By Shantika Bhat, VRG Intern

In the midst of the pandemic and isolation, I was looking for something new to dive into. I was applying for scholarships, stumbled upon The Vegetarian Resource Group, and was offered the opportunity to be an intern. I was excited to try something new and develop new networking connections. I also had many goals in my mind including learning to write better, which I knew I could accomplish by interning. I am extremely thankful for my time at The Vegetarian Resource Group. I learned much valuable writing, interviewing, and recipe developing skills. I appreciated how this internship was able to use my passions for science, ethics, and diet and apply them to the articles I wrote over my time.

My first topics for articles were about food and restaurants. I did a restaurant review on Gangster Vegan Organics and got to discover a great vegan place in my city of Baltimore, Maryland. I wrote two vegan recipes about dishes that I make frequently: Dal Fry and Open Tofu Sandwich. These were really fun to develop and write-up because I love to cook and seeing people try to prepare my dishes gives me a sense of fulfillment. My new goal is to try to continue writing up recipes I prepare so that I can always look back at the dishes I recreated and replicate them. Also, I helped to write entries for the VRG online USA/Canada restaurant guide. I was able to continue practicing my writing skills but also learn how to produce concise information. It was amazing to get to learn about a variety of vegan restaurants throughout the U.S. and Canada.

I helped to review two condiments for the Veggie Bits column in Vegetarian Journal: True Made Foods’ Veggie Ketchup and Mighty Sesame Harissa’s Tahini. It was really fun learning how to describe condiments to the fitted audience. I loved learning about these two condiments and making food with them. I challenged myself to incorporate them into my own cooking as well.

I wrote a scientific article review about the correlation between different diets and strokes. I had a good time connecting with Dr. Reed Mangels, as well as learning the ways to read an article and pick out important information. I plan to use these skills when I go off to Johns Hopkins University in the upcoming fall.

Later I started to interview professionals about their careers and opinions about topics such as the medical field, patient care, advising, and diets. I learned a lot of skills doing these projects because I had to brainstorm questions and write-up what I learned from the answers. One lesson I learned from interviews is that the answer and topics you expect to write about may not always be what you get and so you have to be flexible with what direction the interview goes. I interviewed Dr. Lavine (a retired ophthalmologist) about the promotion of healthy diets and the medical system. I also interviewed Cathy Conway (a registered dietitian who works with developmentally disabled adults) about patient-centered care. It was really amazing connecting to these professionals and learning something new.

I worked with another intern on writing an Intern Catch-Up for the VRG’s upcoming 40th anniversary in 2022. It was challenging trying to find people and their contact information but, I had a lot of fun collaborating with my peers. I received a lot of advice from the past interns, which was nice as well.

One of the last pieces I wrote was a blog post about the high school ethics bowl in which I participated. The topic was factory farming or also known as a concentrated animal feeding operation. I discovered how different terms can be biased. I hope people can learn about bias and check the terms they use and what they mean to people with different points of view.

Overall, I learned a lot about writing and making connections as an interviewer. I plan to continue to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group and hopefully attend in-person events in the future.

Shantika is an entering student at Johns Hopkins University.

For information about The Vegetarian Resource Group internships, see https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group internships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

Or join The Vegetarian Resource Group at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Hype is located in Central Market in York, PA. See: https://www.facebook.com/gethypefood

Greek Bowl from HYPE

(Makes 4 bowls)

Make all individual components, then assemble. Directions for assembling bowl at the end.

Lemon Tahini Dressing

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 Tablespoon onion powder

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons agave nectar

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Place all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside or store in fridge. Extra dressing is tasty on salads and sandwiches.

Greek Marinated Tofu

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 Tablespoon onion powder

1/2 Tablespoon dried dill

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 block firm tofu, drained/pressed

Place all ingredients except tofu in a blender and pulse. Do not make into a smooth or emulsified dressing. Just pulse to combine.

     Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days in the fridge.

Greek Onions

1 large red onion, sliced in half-moons

1 Tablespoons olive oil

Salt/pepper to taste

Sauté onions in oil, covered, about 4-6 minutes over medium heat until softened and sweating, but don’t caramelize. Set aside.

Roasted Tomatoes

1 cup baby tomatoes

1 Tablespoons olive oil

Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper to coat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out tomatoes. Roast at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, until blistered and softened.

To assemble bowls

1 cup quartered artichoke hearts, jarred variety

2 cups prepared couscous

4 cups spinach or your favorite salad greens

Make couscous according to package directions. For 4 bowls, you will need two cups of prepared, fluffed couscous. For a gluten-free alternative, use prepared brown rice or quinoa.

Layer 1 cup spinach in each bowl and top with 1/2 cup couscous. Artfully arrange 1/4 cup artichokes, 1/4 cup Roasted Tomatoes, 1/4 cup Greek Onions, several cubes of Greek Marinated Tofu, and pour on desired amount of Lemon Tahini Dressing. Serve immediately.

Rissa Miller, Senior Editor of Vegetarian Journal, shares vegan recipes featuring wild blueberries in a previous issue of Vegetarian Journal. You can read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2019issue3/2019_issue3_blueberry_recipes.php

Wild blueberries are available year-round in the freezer section or as dried fruit. You can source them in the USA at stores like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, and some farms ship frozen or dried berries. If you can’t find them, substitute regular, or highbush, blueberries in any of these recipes, noting that highbush blueberries are not quite as sweet or deep in flavor as wild, or lowbush, blueberries. Adjust your seasonings accordingly, to taste.

Recipes included in this piece are: French Toast Casserole, Blueberry Chia Parfait with Coconut Whip, Blueberry Moon Latte, Arugula Salad with Blueberry-Pecan Dressing, Savory Blueberry BBQ Sauce, Blueberry Kale Salad, Spiced Blueberry Butter on Sweet Taters, and Tofu Steaks with Blueberry Balsamic Glaze.

Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA only by visiting https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

By Julia Comino, VRG Intern

One effect of my internship with The Vegetarian Resource Group that I did not expect, but have come to enjoy immensely, is the constant vegan food suggestions I have received from the other interns I work with and The VRG staff. From testing out new recipes to chatting with my fellow interns about our favorite vegan snacks, I have found myself calling more and more foods my favorite. Armed with my new repertoire of beloved vegan dishes, I decided to seek out the favorite vegan foods of some of the other interns working with The VRG.

While working on a project together, Shantika Bhat, a current VRG intern from Baltimore, Maryland, and I were able to discuss what our favorite vegan foods are. Shantika explained that her family tends not to eat out and instead usually cooks up delicious homemade meals such as vegan Japchae, a Korean glass noodle stir-fry dish. But, Shantika’s favorite vegan meal is Dal Fry, an Indian lentil dish that just happens to be vegan! Shantika shared her own Dal Fry recipe in her piece “Delicious Dal Fry Recipe,” and after hearing her description of this delicious dish, I know that I will be attempting to cook this soon!

Lucia Rivera, a current intern from California, is also a fan of cooking up mouthwatering vegan foods, and her recipe sources are the blogs Loving it Vegan, Dora’s Table, and Minimalist Baker. Lucia recommended checking out the recipes for sugar cookies, pumpkin cake, and tamales. When Lucia isn’t putting something together in her own kitchen, she loves easy snacks like prunes, apricots, banana and peanut butter, carrots, and other fruits and vegetables. For vegan products, Lucia’s favorite are Kashi vegan waffles, Ezekiel vegan whole grain bread, and Trader Joe’s kale gnocchi, which is one of my top choice quick vegan meals as well! Rachel Eldering, also a Trader Joe’s enthusiast and a dietetic intern from Virginia with Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, prefers the kale pesto that this store sells.

Rachel is also a fan of Violife vegan cheese products, whereas Callie Showalter, an intern from Washington who’s been vegetarian for nine years and vegan for four, favors Miyoko’s cashew mozzarella cheese. When I eat vegan cheese substitutes, I generally reach for Kite Hill’s vegan cream cheese. While I spread my vegan cheese on my bagels, Callie uses her cashew mozzarella in her favorite dinners, vegan lasagna and broccoli “cheese” casserole. Another of Callie and my favorites is MorningStar’s Corn Dogs that always satisfy my fast-food cravings.

Audrey Hunt (an intern from Anchorage, Alaska, that is currently pursuing a degree in Journalism and Communications at the University of Alaska Anchorage) and I share the same opinion on one of our favorite vegan foods. Frozen mango chunks make it to the top of both of our lists. The frozen creamy flavor of frozen mango delivers a luscious snack at a low price! Audrey pairs her frozen mango chunks with So Delicious vanilla vegan yogurt, another favorite of mine; whereas I tend to just eat frozen mango plain as an easy yet surprisingly indulgent snack. Audrey’s favorite vegan food to snack on is BOOMCHICKAPOP Popcorn which has so many delicious vegan flavor options like Sweet and Salty Popcorn, Salted Caramel Popcorn, Sweet Barbeque Popcorn, and Chili Lime Flavored Popcorn. Audrey shared with me another favorite vegan combo of hers: Quaker’s Everything but the Bagel Seasoning rice cakes topped with Kite Hill’s chive and onion vegan cream cheese. With more of a sweet tooth, Ksheetisha Bhat, a current VRG intern from Michigan, is a fan of Abe’s vegan bakes like pound cake and muffins, and I will definitely be trying out these sweet treats soon!

As for my favorite vegan foods, hummus has always been a go-to. I love adding hummus to any meal, as a dip, a spread on a sandwich, or even mixing it with a little lemon juice and oil to make a salad dressing. Beyond my chickpea dip obsession, I am also a fan of mango. No matter what form, frozen, fresh, or dried, mango is my favorite food to snack on. I would definitely recommend trying out Trader Joe’s dried mango products such as their Dried Chile Mangoes or Soft and Juicy Dried Mango.

Beyond having more and more vegan foods I am vying to try, this project has made me realize the vast number of diverse and delicious dishes that you can make when eating vegan.

For more ideas, see: https://www.vrg.org/teen/#plans

Julia did a virtual VRG internship from Mississippi this summer.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Several months ago, The Vegetarian Resource Group got an email that said, “I’m a programming librarian for the San Jose Public Library located in California. I was wondering if you would be interested presenting a few programs with us. From your website, I believe that you could inform people how to become a vegetarian, the benefits, how to manage it, answer questions, and other things. I’m thinking that you could provide information for teens and adults. Let me know if you would be interested in doing 2-4 programs for our library.” The email went on to explain that they wanted to do virtual programs.

     This sounded like an exciting opportunity to talk about vegetarian diets. After chatting with the librarian in charge of program development, we agreed to present a total of 8 programs – 3 for families, 2 for adults, and 3 for teens – all with a focus on being or becoming vegetarian. Each hour-long program was sponsored by a different branch of the library. Programs were free and open to anyone who signed up but were especially promoted to patrons of each branch.

     We decided to cover basic information – nutrition, reasons for becoming veg, easy ideas for meals and snacks – and to have a relaxed, conversational format. I took the lead in developing an outline and possible talking points and Power Point slides. Some weeks we went through all the slides; other weeks, we let the participants’ questions guide our presentation. What did people want to know about? Food ideas were the most commonly requested topics. Participants wanted ideas for quick-and-easy meals and snacks. We got questions about low-cost eating, about traveling to other countries, and about whether or not vegan meats should be a part of veg diets. Teens wanted to talk about being the only vegetarian or vegan in their family and about going to friends’ houses or out to eat with friends.

     One or more branch librarians joined us for each program. Some were vegan, some vegetarian, some-veg-curious. They helped with the technical aspects and often added their own questions and ideas.

     Wendy Gabbe-Day, a vegan parent with 2 vegan children and the founder of Santa Cruz (California) VegFest joined me for the 3 programs for families. She used her personal experiences to address questions about kids with allergies, strategies for getting children to eat vegetables, and feeding vegan kids. VRG interns Lucia Rivera, Nina Lehr, Clarissa Hauber, Hannah Etman, and Rachel Eldering joined me for adult and teen programs and talked about their experiences with vegan cooking and eating.

     Sometimes participants chimed in to share ideas for their favorite vegan dishes or to talk about products that they liked. We made sure to mention the library as a great resource for vegan cookbooks and encouraged people to visit VRG’s website for more information.

     Thank you to the Santa Jose Public Library for making these programs possible!

Every issue of Vegetarian Journal features a column titled “Scientific Update,” by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD. Reed reviews recent scientific papers related to vegetarianism. Recently she covered the topic Fruits and Vegetables Offer Many Benefits and VRG Intern Kavitha Shankar covered the topic Vegetarianism and Veganism in Canada.

Read the entire column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2021issue2/2021_issue2_scientific_update.php

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

By Nancy D. Berkoff, RD, EdD, CCE

The Romans prized wild strawberries for their medicinal properties. And wise they were; ounce for ounce, strawberries have more Vitamin C than most citrus fruit. Frais du bois, or wild strawberries, were very popular in Europe. They were very small, and flavorful, and grew so bountifully in the wild that no one bothered to cultivate them. In 1714, Francois Amedee Frezier created large strawberries by crossing two types of wild strawberries……and an industry was born!

According to the American Cancer Society, foods rich in Vitamin C may lower the risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Over the years, herbalists have thought that strawberries were a tonic, diuretic, remineralizer, and astringent. Strawberry leaves brewed as a tea were thought to relieve diarrhea, while eating too much of the fruit is known to cause it! Strawberry essence used in cosmetics was thought to combat wrinkles and freckles; well, at least they gave the creams and lotions a very nice aroma.

If you actually get past washing and eating strawberries, think about freezing some of them for the winter months. Simply wash, hull (remove leaves and white “shoulders”) and dry whole strawberries. Place them, single file, on a sheet pan and allow them to freeze. Once frozen, they can be piled into containers or bags. If fresh or frozen strawberries lose their color, they can be spruced up with a bit of lemon juice (which, coincidentally, adds a bit more Vitamin C).

Mash ripe or frozen strawberries with a little maple syrup, if necessary for added sweetness, and some citrus liqueur to create a fast dessert sauce or the basis of a blender beverage. Create a strawberry salsa with chopped strawberries, chilies (you chose the heat), red onion, and ground black pepper. Blend ripe strawberries with silken tofu, a small amount of ground ginger, and some orange zest and use as the filling for a strawberry cheesecake or frozen strawberry pops. For a make-ahead dessert, create strawberry skewers and allow to marinate, in the refrigerator, in a blend of balsamic vinegar and maple syrup until ready to serve.

Goodpop’s freezer pops are made with organic fruits and vegetables in three different flavors: Cherry Limeade, Concord Grape, and Fruit Punch. The tester favorite was Cherry Limeade because of its sour punch! Find these pops at Wegmans, Whole Foods Market, and other stores, as well as online here: www.goodpops.com/flavors/organic-freezer-pops

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Create and submit a video relating what you want to tell others about vegetarianism/veganism.

Some possible topics: food, nutrition, your feelings about veganism/vegetarianism, water usage and vegetarianism, veganism and animal rights, or other vegan topics which appeal to you. Humor and feelings are appreciated. All videos should be positive, not be critical of anyone, and not include any footage of animal cruelty. You may submit a video you have already made.

Aspects of judging include accuracy and judges wanting to share the video with others. Entrants give permission to The Vegetarian Resource Group to post and share the video, to link to and from the video, and share the video with the media. Deadline to enter this year is July 15, 2021.

Details on the contest can be found here:

https://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php

The latest issue of Vegetarian Journal features several book reviews. Emma Sawko’s first vegan cookbook Wild Recipes features international recipes such as Wild Ceviche, Miso Shiitake Soup, Peruvian Bowl, Thai Curry, Blueberry Scones, Chocolate Truffles, and more. The Oat Milk Cookbook by Kim Lutz offers over 100 recipes featuring oat milk. You’ll also find eye-catching photos in this book featuring dishes such as Peach Blueberry Cobbler, Red Lentil Dip, Pull-Apart Olive Oil Bread, Spicy Eggplant, and more. Finally, So Vegan in 5 Ingredients by Roxy Pope and Ben Pook includes over 100 recipes using only 5 ingredients. Enjoy Spiced Pear Porridge, Kale and Sweet Potato Salad, Hoisin Jackfruit Bao Buns, Minced Mushroom Tacos, No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake, and much more.

Reviews for these books can be read here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2021issue2/2021_issue2_book_reviews.php

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php