Almost 30% Of Veganuary 2023 Participants Are Still Eating A Plant-Based Diet

From plantbasednews.org

This year the annual challenge led to a sustained vegan diet for more than a quarter of participants 

A half-year survey has found that 28 percent of participants who were not vegan when they signed up for Veganuary 2023 are still eating a plant-based diet six months later.

Moreover, eight in 10 participants who were not previously vegan have maintained a dramatic reduction in their animal product consumption since finishing the 31-day challenge.

Toni Vernelli, Veganuary’s Head of Communications, told Plant Based News: “These results show that Veganuary is helping people make lasting diet changes that are good for the planet and their health.”

Learning about veganism helps people stay vegan

Asked for their number one reason for staying plant-based since January, participants’ most popular answer was “learning more about veganism” (34 percent).

Taking part in Veganuary helps open people’s eyes to the possibilities of veganism. Some 30 percent cited “being vegan was easier than I expected” as the key reason they were continuing on on with it.

Health benefits for those staying vegan

“Improved health” (16 percent) was the third most popular answer. Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of Veganuary participants who have continued to eat a fully plant-based diet for the past 6 months have experienced health improvements.

These include increased energy (58 percent), improved mood (57 percent), better skin (51 percent) and desired change in body weight (43 percent).

One respondent said: “I have become more centred, calm, and happy with my life choices. I have balanced more elements of my life too as a result.”

Going vegan makes people more creative in the kitchen

It is not only health where participants noted an improvement.

Respondents to the survey said that taking part in Veganuary helped them feel more inspired in the kitchen (68 percent) and make more adventurous food choices (60 percent).

Adobe 

StockTaking part in Veganuary helped 68 percent of participants feel more inspired in the kitchen

One participant said: “I cook more than before and I pay attention to eating more healthily.”

Benefits for the animals

Of course, as well as the human benefits, the real winners from veganism are the animals spared cruelty and suffering on farms and in slaughterhouses.

In the UK, the average person consumes 10,000 animals in their lifetime. Each year 1.2 billion land animals are killed for meat, along with uncountable numbers of fishes. Going vegan is the best way to save animals.

“Simply no downside to signing up for Veganuary”

Since launching officially in 2014, the annual challenge has gone from strength to strength.

In 2023, some 700,000 people worldwide took the pledge, 80,000 higher than a year earlier – and this is surely an underestimate given that many more take part without signing up online.

Toni Vernelli added: “Cutting out meat and dairy is the best way to cut our carbon footprint. As an added bonus, over two-thirds of participants who stick with a plant-based diet feel health benefits as well! There is simply no downside to signing up for Veganuary!”

Never too late to go vegan

Of those who haven’t stayed vegan, more than half said that they are extremely likely to try veganism again in the future. In total, 96 percent indicated they are likely to try again.

“Difficulty when eating out at restaurants” (21 percent) and “Missing non-vegan foods” (20 percent) were the most likely reasons why participants did not stay vegan.

In some cases, the participants were influenced by others when choosing not to stay vegan. “Pressure from friends and family” (12 percent) was one of the most popular reasons some participants stopped being vegan after January.

Making the switch to veganism can cause friction in a non-vegan world. And the good news for those who didn’t stay vegan this year? Registration for Veganuary 2024 is now open.

https://plantbasednews.org/culture/almost-30-of-veganuary-2023-participants-are-still-eating-a-vegan-diet/

Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for roast celeriac with chive chilli oil

From theguardian.com 

This recipe, a tribute to the Taiwanese film Eat Drink Man Woman, pairs soft, creamy slices of roast celeriac with a spicy, salty and sharp dressing

Eat Drink Man Woman is a Taiwanese film about a man who, in an act of fatherly love, cooks beautiful and elaborate Sunday feasts for his three daughters. Unfortunately, most of the food goes untouched as family conflicts and life events compete for attention at the dinner table. The film left me utterly ravenous and in need of my own extravagant meal. In this recipe, the celeriac, after slow roasting, becomes intensely savoury, creamy and meltingly sweet – the perfect canvas for the brute of a salty, sour and crunchy dressing, or your own family drama.

Roast celeriac with chive chilli oil

Meera Sodha’s roasted celeriac with chive chilli oil. Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay. Food styling assistant: Susanna Unsworth. Photo assistant: Sophie Bronze

You can find Chinese black vinegar, also known as Chinkiang vinegar, at most east Asian supermarkets and online.

Prep 5 min
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Serves 4

For the celeriac
1 celeriac (750g gross)
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
¾ tsp fine sea salt
Jasmine rice, to serve

For the oil
1 tbsp cornflour
75ml light soy sauce (5 tbsp)
4 tbsp crispy chilli in oil
3 tbsp black rice vinegar
50g salted roast peanuts, very finely chopped
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2cm x 4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
50g chives, finely chopped

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/350F/gas 4, then take a look at your celeriac. If it’s gnarly and covered with soil, wash and scrub it. Once clean, remove any hairy bits with a paring knife, then peel if you’d rather not eat the skin (I often don’t bother). Put the celeriac on a sheet of foil large enough to wrap it in, then rub all over first with the oil and then the salt. . Wrap the celeriac in the foil, pop the parcel on an oven tray and bake for an hour and a half.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a bowl, combine the cornflour with 50ml water (that’s a splash over three tablespoons), add the soy sauce, crispy chilli oil and black vinegar, and put to one side.

Put the peanuts in a dry medium saucepan on a medium heat and toast, stirring frequently so the small pieces don’t catch, for four to five minutes, until deep golden brown. Tip out into a small, heatproof bowl.

Pour the sesame oil and rapeseed oil into the same saucepan and, when hot, add the ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring, for three minutes. Throw in half the chives, cook, still stirring, for a minute, then tip in the soy mixture, cook, stirring, for a minute, then take off the heat.

Unwrap the celeriac and put it on a board. Turn it upside down, so the caramelised bottom is now on top, then cut into 1½cm-thick slices. Fan out the slices on a shallow lipped plate, then pour the sauce all over the top and sprinkle first with the remaining chives and then the chopped peanuts. Serve with hot jasmine rice.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/oct/28/meera-sodha-vegan-recipe-roast-celeriac-chive-chilli-oil

How to use up old bread in a vegan Milanese – recipe

From theguardian.com

If you think bread that’s past its best is fit only for the birds, think again. Stale bread can be one of the most useful of all ingredients

tale bread is one of the most useful of all ingredients. Once properly dried out, it keeps for years and can be upcycled into all manner of delicious dishes from an exotic fattoush to Danish brødtorte (a cake made from stale rye bread). Here, I’m transforming an old knob of spelt sourdough into a vegan take on Milanese. It’s traditionally made by dipping thin cuts of floured meat (chicken, beef, pork or veal, say) into egg and breadcrumbs, much like Austrian schnitzel, but I’m using aubergine steaks and the aquafaba from a tin of chickpeas. The wholemeal bread adds lots of flavour to the dish, but of course any breadcrumbs will do, really.

Aubergine milanese

This simple recipe transforms a stale knob of bread, some chickpea water and an aubergine into a delicious family meal; the leftovers are also incredible in a sandwich, especially if topped with aquafaba mayonnaise, pickled chillies, salad leaves and pureed chickpeas. This recipe calls for aquafaba, or chickpea water, which means in this instance the chickpeas themselves become a by-product. Save them for another use, or make a mash to go alongside your Milanese: gently warm them up in a saucepan, stirring often, then mash coarsely and dress with extra-virgin olive oil, lime or lemon juice, and zest to taste.

1 large aubergine
120g stale bread, or breadcrumbs
1 tsp dried oregano or thyme (optional)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
The aquafaba from 1 x 400g tin chickpeas
1 large aubergine
Sea salt
Buckwheat, wholewheat or plain flour, for dusting – you’ll need 2-3 tbsp in all
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

                                                Tom Hunt’s vegan aubergine milanese. Photograph: Tom Hunt/The Guardian

To serve (all optional)
Hot mashed chickpeas
Watercress
Aquafaba mayonnaise
Lemon or lime wedges

Blend the old bread into fine breadcrumbs, mix in the optional dried herbs or nutritional yeast, then tip into a wide bowl. Pour the chickpea liquid into another bowl.

Cut the aubergine lengthways into four thick steaks and lay these on a baking tray. Season with salt, then dust lightly on both sides with flour, shaking off any excess. Dip the aubergine steaks one at a time in the aquafaba, to coat, then allow any excess to drip off. Lay the steaks one by one in the breadcrumbs and and turn to coat all over.

Put the extra-virgin olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat, then lay in the breaded aubergine – don’t overcrowd the pan, so use two frying pans, if need be. Leave to fry, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides, then serve with optional mashed chickpeas, watercress, aquafaba mayonnaise and lemon or lime wedges.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/oct/28/how-to-use-up-old-bread-in-a-vegan-milanese-recipe-zero-waste-cooking-aubergine 

Make These Caramel Apples For Your Halloween Party

From plantbasednews.org

Planning to make some spooky treats this Halloween? You've come to the right place 

It’s officially Halloween weekend, and people across the country will be trick or treating, watching horror films, and throwing spooky costume parties. If you’re entertaining guests this weekend and are looking for vegan Halloween recipe ideas, here’s how to make caramel apples.

Caramel apples are a traditional sweet treat served on Halloween. They generally refer to whole apples covered in a layer of caramel. They are then dipped in toppings like chopped nuts, chips, dried fruit, sprinkles, and candy. Not only do they taste amazing, but they also look good when served as part of a Halloween buffet. If you have kids, making them is also a great family-friendly activity to do in the run-up to Halloween.

They have their origins in the early 20th Century, and are thought to have first been made in the US. Now, caramel apples are eaten all over the world.

Here’s how to make them:

Halloween caramel apples recipe

These vegan caramel apples are the perfect “make at home” treat! Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party or simply want a dessert that’s a little different from your standard baked goods, these apples will hit the spot!
DURATION 15 minsCOOK TIME 10 minsPREP TIME 5 minsSERVINGS 10 apples
Ingredients

For the caramel sauce

• 1 pound pitted Medjool dates
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¾  cup coconut milk
• 1 pinch sea salt

For the apples

• 10 apples for this recipe, I used medium-sized Granny Smith apples, but you can use Gala apples.
• 10 6 inch lollipop sticks
• Toppings of choice

Instructions

               Here's how to make caramel apples this Halloween - Media Credit: World of Vegan

For the sauce

• for this recipe, I used medium-sized Granny Smith apples, but you can use Gala apples.
• Add dates, vanilla extract, and coconut milk to a food processor.
• Process until the mixture is smooth (approx. 5 minutes). The consistency should similar to creamy peanut butter. It should stick to a spoon and spread easily. If the mixture is too dry, add additional coconut milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved.

For the apples

• Clean the apples and remove any stickers or labels.
• Remove the stems by using a paring knife to make a small cut at the base of the stem. Make sure your fingers are safe and out of the way! Give the stem a twist, and it should pull right out.
• Insert lollipop sticks where the stem was removed. Push the stick into the apple until it is almost all the way through.
• One at a time, use a spoon to cover the apple with the prepared caramel sauce.
• Press the topping onto the apple until it is covered.
• Place apple on a solid surface, and repeat until all apples are complete.

• This recipe will make enough to cover ~10 medium-sized apples. The coconut milk can be substituted with any non-dairy milk. To give your caramel a festive flavour, try adding ⅛ tsp of pumpkin spice. For salted caramel, add additional sea salt to your liking.
• I chose to use chocolate chips, coconut chips, and chopped peanuts to cover my apples. There are endless options including sliced almonds, crushed cookies, granola, vegan marshmallows… use your imagination!

This recipe was republished with permission from World of Vegan. You can view the original recipe here.

https://plantbasednews.org/veganrecipes/desserts/caramel-apples-halloween-recipe/