Vegan Soul Food: Sexy Green Food

 Eating with ecology in mind is often about finding pleasure without feeling as though you're constantly deprived of satisfaction.  To go vegan is sometimes seen as an act of sacrifice, especially when it comes to eating within cultural expectations, the cuisines of our families, communities, and ethnic-racial heritage.   But Bryant Terry, vegan chef and good food activist, has been promoting fabulous vegan food  as a sustainable alternative for the planet and for folks who love soul food but also struggle with hypertension, diabetes, and high blood pressure.   What's great about Terry is that he integrates art, policy, advocacy, music, politics, holistic living, cooking skills, and more into the everyday act of feeding ourselves as individuals but also as members of a community.   As a current fellow in the Food and Society Policy Program, Terry embraces the label "eco chef and food justice advocate" and has been appearing across the US to promote cooking as a tool to change to world. His projects range from creating the southern organic kitchen (dedicated to promoting healthy eating in urban areas with high rates of illness and poverty), hosting a television show on PBS, and a poster series with Faviana Rodriguez.

Check out Bryant's blog for fabulous new recipes (he provides great music to accompany each one!!) -- and for updates about his many projects related to bringing good food into struggling communities.     His first book Grub: Ideas from an Urban Organic Kitchen, was co-written with activist Anna Lappe, and was filled with great recipes.

  And now his latest culinary output, Vegan Soul Kitchen,   has been making waves everywhere from Ebony to the Miami Herald.  While you're making the delicious roasted yam soup or carrot cranberry-walnut salad with walnut vinaigrette, you can also consider yourself part of a movement to think about food as a way of  opening people's minds to new combinations and to thinking about cooking together and eating well as an act of communal self determination.  Invite ten friends over (and no, they don't all have to be vegans to enjoy brussel sprouts with garlic and cacao cafe no lait pudding ) and see what he means.

 

Laptop Lunch and the Bento Revolution

Lunch can be a difficult meal for a green connoisseur. Since most kids and adults are away from home at lunch time, options are often limited to buying a hot lunch from a questionable source, or packing your own. And while there are lots of points in favor of packed lunches, from using up leftovers to catering for personal tastes, there are also plenty of ecological pitfalls involved. In particular, packed lunches can generate lots of waste, whether you use pre-made items from the store or pack your own in brown bags and Ziploc baggies. There are also lots of good options in reusable lunch boxes, but the Laptop Lunch system stands out for a few different reasons. First of all, the basic component of the system is a box with four smaller compartments. Packing a lunch with several small dishes encourages you (or your kids) to eat a variety of foods and helps with portion regulation, but more importantly it's appealing and fun. For some healthy and sustainable inspiration, check out Vegan Lunchbox, an amazing blog about the intricate bento-style meals you can make with this system. (The author of the blog has published a cookbook on the subject, too, also called Vegan Lunchbox). As for the system itself, we recommend the hemp "Lunch Date" package ($114.99), similar to that shown above. This offer includes the basic container unit (made of recyclable BPA-free plastic), an ice pack, insulating sleeve, fork, spoon, thermos jar for extras like soup, and a steel water bottle. Plus, you get a beautiful hemp handbag to store everything in until lunchtime. Images from Laptop Lunch and Vegan Lunchbox.

Got Juice? Exotic Flavors, All-Natural Goodness - Bolthouse Farms Does!

I'm always on the lookout for new organic and natural products, especially while shopping at my regular grocery store.  Last week, I picked up a couple bottles of juice from Bolthouse Farms when I noticed them on sale.

Bolthouse Farms Juices are not organic, but they are all-natural and the taste and variety are rather addictive!  After browsing the product selection online, I'm a bit disappointed with my local selection but I do plan to look for their new yogurt-based dressings the next time I shop.  

I tried out the Mango Lemonade - it's definitely a drink to fall in love with!  The fresh taste of southern lemonade is pleasantly sweetened with the hint of exotic mango flavor.  A Berry Boost Smoothie was my husband's pick.  Made with 5 different berries, apple juice, and bananas, this drink was equally delicious.  I'm also wanting to try the strawberry-banana smoothie and the mocha cappuccino protein drink.

About Bolthouse Farms 

William Bolthouse began Bolthouse Farms in 1915 in Michigan.  By the 1950's, the farm was supplying leading food manufacturers and restaurants with fresh produce for their own products.  Carrots became one of the farms most popular crops and in 1972, the company relocated to sunny California where their high-demand carrots could be grown year round.  

Today, Bolthouse Farms harvests acres of carrots every single day, operating a variety of processing, packaging, and bottling facilities in the Bakersfield, CA area.  An acacia berry farm is also owned and operated by the Bolthouse family, located in Belem, Brazil.  

Environmental Responsibility

While the crops at Bolthouse Farms may not be organically grown, the company values both social and environmental responsibility.  

• All products boast recyclable packaging.
• Solar panels generate the power needed to irrigate fields.
• High speed rail transports products from Bakersfield to Chicago, reducing carbon emissions drastically compared to truck delivery.
• Spray Safe pesticide techniques are used to minimize the harm pest prevention can have on people and foods. 
• Great care is given to the nutritional value of every product, from growing to packaging.

I highly recommend trying a Bolthouse Farms juice when you have the chance!  Let us know your favorite flavors in the comments and take the time to visit the recipes section of the website for some excellent smoothie and carrot dish ideas.

Photos via BolthouseFarms.com

Raspberry Almond Carob Cake

Maybe it's the hot carob milk that I drank as a kid whenever I came in from playing in the snow, but cold weather still makes my thoughts turn to carob. I know that lots of people aren't fans of carob like I am, but I think that often this is due to a big mistake - thinking of carob as a (lousy) substitute for chocolate. I'm definitely a chocolate lover, but I think that carob has a warm, earthy, mildly sweet flavor that's delicious in its own right. If you want to give carob a try, I recommend this cake (which, incidentally, is vegan): 2 1/2 C flour 1 C carob powder 1 1/2 C sugar 2 t baking soda 1 t salt 2 C water 3/4 C oil 2 t vinegar 1 t vanilla 1 t almond extract (optional) Oil a 9" x 13" cake pan (or two rounds), and dust lightly with carob powder or flour. Blend the sugar and liquids. Sift and combine the remaining dry ingredients. Mix the liquid and dry ingredients well. Pour into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes (start with 30 minutes, for rounds), or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean. Top with warm raspberry preserves thinned with a little water, and add whipped cream or nondairy whipped topping if you like. Creative Commons image, some rights reserved, by Dulcedo Blog on Flickr.

What's Your Bag?

Whether you're looking for a great recycled gift or a cruelty-free purse or bag for yourself, check out the stylish offerings at English Retreads. Company founder Heather English got the idea for her line of products while she was floating on an inner tube and thinking about the scarcity of vegetarian handbags. Since then, she's been expanding the enterprise with new products and talented collaborators. Today, English Retreads offers a variety of purses, messenger bags, and other accessories, all made from used inner tubes collected at truck stops. Each product is totally unique, hand-crafted, and comes with a generous maintenance guarantee. The company is also committed to sustainability in other areas, such as offsetting its carbon emissions. English Retreads' contributions in this area have been recognized as part of Co-op America's Green Business Network.

Vegan Tofu-Nut (Cheese) Ball

If you're looking for a festive snack suitable for vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike, try this take on the traditional holiday cheese ball. It's not exactly like cheese, but I've never had any complaints. 1 block extra firm, refrigerated tofu (not silken) 1 cup nutritional yeast flakes 1 cup cashews and/or almonds 1 cup whole pecans 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 1 teaspoon salt Grind the cashews and/or almonds as finely as possible in a food processor. Add the tofu, nutritional yeast flakes, garlic powder, lemon juice, vinegar and salt, and blend until well combined. Chop the pecans roughly and spread on a plate or cutting board. Form the tofu-nut paste into a ball or log, and roll in the pecans until the outside is thoroughly coated. Wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Variation: add a small splash of red wine or a few drops of liquid smoke during the blending phase for a slightly different flavor. Note: nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast cultured on molasses. It is frequently used in vegan recipes because it has a somewhat cheesy flavor, and is often supplemented with vitamin B12. Nutritional yeast flakes can be found at almost any health food store.

Vegetarians, Vegans and Thanksgiving

When faced for the first time with the prospect of preparing Thanksgiving dinner as a vegan or vegetarian (or for vegan or vegetarian guests), many people feel slightly overwhelmed. After all, preparing a regular Thanksgiving dinner is daunting enough - or so conventional wisdom would have you believe. When you think about it a bit more, however, this problem is almost as odd as the common question, "What do vegetarians eat, anyway?" Considering that Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrating the (vegetarian) harvest, the question of which Thanksgiving foods are inappropriate is actually much easier to consider. The answer, of course, is Turkey, and anything with Turkey in it. While most vegetarians or vegans would be very happy with a traditional selection of vegetable "side" dishes, there are some entree options you should consider. The ubiquitous Tofurkey may sound a little funny, but it's actually quite delicious if you or your guests enjoy meat substitutes. If you're looking for a slightly more elegant solution, this pumpkin stuffed with wild rice sounds unique, seasonal and appetizing. When it comes to side dishes, most standards can be suitable for both vegans and vegetarians, provided that they are not prepared with turkey broth or baked in the turkey (or, in the case of vegans, prepared with milk, cream, butter, cheese, eggs, or honey). When you shop for your dinner, make sure to pick up some soy milk and creamer (or oat milk if you are concerned about soy), vegetable broth or vegetarian "chicken" broth, and non-hydrogenated soy margarine such as Earth Balance. You can easily substitute these ingredients into most recipes with little change in flavor. On the other hand, if you prefer to stick with whole ingredients, just use a good olive oil instead of butter to dip bread, enrich mashed potatoes, and top vegetable dishes. When it comes to dessert, most choices are suitable for vegetarians. For vegans, consider an apple pie prepared with oil or soy margarine instead of butter, or try a tofu pumpkin pie if you're feeling adventurous. Of course, vegetarians and vegans all have their own standards and preferences, so for the last word in meal planning, check with your own family and guests. (Creative Commons photo by Alice Popkorn)