By Odette Olivares Sanchez, VRG Intern

Latin American gastronomy is the result of traditional indigenous cuisine enriched by ingredients that Spaniards, Africans, Portuguese, French, and people from other cultures brought on their arrival to Latin America. The diet of indigenous people used to be rich in plant foods with moderate quantities of insects, fish, and meat. They did not use to consume milk, cheese, or other dairy products, yet they were apparently able to get enough calcium from their diets.

     An interesting ingredient from Mexico is cactus or nopal (as it is called in Spanish) and it is used raw or cooked in many Mexican dishes. Some people might not like it because of its slimy texture; however, it is very nutritious due to its fiber, vitamin C and manganese content, in addition to its calcium content.

     In some parts of Latin America, ingredients that used to be popular in the indigenous cuisine have lost popularity in younger generations. However, governmental organizations and entrepreneurs are bringing them back because of their valuable nutritional properties.

     In the case of Colombia, stinging nettles were introduced with the arrival of the Spaniards. Nowadays, they are not as popular as they once were, but they are still used in salads, quiches, soups, or stews. Due to their contribution of protein, calcium, and other important nutrients, entrepreneurs are reintroducing them in traditional products such as empanadas. In order not to cause irritation when handling them, they should be cut from the stems closest to the ground, avoiding contact with the leaves. Later, they should be cooked in boiling water with salt so that acetylcholine, the element that produces itching, is deactivated.

     Cochayuyo is another traditional ingredient from Chile that has lost popularity in younger generations. This alga was commonly used in many Chilean indigenous dishes, and it only grows on the coasts of Chile and New Zealand. Its name means “sea turnip” in Quechua, the language of the group of indigenous people who settled in the Andes Mountains and occupied the area of Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. Since it is also a good source of iodine, iron, magnesium, and antioxidants, the government of Chile is trying to bring it back to the tables of Chilean families and is promoting it as a super food.

To see more, go to https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/foods_calcium.htm

Read this article in Spanish here: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Alimentos-veganos-Latinoamericanos-y-Altos-en-Calcio.pdf

See this excellent Opinion piece in the Baltimore Sun newspaper from vegan soul food restaurant Land of Kush owners: https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0111-land-kush-20210108-ivjrdoj7qvgltmebybugzrkitq-story.html

During these hard times, please support vegan restaurants by ordering directly. For veggie restaurants around the USA and Canada, see: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide (Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many are doing take-out and/or delivery now):

Georgetown Liquor Company, 5501 Airport West S., Ste. B, Seattle, WA 98108

Enjoy vegan pub grub and booze to-go. Their menu includes sandwiches, salads, a large selection of beer and a HUGE selection of cocktails.

Le Mariachi, 26 Rue Bélanger, Montreal, QC H2S 1C8 Canada

Inspired by Mexican street food in California, Le Mariachi offers delicious vegan Mexican food ranging from tacos, to chilaquiles to churros.

Pho Vegan Asian Cuisine, 329 E. Bidwell St., Folsom CA 95630

Huge menu of 100% vegan interpretations of classic Asian dishes including appetizers, soups, noodles, rice plates, desserts, and drinks. Gluten-free and Oil free menu items are also available.  

Phyto’s Vegan Eats, 1025 South 1st St., Las Vegas, NV 89101

100% Vegan Hot Dog Cart. No permanent location yet, but they do pop-up events at various locations through the Las Vegas area. The menu consists of four signature Hot Dogs (Crispy Cowboy, El Guey, Kimchi Kool, and Chili Cheese) and a large variety of “build your own” options. The build your own options vary for each pop-up; check Instagram for updates. Everything sounds unique and delicious.

Plant Based Papi, 1412 SE Morrison St., Portland, OR 97214

The menu changes daily, but the core comfort food offerings include truffle mac and cheese tacos, crispy buffalo “chicken” quesadillas, and roasted jackfruit chili cheese fries. The chef does not use faux meats, rather Jackfruit, chanterelle mushrooms, and banana blossoms are used instead.

PLANTA Cocina, 10 Temperance St., Toronto, ON M5H 1Y4 Canada

PLANTA Cocina is a plant-based restaurant in Toronto’s Financial District that offers Mexican-inspired cuisine, including loaded nachos, five types of vegan tacos, tamales, and salads! Reviewers especially enjoyed their vegan chorizo, empanada, and tres leches cake.

Simple Bliss Vegan Café, 2540 Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

Simple Bliss, makes a delicious and nutritious stop for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. Breakfast bowls – made of either rice, muesli, or fruit – are served all day long. Pastries, such as bonbons or donuts, are gluten-free, soy-free, and made in-house. Lunch and dinner include tacos, nachos, soups, and salads. Or, in the mood for something lighter? Try a house-made drink, such as the popular Maca Latte or the Banana Cream Pie Smoothie!

V’s Diner, 5601 Edgewater Dr., Orlando, FL 32810

V’s Diner serves classic American comfort foods out of a food truck at A Sound Garden. Dishes such as seitan hamburgers and fake “animal” French fries give vegetarians access to wallet-friendly American dishes. They also constantly update their menu, adding dishes like vegan popcorn chicken to constantly keep the food they serve fresh and exciting.

Veggz Café, 32 W. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek, MI 49017

Small counter service eatery offering curbside pickup and carry-out. The Café has no kitchen, so food is prepared at a commissary kitchen and brought to the counter for sale. Menus change daily. A favorite menu item is the vegan macaroni and cheese but the eatery also offers house-made soups, paninis, quiche, and patty melts made with Beyond Burger meat substitute.

By Lucia Rivera, VRG Intern

Chilies can be roasted, ground, stuffed, or used as toppings, but they always add to a dish in one way or another. This remains true for chilies used in vegan recipes, whether it be in a red salsa, salad, or any other dish.

     There is also a wide variety of chili types, and while some are often served stuffed, others are more commonly used cooked and ground. Here is one example of how to use jalapeño peppers in a vegan dish:

Chilies Stuffed with Beans

(4 servings)

Recipe provided by Odette Olivares Sanchez, VRG Intern

Ingredients:

4 jalapeño peppers, with veins removed (without seeds)

1/2 onion, sliced

2 cups water

3 Tablespoons of vinegar

2 cups of refried beans

1 cup of cooked and seasoned brown rice

1 Laurel leaf (bay leaf)

Vegan shredded cheese to taste

Salt to taste

Recipe instructions:

Fry chilies and onions for 5 minutes. Later, add water and vinegar. Add Bay leaf and salt to taste. Boil everything until it softens.

     Mix beans and rice and set aside.

     Once chilies are ready, drain and fill them with the mixture of beans and rice.  Serve with onions used to cook the chilies and sprinkle with vegan cheese.

Meanwhile, this recipe from Dora’s Table makes use of chile chilhuacle negro, chile chilhuacle rojo, chile Mulato, and chile Pasilla in order to pull off a great vegan Oxacan mole negro!

Here are some more great vegan recipes that include chilies!

In salsa: https://dorastable.com/acuna-in-the-summer/

Stuffed: https://dorastable.com/vegan-chiles-rellenos/

In soups and stews: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue1/2020_issue1_soup_stews.php

In salad: https://milkfreemom.com/vegan-spicy-salad/#wprm-recipe-container-5883

When using chilies it is important, however, to pay attention to the recipe to make sure that the planned flavor comes through! Many recipes require cutting out the seeds of dried or fresh chilies prior to grinding or chopping.

More chile pepper recipes can be found here.

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2012issue1/2012_issue1_soups_southamerica.php

https://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjnewmex.htm

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2014issue3/2014_issue3_vegan_mexican.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue2/2010_issue2_vegan_cowboy_cuisine.php

The next time you’re near Harrisburg, PA, be sure to drop by Ward of Health located in the Broad Street Market. You can pick-up meals or have them delivered. They also do catering.

     Sample menu items include WOH Mein! It’s their version of the traditional Asian dish that includes Yellow Squash, Zucchini, a rainbow of Bell Peppers, Red Onions, and Rice Noodles dunked in a perfectly-seasoned Mineral Broth. This dish is spicy. They also serve Shroomsteak, which is a sandwich packed with thinly sliced Portabella Mushrooms, Red Onions, a garden of Bell Peppers, Plant-based Cheddar Cheese Sauce, and Cashew Queso Sauce served in between an Amoroso’s roll.

For more information on this establishment, see:

https://www.wardofhealth.com/

https://www.facebook.com/wardofhealth

https://www.instagram.com/wardofhealth/

Doesn’t vegan pizza and calzones sound like the perfect comfort food during a pandemic? Debra Daniels-Zeller’s Vegetarian Journal article “Dairy-Free Pizza & Calzones” serves up these delicious recipes that you can prepare in your own home:

Basic Pizza, Calzone, or Focaccia Dough

Quick Fruit Pizza

Mushroom and Artichoke Calzone

Pesto Potato Calzone

Vegan Pesto

Amaranth-Kamut Individual Pizzas

Black Bean Fiesta Pizza

Roasted Vegetable And Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza

Debra also shows you how to rescue overrisen dough and describes pizza essentials. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2002issue4/2002_issue4_pizza.php

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

You can also subscribe to the Kindle version of Vegetarian Journal in the USA and United Kingdom. In the USA, visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544727482&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K  In the United Kingdom, visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1544731957&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Dietary Guidelines for Americans is a document that is produced every 5 years and serves as a statement of current federal policy on the role of dietary factors in health promotion and disease prevention. It is used as the foundation for federal nutrition education materials, by schools, the food industry, and many others. During the process of updating the Dietary Guidelines, the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) appoint a committee of scientists to review current scientific evidence related to diet and to create an extensive scientific report. Interested groups and individuals comment on the scientific report. This report is used to inform the Dietary Guidelines which are written by the staff of the USDA and DHHS.  

     The latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines was released in December 2020. This edition is the first to include recommendations for the entire life-span, from birth through older adulthood.

As was true of the previous edition, the most recent Dietary Guidelines endorses “a healthy vegetarian dietary pattern” as one of three dietary patterns that can “be tailored to meet cultural and personal preferences.” There are versions of this plan for ages 1 year and older. The text of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines reminds vegetarians and others eating few animal products to consider use of a vitamin B12 supplement. The Guidelines also encourage all Americans to eat more plant foods including dried beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. These are all positive features.

     This edition of the Dietary Guidelines has been faulted for not addressing sustainability or greenhouse gas emissions; both of these issues affect human health and are connected to food production and dietary choices. Additionally, the recommendations by the Scientific Advisory Committee to reduce added sugar consumption to 6% of calories and limit daily alcohol consumption to one drink per day for men and women appear to have been ignored in the text developed by the USDA and DHHS. Added sugar is capped at 10% of calories as it was in the earlier edition and daily alcohol consumption limits are still two drinks a day for men and one for women. 

     Another issue with the latest Dietary Guidelines is that they continue to promote a “Dairy Group” even though this group now includes fortified soymilk.  Another name would more clearly indicate that this group includes something other than dairy products. All of the Vegetarian Dietary Patterns call for use of eggs with no suggestions for vegan foods that could replace eggs. The VRG will continue to advocate for changes to future Dietary Guidelines to make them vegan-friendly.

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov.

You can read VRG’s comments on the Scientific Report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee here.

Be sure to follow The Vegetarian Resource Group on Instagram: @vegetarianresourcegroup

Citrus fruit is readily available this time of year. The Vegetarian Journal articles below offer a wide variety of vegan recipes featuring citrus fruit.

Citrus Magic, by Debra Daniels-Zeller, provides recipes for Blood Orange Salad Dressing, Chipotle-Citrus Tofu Marinade, Raw Kale and Avocado Salad with Lemon Dressing, Tangerine Dream Cake, Broiled Grapefruit, Zesty Lemon-Mustard Dip, Parsley Rice with Carrots, Lime, and Pistachios, Orange Oats and Cranberries, and Grapefruit, Apple, and Avocado Salad with Satsuma Vinaigrette. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2013issue4/2013_issue4_citrus_magic.php

Another article by Debra Daniels-Zeller titled Lighten Up with Citrus offers Orange Buckwheat Porridge with Toasted Pecans, Guacamole, Creamy, Spicy Black Bean Soup, Cabbage, Carrot, and Raisin Salad with Citrus-Tahini Dressing, Orange-Almond Dressing, Citrus Baked Tofu, Lemon-Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Basmati Rice, Lemon-Banana Cashew Cream, Kumquat-Cardamom Coconut Pudding, and Lime Granita. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2005issue1/2005_issue1_lighten_up.php

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

You can also subscribe to the Kindle version of Vegetarian Journal in the USA and United Kingdom. In the USA, visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544727482&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K  In the United Kingdom, visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1544731957&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K

By Odette Olivares, VRG Intern

Latin American gastronomy is the result of traditional indigenous cuisine enriched by ingredients that Spaniards, Africans, Portuguese, French, and people from other cultures brought on their arrival to Latin America. The diet of indigenous people used to be rich in plant foods with moderate quantities of insects, fish, and meat. They did not use to consume milk, cheese, or other dairy products, yet they were apparently able to get enough calcium from their diets.

Latin American ingredients with 30 to 40 mg of calcium per portion that can add to your calcium intake, include eggplant, tamarind pulp, carrots, blackberries, lupin beans, black beans, red kidney beans, nixtamalized corn flour, green onions, pigeon peas, dried apricots, lentils, Jamaica or Hibiscus flowers, walnuts, and guavas.

To see more, go to https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/foods_calcium.htm

Read this article in Spanish here: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Alimentos-veganos-Latinoamericanos-y-Altos-en-Calcio.pdf