Confessions of a Guilty Vegan

From palatinate.org.uk
By Sophie Banerji

I have been vegan for roughly five years and, considering I am 21, it is a quirk I like to flex in classic Gen-Z style. Since lockdown I have had a lot, almost too much, time to reflect on my life choices.

Now, most of the time I’m distracted by the anxiety and embarrassment of minor mishaps that happened in primary school which no-one bar me remembers; like the time I laughed in science and spat my chewing gum out into my hair, or when I sent a three-page letter to my mum asking for a training bra at the ripe age of 11.

Recently, my musings have been centred around the comical juxtapositions within my vegan lifestyle. Delve with me into the top five most ridiculous vegan guilts I hold.

1. Nothing beats a bag of baby leaf, pre-washed and plastic-armoured spinach. I am sorry, but you know I am right. This feels poignant as we enter plastic-free July; I am very aware of the detrimental impact plastic packaging has on the environment. I know how critical I am of non-recyclable packing, especially in supermarkets. I am more than ‘woke’ to the fact since in Northern Ireland, where I live, there are plenty of farms that offer locally produced, package-free and in-season produce. Yet, those crisp, non-bitter, and pre-prepared spinach leaves do just hit the spot differently.

2. I am adamant that without tomato ketchup my life would be significantly less pleasurable. People say that the trick to veganism is seasoning. I am here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be. As a girl who finds pepper spicy, and gets joy from dipping raw veggies into tomato ketchup and calling it gourmet, seasoning is something I like to defer to on special occasions. True, I should probably be downloading e-books by the unhealthy number of vegan chefs I ritualistically stalk on Instagram – but food envy will have to suffice for now when you are as lazy as I am in the kitchen.

                                                            Image: Joenomias via Pixabay

3. I am a sucker for marketing. Paying extra for that vegan tick? Yes, please. Feeling like a top-tier vegan walking to the free-from, plant-based section of the supermarket in hopes of catching the eye of a fellow attractive vegan? You betcha. Following multiple foodie accounts to find new, overpriced vegan finds from brands who have hopped onto the veggie train? Of course. My guilt here is based on my ability to subconsciously recognise big brands perpetuating capitalist inequalities and continual abuse of the environment whilst, simultaneously, getting giddy seeing Jammy Dodgers with that glorious sunflower stamp of approval.

4. I fake an allergy when getting takeaways. My jealousy of watching others carelessly flip through a menu without vigorous scrutiny, and the acts of peering over the counter to check that the barista definitely used oat milk, or ringing to double check that the chips aren’t fried in the same oil as the burgers, has led me here. It’s just easier. After years of having a carnivore of an older brother threaten to baste my food in meat juices I have become paranoid, so forgive me for being overly cautious.

5. If I am ever lucky enough to have children of my own, I will most likely raise them eating vegetarian or pescatarian. Hear me out. I understand that a lot of parents wait until the child can decide whether or not to consume animal produce. This is a completely reasonable decision, often with the aim of avoiding diet culture, restriction, and maintaining a healthy relationship with food privilege. I mirror this view, but my guilt comes from feeling insecure in my own ability to cater for myself, let alone another human (no matter how tiny they are). Granted, there is so much information available for free on how to raise plant-based children which, more than likely, I will follow if the time comes. But right now? I am so lazy that the thought of responsibly researching another person’s intake bores me. Selfish I know, but at least I recognise it now so that, in time, I will make the effort to be more motivated.

https://www.palatinate.org.uk/confessions-of-a-guilty-vegan/

Vegan Kitchen: Hearts of palm and oyster mushrooms make tasty ‘lobster’ rolls

From pressherald.com

Vegan lobster rolls are finally making an appearance in Maine, USA

The Craignair Inn and Restaurant in Spruce Head village, south of Rockland, has done something apparently no other Maine restaurant has dared to attempt: Serve a vegan lobster roll.

“There wasn’t anything vegan-friendly on the menu when we bought the place, so we wanted to bring a few vegan dishes,” said owner Greg Soutiea, who along with his wife, Lauren Soutiea, purchased the oceanfront property with 21 guest rooms in December 2018. They have since turned the buildings into eco-friendly lodging.

Inside the inn’s restaurant, vegan entrees include jackfruit crab cakes and a veggie burger made in-house with Heiwa tofu and black beans. Yet the menu’s most notable dish is the vegan lobster roll, seasoned with a “buttery sauce.”

“Our inn is right on the water, and you can look out and see the lobster buoys and lobster traps,” Soutiea explained, when asked why it’s on the menu. “And a vegan lobster roll is something that vegans don’t get to have.”

Until now.

Restaurants outside of Maine have served vegan lobster rolls for years, yet the dish has been slow to arrive in the Pine Tree State.

The Soutieas, both vegans who moved to Maine from Boston, worked with chef Carrie Croth to create the restaurant’s recipe and eventually settled on hearts of palm as the lobster stand-in.
“We tried a couple different things,” Soutiea said before they realized “we liked the consistency” of the hearts of palm.

Hearts of palm are what vegan meal-kit company Purple Carrot use in its vegan lobster roll dish, which the Soutieas have tried and liked.

However, hearts of palm are not what chef Meghan Lynch of Portland uses to make vegan lobster rolls. Lynch is the host of the Maine-produced “Food Atheist” cooking show, which launched in April and can be found at foodatheist.org. In the vegan lobster roll episode, Lynch steams pink oyster mushrooms grown at home from a North Spore kit and tells the audience: “I’ve never eaten a lobster roll in my entire life. But I’ve made a lot when I was a prep cook at a cafe.”

The cafe where Lynch worked is Arabica in Portland, which serves traditional lobster rolls (but not vegan ones) during the summer. Lynch’s quest to veganize the Maine lobster roll was further influenced by the vegan lobster roll served at the Veggie Galaxy restaurant in Cambridge, Mass.
“They have a tofu lobster roll,” Lynch told me. “It was really good, but the texture was off.”

In contrast, the steamed then chilled pink oyster mushrooms “kind of had that rubbery and meaty texture and it was strangely accurate,” Lynch said.

Cooking videos end with the chef trying the dish, and when Lynch tries the oyster mushroom lobster roll she pauses then says, “That’s weird. That tastes like lobster roll. I’m a little confused.”

A trademark of the colourful “Food Atheist” shows is that Lynch is often cooking the dish for the first time. That was the case with the vegan lobster rolls.
Laughing, Lynch told me, “the texture was like way more accurate than I expected it to be. It’s like when you have the Beyond Burger for the first time and you’re like, ‘OK. Is this vegan?’ ”

The flavour of Lynch’s vegan lobster rolls comes from a combination of vegan butter, seaweed flakes, vegan mayonnaise, black pepper and lemon juice.  At the Craignair Inn, vegan butter and mayo are also key components, along with Old Bay Seasoning and “other chef secret ingredients,” according to Soutiea. Both Lynch’s and the inn’s vegan lobster rolls add chopped celery.

In Dustin Harder’s “Epic Vegan” cookbook, published last July by Fair Winds Press, the lobster roll recipe relies on both hearts of palm and artichoke hearts, dressed with mayo, lemon juice, dulse flakes, back pepper and Old Bay Seasoning. Harder also adds chopped red onions and roasted red peppers.

The star of “The Vegan Roadie” YouTube series, Harder writes in his latest cookbook that he ate lobster rolls on trips to Maine before he was vegan but never developed a “particular liking” for the sandwich. He then confesses that he hasn’t “been able to stop making” his vegan version.

When author Ilene Godofsky Moreno’s latest cookbook “The Colorful Family Table” dropped in December from BenBella Books, it included a vegan lobster roll recipe inspired by her honeymoon in Maine.

After marrying Freeport native Ross Moreno in 2015, she travelled with her new husband along the Maine coast and was struck by the number of places selling lobster rolls (none of them vegan).
In her Maplewood, New Jersey home, which now includes two small children, Moreno also makes her Maine-style vegan lobster rolls using hearts of palm.

“I’ve used hearts of palm to veganize other seafood dishes, like crab cakes, and the texture ended up being a close match,” Moreno told me. “Hearts of palm also have a rather neutral taste so they really take on the flavour of whatever seasoning you add, which made it the perfect canvas for Old Bay and the other seasonings in the recipe.”

Her dressing includes the usual ingredients, along with dried dill.

In the “Food Atheist” vegan lobster roll episode, Lynch makes a seaweed butter, which is spooned into the hot dog rolls first. Telling viewers lettuce is used on lobster rolls to keep the bun dry, Lynch then lines her hot dog buns with trimmed Romaine leaves.

Lynch’s experience working in restaurants led me to ask why we haven’t seen more Maine eateries attempt a vegan lobster roll.

“I think folks want to protect the integrity of what a lobster roll is,” Lynch speculated. “But I think that veganism is really permeating culture right now, and we need to loosen up the definition of what a Maine lobster roll is.”

Clearly, the vegan food world already has.

https://www.pressherald.com/2020/07/05/vegan-kitchen-hearts-of-palm-oyster-mushrooms-make-tasty-lobster-rolls/

Meera Sodha's vegan recipe for summer succotash

From theguardian.com

A nifty ,native American summer vegetable stew that can easily be adapted to suit what you have in the fridge

‘Sufferin’ succotash!’ was one of my favourite things to say when I was about eight, thanks to Sylvester the Cat on Looney Tunes. Back then, I had no idea that it was the equivalent of a gentle swear word, nor that succotash was a wonderful old Native American stew. And what a stew it is: a joyful, rollocking medley of vegetables such as beans, corn, peppers and tomatoes – a catwalk of summer’s best vegetables, in other words. Now, I like to think that the two are actually related, and that ‘Sufferin’ succotash!’ is what you’d be forced involuntarily to utter when trying succotash for the first time.

             Meera Sodha’s summer succotash. Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian.                                                             Food styling: Emily Kidd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay.

Summer succotash

Traditionally, there are lima beans in a succotash, but given that they’re not readily available in the UK, I’ve used delightful, kermit-green broad beans instead. This is perfect for dipping, scooping and mopping up with crusty bread.

Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4

3 tbsp neutral oil – I like Mr Organic Rapeseed
1 big onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 red pepper, cut into 2cm dice
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 green finger chilli, finely chopped
3 medium vine tomatoes, quartered (250g)
2 small cobs of corn, kernels shaved off with a sharp knife – you need 150g
2 courgettes, cut into 1cm pieces (400g)
250g mixed broad beans and peas
500ml vegetable stock, suitable for vegans
¾ tsp salt
10g, or 1 handful, finely chopped chives
10g, or a handful, finely chopped parsley

To serve
Oat creme fraiche – I like Oatly's
Crusty baguette

Heat the oil in a large casserole and, when hot, add the onion and pepper and fry for about 10 minutes, until the onion is soft and golden. Stir in the garlic, cook for a couple of minutes more, then add the chilli and tomatoes.

Cook for about six minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down and become a bit paste-like. Throw in the sweetcorn and courgette, leave to cook for a few minutes, then add the broad beans and peas, stock and salt, and bring to a boil.

Turn down to a simmer, cook for five minutes, then divide between four bowls, and serve topped with a spoonful of vegan creme fraiche and with crusty bread for mopping up.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jul/04/meera-sodha-vegan-recipe-for-summer-succotash

Vegan 3D printed steaks are launching in restaurants this year

From veganfoodandliving.com

The world's first vegan 3D printed steak that looks, tastes, and feels like beef will launch at restaurants in Israel later this year

Redefine Meat has unveiled the world’s first plant-based steak, Alt-Steak, created using innovative 3D printing methods.

The ground-breaking plant-based steak will be available to try in select high-end Israeli restaurants later this year with the company hoping to make it more widely available by 2021 following the market trial.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in awareness of the sustainability issues deriving from our current meat consumption and its damaging impact on the environment.

Realistic 

Rehovot-based company Redefine Meat understands that in order to create a meat alternative that can be enjoyed by all, including the most ardent of meat-lovers, it must mimic the texture, flavour, and appearance of beef steak.

In order to create a realistic steak that’s completely vegan, Redefine Meat has worked with leading butchers, chefs, food technologists to replicate the ‘texture, juiciness, fat distribution, and mouthfeel’ of beef.

The 3D printed steak might look, taste, and feel like beef but it’s made from soy proteins, pea proteins, coconut fat, and sunflower oil, plus natural colours and flavourings and contains no animal ingredients.

Tasty and affordable

Co-Founder of Redefine Meat, Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, said that the company has worked hard to create a ‘tasty and affordable plant-based alternative to steaks’.

In a statement sent to Vegan Food & Living, Ben-Shitrit said Redefine Meat is proud to have created a product using technologies that will “accelerate the development of a wide range of alt-meat whole muscle products and create a sustainable alternative to raising and eating animals.”

Ben-Shitrit continued, “The importance of using precision 3D printing technology to achieve texture, color and flavor—and the combinations between them—cannot be overstated. By using separate formulations for muscle, fat and blood, we can focus on each individual aspect of creating the perfect Alt-Steak product.

“This is unique to our 3D printing technology and lets us achieve unprecedented control of what happens inside the matrix of alt-meat. Collaborating with an industry-leader like Givaudan has led to the creation of an Alt-Steak product that is not only healthy and sustainable, but also offers the satisfying flavors, textures and aromas of eating actual meat.”

Redefine Meat’s Alt-Steak products will be put to the test at a limited number of leading chef restaurants later this year. Incorporating feedback from high-level chefs and butchers, the company will then ramp up production of its 3D meat printers and alt-meat formulations ahead of market distribution in 2021.

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/news/vegan-3d-printed-steaks-are-launching-in-restaurants-this-year/

Veganism benefits: Should I go vegan? Will I lose weight from being vegan?

From express.co.uk

Veganism is a way of living rather than a diet. Vegans exclude all exploitation of and cruelty to animals for food, clothing, or other purposes. This means no meat, fish, dairy, or eggs. Express.co.uk chats to Tea Advisory Panel nutritionist, Dr Emma Derbyshire, to find out whether you should go vegan.

Should I go vegan?

Many people decide to go vegan for environmental benefits, but there are also benefits on the physical side.

Dr Emma Derbyshire said: “Clearly, the benefits of going vegan can be very personal.
“Increasing concerns about animal welfare and the carbon footprint of foods that we eat are now major drivers behind veganism.
“In terms of specific benefits, the potential to help regulate bodyweight is one benefit.
“Vegan and vegetarian diets are also higher in fibre, so they help promote a diverse ecosystem of healthy bacteria, helping to support both human gut microbiome and overall health.”

Being vegan is a personal choice, however, and there is no right or wrong decision.

       Veganism benefits: Veganism has a number of health benefits, but there are downsides                                                                                (Image: Getty)

Is veganism healthy?

You can be a healthy vegan or an unhealthy vegan, depending on what you consume.

Dr Derbyshire said: “Vegans should follow healthy eating guidelines which include at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day and keep fully hydrated.
“Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, opting for wholegrain if possible and include some dairy alternatives, such as soya drinks and yoghurts.
“A variety of plant-based protein sources should be eaten and plenty of fluid consumed throughout the day – ideally drinking 6-8 cups or glasses which does not need to be just water.
“Drinking herbal, plant-based teas, like Rooibos, can contribute to fluid intakes and research has found they are just as hydrating.
“A new study on Rooibos also found evidence for cholesterol reduction, blood glucose control, bone health, memory function, sperm viability, immune balance, anti-inflammatory effects plus anti-allergy effects.”

         Veganism benefits: You should eat at least five portion of fruit and vegetables every day                                                                                   (Image: Getty)

Should vegans take vitamins?

You should try to get as many vitamins as possible from your diet, but you may need a little help from tablets.

Dr Derbyshire said: “Vegans have been reported to have lower intakes of certain nutrients including vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin D.
“Iron and omega-3 fatty acid intakes should also be monitored.
“There are also concerns that shifts away from animal-derived proteins which currently are a main providers of dietary choline could impact on intakes and body status of this nutrient.”

If these nutrients can’t be supplied from food sources, this is when supplements would be warranted that are suitable for vegans.
Standard guidance for vitamin D is that we should consider taking 10 micrograms a day to keep bones and muscles healthy.

She also said: "Take an all-round multivitamin/mineral supplement. Ensure it contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.
"Vegans have been reported to have lower intakes of certain nutrients including vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin D.
"Iron and zinc have a low bioavailability from diets devoid of animal foods. Iodine intakes may also be poor."

Do you lose weight from going vegan?

While veganism came about as a way of life to protect animals rather than a diet, it has become a diet people stick to when they want to lose weight.

Dr Derbyshire said that opting for a plant-based diet could help you lose weight.

She explained: “There is some evidence that plant-based diets could help to reduce body fat in adults who are obese or overweight, and increasingly, there is interest in using vegan diets to help manage the acceleration of overweight and obesity.
“Also, emerging research recently published looking at the link between adopting plant-based diets and weight loss found three factors that could be the reason behind the relationship of vegan diets and weight loss.

The first is the reduction of caloric density, the second is improved gut microbiota symbiosis and the third is improved insulin sensitivity.

She said that other work has found that vegan diets are linked to significantly greater weight loss when compared with other diets, such as traditional cholesterol diet habits.
Dr Derbyshire added: “It is highly likely that the fibre profile of plant-based foods is responsible for some of these effects.
“That said, you can purchase refined, unhealthful vegans’ foods, high in calories, sugars and saturated fat just as you can if you are not vegan.
“So, it’s very much about making the right choices, monitoring portion sizes and eating a variety of wholesome foods.”

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/1303985/vegan-benefits-veganism-should-i-go-vegan-weight-loss

Adidas Now Sells Vegan Versions of Their Classic Shoes

From vegoutmag.com

New kicks, who dis? That long-time sneaker favourite adds a couple newbies to its vegan line-up. Plant-based down to the glue, these revamps of fashion classics include the vegan Samba (with Adidas three-stripe signature down the side) and the vegan Continental (classic white with red stripe detailing). Both designs retail for $80.

These looks add to the company’s “Our Icons Go Vegan” line, first initiated in 2018 in collaboration with Stella McCartney with the creation of a leather-free version of the Stan Smith sneaker. That original Stella Stan Smith has seen an update since its debut, now sporting thick rainbow shoelaces and fun rows of stars down the sides.

Adidas is committed to transitioning toward sustainability, incorporating into their brand more products made from recycled plastic beach waste, utilizing more packaging consisting of recycled materials, and, eventually, launching a fully recyclable running shoe.

Move over all you other kicks! These ‘80s fitness favs are the new plant-based craze! Leg warmers, anyone? Big hair?

https://vegoutmag.com/nationwide/news-article.php?id=331

Baking Tips from Vegan Bakers

From vrg.org/blog

Karina Carrillo-Juarez, who also goes by Karina Rose, is one vegan who likes to show the world that vegan baking can be unlimited and delicious! As someone who was vegan throughout her high school culinary program and continues to bake vegan foods today, Karina has gained many useful tactics and tips.

     “Just because ingredients such as eggs, butter, and dairy milk have been used for many years – doesn’t mean that foods can’t be good without it. Even though there are certain ingredients vegan bakers have to avoid, there is no limit to the foods they can create,” Karina said.

     Eggs are one ingredient that are used in a wide variety of ways for different baking recipes. This means that eggs have multiple kinds of replacements in vegan cooking. While vegan egg replacement powders exist, another alternative includes aquafaba (canned chickpea liquid).

Clare Broud, a vegan baker who has worked with a local market to sell vegan goods, recommends a variety of vegan egg replacements depending on the recipe.      “Egg replacement powder (I use Bob’s Red Mill brand) is very convenient to have on hand, and I find it works in almost every recipe. Mashed banana and applesauce are egg replacements that are often already in anyone’s pantry, but just keep in mind that they will add a banana or applesauce flavour to your baked good. Another good egg replacement is either chia seeds, flax seeds, or baking soda mixed with water. I use these egg replacements most often because I can use each one of these ingredients for other purposes in other recipes. If you are veganizing a recipe, be cautious of trying to replace more than three eggs because that can mess with the chemistry of the recipe,” Broud said.

     Additionally, Broud stated that she has used aquafaba as an “egg wash” and in French toast, and that aquafaba is useful for vegan marshmallows and desserts that “have an airy, fluffy quality, like macaroons, cake, or mousse.” Overall, Broud recognized several ingredients that are good to have on hand when baking.
      “It’s important to have the substitutes you need on hand: your choice of non-dairy milk, vegan butter (I use Earth Balance) or coconut oil, and a couple of egg substitutes. I also always have non-dairy vegan chocolate chips on hand, because chocolate makes everything better. Agave or maple syrup is also a great alternative to honey that’s great to have on hand.  Cashews and Dates are also important for raw vegan desserts especially.”

     Another ingredient that is substituted in vegan bakes is sweetened condensed milk, which is traditionally used in recipes like tres leches cake, or ‘three milk’ cake.
      “I have used canned coconut milk or non-dairy creamer as a substitute before, but there are many recipes on the internet that use soymilk powder to create a substitute for those who don’t like the coconut taste,” Broud said.

     Not only does Broud use fruit when baking, but she also utilizes vegetables like sweet potatoes. Her favourite vegan recipe to make is “purple sweet potato granola bars with oats, vegan chocolate chips, purple sweet potatoes, cinnamon, and some other mix ins!”
      “From carrot cake, sweet potato pancakes, chocolate zucchini bread, and pumpkin sugar cookies, vegetables are super easy to sneak into your baked goods for more nutrition and great taste! It may seem strange or unappetizing, but when done right, your desserts will be even more delicious than before. I also love the colour vegetables give to baked goods,” Broud said.

     While Broud is excited to recreate a vegan King Cake from scratch in the future, as it is an annual tradition for Mardi Gras, a Cajun holiday, Karina Rose often works with Latin American recipes. When working on Latinx or Mexican recipes she becomes excited because “it’s something I already know and feel comfortable with,” Karina said.

     A suggestion Karina has for all bakers is to try using Mexican vanilla in place of typical vanilla to achieve what she finds to be a sweeter flavour. Along with Mexican vanilla, Karina counts flour as a staple ingredient in her baking. Flour is crucial in several of the recipes Karina recommends for beginner bakers as well.

      “I will say, ALWAYS be stocked on flour. That ingredient runs out so fast, and you never want to run out of flour in the middle of baking,” Karina said. “For beginners, I recommend starting with cakes, galettes, and bread! Bread is one of the easiest things to make; it just takes a lot of time. But also, never be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone. In baking, the only way you’ll get better is by figuring it out and practicing. So, take on a challenge every now and then,” she suggested.

     Additionally, Broud recommends trying out different flavour combinations when baking sweet breads. These include chocolate zucchini and pumpkin pecan. However, for vegan bakers who are seeking out a bigger challenge, one can try baking croissants from scratch. Croissants take several days to accomplish since they are made of laminated dough, which requires dough and vegan butter to be folded neatly many times without the vegan butter melting.

     Pie crust can also be a good choice for those who want to challenge their baking skills. Although there are store bought vegan options for pie crusts and pastry puff dough, these can be homemade. Whether basic or challenging, however, Broud noted several technical and non-technical skills that bakers should focus on to accomplish successful bakes.

   “While you need the basic baking skills like measuring and careful and proper mixing, with vegan baking, nontechnical skills like patience, perseverance, and improvisation are equally as important. It is important to be patient when waiting for your egg or buttermilk replacement to set or when you wait for dough that’s rising or chilling. Trying a new vegan recipe does not always turn out the way you want it to, but it is important to keep persevering and trying new and different recipes. Improvisation is also important,” Broud stated.

     Despite the fact that some recipes are difficult to perfect, Rose encouraged bakers to “let go of the pressure” that can accompany intimidating baking and for bakers to enjoy themselves.

      “Cooking seems so intimidating because you feel the need to be precise, but you won’t always be perfect. Food is so much more than just fuel. There is a story behind every dish you make, why it was created, who made it, where it came from, the emotions it holds and even the people you enjoy it with,” Karina Rose said.

https://www.vrg.org/blog/2020/07/01/baking-tips-from-vegan-bakers/