When going vegan, it helps to be able to shop at a grocery store that works with you. In San Francisco, that store is Rainbow Grocery. The grocery store contains no meat, poultry, or fish so there are no "temptations of the flesh", as it were.  It does carry dairy products and eggs, but along side those are an abundance of vegetarian and vegan alternatives. Rainbow Grocery is more than a supermarket. It's sort of a "healthy lifestyle mercantile" selling everything from yoga mats to vitamins to juicers and sprouting kits.

Rainbow Grocery is where I found my favorite cookbook right now, Vegan Planet. I've been cooking from it for the past two weeks, and the recipes haven't disappointed me yet. One I particularly enjoyed was the Pesto Polenta with Mushrooms (recipe follows). It was bursting with bold flavors, although I have to admit that the polenta was crying out for a little butter and cheese. Aside from that, though, I enjoyed the dish and it would make a tasty and impressive dish for entertaining, vegan or not.

More after the jump!I ate restaurant fare twice this week. We did Chinese take-out again, because I really enjoy the variety and selection of vegetable and tofu dishes that most Chinese restaurants offer even when I am eating meat. I also ate at a Turkish restaurant which had plenty of vegan choices from a meze platter which included luscious bean- and roasted-vegetable-based spreads and dips to light zucchini pancakes to warm falafel on a bed of hummus. It was hard to avoid the Cacik, which I love. I admit, I dipped my flat bread in it a few times.

This weekend we are off to Portland, Oregon, where I will be eating out every meal. I will report back on Tuesday and let you know how it went.

Best recipe of the week—

Pesto Polenta with Sautéed Portobello Slices

Portobello mushrooms squick me out (the gills and spongy texture...yick) so I substituted about 2 pounds shiitake and cremini mushrooms instead. I also used quick cooking Italian polenta prepared according to the package directions, and it was fine.

3 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning
1 cup medium ground corn meal
1/4 cup vegan pesto (homemade or store bought)
3 tablespoons olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed and caps cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add the salt, and slowly whisk in the cornmeal stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until thick, about 30 minutes. Near the end of the cooking time, thin the pesto with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and stir it into the polenta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Spoon the polenta into a lightly oiled, shallow, 10-inch square baking dish. Spread it evenly over the bottom. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes

3. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mushroom slices, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until the mushroom slices are tender, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over very low heat.

4. Preheat the oven to 375º F. When the polenta is firm, cut into four squares. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet and brush with remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Bake until hot and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

5. To serve, transfer polenta to individual plates, spoon some of the mushrooms on top, and serve hot.