Virginia Vacation Part 2

On the way back from Virginia, we had planned a weekend in Washington, DC. As we were leaving first thing Sunday morning for the long drive back to the frozen tundra of Canadia and the comforts of our igloo, it was really just Friday afternoon and Saturday to see all the sights. We gave it our best try, but really you could take a week in DC and just scratch the surface. 

We visited two Smithsonians (Air & Space and American History), travelled two different routes on the open top Big Bus, saw the Planetarium, watched an IMAX film, climbed Capitol Hill and toured the Library of Congress. All were spectacular in their own way and we really hope to go back some day. But what I'd really like to tell you about is this food court we went to.

 

One of our stops on the Big Bus was at Union Station, a beautiful building in its own right. On the lower level of the main building is a huge food court with a bewildering array of dining options. I didn't have much hope for a meatless option at "Sunrise Caribbean Cuisine," as Caribbean Food usually makes one think of Jerk Chicken, Curry Goat Roti and Oxtail Stew, etc. But right there on their main menu I spied, could it be, an entire section of Vegan Entrees? Yes! This I had to try. 

I chose the BBQ "Steak" with Okra and Vegan Soy Mac & Cheese as my two sides. I brought my styrofoam container back to our table to join the others and we all leaned in to give this stuff a try. Well, we all agreed that it was comfort food heaven. I only regretted that I had a limited appetitie to offer or I would have gone back to try everything else. And worse, we live 850km away, so it is not an easy return visit.

This location is a "sister" business to Sunrise Restaurant & Catering, the source of their great vegan food it seems from all these photos on their website. For this week's meatless menu, I have scoured the interwebs to replicate the recipes for the first two and refer you to our previous effort for the Mac & Cheese. Once you've made the BBQ sauce, I would suggest throwing in the Gardein brand beefless strips and letting them simmer for the last 10 minutes, but whatever option you prefer would work just as well, I'm sure. 

Hope you enjoy this Caribbean-inspired MM menu, a delicious reminder of our recent trip. Tune in next week and I'll tell you all about Science Club, another great memory and the inspiration for next week's recipe.