quarrygirl.com - a blog about all things vegan, lots of things beer, and some things los angeles

i don’t like mondays! nothing is worse than waking up after 2 relaxing days filled with downtime, vegan meals, and alcohol, knowing it’s time to go to work and start a brand new week. luckily, today i knew i wouldn’t have to stress out about making dinner…i had all the ingredients on hand to make crescent pups, the perfect monday night meal that can be ready in minutes.

 crescent pup rollz

tofu pups yum

this is a really quick & easy recipe to make, and all the necessary ingredients have months of shelf-life. that being said, if you keep your fridge stocked, you can have crescent pups ready to go anytime as an impromptu appetizer, a hurried dinner, or an unexpected snack. they come in especially handy after weeknight gigs—-nothing beats coming home tired and half-drunk after rocking out and having pups to turn to.

recipe after the jump…

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Sausage Boy

It constantly amazes me how the evidence around the health benefits of a vegan lifestyle are pushed aside, and the facts about meat consumption are at best ignored and at worst hushed up.

At the very least, most reasonable people understand that a diet of burgers, steaks and fried chicken is extremely unhealthy, but surely, the occasional banger wouldn’t be a problem? Not so fast, Batman…

Consider this article from today’s Daily Mail newspaper in the UK: “Why eating just one sausage a day raises your cancer risk by 20 per cent”… it goes on to say:

Eating 1.8oz (50g) of processed meat a day - the equivalent of one sausage or three rashers of bacon - raises the likelihood of the cancer by a fifth, research shows.

The sobering statistic adds to growing evidence that too much meat in the diet can be deadly.

I very much doubt this applies to Tofu Dogs, or I’d be a goner, the amount of those I eat!

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What’s more British than Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth and the red ‘phone box COMBINED? the answer is an authentic Indian Meal (referred to as a ‘curry’ by my good countryfolks). Living in the UK it’s easy to get Indian food quickly and inexpensively - for under US$15 you can enjoy a three-course meal that will leave you bursting at the seams with enjoyment. And, if you order carefully, the food is naturally Vegan - butter and yoghurt are used, but only in certain dishes.

Traditional British Indian Restaurant/Curry House

Unfortunately, stateside, there’s almost no customer demand for good curry in the face of ubiquitous ethnic foods of the US immigrant population (Asian, South American, etc.). Above all the lack of expertise to prepare Indian food (the British way, that is) means that it’s impossible to experience anything remotely like a British curry on this side of the pond. So, what’s a Brit over here to do?

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as a vegan imbiber, i can’t think of any place more wonderful than pure luck. it’s probably the only place you won’t see me bitching and complaining about on this blog. in fact, the absolute worst thing that really irritates me about pure luck is that they aren’t open on sunday. because if they were, i would be there right now.

first off, unlike most vegan eateries, they have amazing tap beer. not that budweiser bullshit, i’m talking about the real thing—at a great value. a 20 oz. glass of craftsmen ipa only costs $6, a very competitive price (especially in a vegan restaurant!!!), considering the quality and the quantity.

pure luck beer

but as an ardent drinker, even fancy & cheap beers are auxiliary when it comes to my enjoyment of pure luck. what sets this establishment apart is the amazing and unique food. they don’t resort to the same tired menu as many vegan spots in los angeles (faux meat piled onto noodles with lots of salt). it seems any restaurant that has the word “vegan” in the title serves basically a carbon copy of a thai menu, with the substitution of seitan for meat, and the addition of french fries. thankfully, not pure luck. instead, it offers up new and tasty creations like fried gnocchi “potato pals” and spring rolls wrapped in flour tortillas.

potato pals

pure luck spring rolls

i am making it a point to go to pure luck every saturday, and order something new each time until i’ve had everything on the menu.

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being a vegan, it’s pretty hard to find a safe pizza in los angeles….or should i say, it’s easy to find vegan pizza that merely omits the cheese, but rarely do i come across a restaurant that serves a standard pizza with a non-dairy cheese substitute. luckily, damiano mr. pizza pizza on fairfax has survived as the bastion of vegan(pizza)ism in los angeles—it’s pretty easy to grab an enormous, fresh, tasty pizza there…when all else fails.

 vegan pizza of fairfax

the downside? well, the pizza pictured above cost $36 before tip. seriously. an extra large w/ vegan cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, and chopped garlic will completely break your bank. but i guess it’s worth it. just try not to think about the fact that a beautiful cheese and mushroom pan pizza from pizza hut would only cost you $14.24.in mr. pizza pizza’s defense, though, the food is damn good.

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a lot of bars aren’t open on easter sunday. fortunately, naja’s place in redondo beach is. while this is supposed to be a blog of vegan things, i can’t find anything more inspiring to write about in my first post than beer…hoppy, tap beer. and i will throw in some hummus as well, so this post will technically qualify as a vegan post. hummus is vegan. now, back to the beer…

taps3 pliny the elder (not the philosopher, the beer)

naja’s is a great place to go if you love beer; they must have about 20-30 different choices on tap. the service is pretty crap, though (unless you happen to be one of the toothless “regulars” who makes out with the bartendress while the rest of us are waiting for our drinks).

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