Edible Earth

When Texas is mentioned you may think of cowboys, but Austin is supposed to be really veg-friendly and one of the greenest cities in the U.S. to boot (pun intended). It is also an area known for prolific live music.

When checking out the vegan travel treats Austin has to offer, one place that stands out is Bananarchy - a food cart where one can order dipped bananas with sauces like chocolate and peanut butter. Yummy desserts abound in Austin, home to the organic Happy Vegan Bakery, which features ice creams, cakes, and quiches (smoked tomato and basil- yum!), and Sugar Tooth Bakery which makes custom ordered cakes and cupcakes but also serves up doughnuts, scones, etc.

Don’t mess with Texas – Austin even has vegan food trailers called Edible Earth and Counter Culture (also raw)! There’s Casa de Luz specializing in macrobiotic organic vegan meals, and providing a culinary school, yoga and massage, and beyond. Local triathlete Cheryl Tulkoff loves Mr. Natural. She said it’s a one stop shop for everything vegetarian — a restaurant, bakery, health food store and resource center.

“Most Tex-Mex food is horribly junky and almost impossible to find cheeseless, but not at Mr. Natural! I especially like the Zucchini Poblano and vegetable tamales,” Tulkoff said.

Whole Foods (affectionately called “Whole Paycheck” by some) has a few locations in Austin, the city where the natural foods store originated, and several other grocery stores offer healthy fare. The region keeps busy hosting many local potlucks and other veggie gatherings. OrganicAthlete is active in Austin as well. Whether you are a local or looking to do some vegan travel, see Vegans Rock Austin, The Vegetarian Network of Austin,  and VegAustin.com for starters.

Christy Morgan

In almost 20 years of being vegan I have not heard much about the diet being combined with macrobiotics, so perhaps Los Angeles’ lovely Christy Morgan — aka The Blissful Chef — has created a niche for herself. With seven years of experience being vegan plus training in vegan and vegetarian cooking she received at The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts, Morgan helps people create a holistic approach that combines the body, spirit and mind while focusing on vegan nutrition.

In her highly informative and friendly style, Morgan outlines her 10 favorite macrobiotic websites on her blog.

Her new eCookbook, “Cooking with the Seasons – Spring Edition:  A Blissful Selection of Seasonal Recipes to Nourish You Throughout Spring” gives details on the 5 Element theory and has a beautiful chart that explains which foods and cooking methods are best for this time of year.

Morgan says that to work toward a balanced life, we need to clean our bodies by giving up “sugar, coffee, simple carbs, alcohol, animal foods and other nasty stuff for a good amount of time.”

So why not do an inner spring cleaning and substitute those toxic things with the healthy and tantalizing 19 recipes in Morgan’s eCookbook?  I cannot wait to try Soba Noodles with Basil Pecan Pesto – yum, or salsa that includes Granny Smith apples.  Not to mention a Green Spring Casserole recipe that adds in crimini mushrooms, almond milk and other ingredients that may inspire longtime vegans to find new ways to consume the leafy greens much-touted for their nutritional value. Morgan’s knowledge of vegan nutrition shines through; interested folks should definitely get a copy of this enlightening eCookbook.