Restaurant Review: Sativa Studio Café in Banos, Ecuador...

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful, and safe holiday this year. Since Thanksgiving is my favorite of all holidays I’m cooking a big dinner per usual, but I’ll talk more about that tomorrow. Right now I want to tell y’all about an amazing restaurant my husband and I ate at while in Banos, Ecuador.

It’s called Sativa Studio Café, and it is the hidden jem of hidden jems, let me tell you. Not only was this the best place we ate in Banos, it was the best place we ate in all of Ecuador, in fact the best place we ate on the entire trip. The food menu is small, limited to three dinner options each of which come with homemade chips or salad, and one breakfast option - but their drinks menu is extensive. They offer coffees, fresh juices, Health Elixirs and Tonics, and Kombucha. Not only is the food fantastic - carefully and lovingly prepared by the owners, but the atmosphere is chilled out and relaxed. The food takes time to prepare, because it’s fresh as can be, but you won’t mind the wait as you sit back in recycled and repurposed furniture, grooving to the reggae vibes.

We ate here twice during our stay in Banos and tried a pretty good selection of the menu. We also talked quite a lot with Jessie - who owns the café together with his wife - and he was kind enough to show us the organic garden they have in back where most of the vegetables they use come from. The garden was brilliant, and I was completely amazed at how much they were able to grow in such a small space. He also told us a little about how the restaurant came to be, and how it was decorated. Friends and local artists painted murals on the inside walls, and virtually everything inside is recycled or rescued from ending up in the trash. There are a nice collection of colorful tile topped tables, some brightly colored couches and arm chairs from the 1950's, much of the flooring comes from when the church was renovated and put in a new floor. Some amazing, heavy wooden lounge type chairs were rescued from the side of the road. This is a couple that doesn’t like to add to consumerist culture, and doesn’t like waste - I can fully appreciate that, and the minute you step foot into the café you’ll appreciate it too, because it really adds to the nature of the place. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a cooler café in my life.

But, enough about all that, what about the food you ask? Well, on our first trip I decided to go with the Patacones and Salad. Patacones are smashed fried plantains that have a garlic lime marinade. These were simply delicious. I’ll take any excuse to eat some plantains but these were probably among the best I had all trip. The salad was delicious as well, not that there was any doubt it would be considering their phenomenal garden. This was not your average side salad either, it was full of mixed greens, chopped bell pepper, onions, sprouts, apple, pumpkin seeds, edible flowers and even more that I can’t remember. The dressing was simple and minimal, so a not to outshine the freshness of the vegetables. Seriously this was the perfect meal. With it I ordered a kombucha which was probably one of the best kombucha’s I’ve ever had anywhere! So flavorful, and not too vinegary like some I’ve had.

Patacones with Salad

Kombucha! 

For his meal my husband went with the Tamale which I believe contained a mixture of black beans, Swiss Chard and some other vegetables. This thing comes steamed in a banana leaf rather then a corn husk and it’s probably the most moist and flavorful tamale I’ve ever had. I only had a tiny bite but it was enough to taste the full-on flavor. My husband loved it, and devoured it in minutes along with an equally amazing side salad. For his drink he ordered the Seven Spice Coffee which was hands down the best coffee I’ve ever drunk anywhere, and it became the inspiration for my Epic Coffee . I will never drink another normal cup of coffee again!

Tamale and Salad

Check out that bomb-ass salad! 

A somewhat inside shot of the tamale

On our second visit my husband went with the Patacones and a salad while I decided to try the Veggie Burger with yet another Salad. The veggie burger was AMAZING! Probably one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had, full of lentils, grains and vegetables. It came topped with lettuce, tomato, sliced beets and a few other things. So much flavor and it really hit the spot after we’d had such a long day.

Veggie Burger and Salad 

For drinks that night we went a little overboard. We both ordered a Seven Spice Coffee, then my husband ordered a Fresh Passion fruit Juice - which is perhaps the best thing I’ve ever tasted and Jessie makes it in a magic bullet! I decided to go with the coconut pineapple juice which was like no juice I’ve ever had, and the most amazing thing is that the juices were sweet, but there was no added sugar. We also tried some of the elixirs only I wish I could remember what they were called or what was in them. One of them was one of the more popular sellers and for good reason, all of them were good but some were stronger then others. Jessie even gave us a free shot of another popular elixir they make, which was really good, and super nice of him.

The Amazing Seven Spice Coffee!

All and All this was the best dining experience I could have hoped to have, and I highly, highly recommend you check out Sativa Studio Café if you’re ever in Banos. Seriously, you won’t be disappointed. Heck, if you’re even considering planning a trip to Ecuador - which you should! - You need to take the time to visit Banos, not only for the amazing food but for the beautiful scenery too!

Sativa Studio Café
Calle Luis A Martinez y Eloy Alfaro Street, Correo Central
Banos, Ecuador
097-235-598
Open Mon-Sat 11am-11pm
CASH ONLY!

Bryant's Teff Biscuits with Maple Plantain Spread...

Let’s talk about breakfast! Yesterday I was in a real breakfast kind of mood, but I didn’t want any of the usual things. Lately I’ve been craving plantains, and since I had a few ripening on my counter top I wanted to find some way to incorporate them into a meal. Then I remembered the Bryant Terry’s latest book “Afro-Vegan” I bought it back in April when it first came out and the very first recipe that snagged my attention was the Teff Biscuits with Maple Plantain Spread. Perfect right? Don[‘t you love it when the universe comes together like that?

This was actually my first time cooking from “Afro-Vegan” even though I’ve had it for all these months and so I was quite excited to crack it open. As it happens the Maple Plantain spread was really quite easy to make, just boil the ingredients and then once cooked blend them together into a smooth consistency and then let cool for 30 minutes. I did however add 1 extra plantain to the mix because - well, I love plantains! Is any other explanation necessary?

The biscuits too were quite easy, very low fuss which I liked because some biscuits can be a pain in the ass. I loved that these were made out of teff flour - although there is some all purpose flour in the mix so they’re not gluten-free - I also love that the biscuits use coconut oil rather then Earth Balance or vegetable shortening. I think this really made a difference. You could taste a slight hint of coconut in the finished product but what I found most incredible were how soft the biscuits were. They were so moist and so delicious especially when spread with the amazingly good maple plantain spread. The only thing is - and maybe you can see this in the pictures - they didn't split open quite as nicely as I would have liked. Since they were so soft it was hard to cut it into two pieces that would hold together. No biggie though, after my failed attempt at cutting the first two I left the rest whole and just spooned the spread over top. Just as good!

Honestly, this was one of the most heavenly breakfasts ever. The spread was sweet but not too sweet and the biscuits were perfect. Seriously, they might just be the best damn biscuits I’ve ever had, and I don’t say that lightly. In fact they’re probably going to be my new go-to biscuit from now on. I cannot wait to try more recipes from this book!

Vegan Mofo #13 - Taymer’s Plantain Balls...

Vegan Mofo #13 - Taymer’s Plantain Balls 

The Region - The Caribbean
The Book - Caribbean Vegan
The Author - Taymer Mason
The Recipe - Plantain Balls
Page # 64
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - About 35 minutes

We’re kind of going backwards today, I started with a Caribbean dessert earlier this afternoon and now I’m brining you a Caribbean appetizer. This recipe comes once again from Taymer Mason and her lovely book Caribbean Vegan, and it pretty much caught my attention from the get-go. I mean plantains mashed up with vegan ham rolled into balls and breaded? Yum!  I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, I mean I really, really love plantains

Despite loving plantains I have to admit I’m usually pretty uncreative when it comes to cooking them. I pan fry them or deep fry them and that’s about it. In this recipe the plantains are mashed with cinnamon, cayenne, and minced up vegan ham. Then you take tablespoon sized blobs, and roll them into a mixture of salt, breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast and wheat germ. Then you bake them in the oven for 25 minutes. They’re a little mushy though so it can be hard to roll them into a proper ball. The best thing to do is scoop some up and plop it down in the breading and then roll it around in there until it forms a ball shape. It actually works out better then you might think.

Unlike a lot of other ball recipes these come together in a snap thanks to their not being very many ingredients, and they cook quickly too. However I think their best feature is their unique flavor, and their subtle blend of sweet and savory. Definitely a nice appetizer.

Lastly Taymer recommends serving them with Caribbean pickle which is a mixture of habanero pepper, onion, cucumber, lime juice and herbs, but I didn’t have any cucumbers and so instead I just made a spicy style Thousand Island dressing to dip them in. This worked out really great though I’m sure the Caribbean pickle would have been even better. Next time I suppose.

Vegan Mofo #24 - Terry’s Crepes With Un-Dulce de Leche and Sweet Plantains

Vegan Mofo #24 - Terry’s Crepes With Un-Dulce de Leche and Sweet Plantains 

The Book - Viva Vegan!
The Author - Terry Hope Romero
The Recipe - Crepes With Un-Dulce de Leche and Sweet Plantains
Page # 227-228
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - Roughly 45 minutes for the sauce and an additional 1 hour and 45 minutes for the crepes once the sauce is made. However you can save yourself some time by making the sauce ahead. You can even make the crepe batter ahead of time too.

Okay, so perhaps I spoke to soon when I said there would be no more breakfast sandwich posts for this Mofo. I have at least one other one that I forgot about, and while crepes might not technically be a sandwich I decided that sweet plantains stuffed inside some carby-goodness was a loose enough interpretation of the word ‘sandwich’ to suit my theme. Besides these are so freaking good that I needed to tell you about them so you’d make them and see for yourself just how amazing they are.

Now I am not a crepe expert or a crepe master by any stretch of the imagination. In fact I’ve only made crepes a couple of times in my life, but this recipe really called to me as I’m a big fan of plantains. So even though I was feeling a bit intimidated by the crepe making aspect the plantains had my mouth watering enough to want to give it a try anyway, and I’m so glad I did, because they really are fantastic. By the way Terry calls these dessert crepes, but I’ll be honest, I served them for breakfast. Why not right?

So, first the sauce. It’s actually really simple to put together if time consuming, but well wroth it. It’s made with soy creamer or rich soy milk, arrowroot powder, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, vegan butter, and vanilla extract. Once you have everything whisked together you bring it to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about thirty minutes or so until the sauce thickens. So you see it’s easy, and most of the ‘cooking’ time is non-active as you only have to stir occasionally.

Now the crepes. They’re also very simple, made with soy or almond milk, water, flour, chickpea flour, sugar, and salt. Blend it all together, stick it in the fridge for at least an hour and then start making your crepes.

The Plantains are easy too, just plantains, brown sugar, lime juice, vegan butter, rum and cooking spray. You slice the plantains thin on an angle and fry them in a hot cast iron pan with the other ingredients until they’re brown and caramelized. Then you take your cooked crepe, layer in some plantains to one side, drizzle the sauce over top, and fold the crepe in half. Layer more plantains over top and more sauce then fold the crepe again and that’s it. You’re done! Serve with a few additional plantains and some sauce scattered across the top and with a bit of fruit. I’ve tossed some fresh pineapple slices onto the plate to give it a bit of a tropical flair.

Now as good as these are you might want to be ware - they are very sweet! So if you don’t have a sweet tooth go easy on the sauce, and even if you do have a sweet tooth trust me when I say one or two of these guys is plenty! Any more and you’ll likely go into a diabetic coma. Just kidding!

Coconut ‘Shrimp’ Tacos with Fried Plantains and Collard Greens...

Ah - I’ve been trying to post for the past two days and was unable to due to some sort of technical difficulty that appears to now be sorted out. This is the recipe I’d planned to post Tuesday, and since I haven’t been able to post in a couple I’ve got a nice backlog of posts waiting to be published. So stay tuned for all the delicious treats I have in store!

As winter is slowly coming to it’s end for another year I find I too am gradually moving away from the cozy, comforting meals associated with the colder months. It seems to always happen this way, about a month or so before the true end to a season my body is already geared up to enter the next phase. While I’m still enjoying soups, and other wintery treats, for the most part my heart and tastebuds are set on spring and summer.

Now before I was a vegetarian, shrimp was always a food I associated with spring, and especially summer. Coconut shrimp in particular, and over the course of the weekend I found myself longing for that sweet, crisp, coconut flavor. Of course I had no desire to eat actual shrimp, and no intention of doing so, but I wanted to find a way to recreate that flavor and texture, and I wanted to enjoy it wrapped in a summery Caribbean inspired kind of taco.

I have to say that despite some of my reservations while cooking, this dish turned out phenomenally and totally satisfied that tropical flair I was craving. Of course these little tempeh bites taste nothing like what I remember of shrimp but that’s not the point, the point is the fried coconut! Combined with the plantains, the collards, the coconut milk drizzle and the mango salsa this dish was heaven on a plate!

Now to put this whole thing together it does require a bit of work. There are several steps you have to go through to make the different taco components but it is so worth it, and if you prepare ahead of time it actually doesn’t take that long. So give it a go, really in the grand scheme of things it’s not a lot to ask for some good homemade coconut ‘shrimp’ tacos! Enjoy, and stay tuned for the salsa recipe which I plan on posting tomorrow.

Coconut ‘Shrimp’ Tacos with Fried Plantains and Collard Greens

Coconut ‘Shrimp’

1 lb Tempeh cut in cubes
1 15 oz can coconut milk
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried dill
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp kelp granules
½ C Panko Breadcrumbs (or gluten-free breadcrumbs if you're GF)
3/4 C Coconut Flakes (I used unsweetened)
1 tsp Cajun Seasoning Blend (or to taste)

Taco Fixin’s

1 Bunch Collard Greens chopped in bite sized pieces.
Whole Wheat or Corn Tortillas
1 Recipe Sweet Shredded Fried Plantains (Recipe Follows)
Roasted Vegetable Mango Salsa (Recipe to come)
Diced Avocado
Diced Green Onion
Coconut Milk Drizzle (Optional)

Sweet Shredded Fried Plantains

3 Plantains
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
½ tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Cajun spice blend
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
Water if needed

- First prepare your tempeh. If you’re working with two 8oz blocks of tempeh as I was cut each block horizontally into 6-8 slices. Then slice vertically in half or in thirds depending on how big you want your cubes. Place tempeh into an airtight container when cubed.

- Mix together the coconut milk, garlic powder, dill, kelp, and hot sauce. Pour over the tempeh. Close the container give it a good shake until all the tempeh is covered and then place in the fridge and let marinate for 1-2 hours.

- After the tempeh has marinated mix breadcrumbs, coconut flakes and Cajun seasoning in a shallow bowl. Grab a tempeh cube from the marinating dish give it a shake to remove any excess coconut milk then roll it in the breadcrumb mixture until it’s breaded on all sides. Set aside and repeat until all cubes have been breaded. Reserve the marinade mixture if you want to make a coconut drizzle.

- Once all of your tempeh has been breaded you can cook it 1 of 2 ways. The first way being to fry them. If you have a deep fryer just pop them in there for a few minutes until they’re golden brown. Then remove them and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. If you don’t have a deep fryer you can fry them in about a ½ cup of coconut oil or nuteral vegetable oil in a large frying pan, until golden brown. If however you’re like me and like to try and keep on the healthier side of things you can bake your coconut tempeh in the oven.

- Preheat your oven to 400'F (200'C) lightly grease a baking sheet then place your tempeh cubes on it. Spray the top of each cube with a tiny bit of non-stick spray then place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven turn each cube over and return to the oven to cook for another 10-15 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Smaller cubes will cook faster and larger cubes will take longer so times may vary.

- While your tempeh is cooking you can work on your plantains. Grab 3 large, green plantains. Cut off the ends and peel. I find the easiest way to be running the tip of a knife down two sides then just dig in with my nail and roll the peel off.

- Once the peel has been removed take a vegetable peeler and run it along the plantains like you would to peel a carrot. You’ll get nice long thin strips of plantain, continue until all plantains have been turned into strips. You’ll probably be left with a core of plantain that your peeler can’t turn into strips, and that’s okay just cut it into thin rounds and toss it in with the strips. Waste not want not right?

- Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Once melted add the plantains and stir until all strips are coated. Add in the cinnamon, sugar and Cajun Seasoning. Stir again until thoroughly coated and then cook on medium heat until plantains are golden brown and soft. About 8-10 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently so no plantains stick to the bottom, and you may need to add more oil, or water. I added in about a 1/4 of water because I didn’t want to use more oil, and it worked brilliantly. When plantains are finished remove them from the heat and if you like you can drain them on a paper towel. I personally didn’t bother draining them.

- To make your collards just add an inch of water into a pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add your chopped up collards and steam for 3-5 minutes until they’re bright green and wilted. They shouldn’t be mushy but soft, with still a bit of texture. Remove them immediately from the steamer basket and place onto a plate or in a bowl.

- To make the coconut drizzle all you have to do is stir 1-2 packets of stevia into the reserved coconut marinade along with 1-2 tbsp flaked coconut. Set aside, until ready to use.

- To assemble your taco place one tortilla on a plate. Layer on some collard greens and then a generous spoonful of shredded plantains. Top with 4-5 cubes of coconut tempeh, and a bit of coconut milk drizzle. Top with diced green onion, avocado, and a generous spoonful or two of roasted vegetable mango salsa. Wrap up tight and enjoy!

*** Note - This dish can be made Gluten-Free if using Corn Tortilla's and GF Breadcrumbs***

Toasted Tomato Cucumber Sandwich with Dill Mayo and Sweet Cajun Plantains

Today’s recipe(s) is super simple but also super delicious. It’s the perfect thing to whip up for a quick filling lunch or a light dinner. The best part is that it doesn’t have you slaving over a hot stove or grill in this agonizing heat. The sandwich is simple I know, using few ingredients, but it packs a flavorful punch. It’s very reminiscent of the toasted tomato mayo sandwiches I ate and loved during the summers of my childhood. Though grown this is still a meal I find myself craving at least a few times each summer season. Something about the texture, the toasted bread, the creamy mayo, and the cool refreshing tomato.... the sweet juicy taste of fresh vine-ripened tomato paired with black pepper... mmm... This version of course is slightly different then the Toasted tomato sandwich of my childhood, but no less delicious, more so in fact. Also back then my sandwich was usually paired with chips, fresh fruit or raw veggies. I highly recommend the fresh fruit and raw veggies but on this particular day I was feeling something slightly more decadent... sweet, fried plantains!

Revamped Toasted Tomato Cucumber Sandwich

2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread (lightly toasted)
4 Slices tomato
8 Thin slices cucumber
Fresh ground Black Pepper to taste (3-4 grinds of a pepper mill usually does the trick)
Pinch of White Pepper (Optional)
Dijon Mustard (Optional)
1 Batch Dill Mayo (Recipe Follows)

- Toast your bread till lightly golden. You don’t want it to be soft but you don’t want it to be super crunch either.

- Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard over one slice if desired. Spread the Dill Mayo on the other slice of bread. Add cucumbers in an even layer over Dijon side of bread. Evenly layer over tomatoes, add your ground pepper and then place mayo slice of bread on top and cut in half if desired. Serve with fresh fruit, raw vegetables or Sweet Cajun Plantains (recipe Follows) like I did.

Dill Mayo

1 ½ Tbsp Vegan Mayo (My new Favorite is Earth Balance’s ‘Mindful Mayo’ original, SO GOOD!)
1-2 Tbsp fresh chopped Dill (or to taste) (I used 2 heaping tbsp)

- Place mayo and dill in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. May be a bit chunky depending on how much dill you use but that’s okay.

Fried Sweet Cajun Plantains

*** Note - Now normally I don’t eat fried foods, but every once and a while I don’t think it hurts to indulge a little, and in all honestly frying plantains is my all-time favorite way to eat them. If you prefer you can bake the plantains in the oven as you would any type of potato fries, but it will take a lot longer then the frying method, making this dish slightly less ‘quick’ so keep that in mind.***

2 Ripe Plantains (The yellow kind with black spots)
½ - 1 Tsp your favorite Cajun Seasoning (or to taste)
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar (or less if desired)

- To Peel plantains cut the a tiny bit off each end and use your knife to score down the side of the skin. Deep enough to get through the peel but not deep enough to cut into the flesh of the plantaine. Remove the peel carefully like you would a banana peel.

- Pre-heat your deep fryer. (If you don’t have a deep fryer you can fry your plantains in a pan on the stove using any kind of vegetable oil. Enough to cover the pan and the plantains. Set burner to medium-high heat) Slice each plantains into rounds on the diagonal. When deep fryer is ready, (or oil in pan is hot enough) add your plantains to the oil and fry for about 5 minutes, or until plantains are a light to medium golden brown.

- Remove plantains from oil and place in a paper towel. You want to remove some but not all of the oil otherwise the seasoning mix won’t stick as good.

- Place plantains in a container that has a fitted or locking lid. Add to the plantains the sugar and Cajun seasoning. Then close the lid and shake well for roughly a minute until all plantains are well coated with seasoning.

- Dump out onto a plate alongside your sandwich and enjoy!

PS: I thought since I was absent on both Saturday and Sunday it was only fair to give you more then one recipe today