Throughout the summer and into early fall, Vegan Outreach hosted several Vegan Mac Down competitions across the U.S. And a few weeks ago, we shared the winning mac and cheese recipe from the Vegan Mac Down L.A. event. This week, we’re sharing the winning recipe from the Mac Down event hosted in Santa Fe, NM.
The winner, Nataley Quintana, wowed the hungry attendees with her It’s Nacho Mama’s Mac dish. We encourage everyone to make this mac and cheese dish for themselves and let us know how much you loved it!
In case you’ve missed the Vegan Mac Down excitement, check out these recent editions of our weekly E-news—August 30 and October 4.
It’s Nacho Mama’s Mac
(Unless your mama is vegan, then maybe it’s like hers…)
Yields 4-5 servings.
Ingredients
16 oz package of macaroni, cooked al dente
1 tablespoon non-dairy buttery spread
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups nut milk
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ onion, finely chopped
6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon mustard
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
8 oz roasted and chopped green chile—here’s a quick tutorial video on how to roast green chilies
1 package vegan cheese shreds
½ cup vegan sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Cook macaroni according to instructions on package.
In a medium saucepan, melt buttery spread on low heat.
Stir in flour and cook for one minute stirring constantly.
Whisk in the nut milk a little at a time. Add the garlic and onions and cook a few minutes until sauce starts to thicken slightly. This will take about 5 minutes.
Stir in the nutritional yeast, mustard, nutmeg, paprika, green chile, and vegan cheese shreds. Be sure to add the vegan shreds a handful at a time. Cook until sauce is thickened and the cheese shreds are completely melted. Combine the cooked pasta with the sauce and stir in sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips/Variations
For a gluten-free dish, use your favorite gluten-free pasta and flour substitutes.
At Vegan Outreach, we believe it’s important to provide a variety of veg resources for aspiring and new vegans and vegetarians. One of the resources we provide to help people transition to a veg lifestyle is the Vegan Mentor Program (VMP).
Our VMP connects new vegans, vegetarians, and veg-curious people via email with a volunteer mentor who can help with anything from navigating the grocery store aisles to figuring out how to respond to friends and family members’ questions or concerns.
We absolutely love hearing from the mentors and mentees who’ve benefited from the program. Two of our program participants, Elizabeth and Sunny, wrote to us a few weeks back, detailing their experience, and it was simply too good not to share! Read on to hear this heartwarming story of a relationship that went from a mentorship to a new friendship!
Elizabeth
Sunny and I were first connected through the Vegan Outreach Mentorship program in mid-April. It was a really awesome match! We are the same age with similar interests and we live nearby! After a few email exchanges, Sunny and I met for a delicious vegan dinner. Since then we’ve kept in touch and gotten together a few times.
When she signed up for a mentor, Sunny was a long-time vegetarian who was interested in transitioning to a vegan diet, but was struggling with a few things. As of early August, Sunny is fully vegan! She’s been exploring new foods and enjoying the health benefits. And she may be interested in joining the program as a new mentor herself!
This has been a really wonderful experience for me—not only growing my own sense of vegan community, but also gaining a beautiful new friend.
Elizabeth Green and Sunny Nowell
Sunny
After celebrating my 25 year anniversary of being vegetarian, I wanted to make the leap and go vegan. Joining the VMP and meeting Elizabeth was all I needed to reach that goal. I wish I had gone vegan sooner, I absolutely love it!! A whole new world has opened up for me. I am so grateful to her and Vegan Outreach.
As of May 2017, VO’s Vegan Mentor Program (Programa Mentor Vegano en Español) has over 1,900 mentors located in 1,000 cities in 60 countries. We’re proud of the rapid growth of this program!
We’d love to hear from you if you’ve benefited from the program like Sunny and Elizabeth!
If you’re interested in becoming a mentor or mentee, please visit the VMP webpage.
What does a famous vegan guitarist eat? Click the video below to find out what I Killed the Prom Queen’s Jona Weinhofen and his wife Michelle enjoy cooking—and eating!—together.
After you meet this rockstar couple, be sure to share it on Facebook!
By Jenny Engel and Heather Bell, Guest Contributors
Photo: Kate Lewis
Dark beer + chocolate bring out the best in each other, sort of like coffee + the morning. Combining these two into a single baked goodie just feels right. The cake is moist and elegant, while the stout adds notes of toffee and caramel.
Individual Chocolate Stout Cakes
Yields 12 personal cakes.
Ingredients
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
¾ cup evaporated cane sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground flaxseed
⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup dark beer
⅓ cup neutral-tasting oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons vegan dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon powdered sugar, for topping
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
In a medium bowl, whisk flours, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, sea salt, allspice, cinnamon, and flaxseed.
Slowly whisk almond milk, beer, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla into dry ingredients until mixture is uniform and smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
Grease a 12-cake mini Bundt pan and pour batter into each section, filling each cup three-quarters full. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cakes cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over the tops and serve.
Today we’re hearing from Kuntal Joisher, the first documented vegan to summit Mt. Everest. Aside from his athleticism, we greatly admire Kuntal for his genuine care and compassion for people, animals, and the earth.
It’s our pleasure to introduce him in this interview, but be sure to follow the links at the bottom of the page to read more about his truly unbelievable Everest journey.
Vegan Outreach: Why and when did you become vegan?
Kuntal Joisher: I was born into a vegetarian family. However, I was a vegetarian because of my religion, rather than an ethical vegetarian. It wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles in 2001 to attend university that I was exposed to veganism. One of my roommates exposed me to the horrors of dairy and leather—that’s when I realized that these industries are just vicious cycles of animal-cruelty.
The next few months my life was an adjustment phase—it was the first time in my life I took a strong stance on a major issue. It opened floodgates of change in me. Those introspective years were some of the most fruitful years of my life and made me the person I am today. All of it started with taking a stand for animals!
Vegan Outreach: You attempted to climb Mt. Everest a few times before making it to the top—what did you learn from those experiences?
Kuntal: After my first two attempts—in 2014 and 2015—several people tried to dissuade me from climbing. They said, “The mountain doesn’t want you there.” And some even said that I didn’t have what it took. I didn’t listen to them. Instead, I kept the fire inside me burning, trained harder than ever, and finally made it to the top in May 2016.
I learned the importance of never giving up. People may try to tell you that your goals are impossible, or that you’re sure to fail. If you want to achieve your dream, nurture and protect it like your baby. Work and train hard, learn from your mistakes, and keep going until you reach the top!
When I escaped death during my attempt to climb Everest in 2015, I also learned this—if you have dreams or passions, the best time to work toward them is now. Not tomorrow, not the day after, and not in 60 years. Now.
Photo Credit: Mingma Tenzi Sherpa
Vegan Outreach: There have been other articles and blogs detailing climbs of vegans who’ve summited Mt. Everest prior to your climb. Why do other news sources refer to yourself as the first?
Kuntal: Honestly, I don’t really care if I’m the first, second, third, or 100th vegan to reach the top. I’m just glad that I climbed Everest and made it back in a single piece. And I’m super happy that I did it as a passionate vegan. I want to prove to the world that Everest, or any big mountain for that matter, can be climbed on a vegan diet.
At the same time, every time I’m referred to as the “first vegan” to climb Mt. Everest, it gives me an enormous amount of publicity and exposure. To me, this is very important because it gives me a platform to talk about animal rights, veganism, and related issues that are important to me.
Vegan Outreach: What did you eat when you climbed Everest?
Kuntal: At the base camp, I ate beaten rice, semolina and oat porridge, deep fried Indian bread and curry, Tibetan bread, pancakes, lentils and rice, pasta, french fries, veggie burgers, and other several Indian food items. Our awesome cooks, Ngima Tamang and Anup Rai, even baked us a vegan cake! Truly speaking, I don’t think I missed out on anything.
Beyond base camp two I survived on Unived RRUNN gels and sports nutrition drinks, Outdoor Herbivore freeze-dried meals, Oreo cookies, dried kiwi fruit pieces, cashews, and some deep fried snack items.
Vegan Outreach: What are some of your hobbies other than climbing?
Kuntal: Photography. I take photos to share the beauty of our world and inspire people to go experience it for themselves. My hope is that once people experience nature and understand how important it is to our survival—both physical and spiritual—they will become more conscious of their everyday choices and try to conserve our beautiful planet.
Vegan Outreach: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us, Kuntal! Best of luck in all of your future climbing adventures.
Additional Sources
Kuntal’s Huffington Post blog, where he extensively writes about his Everest journey
The last time our friend—and founder of Brownble—Kim Sujovolsky brought us a breakfast recipe, she showed us how to make PB & J Stuffed French Toast. A rather unique, but absolutely delicious meal!
This time, Kim is showing us how to make a breakfast classic—Blueberry Pancakes!
Thank you, Kim, for continuing to share your culinary magic with Vegan Outreach and its supporters!
Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
Yields 6 pancakes.
Ingredients
Pancakes
1 cup soy milk or your favorite non-dairy milk
1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Blueberries
Toppings
Mixed berries
Banana slices
Chopped walnuts
Some non-dairy butter and 100% pure maple syrup
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, vinegar, and ground flaxseeds to make the buttermilk. Set aside while you prepare your other ingredients.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined.
Add in the oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and buttermilk mixture.
Mix with a fork until just combined—be very careful not to overmix. The batter will be very thick, and some lumps are OK.
Let the batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes. This is key for achieving perfect fluffy pancakes!
Add a small amount of high heat oil or spray oil to a large griddle or non-stick pan. Turn burner to medium-high heat.
Add pancake batter to a pan or griddle using a ¼ measuring cup. As soon as you’ve added the batter, turn the heat down a little and top each pancake with a few blueberries. Continue to cook for a few minutes on each side—until the pancakes are golden brown. Repeat until the batter is gone.
Top pancakes with a pat of non-dairy butter, sliced banana, berries, chopped walnuts, and pour maple syrup on top. Enjoy!
Review by Roopashree Rao, Indian American Community Engagement and Events Coordinator
Vegan Richa’s second cookbook, Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen, is a great resource for all who want to eat and entertain, enjoying food in all its delicious glory!
What I love about the book is how it’s built around sauces! Who doesn’t love a good sauce? They’re versatile and can be used as dips, condiments, and marinades. They can be used for complexity in a dish, in soups, and—of course—in curries.
Knowing how to make sauces and the ease of freezing them means you’re always well-prepared to whip up a great dish. To borrow words from my favorite children’s book, “In half a minute less than no time!” Okay, maybe not that fast, but you’ll be pretty close.
Another aspect of the book that I like is how Richa helps the reader understand that making food and enjoying meals are always a shared opportunity for happiness. Moreover, the book is centered around making and enjoying vegan food, which means the happiness is shared with all of Earth’s beings.
To give you a taste of this happiness, Richa has shared her delicious Buffalo Chickpea Tacos recipe. And if you’re hungry for more, you can order a copy of her new book today! Enjoy!
Photo Credit: Richa Hingle
Buffalo Chickpea Tacos
Yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
⅓ cup hot sauce
3 tablespoons sriracha sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or melted non-dairy butter
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar—optional
2 to 2 ½ cups room-temperature cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup Celery Ranch Sauce (see below)
1 ½ cups finely chopped celery or cucumber
1 teaspoon organic safflower or other neutral oil
1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon salt, divided
8 to 10 tortillas or taco shells
2 cups baby spinach
Directions
Combine the hot sauce, sriracha, olive oil, and vinegar (if using) in a medium bowl. Add the chickpeas, tossing to coat them in the sauce, and set aside. In another medium bowl, combine half the celery ranch sauce with the celery. In a third medium bowl, thin the other half of the celery ranch sauce with water if needed.
Heat the safflower oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cook the bell peppers until they are golden on some sides, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Warm the tortillas if desired.
Add some of the baby spinach, roasted bell peppers, and celery to every taco. Divide the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt between all the tacos. Add some buffalo chickpeas and a generous drizzle of the celery ranch sauce to each taco and serve.
Celery Ranch Sauce
Yields about 1 cup.
Ingredients
½ cup raw cashews, soaked for 15 minutes and drained, or ground raw cashews
⅔ cup plain unsweetened non-dairy milk or ½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 4 cloves roasted garlic
¾ teaspoon onion powder
1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
In a blender, combine the cashews, milk, salt, oil, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, vinegar, parsley, thyme, and dill. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the chives (if using) and stir gently to combine.
As part of our activist profile series, today we meet Kacy Franzen. Kacy was brought aboard the VO leafleting team to leaflet college campuses in the Los Angeles area. This fall, she’s traveled to 13 schools and handed out 13,370 leaflets.
Where are you from and where do you live now?
I’m originally from Portland, OR. Now I live in Los Angeles, CA.
What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?
About nine years ago, a co-worker told me about a segment she’d seen on Oprah which discussed how animals in factory farms are treated. For some reason, it just sort of clicked for me. I was no longer cool with animals being treated horribly just for us to eat them. I joined my coworker on a 21-day vegan eating challenge, and it felt so good. I’ve been vegan ever since!
How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?
I went on a date with Vic Sjodin, VO’s Director of Outreach. On our second date, he took me leafleting! It was so romantic.
Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?
I don’t have one specific moment, but I really love it when I meet people who are already vegan. They’re always so excited and supportive of us being out there spreading the word!
What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?
I like to go out to eat. We’re so lucky in LA to have so many amazing vegan restaurants. When I’m not going out, I make up easy meals at home. I usually take photos and post them on Instagram or my blog.
Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?
It’s an easy way to get involved in activism, and it’s a fun and effective way to do something good for the world!
Can you tell us one of your favorite vegan products to share with our readers?
Right now I’m obsessed with Miyoko’s cultured cheeses. I think if anyone says they can’t go vegan because they can’t give up cheese, all they need is Miyoko’s.
Going out to a restaurant with friends and family is an experience vegans don’t need to worry about “sacrificing.” This probably isn’t news for people who’ve been vegan for a while. But for those who’ve recently transitioned, going out to eat may be something you’re still trying to figure out.
Our new Eating Out page provides brief and simple suggestions that will have new vegans confidently ordering delicious vegan meals when dining at non-vegan restaurants.
This resource is similar to the advice provided in our leaflets where we reveal the exciting news that vegans can still eat at Taco Bell! If you haven’t received one of our booklets, you can access PDF versions here.
Still looking for more veg resources? Head on over to our Vegan Mentor Program page to get paired up with a vegan mentor! And while you’re at it, sign up for Vegan Serial—VO’s 10-week e-mail series that’s jammed packed with delicious recipes, nutrition information, and suggestions for delicious vegan food products!
Whatever festivities you’re attending or hosting this Halloween, Kim Sujovolsky with Brownble just made it a whole lot easier for you! Check out the video below to learn how to make these fun treats that everyone will adore and devour.
Coco-Choco Spiders, Mini Bats, and Monster Eyeballs
Yields 12 truffles.
Ingredients
Coco-choco Truffles
⅓ cup pitted dates
½ cup ground almonds
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
A pinch of sea salt
1-1 ½ tablespoons of water—as needed
Decorations
Black fondant
White fondant
Short black licorice sticks
Vegan chocolate sprinkles
Extra coconut flakes
Halved mini oreo cookies—cream removed
Directions
In a food processor, add the dates, ground almonds, coconut flakes, maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Pulse until grainy.
If the mixture is sandy and not sticky, add between 1-1 ½ tablespoons of water and pulse again.
Form the mixture into 12 balls and set them aside.
Make the googly eyes by shaping the white fondant into the white part of the eye. I made big round eyes for the monster eyeballs, smaller long eyes for the mini bats, and smaller round eyes for the spiders. Make a tiny ball with the black fondant and use a toothpick to press it into the white of the eye. Set them aside.
Cut the licorice into thin strips. These will be the legs of the spiders.
To decorate the spiders, roll the balls in the chocolate sprinkles and stick 4 licorice legs into the ball on each side. Wet the back of the googly eyes with a bit of water and press two into each truffle. You might need to remove a few of the sprinkles in that space if the eyes aren’t sticking properly.
To decorate the mini bats, roll the balls in the coconut flakes so they’re coated only halfway up. This will be the top of the head. Stick two mini oreo halves into the truffles to make the ears. Wet the back of the googly eyes with a bit of water and press two into each truffle.
To decorate the monster eyeballs, roll the balls in the coconut flakes so they’re coated only halfway up. This will be the top of the head. Wet the back of one large googly eye with a bit of water and press one into each truffle.
You can make these ahead of time, but make sure to take them out of the fridge 1-2 hours before serving so that they come back to room temperature and are nice and soft.
Happy Halloween! May it be spooky, fun and delicious!
