Posts Tagged ‘Recipes’
Fuming About the Oil Spill? Go Veg!
June 16th, 2010 | 
Author: 
I love my morning ritual, sweating it out on the cardio machine with CNN’s Tony Harris for an hour. Tony’s chuckle always makes the dreadful news of the day go down easier. But for the last 58 days, even Tony’s sly smile can’t keep me from being sick to my stomach as I watch in the lower corner of the screen the continuous “live cam” of the underwater oil spill spewing massive plumes of brown into the ocean.
The BP oil spill is now the largest spill in U.S. history, churning out approximately 2 ½ million gallons of oil a day and showing no signs of slowing. The devastation to the Gulf’s ecosystem and wildlife is unimaginable. Watching the images of oil-soaked birds being scrubbed with tiny toothbrushes is just too much to bear.
We feel a pang of guilt at the pump as we fill up our tanks. Perhaps this disaster will inspire people to buy a hybrid or ride their bike.
But there are other ways, perhaps even more effective ways, to reduce our dependence on oil and it’s not at the gas pump.
Choosing to reduce or eliminate animal products from our diet drastically reduces our fossil fuel consumption; it takes eight times as much fossil fuel to produce animal products as is takes to produce plant foods. A recent University of Chicago study found that consuming no animal products is 50 percent more effective at fighting global warming than switching from a standard car to a hybrid. In fact, if everyone in the U.S. ate vegetarian for just one day, we would save 70 million gallons of gas- enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare. That’s just one day!
The U.N. recently released an extensive report revealing that the greatest cause of greenhouse gas emissions is food production and animal products are by far the biggest culprits. The study recommends a world-wide shift to a vegetarian diet to save and feed the planet.
The environment isn’t the only causality from meat, milk and egg consumption. Farmed animals endure intensive confinement, painful procedures, brutal treatment, and a premature end to their miserable lives.
So when you are watching the footage of oil soaked marshes and brown stained beaches, know that we can take steps to reduce our dependence on oil three times a day. Reducing or eliminating animal products is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint and to reduce your fossil fuel consumption. For more information on how to eat a cruelty-free, eco-friendly diet, please check out our Vegan Campaign.
Posted in Featured News, Veganism, Wildlife | 
Tags: Animals in Disasters, Disaster Relief, Environment, Factory Farms, Farm Animals, Food, Government, Recipes, Wildlife | 
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Fire Up Your Grills!
Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner which means all across America families and friends will be getting together to enjoy their first BBQ this summer. This can create a bit of a dilemma for vegans who would like to bring something to a get together that even meat-lovers will enjoy and try but aren’t that confident in the kitchen. I know we always hope to that we’ll bring something that will make folks overcome any prejudices they may have towards eating vegan and maybe even “wow” them a little. There are a few tricks that can help a bit, like marinating Tofurky Beer Brats in a dark beer with a dash of olive oil for about 15 minutes before throwing them on a grill or Three Bean Salad. This recipe is guaranteed to be a hit with pretty much the whole gang! It is easy to make and maybe a bit messy to eat but that’s part of what makes it so good . . .
Chipotle Roasted Corn
1/3 Cup Chipotle Salsa 2/3 Cup Vegannaise 2 Teaspoons Lime Juice Dash of Liquid Smoke 8 Ears of Corn Mix salsa, vegannaise, lime juice and liquid smoke.
Fold down each layer of the corn husks. Remove the silks and brush a heavy coating of the salsa mix on to each corn. Fold the husks back up to cover and seal in salsa mix.
Wrap with aluminum foil. Put on the grill for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove foil an put back on grill for 3 to 5 minutes.
Fold down the husks and season with salt and pepper to taste.
For More Recipes – You can always check out out recipes in our Vegan Campaign or order your own Vegan Starter Kit that is full of vegan recipes and tips.
Veganizing Betty Crocker!
The star this week : Taco Salad
A few months ago, I saw the movie Julie & Julia. Being an armchair chef, it’s surprising it took us so long to see a movie that starred food. I mean – we love food, movies, books about food that are turned into movies – so what took us so long? I admit I was charmed at first. I mean, here was a devoted, vintage-clothing-wearing, amateur foodie who wore pearls in the kitchen – one of my own personal dreams, although in my dream, the pearls would be fake just like my “meat”. I was intrigued by finding someone who, on the surface, was a little like me. But as you can imagine, she lost me at the infamous “Lobster Killer” scene and I never really bounced back.
Yes, after years of meeting and knowing literally thousands of vegans from all over the world, and working at the largest animal advocacy agencies on the planet, including IDA, I can say with complete confidence that no one in the world loves food the way vegans do. We think about food constantly. We read labels with a Christmas Morning eagerness, searching for those deal breaker words: Whey, Egg Whites, Skim Milk Protein, Casein. We sit around talking about food like the gals in Sex in The City talk about shoes. We send emails to all our friends and family telling them about new products with an eagerness that can only be compared to Beatle Mania . . . or these days Bieber Mania. We love food almost as much as we love saving animals and the planet. So why not find a way to make everything vegan? All those casseroles that feed a family of four for a week, or those childhood favorites you think about from time to time when you think about mom… My husband and I are making them vegan. For as long as it takes, we’ll be veganizing every recipe in The Betty Crocker Cookbook and sharing our tips and secrets with you. We’ve always said we can make anything fat and vegan … now we’re putting this claim to the test! Thank you, Lobster Killer, for inspiring a project that I suspect you would hate. . .
On the menu this week : Butterscotch Brownies, Herb Roasted Chicken & Vegetables, Taco Salad, Clams in White Sauce, Caramel Sticky Rolls
Some Highlights Thus Far : Garlic Cheesy Biscuits, Osso Bucco, Buffalo Chicken Wings, Turtle Cheesecake, Stuffed Crust Pizza, Cheeseburger Pie, Tuna Casserole
Please know we have kept the original names for the recipes so you can follow along in The Betty Crocker Cookbook if you would like and that all recipes are 100% Vegan! For more recipes and to follow this vegan venture, check out MeetTheShannons.net and keep checking back here at IDA’s blog. . . we’ll be sharing tips and recipes here as well!
Posted in Veganism |
Tags: Betty Crocker, Factory Farms, Farm Animals, Food, Movies, Recipes |
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An Easter we can all be happy about!
Sweet & Sara's Vegan Peeps
Every year, millions of people dress up in their best clothes, get together with their families and friends to give out baskets of treats, hunt Easter eggs and enjoy a big meal. It is a beautiful time of year, with the flowers blooming and trees turning green again. It is easy to see why people would love Easter and now it is easier than ever to celebrate with compassion. Here are some easy tips:
- Use Colorful Plastic Eggs filled with Vegan candy for your Easter Hunt! Not only will the hidden candy be more popular with your kids by avoiding using real eggs – you are not supporting an industry that remains indifferent to the unthinkable cruelties that have become common practice on their farms- including debeaking and confinement in filthy wire battery cages so small they can’t even spread their wings.
- Make your Easter Basket Kid & Animal friendly! Here are just a few suggestions of Vegan alternatives to classic Easter candy favorites:
Peeps
Creme Eggs
Chocolate Eggs
Jelly Beans
The Chocolate Bunnies
Gummy Bunnies ( OK not a classic BUT a must try )
Caramel Eggs
- Skip the Ham this Easter! Here’s a great compassionate alternative for Easter Dinner courtesy of Turtle Island Foods.:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced very thin
1 cup dried sour cherries
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons apple cider
1 Tofurky roastPreparation:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, cherries, brown sugar and vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in mustard and apple cider, and simmer for two more minutes.
Place Tofurky roast on sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, and spread with the onion mixture. Wrap roast snugly with the foil. Place in roasting pan, and place on center rack of oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover roast for last 10 minutes of baking. Slice roast, and serve with some of the pan juices spooned over it.
For more Vegan recipes – Order a FREE Vegan Starter Kit!
Passover – New School Style
Vegan Seder Plate
We all know the classic Ten Commandments movie with Charlton Heston, and the lyrics to Swing Low Sweet Chariot. But you may not know what those things have to do with the Jewish holiday Passover. Passover is the Jewish celebration of when God spared the Jews from the curse of the first born and freed them from slavery in Egypt. The traditions behind this 7 day celebration of unleavened bread and freedom have gone on for thousands of years, reminding Jews that God doesn’t approve of oppression and exploitation. So it’s about time we celebrated new school style!
So let’s break it down . . .
Can you really celebrate the end of slavery with eggs and meat on your plate?
The Passover meal and accompanying celebration is called the Sedar. The traditional Sedar plate includes an egg (Beitzah) – some say this represents a sacrifice others say it represents a new beginning. No matter why you have the egg on the plate, there is no disputing that egg laying hens suffer unthinkable cruelty – including intense confinement, debeaking and a short life in ammonia-filled sheds. I like to replace the Beitzah with an avocado. Not only does it replace the egg aesthetically – the seed inside reflects the sentiment behind this place on the plate without contributing to an industry that is completely indifferent to the suffering they profit from.
Of course there is also the roasted shank bone ( Z’roa ) – to represent the lamb who was sacrificed and eaten at the Temple of Jerusalem and also the blood that was used to mark the doors of the Israelites . . . but just like Jews have come to embrace technology like airplanes and running water . . . embracing advancements like more compassionate alternatives to meat truly reflects the spirit behind Passover. I use a piece of TVP for my plate. . . but I’ve heard of people using a beet ( which gets a big thumbs up from the Talmud ). Whatever you use – the facts are that today’s factory farms are hell on Earth for animals and even certified Kosher slaughterhouses have been exposed as being careless and wantonly inhumane, and their by-products are about as far as you can get from a celebration of freedom.
With so many recipe sites that offer vegan alternatives to traditional Passover favorites – it is easier than ever to have a Sedar that reflects the true spirit behind this celebration and what makes this one of my favorite Holidays!
I hope you’ll consider making your Sedar vegan this year. To help, here’s just a few of my favorite recipe sites:
Post Punk Kitchen Forum
heebnvegan
Veg Source Passover Menu
And here’s an Old School Passover recipe for the traditionalists :
The Old School Sweet Potato Kugel
- 6 small sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
- 3 apples, peeled and grated
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup matzo meal
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- 1 cup water
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Use a food processor to grate the sweet potatoes and apples. Combine all ingredients together.
Gently press into a baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until lightly crisp on top.
Shalom!
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