I love going to vegan restaurants with friends because it means I get to eat more than just my food, and I win. Last week I visited Simply Pure inside Downtown Container Park and got to try some new dishes that I loved. Clearly this place was made for me since it’s right next door to a store that sells stretchy pants with cosmic cat patterns on them. Yes, I bought a pair. One thing to note about Simply Pure is that most of the food is also raw, so just something to keep in mind when you’re ordering pasta and nachos- they’re generally going to be cold. I feel like this will really come in handy in the Vegas summer! And another thing to note about Downtown Container Park is that it’s very kid-friendly up until the 9 p.m. curfew, so plan your trip a bit later in the evening if you want an opportunity to play the light game and ride the slides.

Nachos Grande

Raw Angel Hair Zucchini Pasta w/ Cashew Alfredo Sauce & Sundried Tomatoes

Raw Almond Agave Truffles

Banana bread is one of those comfort foods that never goes out of style. I was visiting my family recently and everyone was going to town on these gluten free but not vegan muffins made by our family friend Lavinia Cooper. Needless to say, I was super jealous and wanted them for myself. Vinnie was nice enough to share her recipe with me and with a couple vegan tweaks these babies were born. Enjoy!

Banana-Bran Bread (Gluten Free)

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Makes: 2 dozen muffins

Wet Ingredients:

• 5-6 very ripe bananas (like so brown you’re like these are going to be disgusting, but it turns out they aren’t)
• 1 sweet apple
• 1 tbsp almond milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup stevia
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 flax eggs

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 1/2 cups gluten free flour
• 1/2 cup flax meal
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 1/4 cup nuts, chopped (I used walnuts)
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven.
2. In a blender, combine bananas, apple, almond milk and blend thoroughly. Transfer into a large mixing bowl.
3. Combine the remaining wet ingredients, either mix in a blender or whisk in a bowl. Then, pour this mixture in with the bananas and stir to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Then, slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet a little bit at a time, adding nuts and raisins at the end.
5. Fill each muffin tin about 3/4 of the way up. Bake at 350-375* F for 25 min.
6. Serve topped with vegan butter, if desired.