3.4.14

Stretch City: Healthy Fast Food at Vegan Burg

This week is such a quick week! Almost TGIF :)
Anyway, back track to the weekends!!! What did you do on your lovely Sunday?

Since I took leave on Monday, I wanted to make full use of my Sunday. I had plans to go for a morning yoga practice, followed by a lunch with my friend! Couldn't decide on a venue and Stretch City was our savior!

Stretch City is a one stop directory and advisory website gathering yoga-related content on studios, shops, restaurants and events whilst seamlessly linking information to yoga practitioners. It is the first user-generated website of  it’s kind to assist customers by posting reviews, opinions and trusted advice from real yogi’s.

 I was spoilt for all the healthy choices and couldn't decide on which restaurant!
Thanks to all the different reviews, ratings & the map (we wanted somewhere in the West!), I finally decided on VeganBurg.


VeganBurg has been around for quite some time and I've heard some much ravings about it.
Rach & I visited the branch at The Grandstand since we wanted to walk around Pasarbella. (it was another recommendation in SC's listing!) We took the free shuttle bus in and arrived the restaurant around 2pm, which was a perfect timing because it wasn't crowded at all. We were welcomed by their friendly staff, whom patiently assisted us with our orders. 

Anyway, not really a fast-food fanatic, I was excited to see what's there to offer in VeganBurg. We ultimately went with one of their hot favourite, Hawaiian Teriyaki & Smoky BBQ! We made it a meal & chose both the seaweed fries & broccoli as our sides. Truly a hearty combination :) check out their menu here.

 Meal for share in mess tin!
  SMOKEY BBQ
A thick patty of succulent minced mushrooms, oven-baked and slathered in smokey BBQ sauce, coupled with layers of fresh lettuce, tomato, fresh onion rings and alfalfa, nestled within the softest organic ciabatta bun you’ll ever savour. Simply delectable!

Recommended, we went low-carb and gluten free for one of our meal. The bun was replaced by lettuces, alfafa, onions & tomatoes! The minced mushroom patty was delicious and every bite was interesting. With the BBQ sauce, it doesn't taste any bit of vegan.
The chillin' broccoli was great for me but Rach thought it could be better if there were some salt.
I seldom take fried food but I thought the fries was good, not too oily. Me likey!
HAWAIIAN TERIYAKI
This classic Hawaiian burger features the brilliant combination of a pan-grilled luscious pineapple slice and a soya patty glazed with teriyaki sauce, to offer you a delightfully tangy treat that’s just perfect for our summer weather.

Now comes the real thing. I'm a bread lover and I love the bun so much!! All their buns are made from organic wholemeal grains, unrefined raw sugar & sea salt. The idea of having pineapple slice with the soya patty simply taste like Hawaiian pizza. It was a tangy and juicy combination & we gobbled it up very quickly.
Think fast food is junk food? Think again
This would probably be a place I'll come back very soon when J bugs me for fast food! :)

Anyway, I had a little chat with Kat from VB and learnt many interesting thing about being vegan:

J: I always hear about how being vegan helps save the environment but is confused with why.
 K: Yes it helps a lot. Here’s a simple info graphic on how a simple diet change, even for once a week can help the environment

J: People always think that we need meat to stay strong or energetic and we can't achieve this by being vegan, what's your take on this?
 Kat: Going vegan is the best decision I’ve ever made. By eating foods that are rich in vitamin C such as fruits and veggies like Kale, my body has increased its iron absorption. You’ll be surprised to know that a cup of cooked soy beans has 8.8 mg of iron! Besides, consumption of meat and dairy products has been countless of times linked to several diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and uh, impotence. Yes, impotence. Besides, I’ve been on a plant-based diet since I was 10. Never had a problem. My iron levels are great, so does my B12.

J: It's tough to find inexpensive vegan food around. i.e. it can easily cost up to $10 in city area!
Kat: Eating out will always be more expensive than cooking at home, so buying the ingredients and whipping it up at the comfort of your own home is the best bet. A lot of vegan staples do not contain meat such as pasta, tofu, noodles, fruits, veggies, and nuts. Plus, think about it, given the benefits of a vegan diet, you’ll be able to save tons of money on medicines and health care.
  
 On a side note, you’ll be surprised that there are a lot of inexpensive vegan food around the city. For example, there are stall in the hawker areas that have vegetarian/vegan fare. One of my favourite is My Vegetarian Way at Raffles Place. It’s cheap and super yum! 

My Vegetarian Way
Location: #03-24, 50 Market Street (Golden Shoe Market & Food Centre)
Contact: 92385680
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8.00am-3.30pm.  Weekends closed.

 J: What's your advise for someone who's new to veganism? where can they start from?
Kat: I went vegan instantly. But for people who are new to it, maybe they can start doing it every Meat Free Monday, and once they get the hang of it, do it everyday for the rest of their lives. Personally speaking, going vegan is not just about food for me, it’s a lifestyle - a lifetime commitment. 

I remember when I went to Bangkok a couple of years back, I made friends with some British backpackers and they were like “it’s okay, eat meat while you’re travelling, it’s hard to find food”. And I was like, “Nope. Not gonna do that, bro. Just because it’s convenient doesn’t mean that it’s right”. Because really, it’s not hard to find vegan food at all, creativity is the key.

J: now, please share your favourite vegan recipe with us!
Kat: Here’s a recipe from one of my favourite vegan site: http://theveganstoner.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/risotto-patty.html This one’s an original. I made the recipe back in 2012. Plus, it has Singapore’s Tiger Beer!

Roasted Rosemary and Tiger Beer Tofurky (serves 8)
Ingredients:
  • One Tofurky (defrosted, available at Four Seasons Market)
  • 1/4 cup vegan margarine, melted (Nuttelex brand, available in Cold Storage)
  • One tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • One teaspoon rosemary (dried and crushed)
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • One tablespoon Braggs liquid amino acids, available from SuperNature
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns
  • One bottle Tiger beer
  • Dash of liquid smoke (hickory flavouring)
  • 1/4 cup wholewheat flour
  • Stuffing flavouring that comes with
  • Tofurky package
  • 1/3 cup vegetable broth
  • pinch of sage (rubbed)
  • 1/4 teaspoon rosemary-infused olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon white wine
Method:
1. Heat oven to 400 deg C.
2. In a bowl, blend the stuffing flavouring with a whisk until the sage has blended in completely. Marinade the Tofurky with the mixture.
3. Put the defrosted Tofurky in a deep casserole dish or Dutch oven.
4. In a mixing bowl, make the rosemary beer by blending margarine, dijon mustard, rosemary, onion powder, Braggs, pepper, Tiger beer, liquid smoke and flour with a whisk until there are no flour clumps.
5. Pour about 1/4 cup of the rosemary beer mix over the Tofurky with a ladle. Roll your Tofurky a few times to make sure it gets coated evenly. Put in the oven uncovered and bake for five minutes. Then brush another coating of rosemary beer mix over the top. Turn heat down to 350 deg C and return your Tofurky to the oven uncovered. Use a ladle to pour a little more rosemary beer mix over the top every 10 minutes while your Tofurky roasts. You'll notice that the rosemary beer mix will begin to form a crust over the Tofurky. This is a good thing and the more you brush your Tofurky with beer, the thicker that crust will get. You'll want to bake your Tofurky roast for 45 minutes to one hour. You'll know it's ready when your Tofurky is golden brown and the crust is crispy.
6. Mix the leftover marinade with a cup of vegetable broth to make a gravy.

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Anyway, we had such a lovely Sunday all thanks to StretchCity.com! :) If you're bored of your mundane weekends, hop on to their website for the list of yoga studios & healthy eateries all around.
There are currently 41 restaurants, 45 shops, and 54 studios (and still growing!) in the listing. You'll be spoilt for choice to move & nourish your body!

Cheers to being more healthy happy yogis and a bigger yoga community!

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