Surge Delivery Cafe

SURGE DELIVERY CAFE HAS UNFORTUNATELY CLOSED.  :(

I’ve been itching to tell you all about Surge Delivery Café in Madison and I’m finally getting to it. First of all, I really want to commend the owners for creating an amazing place to grab breakfast or lunch at an unbeatable price. 

All of the menu options here are vegetarian, but anyone can add their protein of choice for just a dollar more.  They have deli meats, free range chicken breasts, steak, bacon, breakfast sausage, veggie bacon, and veggie sausage as protein options.

Today, I had the Veggie Voltage.  It tastes like pizza!  It has provolone cheese, red onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms all grilled on Madison Sourdough wheat bread; and it comes with a side of marinara sauce.

MMM!!! I have also had the Zeus Fuel and King Veggie sandwiches, and all have been delicious.  Check out their website and menu here.

They also have a great breakfast menu as most of their sandwiches can have egg/bacon/sausage added to them for breakfast-y goodness. 

This place really has kept health conscience and veggie eaters in mind through their choices of breakfast and sides including oatmeal, fresh fruit, salads, and gluten free pastries.   They also have an ample drink menu including organic Fair Trade coffee, fruit smoothies, and much more.

If you’re looking for something sweet, Surge doesn’t disappoint here either with its dessert sandwiches.  Dessert Sandwiches?  Uhh..Yes!  Like the one my husband and I shared today, the Hot Nutella Nucleus.  Amazing.

It’s just a grilled Nutella and Banana Sandwich! Who knew it could be so good?

Besides the delicious food, the prices are the best part.  I’m talking lunch for less than $5.  What a great deal for some great food!

I am so excited that this new vegetarian café opened up so close to home.  The owners really did a great job with the space as well turning the old Milio’s chain into a cool new café with an awesome color scheme and modern seating.  They seem to be earning a reputation as well.  I have been there three times now and each time it seems busier and busier.  Bravo Surge!!

Tahini, The New Sour Cream/Mayo/Spread/Dip

I have been using tahini a lot lately, and most people have never heard of it, or may only use it when they are making hummus.  Since I have yet to find a hummus recipe to get excited about, I have tried to incorporate tahini into my diet where I can because it is a good source of protein. 
Made from sesame seeds, this sticky “nut butter” has a powerful, but bland-ish flavor to it (it’s a little difficult to describe).  It has 6 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and 200 calories per 2 tablespoons.  At first I tried it by itself and couldn’t figure out what I would be able to use it for, but my first experiment was a success.
Vegetarian fajitas have become a staple dinner around my house and are a yummy way for me to use up leftover veggies.  I just sauté up a bunch of veggies and heat up some black beans, or pinto beans, maybe some rice, etc.  In the past, I would always spread sour cream on the tortilla before I put on my toppings; so to cut back on the amount of dairy in my diet, I used tahini instead.  To my surprise it added a lot of flavor to the fajitas and I really enjoy using it in this way.
Since that experiment was such a success, I started wondering how I could use it in other ways.  So, I made a sandwich and instead of Mayo (which I love, but is not very good for me) I spread tahini on my bread and also put lettuce, seasoned tomatoes, and raw mushrooms on it.  Delicious!!!
I buy East Wind organic tahini, it is about $8 at Woodman’s.  You could probably get a cheaper brand if you’re just trying it for the first time, but I have enjoyed this one and prefer to buy organic when I can afford to.

I also received two new vegetarian cookbooks for my birthday (Thanks to my wonderful husband) and there is a recipe in one of them for a tahini lemon sauce that can be made thicker for a dip or thinner for a sauce or dressing.  I will be trying that out soon and I’ll let you know what I think!
Do you have any uses for this versatile condiment?  Let me know in the comments!
Happy Eating!

A Delicious Dinner

This veggie pasta was super simple, light, and tasty.  What's really awesome about it is that you can use any vegetables you’d like or whatever you have left in your fridge.
Just sauté the veggies in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and cook your pasta.  You can use any long pasta, but I used spaghetti since that’s what was in my pantry.
For the sauce, melt about a tablespoon of butter in a small sauce pan, add juice from about half a lemon and 1/3 of a cup of white wine.  Bring that to a boil and pour over the pasta and veggies.  Yum!!!