Enjoy this flavor-filled Mediterranean Edamame Quinoa Bowl as one of your plant-based meals for Vegetarian Awareness Month. There’s little to prepare, but a whole lot to enjoy!
Mediterranean Edamame Quinoa Bowl
Yields 1 large entrée-sized bowl, or 4 small servings.
Arrange the following on top of the greens: edamame, cherry tomatoes, cooked quinoa, Kalamata olives, sliced cucumbers, sliced red onions, and pine nuts.
To make the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, red paprika, and oregano.
London, Ontario’s vegan restaurant scene has been booming the past few years! This southern Ontario city saw its 6th all-vegan establishment—Globally Local—open its doors in July 2017. The restaurant now has two locations in the city.
Globally Local prides itself on being the first vegan drive-thru in the world that’s open 24 hours a day. It features an all-day breakfast menu, fast food classics, desserts, and delicious vegan soft serve ice cream.
Restaurant owner James McInnes’ success started last summer when their vegan version of McDonald’s Big Mac sold out at the London Rib Fest. The popularity of their food truck and burger garnered much press attention.
Despite the all-time high anticipation for the second restaurant opening, things hit a snag when vandals spray painted, “I love meat” over the drive-thru window. However, the anti-vegan graffiti got a lot of media coverage, and local vegans and meat eaters alike banded together and pledged to support the new establishment.
A statement about the graffiti on their social media said, “Thank you to the tens of thousands of people who have helped us to spread our message and join our fast food revolution. To those that undermine our mission and attack our values – know that we will not be stopped.”
Will not be stopped was an understatement. The grand opening was a major success! There was a line that ran outside of the restaurant from noon until 4 pm. There were literally hundreds of patrons waiting for their taste of vegan fast food.
My wife and I attended the grand opening event, and after deliberating on what to order, we decided to order a BLT, the Fries Supremacy—fries topped with housemade sour cream, scallions, taco meat, and cheese sauce—mac n’ cheese, hashbrowns, a cheeseburger, and soft serve ice cream.
The BLT was fantastic—a great combination of salty and smoky. With their housemade vegan mayo, it was perfectly delicious! The mac n’ cheese was just as good! In fact, I think it was my favorite item that I ordered. Their housemade cheese sauce is made from ingredients like potatoes and carrots, making it a healthier alternative to traditional mac n’ cheese.
And the burger that won the restaurant so much fame met our expectations. The patty is chickpea-based, seasoned, and cooked on the grill. Yum!
The perfect end to the meal was their vanilla coconut based soft serve ice cream! Reminiscent of a McDonald’s cone, vegans and non-vegans alike will sure be flocking here for this delicious frozen treat.
Whether you live in or near London, Ontario, or you’re just driving thru—get it?—be sure to get yourself some vegan grub at Globally Local, and leave us a comment to tell us what your experience was like!
By Alex Bury, VO Organizational Development Consultant
I’m a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America—the CIA—and I couldn’t get my degree without spending a chunk of time in the pastry kitchen.
Honestly, pastry work has just never been my “thing.” You have to be so careful and exact with everything! The savory side of the kitchen is much more forgiving of last minute spice changes or experimentation.
I do, however, have two amazing pie recipes that I’ve been making for 20 years. One is a classic pumpkin cheesecake pie and the other is a chocolate fudge pecan pie. The chocolate fudge pie will be shared in December—great things come to those who wait!
These pies aren’t fussy or fragile like so many baking recipes. Every year between Thanksgiving and December 31 I make at least 4 of each, sometimes more, and I usually serve them to non-vegans with rave reviews.
And this year I’ve added a third pie to my baking standards list—basic pumpkin tofu pie.
This fall, Vegan Outreach is hosting a series of informational meetings at churches in Los Angeles, CA. The congregations and local communities are almost completely non-vegan. Vegan advocacy, Whole Foods, kale smoothies, and Tofurky haven’t been a part of these communities.
Therefore, we needed a pie recipe that didn’t use any fancy ingredients—like agar or vegan cream cheese—didn’t need a Whole Foods to complete the shopping list, was somewhat healthy and inexpensive, and was delicious enough that a non-vegan would love it.
I found a recipe that met these criteria! It’s made with tofu, which is a good source of protein and easy to find; canned pumpkin, which is cheap, nutritious, and also easy to find; sugar; and spices.
Whichever pie you make, be sure to serve it with your favorite non-dairy ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
Yields 8 servings.
Ingredients
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1 8 oz container vegan cream cheese (I use Follow Your Heart brand)
1 container (12.3 oz) Mori-Nu firm silken tofu
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 vegan pie crust (see Recipe Tips/Variations below)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Puree all of the ingredients—the filling for the pie crust—in a food processor until you have a very smooth consistency.
Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust and bake for 50 minutes.
Allow the pie to cool for 60 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight before serving.
Recipe Tips/Variations
It’s easy to buy pre-made vegan pie crusts in the freezer section of your store! If you’re like me and have zero patience for making pie crusts from scratch, I highly recommend buying one. If you have the time and patience, though, feel free to use your favorite vegan pie crust recipe!
It really helps to make the pie a day before your meal so it can set up and chill overnight.
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Basic Pumpkin Tofu Pie
Yields 8 servings.
Ingredients
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1 container (12.3 oz) Mori-Nu firm silken tofu
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice mix (see below if you want to make your own)
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 vegan pie crust (see Recipe Tips/Variations above)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix all of the ingredients—the filling for the pie crust—together in a food processor. Make sure the filling is extremely smooth and blended. Once you’re sure it’s smooth and creamy, give it another 60 seconds of processing to make it fluffy.
Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust and bake for 45 minutes. If the crust and top of the pie aren’t golden brown, bake for another 15 minutes.
Recipe Tips/Variations
Let the pie cool very well and then cover with plastic wrap, chill overnight, and enjoy the next day!
By Alex Bury, Organizational Development Consultant
Ice cream nachos are really a “thing.”
I was in a gourmet ice cream store in Anchorage, AK last month when I saw a sign that read, “Ice Cream Nachos.” And, yes, the store had vegan flavors—Anchorage is awesome for vegan eating! I was in a hurry and didn’t get to try them, but I knew I’d be making my own when I returned home.
This is what the set up looks like—
Pieces of crispy ice cream cone to replace the corn chips
Ice cream to replace the “meat”
Whipped cream to stand in as the sour cream
Chocolate syrup, fruit, and nuts replace the olives, onions, and avocado
Most of the ingredients are easy to find at any grocery store, anywhere you live. The only tricky thing could be the vegan whipped cream. Either plan ahead and ask your local store to special order it or make your own sweet, yummy whipped cream using aquafaba or coconut milk.
My recipe is below, but adjust it according to your tastes. Fresh strawberries would be nice in the summer, or banana-walnut ice cream with strawberry syrup? Or what about chocolate-peanut butter ice cream with chopped peanuts and a cinnamon sprinkle?
½ cup chopped nuts of your choice—I used roasted and salted almonds. The salt adds a nice touch
Maraschino cherries*
Fresh or dried fruit of your choice—I used ¼ cup dried cranberries and ¼ cup fresh pomegranate seeds since it’s fall. I wanted some red color!
¼ cup toasted coconut
*All of these things are usually naturally vegan. Give the ingredients a quick scan before buying. It’s a pretty easy shopping list, and you can grab it all at your local Safeway, Fred Meyers, Publix, Target, etc.
Directions
Break up the cones into large, uneven pieces. Lightly toast so they’re warm and extra crispy.
Top with the syrup, nuts, fruit, and coconut.
Right before serving, top with the ice cream, whipped cream, and cherries.
Recipes Tips and Variations
I scooped the ice cream the night before and kept it frozen. That way the nachos didn’t melt quite so quickly when I was assembling the masterpiece…I mean the dish.
These are best served to a group of hungry 10 year-olds at a slumber party. I don’t know that many kids, so I tested the recipe on a hungry group of Vegan Outreach staffers. It was a smashing success!
Leave a message in the comments below if you come up with cool new flavors!
You may have seen Victor Sjodin, VO’s Director of Outreach, sporting a shirt that reads, “Vegan. That’s Right.” Now you can have your own—and your purchase will support Vegan Outreach!
With its big, bold lettering, this shirt is a great way to spread the message of compassionate vegan living.
For a limited time only, 25% of the proceeds will benefit Vegan Outreach’s work to end violence towards animals.
Hoodies, totes, mugs, and phone cases are also available for purchase.
Vegan Outreach is happy to introduce our new friend, Jenné Claiborne. Jenné’s list of accomplishments is pretty spectacular—it includes vegan chef, health coach, and cooking instructor. She has a popular YouTube Channel (with several delicious cooking videos), a beautiful blog, an online vegan meal planning service, and a cookbook!
We’ll be teaming up with Jenné in the upcoming months and sharing some of her mouth-watering recipes and cooking videos!
We think this calls for a celebration! And what better way to celebrate than with Loaded Vegan Nachos?
Loaded Vegan Nachos
Yields 4-6 servings.
Ingredients
Nacho Dip
12 oz russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into ½” pieces (1/3 cup)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 ½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
⅓ cup finely chopped onion
⅓ cup minced poblano chile
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon mustard powder
Tomatillo-Corn Salsa
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander (I used whole coriander)
12 oz tomatillos, husks and stems removed, rinsed well, dried, and cut into ½” pieces
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
Nachos
8 oz tortilla chips
Nacho dip (see above listing), warmed
Tomatillo-corn salsa (see above listing)
1 15-oz can of pinto beans, rinsed
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed and sliced thin
3 radishes, trimmed and sliced thin
Lime wedges
Directions
To Prepare the Nacho Dip: Bring 2 quarts water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add potatoes and carrot and cook until tender, about 12 minutes—then drain in colander.
Combine these cooked vegetables, ⅓ cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, nutritional yeast, vinegar, and salt in blender. Pulse until chopped and combined, about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. (You’ll need to stop processing to scrape down sides of blender jar several times for mixture to come together.) Process mixture on high speed until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and poblano and cook until softened and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chipotle, cumin, and mustard and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds—then remove from heat.
Stir processed potato mixture into onion-poblano mixture in saucepan and bring to brief simmer over medium heat to heat through. Transfer to bowl and serve immediately.
To Prepare the Tomatillo-Corn Salsa: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450°F. Heat oil in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and coriander and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatillos and corn, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until tomatillos are softened, have released their moisture, and mixture is nearly dry, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
To Prepare the Nachos: Spread half of tortilla chips evenly into 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Drizzle 1 cup nacho dip evenly over chips, then top with half of tomatillo-corn salsa, followed by half of beans and, finally, half of jalapeños. Repeat layering with remaining chips, nacho dip, tomatillo corn salsa, beans, and jalapeños. Bake at 450°F until warmed through and edges of chips on top layer are beginning to brown, 5-8 minutes.
Let nachos cool for 2 minutes, then sprinkle with radishes—serve immediately with lime wedges.
Thank you to Jenné and to America’s Test Kitchen for sharing such a fun and appetizing snack idea!
Bake pie crust according to directions on the package.
When the pie crust is done baking, let the crust cool slightly. Spread the cream cheese over the entire crust, including the sides.
Clean and slice the strawberries. Place all but ½ cup of the berries in the pie crust. Mash the reserved ½ cup and place in a small saucepan.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the cup of water, and add it to the saucepan. Then add the sugar.
Over low heat, stir the berry mixture constantly until it’s lightly boiling and the mixture goes from cloudy to clear—this will form a strawberry glaze.
Pour the glaze over the strawberries in the pie crust and chill for at least 4 hours.
Top with vegan whip cream and serve!
The author of the recipe, Kacy Franzen, is a dedicated animal activist, certified health coach, and lover of food. If you’re a fan of this recipe, check her website, Instagram, and keep an eye out for more of her easy and delicious vegan recipes right here on Vegan Outreach’s Vegan Living and Advocacy Blog.
“Being that wolves are mainly carnivores in the wild and share a common ancestor with dogs, many people have the preconceived notion that dogs require an animal-based diet to be healthy, but is this the truth?”
Whether you’re preparing lunch in your kitchen or in a cramped dorm room, these Fresh Summer Rolls will hit the spot when wanting to eat something fresh and healthy, but easy prepare!
Join Kim Sujovolsky—founder of Brownble—as she demonstrates just how simple and versatile these rolls can be.
Fresh Summer Rolls
Yield: Make as many as you’d like! No measuring required!
Ingredients
A bowl filled with water
Rice paper sheets—you’ll use one per summer roll
Filling Options
Carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
Cucumber, de-seeded and cut into strips
Green onion, finely chopped
Purple cabbage, thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro and/or mint leaves
Avocado slices
Roasted or steamed sweet potato cut into thick sticks
Sautéed shiitake mushrooms, sliced
Extra firm tofu cut into thick strips
Sesame seeds
For Dipping
Soy sauce
Sriracha sauce
Hoisin sauce or sweet chili sauce
Directions
Place your rice paper sheet in a bowl of water to rehydrate.
Once pliable, spread on the plate and place a little bit of each filling in the center.
Fold the short ends towards the filling, and then start rolling by folding over one edge towards the filling and continue rolling until closed.
Place the roll on a plate while you assemble the rest. Serve them one of the sauces listed below. Enjoy!
By Jenny Engel and Heather Bell, Guest Contributors
Bibb Lettuce and Radish Salad with Chive Buttermilk Dressing (Photo: Kate Lewis)
At first glance this salad seems simple, but don’t let her fool ya. She gets her delicate nature from the Bibb lettuce, spicy demeanor from the radishes, and a little spunk from the buttermilk dressing, made by curdling soy milk creamer with vinegar. This salad has a ton of personality.
Yields 4 to 6 servings.
Bibb Lettuce and Radish Salad with Chive Buttermilk Dressing
1 bulb garlic, top sliced off to expose cloves
¼ teaspoon neutral-tasting oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus pinch, divided
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus pinch, divided
⅓ cup soy milk creamer
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh chives, coarsely chopped
1 head Bibb lettuce, roughly chopped
4 to 6 radishes, cut into thin strips
1 avocado, peeled and cut into thin segments
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place garlic cut-side down in heatproof ramekin. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with pinch sea salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes, or until cloves are soft.
Combine creamer and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk gently and set aside for 1 to 2 minutes.
When cool enough to handle, remove 3 or 4 cloves roasted garlic from the bulb and use the blade of a knife to squeeze flesh out of skin into a blender or food processor. Add curdled creamer, mayonnaise, lemon juice, maple syrup, and remaining ¼ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Blend until smooth and fold in chives.
To serve salad, divide lettuce among salad plates. Drizzle with dressing. Top each serving with radishes and avocado.
Recipe Tips/Variations
When storing radishes in the refrigerator, don’t wash them; they will go bad more quickly. Be sure to remove the leaves, however, as they leach moisture from the radishes, drying them out prematurely.
Jenny and Heather are co-owners of Los Angeles-based vegan cooking school Spork Foods, which travels to universities, health care companies, hotels, markets, and restaurants all around the world to teach chefs how to prepare tasty vegan meals.
