Cocoa Jerk Tofu and Cocoa Potato Tacos

Superfoods For Life: CACAO Vegan Outreach Review

Reviewed By Toni Okamoto

First of all, the author of this book, Matt Ruscigno, is amazing! When the tour promoting Superfoods for Life: Cacao came through our area, I went with VO Executive Director Jack Norris to see him speak at Timeless in Oakland. He was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining.  He’s heavily involved in activism for both animals and humans, he is a super athlete who rides thousands of miles on his bike, he’s a well-known vegan Registered Dietitian, and is a generally nice guy! In addition to co-authoring this fantastic book with Joshua Ploeg, he also has co-authored books with big-time chefs like Isa Moskowitz.

But if that isn’t enough to make you want to go out and buy this book, the recipes will definitely help you make up your mind! The master chef behind the food portion of Superfoods For Life: Cacao is Joshua Ploeg, occasional fellow Sacramentan and 100%-of-the-time talented cook. He’s exceptionally creative with pairing ingredients, and has you mixing amazing spice blends you would have never thought of on your own.

My favorite thing about this book is the diverse range of recipes. It caters to different levels of cooking, different comfort ranges in your palette, and has many options for varying budgets. Below are the recipes I chose to try, and both were amazing!

Tasty Cocoa Jerk Tofu recipe on the Vegan Outreach blog!Tasty Cocoa Jerk Tofu

If you like spicy, this recipe is for you! You could probably skip the hot sauce if you don’t, but it is REALLY good. Since Josh is a friend of mine, I messaged him and asked what veggies I should pair this dish with and he recommended spicy broccoli and carrots. I just steamed them and added some red chili flakes and they were delicious.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon each black pepper, cinnamon, and all spice
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup tamari
  • 1/3 cup vegetable broth
  • 2-3 crushed garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin, or tamarind, or plum sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano

For the tofu:

  • 16 oz firm tofu
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, each sliced

Directions for the sauce:

  • Blend together the sauce ingredients in a blender and set aside.

Directions for the tofu:

  • Cut the tofu block into 4 sections and then cut each of these into 4 strips. Mix the tofu with the vegetables and sauce in a casserole dish or other flat-bottomed vessel and allow to sit for an hour.
  • Add the tofu and bake, turning once, for 30 minutes, adding a bit more liquid if you need or want this dish to be saucier. Increase the heat to broil and broil for 5 to 7 minutes to finish.

Suggestions:

  • Serve this dish with seasoned black beans and rice. Some fried plantains would work well, too! Garnish with grated chocolate and scallions, if desired.

Cocoa Potato Tacos on the Vegan Outreach blog!

Cocoa Potato Tacos

These tacos were very inexpensive to make and the cocoa powder added a complexity that basic potato tacos usually miss. I wish I had dressed them up with more veggies (I’d add tomatoes and lettuce), but they were still tasty paired with black beans and Mexican Rice.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons olive or canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup sliced onions
  • 2 tablespoons grated bittersweet chocolate, more to taste
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
  • 8 to 10 corn tortillas
  • Olive oil, for brushing and sauteing
  • Lime wedges for serving

Directions:

  • Stir the salt, chili powder, cocoa powder, oil, and lime into the mashed potatoes in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
  • Saute the garlic and onions in a little oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the mashed potatoes, lower the heat to medium, and cook, flipping until browned in places (this will take around 4 minutes per “side”). Scoop into the tortillas (about 1/3 cup per tortilla), sprinkle with grated chocolate, cilantro, a little lime juice, and chile sauce and fold over. Cook in very light oil in a skillet over medium heat, turning once, until crispy on both sides (around 2 to 3 minutes per side). Or alternately brush with oil and bake at 400 degrees, turning once, for 7 to 10 minutes or until the shells are browned. You can also not bother with the oil if you don’t wish to.

Suggestions: The One-Hour Mole or the Enchilada Sauce variation if the Chocolate Marinara from this book go very well with these tacos, as does salsa or avocado. For a spicy kick, add 2 tablespoons chopped sliced jalapenos to the saute.

 

Homemade Pizza Dough & Calzones

Easy Vegan Calzones with Homemade Dough!

By Toni Okamoto

This recipe was inspired by my awesome friend Amy. She often makes several batches and freezes calzones individually for her husband to take to work. You can mix and match your pizza filling using whatever veggies you have in your fridge. They are delicious!

Ingredients

Pizza Dough:

  • 1/4 oz packet of yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 1/2 cups flour – I use all-purpose but you can also use whole wheat
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Filling:

  • pasta sauce – I used marinara sauce, but you can also use BBQ
  • any other pizza fillings you like (I used diced red onions, diced bell pepper, sliced olives, Gardein Chick’n Tenders and Daiya cheese)

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pizza dough: In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes or until it turns foamy.
  • Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Remove dough and knead it with flour (enough so it doesn’t stick). Let sit for about 10 minutes.
  • Divide dough into 3 or 4 (depending on size you’d like) balls. On a well-floured surface (I used two baking sheets), take each ball and roll it out into a circle.
  • Place pasta sauce on the middle of the dough leaving a one inch space from the edge. Place your pizza fillings over the pasta sauce, fold the dough in half and fold the edges over and pinch them together.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

If you have leftover calzones, they freeze fabulously!

IMG_7949

Vegan: Everyday Stories Movie Screenings

Have you heard the news?

Vegan: Everyday Stories—a new feature length documentary—is about to hit the big screens!

Vegan: Everyday Stories logo

The movie explores the lives of four remarkably different people who share a common thread—they’re all vegan.

The stars of the film range from a cattle rancher’s wife to an eight year old, outspoken animal activist. Check it out to see their touching stories!

Here is the current schedule, but be sure to check out the website where you can also see the trailer.

June 4 • Sedona, AZ
June 12 • Portland, OR
June 17 • Los Angeles, CA
June 24 • Kansas City, MO
June 26 • Bournemouth, United Kingdom
August 20 • Santa Rosa, CA
October 2 • Morristown, NJ
October 22 & 23 • Portland, OR

Mighty Migas Tacos

Ingredients

By Lisa Rimmert, Director of Development

With the holidays and all their junk food behind us, a lot of us are trying to remember how to eat healthy like we did in October. Some are turning to cleanses, and there are many to choose from—juice cleanses, raw food cleanses, even lemon juice and cayenne pepper cleanses. But none of those sound very appealing to me. Luckily, I found a cleanse I can get on board with: The Taco Cleanse.

The Taco Cleanse: The Tortilla-Based Diet Proven to Change Your Life, is my new favorite cookbook. Written by a group of hilarious people (er, taco scientists) from Austin, Texas, it offers a new, taco-based way to eat, as well as many tools and pieces of info to help along the way. The book includes recipes for a wide variety of vegan tacos and taco parts: tortillas, fillings, condiments, and Artist Tacos—complete taco recipes you can use “as training wheels before assembling your own taco creations” from the other sections of the book. Also included is a category called Supplements, which are alcoholic beverages to enjoy with your tacos.

While the recipes are certainly the best part of The Taco Cleanse, I also appreciated the accompanying information. Before you get started with your cleanse, the authors make sure you know what a taco is, what the benefits of a taco cleanse are, and who should take part (hint: everyone). You can also take a quiz titled “What Kind of Taco-Eater Are You?” I’m a Taco Adventurist, in case you were wondering!

Okay, back to the food. I made the Wake and Shake Scramble, with a couple changes, which must be my Adventurist coming out. I love a good tofu scramble, and it turns out it’s even more delicious in a taco! The cookbook authors recommend adding their “Living” Chipotle Sauce and Tempeh Bacon, which I did and am very glad.

Taco2

This was without a doubt one of the best tacos I’ve ever had, and I’m so excited to try more. I’m particularly excited to try the Tater Tot-cho Tacos, Energizing Dutch Waffle Tacos, and Chocolate-Raspberry Dessert Tacos. I highly recommend The Taco Cleanse, and you can get started now with the recipe below! Enjoy!

Mighty Migas Tacos
Recipe from The Taco Cleanse: The Tortilla-Based Diet Proven to Change Your Life, copyright ©Wes Allison, Stephanie Bogdanich, Molly R. Frisinger, Jessica Morris, 2015. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. theexperimentpublishing.com

What started out as a way to use up leftover corn tortillas has become a staple of brunch tables. Migas tacos are transformational because they contain two superfoods: corn and flour tortillas. If you’ve been afflicted with collywobbles or gripe, try eating at least one migas taco a week. Because your homemade corn tortillas are probably too delicious to leave any leftovers, tortilla chips stand in here.

  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • ½ cup (70 g) chopped onion
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced into rings
  • 14 to 18 ounces (397 to 454 g) firm tofu, drained
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup (37 g) crumbled tortilla chips
  • 1 cup (170 g) seeded, chopped tomato
  • ¼ cup (15 g) nutritional yeast
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) unsweetened plant milk or water
  • ½ cup (48 g) vegan cheddar, optional
  • 8 Flour Tortillas

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and jalapeño for 2 minutes, or until the onion starts to soften. Crumble the tofu into the pan and sprinkle with the salt, cumin, and pepper. Cook until the tofu is dry and browned on at least one side, about 10 minutes. Try not to stir too often as this prevents browning. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the cheese if you’re using it, and stir thoroughly. Cook until the tomato softens and the liquid is completely absorbed. Serve in the flour tortillas.

Broccoli Wingz

Interview by Toni Okamoto

Margaret Chapman of The Plant Philosophy joins VO today to talk about vegan food! She is an Instagram superstar with over 174,000 followers — and we can see why, her food photography is amazing!

kittyboy

Margaret shares some of her tips in our interview below:

Where do you get your protein?

My highest sources of protein would have to be black beans, garbanzo beans and vegan protein powders. But I also get a high amount from hemp, chia and sunflower seeds. Smaller amounts are found in fruits and veggies, so I eat an abundance of those too.

What chain restaurant do you recommend if you’re traveling or in a hurry?

Chipotle, hands down. It’s found almost everywhere and they have so many vegan options for you to mix and match. My personal favorite is a Sofritas salad with brown rice, grilled veggies, pico de gallo, corn and salsa. You can eat anything there that isn’t meat, cheese or sour cream. They still have so much to choose from, plus it’s pretty affordable for the quantity they give you. A burrito bowl lasts me two meals and costs about $6.80 here in Texas.

How do you live without cheese or ice cream?

That’s a trick question, because I don’t have to! There are so many vegan alternatives today. I adore making my own cashew cheeze with just a few simple ingredients and the best ice cream I’ve ever had was coconut milk based. You can have your cake and eat it too, absolutely no restrictions whatsoever in today’s society with the amount of vegan options.

Is it possible to be vegan if a person lives with family members who are not vegan?

Absolutely! I have a huge family, I was actually living with them when I first became vegan. They were supportive and understanding of my choices, so I had no issue. Now my husband and I live alone and he’s not vegan, but we make due. All you need to do is focus on you, your needs and have a supportive family/partner that accepts that. Either way, you can make it possible all on your own if need be. There are so many like-minded people online. My Instagram community has become like family to me and supports this lifestyle wholeheartedly.

What easy recipe do you have to share with Vegan Outreach supporters who are interested in learning to cook veg foods?

Broccoli Wingz! They’re the easiest thing and come together really quickly.

plant strong vegan

(Yields 1-2 servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag broccoli florets
  • 1 cup flour (can also be gluten-free flour)
  • 1 cup water, filtered
  • 3 tbsp hot sauce (Sriracha is best)
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Start by prepping your broccoli. I bought mine already in florets – so that was super handy. Just wash, dry and cut into bite-sized pieces. Measure and whisk together all your batter ingredients, it should be similar to pancake batter in consistency.

Preheat your oven to 445 degrees F.

Dip each floret and let the excess run off by tapping the side of your bowl. Lay flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat till everything is coated. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through if you wish (not vital to do so though). Remove from the oven and toss in sauce of choice. I did BBQ sauce, garlic parmesan and a spicy mango chili sauce. All store bought, but the garlic parmesan was just Earth Balance buttery spread with garlic, nutritional yeast and salt.

Once coated, transfer back to your baking sheet and continue at 445 degrees F for another 5-10 minutes.
Serve hot with dipping sauce of choice. I went with roasted red pepper hummus and my cheezy sauce, recipe here.

Video: Mexican Rice

VEGAN MEXICAN RICE-2

(click image to play video)

By Toni Okamoto

This is hands down my favorite recipe EVER!

Ever, ever! It’s practically free to make, it’s really low-effort, and you can spice it up with either corn/ peas/ minced potatoes/ chopped cilantro/ diced tomatoes/ etc., or you can eat it plain like I do in the video.

The recipe was inspired by my mom, who likely learned it from my grandma. Both women are very deeply rooted in their Mexican cultural foods, so I was a little hesitant to share with her my veganized version. To my surprise, she loved it — and so did the rest of my family!

Mexican Rice was the first recipe on my blog Plant Based on a Budget, and you may also recognize it from our Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating. It’s been very well-received, and I hope you decide to give it a try. If you do, let us know what you think in the comments below!

Spring 2016: Karen James and Lana Smithson

This semester, Karen James (below, left) has handed out 11,939 booklets at 18 different schools, and Lana Smithson, VO’s New England Outreach Coordinator (below, right), has handed out 11,076 booklets at 29 different campuses!

Karen James and Lana Smithson

On April 21, Karen and volunteer Marion reached more than 700 students at SUNY Purchase College:

Marion is the woman who gave me the name/contact info of her sister, the vegan chef at Wesleyan University! She came out to help for an hour today.

Moss is a vegetarian who said she does not eat any animal products off-campus, but eats cheeses once in a while in the cafe at school because they do not have vegan cheeses. We talked about starting a petition on campus to get non-dairy items into their vegetarian cafe.

Devon [below] gave his Your Choice to someone else, but came back to me for another one, and got a Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating, too. He is looking to eat much healthier!

Devon at SUNY Purchase

On April 27, Lana and volunteers handed out over 1,000 booklets at the University of Maine in Orono:

I was joined by two wonderful student activists (Audrey Hoyle and Tyler Cote) who started the school’s official veg group called Vegan Education and Empowerment. This is the group’s second semester, and it has been active doing outreach to students and convincing the dining services to add more veg options.

Last week for Earth Day, they tabled on campus and worked with VegFund to be able to give out 350 free food samples; and they got new students to sign up for their group. They were happy to have VO pamphlets to give out and specifically thanked Vegan Outreach in their Facebook post about the event. I’ve attached a photo of Tyler leafleting today [below]. He is vice president of their group.

Tyler Cote at UMaine

Also on April 27, Karen teamed with Carl Santoro (below), and together they handed out 1,700 Your Choice booklets at Nassau Community College:

Nassau was rocking today with very polite students, and a fun loving Carl, who I leafleted with for the first time. Thanks Jennifer Greene for putting out the word with your Long Island meetup group! Carl was with me for two hours, and we were on fire! He had a few talks with students, and we met about six vegetarians and five vegans. Carl spoke with a guy who had been vegan, said it was difficult, but was now inspired to try again!

Jasmine is vegan. She stopped to thank us for being there. We spoke about getting a petition together for better food in the cafeteria, and she is going to do it. While we spoke, another vegan girl stopped; Jasmine gave her a business card so they could contact each other, and she gave me one as well.

Thank you, Karen, for stepping in at the last minute for a month of leafleting when VO needed you!

Carl Santoro at NCC

Support VO’s Adopt a College leafleting program by taking part in our Team Vegan campaign: Register for your own fundraising page, help Lana or one of the many other team members reach their goals, or make a donation to the general fund!