Bagels!

I go to Itsa Bagel a fair bit as I am in love with their Kind Veggie Bagel. It never fails to please me but It always promises a messy lunch. There is no way to eat it gracefully without getting food allover your face. I have managed to eat it neatly once, but I was alone so Bring lots of tissue if you are going to eat it. I have talked about it on this blog before but It needs another mention as It is Vegan. This bagel is Vegan and the Vegetable and Lentil soup, which is also unreal. There is an Itsa Bagel in Dun Laoghaire, Abbey Street in Arnottss, Sandyford, Fitzwilliam lane, Malahide. They're Irish, reasonably priced BUT I do not like the coffee one bit.

I tried to make one myself at home, didn't taste as good but still very good.

I started off by making some guacamole. It was my first time and it went as follows:

1 avocado

2 cloves of garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

Half a red chilli ( I made mine spicy)

1/4 of a chopped onion

salt and pepper

 all in the food processor

I then grilled some strips of red pepper and sweet potato.

Layered it up with some of the guac, hummous, strips of veg, spinach and balsamic dressing.

The photo isn't very pleasing but I was in a rush and just wanted to eat!

And another bagel idea, I have posted before.

Bagel with Hummous, sweet chilli sauce, Grilled or roasted thin strips of sweet potato in sweet chilli sauce and a salad on top!

Goodlife food range

While down in Cork I took a stroll into the Quay co-op health food store in Carrigaline.

http://www.quaycoop.com/Shops_-_Locations.html

They had the biggest range of vegetarian food I've seen in a health food store, It was great! I wish there was a place near me like that. So many different brands of falafels, tofu and vegetarian fridgerated products. There was also a load of fresh vegetables and free leaflets with whole food recipes which I picked up.

Anyway, I went for 'Good Life-Fruity Falafel Quarterpounders with Cumin, Corriander and Chilli'. I got a pack of 4 for around 3 euro! They were extremely tasty and I had two. I haven't seen these being stocked up in Dublin anywhere and the website doesn't say either.

http://www.goodlife.co.uk/

Delhi O'Deli-Dublin

www.delhiodeli.com

''We are the first Indian FAST-FOOD (also know as “street food”) and the first Indian VEGETARIAN restaurant in the Ireland.

Your HEALTH is our main concern. All our food is cooked using Pure Olive Oil and for frying we use Sun-flower oil. Our spices are fresh and they are grinded in house on daily basis - this is where our food gets all its aromas.

Our prices are very COMPETITIVE. Providing you traditional Indian fast-food in low prices, without sacrificing the quality, which you can easily afford in the current climate.''

So this is a new to my knowledge, a pure vegetarian Indian fast food type restaurant. I was so excited when I heard about this place. I love Indian food so much, it is cooked regularly at home or ordered in from Bombay Pantry, an award winning Indian take away.

Delhi Deli is located on Moore street, just off Henry street. Great location and fits in as there is an array of bustling cultures operating out of all the stores on the street.

I had a look at the menu displayed in the shop window. There was so much to choose from and so much I've never heard of. So I went for the Samosas with chole. I took a seat and it was on my table within minutes. Even though the place is a fast food place, the standard of the dish I ordered was far from what I would classify as fast food. The dish was mouth watering. It was spicy and sweet at the same time, topped with fresh slices of tomato and onion and just an all rounder. I have been craving it since I ate there yesterday.

The great thing about the place is the price, it is unbeatably cheap. Considering the price of other vegetarian places in Dublin. So they have certainly got at a gap in the market. I got my bowl of samosas and chole with 3 euro. They offer a daily fiver meal. They have a buffet style counter and you fill your plate with 5 different dishes for 5 euro. I will be coming here for college lunches!

So overall tasty, cheap, healthy and convenient vegetarian fast food.

The Cake Café

www.thecakecafe.ie

Georgia and I tried to find the cake cafe a few months ago but couldn't find it. All we knew is that it was off pleasant street. We decided to try again last week and with the help of google maps on my phone we found it! When you look down the street it is on, it doesn't look like it would be located there.

It is located in this really cute courtyard. Outside there is tables that are decorated with floral table clothes. All the cutlery is old antiques, by the looks of it!

They serve savory food but we were both really full so just went for a coffee and scone.

They had lots of cakes and cookies too! I got this one for Jesse, but It broke a little bit.

Cornucopia Whole food vegetarian restaurant take 2!

I went on a little adventure into Town yesterday with my Mom. There are a lot of areas she isn't really aware of or just hasn't been to in years. We had intentions of doing a lot more exploring but it started to rain.

I firstly brought her on my daily route to college. Across the bridge from tara, up Eden Quay and then up marlbouragh st. I promised her she would see a million pikeys because I'm always telling her about them always been on that street. But of course there was not ONE! Typical. I showed her my college anyway.

We did a bit more exploring and then for lunch. We went to Cornucopia on Wicklow st. I have only been there once before, with her.(http://walkingdogsandwritingblogs.blogspot.com/2010/07/cornucopia-whole-food-vegetarian.html) I need to go more but don't having friends who are up for eating pricey vegetarian food over something cheap is hard to come by.

I don't have great photos of our meal on me right now. I didn't have my digital camera with me, only my film one. I took some photos on my phone though.

I went with the Sweet potato, celeriac and spinach ragout with organic brown rice.

side salads-Garlic potatoes with roasted hazelnuts and a barley salad.

My mom got a Tomato, mushroom and puy lentil soup. She got a herby bread that came with a butternut squash and almond puree/pate thing. She also got a side of ceasar salad and some other simple salad.

The food here is so flavorsome and tasty. So many flavors going on at once. I wish I could cook food like this. The food served here is a fine example of how vegetarian/vegan food isn't bland and boring, as some people may think. I always get asked 'what the hell can/do you eat?'.

I was way to full to get a dessert. I took a fair bit of my meal to take a way. You get very large portions.

This all cost around 20 euro. Not to bad. Well not bad when you're mom is paying :D.

I think I am going to The Happy Pear in Greystones on Friday for the 2nd time. I will report back.