One of my fav dinners to make is something I threw together a long time ago. We had a few different vegan meats left over and I wanted to combine them into a hearty dinner.
This vegan pasta bake is easy, hearty, and makes great leftovers for work.
There was a study (er, an article I saw on the internet, so it MUST be true) that there is a certain color of red that instinctively makes humans hungry.
Think about one fast food brand that does not have this same red in it: McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Jack in the Box, Carl’s Jr., In ‘N Out, etc.
It just so happens that the vegan meatballs at Brass Tacks are the EXACT same red. That must be the reason I am drooling like a Pavlov dog each time I walk into the place.
Brass Tacks is in a non-descript building facing Vancouver at Fremont. The interior is austere and a bit cold, attributed mostly to the huge glass windows along the front that make for great people watching.
While BT is very accommodating and knowledgeable about veganism, they do serve meat, so keep an eye out on the menu.
But what a menu.
What the menu lacks in quantity (there are 4 options + 1 special), Brass Tacks makes up for in quality. The white bean meatballs are housemade, and they are some of the best I have ever had. The housemade “ham” is also amazing.
I have yet to try the Salamigeddon, as the word “spicy” scares off this New Englandah. Their new Curry Chicken Salad will be my next choice for sure. But those meatballs are just amazing and I find it hard to order anything else.
Melanie tried the Velveeta Underground along with the potato salad, claiming to love both. The sammy looked really good, but paled in the sloppy beauty of my meatball sub. I tried the potato salad and it was good, but I am not a huge potato salad fan, so take my criticism with a grain of salt. Or paprika, as there was a metric ton of it on the salad.
Brass Tacks is an in-and-out place with not much in the way of comfort. But that is part of the allure of the joint. It’s utilitarian yet the kraft paper tray liners harken back to a 1940s lunch bell place, where lunch was scarfed and you went back to riveting the bridge together before your 20 mile uphill walk back home to milk the cows.
And that is why Brass Tacks will be on my fav lunch spot list along with the Veggie Grills, Homegrowns, and DC Veg’s of the world. They offer enough difference to make it awesome. In Portland, no two lunches are ever created equal.
Next time you are craving a great, hearty lunch that is relatively inexpensive and delicious, hit up Brass Tacks.
UPDATED! I am building a SECOND expedition trailer! On 4/1/2016 I purchased a 1946 Willy’s M100 trailer from a seller in Livermore, California.
While on a recent trip to San Francisco, I happened to open Facebook and saw a unicorn – a 1946 Willy’s M100 for SALE! And the price was right. So I bought a trailer hitch, installed it in a dirty alleyway, and the following morning dragged the trailer all the way to Portland.
At this point, plans include better electrical, paint, fab and welding, 37s, and a few extras.
4/10/2017: My friend is doing the fab work for this phase of the build which includes new fenders, platforms before and after the fenders, extended tongue and tongue deck, fitment of a CJ tailgate, and a new bumper. We are also discussing the possibility of a raising platform to make better use of the annex.
The trailer below this point was built and sold. Read on for build notes!
Last Summer while camping on the Rubicon, we camped at the base of a small ledge near Buck Island Lake. Our tent was on the ground at the base of this ledge. All night, (what I though could be potentially drunk) drivers drove their rigs around the area. The thought of one of them not seeing our tent, and attempting the ledge kept me up all night.
So finding a way to get up off the ground has been on my list.
In addition, the ability to have “just enough” creature comforts without having “too many” is appealing to me. Also, as trail-bound vegans, we tend to bring all our food with us, so the additional space is critical. Continue reading Building an Off-road Expedition Trailer
UPDATE: Jeep’s official microsite is online!
This week, the auto world was thrown into a tizzy over Jeep’s latest salvo in bringing more fuel-efficient vehicles to the fleet. This of course, is mostly to offset the MPGs of their core vehicles (Wrangler and Grand Cherokee), but also aims to make the Jeep brand more appealing to a larger audience.
When Jeep (a.k.a. Chrysler, a.k.a. Fiat) introduced the new Cherokee, I feel they missed the mark. But most of that was simply because they blew the Cherokee heritage. Had they called it something else (maybe something patriotic like the “Justice” or “Freedom” to match the “Liberty” already in their line up #sarcasm), I am sure the reception would have been warmer.
This is no joke: Earlier this week, we went to New Seasons to buy a package of Beyond Meat‘s newest product – Beyond Beef. Each place we looked however did not yet have Beyond Beef. So when I arrived at home, I was so surprised to find a package on my porch – a freezer pack from Beyond Meat! They sent me two retail packs – one of their “feisty” flavors, and one of the standard “beefy” flavor.
So tonight we decided to use the feisty version for taco night. This is a super easy, delicious dinner that easily fed 3.
What we included:
First, combine the Beyond Beef, corn, black beans, garlic and onions in a frying pan. Brown slightly.
Second, build your tacos!
Third, enjoy!
This was our first time trying the new Beyond Beef. The second we put it in the pan, we could recognize a difference from all other ground up beef crumbles. It was more substantial, and had a great color and texture. It cooked easy and uniformly.
In the tacos, the Beyond Beef was delicious – adding its own flavors. Beyond Beef is an awesome new addition to the vegan crumbles market, and I look forward to using it in many other dishes!
OFFROAD VEGAN TOP 5!
There is a small, obscure, sea-foam green food cart tucked into the corner of the Mississippi cart pod. To the untrained eye, it is yet another cart slinging hipster chow. To the vegans of Portland, it is a shining beacon of real-deal, home-smoked, vegan BBQ.
And it is amazing.
I have been a fan of Homegrown Smoker (HGS) since they had a spot down in SW Portland. Ever since those early days, Homegrown has been a pinnacle of the vegan scene in Portland and is one of my Top 5 spots in the US.
My favorite used to be the Loafaroni, a “meat”loaf sandwich made up of a slathering of BBQ sauce, a heaping scoop of mac no cheese, meatloaf, and two buttered, crispy buns. It is still my favorite, but I accidentally read the fat content of the Field Roast meat loaf they use, and well….the nutrition facts were a little startling. Even for vegan food, it was a little “rich.”
HGS also revised their menu and the Loafaroni took a bit of a sabbatical. During that time I became pretty enamored with the SlowSmoMoFo, a BBQ sandwich of seasoned soy c urls, cole slaw and maple bourbon BBQ sauce. Order it with a side of Mac no Cheese and you have a winner.
The menu at HGS is a collection of southern-esque BBQ fare; with offerings such as the Carolina Chicken Sandwich (BBQ and Beyond Meat together in a sammy), Smoked Tempeh Burger, Sweet Potato Fries, and a Combo Platter.
The menu has a decent variety of food for the regulars, but the specials are really where the tough decisions need to be made.
With specials like “Another Good Burrito” (A grilled wheat tortilla filled with psstrami, sweet potato fries, Daiya, Mac No Cheese, Broccoli, Grilled Peppers, onions and mellow yellow sauce) and the “Buff Burrito” (Tempeh Facon, smoked Beyond Meat, Buff Sauce, Mac no Cheese, french fries, tomato, raw greens, and creamy ranch), it can often be hard to choose your lunch.
There really aren’t any complaints with HGS. Their food is top notch, vegan BBQ comfort food. Their hours can be a bit flimsy, but that is to be expected with a food cart operation. If you are traveling in from a distance, be sure they are open (the cart life seems to be plagued with closures for many issues).
My personal goal is to try more of their options, and not the same ol’ slow smo mo fo. Honestly, though it is really hard when you have an absolute favorite!
Homegrown Smoker is a pillar of the vegan food scene in Portland. I hope one day to see them mature out of the cart and into something more permanent…so I can sleep better at night.
The morning started early, with the crusty frost on the grass and the long morning shadows on the ground. The Wasatch mountains were cloaked in beautiful colors, and tiny birds filled the sky.
After a conference call for work, some free OJ in the hotel lobby and a repack of the Jeep, we were on our way at 10:30AM. We hit the first Starbucks since Ohio, and celebrated our familiar caffeinated favorites with a cardboard clink and a toast for the road.
Today would be the home stretch, a blessing in disguise. Knowing it would be our last day on the road was bittersweet, but knowing we had to push on – no more breaks – was a bit daunting.
We made our way out of Utah very quickly, the Idaho border arriving as a surprise. Following signs for Burley, I was able to calculate distance and time with the familiar scenes from our recent Moab trip.
We ended up stopping for a gas up at a small gas station just off the highway, in the middle of nowhere. As we pulled in, a lone tumbleweed tried to warn us of the potential “Hills have Eyes” situation about to unfold.
However, while we were never burned to the stake, we were greeted by some friendly donkeys and llamas as well as entertained by a very well laid out store ripe with western jokes and cold drinks.
We stopped in Boise for a lunch break and to see an old friend for a cup of tea. Brandon suggested a vegan-friendly joint called the Shangri-La Tea Room and I was impressed with their vegan goodies. Right when you walk in the door, a display case teases you with a beautiful array of vegan donuts.
I ordered the vegan burger which was really good, and my sister got the tofu scramble (which she said was amazing). Brandon made it a tea-only affair. After lunch, I ordered a ton of donuts for the drive, and to take home for Melanie.
These last 7 hours would be the longest of the trip. Idaho soon blended into Oregon at the Snake River and the Wallowas soon greeted us. Eastern Oregon has to be one of the most beautiful arid, stark places I have ever seen and it continues to astonish me each time we pass through.
The headwind as we approached the Columbia gorge were unbelievable. The little Jeep still pushed 70-75 where possible, but the noise with the soft top was often unbearable. My Bose noise-canceling headphones proved helpful.
We left I-84 in Hood River, opting to circle Mt. Hood for a shorter drive home.
The dark, snowy (read: very snowy) drive was a beautiful end cap to our adventure. As we descended through Government Camp, Rhododendron, and finally home, we pulled in the driveway at about 10:30PM.
It was so great to be home. Being greeted by the dogs, seeing Melanie, and sleeping in my own bed was so amazing. But being on the road in a 15 year old Jeep was also amazing. With plenty of silent time to think and recollect it was almost more meditation than road trip.
The Indigo Girls have always been the core of my life’s soundtrack. There is something between the relevant, beautiful lyrics, the acoustic harmonies, and simplicity of their music that fits. In a world of committee-written, commercialized, and plastic music, the Indigo Girls are a welcome respite.
But this is not about the Indigo Girls, but more Amy Ray and her recent solo release, “Goodnight Tender.”
The album sits precariously on the very tip of twangy-country music with it’s gritty, organic, mountain influences and the acoustic harmonies Amy Ray is known for. But when the twang of Appalachia is revealed, it is a welcome addition to the story in the music and not a distraction from her age-old folkiness.
As is always the case with Amy, her lyrics really hit home. Of all the tracks, the one that really resonates with me is “When you Come for me.” As I roadtripped from Vermont to Oregon recently, I could not help but think of my grandmother’s passing while listening and pondering this track. I may even ask that it be played at her memorial. My sunglasses have hid many an errant tear during the 4 day drive as memories of Nana streamed in.
Oyster and Pearl is more Indigo than Amy, but this is what qualifies it for my second place fav. A hint of banjo pulls in the country, while the immersive lyrics tell a fascinating story that lets you drift off into a smoky, local, leaf-stripped and frigid mountain life.
My Dog is an upbeat, acoustic offering that ties banjo, bass, and guitar together into a toe-tapping, steering-wheel slapping, ear-worming track that will stick with you all day. The speedometer will increase while humming down the interstate, so be careful.
Overall, this is an illustrative, story telling album, speaking of snowfalls, coyotes, and ramblin’ rivers…purity and darkness. Of man’s best friend, and man’s worst enemy.
There really are no detracting fillers in this album. Perhaps the only downer are some of the tracks, notably More Pills which, while more twangy, is a bit depressing of a song. But that is part of the album story so it works. Goodnight Tender (the track) leans into minor key territory on occasion (is that a slack key I hear?), which does help paint the dreary aspects of the story.
This is organic, country music that tells both sides of the story. The good days and the bad, the My Dog and the More Pills.
As Amy’s sixth solo album, Goodnight Tender brings out her best. Two parts Americana, one part twang, and one part Indigo blends all the beautiful elements of this album. Add in a pinch of I-80 truck stop.
Pop this in your Jeep, hit the open road (or trails) and slip back into a simpler time and place.
We started in Lincoln, Nebraska after an amazing night’s rest and a break from the Jeep.
We filled up on gas, OJ and truck stop coffee before heading out on 80 West. It was a beautiful morning in Lincoln, with bluebird skies and warm temps.
Nebraska, while actually a really cool state, was my nemesis on this trip. The sheer size of this state, when coupled with the rather drab scenes, makes it a monotonous drive. There is, however a beauty in the stark flatness, combined with what seems like “small town” America. I want to visit Nebraska more, as long as I don’t have to drive across it.
The mile markers passed rather quickly toward Wyoming with little issue.
Toward the Western end of the state, the winds began to pick up, and pretty strong. Signs warned of empty trailers with 50+ MPH headwinds. The Jeep is not very aerodynamic, and the soft top made conversation and music pretty pointless.
Once we entered Wyoming (finally!) the winds were howling pretty crazy.
The I-80 corridor will always hold a special place in my heart. Melanie and I had plane tickets on 9/11 to attend her brother’s wedding in Iowa. With United rebooking us repeatedly and the FAA eventually restricting all flights, we had no more options.
Until I found a car to rent.
So we drove that little Mazda from Palo Alto, CA all the way to Burlington, IA. It took us 40 hours of straight driving and early relationship building. If two newly-dating people can survive that much time together in a car, well…maybe that explains our 11 year success with our marriage.
The sun slowly slipped behind the mountainscape as we progressed through Wyoming. Looking out my driver’s side window I could not help but be mesmerized by the starry night sky. It was absolutely amazing.
Making our way into Utah, we found a great place to crash for the night for our final push into Oregon.
VEGAN SITUATION:
As we head further West there are more Taco Bells when in a pinch. Along this corridor, that is honestly the best bet. We did not have time to go into supermarkets, so I have no idea what those were like, but I will remain pessimistic. Some truck stops have bananas and other goodies.
There are a few moments in the life of a family that are foundational, concrete changes. These include deaths, births, new jobs, new homes, and moving out. This past week, our clan experienced two of these.
My grandmother, Hilma May Clark, passed away after a long and healthy life of being a beautiful grandmother. I remember picking fresh blueberries in the rainforests of Alaska, and bringing them to her to bake us some Swedish Blueberry Bread. She was the absolute matriarch of our family, and she leaves not a vacancy of loss but a vacancy of just being there. She was a constant person in my life since I was born, even sneaking me behind the bar at the restaurant she worked at to steal me some maraschino cherries when I was a toddler.
As I made travel plans to fly home and support the family with her passing, I also found out my little sister (who was planning on moving to Portland anyway) needed a co-pilot to drive her 1999 Jeep Wrangler from Vermont to Oregon. Everything lined up perfectly, and we left Saturday morning at 9:30.
Saying goodbye to my parents was especially harder this time, as I left with my sister. With my grandmother gone and now Jess, they would truly experience an empty nest for the first time. Maybe it was just a release of the compounded emotions of the week. Either way, tears were flying as we all said our final goodbyes before the trip.
Google Maps was our guiding star, leading us into New York and through the Adirondacks. The snow was beautiful and I was surprised to find us passing through Speculator – the same town I went to summer camp in as a little boy. The town has hardly changed.
A quick stop for coffee in Rochester, NY was not nearly enough to catch up with an old friend. Ryder and I were buddies when growing up and the last time we saw each other we were blowing dust out of Nintendo cartridges. It was great seeing him again, and we look forward to seeing him on the left coast soon.
We then made our way through Pennsylvania and Ohio. The initial plan was to stop off in Cleveland for the night but the area was under a winter storm warning. We could stop and spend the next day in a blizzard, or keep trucking and skip it all. We opted to skip it.
The Jeep continued through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
We did pull of somewhere in Ohio for a couple of hours of “sleep” (the seats can’t recline and the 8 degree temps were far from sleepable).
I did however manage to break my personal best record for longest driving without a break (the 2 hours of sleep is being reviewed by the judges) but I am happy with a 26 hour stretch.
Pulling into Lincoln, Nebraska we decided to take it easy and get out of the Jeep. With a quick visit with family and some delicious local beers, we headed back to the hotel and got a great night’s sleep.
VEGAN SITUATION:
I have been living off a giant bag of pretzels and Clif Bars with the occasional stop at Subway. We did find a Chipotle in Ohio (but with no Sofritas!) Less than optimal, but we hope to make Salt Lake tonight (the US’ #1 vegan city as names by VegNews!) and as we move West the options will open up.
I have noticed the larger truck stops (Loves, Flying J, TA) have a large selection of seeds, nuts, and vegan snacks. They will work in a pinch!
![Restaurant Review: Brass Tacks [Portland]](https://offroadvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2014-02-28-11-25-01.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Restaurant Review: Homegrown Smoker [Portland]](https://offroadvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2014-01-17-12-29-05.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Road Trip Day 3: Utah to Oregon [Donuts, Donkeys and Being Home]](https://offroadvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2014-02-18-12-27-12.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Road Trip Day 2: Nebraska to Utah [Wind, Coffee, and Starry Nights]](https://offroadvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/20140217_182326_richtonehdr.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Road Trip Day 1: Vermont to Nebraska [Death, New Beginnings, and Old Friends]](https://offroadvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/screen-shot-2014-02-17-at-2-23-10-pm.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
Off-road Vegan 