~Tasty Harmony~

You can’t help but feel the tranquil liveliness when you step into this restaurant. Its quaint like the many of the shops and eateries lining the streets of downtown Fort Collins. The vibrant colored walls, vaulted antique plaited ceiling, and nicely oriented collection of art, teapots and plant life makes for an airy, inviting space. 

We were seated in a small side room where the wood paneling, lovely crown moldings and exposed brick and piping could be noticed and admired.  

To accompany the teapots they have a large variety of loose teas with descriptions of their health benefits underneath it that they brew fresh by the cup or the pot. The menu is a food connoisseurs dream.  The names of the local farms were they get their ingredients are on the front. Inside you’ll find their entire menu items nicely labeled with dots indicated if that dish includes dairy or gluten. If not then the item is entirely vegan, but don’t be put off by the sound of that. This isn’t your crazy vegan aunt’s pinecone and granola type dishes. Nothing, including flavor and animals are sacrificed in these culinary masterpieces. Tasty Harmony’s food includes some ingredients the average person probably hasn’t heard of. On the back, for your dining conveniences, is included a glossary with descriptions of the “out there” ingredients. At lunch you can order half a sandwich and soup for under $7. The most delicious item I’ve eaten was the Jackfruit nachos. Jackfruit is a starchy vegetable that, when cooked, takes on the flavor and texture of a cross between an artichoke heart and chicken.

*Ingredient*

 A modern gem had graced Fort Collins with its presence, a hip new place called Ingredient.  We were a little skeptical going in at first. The atmosphere is crisp, stark, and white, but with modern and artistic touches here in there. Hanging above our heads was a giant and overwhelming menu that stretched as far as the wall was wide. While we read the novel of a menu, we came across numerous savory items. There were things like the portabella melt sandwich (portabellas, eggplant, red peppers, topped with a raspberry vinaigrette sauce), the Caprese Panini, and the Spin Dip pizza (creamy blend of fresh spinach and artichokes topped with mozzarella and provolone cheeses). But what really caught my eye was the Falafel Sandwich. A Mediterranean dish that was topped with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and tatziki sauce served on soft pita bread. It was simply amazing. The crunch of the falafel with the addition of cool lettuce, tatziki sauce and warm pita bread was out of this world. It came with a side of sautéed vegetable with flattered the falafel very nicely. I got super full with this meal for just under ten dollars; we already have plans to return to try out even more exciting (mostly) vegetarian dishes!

ɕϧҩҨ Delicious Smoothie Ҩҩϧɕ

          With summer rapidly approaching, we decided to celebrate with a delicious smoothie; vegan mango. FUN FACT! While researching recipes for awesome mango smoothies we found out an interesting fact about mangoes. Mangoes are indeed related to cashews and pistachios! This inquiry led us to add in another ingredient which sent this delicious smoothie to the next level; macadamia nuts.  This recipe calls for only the best; two tangy medium mangoes (with the skin removed), one banana, 2-ish teaspoons cardamom powder, 2-3 tablespoons of agave nectar, one teaspoon vanilla extract, the ice, and of course, a  1/2 cup macadamia nuts.
          We prepared it by first blending all the wonderful ingredients in a whirlpool of joy (blender), minus the ice, for about 10 minutes. Then we tasted the combination, and decided it needed more agave nectar; ice came next. And again we blended for another 5 minutes. And wham-bam! Delicious smoothie. Next was the moment of truth, the tasting. We delightfully downed the wonderful mixture into our throats and what can we say, another vegan master piece. The tang of the mango was complemented so well buy the vanilla extract and the macadamia nut. The vegan mango smoothie cooled our throats and warmed our hearts; this will be a recipe we will definitely try again.

☼¡Enchiladas! ☼

The enchiladas we made were prepared with a variety of spices and vegetables, and is a delicious take on a classic dish.

Once again we began at the grocery store to decide what vegetables we craved and decided that green chilies, corn, diced carrots and beans would go nicely as a filling.

For the tortillas we fried them in light olive oil and coated them in a spicy sauce we made from scratch out of flour, water, cumin, chili powder, fresh garlic, paprika, celery salt and black pepper.

For the filling we prepared our sautéed vegetables from the store. We made all the tortillas and filled them with cheese and vegetables and lined them all up in a casserole dish and put it in the oven for 10 minutes. When we took the enchiladas out to cool, we accompanied them on top with avocado and lettuce, spices, and garlic. To go along with this traditional Latin inspired dish we made breaded tomatillos with sour cream. We also had rice and beans on the side.  

The combination of vegetables, garlic tortillas, and homemade sauce was complemented each other perfectly. With the addition of fresh squeezed lemon, sour cream, lettuce, and cheddar jack cheese, a cool contradiction of hot and spicy along with cool and refreshing was a fiesta in our mouths; a fresh and inspiring twist. 

This recipe originated as traditional Mexican chicken enchiladas passed down from a grandparent but this just goes to show you how easy it is to modify any recipe into a more wholesome meal with ingredients that suit ones flaming yearning for awesome food and any dietary preferences.

           Rainbow Cafe located at 212 West Laurel in Fort Collins provides a warm and inviting atmosphere to its diners. The old architecture and bright yet subdued colors add to its homeliness and charisma. Its walls are furnished with old fashioned framed black and white photos as well as modern watercolors and photographs from local artists . Its boasts a few worthwhile awards including a Silver Partner for making Fort Collins a better place through environmental stewardship.The restaurant was also recognized as the best french onion soup according to the 2011 publishers picks; furthermore, the restaurant is proud to serve only vegetarian soups. Local Scene magazine listed Rainbow Cafe as its all time favorite veggie plate. They have a wide range of menu options including symbols indicating gluten free and vegan options, as an added bonus they cook with only cage free eggs and serve grainy wholesome toast made in house daily.
             Under the sub heading "rainbow favorites" we chose to order the tempeh saute and the Santa Fe quesadilla . The saute, a vegan option, was a sliced grilled tempeh patti (a protein made of fermented soybeans), served atop a plethora of tenderly cooked veggies including spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and shallots.  Accompaining the veggies was a healthy serving a whole grain brown rice and black beans. The  Sante Fe quesadilla was a whole grain open faced tortilla topped with cheese two sunny side up eggs, savory olives, onions, tomatoes, green chilies, lettuce, avocado, and fresh salsa. To compliment our fine entrees we ordered a side of banana nut pancakes and their signature sweet potato latkes. Both were delicious but the latkes definitely hijacked the train to flavor town. The lightly browned shredded sweet potatoes were complemented with soft pears, sour cream, and scallions.  We would recommend this eatery to vegetarians and food connoisseurs alike. 
 http://www.rainbowfortcollins.com/