful avocado flavor with a new twist.


This creamy dish is a good source of fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid.

 What you'll need:

1 medium-large avocado

1/2 can coconut milk

1/2 package tofu

Juice from 3 limes

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 cup fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 can black beans

2 cloves of garlic

1 small red onion

1 small vadalia (or yellow) onion

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

1 package noodles (we like the Garden Delight variety) 

Fresh salsa for topping

First, cut your avocado and remove the seed. 


If you're feeling ambitious poke some toothpicks into the seed and set it in a jar of water so it can sprout. Once sprouted, move it to a pot of soil and then eventually to the ground so it can grow into a beautiful avocado tree! We have three growing at our house right now!  


*It should also be noted that sometimes these seeds take a while. Some of ours have taken their sweet time of almost two months! Just fill the water as it evaporates and change it out if it gets icky. They will eventually root and sprout little green friends! Promise! Sometimes removing the outer dark colored shell helps expedite this process. 




Next, combine avocado, coconut milk, tofu, lime juice, cilantro, basil, and green onions into a food processor or blender with 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Now, in a skillet sauté garlic with red and yellow onions and black beans. Season to taste.

Boil your noodles then combine avocado sauce with beans/onions and noodles. Mix well or layer.

Add fresh salsa or chopped green onions for garnish.

This creamy and delicious pasta dish will easily serve 4 people.

Gotta love avocados! 

With peace, love, and compassion-

The Two Vegan Ladies

Mango Salsa

This past weekend was a great time for some spring cleaning. We organized a lot of things in the house and got some much needed gardening done. When we did have time to take a break from the reorganization and composting effort we went inside and made a quick and refreshing snack.

Mango salsa is so easy to make, especially when you have a food processor. Sometimes it can be difficult if you like your salsa a little on the chunky side like we do because a food processor is like a little adorable beast who's first instinct is to puree everything you feed it. Sometimes that can be nice, but if you're like us and want to keep some texture to your fruits and vegetables, but don't feel like chopping all day, then you need to take some extra steps.

You will need:

1 fresh mango

1/2 fresh plum tomato (optional)

1/2 fresh red onion

1/2 fresh red bell pepper

1/2 fresh green bell pepper

3 tbsp fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

De-seed and then chop all your fruits and veggies into large chunks.

This is the important part- if you want your salsa chunky put each item in the food processor seperately. As in, put in your mango, process to desired size, and set aside. Then do your tomato and so on. You can put them in all together but it will come out a lot thinner. 

Next, mix them all together in a large bowl and add your salt, pepper, and cumin along with your lime and lemon juice. Fresh from the fruit is best here but the pre-bottled stuff will work.

We suggest serving it with chips as a snack or as a topping with tacos or fried tofu.

 Easy and delicious! 

With peace, love, and compassion-

The Two Vegan Ladies