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Table of Contents
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Features Lentils: My Favorite, Fast, Hearty , (and dare I say it?) Healthy Food 14 By Jill Nussinow, MS, RD
Jill shows us how to make lentils the fast and easy way and provides some tasty recipes, as well!
Studies Show We Love Quickies 18
Vegan Cuisine and the Law: The Farm Bill – Why Big Macs & McNuggets Outprice Carrots and Apples 25 By Mindy Kursban, Esq.
Read about why the Farm Bill is bad news for vegetable farmers and what can be done about it.
The Vegan Traveler: Atlanta 28
By LaDiva Dietitian, MS, RD
By Chef Jason Wyrick
Recently, Chef Jason Wyrick checked out the hot spots in Atlanta and Athens. Find out what’s great, and not so great, about this veg‐friendly icon of the South..
Learn about how cooking methods have changed to adapt to our busy lifestyles over the last 100 years.
Raw Foods Made Easy 21 By Chef Angela Elliott
Angela shatters the myth that raw foods have to take hours on end and tons of work to be healthy and delicious.
Columns What’s Cooking? 3
Marketplace 7
Get connected and find out about vegan friendly businesses and organizations.
Recipe Index 61
A listing of all the recipes found in Find out what’s up with the Vegan this issue, compiled with links. Culinary Experience this month. see the following page for From the Garden: Year of interviews and reviews…
the Pomegranate! 22 By Liz Lonetti
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Find out about the different cultivars of pomegranates and learn Liz’ super‐fast method for deseeding one of these culinary gems.
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Interviews Author/Instructor Bryanna Clark‐Grogan 33
Book Review: Thrive Foods 53
By Jason Wyrick
Bryanna is a long‐time instructor and author extraordinaire, with a world cuisine repertoire to match.
Thrive Foods is athlete Brendan Brazier’s followup to Thrive. Part cookbook, part nutritional and environmental guide.
Activist Lieutenant Colonel Bob Lucius of the Kairos Coalition 41
Book Review: World Vegan Feast 55
Lieutenant Colonel Lucius is one of our outstanding activists, leading the Kairos Coaltion, an organization he founded dedicated to humane education in Southeast Asia.
By Madelyn Pryor
Painter Trish Grantham 48
Trish has garnered an excellent reputation in the artistic community painting colorful, fun animal‐centered art for the past thirteen years.
Bryanna Clark‐Grogan delights us with outstanding world flavors from around the world, with recipes that are off the beaten path.
Book Review: Vegan for Life 57 By Madelyn Pryor
Jack Norris, RD, and Ginny Messina, MPH, RD, provide a comprehensive, honest set of guidelines for vegan nutrition and don’t shy away from making the Restaurant/Product Review: point that being vegan is about Casa de Tamales, Fresno, CA being compassionate.
Reviews 50
By Jason Wyrick
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Product Review: Flax USA 59 By Jason Wyrick
Casa de Tamales serves some of the best tamales this chef has ever Flax USA offers an excellent brand of flax milk, going beyond the had! flavored water most flax milks taste like. Book Review: Quick Fix Vegan 52 By Madelyn Pryor
Easy vegan solutions for vegan meals after a hard day’s work.
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The Vegan Culinary Experience Quick & Easy! October 2011 Publisher Jason Wyrick Editors Eleanor Sampson, Madelyn Pryor Nutrition Analyst Eleanor Sampson Web Design Jason Wyrick Graphics Jason Wyrick Reviewers Madelyn Pryor Jason Wyrick Contributing Authors Jason Wyrick Madelyn Pryor Liz Lonetti Sharon Valencik Marty Davey Mindy Kursban Jill Nussinow Angela Elliott Dynise Balcavage Photography Credits
Cover Page Dynise Balcavage Recipe Images Jason Wyrick Madelyn Pryor Milan Valencik of Milan Photography Dynise Balcavage Atlanta Photographs Jason Wyrick Cornfield, GNU Free Documentation License Atlanta Skyline, Lentils, Creative Commons Pomegranate Blossom, Pomegranate Juicer Dollar Bill, Lentil Plant Public Domain Bryanna Clark‐Grogan & Courtesy of Bryanna Associated Images Clark‐Grogan Bob Lucius & Associated Courtesy of Bob Lucius Images Trish Grantham & Courtesy of Trish Grantham Associated Images Casa de Tamales Corn Jose Aguilar Mill
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What’s Cooking? I’ll be honest. I love food, I love to cook, but I don’t love to do it all the time. After a long day in the professional kitchen, I often find myself feeling rather burned out for my personal kitchen. That’s when I head for the containers of hummus or other quick foods I’ve got sitting around, or I head to the kitchen to make something fast and easy, something that doesn’t require a lot of thought, but tastes great and leaves me satisfied for the rest of the night. This issue is dedicated to everyone else who goes through a similar experience. In this issue, you will find recipes that are simple to put together and are generally done in 10‐15 minutes with about five minutes of total work involved. A few take longer to cook, but even those are short on the work time. We’ve also got some great book reviews and some of the best interviews we’ve ever done. Thanks for reading and I look forward to being with you for many more issues in the future. It’s a great time to be vegan. Eat healthy, eat compassionately, and eat well!
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Contributors Jason Wyrick ‐ Chef Jason Wyrick is the Executive Chef of Devil Spice, Arizona's vegan catering company, and the publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience. Chef Wyrick has been regularly featured on major television networks and in the press. He has done demos with several doctors, including Dr. Neal Barnard of the PCRM, Dr. John McDougall, and Dr. Gabriel Cousens. Chef Wyrick was also a guest instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program. He has catered for PETA, Farm Sanctuary, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Google. He is also the NY Times best‐selling co‐author of 21 Day Weightloss Kickstart Visit Chef Jason Wyrick at www.devilspice.com and www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
Madelyn Pryor ‐ Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog, http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various websites and publications. She can be contacted at
[email protected] or
[email protected].
Sharon Valencik ‐ Sharon Valencik is the author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts. She is raising two vibrant young vegan sons and rescued animals, currently a rabbit and a dog. She comes from a lineage of artistic chef matriarchs and has been baking since age five. She is working on her next book, World Utopia: Delicious and Healthy International Vegan Cuisine. Please visit www.sweetutopia.com for more information, to ask questions, or to provide feedback. Milan Valencik ‐ Milan Valencik is the food stylist and photographer of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts. His company, Milan Photography, specializes in artistic event photojournalism, weddings, and other types of photography. Milan is also a fine artist and musician. Milan is originally from Czech Republic and now lives in NJ. For more information about Milan, please visit www.milanphotography.com or www.sweetutopia.com. Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen ‐ Jill is a Registered Dietitian and has a Masters Degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from Florida International University. After graduating, she migrated to California and began a private nutrition practice providing individual consultations and workshops, specializing in nutrition for pregnancy, new mothers, and children. You can find out more about The Veggie Queen at www.theveggiequeen.com. Quick & Easy
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Contributors Liz Lonetti ‐ As a professional urban designer, Liz Lonetti is passionate about building community, both physically and socially. She graduated from the U of MN with a BA in Architecture in 1998. She also serves as the Executive Director for the Phoenix Permaculture Guild, a non‐profit organization whose mission is to inspire sustainable living through education, community building and creative cooperation (www.phoenixpermaculture.org). A long time advocate for building greener and more inter‐connected communities, Liz volunteers her time and talent for other local green causes. In her spare time, Liz enjoys cooking with the veggies from her gardens, sharing great food with friends and neighbors, learning from and teaching others. To contact Liz, please visit her blog site www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profile/LizDan. Angela Elliott ‐ Angela Elliott is the author of Alive in Five, Holiday Fare with Angela, The Simple Gourmet, and more books on the way! Angela is the inventor of Five Minute Gourmet Meals™, Raw Nut‐Free Cuisine™, Raw Vegan Dog Cuisine™, and The Celestialwich™, and the owner and operator of She‐Zen Cuisine. www.she‐zencuisine.com Angela has contributed to various publications, including Vegnews Magazine, Vegetarian Baby and Child Magazine, and has taught gourmet classes, holistic classes, lectured, and on occasion toured with Lou Corona, a nationally recognized proponent of living food. Minday Kursban, Esq. ‐ Mindy Kursban is a practicing attorney who is passionate about animals, food, and health. She gained her experience and knowledge about vegan cuisine and the law while working for ten years as general counsel and then executive director of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Since leaving PCRM in 2007, Mindy has been writing and speaking to help others make the switch to a plant‐based diet. Mindy welcomes feedback, comments, and questions at
[email protected]. Dynise Balcavage ‐ The author of The Urban Vegan: 250 Simple, Sumptuous Recipes from Street Cart Favorites to Haute Cuisine (Globe Pequot, 2009) and the upcoming Vegan Celebrations: 200 Animal‐Free Recipes for Every Occassion (Globe Pequot, October 2011), Dynise Balcavage has been writing professionally for the past 20 years. She has also penned 10 books for young readers and her recipes have appeared in VegNews, Vegetarian Times, and Végétariens magazine (in French). Dynise has been interviewed in the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune and has done cooking demonstrations across the globe, from New York to Paris. When she’s not cooking or writing, Dynise enjoys traveling, running and sewing. She lives in Philadelphia, blogs at http://urbanvegan.net and tweets at #theurbanvegan. Quick & Easy
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Contributors LaDiva Dietitian! ‐ Marty Davey is not only LaDiva, Dietitian!, but a Registered Dietitian with a Masters degree in Food and Nutrition. She became a vegetarian in 1980 when she discovered that there were more chemicals in cattle then attendants at a Grateful Dead concert. Her family is all vegan, except the dog who drew the line at vegetarian. She conducts factual and hilarious presentations and food demos. While her private practice includes those transitioning to a plant‐based life, LaDiva's most popular private consulting topic is "I'm too busy and I don't cook." Her website is www.ladivadietitian.com. Eleanor Sampson – Eleanor is an editor and nutrition analyst for The Vegan Culinary Experience, author, and an expert vegan baker with a specialty in delicious vegan sweets (particularly cinnamon rolls!) You can reach Eleanor at
[email protected].
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Marketplace Welcome to the Marketplace, our new spot for finding vegetarian friendly companies, chefs, authors, bloggers, cookbooks, products, and more! One of the goals of The Vegan Culinary Experience is to connect our readers with organizations that provide relevant products and services for vegans, so we hope you enjoy this new feature! Click on the Ads – Each ad is linked to the appropriate organization’s website. All you need to do is click on the ad to take you there. Become a Marketplace Member – Become connected by joining the Vegan Culinary Experience Marketplace. Membership is available to those who financially support the magazine, to those who promote the magazine, and to those who contribute to the magazine. Contact Chef Jason Wyrick at
[email protected] for details!
Current Members Casa Mettá (www.casametta.com) Milan Photography (www.milanphotography.com) Urban Vegan (http://urbanvegan.net) Vegan Outreach (www.veganoutreach.org) The Phoenix Permactulture Guild (www.phoneixpermaculture.org)
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Tierno Tours Sweet Utopia (www.tiernotours.com) (www.sweetutopia.com) LaDiva Dietitian!, MS, RD Jill Nussinow, MS, RD (www.ladivadietitian.com) (www.theveggiequeen.com) Bad Kitty Creations GoDairyFree.org (www.badkittybakery.blogspot.com) (www.godairyfree.org)
Non‐profits
Rational Animal (www.rational‐animal.org)
Farm Sanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.com)
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Marketplace
LaDiva Dietitian’s
Click Cook Video &
LaDiva, HELP! Can I make easy, healthy food that will give me hair as great as yours??? Yes!!! Take me into your kitchen via your laptop or iPod or whatever device floats your boat. Every month I’ll send you links to simple, yummy VIDEO recipes. You can print off the PDFs, or follow along with the video to create Quick, LOW FAT, no cholesterol healthy dishes. EVERY MONTH YOU GET: ✓ List of ingredients and equipment needed ✓ 3 recipes of mine and cook with me ✓ 1 recipe made by the Planet Pyramid kids. SO you KNOW you can make it and let the kids have their own kitchen fun ✓ 1 shopping or cooking tip, such as how to buy and store knives, creating a pantry, how to read a nutrition label in less than a minute
Click on the YouTube video links below for a taste of what you will get every month. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=LaDivaDietitian#grid/uploads All for $5/month or $60 per year. To Order Go to: http://www.ladivadietitian.com/ladivadietitian/Marketplace/Marketplace.html Type VCE in the comments for a $10 discount.
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Lentils: My Favorite, Fast, Hearty, and (dare I say it?) Healthy Food By Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen™ While cooking lentils requires a greater time investment than peeling a carrot or a cucumber or biting into an apple, they certainly provide a huge variety, depth of flavor and hearty quality that fresh vegetables and fruits cannot. You likely know that I am a huge proponent of eating vegetables. Somehow, though, lentils top my list of fast and easy foods especially when compared to other legumes, which include beans and peas. When you think of lentils, you likely think of the brown or green ones because they are most often called for in recipes. Yet lentils come in different sizes, shapes and colors. Here’s how I classify them:
Small, such as lentils Du Puy, black beluga, or French green, or other tiny varieties that stay firm when you cook them Hull less lentils such as red or ivory, that melt into your dish, turning into a puree Brown or green, the most typical lentil, that falls between firm and puree with a bit of texture
The reason that I like lentils so much, besides their versatility and variety, is that they don’t require soaking before cooking. This means that you can decide at 5 p.m. to have lentil salad, stew, soup or chili for dinner – tonight, as in before 6 p.m. If you have a pressure cooker, most lentils take only 6 minutes at pressure to cook (See my new ebook, and soon to be in print, The New Fast Food™: The Veggie Queen™ Pressure Cooks Whole Food Meals in Less than 30 Minutes for more info).
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Lentils, like other legumes, need to be sorted and picked through remove any debris or rocks. Wash them well before using. The biggest issue with black lentils is that it is difficult to see small rocks or pebbles since they resemble one another. When cooking, I find that adding salt after cooking improves the quality of the lentils. Sometimes adding salt can make them tough. I also do not use a lot of salt, so I’d rather add it to the finished dish. Most of the small, firm lentils will cook on the stovetop in about 25 to 30 minutes. Keep in mind that as legumes get older (as in more than a year old), they need to cook for a longer time to be thoroughly cooked. To cook them, cover the lentils with water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook until done. Test them at 25 minutes to see if they are cooked through. I always test a few lentils to make sure that they are all cooked. If they are not cooked, continue cooking.
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The hulless lentils need about the same amount of time and it’s easier to tell when they are done. They break down into a puree and the lentils are creamy. This will also take about 25 minutes. The standard brown‐green lentils are also cooked by covering with water but they often take 40 to 45 minutes simmering to be cooked through. Some people find that they have problems digesting lentils, but this is much less often than with full sized beans such as black, kidney and pinto.
You can buy lentils at your local natural food, or even grocery, store. I encourage bulk buying for many reasons but one of the best is that if your store sells a lot of lentils, you are likely to get a more recent crop of lentils than if you buy them in a bag on the grocery store shelf. To purchase some of the more exotic lentils, I recommend checking out Timeless Food for their organic lentil assortment, which includes black beluga, red, harvest gold and more, and Purcell Mountain Farms for more lentils than I can list here. Even I couldn’t buy as many as I wanted to. Next on my list to purchase is the Autumn Lentil Mix, which seems perfect for soup. When I cook a batch of lentils, I almost always cook extra and stash them in the freezer. They make a great start for a quick and easy meal at a moment’s notice. I freeze them in one to two cup bags, or in freeze in whatever amount you’d likely use.
lentil plant
I hope to spark your creativity when it comes to using lentils: little nutrition powerhouses packed with protein, fiber and many B Vitamins. Now that you know how to cook lentils, here are some recipes for how I like to use them.
To make any legume more digestible, you can sprout them (although there is a toxin in kidney beans, so do not do this with them). To sprout (see my blog post here), soak the lentils (you cannot do this with the hulless lentils) overnight, drain the soaking water. Rinse twice a day, for a couple of days. When the tail is the same length as the lentil, they are ready to eat or to cook. They require much less time to cook if they are sprouted. If you don’t want to sprout them yourself, you can purchase sprouted lentils from Tru Roots in a package and rehydrate them to use them. All sprouted lentils make wonderful raw salads.
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Lentil Salad Serves 4‐6 You can use brown lentils or black or French green lentils for this salad, depending upon what is available. You can serve this on top of salad mix, sprouts or arugula, or just on its own. ¼ cup finely chopped shallot 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 cup French green lentils or regular brown or green lentils 1/2‐ 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup minced red or other colored pepper 3 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley 3 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra‐virgin 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped fine In a small bowl, combine shallot and 1 tablespoon vinegar. In a small saucepan simmer lentils in water to cover by 2 inches until just tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes (if using French lentils BE SURE to taste them no matter what to see if they are cooked), and drain well. Add hot lentils to shallot mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cool mixture, stirring occasionally. Add lentils to red pepper, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, oil and walnuts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Note: This salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving. Taste and adjust seasonings.
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Lemony Lentil and Potato Chowder Serves 6‐8 I love lentils and the red ones break down so nicely but unfortunately lose their red color and turn yellow. This is comfort food at its best. The lemon and mint also makes it incredibly refreshing and fresh tasting, something not always easy to do mid‐ winter. 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional) 1 medium onion, sliced 1 tablespoon minced garlic ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 cups red lentils 6 cups water or vegetable broth 3 cups unpeeled diced potatoes, red look nice but any will work 2 cups chopped greens like kale, mustard, chard, collards or sorrel 1 teaspoon lemon zest 4 tablespoons lemon juice ¼ cup chopped mint ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Heat the oil over medium heat in a large stockpot. Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cayenne and cook for 1 minute more. Add the lentils, broth and potatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes or until the lentils and potatoes are tender. Puree the mixture with a hand blender. Add the greens and cook 5 more minutes until they are wilted. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and the mint. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot. ©2011, Jill Nussinow, MS, RD from The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment, http://www.theveggiequeen.com
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Lentil Tomato Stew Serves 4 to 6 This stew uses spices that are more common in Africa or the Middle East, but would taste equally as good with more traditional curry spices or Mediterranean herbs. If you like smoky flavors, add some smoked Spanish paprika to the mix. Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you. This comes together so easily in the pressure cooker. 6 minutes high pressure; natural pressure release; 5 minutes stove top cooking 1 tablespoon neutral or olive oil (optional) 1 large yellow onion, diced small 2 carrots, peeled and diced 1 small Yukon gold or Yellow Finn potato, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons paprika ¼ teaspoon each ground coriander, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, cloves Pinch of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes 2‐3 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme 1 ½ cups brown lentils 1 ½ cups vegetable stock 1 cup diced tomatoes ½ cup tomato paste 1 cup frozen green peas ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and potato. Sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and sauté for another minute. Add the thyme, lentils and stock and lock the lid on the cooker. Bring to high pressure over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain high pressure for 6 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer on the stovetop for 5 minutes, adding the peas at the end of cooking, stirring until they are bright green. Taste and add salt as desired.
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©2011, Jill Nussinow, MS, RD from The New Fast Food™: The Veggie Queen Pressure Cooks Whole Food Meals in Less than 30 Minutes The Author Jill Nussinow, MS, RD is the author of The Veggie Queen™: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment cookbook and the ebook, The New Fast Food: The Veggie Queen™ Pressure Cooks Whole Food Meals in Less than 30 Minutes due out in paperback this fall. You can see and read more about what Jill does at http://www.theveggiequeen.com. Find Jill on Facebook at The Veggie Queen or follow Jill on Twitter.
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Studies Show We Love Quickies: The abbrv. history of food preparation during the last 100 years By LaDiva Dietitian!, MS, RD Mondays start at 4:30 a.m., 2 hour drive to a consulting job, 10 hours of work, leave for home, stop for a visit with the Queen Mother, get home around 8 p.m. Dinner is half‐price fajita night at a local joint with boring guacamole. Even though the guacamole is tasteless, the idea of cooking at the end of the day is just beyond me. And I am not alone. According to the National Restaurant Association, 49% of food dollars are spent in restaurants. In fact, they see an upturn in the industry as a whole.i How did we go from, “Earl, chop Momma up some fire wood” to “Honey bear, Mommy brought home edamame and veggie sushi for dinner”? It just throws fuel to the fire that when you educate someone you can’t keep’em down on the farm. Douglas E. Bowers has written the quintessential article on this in FoodReview magazine. ii If you want more insights I suggest it as great reading. However, in my on‐the‐go life, I’m plucking out the highlights plus some added info from a couple of other sources. No matter what, women spend more time, on average, cooking and doing domestic chores than men.iii Nonworking married women spend the most amount of time cooking at 70 minutes, while single gals spend around 15 minutes whether they work or not.iv It is this movement from married with kids in the 1900’s to single and loving it gal of 2011 that had Quick & Easy
the biggest change on eating habits, obesity and chronic illness in this country. Thank goodness we are now smarter, more educated, aware of the food industry, and returning to looking for nutrition in our daily meals. A survey of households around 1900 stated that women spent 44 hours per week preparing meals and cleaning. That is a full week of work with childcare added on top. Most employment opportunities, especially for minority women, were as domestics. Immigrant women, such as those in my own family, were domestics, but also made their living at factories. Twenty percent of all women over the age of 16 were working at the turn of the 20th century, however, only a little over five percent of married women were employed. From 1900 to 1920, sixty percent of the US lived in a rural area. The women there were not considered part of the workforce, although they brought in monies from products such as eggs and poultry. More than 20 percent of homes had more than seven members in the household. So, even though there was large family to feed canning, cleaning and gardening had many hands to help. Less than six percent of the rural farms had a single dweller. The average family members were 4.8, although there is no data or photos of 0.8 people. With the discovery of vitamins, came nutritionists and food science. These experts, mainly women, taught their sisters to have lighter, simpler meals. October 2011|18
The immigrant wave in the early 1900’s brought more unmarried people into one place than ever before. Of course, most women did marry and the percentage of married women in the workforce stayed stable. On the other hand, movies brought us Theda Bara as the silent screen, “It” girl, glamourizing the single female. In the 1920’s a lot of things had changed. Urban communities had begun to change from wood and coal stoves to gas and electric. They had ice boxes and could buy produce and other perishable foods. This increased the types of foods canned by food companies and included meal items instead of just soups. With electricity came gadgets – food processors, toasters, timers and even refrigerators to the upper class. The thin, chic image of a female began to be the vogue. And women began to change American society with the development of family planning and the right to vote. The 1930’s depression sent many women back into the home, but didn’t decrease their use of kitchen gadgets. In 1935, the Electrification Administration was set up to get electricity to rural America. The success of that administration led to increased use of appliances and taking some of the drudgery out of cooking. World War II brought more employment, but a national conservation of resources to feed troops abroad. In 1943, 40% of vegetables consumed came from home gardens. Canning got a resurgence. Returning soldiers after the war revitalized the idea of the woman in the home. Only this time she was supposed to educated, look like Grace Kelly, keep a spotless home and cook incredible meals for the husband and children in heels and a ton of
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hairspray. In a phrase, Homemaker Barbie. With freezers now available, came frozen foods. What could be easier? On the farm, the business began to change from Mom and Pop’s diverse farm to specialized agribusiness. Cutler, Glaeser, and Shapiro illustrate the change in diet by the change in potato: “Before World War II, Americans ate massive amounts of potatoes, largely baked, boiled or mashed. They were generally consumed at home. French fries were rare, both at home and in restaurants, because the preparation of French fries requires significant peeling, cutting and cooking. French fries are now typically peeled, cut and cooked in a few central locations using sophisticated new technologies. They are then frozen at 40 degrees and shipped to the point of consumption . . . “ v Women’s magazines stressed these new foods and ease of preparation. The new “home cooked” meals went from 44 hours per week to below 20. The civil rights Act of 1964 dealt with race as well as gender inequality. This led to huge up swings of women in colleges and in the marketplace. Men’s role in the kitchen began to change. Divorce rates grew as did one parent households. Men had children to feed without a female partner in the kitchen. Ray Krock began the era of franchised eateries to bring the restaurant experience to the middle‐ class. Julia Child made her debut to get cooks back in the kitchen, but food preparation, despite her best efforts dropped to 10 hours a week. The 60‐
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minute Gourmet, column by Pierre Franey, was launched in the New York Times in 1975.vi More than half of all women over age 16 were employed in the 1980’s. Fifty‐four percent of married women were employed. With more parents in the work world, meals at home also dropped. Breakfast was on the bus, school, day care or desk at work. Whereas 1950’s children had come home for lunch from school, now schools were expected to feed all children of all grades. The National School Lunch program looked to add breakfast for economically challenged households. The number of single‐ parent households was now over 20%. New York City schools almost never close due to the amount of lower income children they feed breakfast and lunch. In the 1990’s, both parents hit the job market with 70% of all women working. Household members decreased as more DINKS [double income no kids] couples grew. Most “home cooked” dinners were actually 50% prepared foods. With the explosion of obesity, childhood obesity in particular, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes we have come back to the notion of wanting nutrition in our foods. It is widely known that obesity declines when family meals increase. Americans are still in love with the grab and go mentality, but there is a growing movement to have healthier, low fat, high fiber choices. When Michelle Obama launched her “Let’s Move” campaign, more and more restaurant chains have realized that healthy choices sell. Even WalMart has launched a campaign to local and organic. When I send off this article I’m going to run to the kitchen, chop‐chop some veggies in the frig, throw
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them in the pot with H2O, a dash of seasonings and quick cooking lentils, then set it to boil. After it boils, I’ll turn down the heat and let it simmer . . . until tomorrow. The Author Marty Davey, RD, MS is not only LaDiva, Dietitian!, but a Registered Dietitian with a Masters degree in Food and Nutrition. She became a vegetarian in 1980 when she discovered that there were more chemicals in cattle then attendants at a Grateful Dead concert. Her family is all vegan, except the dog who drew the line at vegetarian. She conducts factual and hilarious presentations and food demos. While her private practice includes those transitioning to a plant‐based life, LaDiva's most popular private consulting topic is "I'm too busy and I don't cook." Her website is www.ladivadietitian.com. i http://www.restaurant.org/research/facts/ ii Bower D. 2000. Cooking Trends Echo Changing Roles of Women , FoodReview, Volume 23,Issue 1. Retrieved on September 19 2011 from http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/foodrevie w/jan2000/frjan2000d.pdf iii http://www.ers.usda.gov/amberwaves/novemb er05/datafeature/ https://webspace.utexas.edu/hamermes/www/ IsoWork120407.pdf v David M. Cutler, Edward L. Glaeser and Jesse M. Shapiro [2003] Why Have Americans Become More Obese? http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/jesse.shapiro/r esearch/obesity.pdf vi http://culiblog.org/2006/03/an‐improbable‐ history‐meal‐assembly‐centers/
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Raw Foods Made Easy By Angela Elliott
I am the queen of easy peasy. I love whipping up a tasty dish with very few ingredients, I find it a fun and engaging challenge. Imagine this. It's 5 o'clock in the afternoon and your family decides to surprise you, you have a bottle of wine, a few odds and ends you aren't sure will go together, you've had no time to run to the store, so you have to use your imagination to come up with a delicious enough dish that you can make out of this and that and do it in the next 30 minutes. You will be happy to know that you not only made dinner, but you also made dessert too. Talk about wowing your family in a flash! Here's what you made:
Creme a la Zucchini 1 cup chopped zucchinis 1 ripe avocado ½ cup chopped celery ½ cup spring water 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon dried dill weed 1 garlic clove ¼ teaspoon sea salt Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth. Serve immediately.
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Chocolate Pudding ½ cup pitted dates, soaked for 15 minutes 1 ripe avocado 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder or cocoa powder 1 tablespoon agave 1 teaspoon vanilla flavor or extract 1/8 teaspoon sea salt Drain the dates but reserve the soak water. Place the dates in a blender along with the remaining ingredients, adding just enough of the soak water to facilitate blending. Process until smooth. Chill the pudding in the refrigerator for 30 or more minutes and serve. You made dinner and dessert in a flash, so now you have to time to set the table nicely, pick some flowers from the garden, and put on something nice. Wasn't this a fun game? Wanna make it real? Get the above ingredients, prepare them, and invite over some friends and enjoy! The Author Angela Elliott is the author of Alive in Five, Holiday Fare with Angela, The Simple Gourmet, and more books on the way! Angela is the inventor of Five Minute Gourmet Meals™, Raw Nut‐ Free Cuisine™, Raw Vegan Dog Cuisine™, and The Celestialwich™, and the owner and operator of She‐Zen Cuisine. www.she‐ zencuisine.com. Angela has contributed to various publications, including Vegnews Magazine, Vegetarian Baby and Child Magazine, and has taught gourmet classes, holistic classes, lectured, and on occasion toured with Lou Corona, a nationally recognized proponent of living food.
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Year of the Pomegranate by Liz Lonnetti The garden looks pretty bad this time of year – the plants like survivors of a devastating season, which is pretty accurate. Temperatures are still high in September, but they are starting to fall and nights are cooling off, giving respite to weary trees, vines and the perennials in the garden. We’re starting to plant for the winter crops here in Phoenix and I always feel like a kid in a candy store when thinking about all the greens that will start coming in – delicate lettuce leaves, more robust kale and swiss chard – YUM! The Citrus trees have next year’s crop green and full of promise for the future, but the star of the show at this time of year? POMEGRANATES!! Pomegranates have survived the harsh summer with their precious fruits nourished through the heat and made sweeter in our seasonal furnace. Some cultivars will be ready to harvest now and some of them will be perfect for picking before Thanksgiving, making it one of the few fruits that ripen at this time of year and a must have for the savvy gardener looking to extend a fruit harvest as long as possible into the year! They also store well kept in a cool place, and compare with apples for an excellent shelf life. Pomegranates originated in the northern region of India to the Himalayas of Iran and some varieties do quite well with some frost, although temperatures below 12degrees F can permanently damage the trees. Surprisingly they do very well in our desert home and can be prolific producers in your garden as they prefer arid conditions. They are very drought tolerant once established, but prefer regular irrigation for best fruit set. The pomegranate even makes a good container tree, if given a large pot. It is impossible to discuss pomegranates without referring to the world’s leading authority, Dr. Quick & Easy
Gregory Levin, author of Pomegranate Roads: A Soviet Botanist's Exile from Eden. Dr. Levin spent over 40 years traveling Central Asia and the Trans‐ Caucasus, collecting and cultivating over 1,100 varieties of pomegranates, eventually sending the best of the best to be grown out at UC Davis in California. The best known variety of pomegranate is the Wonderful. It is the oldest commercial cultivar, typically the kind you get in the grocery store and it’s name is quite descriptive as it is a large, sweet fruit on a tree that produces heavily. The fruit stores well, keeping a high quality for many weeks under good conditions. Other varieties are now being offered to the home gardener and each has slightly different characteristics. Some have earlier or later harvests, some fruit is sweeter and some more tart, color is also being selected for with varieties ranging from white seeds to deepest purple. Some other varieties* to consider would include:
AC Sweet. Sweeter fruit than Wonderful, more widely adapted (better quality in cool‐ summer climates). Small, glossy‐leafed, ornamental tree with showy Turkmenistan (country of origin) orange‐red blossoms in October 2011|22
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late spring. Very suitable to espalier and container growing. Harvest late summer. Unsplit ripe fruit stores in cool, dry place for two months or more. Ambrosia. Medium to large size fruit with pale pink skin. Large seeds with dark red, sweet‐tart juice. Good source of antioxidants. Long‐lived, any soil. Garnet Sash. Naturally slightly dwarf tree is extremely precocious, setting profuse amounts of attractive flowers and fruit in the first year. Would make an attractive ornamental. Fruit is small to medium sized, with yellow skin, blushed pinkish red. Garnet Sash has large seeds with very flavorful sweet‐tart juice, a great source of antioxidants. It would be an excellent choice for juice blending. Harvest from late September to mid October. Grenada. A true grenadine selection. Fruit is colored a dark, burgundy‐red all over. Seeds and juice are dark red, with good flavor. Kashmir. Medium size pomegranate with light pink‐red exterior. Ruby red seeds have intense flavor with no overbearing acidic taste. Plant has a slightly spreading growth habit and can also be grown as a tree. Keep any height with summer pruning. Pink Satin. Medium to large size, medium pink to dark red fruit with medium to large, light‐pink edible seeds. Wonderful refreshing light‐colored juice is non‐staining, with a sweet, fruit‐punch flavor. Plant is vigorous and can be grown as a shrub or tree and kept any height by summer pruning.
Sharp Velvet. Large sized pomegranate with a very appealing, unique mildly acid refreshing flavor. Fruit has a dark red exterior and dark seeds, the color of crushed‐red velvet. Upright growing plant sets huge crops of highly ornamental fruit and can be kept any height with summer pruning.
Any of these varieties would do well in our Phoenix location, as they require only 150 – 200 hours of chill and we get at least 250 each winter season. They are also self‐fruitful, meaning that you don’t need to have more than one tree to get a good harvest of fruit, unlike some trees that need a mate to cross‐pollinate. All have excellent antioxidant qualities and would do well eaten fresh out of hand, juiced or used in cooking. And since the theme of this edition is quick and easy, I’ll share with you the absolutely fastest way to remove the seeds from a pomegranate. Take your pomegranate and cut it down the center it so that the stem and blossom ends are at the top of each half. Hold your pomegranate half in your hand, cut side down and over a large bowl. Then take a large heavy spoon, or other blunt heavy object and whack away at the pomegranate. This will quickly separate the seeds from the skin. You could do this over a large bowl filled with water if you want the seeds to easily separate from the membranes, as the membranes float while the seeds will sink to the bottom. This whole process should not take more than a couple minutes once you practice. If your intent is to juice the fruit, just take your cut halves and use a citrus reamer style juicer and juice it as if it were an orange or grapefruit. For those of you interested in learning more, the AZ Chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers annual Festival of Fruit is dedicated to the Pomegranate and is being held in Phoenix this year. This event will be held the weekend of November 5th at ASU’s Tempe campus, for more info please click here. This year the Valley Permaculture Alliance is offering classes on fruit tree care as well as 13 October 2011|23
different varieties of pomegranates, some of them cultivated from the best of the best of Dr. Levin’s research. The VPA is very excited to be able to offer some of those rare varieties for sale to the public as a part of this years exciting Fruit Tree Program. If you love pomegranates, consider adding this versatile tree to your yard and garden, you won’t be disappointed. Now check out my recipe for Iced Pomegranate Tea on page 164 of this issue. *Descriptions primarily from Dave Wilson’s Nursery Quick & Easy
The Author As a professional urban designer, Liz Lonetti is passionate about building community, both physically and socially. She graduated from the U of MN with a BA in Architecture in 1998. She also serves as the Executive Director for the Phoenix Permaculture Guild, a non‐profit organization whose mission is to inspire sustainable living through education, community building and creative cooperation (www.phoenixpermaculture.org). A long time advocate for building greener and more inter‐connected communities, Liz volunteers her time and talent for other local green causes. In her spare time, Liz enjoys cooking with the veggies from her gardens, sharing great food with friends and neighbors, learning from and teaching others. To contact Liz, please visit her blog site www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profile/LizDan.
Resources www.urbanfarm.org www.phoenixpermaculture.org
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Vegan Cuisine and the Law Why Big Macs & Chicken McNuggets Outprice Carrots & Apples By Mindy Kursban, Esq. For almost 70 years, the “Farm Bill” has been the most significant piece of legislation affecting what American farmers grow and American consumers eat. The next round of Farm Bill revisions are expected to be taken up by Congress in 2012. This provides a limited time to push for change toward agricultural policies that favor healthy and sustainable plant‐based diets. Here are my five top things to change in the 2012 Farm Bill: 1. Grow Corn and Soybeans for People to Eat, not to Reduce the Cost of Meat.
and wheat. The vast majority of these crops are processed into feed for the cows, pigs, and chickens who ultimately end up in our grocery stores and fast‐food restaurants at bargain‐ basement prices.
Commodity Programs that give money to certain agriculture sectors – what are commonly known as “subsidies” – are one of the main components of the Farm Bill. When Congress passed the first Farm Bill in 1933, subsidies provided an economic safety net to millions of small farmers facing the loss of their farms, while also ensuring a stable food supply. That original laudable intention has been severely distorted, resulting in unintended, unfortunate, and unhealthy consequences.
As much as 98 percent of soybeans grown in the U.S. are used for animal feed. Less than 10 percent of the corn grown makes it directly to our dinner tables. The poultry industry received an average of $1.25 billion a year in grain subsidies between 1997 and 2005. Even the waste materials from cotton production and corn milling for ethanol are fed to animals. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, “the ethanol industry is expected to produce more than 39 million metric tons of animal feed in 2010‐11, enough to produce 50 billion quarter‐pound hamburgers – or seven patties for every person on the planet.” When people do consume these commodity crops, it is often in the form of highly‐ processed, unhealthy inventions like high fructose corn syrup turned into sodas and hydrogenated oils found in McDonald’s Big Macs, Chic‐Fil‐A chicken patties, KFC’s apple turnovers, and most other fast‐food menu items.
Ninety‐three percent of subsidies today go to five “commodity crops”: corn, cotton, rice, soybeans,
We don’t need easy and cheap access to these disease‐promoting foods. Taxpayer dollars should
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only be used to produce healthy, whole plant foods for people, not livestock. Urge lawmakers to end subsidies for growers of commodity crops. 2. Stop subsidizing the Dairy Industry.
The dairy industry has co‐opted common sense by successfully convincing America that cow’s milk is a necessary part of a healthy diet. Healthier plant‐ based sources of calcium like green leafy vegetables will not only protect our bones better than cow’s milk, these calcium sources don’t inflict untold suffering on the cows used up and slaughtered as part of the dairy industry’s standard practices. Taxpayers provide the dairy industry with approximately $1 billion in annual subsidies. Farm Bill programs include the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program, which pays dairy producers when milk prices fall, the Dairy Product Price Support Program (DPSP), which purchases surplus products from dairy processors, and milk marketing orders, through which the federal government artificially controls the price of milk. The government shouldn’t be doling out billions of taxpayer dollars to the dairy industry to ensure that every man, woman, and child “Got Milk”. Let market forces determine milk’s price. Demand that your taxpayer dollars stop subsidizing the dairy industry. 3. Redirect Commodity Crop and Dairy Subsidies to Growers of Healthy Plant‐Based Foods. Government subsidies should be restricted to foods that are the healthiest for our environment and for us. The Farm Bill refers to fruits, vegetables, and nuts as “specialty crops.” Two‐ thirds of American farmers produce “specialty‐ crops.” None of these crops are subsidized. Quick & Easy
The 2008 Farm Bill marked a small step forward for specialty crops. Limited funding for programs that encourage fruit and vegetable consumption included the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) and the Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center. A new “Organics” title was also added to the 2008 Farm Bill to promote specialty crops, grow farmers’ markets, and transition producers to organic production. Many of the programs that support healthy eating only began with the 2008 Farm Bill. Despite the limited resources given to these programs, they are likely to be targeted for cuts in the 2012 version. Yet, we need 13 million more acres of land for growing fruits and vegetables just for everyone to meet the minimum recommended dietary guidelines. For Americans to have easy and affordable access to fresh whole plant‐foods, revolutionary change in agricultural policy is needed. Urge lawmakers to redirect subsidies currently given to prop up the meat and dairy industries to investments in programs that incentivize farmers to grow fruits and vegetables. 4. Bring Old McDonald’s Farm Back. Farm Bill policies contributed to the rise of factory farms. As explained in bestselling author Michael Pollan’s groundbreaking book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, [T]he flood tide of cheap corn made it profitable to fatten cattle on feedlots instead of on grass, and to raise chickens in giant factories rather than in farmyards. Iowa livestock farmers couldn’t compete with the factory‐farmed animals their own October 2011|26
cheap corn had helped spawn, so the chickens and cattle disappeared from the farm. Factory farming meant millions more animals could be raised in smaller spaces through intensive confinement. Combined with more cost savings from the federally‐subsidized animal feed, cheap and abundant meat, dairy, and eggs became part of the “Standard American Diet.” One million animals are slaughtered for food every hour in America, ten billion every year. But the Farm Bill does not provide even the most minimal protections for these animals. Downed animals routinely enter the food chain. Sows and calves spend their lives intensely confined to small, cramped crates. Laying hens are crammed into battery cages so crowded they can barely move at all. Chickens receive no humane slaughter protection. The list of abuses goes on and on. The only mention of animal welfare in the 2008 Farm Bill was to increase the maximum fine for each violation of the Animal Welfare Act from $2,500 to $10,000, which will be of small comfort to those factory‐farmed chickens and calves: The Animal Welfare Act does not apply to farm animals. Urge lawmakers to incorporate meaningful animal welfare provisions into the Farm Bill. 5. Keep Taxpayer Dollars Out of the Hands of McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC. More than two‐thirds of the $284 billion budgeted in the 2008 Farm Bill went toward the Food Stamp Program, now called SNAP – the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and other food assistance programs. Currently, individual states can decide whether SNAP benefits can be used in fast food restaurants and such use is further limited to the elderly, disabled, and homeless. Currently only California, Arizona, and Michigan allow this practice statewide.
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Efforts are underway to bust this door wide open. Yum Brands, the company that brings us KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, is spending millions of dollars to convince Congress that the 45 million SNAP participants should be able to spend their food‐ stamp dollars in fast‐food restaurants, effectively delivering billions of our tax dollars right into the hands of Big Food. While ensuring SNAP participants’ access to healthy foods is a complex matter, efforts to increase the availability of foods known to make people fat and sick should be rejected. Urge lawmakers to revamp the food stamp program to feature health‐promoting foods and creative solutions to support participants’ access to these foods. To change the direction of agriculture policy in this country toward healthy, sustainably‐produced, plant‐based food that protects both human health and animal well‐being, our voices must become louder and stronger. If you’d like to weigh in, contact the House Agriculture Committee at
[email protected] and politely demand these changes in the 2012 Farm Bill. The Author Mindy Kursban is a practicing attorney who is passionate about animals, food, and health. She gained her experience and knowledge about vegan cuisine and the law while working for ten years as general counsel and then executive director of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Since leaving PCRM in 2007, Mindy has been writing and speaking to help others make the switch to a plant‐ based diet. Mindy welcomes feedback, comments, and questions at
[email protected].
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The Vegan Traveler:
Atlanta, GA By Chef Jason Wyrick
Greenery, history, and a thriving international and artistic culture dominate Atlanta, but what isn’t quite expected, but is quite welcome, is a bustling realm of vegetarian cuisine. When I first visited Atlanta in 2001, I was surprised to hear from so many people about how veg‐friendly the city was. Thankfully so, because that was at a time when most cities were not and I was definitely worried about being able to find something to eat in the South, home of fried, fried, and more fried. I remember rushing off to a well‐recommended restaurant called Unicorn Place and being ecstatic that not only could I find something to eat, the food was good. Sadly, it seems as though that place has closed, but with the explosion of vegan cuisine in popular culture, the restaurant scene has followed suit.
Soul Vegetarian As soon as I got off the plane and hopped into my rental car, I headed to Soul Vegetarian. This was my third trip to the restaurant and I had had generally good experiences there. My tastes over the last few years have changed, however, and I wondered if I would still appreciate the restaurant. If you hadn’t guessed, Soul Vegetarian specializes Quick & Easy
in soul food and Southern food, but it also has a few choices like veggie burgers, some Middle Eastern cuisine, and smoothies; an eclectic menu to be sure. The interior was a bit dingy, but everyone there had a peaceful vibe and a wide smile. Service was a bit slow, evidently an issue at both locations, and one of my appetizers came out after my main dish, but I wasn’t in a rush, so it wasn’t a big deal. I ended up ordering the kalebone (which were battered and fried seitan fingers), the eggless salad, and the “chicken” fried seitan steak, which came with collard greens and mac ‘n’ cheese. I remember having the kalebone many years ago, but sadly it did not live up to my memory of it. The seitan was a bit fluffy, which isn’t really appropriate for seitan fingers, and was not well flavored. My tastes had definitely changed. The texture on the eggless salad was also a bit off, being overly dense. It felt and tasted more like a ground nut pate, but the taste was excellent. I would definitely order this again. The “chicken” fried steak had the same texture problem that the kalebone had, but the gravy was pure Southern decadence and definitely October 2011|28
made the dish, especially the way it set into the batter after a few minutes. Delicious. The collard greens were about average. They could have used some extra garlic or green chiles, but the mac ‘n’ cheese was wonderful. I think they changed their recipe because the last time I had it, I wasn’t that impressed. If you visit Soul Vegetarian, be aware that a few of their dishes have honey. After I was done, I headed off to explore the city, do some shopping at Whole Foods, and finally sit down to dinner at…
cake had been half the size, it would have been perfect, meaning they served me a massive slice of cake. That was a meal in itself! Finally, the pero had a mellow flavor to it I don’t usually associate with coffee and I was able to drink it black. In fact, I wish I would have thought about pouring some over my cake!
Café Sunflower
R Thomas
Café Sunflower is Atlanta’s upscale vegetarian restaurant, serving gourmet vegan and vegetarian menu items in a fine casual atmosphere. This was by far my favorite dining experience of the whole trip. Everything I had ranged from good to excellent and I enjoyed it so much, I finished my trip at Café Sunflower! On the first night, I had the spinach artichoke dip, the quiche, the chocolate peanut butter mousse cake, and a glass of pero (a non‐caffeinated grain coffee). With so many options, I enlisted my waiter’s help in navigating through the menu, which led me to the quiche. It seemed like the sesame “chicken” was the most popular item, but the staff favorite was the quiche and I have to agree. It was filling without being heavy, it had a deep, rich flavor, but the real star was the super‐ flaky, light crust. Served over a light roasted squash sauce, this was the star of the evening, though it was followed closely by the cake. If the
R Thomas is one of the oddest restaurants I’ve been to. The menu focuses on organic and seems to follow most of the health crazes of recent years, which means they have a very eclectic selection and happen to have quite a few vegan items and two raw foods platters. The owner of the restaurant keeps birds outside the restaurant amidst the resplendent greenery adorning the restaurant, which bothered me, but it was also the only place to get solid vegan food at odd hours. Speaking of which, the restaurant is open 24 hours. Vegan and raw food, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, was not something I was used to having available at a restaurant! However, I think someone should have told the staff the restaurant was always open because they were incredibly slow. In fact, my waiter even admitted he had forgotten about me and I was the only patron in the restaurant. The
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other two employees I saw were hanging out at a table next to me, veritably shouting at each other for conversation. Ugh. Fortunately, once the food came, all sins were absolved. I ordered one of the raw food platters, which came with some raw falafels, loads of flax crackers, a quartet of coconut kefir dips, ginger beets, kale, and a fennel salad, all for just $14.95. If you’ve ever been to a raw foods restaurant, you know that the portions can be skimpy and over‐priced. At R Thomas, they served me a heaping platter of organic raw food and it was all good. I felt satisfied, both taste‐wise and nutritionally, and topping it off with a raw apple pie and several cups of yerba mate (yes, I needed to stay awake) made for a wonderful late‐night/early‐morning meal. If you’re in Atlanta and you’ve got a 4‐in‐the‐morning craving, R Thomas is the place to be.
Dulce Vegan Bakery Several hours after my late night R Thomas splurge, I was set to head off to Athens, GA, but on the way out, I planned on stopping at Dulce Vegan Bakery, Atlanta’s only vegan bakery. Unfortunately, this was a huge mistake, but at least I can warn you now about this place. I arrived at 7:30, the opening time for the bakery and it did open at 7:30…sort of. At least, they unlocked the doors. Aside from having unlocked
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doors, the place may as well have been closed. They had no coffee brewed, no fresh baked goods, and the only thing the cashier sheepishly offered to get me were the day old muffins and scones. I heard people working in the back and he told me it would only be a few more minutes, so I decided to wait. I wasn’t in a big rush anyway and I really wanted to try some vegan pastries. Forty‐five minutes later, they brought out their first freshly baked items. All three of them. Two types of scones and some muffins. During the intervening time, no less than twelve people came in to place orders, most of which left in disgust or begrudgingly ordered coffee (which was finally ready) and sat outside. Before I got my order of lemon scones, maple scones, and blueberry lemon muffins, I saw another person come in and attempt to order cinnamon rolls an hour after the bakery opened. No such luck for them and no cinnamon rolls forthcoming for at least another hour. The owner wasn’t even apologetic to the customers and acted as though this was business as normal. By this time, I felt a British accent coming on and lots of swear words about to erupt from my mouth. Instead, I staved them off, ordered a mocha and chocolate biscotti for the road, and left. As a business owner myself, I would have offered my customers free coffee for making them wait so long and as a way to make up for such a long delay. Instead, I got charged the full amount for all the baked goods and a mocha that tasted watery, grainy, and bitter. To make matters worse, the baked goods tasted lifeless. Not bad or good, just lifeless, like they had them frozen from the day before and were thawing them out in the morning
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so they could be baked. Maybe I should have gone Gordon Ramsay on them after all.
The Grit
Several hours later and a rather pleasant drive through the forest, I found myself in Athens, GA. Athens has an incredible live music scene and is dominated by the University of Georgia. I would have loved to have stayed in town for the night, but I only had a few hours, so I walked around downtown, headed over to Tyche’s Games, and then for lunch at The Grit, Athen’s oldest vegetarian restaurant. The Grit reminds me of one of those vegetarian restaurants that opened in the ‘80s or early ‘90s, the ones where the food resembles a hippy version of Denny’s. Not great quality, but at least it’s vegetarian. It has that diner look with a huge chalkboard menu and the food kind of matches. I had looked at the menu before I arrived and knew I wanted the tofu reuben sandwich and that is, indeed, what I got. Maybe that wasn’t such a
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great idea, though. A great tofu reuben has marinated tofu, tangy Russian dressing, toasty rye bread, and sauerkraut. However, The Grit didn’t have any vegan Russian dressing, so they put lemon tahini sauce on the sandwich. Seriously? And the tofu was chopped into small pieces and stir fried to crispness. Hmmmm. The Creole soup that came with it was definitely made with canned tomato sauce which was simmered with a bunch of dried spices. At least it made for a good dipping sauce for the sandwich. Denny’s style food, indeed. The Grit seemed stuck in a place two decades ago as I expect most vegetarian restaurants now can easily make vegan versions of most of their meals and a reuben should be a piece of cake. I left wishing I had showed up just a bit earlier for brunch, because the brunch dishes I saw being finished when I arrived looked quite tasty!
Café Sunflower, Once More with Feeling It was Saturday night and my time in Atlanta was coming to a close, mere hours away. There were so many places I wanted to try still. Harmony Vegetarian, Lov’n It Live (a raw foods restaurant), and World Peace Vegan Café, which I had heard so many good things about, and a plethora of Chinese and Indian vegetarian places. With my plane leaving in three hours, though, I didn’t want to chance it and I definitely wanted to end my trip on a good note, so I headed back to Café Sunflower for seconds.
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I can see why the sesame “chicken” is a favorite amongst locals! Sweet without being cloying, pungent, the texture soft yet with bite. I decided to splurge and got two appetizer, as well. The fried green tomatoes were just plain fun with red pepper hummus layered in between each tomato. Mmmmm. I definitely need to make this at home. The plantains were smashed and then salted and fried, creating delectable plantain chips served with a black bean dip. Those were so filling, I could have eaten those as a main meal! And to finish it off, a raw cheesecake with a hint of sourness and a real cheesecake texture. Cutting it close, I raced to the airport, glad I could end my trip on such an outstanding note. Café Sunflower has become one of my favorite eateries and Atlanta is definitely one of my favorite cities. I can’t wait to go back.
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The Author Jason Wyrick is the executive chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, an educational vegan culinary magazine with a readership of about 30,000. In 2001, Chef Jason reversed his diabetes by switching to a low‐fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become a chef and instructor to help others. Since then, he has been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times contributor, and has been featured in Edible Phoenix, and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local television appearances. He has catered for companies such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s premier catering event, and has been a guest instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You can find out more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
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An Interview with author and instructor Bryanna Clark-Grogan!
Please tell us a bit about yourself! My mother, a talented portrait artist, was a 3rd‐ generation Californian of Scottish, French, English and Cornish decent, and my father was Peruvian, of Italian and Spanish descent. He worked in the wine business, was a gourmet and wine connoisseur, and spoke 7 languages. I was born in Oakland, California and lived in the Livermore Valley until I was 11, then in San Francisco until I was 18. At that time, my late husband Wayne Clark and I emigrated to British Columbia, Canada, where I had family and where my sister Karin was living. (Just as an aside, although Karin is not interested in cooking, she is a long‐time vegan, too.) I now live on a tiny, beautiful island off the east coast of Vancouver Island with my husband Brian Grogan (who is a baker and photographer) and 2 cats, Ringo and Sadie. We live in a small house in the woods (“Nonna’s little house in the woods”, as my youngest grandson Logan calls it!), a stone’s throw from the water. And we are lucky here‐‐ we are part of a group of 5 vegan couples right here on the island who get together for fabulous vegan dinners every so often.
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Besides writing cookbooks, developing recipes and teaching, I write columns for a couple of local papers and I manage a small branch of my regional library system part time. I have four grown children (three daughters and one son), two stepsons, and nine grandchildren, all fairly nearby. Besides writing and cooking and enjoying my family, I love reading mystery fiction (especially historical), bellydancing, and music. My other passionate interest is social justice (inherited from both sides of my family) and I do a lot of reading to keep up with the news around that, and world politics, as well as vegan and environmental issues. Why did you become vegan and what was the transition like? What were some of the keys to your success? I grew up eating meat, like most of us, and when I was a young married woman with small children, my late husband Wayne and I read Diet for a Small Planet by Francis Moore Lappe. We did not become vegetarians, but decided to eat vegetarian (except when we were invited out) until we could raise our own meat. Eventually, we were able to leave our city life (San Francisco and then
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Vancouver, BC) and join the “back‐to‐the‐land” movement, living in Northern BC for 3 years and eventually moving to a small homestead on Vancouver Island. There we raised a large garden, chickens, a milk cow or two, and pigs. We did everything ourselves and when we didn’t have our own eggs, we cooked without eggs; when we ran out of meat, we ate beans, etc. We moved to a small island (Denman Island, where I still live) where we started building a house and Wayne worked an oyster lease he had purchased. Wayne died tragically 6 months after we moved there and I was left with 2 teenage girls and a 10‐year‐old son at home, a barely‐started house, a part‐time job, and no insurance. It was difficult, as you can imagine (though the community was very supportive), and I had little time to focus on food issues. (Actually, it was the only time in my life that I was disinterested in food.) Eventually I realized that we were eating in a way that we had hoped to leave behind—buying store‐bought meat and eggs and milk. I decided that I did not want to raise animals on my own and the logical thing seemed to me to become a vegetarian. At first I ate some seafood, too, but I gave that up fairly soon, and I began reading more about vegetarianism. It seemed to me, eventually, that, if I wanted to be consistent about animal welfare, I would have to become a vegan. (Shortly after I made this decision, John Robbins’ book Diet for a New America came out. I ordered it and devoured it in one day! It further helped me to continue on this journey.) That was about 23 years ago and there were not many vegan cookbooks (and no internet). I had only the old Farm Cookbook and Ten Talents, a 7th‐Day Adventist cookbook. I did have some experience cooking vegetarian, as we had done without animal products on the farm when they were not available, so I could bake some things without eggs, I could make delicious bean stews and soups, and I was even experienced at
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making homemade soy milk, tofu, tempeh and seitan (thanks to my father’s love of Japanese food, which sparked an interest in soy foods, and a 7th‐ Day Adventist friend with a pretty good recipe for seitan). My parents had always placed a major emphasis on fresh fruits, vegetables and grains and seldom used prepared foods, so that also gave me a good grounding. I wanted foods that tasted really interesting, so I used plenty of seasonings and explored different cuisines. I think that preparing delicious vegan food and curiosity about unfamiliar foods, cuisines and techniques was a big part of helping me stick with veganism, but concern for animals and the environment was the real incentive for vegan, even when it was difficult or objectionable to others. I still maintain that these two reasons for being vegan give one the strongest incentive for not “straying” from the vegan path. Just as an aside, I do not believe in proselytizing about veganism (well, maybe on Facebook!). Around friends and family, I do “soft” educating where appropriate, I’m always ready to answer questions if asked, and I serve delicious vegan food. As a result, my husband, who was not a vegetarian when we married, is now a vegan, though I never asked him to make that commitment. One of my grown daughters is now a vegan, one granddaughter is a vegan, and two others are vegetarian. I always hope that more will become vegan, but at least I know that they realize that it’s a valid and do‐able alternative. When did your interest in cooking really take hold? I have always loved cooking. My mother told me that I pulled up a stool or chair beside her in the kitchen at a very young age—before I can even remember. According to her, I cooked my first
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dinner at age 6. She also told me that, as a baby, I always hummed while I ate! So, I suppose appreciation of food itself was the first thing, and then I must have discovered how fun it was to create dishes. I also love researching and experimenting, which is handy when developing recipes! The music, dance and foods of different cultures always interested me, as well, and those interests continue unabated. I was in a good position to observe study and taste most of my life, growing up in a winery in California, with a family background of Peruvian, Spanish, Italian, French, English/Scottish, and old‐fashioned American, and family friends who were Jewish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Armenian, Italian, and more. I was also fortunate to have lived in the cultural melting pots of San Francisco and Vancouver, BC for many years. I married very young and had 3 children by the time I was 21, so feeding my children delicious, nutritious food (including homemade bread) was a major concern for me and led me to experiment with whole grains and begin baking my own bread. You’ve been vegan for much longer than it’s been in the mainstream consciousness. What was that like and what are some of the more surprising changes you’ve seen? In the late 60’s and 70’s many people adopted vegetarian diets (not so many went vegan) and there were several well‐intentioned American vegetarian cookbooks about , but most were rather in the “crunchy granola” vein. We also consulted 7th‐Day Adventist cookbooks, Hare Krishna cookbooks, macrobiotic cookbooks, and Asian cookbooks. There were also British vegetarian cookbooks, since the movement has a long history in the UK. When I became a vegan in the 80’s, we still used these cookbooks, plus classics like Laurel’s Kitchen, The Vegetarian Epicure 1 & 2, the Moosewood books, Madhur Jaffrey’s World‐of‐the‐
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East Vegetarian Cooking, and a few others, but very few vegan cookbooks. At the time, I had a few of the 7th‐day Adventist cookbooks, and the New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook. I was fired up about vegan cooking, but I wanted really full‐bodied flavors and textures, so I began to develop my own recipes. Eventually the Now and Zen Epicure came out, and Ron Pickarski’s books, which were real inspirations.
bryanna at the veg awakenings conference
The other challenge was vegan products! Soy milk was not very good and hard to find, the only vegan margarine I could obtain was Fleischman’s Unsalted, there were no vegetarian meat substitutes except the odd tofu hotdog (trust me, they’ve improved considerably!) or tasteless veggie burger. There were no vegan cheeses, silken tofu; no veggie pates and vegan deli slices the deli case; no dairy‐free pesto, or soy yogurt. And reading labels was very time‐consuming, I can tell you! I was lucky to be familiar with beans, lentils, tofu and even tempeh from our semi‐vegetarian days and homesteading days. I have to laugh when non‐vegans speculate about how hard it must be to be a vegan, when now there seems to be a spectacular new vegan cookbook published every time you turn around, the Internet abounds with clever and colorful vegan cooking blogs, forums, demonstration videos, and recipe collections. Never mind, the plethora of vegan products that can be found even October 2011|35
in supermarkets or online—vegan (and often organic) cheeses, various plant milks and soy, almond and coconut yogurts, delicious vegan ice creams, vegan mixes, convenience foods and frozen dinners, and on and on. So this is the biggest change I have seen. But there are other changes. “Vegan” is a recognized word in most places now—we no longer have to constantly explain what it means. Characters in TV shows and movies are vegan (although often characterized as kooky). Vegan options are available in ordinary restaurants. Newspapers run articles on the pros and cons of vegan diets, on the environmental and ethical benefits of a vegan diet. There are vegan dietitians and doctors. And I believe that this is only the beginning! Your latest book, World Vegan Feast, is an excellent read and all the recipes look incredibly delicious! As a prolific author, however, I’m sure you have lots of different topics you want to write about. What was it that inspired you to choose this particular one? For 5 years I published a subscription vegan cooking newsletter called the Vegan Feast Newsletter. At first I published it every other month, and later 4 times a year. It was sometimes as much as 70 pages long, with 20 to 30 new recipes in each issue. It was a great challenge, but gave me the opportunity to delve into the study of several regional cuisines, to experiment with many ingredients and techniques, and to do a fair amount of research. It also gave me access to
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almost immediate feedback, since readers would try recipes and then write to me about good results or problems they might have had. This experience left me with a large body of work that had only been seen by a few hundred people. Most of the recipes in World Vegan Feast were developed for the newsletter. I wanted to gather my favorites
into a book and I chose the international theme because so many of the recipes were either vegan versions of traditional regional (often regional holiday) recipes, or were inspired by a particular cuisine. I also wanted to showcase some of my vegan Peruvian recipes, as my father was bryanna’s father, alejandro jaime urbina (on right) in front of the natural caves used for storing wine. the doors were designed and carved by her maternal grandfather, artist gilbert tonge.
Peruvian—so there is a good selection in the book.
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If you had to choose one, what is your favorite recipe from the book (please share, if you can!) and what makes it your favorite? That’s a hard one because, obviously, I love them all! But it’s getting to be soup time again and one of my very favorites from the book is my Peruvian‐ Inspired Sweet Potato Chowder, or Chupe, as it is called in Peru. My father was Peruvian and Peruvians love their chupe! Chupe is most often made with seafood and yellow potatoes, but I was inspired to use another common Peruvian vegetable, the sweet potato, in this vegan version. I love it of its complex flavors and textures; because it’s a meal in itself; because it’s familiar and yet exotic at the same time; and because it reminds me of my father, Alejandro Jaime Urbina.
PERUVIAN-INSPIRED SWEET POTATO CHOWDER (CHUPE) Serves 6 From the book World Vegan Feast (Vegan Heritage Press; 2011) ©Bryanna Clark Grogan 2011 Chupe is a hearty Peruvian chowder, a favorite of my father, and a jewel in the crown of Peruvian cuisine. It is usually made with yellow potatoes and seafood, but I was inspired to make a vegan version with sweet potatoes as well as the usual yellow potatoes. It is a moderately spicy soup that can be served as a casual company meal with crusty bread
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and salad. It is typically made with aji Amarillo (Peruvian yellow chile paste).
Main Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups minced onion 2 large cloves of garlic, minced ½ cup good tomato salsa (no sugar) 1 to 2 tablespoon ají Amarillo (Peruvian yellow chile) paste (available from amazon.com) or substitute Vietnamese red chile and garlic sauce (Sriracha) to taste freshly‐ground black pepper 8 cups vegan broth ½ tablespoon fresh, chopped oregano or ½ teaspoon 3 cups cooked, peeled sweet potato, cut into 1‐inch dice 2 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 ¼ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, steamed, peeled and cut into 1‐inch dice 2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels or 2 cups frozen (thawed) sweet corn 1 ½ cups cooked brown basmati rice 1 cup frozen baby peas (petit pois), thawed 8 ounces medium‐firm tofu or extra‐firm silken tofu, drained and crumbled ½ cup dry white wine 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Garnish cooked corn on the cob, cut into 2‐inch chunks minced fresh parsley
Additional Optional Garnishes 6 green garlic tops (also called scapes), tied into knots 12 Chinese vegan "shrimp" or “prawns”
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Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté in the oil until the onion begins to soften‐‐ do not brown it at all. Microwave Option: In a covered microwave‐ safe 2‐quart casserole, cook the onions and garlic in the oil on 100% power (default setting) for about 8 minutes or until the onion has softened.
Transfer the broth, salsa, chile paste or sauce oregano, bell pepper, sweet potato, sugar and turmeric (and microwaved onions and garlic, if you cooked them that way) to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Puree the soup right in the pot with an immersion/stick blender. (Alternatively, blend in batches in a blender or food processor. Make sure that air can escape from the lid of either machine, covering the air‐hole with a folded clean kitchen towel. This will eliminate the danger of exploding hot soup). Transfer the pureed soup back into the pot.
You are also a well‐known instructor and you’ve reached quite a few people. Is there one particularly moving story that stands out from your classes? Yes, and that is when I was doing a workshop at the Vegetarian Awakening vegan chefs’ conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2007 (organized by Chef Kevin Dunn). We had volunteer students from Chef Dunn’s culinary program at Grand Rapids Community College to help us with preparing our dishes for sampling, and prep for the classes. It was wonderful, because they were happy to follow directions and they were well‐trained. I don’t think that any of the students who assisted me were vegetarians, but a few were very curious and keen. One young man, perfectly ordinary, a little awkward and gawky, became particularly inspired as we went along, and eventually declared passionately that he wanted to learn everything he could about vegan cooking from Chef Dunn. That was very satisfying to hear.
Add the cooked potato chunks, cooked rice, peas and corn. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
In a blender, blend the tofu, wine and salt until very smooth. Stir this into the soup and heat gently. Taste for seasoning.
Serve the soup hot in wide soup plates, with any or all of the garnishes decorating the top.
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bryanna working with a young chef
What is your philosophy on how to reach die‐hard meat eaters and how do you make soy appealing for those people who are “afraid” of it? I’m cautious when cooking for meat‐eaters because, #1) I want to please me guests and put them at ease, and #2) I want 1st impressions to be good, so that these folks will have a positive idea of
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vegan cuisine. Even though many vegans enjoy meat analogues (and these products are getting better and better), many non‐vegetarians are wary of them, so I usually avoid serving seitan, tempeh, and commercial meat substitutes to omnivores unless I know that they are adventurous, non‐ judgmental, open‐minded eaters, or if I have prior knowledge that they enjoy these foods. Instead, I usually serve more traditional vegetarian dishes from a particular cuisine that I enjoy, utilizing vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, pasta, grains. I often serve a vegan Italian meal of several courses, a sumptuous Middle Eastern buffet, or a Chinese or Vietnamese feast, and I’ve never had any complaints! Although these types of meals can be made with no soy products at all, the use of soy milk in recipes usually goes unnoticed, and I have had success using tofu in several ways—for instance, silken tofu in creamy sauces, puddings or pie fillings (sometimes in conjunction with cashews or tahini), or my Crispy Marinated Tofu slices (also known as “Breast of Tofu” in previous books) in place of chicken. Oven‐fried tofu cubes or triangles, or grilled firm tofu with assertively‐flavored BBQ sauces or glazes are often acceptable to and enjoyed by omnivores in the context of Asian meals. Another soy product that I have used successfully when serving omnivores is Butler Soy Curls®, which, when reconstituted in a tasty broth, resemble chicken strips. In stir‐fried dishes, salads and soups guests of all types have enjoyed them. Do you have any advice you can give to someone who has just jumped into the vegan world? Be aware that, even with all animal products eliminated from your diet, you have a whole world of exciting and healthful flavors, textures and combinations out there waiting to be discovered. You will ever have enough years in your lifetime to explore all of the possibilities, but you'll have a great time trying and no excuse to be bored! All
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the vegans I know really love to eat and they love good food. Check out the plethora of vegan food blogs on the ‘Net and the many new vegan cookbooks on the market. Try a new and unfamiliar food every week, utilizing the expertise of a favorite blogger or cookbook author to guide you. Follow tried and true recipes at first and then, when you are familiar with the new foods and techniques, you can start developing your own versions or your own recipes. What new projects do you have coming up that you can talk about? For a long time I have wanted to put together a collection of my seitan recipes, and also recipes that are not made solely from wheat gluten, but make excellent vegan “meats”, such as my vegan “neatballs”. It might also include some of my homemade cheese and seafood alternatives. If my present publisher is interested, it may be my next book. Otherwise I will work on it as an e‐book. I’ve also been working on a project with David Lee of Field Roast for a few years and hope that we can finish it sometime soon. Thanks Bryanna! Bio Author of 8 vegan cookbooks, Bryanna has devoted over 40 years to tasty, healthful cooking, 23 as a vegan. She was a frequent contributor and reviewer for Vegetarian Times magazine for 5 years, and, more recently, wrote and published a subscription cooking zine, “Vegan Feast”, for 5 years. She is moderator of the Vegsource “New Vegetarian” forum. Bryanna has conducted cooking workshops and classes locally (including a 5‐day Vegan Cooking Vacation on beautiful Denman Is.), and at
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numerous vegetarian gatherings in North America, including several NAVS Summerfests; EarthSave’s Taste of Health in Vancouver, BC; the International Scientific Conference on Chinese Plant Based Nutrition and Cuisine in Philadelphia; at Seattle VegFest and Portland, OR's VegFest; at the McDougall Celebrity Chef Weekend in Santa Rosa, CA, and the 1st vegan blogger’s conference, Vida Vegan Con, in Portland in August of 2011. In 2006 and 2007, Bryanna was the only Canadian chef presenting, alongside many renowned vegan chefs and restaurateurs, at the Vegetarian Awakening vegan chefs' conference in Grand Rapids, MI. Bryanna’s recipes appear in the The Veg‐Feasting Cookbook (Seattle Vegetarian Association); on Dr. Andrew Weil's websites; in No More Bull! by Howard Lyman; and in Cooking with PETA. Bryanna also developed the recipes for the ground‐breaking book, Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes.
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Contact info Email via this page: http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/page/2 643700.htm Website: http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/page/5 79094.htm Blog: http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com http://www.twitter.com/VeganFeaster http://www.facebook.com/people/Bryanna‐Clark‐ Grogan/100001332474362
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Featured Activist: Lieutenant Colonel Bob Lucius of the Kairos Coalition!
What led you to become vegan and what was the transition like for you? It’s a long story, but the gist of it is that one day I saw something I didn’t expect and it caused me to re‐evaluate my beliefs and actions and whether they were really in accord with each other. Essentially, I saw a dog who was being taken off to be slaughtered for food and I didn’t stop it when I should have. You can read the full story here: http://animalbeat.org/manonamission.html That one moment radically changed my life and my view of animals and food. I immediately gave up meat and eventually went vegan when I learned about the horrors of the dairy and egg industries. I was living in Vietnam at the time and almost everybody to whom I tell the story thinks that going Veg in a place like Vietnam should be a breeze, but it really isn’t as easy as you’d think. Surprisingly, it’s not that easy to find many vegan dishes in Vietnam! Even in meatless dishes, nuoc mam (fish sauce) is fairly common as a seasoning. If I had a dime for every time someone told me a
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dish was vegetarian and then added…”with just a little pork for flavor”….well, I’d have a lot of dimes! The lack of knowledge and alternatives is the main reason why the Kairos Coalition has been working with some of our Vietnamese partners to develop a “Go Veg” guide and cookbook in Vietnamese for Vietnamese. Not only do Vietnamese need to be made aware of the compelling environmental, health and animal‐related benefits of transitioning to a plant‐based diet, but they also need some great recipes to get them started. Unfortunately, we couldn’t just translate a “Go Veg” guide from the United States because Vietnamese have their own particular style of cuisine. Another issue is the ingredients: although tofu and soy milk are quite common, other ingredients that we take for granted, such as beans, seitan and tempeh, just aren’t that commonly used in traditional Vietnamese fare and can be hard to find at the local market. Consequently, we’ve had to start from scratch and develop a guide that reflected the particular culinary environment as it is in Vietnam. It is an exciting project and I’m very grateful to A
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Well Fed World for supporting this project with a grant. Thankfully, being vegan is so easy if you live in the United States. There are so many alternatives in our supermarkets and more are added every day. I also now have a bookshelf full of inspiring vegan cookbooks and I love to try recipes from the Vegan Culinary Experience magazine. My family never runs of out tasty food to try. It is amazing how quickly the market has responded to the increasing demand. I see it just getter better and better and easier and easier for vegans in the years ahead. The military doesn’t always have the most vegan friendly reputation. What is it like for vegans in the military and how have you handled that personally? I think a lot of people have some misperceptions about what the military is actually like! People I talk to ask me questions about my lifestyle as if the only conception of the military life comes from Hollywood and films like “Full Metal Jacket” and “Jarhead”. The first few years of military life can be tough…with basic training, initial specialty training and getting accustomed to military life, but for most people in uniform life after that phase is surprisingly not too different from everybody else! Other than in those relatively infrequent periods when we are deployed overseas or on training missions, most of us live in regular households, either on‐base or out in the local community. And we go to work and come home everyday just like everyone else. As a result, most of us have a choice about what we choose to eat. Even when we have to eat a mess hall on base, there is usually a vegetarian choice available, though admittedly vegan options are much more rare. Probably the most problematic times are when we are away from eating facilities
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and we have to subsist on field rations, the famous Meals‐Ready‐to‐Eat (MREs), but there are currently four vegetarian meal choices among the 24 MREs we take to the field….so two out of every twelve meals is vegetarian. It is not optimal, but it is better than nothing! Tell us about the Kairos Coalition and how you started it. What does kairos mean? When I returned to the United States following my three‐year assignment in Vietnam, I realized I didn’t want to waste the extensive constellation of friends and colleagues I had developed during that experience. I felt that I could really leverage that network, as well as my extensive experience and knowledge about how to be effective in the various political and cultural environments of SE Asia, so I decided to set up a non‐profit that would serve as a vehicle for moving the humane agenda forward in places where not much is happening yet. Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning “the right or opportune moment”, a convergence of both time and destiny that produces a window in time for something truly special to happen. People ask me all the time what such an esoteric word has to do with veganism and animal rights, and I always answer with two words…“time travel”. That response always gets a pretty funny look, but if you think about it what I’m really talking about is very much like the plot of that 1985 movie “Back to the Future” with Michael J. Fox and the Christopher Lloyd. Let me explain what I mean… In the last decade or so, Americans have really just begun to wake up to the realization that public policy and individual consumer choices over the last fifty years have had horrendous consequences for public health, the environment and the social
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fabric of our communities and families. We are now paying a terrible price for our unchecked consumer appetites and an unwillingness to look ahead to where the road we have chosen will inevitably take us; towards a poisoned environment, crumbling communities, economic malaise and a public health crisis. But what if you could go back in time, and, like Marty McFly, intervene and alter the course of history? Vietnam today stands at the same developmental crossroads where the United States stood a half‐ century ago. They will soon similarly face challenges and decisions about the nature of development and modernization …and the course they inevitably choose will have consequences that will remain with them for generations, for good and ill. Our hope is that by introducing a culturally‐ relevant Humane Education program, we can help Vietnam’s next generations re‐imagine the range of possible solutions to the most pressing challenges of industrialization in ways that could prevent decades of unnecessary and destructive abuse in the name of uniformed and rampant commercial consumption and misguided public policies. The Spanish Poet George Santayana once remarked, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." By examining our present situation, Vietnamese youth can learn from our experiences and then work towards a brighter, healthier and more compassionate tomorrow. Humane Education is an investment in Vietnam’s future. Imagine what the United States would look like now if we could go back fifty years and Quick & Easy
retroactively apply the lessons of the last half‐ century’s struggles for social justice, animal welfare and the “green” movement. What would today’s generations think about the exploitation of the environment and animals for food, for entertainment or for clothing if they had only learned a different set of ethical possibilities from the very start, knew the ultimate price they would have to pay for their appetites and thus chose an entirely different path? Imagine that altered reality. That possibility still lays ahead for Vietnam. Doc Brown once told Marty “The future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one.” I say time travel is very possible and I aim to make it happen! The Kairos Coalition’s mission is to bring together stakeholders from the public, private and non‐ profit sectors in order to advance Humane Education and Humane Advocacy skills‐building in developing nations where effective grassroots advocacy has the potential to markedly impact the evolution of consumer choice and public policy in ways that advance the Humane Agenda. The Kairos Coalition’s mission is to collaborate with a broad array of domestic and international public, private and non‐profit stakeholders in order to deliver innovative and culturally‐normed Humane Education programs in developing countries. The Kairos Coalition leverages traditional creative arts and experimental theatre as vehicles for promoting reverence and respect for the dignity of all life, while seeking to foster through deep transformative learning a deeper understanding of the power of compassion and mercy in the exercise of personal responsibility. This work is deeply informed by Augusto Boal’s “Theatre of the Oppressed” and Jacob
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Moreno’s notion of “Sociodrama”. It is an approach that I call “Humane Edutainment” and I think it is the future of humane education because it not only is aesthetically interesting, but it also applies the most current research in sociology, psychology, communication theory and organizational studies. We also work with youth volunteers to develop their “soft‐skills”…things like management, leadership, critical‐thinking, divergent problem solving, team building and conflict resolution…in order to make them more effective activists and advocates. We are training warriors for a very long fight and in my view, these are the skills that will make them truly powerful voices for the animals. Essentially, what we are working to do is to create human vectors to deliver a “humane vaccine”...in a metaphorical sense of course…taking average youth in developing countries like Vietnam…giving them new ideas…new ways of seeing the world and all its creatures…a new vision for what is possible… a clearer sense of how they themselves can bring that vision to fruition and the advocacy tools to implement that vision. They will be the vectors that then carry the therapeutic vaccine of compassion, mercy and kindness into the body of Vietnamese society…or Indonesia…or Cambodia, and every place else we go. What challenges have you faced achieving your goals with the Kairos Coalition and how have you overcome them? Running the Kairos Coalition and it multiple projects abroad is not my full‐time job! It is a labor of love that I do with the time that I can carve out of my professional life and my family time, but it truly means the world to me. I believe with all my heart that with a little investment and time, we can help the Vietnamese youth make a significant difference for the animals in their own country.
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When I see their successes, it makes me realize that all the sacrifices are so completely worth it. But I have an advantage…I worked and lived there for several years, so I know what the situation is and when positive change happens, I can see and feel the results. Most Americans only know about Vietnam from the war, so I find it hard sometimes to energize them about someplace so very far away. Vietnam is so distant that to many people it can seem kind of abstract, but the effect that even a modest investment can have in a place where the average per capita annual income is about $1,200. Fortunately, we have been lucky to have people who share our vision and help us out from time to time. Our supporters know that every dime goes to support operations abroad and that we never solicit funds unless we have a very specific project in mind. When someone sends us a check or makes a donation online, they know it is directly going to get something done on the ground in Vietnam and won’t just be sitting in our bank account earning interest! How does veganism work into the efforts of the Kairos Coalition? First, the Kairos Coalition’s primary mission is to advance what I call the “humane agenda”, and in my view you have to embrace the vegan lifestyle and especially a plant‐based diet if you truly care about not just animals, but the environment, public and personal health and issues like social justice and human rights. All these issues are tightly interconnected and you can’t simply divorce one from the rest, so our work has to acknowledge that they have to be addressed in tandem. Now I’d be lying if I said that all out partners in Vietnam clearly see the connection between veganism and their work on behalf of animals, but we are making headway and I’ve been pretty impressed at how open‐minded most of them are about at least exploring the issue. Again, we are overcoming
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huge obstacles standing in the way of sustained changes in behavior. Research tells us that three variables need to be accounted for when you want to change someone’s behavior. 1) You need to provide alternative options…that is, access to tasty, affordable and nutritious plant‐based alternatives; 2) You need to elevate their sense of control…that is, can I reasonably procure this kind of food and prepare it myself; and finally, 3) If you have to pick one, what is the most moving story you have about your work with Kairos? We have done a lot of different projects over the last year, but I think perhaps the story of Moon and Happy really hit me the hardest. Moon and Happy were two cats that were injured and left disabled and without mobility. We worked with our partners in Ho Chi Minh City to outfit them with wheelchairs through a supplier in the United States. The goal was not only to demonstrate that these cats had lives that were valuable and that compassion has no borders. Since no animal wheelchairs are available for sale in Vietnam…or anywhere in SE Asia, it was also a chance for our partners to re‐engineer these contraptions so that they could be locally produced far more inexpensively and made available to other animals in need. I am giving you the abridged version of the story here, but if you want to read the full story of Moon and Happy (and see the videos of their first steps), check out this link: Quick & Easy
http://www.examiner.com/animal‐policy‐in‐ national/abused‐disabled‐cats‐get‐wheelchairs‐ and‐new‐homes‐through‐international‐effort What are the keys to staying a motivated activist? Who have been your role models? I have read all the books I can find on the history of Veganism and the Animal protection movement…books like “For the Prevention of Cruelty” by Diane L. Beers, “For the Love of Animals” by Kathryn Shevelow, “The Heretic’s Feast” by Colin Spencer and “The Bloodless Revolution” by Tristram Stuart, and if I had to pick some personal heroes from the vast pantheon of luminaries in the movement, I would probably say that I am most inspired by folks from the earliest years of the movement in the United States, folks like Henry Bergh, George Angell, Caroline Earle White, Anna Harris Smith, Flora Kibbe, Amy Freeman Lee and Henry Spira. Where would we be today if not for their voices? I am also awed today by what a young guy like Nathan Runkle has already accomplished in his 26 years, or someone like Erica Meier of Compassion over Killing, Dawn Moncrieff of A Well Fed World, Michael Weber at Farm Animal Rights Movement and Paul Shapiro at HSUS. These folks are all relatively young and have achieved amazing things in their lives not just for animals, but also for the noble goals of preserving our planet, protecting the environment and for advancing the cause of compassion, mercy and justice. As a Marine, I see these young men and women as fellow warriors and I’m truly proud to stand alongside them. As far as I’m concerned, I couldn’t be in better or more courageous and honorable company. I am also deeply inspired and motivated by my son, who just turned 22 months old. When I look at him, abstract notions about social justice, environmental sustainability, the personal and
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economic impacts of a decline in public health and the ethics of animal rights no longer seem like abstract arguments but instead become very concrete and urgent. When I look in his eyes, I see the kind of world I want for him and it makes the fight just that much more personal for me. You’ve worked quite a bit in Vietnam. What is your favorite vegan Vietnamese dish? Do you have a favorite recipe you can share? I have to say that I really don’t have many favorite Vietnamese vegan recipes, though it is hard to go wrong with a good Nem Rán (friend spring roll) or Gỏi cuốn (fresh spring roll). I’m afraid I haven’t been very successful in my efforts to make a vegan version of Bún chả because it relies on grilled patties of minced pork and it’s hard to replicate that texture. Before I went to Vietnam, I spent a tour living and working in Indonesia, so perhaps my very favorite dish from all of South East Asia is Rendang. Before I went veg, I used to eat Rendang Daging (beef) all the time and my friend’s wife would deliver it to my apartment every week so I’d have some on hand. Since then, I have thrown out the beef and replaced it with seitan, which I think stands in better than tofu or tempeh. The recipe I like to use is from a blog called “Tofu for Two”: http://tofufortwo.net/2008/01/19/seitan‐rendang/ For an activist that wants to take the next step and start an organization of their own, what is the best advice you can give them? I won’t lie, founding and running a non‐profit is not easy, unless you have an accountant and a lawyer as friends! It takes a lot of time, patience and commitment, and frankly, it is not always necessary. It really depends on what you want to do. The tax‐exempt non‐profit route is often necessary if you want to pursue grants, but if you just want to get things done, there is a lot to be
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done for something more informal. One of the groups we've partnered with in Vietnam is a group called Yeu Dong Vat (Animal Lovers), a group of more than 150 members who love animals so much they spent their free time doing what they can to rescue animals and find them homes. These kids are amazing and powerfully effective. Once you’ve entered the non‐profit world, a lot you time is going to be spent on routine administrative matters that the law requires, so be sure before you pull the trigger! That being said, I’m glad I went that route with the Kairos Coalition because it does seem to have opened doors and given us the clout to sit at the table with bigger players. The paper from the IRS and the transparency it requires from you is a clear signal to the other players that you're a serious partner…at least it should! The best advice I can give is to take it slow, figure out what you want to achieve and what resources you need to get it done. Once you figure that out, then you go from there by building the kind of organization that is tailored to your specific vision. What’s on the horizon for you? Any exciting new projects coming up? We have a lot of ongoing projects and some great plans in the works. Out Humane Edutainment project is still underway in Hanoi with thousands of kids already having experienced it. I plan on heading back soon to conduct a follow‐on training workshop for our volunteers and to kick‐off a second pilot in Ho Chi Minh City in the south. We have also been carrying out a spay‐and‐neuter voucher program in Ho Chi Minh City as a service learning project for a youth volunteer group there and we have just launched a national Animal Rights Propaganda Poster contest. This is a particularly exciting project because “Propaganda Art” is a quintessentially Communist art form that has been used for generations in Vietnam to educate the masses and we are essentially co‐opting it for the
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animals. Probably our biggest project in the works in the establishment of a “half‐way house” in Ho Chi Minh for animals rescued from the street and from the meat trade. This will serve as a place where a handful of dogs and cats can be nursed back to health and socialized before moving on to adoptive homes. We think the message that this kind of activity sends is really important….every animal deserve love, kindness and a second chance. This will be a first of its kind in Vietnam because at present there is not a single other organization, domestic or international, working to improve the lives of domestic or companion animals. It is a hug gap that we are working to fill. We are also working on a series of bilingual language guides to help activists and advocates working across language barriers…so far we have twelve different languages nearing completion and more on the way. These will be provided free of charge on a non‐commercial basis to any organization or individual who might want to use them in their own work. On a personal note, I plan to commence my doctoral studies in January. I will be pursuing a PhD in Human and Organizational Development from Fielding Graduate University. This is something I have been considering for quite some time because I think it can really enhance my work as a Humane Educator and Animal Rights activist and advocate. Thanks Bob! Contact Info I can be reached at
[email protected] or through www.kairoscoalition.org. I would love to hear from anyone who’d like to hear more about our activities abroad or who might like to get involved!
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Bio Lieutenant Colonel Robert Lucius, USMC (Ret.) was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1989 and served 22 years on active duty in a wide variety of command, staff and diplomatic assignments before retiring on July 31, 2011. He is a specialist in Asian foreign languages and cultures and was most recently assigned as the Assistant Provost, Dean of Educational Support Services and Dean of Students for the Directorate of Continuing Education at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, CA. Lt. Col. Lucius graduated from Norwich University in 1989, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in History. He also holds a Master of Forensic Science degree from National University, a Master of Arts degree in National Security Studies from Naval Postgraduate School and a Graduate Certificate in Community Advocacy from George Washington University. In 2009, Lt. Col. Lucius founded the Kairos Coalition to pilot experimental humane education initiatives in developing economies. He is also the founder of VegHeads of Monterey Bay, an advocacy group for the environmental, health and animal welfare benefits of a plant‐based diet.
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Featured Artist: Painter Trish Grantham!
Please tell us a bit about yourself! I grew up in the Southwest United States: Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, Austin. I lived in Chapel Hill, NC for a while, too. Then found my way to Portland Oregon 13 years ago. I love it, the weather is perfect for me. It is beautiful here. I have a chihuahua named Pablo and two Kitties named Arlo and Georgia. What motivated you to become vegan and what was that transition like for you? I changed my life about 3 years ago and realized to be a complete and happy person I also needed to look deeper into everything I do. I love all creatures great and small. I believe whole heartedly that animals should not have their life and spirit taken for our short lived pleasures. I hope more people take the step to educate themselves on what is really going on in the meat and dairy industry. Terms like "free range" and "grass fed" paint a very different picture then reality. I believe that humanity as a whole would be devastated if they took a deeper look into things. It was a super easy step for me, it makes me feel good to do what I can. When you know the truth you cannot turn
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back. I look forward to being able to do more to help in the future. How long have you been an artist? What inspired you to make that a career? I started painting around 1998, the career found me. The dominoes fell right into place. It was an amazing gift I was given. It is now part of me and I can't imagine ever doing anything else. I look forward to watching it unfold even more. Being involved in the arts is not always easy. What challenges have you faced getting your work out to the public and how have you overcome them? I think I started doing art at the perfect time. I had a website by 2000 and my paintings took off. It was rare to have a website back then you could buy art from. With the fate of the site, I got my name out there. Because of that I am where I am today. The web is super saturated with artist and I find myself getting a bit lost there now. I live off commissions, gallery shows, and online sales. I have been lucky in this economy and seem to be doing well.
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What are some of the key aspects of your art and how did they develop? My paintings have changed a great deal over the last 13 years. I was learning to paint as I went. I had my first show within a few months of painting my first piece. After that I had 8‐12 shows a month. Because of this I painted all the time and wanted to get better and better. I have always loved things from the past and incorporated old paper and books into my work from the beginning. I am a self‐taught artist and am always changing and learning. How do you incorporate compassion and veganism into your work? I never thought of that before. But I have always painted animals as thoughtful emotional creatures. I feel I identify with them, I have always been sentimental when it comes to them. As for my work I speak through them, their feelings are mine. What are some of your favorite pieces that you’ve created? I have painted thousands of pieces but yes I do have a few favorites. "The Creators" is my newest favorite. The animals in this piece are creating the world all over again communicating with one another to make sure they are one. All at Peace. Now for some food questions! What do you like to eat at home? (please share the recipe!) Being from the Southwest I live on Mexican food! I make all things Mexican, even my pasta always comes out with a southwest flair and the spice of roasted chiles. I don't use recipes but would love to tell you what I put into what I love to make. Yesterday I made a big pot of Barracho Beans, well
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my take on it! Rinse and soak pintos overnight. Sautee onion, roasted green chile, and garlic in coconut oil. Add a large can of fire roasted tomatoes and a can of beer of your choice. Then add beans and water. Add and don't be shy: cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, maple syrup and a bay leaf. This may not be described well enough for others to make! Portland is a vegan mecca. Do you have a favorite place to eat out? Portobello, Prasad, Blossoming Lotus, Sweet Hereafter, Sweet Pea Bakery, and Kitchen Dances Food Cart. What advice can you give new artists wanting to make a career out of it? I use to say "get a website ASAP!" But now I am not sure. I think just paint all the time. You get better and better. Quality is where it is at. Passion will take you everywhere. To know, truly Know that you can make it, will take you everywhere you want to go. Never give up and always believe in yourself you can do it. What is on the horizon for you? I am working on a December show at the Augen Gallery in Portland Oregon right now. I have a t‐ shirt line coming out at Forever 21 and cards coming out for American Greetings. And big surprises right around the corner. Thanks Trish! Contact Info You can reach Trish at www.trishgrantham.com.
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Restaurant/Product Review: Casa de Tamales Reviewer: Jason Wyrick Casa de Tamales http://www.casadetamales.com/ 3747 W. Shaw Ave. Fresno, CA 93711 559‐275‐9300 Can be purchased at: the restaurant or by ordering online Price: $2.69‐3.29 per tamale or $23.99‐$26.99 per dozen
I was fortunate enough to find this gem of a restaurant while I was in Fresno waiting to teach a vegan kids class. There was a dearth of vegan places to eat, but local reviews kept talking about how great Casa de Tamales was, so naturally I had to try it. Plus, who can resist vegan tamales? If anyone can, they have no soul. I should note that Casa de Tamales is not vegan. In fact, most of their products have meat or cheese. However, as a Mexican restaurant and a tamale house, I was particularly impressed that they went out of their way to have several vegan options on their menu, that they didn’t make their rice and beans using animal products, and that the ingredients they used were top‐notch. They already stood out because of this, and then I tried the tamales. I’ll just say I went back the next day for more. I was hard‐pressed to choose which of the two I tried I liked better, but ultimately the chorizo con papas won out. It had just the right flavor and texture, lush without being mushy, rich without being overbearing, and a slight amount of heat to give the tamales a zing. The other tamale I tried was the portobello and asparagus. There was just enough asparagus added to give it flavor, but not so much that it became the predominant flavor. The best part of the tamale, however, was the Quick & Easy
guajillo sauce. I could have eaten just guajillo sauce and corn tortillas. Both of these tamales can be found in the gourmet section of their menu. They also have a sweet corn and raisin tamale in the dessert section, which is vegan without the caramel sauce. No matter how excellent a tamale filling is, however, the true test of a quality tamale is the masa. Casa de Tamales had, hands down, the best masa I’ve had. I discovered that the restaurant mills its own corn, which not only maximizes the flavor of the corn, but it keeps the masa light and fluffy since the corn isn’t reduced to something approximating corn flour. It had a lush, full mouth feel without being mushy. It was the first time I had purchased a commercial tamale where I enjoyed the masa as much as the filling. Finally, there were a few side items I had, each of which was outstanding. The fresh guacamole brought to life with a strong dose of lime and salt, the way real guacamole should be made, the roasted corn salsa that could be eaten as a side, October 2011|50
and the rice and beans, both of which were flavorful without being heavy. It should be obvious at this point that I loved Casa de Tamales and I sincerely hope they expand their vegan options because I can’t wait to order more [they are, in fact, expanding their vegan line according to Jose Aguilar, the general manager]. Speaking of which, they ship their tamales across the continental United States, so even if you live on the East Coast, you can still experience these Mexican delights yourself. I hope you have the same experience I did. Quick & Easy
The Reviewer Jason Wyrick is the executive chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, an educational vegan culinary magazine with a readership of about 30,000. In 2001, Chef Jason reversed his diabetes by switching to a low‐fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become a chef and instructor to help others. Since then, he has been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times contributor, and has been featured in Edible Phoenix, and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local television appearances. He has catered for companies such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s premier event, and has been a guest instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You can find out more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Book Review: Quick Fix Vegan Author: Robin Robertson Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor
Robin Robertson has done it again. She has delivered a cookbook filled with delicious food. This time, all of these recipes can be made in 30 minutes for less. This is a wonderful thing for those of us who still need to eat but have little time on our hands. Instead of just making up pasta and dumping jarred spaghetti sauce on it, these dishes are full of life, flavor and nutrition, and can be made in about the same time as the afore mentioned spaghetti. Robertson begins the book by offering a list of pantry essentials that make preparing this food on demand much easier. She also mentions the idea of having weekly cooking sessions if you can get a free evening or afternoon. I can attest that strategy works, having used it to get me through graduate school. After the pantry list is a set of essentials to prepare and have on hand, such as pizza dough and seitan. After that come chapter with snacks, soups, salads, sandwiches, desserts and even more. Dishes like Korean Hot Pot and Black Bean Sunburgers will make you think that you spent hours on each dish and did you know you could even have chocolate cheesecake squares in 30? This book would be great for just about anyone, but especially people with young families, students, and people who think they’re too busy to cook or Quick & Easy
Author: Robin Robertson Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978‐1‐4494‐0785‐8 Price: $16.99 eat well. Grab a copy, a few minutes, and you’ll be enjoying a delicious vegan dinner in no time, or less than 30 minutes. Highly recommended to everyone. The Reviewer Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog, http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various websites and publications. She can be contacted at
[email protected] or
[email protected].
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Book Review: Thrive Foods Author: Brendan Brazier Reviewer: Jason Wyrick
Brendan Brazier is probably the most talked‐about vegan athlete, at least in the context of being vegan and being an athlete. With his precursor book, Thrive, Brazier created a comprehensive nutritional guide for athletes who are looking to optimize performance through diet. With Thrive Foods, Brazier takes a completely different tact. Thrive Foods is part environmental study and part cookbook. The former half of the book covers some already treaded ground, such as the amount of grain and land it takes to raise livestock and the inefficiency of doing so from an environmental standpoint. It’s not a bad idea covering this, though, since many of his readers will be new to veganism and may not be aware of exactly how detrimental meat and dairy production can be. What I liked most, however, was the strong focus on comparing the economics of the nutritional content of different foods. For example, if an organic apple costs $2.00 and yields five units of nutrition, that’s $0.40 per unit of nutrition. If a fast food burger costs $2.00 and yields one unit of nutrition (doubtful, at best!), that’s $2.00 per unit of nutrition. Clearly, the apple is the more inexpensive route to take to meet our nutritional requirements, even though it may not look like that at first glance. The same method is used to compare the carbon costs of food and I like the strong environmental approach the book takes.
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Author: Brendan Brazier Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978‐0‐7382‐1511‐2 Price: $20.00 Of course, there is quite a bit of talk about nutrition and a few easy guides and visuals to help the reader along the way and I thought the nutrition icons were a nice touch. The latter half of the book is comprised of recipes. I saw a lot of good ideas in this section, but some of the recipes seemed like they belonged in a different cookbook, usually the ones created by the “celebrity” chefs. When I’m looking at the cookbook follow up to Thrive, I’m looking for recipes that are specifically geared towards putting a Thrive diet into place. I’m guessing that’s why some of those recipes felt out of place. Fortunately, the majority of the recipes do actually feel like they are part of the Thrive mentality and there was a host of great ideas in there. I can’t wait to try some of them! The Reviewer Jason Wyrick is the executive chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, an educational vegan culinary magazine with a readership of about 30,000. In 2001, Chef Jason reversed his diabetes by switching to a low‐
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fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become a chef and instructor to help others. Since then, he has been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times contributor, and has been featured in Edible Phoenix, and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local television appearances. He has catered for companies such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s premier catering event, and has been a guest instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You can find out more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Book Review: World Vegan Feast Author: Bryanna Clark-Grogan Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor It is very hard to impress me with a cookbook. I know that sounds harsh, but I own over 300 (is it over 400 now? I don’t remember) and I am a very good cook. But there were several times when I was looking at World Vegan Feast that my mouth dropped open, in a very good way. Bryanna Clark Grogran totally impressed me with this epic volume. She did this in several ways. First, she has veganized all the things that I always say I will, and never do. Vegan Haggis anyone? Seitan Wellington? It’s in here! There are many dishes in here that omnivores (and other vegans) will say, “there is a vegan version of that?” including ‘salmon’ and Coq au Vin. I personally love having vegan recipes for all dishes so when someone tells me “I can’t go vegan because I can’t give up X”, I can say “here is a vegan version of X”. This book helps me do that more often. Also, this is a vegan trip around the world. All cuisines are represented here. If you have a friend coming from just about any country, you can make something from there, and you can try food from all over the globe without having to leave home. Isn’t that one of the great things about being vegan is trying new foods? This book helps you do that.
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Author: Bryanna Clark‐Grogan Publisher: Vegan Heritage Press Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978‐0980013146 Price: $19.95
If you are just looking for something new, the chapters and index are also nicely organized. I know that sounds like something odd to mention, but I hate when you are looking for just a soup, and cannot easily find the chapter, or when you are looking for a specific dish and cannot do so. She makes it easy. But there is much more than that. The cooking tips which she weaves throughout the book makes you want to read it like a novel, and with chapters from soups to baking, you will learn something new. Over all, this is a great present to any new or more experienced vegan. It has lots of good recipes to try, with lots of fun food to make you smile and expand your pallet. Highly recommended. The Reviewer Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog, http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various October 2011|55
websites and publications. She can be contacted at
[email protected] or
[email protected].
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Book Review: Vegan for Life Authors: Jack Norris, RD & Ginny Messina, MPH, RD Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor
Author: Jack Norris, Ginny Messina Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books Copyright: 2011 ISBN: 978‐0‐7382‐1493‐1 Price: $17.00
I should start out with a few scary facts. I have been vegan for 5 years, and I have read a lot of books on cooking an nutrition. Never before have I ever come across such an excellent, factual book. Jack Norris, RD, and Virginia Messina, MPH, RD break down everything you wanted to know about vegan nutrition but didn’t even know to ask. With 16 chapters, breaking down everything from how much protein your average vegan needs to how to have a healthy vegan pregnancy, to vegan nutrition after 50, you will find your own needs addressed. In each chapter, you will find charts and formulas to explain how many nutrients you need, and where to find them. Think you can’t get enough tryptophan on a vegan diet? Think again and turn to page 24 to find which vegan foods have the most. Confused about plant sources of iron versus meat sources of the same? Check out page 63 to have all your questions addressed. I learned something new on each and every page. Better yet, this book also addressed many myths surrounding veganism. You do NOT need to have an oil free diet to be healthy. This is one I come across often in my work. The authors tell you where the myth came from and why it is just that – a myth. Also, other myths are also busted like raw
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isn’t always better, and whole foods only all the time isn’t necessary and can also be harmful. This book would be great for anyone. I think it would be wonderful for new vegans to start them on the right path. It would also be a great gift to any family members of a vegan who have questions (I know my mother did when I started). It should also be required reading for any longtime vegan, like myself, to make sure that you are getting the most of our diet. Get this book. Seriously. If you are reading this magazine, this book will answer any questions you have, and remind you of what you should be doing. Thank you Jack and Ginny for writing this book to remind me of why I started, and what I should be eating while I am here. 5 Stars The Reviewer Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog, http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over 16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to
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admit. When she isn’t in the kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or reviewing products for various websites and publications. She can be contacted at
[email protected] or
[email protected].
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Product Review: Flax USA Flax Milk Reviewer: Jason Wyrick Flax USA http://www.flaxusa.com/ 1671 7th St. NE Goodrich, ND 58444 866‐352‐9872 Price: $2.98
I have had flax milk several times over the past few years, but it was always with hope that the next time would be better. The flavor was never right, or it simply tasted too heavily of flax to be used in any way other than a healthy drink. I have plenty of other foods I can consume to be healthy that simply tasted better, so I never added flax milk to my diet. Flax oil, on the other hand, was a staple addition to many of my salads. Flax milk was a staple addition to my local grocer’s non‐dairy milk section and that’s where it stayed. Fortunately, the Flax USA brand hits the mark. I’ll start off by saying that the milk still tastes like flax. There’s no way around it and if you can’t stand that taste, you won’t like this product. However, I didn’t find it overpowering. In fact, I thought that lighter flax taste hit the right flavor spot, so if you think you might like something a little milder than what has been commercially available, this is definitely worth a try. My favorite was the vanilla. It was properly sweetened and well balanced, with a full mouth feel. My least favorite was the plain, which was a bit watery, but that’s simply the way it goes with plain flax milk and not a knock on the product. If Quick & Easy
you already liked flax milk, the plain is an excellent option. If not, go with the vanilla. I should point out that because of the flax flavor, flax milks are not something I would use in coffee or tea, but I did end up trying them in cereal and they were even better than I expected! The mild flax flavor complemented the nutty, grain flavor of the cereal and both served to accentuate each other with complex notes. Yum! All in all, these made for an excellent product and encouraged me to give flax milk another shot. I’m looking forward to getting home and having another glass of the vanilla! The Reviewer Jason Wyrick is the executive chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, an educational vegan culinary magazine with a readership of about 30,000. In 2001, Chef Jason reversed his diabetes by switching to a low‐fat, vegan diet and subsequently left his position as the Director of Marketing for an IT company to become a chef and
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instructor to help others. Since then, he has been featured by the NY Times, has been a NY Times contributor, and has been featured in Edible Phoenix, and the Arizona Republic, and has had numerous local television appearances. He has catered for companies such as Google, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary, has been featured in the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s premier catering event, and has been a guest instructor and the first vegan instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Recently, Chef Jason wrote a national best‐selling book with Dr. Neal Barnard entitled 21‐Day Weight Loss Kickstart. You can find out more about Chef Jason Wyrick at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Recipe Index
Click on any of the recipes in the index to take you to the relevant recipe. Some recipes will have large white sections after the instructional portion of them. This is so you need only print out the ingredient and instructional sections for ease of kitchen use.
Recipe
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Breakfasts Almond Butter Apple Boats Morels & Peppadews Oats & Dates Peanut Butter Amaranth Porridge Roasted Red Pepper Scramble Main Dishes Baked Beans & Kale Black Bean Chorizo Soup Chickpea & Olive Couscous Eggplant Apricot Sandwich Lucky Soba Noodles Quick & Dirty Veggie Dog Quinoa Verde Red Curry Soup Seared Oyster Mushroom Tacos Seared Tofu Miso Noodles Seitan Diablo Shiitakes in Creamy Garlic Sauce Spinach & Peanuts over Bread Stuffed Portabellas Sundried Tomato Hummus Wraps Tempeh in Tangy Tomato Sauce Squash Pasta with Sundried Tomato Sauce White Bean Soup Lemony Lentil and Potato Chowder Lentil Tomato Stew Raw Crème a la Zucchini Peruvian Inspired Sweet Potato Chowder Borrachos Beans
Page
Recipe
62 65 68 71 74 77 80 83 86 89 92 95 98 101 104 107 110 113 116 119 122 125 128 16 17 21 37 49
Appetizers/Sides Basil Cashews Stuffed Tomatoes Broccoli Slaw Chili Garlic Marinated Veggies Fragrant Potatoes & Peanuts Lemony Cornflour Cakes Mushrooms in Garlicky Sangria Shaved Fennel Chickpea Salad Simmered Cauliflower in Sweet & Spicy Tahini Sauce Sweet & Sour Calabacitas Lentil Salad Desserts Chocolate Merlot Mousse Raspberry Almond Parfait Raw Chocolate Pudding Drinks Iced Pomegranate Tea
Page 131 134 137 140 143 146 149 152 155 16 158 161 21 164
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Almond Butter Apple Boats Type: Quick Meal ‐ Dessert Time to Prepare: 5 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients 1 green apple 2 tbsp. of almond butter 2 tsp. toasted coconut 6‐8 rains Instructions Cut the apple in half lengthways. Cut a small wedge into the bottom of the apple, removing the rough part. Scoop out the core of the apple using a small knife or spoon, creating a boat. Place 3‐4 raisins in each boat. Fill each half with 1 tbsp. of almond butter. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of toasted coconut on top of each apple boat. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
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Kitchen Equipment Cutting Board Knife Spoon Measuring Spoons Presentation These look nice set on a platter with some raisins and coconut sprinkled on the platter. You can also sprinkle the platter with chopped mint. Make sure you place them on a light colored platter to accentuate the springy feel of the dish. In all honesty, though, they’re meant to be made quickly and eaten quickly, so I eat them straight off the cutting board. Time Management Make these just before serving. Otherwise, they will brown. If you have to make them earlier, dip the apple in a half‐and‐half water/lemon juice solution before putting the raisins and almond butter in the boat. Then store it in the refrigerator. Complementary Food and Drinks These go really with some sparkling cider and are a great summer treat. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are incredibly easy to find. However, Trader Joe’s has a great price on almond butter. I usually get the raw version. Also, you want crisp apples for this recipe, so make sure there are no brown spots. How It Works The slight tartness of the apples makes a nice contrast with the sweetness of the raisins. Almond butter is also just a bit sweet and the creamy texture plays off of the crisp apple. The raisins are also a nice sweet treasure to be found when the apple is bit into. Finally, the coconut puts one more flavor in the dish, rounding it out with another type of sweetness. Chef’s Notes These little gems are deceptively filling and I’ve served them in quite a few of my classes to vegans and non‐vegetarians. The typical accompaniment usually ends up being a sigh of surprised delight. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|63
Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 162 Calories from Fat 90 Fat 10 g Total Carbohydrates 16 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 11 g Protein 2 g Salt 10 mg Interesting Facts Almond butter and almond milk were used in many Elizabethan era desserts. California is now the largest producer of almonds in the world. Wild apples use to be bitter, but the Romans discovered they could cultivate a sweet apple, resulting in what we have today.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|64
Morels & Peppadews Type: Breakfast Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 8 fresh morels, sliced 1 tsp. of garlic‐infused olive oil 16 oz. of firm tofu, crumbled ½ tsp. of turmeric ¼ tsp. of salt (choose Indian black salt for a very egg‐like flavor) 8‐12 peppadews 4 slices of toasted sourdough bread Instructions Slice the morels into thin pieces. Sauté them in the oil over a medium heat for about 2 minutes. Crumble the tofu into the pan. Add the turmeric and salt and stir until everything is combined. Sauté until the tofu is warmed through. Add the peppadews and stir. Serve over sourdough toast.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|65
Low‐fat Version Omit the oil and simmer the morels in a very thin layer of white wine. Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Sauté Pan Stirring Spoon Measuring Spoon Presentation Make sure some of the peppadews are showing through the scramble, though that shouldn’t be hard. Time Management The key to this recipe is to not overcook the morels, which have an earthy flavor, but can be delicate, especially when sliced so thinly. If they are starting to brown, add the tofu immediately. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with a pomegranate mimosa. Where to Shop Fresh morels are usually only found at gourmet stores. Dry ones don’t quite work for this recipe. Trader Joe’s has a good price on peppadews and most of the other ingredients, especially vegan sourdough bread. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works A light sauté on the morels softens them, helps bring out their earthy flavor, and infuses the oil with this flavor, which then permeates the entire scramble. Peppadews are added for crunch and tanginess and all this is served over toasted sourdough bread for a classy finish. Chef’s Notes Fresh morels aren’t always easy to come by and look expensive, but you need so few of them, don’t let the expense turn you off from making the recipe! The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|66
Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 522 Calories from Fat 198 Fat 22 g Total Carbohydrates 42 g Dietary Fiber 10 g Sugars 11 g Protein 39 g Salt 473 mg Interesting Facts Morels can be classified as gray, black, or yellow, though they are all shades of brown.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|67
Oats & Dates Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes Ingredients 4 pitted dates, chopped Zest of 1 orange ¾ cup of rolled oats ½ cup of water Pinch of cloves Instructions Chop the dates into small pieces. Zest the orange. Bring the water to a boil. Add all the ingredients and cook until the oats are barely softened, about 7‐8 minutes. Option: Allow the oats to cool and form the mix into several bite‐size balls as a tasty, filling snack.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|68
Kitchen Equipment Small Pot Measuring Cup Stirring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Presentation Even though this doesn’t make a lot of food, it’s deceptively filling. Because it is not a large amount of food, however, it should be served in a small bowl so it doesn’t look like you’re skimping on the portion size. Time Management Make sure you get the dates chopped and the orange zested before you start cooking the oats. It’s important that those ingredients simmer with the oats so they can flavor the oats. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this on its own. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are relatively common. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works The dates add an obvious shot of sweetness to the oats without drenching them with refined sugars and the cloves and orange zest bring the oats to life, giving them a popping, aromatic quality. Chef’s Notes This simply combines some Middle Eastern flavors (dates, cloves, and orange) with oats. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 460 Calories from Fat 36 Fat 4 g Total Carbohydrates 74 g Dietary Fiber 10 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|69
Sugars 32 g Protein 11 g Salt
Interesting Facts Rolled oats are typically pressed flat, steamed, and then toasted before being packaged.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|70
Peanut Butter Amaranth Porridge Type: Breakfast Serves: 1 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients ¼ cup of amaranth 1 cup of almond milk ½ teaspoon of cinnamon 1‐2 tablespoons of peanut butter 1‐2 teaspoons of agave nectar (optional) Instructions Place ¼ cup of amaranth in a small wok or pot and place over medium heat. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes. The amaranth should toast and may even ‘pop’ much like popcorn. Reduce the heat of the pot or wok to medium low. Add the almond milk, cinnamon, and peanut butter. Stir until thoroughly combined. Cook at this heat for 20‐30 minutes. Remove from heat before adding the agave.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
Quick & Easy
October 2011|71
Low‐fat Version Omit the peanut butter, simply making amaranth porridge. Kitchen Equipment Pot or Wok Measuring Cups Measuring Spoons Stirring Spoon Presentation Serve as is or garnish with chopped peanuts. Time Management Since this needs time to simmer, use that 30 minutes cooking time to get ready in the morning or prepare a healthy lunch for work or school. Complementary Food and Drinks This is wonderful with a warm cup of chai on a cold morning. Where to Shop These ingredients can be bought in any health food store. Amaranth is a gluten free grain, and can be found in most health food stores. How It Works Toasting the amaranth brings out the flavor of the grain by developing the volatile compounds and oils. It makes the grain taste like peanut butter. Chef’s Notes This is a warm and hearty dish, perfect for cold mornings. Because of the grain and peanut butter, it is very filling, so save it for the days where you need the extra caloric push. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 319 Calories from Fat 99 Fat 11 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
Quick & Easy
October 2011|72
Total Carbohydrates 43 g Dietary Fiber 5 g Sugars 9 g Protein 12 g Salt 153 mg Interesting Facts Amaranth is a seed, and it is completely gluten free. It was a staple food of the Incans and Aztecs, and is also a popular health food today.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
Quick & Easy
October 2011|73
Roasted Red Pepper Scramble Type: Breakfast Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients The Sauce 1 roasted red pepper 1 small clove of garlic ¼ tsp. of salt ¼ cup of water The Scramble 16 oz. of firm tofu, crumbled 4 cups of tightly packed baby spinach leaves 3 tbsp. of capers Instructions Puree the roasted red pepper, garlic, salt, and water. Crumble the tofu with a whisk or by hand. Bring a pan up to a medium heat. Add the spinach and cook it until it wilts. Press the spinach to the side of the pan and then drain the pan of any excess water. Add the sauce and stir in the spinach, then add the tofu and capers and stir again. Stir and cook for about 3 minutes.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|74
Kitchen Equipment Blender Pan Stirring Spoon Mixing Bowl Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Presentation Make sure that the spinach is not clumped in the scramble. Time Management This recipe only takes a few minutes, so there isn’t much to add here. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with garlic hashbrowns and sourdough toast. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are incredibly common. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works This is a very simple recipe. The spinach provides some color and also goes quite well with the roasted red pepper. The sauce should lightly coat the tofu and make the scramble slightly sweet and give it some liveliness while the capers create a shot of saltiness. Chef’s Notes This recipe is based strongly on a breakfast I had at Jam in Portland, Oregon. It was so good, I went back the next day and had it again! Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 396 Calories from Fat 180 Fat 20 g Total Carbohydrates 15 g Dietary Fiber 7 g Sugars 3 g Protein 39 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|75
Salt 692 mg
Interesting Facts Gypsum is the most common coagulant used in making tofu.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|76
Baked Beans & Kale Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 5 minutes of work + 30 minutes to bake Ingredients 1 bunch of kale, chopped (about 1 cup) ½ of an onion, diced 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1 chipotle in adobo, minced 1 cup of cooked, rinsed red beans 3 tbsp. of maple syrup 1 tsp. of tamari Juice of 1 lime or orange* Instructions Chop the kale into small pieces. Dice the onion. Mince the garlic and chipotle. Combine the maple syrup, tamari, and lime juice or orange juice*. Toss all the ingredients together in a small baking dish. Cover the baking dish and bake this for 30 minutes on 350 degrees. * Choose lime if you want a flavor that pops, choose orange if you want to accentuate sweetness.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|77
Raw Version You can make this dish using sprouted lentils and a ripe, red jalapeno instead of a chipotle. Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Baking Dish & Foil Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Small Mixing Bowl Stirring Spoon Presentation If you bake this in a terra cotta baking dish, you can serve the beans in that on the table. It has a wonderful rustic feel. Time Management This is one of those dishes that gets even better as it sits, so make extra for the next day! Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with rice or a side of salted watermelon. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are fairly common, though you should get the curly leaf kale as it softens faster in the oven than the dino kale. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works The maple syrup obviously sweetens everything, but goes further and binds the beans and kale in a thick sauce. Kale is used for color and to add an incredibly healthy component to the dish. The citrus brightens the entire dish, keeping it from being overly heavy. The chipotle adds smoky heat, perfect for a bean dish, and provides counterpoint to the sweetness of the maple syrup. Baking this at a relatively low temperature allows the ingredients to set and meld their flavors without burning. Chef’s Notes I could eat this dish all day. Sometimes I add in sliced vegan sausage to it, too! The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|78
Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 277 Calories from Fat 9 Fat 1 g Total Carbohydrates 56 g Dietary Fiber 8 g Sugars 25 g Protein 11 g Salt 368 mg Interesting Facts Kale was one of the most widely cultivated greens throughout the ancient world up through the Medieval period.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|79
Black Bean Chorizo Soup Type: Soup Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes Ingredients 1 sweet onion, chopped 2 green bell peppers, chopped 6 cloves of garlic, chopped 2 tsp. of olive oil 3 cups of black beans, cooked 3 cups of water 2 tbsp. of white wine vinegar 2 tsp. of dried oregano 1 tbsp. of paprika 1 ½ tsp. of cumin ½ tsp. of salt 1 package of soy chorizo Instructions Chop the onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Over a medium high heat, sauté these veggies in the oil until they are lightly browned. Add the black beans, water, vinegar, spices, and salt, and reduce the heat to medium. Puree this mix using an immersion blender (stick blender). Add the soy chorizo and simmer for 6‐8 minutes.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|80
Low‐fat Version Sauté the veggies in a dry pan until they brown, then add the beans, water, etc. Omit the soy chorizo and use 1 ½ cups of tvp and 1 tbsp. of chile powder. Kitchen Equipment Cutting Board Knife Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Pot Immersion Blender Presentation Serve in a festive bowl and garnish with a spoonful of pico de gallo. Time Management You can let this soup simmer longer if you’ve got the time. Just turn the heat down to medium low and replenish the water as necessary. The longer it simmers, the better it gets. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of toasted sourdough bread. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are fairly common except the soy chorizo, which you can find at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25. How It Works The onion, bell pepper, and garlic create a sofrito, a sweet, pungent combination that permeates the entire soup and complements the nature of the black beans. Both the cumin and oregano add depth and the paprika gives a red chile note without becoming the predominant flavor of the soup. Soy chorizo is added for texture as well as flavor, which will also lightly infuse the soup. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|81
Chef’s Notes This is based on my favorite Cuban black bean soup recipe, but modified to use dried oregano instead of fresh for speed, with added soy chorizo to give it some kick. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 333 Calories from Fat 81 Fat 9 g Total Carbohydrates 44 g Dietary Fiber 14 g Sugars 3 g Protein 19 g Salt 645 mg Interesting Facts Black beans are incredibly high in iron, moreso than other beans, which are already high.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|82
Chickpea & Olive Couscous Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 3 small, dried red chiles ¼ cup of raisins 2 cups of water 1 ½ cups of couscous 1 ½ cups of cooked, rinsed chickpeas 6 tbsp. of pitted kalamata olives 1 tbsp. of chopped fresh mint Instructions Bring the water, chiles, and raisins to a boil. Pour the water, chiles, and raisins over the couscous and quickly fluff with a fork. Fluff this slowly for about 5 minutes. Chop the mint. Combine the couscous with the chickpeas and olives and garnish with mint.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|83
Kitchen Equipment Mixing Bowl Small Pot Fork Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation Serve in a colorful bowl to add to the presentation and top with a sprig of mint surrounded by a few extra olives. Time Management If you let the couscous sit without fluffing it, it will get lumpy. Complementary Food and Drinks A glass of crisp red wine and a side of fresh peaches and nuts make for an excellent meal. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are common. Look in the Mexican aisle of your local grocery store for the chiles. Also, check the olives to make sure they are all truly pitted. Approximate cost per serving is $0.75. How It Works Couscous is actually very tiny pasta, so it needs to be treated delicately. That’s why it is best to pour the hot water over the couscous and let it slowly absorb the water rather than abusing it by cooking it to death in boiling water. To infuse the couscous with flavor, raisins and chiles are added to the water to create a hot, sweet, cooking liquid. Chickpeas make this a hearty dish and olives make it burst with flavor. Chef’s Notes You can also make this with quinoa for a gluten free version, though you need to fully cook the quinoa first. Simply cook it with the raisins and chiles added into the water. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 390 The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|84
Calories from Fat 54 Fat 6 g Total Carbohydrates 71 g Dietary Fiber 7 g Sugars 7 g Protein 13 g Salt 281 mg Interesting Facts The words olive and oil look very similar for good reason.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|85
Eggplant Apricot Sandwich Type: Sandwich Serves: 3‐4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 1 eggplant, sliced into ¾” thick slabs 1 tbsp. of oil ¼ tsp. of salt ¼ tsp. of crushed red chile flakes 12‐16 dried apricots 4 roasted red peppers from a jar (save the juice) 1 cup of baby arugula 3‐4 sandwich rolls Instructions Slice the eggplant into ¾” thick slabs. Over a medium high heat, sauté the eggplant until it softens and just starts to brown. Add the salt and crushed red chile flakes. Toss and remove from the heat. Slice the buns in half. Dip each in the roasted red pepper juice. Slice the peppers in half. Place an eggplant slab, then 4 apricots, and then the baby arugula, and then the roasted red peppers on each bun and serve.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|86
Kitchen Equipment Sauté Pan Spatula Knife Cutting Board Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Presentation Slice this in half with a serrated knife or a very sharp, heavy knife to make a clean cut. The sandwich can get messy with the roasted red peppers and eggplant and cutting it in half helps. Time Management This makes a great room temperature sandwich, too, so you can always make some extra eggplant and then have it again later in the week. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with a glass of refreshing mint green tea. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are fairly common. I usually get my roasted red peppers and baby arugula at Trader Joe’s. Approximate cost per serving is $2.00. How It Works This recipe showcases a simplified way to use a few classic Moroccan flavors, namely eggplant, apricot, and hot peppers. The eggplant is sautéed to the point where it just browns, so that it becomes soft, but doesn’t get to the point where it’s falling apart. The salt and crushed red chiles are then added and stay in the pan long enough to enhance the chile flavor without burning it. Arugula gives a peppery note and apricots balance out the heat of the chiles. The juice from a roasted red pepper jar is a bit vinegary, giving a tang to the sandwich and the roasted red peppers add color and lushness. Chef’s Notes I’m a big fan of a well‐done sandwich, especially when they can be done quickly! If I’m in the mood for a sandwich, I am usually not in the mood to wait for it. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|87
Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 350 Calories from Fat 54 Fat 6 g Total Carbohydrates 63 g Dietary Fiber 14 g Sugars 33 g Protein 11 g Salt 330 mg Interesting Facts Large, purple eggplants tend to not be that bitter and so do not need to be salted and left to sit to remove their bitterness.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|88
Lucky Soba Noodles with Dipping Sauce Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 5 minutes + time for condiments Ingredients The Noodles 1 14‐ounce package (approximately) soba noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained The Dipping Sauce 3 tablespoons soy sauce 2 cups vegetable, mushroom, or miso broth Toppings (mix and match any of these) 1 sheet nori, snipped into tiny shreds with kitchen scissors Sesame seeds or gomasio Shredded carrots Julienned cucumber Tofu cubes Seitan or pre‐steamed tempeh Mung bean sprouts Cooked, sliced mushrooms Finely shredded cabbage Finely shredded spinach Cooked, shelled edamame Srichacha sauce Instructions Divide well‐drained noodles into four bowls. Mix together soy sauce and broth to make the dipping sauce. (Sauce should be served at room temperature.) Top with just enough sauce to cover and allow diners to choose their favorite toppings. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Dynise Balcavage, author of Celebrate Vegan http://urbanvegan.net
Quick & Easy
October 2011|89
Kitchen Equipment Pot Colander Mixing Bowl Stirring Spoon or Whisk Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation Serve each person a bowl of noodles and sauce and then serve the condiments family style, allowing each diner to pick and choose what they like. Time Management These only take a few moments to make with most of the time being spent on condiments. Obviously, the more condiments you make, the longer the dish will take. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with tofu skewers, tea, and sake! Where to Shop Soba noodles have become incredibly popular, so you can find them at just about any store, but you’ll get the best price on them at an Asian market. That’s also very true of the miso. While you’re there, check out some of the pickled condiments available. Approximate cost depends on which, and how many, condiments you serve. How It Works Soba has a rich, full‐bodied taste, particularly for a noodle and this allows it to handle the full flavor of miso broth, if you decide to use that. The soy sauce also imparts a saltiness and umami quality which perfectly complements the buckwheat noodles. After that, it’s just serving condiments on top, which can range from pickled to spicy to fresh. Chef’s Notes On New Year’s Day, the Japanese eat long noodles to ensure a long life. The only catch is that you need to eat the entire noodle without breaking it. That said, slurping helps and is, in fact, encouraged. Kids especially love this dish because they can add whatever toppings they like (and they’re allowed to slurp). And adults love it because it is a breeze to throw together. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Dynise Balcavage, author of Celebrate Vegan http://urbanvegan.net
Quick & Easy
October 2011|90
The Japanese usually eat seasonally, so you can eat these noodles warm or cool. During hot summer months, simply chill the noodles by running them under very cold water, and this dish is a refreshing respite from the heat and humidity. Nutrition Facts (per serving, only noodles and sauce included) Calories 341 Calories from Fat 9 Fat 1 g Total Carbohydrates 69 g Dietary Fiber 6 g Sugars 2 g Protein 14 g Salt 772 mg Interesting Facts Soba noodles are made from buckwheat and were made popular in Tokyo in the 1700s.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Dynise Balcavage, author of Celebrate Vegan http://urbanvegan.net
Quick & Easy
October 2011|91
Quick & Dirty Veggie Dog Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 ‐ 15 minutes Ingredients 4 Tofurky beer brats or Italian sausages ½ bottle of dark beer 4 hot dog buns, toasted ½ of an onion, sliced 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1 tsp. of olive oil ¼ cup of yellow mustard ½ cup of sauerkraut Option: ¼ cup of Vegenaise Instructions Simmer the veggie dogs in the beer over a medium heat for about 5 minutes (make sure to rotate the dogs every minute or so). While they are simmering, slice the onion and red bell pepper. Over a medium high heat, sauté the onion and bell pepper until the onion browns. Add the remainder of the simmering beer to the onions and let it cook away. Serve each veggie dog with peppers and onions, about 1 tbsp. of yellow mustard, and 2 tbsp. of sauerkraut, and an optional 1 tbsp. of Vegenaise.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|92
Kitchen Equipment 2 Sauté Pans Stirring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Presentation Slathered in condiments is the only way to present this veggie dog! Time Management Ideally, you should have two sauté pans going. One for the veggie dogs and one for the peppers and onions. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side salad with spicy peppers. Where to Shop Trader Joe’s has a good price on Tofurky Italian sausages while Sunflower Market has the same price on both the Italian sausages and beer brats. Look for a dark beer, like Samuel Smith Nutbrown Ale. Approximate cost per serving is $2.00. How It Works Simmering the veggie dogs in beer not only softens the veggie dogs, but infuses them with a full‐ bodied, slightly sweet flavor as the sugars in the beer develop. The peppers and onions add more sweetness, which is counteracted by the acidity of both the mustard and sauerkraut. Chef’s Notes I served this veggie dog at a picnic to a host of meat eaters and the majority came back for seconds. Some came back for thirds. I had to make sure I set some aside for myself! Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 444 Calories from Fat 126 Fat 14 g Total Carbohydrates 44 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|93
Alcohol 2 g Dietary Fiber 14 g Sugars 7 g Protein 32 g Salt 870 mg
Interesting Facts Turtle Island Foods, the company that produces Tofurky, started out as a company that made tempeh products.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|94
Quinoa Verde Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 25 minutes Ingredients 1 white sweet potato, diced 1 cup of water 2 cups of salsa verde 1 ½ cups of red quinoa Salt to taste Instructions Dice the sweet potato. Bring the water and salsa to a simmer. Add the sweet potato, quinoa, and salt. Cover the quinoa, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes. Option: It’s ok to use regular quinoa if red is not available.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|95
Raw Version Combine 3 cups of sprouted quinoa with 1 ½ cups of raw salsa verde. Let this sit for about 30 minutes, then add 1 chopped chayote squash to it. Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Pot with Lid Stirring Spoon Presentation Garnish with crushed red chiles on top of the plated quinoa. I like to use crushed ancho. Time Management This will keep up to a week in the refrigerator. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a cooling glass of coconut water. Where to Shop Red quinoa is available at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and other markets of their type. My favorite salsa verde is by Frontera, which can be found in most markets. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works Generally, I cook quinoa at about a 1 ½ parts liquid to 1 part quinoa ratio. However, the salsa verde is not all liquid, so the proportion needs to be higher. The sweet potato is used not only for the obvious sweetness, which balances the heat of the salsa, but it’s also used for some texture. Red quinoa is used for presentation. Chef’s Notes I used to make this with just salsa, regular quinoa, and water, but I love the presentation of the red quinoa and the texture of the sweet potato adds that dimension it was lacking. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|96
Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 361 Calories from Fat 45 Fat 5 g Total Carbohydrates 65 g Dietary Fiber 9 g Sugars 4 g Protein 14 g Salt 661 mg Interesting Facts Quinoa is a seed, not a grain, even though it is treated as such in the culinary world.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|97
Quick Red Curry Soup Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 2 tbsp. of Thai red curry paste 2 cups of coconut milk 2 cups of water ¼ tsp. of salt 16 oz. of extra firm tofu, cubed 2 cups of straw mushrooms Instructions Bring a pot to a medium heat. Add the Thai curry paste and 3 tbsp. of coconut milk. Sauté the curry paste in the coconut milk for about 2 minutes. Slowly stir the remainder of the coconut milk into the pot so that the curry paste melts into the coconut milk. Add the water and salt and keep this on a medium heat so the soup can simmer. Cube the tofu into small bite‐size pieces. Add the tofu and mushrooms and simmer for 5 more minutes.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|98
Low‐fat Version Use reduced fat coconut milk, which is still not low fat, but still less than regular coconut milk. Kitchen Equipment Pot Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Presentation Garnish with fresh cilantro or a stalk of lemongrass. Time Management The longer this soup simmers, the better, but it should be fine to eat after just ten minutes. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with a green papaya salad and spring rolls. Where to Shop If I use a store‐bought curry paste, I use the one from Thai Kitchen. This curry paste is vegan, whereas most other ones have shrimp paste and fish sauce added to them. Cost per serving is $2.00. How It Works You can use the coconut milk to fry the curry paste, which caramelizes the paste and activates a lot of the volatile compounds in the spices used in it, giving it a richer, more complex flavor. The coconut milk should then slowly be stirred into the pot so that the paste can evenly distribute throughout it. Otherwise it would clump. After that, it’s just a matter of simmering the tofu for a few minutes so it can absorb some of the flavor of the broth. Chef’s Notes This is a quick simplified version of a soup that usually has galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves added to it, but which requires at least an extra twenty to thirty minutes to cook. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|99
Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 480 Calories from Fat 288 Fat 32 g Total Carbohydrates 16 g Dietary Fiber 4 g Sugars 4 g Protein 32 g Salt 705 mg Interesting Facts Coconut milk can be left to ferment with a bit of sugar and yeast to make coconut rum.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|100
Seared Oyster Mushroom Tacos Type: Main Dish ‐ Mexican Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10‐15 minutes Ingredients 2 cups of oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped into large pieces 1 tbsp. of olive oil 1/8 tsp. of coarse sea salt Juice of 1 lime (about 1 tbsp.) ½ cup of cooked, rinsed black beans 1 large vine‐ripe tomato, chopped 1 avocado, chopped 1 jalapeno, diced ¼ of a red onion, diced ¼ cup of chopped cilantro 4 corn* or flour tortillas Instructions Chop the oyster mushrooms into large pieces. Over a high heat, sear the oyster mushrooms in the oil and salt until they are heavily browned. Remove them from the heat and immediately dress them with the lime juice. Chop the tomato and avocado. Dice the jalapeno, removing the seeds if you wish. Dice the red onion. Chop the cilantro. Add the oyster mushrooms and beans to the taco first, then the tomato, avocado, jalapeno, onion, and cilantro. *If you use corn tortillas, you will need to steam them for about a minute.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|101
Raw Version Marinate the mushrooms in the lime juice, olive oil, and salt. Chop them into smaller pieces, about 1” long. Omit the beans and use a butter lettuce leaf instead of a tortilla. If you want, you can use chopped cashews instead of beans. Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Sauté Pan Spatula Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Colander Presentation Don’t try to close these when you serve them. They just want to flop open, so let them, allowing all the beautiful fresh ingredients to dazzle the eyes. Time Management You can leave the mushrooms alone for a couple minutes, especially during the beginning of the cooking process. That’s a great time to start chopping the other ingredients. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a salad of corn and nopalitos (cactus) or simply serve it with fresh black grapes. Where to Shop Asian markets tend to have the best price on oyster mushrooms. All the other ingredients are fairly common, though if you can get your hand on fresh tortillas, you should definitely do so! Approximate cost per serving is $1.25. How It Works This taco is all about the contrast between fresh, bright ingredients and the richness of the seared oyster mushrooms. I chose oyster mushrooms because even when they are heavily browned, they have a light texture which complements the overall theme of the taco. Cooking them on a high heat ensures that they will brown without reducing overly much. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|102
Chef’s Notes I discovered the joy of seared oyster mushrooms after experimenting in the kitchen one day. They looked like they would cook up super fast because of their light texture, and they did. What I didn’t expect was the slight bacon flavor searing them created. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 364 Calories from Fat 108 Fat 12 g Total Carbohydrates 53 g Dietary Fiber 11 g Sugars 4 g Protein 11 g Salt 175 mg Interesting Facts Tacos are incredibly diverse, but they always refer to food wrapped in a small tortilla. Traditionally, those were corn tortillas, but wheat ones have also become very popular in Mexico. Some people will claim that it is always filled with meat, but that is definitely not the way the word is used.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|103
Seared Tofu Miso Noodles Type: Main Dish ‐ Wrap Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients The Noodles 6 oz. of fettuccine‐sized rice noodles Water The Stir Fry 12 oz. of super firm tofu, cubed 1 cup of bean sprouts ¼ tsp. of crushed red pepper ¼ cup of roasted cashews 2 tsp. of toasted sesame oil The Sauce 3 tbsp. of yellow miso 2 tsp. of agave 3 tbsp. of water Instructions Bring the water to a boil and then take it off the heat. Immediately add the rice noodles and let them rehydrate. Drain the noodles. Cube the tofu. Heat a wok or pan up to a high heat. Add the sesame oil and then immediately add the tofu and sauté it until it browns. Add the bean sprouts, crushed red pepper, and cashews and cook for about 15 seconds, then remove the wok from the heat. Combine the miso, agave, and water. Toss the noodles with the sauce and then top with the stir fry. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|104
Kitchen Equipment Work or Sauté Pan Stirring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Pot Colander Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Mixing Bowl Presentation Top with whole chives or chopped green onions and make sure the stir fry is piled in the middle of the noodles instead of splayed out. Time Management The stir fry cooks very quickly, within just two or three minutes, so pay close attention to it. Ideally, you should start the noodles and chop the tofu and make the sauce while the noodle rehydrate. Then you can complete the stir fry in just a couple minutes and be ready to eat. Complementary Food and Drinks This is a fairly filling meal, so it’s meant to be eaten by itself. Where to Shop Fettuccine‐sized rice noodles can be found at most Asian markets and even at many convention grocery stores. They may be called Pad Thai noodles. Super firm tofu can be found at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Sunflower market. You can also substitute baked tofu for super firm. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works Stir frying on a high heat rapidly cooks the tofu, allowing the outside to crisp without overdoing the inside. It also allows the bean sprouts to quickly warm without destroying much of their freshness. Using super firm tofu makes the dish more substantial. Cashews are added for texture and rice noodles bulk out the dish. The sweet miso sauce adds saltiness and the sweetness balances out the crushed red pepper. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|105
Chef’s Notes This is one of those in‐a‐hurry recipes where the finished product looks more complex than it actually is. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 402 Calories from Fat 126 Fat 14 g Total Carbohydrates 60 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 9 g Protein 22 g Salt 82 mg Interesting Facts Miso is typically made with soy, but it can also be made with barley, rice, or other ingredients.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|106
Seitan Diablo Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10‐12 minutes Ingredients ½ of an onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1 cup of seitan (about 1 package) 1 tbsp. of olive oil 1 tbsp. of hot sauce Juice of 1 lime Instructions Chop the onion and bell peppers. Mince the garlic. Heat the oil to a medium‐high heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and sauté until the onion browns. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and seitan and sauté 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately add the hot sauce and lime juice and toss.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|107
Low‐fat Version Omit the oil and follow the recipe as is, sautéing in a dry pan. Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Sauté Pan Spatula Presentation I like to garnish this with a few cuts of cilantro and fresh chiles or roasted garlic, if I’ve got them handy. Time Management Don’t add the hot sauce while the pan is going or you may release a bunch of capsaicin into the air and choke yourself out of the kitchen, depending on how spicy your hot sauce is. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with toasted cumin rice. Where to Shop Seitan can be found at most markets. You can also use any sort of mock meat product that comes in bite‐size chunks or strips. I prefer Tabasco or Cholula hot sauce. Approximate cost per serving is $1.75. How It Works The onion and bell pepper work together to make a flavorful sweet sauce, which mingles with the oil and hot sauce to make the finished sweet, spicy, and tangy sauce. These need to sauté before the seitan and garlic, both of which will stick if they sauté too long. The garlic will also burn and become bitter, which is why it goes in after the onion has browned. The seitan gives the dish a substantive quality and it also absorbs quite a bit of the sauce, further flavoring the dish. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|108
Chef’s Notes I love how fast this dish is, yet its flavor profile is massive. The hot sauce makes it zing and the lime juice brings everything to life. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 195 Calories from Fat 63 Fat 7 g Total Carbohydrates 16 g Dietary Fiber 4 g Sugars 5 g Protein 26 g Salt 552 mg Interesting Facts Tabasco isn’t just a hot sauce, it’s a state in southern Mexico.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|109
Shiitakes in Creamy Garlic Sauce Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 12‐15 minutes Ingredients The Noodles 4 oz. of whole wheat penne pasta Water The Sauce 12 oz. of soft silken tofu 2 cloves of garlic 1 tsp. of onion powder ½ tsp. of salt ½ tsp. of freshly ground pepper The Shiitakes 12‐15 fresh shiitakes, sliced 1 tbsp. of minced fresh parsley Instructions Bring the water to a boil. Add the noodles and stir for about 1 minute. Puree all the ingredients for the sauce. Slice the shiitakes. Mince the parsley. Add the sauce and shiitakes to a pan and simmer them over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. Once the noodles are done, drain them and plate them. Top with the sauce and shiitakes, finishing the dish off with fresh parsley. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|110
Raw Version You can make the sauce using cashew cream instead of tofu. Once you’ve got that done, lightly salt the shiitakes and then place a weight over them. Let them sit for about 20 minutes, then add them to the sauce. Serve over shaved carrots. Kitchen Equipment Pot Colander Knife Cutting Board Pan Stirring Spoon Measuring Spoon Presentation Rub the parsley between thumb and forefinger while you drape it across the plate to keep the fresh parsley from clumping. Time Management By starting the noodles before you get anything else done, you can work on the sauce and shiitakes while the noodles boil, saving quite a bit of time. By the time you are done with those two sections, the noodles should be ready to go. Complementary Food and Drinks A glass of light white wine and a brothy veggie soup. Where to Shop Fresh shiitakes can be found at a good price at most Asian markets. Trader Joe’s also has fresh shiitakes. If you use dried, you have to rehydrate them first, and keep in mind that they will have a much earthier flavor than fresh ones. Approximate cost per serving is $2.00. How It Works The tofu, when blended, becomes quite creamy. Make sure you are using silken tofu however, or you will quickly find out why! Crumbly and grainy sauce is no good. Fresh shiitakes are used for their delicate flavor, so the sauce can still stand out. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|111
Chef’s Notes I served this in a class recently and it was a huge hit. The sauce really makes the dish. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 376 Calories from Fat 36 Fat 4 g Total Carbohydrates 63 g Dietary Fiber 8 g Sugars 5 g Protein 22 g Salt 728 mg Interesting Facts Shiitakes are known to have excellent cancer‐fighting compounds, including lentinan and AHCC.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|112
Spinach & Peanuts over Bread Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients ½ of an onion, minced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tsp. of olive oil 8 cups of loosely packed baby spinach leaves 3‐4 tbsp. of diced, roasted green chiles ¼ tsp. of ground cumin 1/8 tsp. of salt 6 tbsp. of roasted peanuts 2 pieces of pita or naan bread Instructions Mince the onion and garlic or simply place it in a food processor and pulse it a few times until it is finely chopped. Over a medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic until the onion completely softens. Add the spinach, green chiles, cumin, salt, and peanuts and cook until the spinach is completely wilted. Serve over pita or naan.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|113
Low‐fat Version Omit the olive oil, sautéing in a dry pan. Use chickpeas instead of peanuts.
Raw Version Use half of the onion and garlic called for in the recipe. Toss everything together and place a weight over it, allowing it to sit for at least an hour. Serve over raw crackers. Kitchen Equipment Sauté Pan Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Presentation There isn’t much to speak of. This is meant to be made quickly and eaten even faster! Time Management If you want toasted bread, preheat the oven before you start chopping and place the bread in the oven just before you add the spinach and peanuts. It should be well toasted by the time the spinach fully wilts. Complementary Food and Drinks Mango tea is one of my favorite accompaniments to this dish. Where to Shop All these ingredients should be fairly common, except for the naan. Check the ingredients in the naan as it is sometimes made with milk. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works The onion gives sweetness to the dish and helps bulk it up. It’s only softened so that its flavor remains as mellow as possible. Peanuts are used for texture and to add calories to what would otherwise be a low‐calorie dish. Cumin gives the dish some depth and the chiles give a full bodied flavor with heat! The bread makes the finished dish very substantial. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|114
Chef’s Notes This recipe is a very simplified version of saag paneer, with peanuts instead of cheese. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 306 Calories from Fat 126 Fat 14 g Total Carbohydrates 31 g Dietary Fiber 7 g Sugars 3 g Protein 14 g Salt 346 mg Interesting Facts The iron in spinach is not as bio‐available as the iron in other leafy greens. However, its bio‐ availability can be increased by vitamin C intake.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|115
Stuffed Portabellas Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 4 portabella caps, stems removed 1 tbsp. of chopped fresh sage 1 tbsp. of olive oil ¼ tsp. of coarse sea salt 1 large roasted red pepper, sliced 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 ½ cups of cooked, rinsed white beans ¼ tsp. of salt Instructions Over a medium heat, cook the caps in the oil, sage, and salt until just barely done (both sides should have sweated). Slice the roasted red pepper. Mince the garlic. Mash the garlic, beans, and salt together. Stuff the mushrooms with the bean mash and top with roasted red pepper slices, drizzling with any remaining oil and sage in the pan.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|116
Low‐fat Version You can simmer the mushrooms in a thin layer of water, still utilizing the salt and sage.
Raw Version Use smashed walnuts instead of beans. Salt the portabella caps and let them sit for about 2 hours. Use fresh bell pepper. Kitchen Equipment Sauté Pan Spatula Knife Cutting Board Mixing Bowl Smasher Presentation I like to save some fresh sage with which to garnish the plate. Time Management You can make the bean mash and slice the red pepper while the portabellas cook, shaving a few minutes more off the recipe. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of fresh tomatoes, chopped and dressed with a tough of sea salt and cracked pepper. Where to Shop All of these ingredients can be found just about anywhere. Approximate cost per serving is $1.75. How It Works Sautéing the portabellas and sage at the same time infuses the oil with the sage flavor, which then infuses the outside of the portabella caps. The beans are smashed instead of whipped so they retain an interesting texture. They’re also added to make the dish substantial and to give the roasted red pepper strips something to cling on to. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|117
Chef’s Notes This dish looks fancy, even though it only takes a few minutes to put together. By spending some more time, you could add other ingredients to the beans like roasted garlic and fresh thyme to increase the flavor profile! Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 155 Calories from Fat 27 Fat 3 g Total Carbohydrates 24 g Dietary Fiber 7 g Sugars 4 g Protein 8 g Salt 310 mg Interesting Facts Sage is closely related to mint (which is probably why it’s prone to overrun a garden!)
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|118
Sundried Tomato Hummus Wraps Type: Main Dish ‐ Wrap Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 1 cup of hummus 1 cup of spicy sprouts ¼ cup of sundried tomatoes ½ tsp. of black pepper 4 whole wheat tortillas Instructions Spread the hummus on one side of the tortillas. Top with the sprouts, then the sundried tomatoes, then the pepper. Fold and eat!
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|119
Low‐fat Version Use low‐fat hummus, but be warned that it is not that tasty. Kitchen Equipment Butter Knife or Spatula Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation Slice in half diagonally for extra portability. Time Management These will keep the entire day, making them great for wrapping up and taking on a road trip. Complementary Food and Drinks None needed. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are very common. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works The hummus provides creaminess and keeps the sprouts embedded in the wrap. It also makes the wrap very hearty. Sundried tomatoes give a shot of flavor and spicy sprouts give a zing and full‐ mouth feel to the wrap. It also makes it feel bulkier. Chef’s Notes This is an incredibly simple, but powerful recipe. Each ingredient serves a very clear purpose and is full of flavor, yet the wrap only takes a moment to put together. It’s great for showcasing easy, simple vegan food to non‐vegans. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 206 Calories from Fat 45 Fat 5 g Total Carbohydrates 32 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|120
Dietary Fiber 6 g Sugars 4 g Protein 9 g Salt 455 mg
Interesting Facts Hummus really just means chickpea in Arabic. Chickpeas are one of the oldest cultivated foods.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|121
Tempeh in Tangy Tomato Sauce Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10 – 12 minutes Ingredients 1 block of tempeh (about 16 oz.), chopped into bite‐size pieces 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, sliced 4 green onions, sliced ½ cup of water 2 tbsp. of hot sauce 1/8 tsp. of salt 2 cups of chopped kale Instructions Chop the tempeh and tomatoes. Slice the garlic and green onions. Bring the water to a simmer over a medium heat and add the tomatoes, garlic, green onions, hot sauce, salt, and tempeh. Allow this to reduce to a rough sauce. While it is reducing, chop the kale. Once the tomatoes have reduced, add the kale and simmer for 3 more minutes.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|122
Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Small Pot or Wok Stirring Spoon Presentation Serve in a small bowl. If you serve it on a plate, the sauce tends to run over the plate. Time Management Make sure that the tomatoes reduce to a rough sauce before adding the kale or else the tomatoes will tend to clump around the kale. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve over rice or with a thick flatbread, like naan. Where to Shop Trader Joe’s has a good price on tempeh. I usually use Tabasco for this recipe. Kale is one of those ingredients that are particularly important to get organic, so try to find that when possible. Approximate cost per serving is $2.50. How It Works This is a simple tomato reduction, but the addition of the green onions and garlic gives it a powerful pungency and the hot sauce adds the tanginess and heat that completely changes the nature of the sauce. The tempeh simmers in it while it reduces so it can soften and absorb as much flavor as possible. Kale is added for color and for its health benefits. Chef’s Notes Feel free to modify the amount of hot sauce used to adjust the heat, but make sure you get a very vinegary one to impart a large amount of acidity. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 292 The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|123
Calories from Fat 108 Fat 12 g Total Carbohydrates 23 g Dietary Fiber 6 g Sugars 2 g Protein 23 g Salt 275 mg Interesting Facts Tempeh is made from partially cooked soybeans that are allowed to ferment for just over a day. The temperature should be fairly warm, but not hot, to facilitate proper fermentation.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|124
Squash Pasta with Sundried Tomato Sauce Type: Main Dish ‐ Raw Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 8‐10 minutes Ingredients 1 zucchini, shaved with a vegetable peeler 1 yellow summer squash, shaved with a vegetable peeler 1 Roma tomato ¼ cup of sundried tomatoes 1 very small clove of garlic 1 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp. of olive oil 1/8 tsp. of salt 2‐3 basil leaves, sliced into ribbions 2 tbsp. of pine nuts Instructions Shave the zucchini and yellow squash with a vegetable peeler, rotating it slightly between each shaving. Puree the tomato, sundried tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, oil, and salt. Toss the zucchini in the sauce. Stack the basil leaves, roll them closed, and slice the basil into ribbons. Garnish with pine nuts and basil.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|125
Low‐fat Version Omit the olive oil.
Kitchen Equipment Vegetable Peeler Mixing Bowl Blender Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Tongs or Stirring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Presentation Use the pine nuts and basil as a garnish. Do not mix them into the pasta. Time Management Fresh is best with this pasta, so eat it as soon as you make it. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a salad with sorel. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are fairly common, but because of the expense of pine nuts, you would do best by purchasing them from a bulk bin. Approximate cost per serving is $3.00. How It Works Sundried tomatoes are used in the sauce for two reasons. One, they intensify the flavor of the sauce greatly, which is important if you are making a raw dish. Second, they are thick, which causes the sauce to stick to the pasta. The garlic clove should be very small because raw garlic can quickly overwhelm a dish. The two different squash are used for color contrast. Chef’s Notes This is one of my older recipes, created during the first few months of my tenure as a chef. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|126
Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 160 Calories from Fat 72 Fat 8 g Total Carbohydrates 17 g Dietary Fiber 5 g Sugars 10 g Protein 5 g Salt 165 mg Interesting Facts Yellow summer squash is very similar to crookneck squash, but straighter with a smooth skin.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|127
White Bean Soup Type: Soup, Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: About 20‐30 minutes Ingredients 2 15 oz. cans of white beans such as cannellini 2 vegan sausages, such as Tofurky Italian Sausages ½ of a large onion 6‐8 cloves of garlic Water 1 blub of fennel, fronds included 1 bunch of kale 1 oz. package of sundried tomatoes 1 tablespoon of garlic infused olive oil (optional) Salt to taste Pepper to taste Instructions Heat a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Rinse and drain the beans. Dice the onion and sausages. Add these to the pot and cook until the sausages are slightly crisp and the onions are caramelized. Dice and add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, then add about 8 cups of water. Dice the fennel bulb, and set the fronds to the side. Add the bulb and cook the soup at a boil for about 15 minutes. Slice the fronds, slice the kale into ribbons, and add those and the beans. Add salt and pepper to taste, then cook an additional 5 minutes. Add the sundried tomatoes. Add the olive oil if using. Turn off heat, stir and serve. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|128
Low‐fat Version Omit the optional olive oil. Kitchen Equipment Heavy Soup Pot Knife Cutting Board Non‐heat‐reactive Spoon Presentation Make sure everything is well tossed so you don’t have clumps of beans and fennel. Time Management This will last for days in the refrigerator, though it is best if it is eaten fresh. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with warm Tuscan bread and olive oil. Where to Shop Trader Joe’s has a good price on Tofurky Italian Sausages and cannellini beans while you may need to go to a more standard market for the other ingredients. Make sure the fennel is fresh and crisp without any wilting. How It Works The fennel provides a strong high note to the dish and complements the sausage very well (fennel is often a flavor found in sausage). The beans provide substantiveness, the kale adds a deep green flavor while being able to hold its own, texture‐wise, against the sausage, and the onion gives lots of sweetness. Chef’s Notes This is a great dish for a chilly winter day and is easy to make in large quantities for lots of people. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 422 The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|129
Calories from Fat 54 Fat 6 g Total Carbohydrates 60 g Dietary Fiber 18 g Sugars 9 g Protein 32 g Salt 510 mg Interesting Facts Fennel and hemlock look very similar!
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|130
Basil Cashew Stuffed Tomatoes Type: Appetizer Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 4 crisp Vineripe tomatoes 4 basil leaves, minced ¼ cup of cashew butter Juice of 1 lemon ¼ tsp. of flaky Celtic sea salt Instructions Cut the tops of the tomatoes off and scoop out the middle seeded areas. Mince the basil. Combine the basil, cashes butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stuff each tomato with the cashew basil mix.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|131
Low‐fat Version You can use mashed white beans instead of cashew butter. Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Small Mixing Bowl Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation Cut an extra basil leaf into ribbons and garnish the tomatoes with that. Time Management This is best fresh, so plan on eating them right away. Complementary Food and Drinks Garlic bruschetta with a white bean spread is perfect with this recipe. Where to Shop Check out Trader Joe’s for a good price on the cashew butter and basil. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25. How It Works Raw cashew butter with lemon juice has a taste reminiscent of some light cheeses. Mixed with basil, this makes a delicious, refreshing Mediterranean snack. Chef’s Notes I used to love mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil and this is a wonderful alternative to that. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 144 Calories from Fat 72 Fat 8 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|132
Total Carbohydrates 13 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 5 g Protein 5 g Salt 145 mg Interesting Facts Cashews feature prominently in Indian cuisine, but because they are native to South America, they didn’t show up in India until the late 1500s.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|133
Broccoli Slaw Type: Side, Salad Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: About 10 minutes Ingredients 1 bag prepared broccoli slaw (about 12‐16 oz) 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (I got mine at Trader Joes) 1 teaspoon orange zest (about 1 large orange) 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon rice vinegar Instructions Mix together the chili sauce, orange zest, orange juice, rice vinegar, and minced garlic in a bowl and whisk together. Toss over the broccoli slaw. Serve.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
Quick & Easy
October 2011|134
Raw Version Make your own sweet chili sauce by mixing 2 tablespoons of agave with 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh chilies. Kitchen Equipment Zester Knife Cutting Board Bowl Measuring Cups Spoons Presentation Serve with a couple orange wedges dressed with smoked sea salt. Time Management No special time management should be needed. Complementary Food and Drinks A nice cold green tea would be very nice with this, and try serving this as a side for some nice portabella burgers. Where to Shop These should be available at any major supermarket. I do get the premade sweet chili sauce at Trader Joe’s. How It Works The sweet heat of the orange and chili sauce complement the musty flavor of the broccoli and the sweetness of the orange and heat of the chili balance each other out. Using fresh orange juice also creates a light, bright note. Chef’s Notes This is a quick little side dish that makes a huge impact. It is also great as a topping for a nice black bean burger. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
Quick & Easy
October 2011|135
Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 88 Calories from Fat 0 Fat 0 g Total Carbohydrates 18 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 10 g Protein 4 g Salt 121 mg Interesting Facts Broccoli slaw is often made by shredding the stalks of broccoli after the crowns have been removed.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
Quick & Easy
October 2011|136
Chili Garlic Marinated Veggies Type: Snack Serves: Makes about 4 cups including the veggies Time to Prepare: 5 minutes + 30 minutes to marinate Ingredients ½ cup of rice wine vinegar (I use Trader Joes’ Seasoned) At least ½ teaspoon of chili flakes or chipotle flakes 6‐8 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced Veggie Ideas: 1 sliced cucumber, edamame, sliced zucchini, button mushrooms Instructions Combine all the ingredients for the marinade, then add the veggies. Allow this to sit for at least 30 minutes.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
Quick & Easy
October 2011|137
Kitchen Equipment Mixing Bowl Stirring Spoon Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Presentation In the pictures, I added cucumbers to one batch and steamed edamame to another. In the past, I have also marinated baby carrots and bell pepper with great results. You can reuse the marinade, just keep it covered and in the refrigerator. Time Management Generally, the longer you let something marinate, the better. However, if you have a fairly soft veggie, like a cucumber, letting it marinate too long may make it too soft for your taste. It all depends on how crunchy you like them. Generally, 30 minutes should do for everything except the hardest veggies. Complementary Food and Drinks Not applicable. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are very common. Cost is determined by what veggies you use. How It Works The acidity of the vinegar breaks down the cellular structure of the veggie, allowing the flavor of the garlic and chile to infuse the veggie. It also gives it a pleasant tanginess, but keep in mind that the quality of your vinegar will determine the quality of your dish! Chef’s Notes Though this recipe is very simple easy to throw together, the flavors are very complex and it looks very complex. If you don’t give the recipe away, everyone will think you are a culinary genius that slaved away over this dish. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
Quick & Easy
October 2011|138
Nutrition Facts (per serving, cucumber used in this example) Calories 113 Calories from Fat 9 Fat 1 g Total Carbohydrates 20 g Dietary Fiber 4 g Sugars 6 g Protein 4 g Salt Interesting Facts Seasoned rice vinegar has sake, sugar, and salt added to it.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Madelyn Pryor
Quick & Easy
October 2011|139
Fragrant Potatoes & Peanuts Type: Side Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 4 red potatoes, chopped into bite‐size pieces 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tsp. of olive oil 1/8 tsp. of cinnamon 1/8 tsp. of cardamom 1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper ¼ tsp. of black pepper 1/8 tsp. of salt ¼ cup of roasted, salted peanuts Instructions Chop the potatoes into bite‐size pieces. Mince the garlic. Over a medium heat, sauté the potatoes until they lightly brown and are cooked all the way through. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, and peanuts and toss for a few seconds. Remove from the heat and serve.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|140
Low‐fat Version Sauté the potatoes in a very thin layer of water until they are cooked all the way through. Drain the water, then add the garlic to the pan and sauté one more minute. Add all the spices and ¼ cup of chopped celery, toss, and serve. Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Sauté Pan Spatula Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Presentation Garnish with a few chives for a splash of color and form. Time Management The key is to get the potatoes done before you add the garlic. Otherwise, the garlic will be overdone by the time you get the potatoes right. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with coconut rice and sautéed mushrooms. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are fairly common. However, you will get the best price if you purchase the spices from a bulk spice jar, especially with the cardamom. Approximate cost per serving is $0.50. How It Works The potatoes lightly fry in the oil, just enough to cook them through and brown them. This will crisp the outside and leave the inside tender. Make sure they are not chopped very big, no more than ½”, or else they will not properly cook in the middle. The garlic is added at the end, so that it does not burn. However, the spices are even more delicate than the garlic, so they are added last. The peanuts do not need to cook and they lose some of their unique flavor if they get sautéed with everything else, so that’s why they are added at the very end.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|141
Chef’s Notes This dish can serve either as a side, or as a main dish, depending on how big you want your portions! Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories Calories from Fat Fat 7 g Total Carbohydrates 15 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 5 g Protein 3 g Salt 146 mg Interesting Facts Potatoes are the fourth largest crop in the world!
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|142
Lemony Cornflour Cakes Type: Side Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 5 minutes of work + 30 minutes to bake Ingredients 1 cup of corn flour ½ tsp. of baking powder ¼ tsp. of salt 1 tbsp. of poppy seeds ¼ cup of soy milk Juice of 1 lemon Oil for ramekins 2 tbsp. of pine nuts Instructions Combine the corn flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds. Slowly stir the soy milk and lemon juice into this, making a thick batter. Oil 4 ramekins, approximately 4” in diameter. Add the batter to the ramekins, then top with pine nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|143
Low‐fat Version Omit the pine nuts.
Kitchen Equipment 4 4”‐diameter Ramekins Mixing Bowl Whisk Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Presentation Serve with a lemon wedge. Time Management Make sure you start heating your oven before you start working with these. Also, don’t pop open the oven door too often, or you may alter the cook time. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with a cup of Earl Grey tea. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are fairly common, and the corn flour should be located near the corn meal, though don’t mistake the two! Approximate cost per serving is $0.50. How It Works Corn flour has a delicate texture and flavor which goes well with poppy seeds and pine nuts, both of which add flavor and crunch. They also go well with lemon, so all the ingredients are a natural pairing. Chef’s Notes By using grits instead of corn flour, you can easily turn this recipe into lemony pine nut and poppy seed polenta. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 155 The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|144
Calories from Fat 27 Fat 3 g Total Carbohydrates 28 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 4 g Protein 4 g Salt 155 mg Interesting Facts There is an Italian variation of this recipe called brustengolo, which basically means corn flour cakes.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|145
Mushrooms in Garlicky Sangria Type: Side Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 10‐12 cremini mushrooms, halved 6 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbsp. of minced fresh parsley 2 tsp. of Earth Balance margarine 3‐4 tbsp. of sangria ¼ tsp. of black pepper Instructions Halve the mushrooms. Mince the garlic and set it aside. Mince the parsley and set it aside. Over a medium high heat, sear the mushrooms in the margarine. Once they are browned, reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, sautéing for 2 minutes. Add the sangria and black pepper, simmering for 3 more minutes.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|146
Low‐fat Version Omit the margarine and sear the mushrooms in a dry, non‐stick pan. Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Sauté Pan Stirring Spoon Measuring Spoon Presentation I use these as a condiment to grilled foods, so there isn’t much presentation to speak of. Time Management The longer the wine simmers, the more garlicky it gets, but three minutes should be just fine to properly infuse it. Just make sure get the sear on the mushrooms done before anything else goes in the pan or the mushrooms will have an odd texture. Complementary Food and Drinks I love these with just about any sort of grilled food, but especially grilled seitan. Where to Shop The adage that the best quality wine will produce the best quality sauce isn’t necessarily true as the intense heat will alter the flavor profile of the sangria itself. Just don’t choose something overly tannic, or your sauce will be very astringent. Approximate cost varies on the wine used. How It Works Searing the mushrooms defines their texture before the sangria has a chance to turn them rubbery during simmering. It also deepens their flavor, making them more robust. The margarine adds creaminess that straight oil wouldn’t add and the garlic, is, well, garlic. It wouldn’t be garlicky sangria mushrooms without it! Chef’s Notes My parents used to make a variation of this when I was growing up, but they omitted the garlic and added dried parsley. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|147
Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 82 Calories from Fat 36 Fat 4 g Total Carbohydrates 6 g Alcohol 2 g Dietary Fiber 1 g Sugars 1 g Protein 2 g Salt 85 mg Interesting Facts Tannins are thought to be a way plants protect themselves from predators.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|148
Shaved Fennel & Chickpea Salad Type: Salad Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 5 minutes Ingredients 1 small bulb of fennel, shaved (about ½ cup) 1 cup of cooked, rinsed chickpeas ¼ cup of sundried tomatoes 1 tbsp. of olive oil Juice of 1 lemon 1/8 tsp. of salt ¼ tsp. of cracked black pepper Instructions Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, shave the bulb of fennel until you have about ½ cup of fennel shavings. Toss all the ingredients together.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|149
Low‐fat Version Omit the olive oil and replace it with the juice from a jar of roasted red peppers. You’ll need the sweetness of it to mellow out the lemon juice.
Raw Version Use half walnuts and half chickpea sprouts instead of cooked chickpeas. Kitchen Equipment Vegetable Peeler or Paring Knife Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Mixing Bowl Tongs or Spoon Colander Presentation Save some of the fennel fronds to add to the top of the salad. Time Management If you want to meld the flavors, allow this to sit for about 30 minutes before serving. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with rustic Italian bread to sop up the left over dressing. Where to Shop Look for sundried tomatoes that are not packed in oil, which can usually be found in the produce section of the store. Approximate cost per serving is $2.00. How It Works Chickpeas form the heart of the salad. The fennel gives it crispness, both in flavor and texture. Sundried tomatoes give a shot of tanginess and the lemon dressing makes the salad creamy and light at the same time. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|150
Chef’s Notes This salad is based on a Tuscan dish of baked penne with fennel, sundried tomatoes, and lemon, but it subs out the pasta for chickpeas and turns it into a salad. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 290 Calories from Fat 72 Fat 8 g Total Carbohydrates 45 g Dietary Fiber 13 g Sugars 12 g Protein 12 g Salt 165 mg Interesting Facts Marathon means “place of fennel.”
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|151
Simmered Cauliflower in Sweet & Spicy Tahini Sauce Type: Appetizer or Main Dish if you use the option Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite‐size pieces Pinch of salt Water Option: ½ cup of cooked, rinsed chickpeas 2 tbsp. of tahini 1 ½ tsp. of agave nectar 1 tsp. of sriracha sauce 2 tbsp. of water Pinch of salt Instructions Chop the cauliflower. Add a thin layer of water (about ¼”) and a pinch of salt to a pan. Bring it to a simmer and add the cauliflower, simmering it until it is soft and replenishing the water as necessary. Whisk the tahini, agave, sriracha, water, and salt together. Once the cauliflower is done, drain the excess water. Add the cauliflower and optional chickpeas to the sauce and toss.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|152
Raw Version You can make a raw version of this by using raw tahini and adding 1 minced birds eye chile to the sauce instead of the sriracha. Kitchen Equipment Sauté Pan Knife Cutting Board Spoon Small Mixing Bowl Whisk Measuring Spoon Presentation Sprinkle with minced fresh parsley for a splash of green and plate this in a bowl so that the sauce does not run. Time Management This sauce will last for several days in the refrigerator, but it will solidify as it sits. To reconstitute it, add in about 1 tbsp. of water and warm it in a small pot. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with some garlic naan for a delicious, filling meal. Where to Shop All of these ingredients are fairly common. Approximate cost per serving is $2.00. How It Works The tahini is the base flavor in the sauce, but it’s given a sweet, sour, and hot note all from the tangy spiciness of the sriracha and agave. However, both of those ingredients are not added in force so that they don’t overwhelm the sauce. Water is used to thin out the sauce, which should barely cling to the cauliflower. It’s a potent sauce, so if it’s too thick, its flavor kills the cauliflower flavor. Chef’s Notes I got this idea when I was out at one of my favorite restaurants. I had ordered sautéed cauliflower and they brought this out instead, which proved to be exceptionally delicious. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|153
Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 202 Calories from Fat 54 Fat 6 g Total Carbohydrates 28 g Dietary Fiber 8 g Sugars 13 g Protein 9 g Salt 410 mg Interesting Facts Sesame seeds, and therefore tahini, are incredibly high in calcium.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|154
Tequila-laced Sweet & Sour Calabacitas Type: Side Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients ½ of an onion, sliced 1 zucchini, chopped 1 yellow squash, chopped 1 Vineripe tomato, chopped 1 tsp. of oil 1/8 tsp. of salt Juice of 2 limes 2 tsp. of agave syrup 1 tbsp. of tequila Instructions Slice the onion. Chop the zucchini, yellow squash, and tomato. Over a medium heat, sauté the onion until it browns. Add the squash, tomato, and salt and sauté for about 3 more minutes (just enough for the squash to start to brown). Add the lime juice, agave, and tequila and quickly stir, then remove from the heat. Option: Add 2 cups of cooked pinto beans to this to turn it into a full meal.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|155
Low‐fat Version Omit the oil and sauté everything in a dry pan.
Raw Version Omit the tequila and use orange juice instead of agave. Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Sauté Pan Spatula Measuring Spoon Presentation If you’ve got squash blossoms available, you can serve this inside a large squash blossom. Time Management Make sure the onion browns before you add the squash. Otherwise, the squash will get overcooked. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve with a side of pinto beans and rice cooked with chipotle powder. Where to Shop Jose Cuervo tequila is vegan, so that’s my go to choice for this recipe. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works This is fairly simple. The onion is cooked first so it can caramelize and then the squash and tomato is added. This allows the squash to soften and the tomato to reduce. The sweet and sour portion of this recipe comes from the mix of lime and agave, but that shouldn’t really cook or else it will lose its fresh quality. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|156
Chef’s Notes I love Mexican food, but I was always ambivalent about calabacitas until I added the sweet and sour note. The splash of tequila was just a fun addition! Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 79 Calories from Fat 9 Fat 1 g Total Carbohydrates 12 g Alcohol 2 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 2 g Protein 2 g Salt 155 mg Interesting Facts Tequila is made from the blue agave plant through a rather lengthy and involved fermentation process, including firing the plant.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Quick & Easy
October 2011|157
Chocolate Merlot Mousse Type: Dessert Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 5 minutes of work, at least 4 hours to set Ingredients 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted 1 ½ cups silken tofu, drained and at room temperature 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup merlot 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1‐2 tablespoons chocolate shavings and berries, for garnish Instructions Melt the chocolate. Process all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until creamy. Spoon into 4 ramekins or fancy glasses. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving. Just before serving, sprinkle the chocolate shavings and berries over each serving of mousse.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com
Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts www.sweetutopia.com Quick & Easy
October 2011|158
Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Food Processor or Blender Spatula Ramekins Small Pot Presentation Place the berries off to the side and garnish the remainder of the top with chocolate shavings. Time Management This needs to set for at least four hours to achieve a mousse texture. Otherwise, it will be a very tasty pudding. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a vanilla biscotti and coffee. Where to Shop All of these ingredients should be very easy to find. Approximate cost per serving heavily depends on the price of your merlot. How It Works Silken tofu becomes creamy when it’s whipped, but then re‐solidifies when chilled. Because whipping introduces air into the tofu, when it firms, it has a light and fluffy texture. Chef’s Notes This is such a simple and quick dessert, yet it is insanely rich and sophisticated. It’s also as beautiful as you can dress it up to be, and never fails to impress. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 459 Calories from Fat 171 Fat 19 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com
Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts www.sweetutopia.com Quick & Easy
October 2011|159
Total Carbohydrates 52 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Sugars 43 g Protein 13 g Alcohol 4 g Salt 64 mg Interesting Facts A mousse does not necessarily have to be a dessert, though it frequently is. The word actually refers to the light and airy texture of the dish.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com
Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts www.sweetutopia.com Quick & Easy
October 2011|160
Raspberry Almond Parfaits Type: Dessert Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 5 minutes Ingredients Cream 2 cups frozen raspberries 1 cup vegan cream cheese ½ cup agave nectar ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract Layers 12 wafer cookies or graham cracker sections Slivered or sliced almonds Garnish Shaved chocolate Raspberries Instructions Process the cream ingredients in a blender or food processor. In 4 small decorative glasses, layer the cream, cookies and almonds as you wish. Garnish with the shaved chocolate and raspberries. Serve immediately.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com
Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts www.sweetutopia.com Quick & Easy
October 2011|161
Kitchen Equipment Blender Spatula Measuring Cup Measuring Spoons Parfait Glasses Presentation This looks best when you can do at least three layers of cream, with crackers and almonds alternating between them. Time Management This sets up best when served fresh. Complementary Food and Drinks A cup of almond flavored mocha coffee. Where to Shop All of these products are easy to find except the vegan cream cheese, which can be found at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Sunflower market. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works The cream cheese is what sets up this dessert, providing the structure for the cream layer. The graham crackers or wafers provide the rest of the structure and add contrasting textures. Chef’s Notes This is a fancy, yet very simple, quick and special dessert you can whip up in a few minutes. These mini‐trifles are very impressive and delicious! Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 422 Calories from Fat 198 Fat 22 g Total Carbohydrates 53 g Dietary Fiber 5 g Sugars 14 g Protein 3 g The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com
Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts www.sweetutopia.com Quick & Easy
October 2011|162
Salt 427 mg
Interesting Facts Graham crackers were originally incredibly bland, made simply with graham flour and no other agents. They were created by a Presbyterian minister who though flavorful foods led to sexual behavior, so he made a cracker as bland as possible.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com
Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts www.sweetutopia.com Quick & Easy
October 2011|163
Pomegranate Iced Tea Type: Beverage Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 5 min Ingredients 1 large ripe pomegranate (you could sub one cup store bought pomegranate juice) 8 oz. of your choice of tea (green gunpowder tea works very well) Agave nectar to taste Lemon or orange wedge for garnish and citrus tang Instructions Cut your pomegranate in half and squeeze on a citrus reamer as you would an orange or grapefruit. Add juice to your favorite tea, sweeten to taste and pour over ice.
Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Citrus Reamer Teapot 2 Glasses Presentation For a really special treat, add frozen pomegranate seeds!
Time Management Make sure to pay attention to the brewing time of your tea. The pomegranate will already be astringent and over brewing your tea will simply add more astringency. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 36 Calories from Fat 0 Fat 0 g Total Carbohydrates 8 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Sugars 6 g Protein 1 g Salt 4 mg Interesting Facts The word grenade is closely related to pomegranate. The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Liz Lonnetti
Quick & Easy
October 2011|164
