Little did I know at the time that Terry has come out with another cookbook! Byant Terry’s new cookbook is called Inspired Vegan: Seasonal Ingredients, Creative Recipes, Mouthwatering Menus. Both cookbooks are a delight to the eyes with interesting photos and drawings included. And although I have yet to test any recipes from the latter cookbook, I’m sure it’s just as delightful to the tastebuds.

Back onto the topic of incorporating vegan versions of food that is (or perceived to be) traditionally nonvegan, I have some more ideas:

1. Begin with the concept behind the food, rather than the food itself. Veganizing “traditional” foods can be tricky because people are often resistant to change. But remember that all celebrations are essentially about some kind of change or progress. For example, in the Jewish holiday of Passover (which is similar in some ways to Juneteenth because it represents liberation from slavery) some of the foods on a Seder plate are not vegetarian or vegan. But for as long as I can remember there have been articles in magazines about how to celebrate Passover without hurting animals. VegNews has a guide for how it can be done. Check it out >>
2. Remember that food is power. Our food choices matter. With each bite of vegan food we choose to support compassion and freedom from suffering. With each bite of nonvegan food we support suffering and needless death. Celebrations are not only recognitions of the past, they can be pathways towards the future. Food is a large part of what kind of future we will see. Do we want a future with clean air, clean water, kind people, and peaceful living? Or do we want a future that clings to the past so tightly that it destroys our health, planet, and our most precious resources: our compassion? See more about this at The Food Empowerment Project >>
3. Use good food. For any kind of celebration, you must make sure the food is as tasty as possible. This is especially important for vegan food because a lot of people expect it to taste poorly. And unfortunately, those expectations actually influence how the food tastes to them. The less open-minded someone is to a new food, the less likely they will enjoy that new food. So make sure the vegan food you choose is highly palatable to a wide variety of people. That might mean you’ll need to use more oil and salt than usual. That’s OK. It’s a celebration, afterall, not the first day on a weight loss diet.

Profits from the sale of these chocolates support Farm Sanctuary’s work on behalf of abused and neglected farmed animals.

If you want to follow up the gift with dinner, try PETA’s recipes this year, and support that animal rights organization in the process.

Other ideas for Valentine’s Day from this very site:

Soapbox 2008

and also 2008

In what animal-friendly way are you going to celebrate February 14?

Style guru Martha Stewart has joined Farm Sanctuary to oppose factory farming. She talks a bit about why we should all speak out against it.  Join Martha and Farm Sanctuary and the millions who already speak for the animals by (1) not eating them and (2) expressing your support for bills that restrict factory farming operations. This is an issue that crosses political lines. After visiting the Farm Sanctuary website you might want to stop at the Humane Farming Association‘s, and see what they are doing to make factory farms a thing of the past.

Beyond the focus on animal product substitutes, Shagrin brings her personality to the chapter headings, revealing her focus: “Hail Seitan – and his followers”, “Recipes guaranteed to get you laid”, “Satisfying the vegan munchies”, “Vegan holiday survival kit”, “Grillin’ and chillin’”, and “Get baked”.  Capitalizing on her name she frequently offers “shaggy kitchen tips”.  This is not your everyday cookbook.

The recipes are laid out with ingredients in a shaded box on the left, instructions on the right. The recipes run one after another, so some start near the bottom of the page and continue on the next. Full-color pictures of many of the creations are included in a batch in the middle of the book. Very pretty pictures they are, too.

Instructions appear to be thorough and clear. I have not yet made any of them but look forward to trying the peanut butter dream pie in particular, along with some of the seitan recipes. Shagrin has a love affair with one commercial product: MimicCreme, a heavy cream substitute. For those who cannot obtain this ingredient, she offers recipes for substitutions. Interestingly, she includes it where one might not think it appropriate – like in the seitan recipes. She swears by it, so she must know something.

This is some serious eating, substantial and innovative.  Shagrin says her meat-loving friends like these dishes as much as she does. Even if you are not a fan of garden meats or cheeses you might want to have this cook book on the shelf for special occasions.

Now it’s time for 101 vegan lunches.

And remember, you can always eat breakfast for lunch, too!

Without further ado,
101 vegan lunches…

1. Peanut butter and jelly on white bread
2. Eggless “egg salad” sandwich (made with tofu or chickpeas) on wheat bread
3. Tofurky hickory smoked deli slices on rye (or try Yves salami deli slices)
4. Black bean and rice burrito from Chipotle
5. Baked potato with salsa
6. Grilled Daiya with tomato on sourdough
7. The biggest green or fruit salad you’ve ever seen
8. Nachos: corn tortilla chips covered with vegetarian refried beans, salsa, corn, and Food For Lovers vegan queso
9. Quorn vegan burger with pickle, mustard and a side of fries
10. Vegetable stirfry with tofu over brown rice
11. Avocado and cucumber sushi with edamame and inari
12. Spaghetti and wheat balls
13. Candle Cafe’s microwavable mac and “cheese” (or try Amy’s vegan version)
14. Lentil soup with a roll and small salad
15. Vegan chili and rice
16. Veggie hotdog with catsup and a large soda
17. Succotash and sweet tea
18. Curried vegetables and white rice
19. Split pea soup with steamed carrots on the side
20. Pasta primavera with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast
21. Boca burger with a side of sweet potato fries and applesauce
22. Creamy potato soup with corn chips
23. Fruit salad and cocnut milk yogurt
24. Bagel veggie pizzas (made with Teese or Daiya)
25. Vegan “fish” sticks and chips
26. Tempeh BLT sandwiches
27. Red beans and rice
28. Noodle soup (simple veggie broth and soba noodles)
29. Gumbo (made with Tofurky sausages and Sofie’s Kitchen shrimp)
30. Tom Kah soup (coconut milk Thai soup)
31. Subway‘s veggie sandwich (no mayo, no cheese, add avocado)
32. Curly Q pasta with vegan sasauges and sundried tomatoes
33. Taco salad with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and green chilis
34. Black bean soup with breadsticks
35. Steamed vegetable medley and rice pilaf
36. BBQ veggie skewers with seitan
37. Vegan tuna melt (made with seaweed and chickpeas)
38. Vegetable soup in a bread bowl and an apple
39. Tempeh “steak” and a side of roasted potatoes
40. Rasberry quinoa salad on a lettuce bed
41. Fried tofu topped with peanut sauce and veggie lo mein
42. Banana and almond butter sandwich
43. Falafel sandwich and tabbouleh
44. A stew of squash, corn, and beans
45. Stuffed peppers and a side of sauteed kale
46. Raw vegan lasagne
47. Tomato soup with crackers
48. Tortilla roll-up with red pepper spread, romaine lettuce, sprouts, carrots, and thin slices of baked tofu
49. Chilled pasta salad with kidney beans
50. Pita stuffed with hummus and raw veggies
51. Masala dosa
52. Hoppin Johns made with Soyrizzo
53. Trail mix and dried fruit
54. Fettucini and white bean sauce
55. A slice of a Whole Foods vegan pizza or a frozen Tofurky pizza
56. Aloo gobi (made with vegetable oil instead of ghee)
57. Chilled three bean salad
58. Cajun black beans and rice
59. Kale and quinoa salad with a side of kelp
60. Chickpea cutlets and potato fritters
61. Stuffed grape leaves
62. Mapo tofu
63. A bagette stuffed with cashew cheese
64. Fruit parfait made with almond milk yogurt
65. Various vegan wat on injera
66. Vegan “chicken” adobo
67. Green smoothie (or any other kind of smoothie made with fruits and veggies)
68. Enchiladas stuffed with beans, veggies, and/or vegan cheese
69. Spring rolls or raw roll-up
70. Fried okra and vegan hushpuppies
71. Cous-cous with raisins and pine nuts
72. Pasta and cashew-cheese pesto
73. Jamaican potato and tomato curry stew
74. Sandwich made from slices of Celebration Roast and cranberry sauce
75. Wheat-ball sub sandwich drenched in tomato sauce
76. Vegan baked bean caserole with cornbread
77. Grits, collard greens, and black-eyed peas
78. Potato pancakes and applesauce
79. Gardien chickn strips and tater tots
80. Curried tofu, apples, and dried cherries salad
81. Roasted root vegetables
82. Lima beans and mashed potatoes
83. Vegan “tuna” salad on a bagel (make the “tuna” salad with chickpeas and seaweed)
84. Breakfast for lunch (cold cereal with soymilk, blueberry muffins, tofu scramble, etc.)
85. McDougall Right Foods microwave lunches
86. Fruit sushi and vegan tempura
87. BBQ’d portabello on a bun and raw jicama “fries”
88. A big bowl of miso soup
89. Spelt salad with white beans and asparagus
90. Spinach, pear, and artichoke salad
91. Red potato salad made with Vegenaise or Nayonaise
92. Bean and barley soup
93. Roasted red peppers, fresh arugula, and thin slices of baked tempeh on whole wheat bread
94. Garlic and greens soup with drop biscuits
95. Sweet potato and kale “chips” with a cool ranch-like dip
96. Onion soup and a French roll
97. Eggplant and tomato casserole topped with breadcrumbs
98. Green beans and quinoa cakes
99. Two oranges and a slice of banana bread
100. Brown rice bowl (veggies and teriaki sauce)
101. Sunflower seed butter on crackers and a pear

Got more lunch ideas? Please share them in the comments below!

Quorn sent me four vegan burger patties to try. Since this is Quorn’s first vegan product it’s also the first Quorn product I’ve ever tried. I was eager to taste a product from a brand that so many of my lacto-ovo vegetarian friends had been raving about.

I ate one burger for lunch, sharing it with my toddler son. Even as it was cooking (a quick minute and a half in the microwave) I knew it was going to be great. The burger just smelled so good!

I cut it into small bite-sized pieces and together my son and I dipped the pieces into vegan sandwich dressings – vegan mayo, mustard, and catsup. He scarfed them right down.

For comparison, whenever we go out to eat at a local burger joint I offer a bit of my veggie burger to my son. He never eats it. My son eats chick’n patties and vegan seafood, but when it comes to veg burgers he’s pretty picky. So the fact that he ate this Quorn burger was revolutionary!

The last three Quorn vegan burgers were eaten for dinner with my husband and my mom. We sandwiched them between burger buns, slathered on the mayo and mustard, added a piece of lettuce and a couple slices of tomato. (We gave my son a couple bites of the burger and then we gave him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.)

Comments from my husband:

“Quorn veggie burgers are perfectly seasoned and have a taste that harkens back to the neighborhood barbecues I went to as a child. But they’re much healthier than those burgers were and much much better for the animals. Overall the best veggie burgers I’ve had.”

My mom’s comments about the Quorn vegan burger:

“I loved it. It has a good chewy texture and good taste. It was filling but not fatty. I think it would make a good addition to a quick stove-top casserole, broken up, as well.”

Then there’s me. I loved the Quorn burgers. They have a wonderful scent that causes the mouth to water. You can taste these burgers before you take a bite. Then, when you bite into one both the taste and the mouth-feel are extremely satisfying. I can’t wait to see these burgers for sale at my local grocery stores!

Image is a screenshot from the Quorn website.

Last night I sat down to diner with my mother, my husband, and my son (age 2) to try some of the vegan seafood products from Sophie’s Kitchen. Sophie’s Kitchen produces a whole line of vegan seafoods. Currently, they make vegan shrimp, vegan prawns, vegan squid rings, vegan calamari, breaded vegan shrimp, and breaded vegan fish fillets. Sophie’s Kitchen vegan seafood products are 100% vegan, non-GMO, free of trans fats, hydrogenated oils, and artificial flavorings of any kind. In my area, they are available at Whole Foods Market.

We tried the breaded vegan shrimp and the breaded vegan fish fillets. We baked them both but if you like you can fry them instead. We served them with a quick vegan tartar sauce (2 parts Nayonaise plus 1 part sweet relish sauce) and some steamed veggies. Everyone at the table tried the shrimp but only the adults tried the fish fillets.

My mother commented:

“I found the fish patties substantial in size, and suitable for a hungry person’s sandwich. I ate mine plain but I am sure I would have enjoyed it with lettuce, tomato, and vegan mayo on a whole grain bun. The shrimp have a shrimp-like texture, rather like a very firm gelatin, and a mild seafood-like taste. They go well with tartar sauce and ketchup.”

My son seemed to enjoy the breaded shrimps. First he ate off the breaded portion and then he “played” with the shrimpy part wiggling it around.  They are eerily shrimp-like. When I suggested that he dip it in sauce, he went to work dipping and eating, dipping and eating as toddlers are wont to do. (Psst! Dips are a great way to get toddlers to try new foods. They just love to dip!) By the end of our dinner I had given him a cup of vegan chocolate pudding (made with almond milk) but he still wanted the shrimp! So I jokingly suggested that he try dipping the shrimp in the pudding and lo and behold he created his newest favorite food!

I heartily enjoyed the fillets but the shrimp texture was a bit too rubbery to my taste. Both products are very mild tasting and I can’t imagine anyone seriously disliking the flavor because it’s just not that strong. In fact that’s my main criticism: the products could use a bit more flavor. But perhaps that’s why these products, named after a child called Sophie, are so appealing to children. The tastebuds of children are far more keen than those of adults’ so children can taste very subtle flavors and enjoy them in a way adults just aren’t able to do.

We all agreed that we would eat Sophie’s Kitchen products again.

*Image is a screenshot from Sophie’s Kitchen website. Food samples were courtesy of Sophie’s Kitchen.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately and it occurred to me that one could get hens a better way: from rescues. Many hens are rescued every year by Farm Sanctuary, Animal Place, and many other organizations. There are even some places that specialize in rescuing and then finding new homes. I am now ready to recommend this route to those who feel they must have their eggs. Generally, these organizations have gone to a lot of trouble to save these animals and will also go to some trouble to assure that they are going to the right homes.

The Battery Hen: this one’s in the UK

Chicken Run Rescue: Minnesota! Their motto: don’t breed or buy; adopt!

Rescue Chickens: a lot of info here but probably worth plowing through

Battery Hens: from ckc birds, another UK operation, mostly sells homes for rescued birds

Of course this is hardly a complete list. A good way to begin is to check local rescue operations.

For a related and not altogether the same view from Vegan Soapbox check this out.

As a vegan I can’t make a case for eating eggs, even from rescued hens. But I can see having a hen as a pet, eggs or no, given the right environment. And I can recommend to those who are not vegan that they take this one extra step to reduce cruelty in the world.

Below, there are resources for travel and cooking. Plus there’s news about PETA, vegan bloggers, and a bit about e coli.

Got any good links to share or new news? Leave a comment!

Veg Travel: As a vegan who has been to Paris twice and never once felt the need to eat animals, I assure you there is plenty of vegetarian food in France despite anyone’s protestations. But now a new book will soon be out called “A Vegetarian in Paris”. The book features “more than 300 restaurants that serve pure vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly fare” and should demonstrate why the Paris Exemption is poorly named. The guidebook offers a grand set of solutions for travelers committed to eating kindly. Read more about the new book here >>

Don’t forget, too, that if you need to find vegan, vegetarian, or veg-friendly eats whilst traveling check out these websites:

• Happy Cow: http://www.happycow.net/
• Veg Guide: http://www.vegguide.org/

Vegan Food: Want a recipe for black bean and beer soup? Sounds like a great idea for the cold winter nights. Here you go >>

Wintertime is cookie time, so here’s a recipe for Pistachio Praline Linzer Cookies >>

And here’s a recipe for curry burgers that look awefully good >>

Vegan Pie in the Sky is now widely available. Pick up a copy today from Amazon and support us at Vegan Soapbox.

Bloggers who quit: Erik Marcus of vegan.com announced “After nearly three years and more than 5000 posts, I’ve decided to pull the plug on daily blogging.” The key here is the daily part. He is still updating his blog, just not as often.

And the blogger at Quarry Girl says “This blog is no longer updated” and cites life as the problem: “i used to have a vegan blog, but life got in the way.” Oh well.

Grass-fed cow flesh: “when it comes to E. coli O157:H7, the advantages of grass-fed beef aren’t so clear. In fact, exploring the connection between grass-fed beef and these dangerous bacteria offers a disturbing lesson in how culinary wisdom becomes foodie dogma and how foodie dogma can turn into a recipe for disaster. Step back from it all and veganism starts to look like the best option.” read more at Eating Plants >>

PETA stuff: “For the second consecutive year, Northwestern University has been selected by peta2, an affiliate of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, as the most vegan-friendly college in the small U.S. schools category.” read more here >>

“Just in time for the holiday season, [PETA] will be showcasing the top 20 vegetarians of all-time by putting their faces on postage stamps.” read more at Ecorazzi >>

Want to share a good vegan website? Got a news story that needs attention? Leave a comment!

Here’s where and what I ate this last week in Las Vegas, Nevada…

Last Friday I met up with three other veg moms (one was vegan and one was vegetarian) and their babies. The three of us veg-heads, our beautiful veg children, and three other friends and family members dined together at Red Velvet Cafe in the Fashion Show Mall on Las Vegas Boulevard (aka The Strip). This is the second Red Velvet location; the first restaurant is located on West Sahara near Buffalo. While Red Velvet is not a vegan restaurant, it’s very vegan-friendly because virtually all the menu items can be made vegan and all of the desserts are vegan. I usually enjoy the vegan tuna melt wrap but this time I ate one of the vegan chicken wraps. It was fantastic. I followed it with a pumpkin cake.

Tis the season to splurge on food and drink, agterall. But why hurt animals in the process? Do it vegan!

Photo from Dish Tip.

On Tuesday I had planned to take my mom to Bar+Bistro for vegan tapas and some light drinks. This place has a new soy-free vegan menu in a hip urban environment at The Arts Factory downtown. Last time I was there I had a vegan margherita pizza. This time I wanted to try the stuffed peppers, lentil soup, and/or the artichokes. And I thought of washing it down with a nice sangria.

Photo from Naga.

Alas, I lost my car keys and couldn’t take my mom out. An hour later we made plans with my sister who drove us to Naga, a new Thai restaurant in Henderson (at Horizon and Horizon). Naga is very vegan-friendly like most Thai restaurants and will substitute tofu for any meat or egg. But they go above and beyond by marking their menu with a vegan logo to inform patrons that those dishes can be made 100% vegan (no fish sauce or anything like that). We order the Fried Tofu, Tom Kah, Pad Thai, Yellow Curry, and both white and brown rice along with a couple beers.

By the way, Barnivore.com is a great website to learn about vegan beer and wine.

Wednesday was Vegas Vegan Drinks which takes place at Yayo Taco across from UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas). This place has some vegan tacos and a wide selection of beers. We meet there and get the veg plate, alcoholic or nonalcoholic drinks, and then we chat about all things vegetarian, vegan, and Las Vegan. UNLV is “home of the rebels” so it seems only fitting that rebellious vegans should meet near there for drinks and tasty (yet compassionate) food. There’s usually about 8 to 15 of us vegetarians and vegans who meet there - and more joining us all the time!

Thursday was Thanksgiving. We hosted at my house and cooked up a store-bought Cranberry Hazelnut Roast by Field Roast. My nephew brought over some delish sweet potato casserole and my sister brought the vegan stuffing and a salad. My husband made a fruit salad with kiwis and papaya. My mom made vegan pumpkin pies and she roasted some baby carrots. She also made a fantastic Three Sister’s Stew. The stew recipe introduction says this about the ingredients:

“In Native American mythology, squash, corn, and beans are known as of the ‘three sisters.’ These are the very crops, along with garden vegetables, that the harvest festival of Thanksgiving is meant to celebrate!”

We’ve had this stew for Thanksgiving before. It’s so good and so seasonal that I plan to make it a part of our traditional family Thanksgiving meal.

Most Americans know about Black Friday, the big day of shopping after Thanksgiving. In Animal Rights communities, however, we participate in Fur-Free Friday. Every year on Black Friday there are fur protests around the nation. While people are out shopping for Christmas, AR people remind them not to buy fur. So I attended the local Fur-Free Friday demonstration on Las Vegas Boulevard and since I had a gift card for Red Velvet Cafe, I planned on eating there again after holding up my “Shop Cruelty-Free; Don’t Buy Fur” sign for a couple hours.

But Red Velvet was very busy due to all the shopping and so I left my activist friends and headed across the street to the Wynn casino/hotel. Every restaurant at the Wynn offers a separate vegan menu. So my family and I went to the Terrace Pointe Cafe and ordered the vegan burger deal. It’s nine dollars for a vegan cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake. It tastes just like a McDonald’s Happy Meal from childhood. And it’s great. It’s such a guilty pleasure.

This week made my taste buds very happy.

And just so you know, I barely scratched the surface on places to eat vegan in Vegas. For more options check out these links:

• http://www.vegasveg.com/food.html
• http://www.lvvegan.com/
• http://www.vegguide.org/region/280
• http://www.happycow.net/north_america/usa/nevada/las_vegas/index.html