Posted on
December 28, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Due to the generosity of an
anonymous donor, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $20,000 in college
scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted
veganism/vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. Vegetarians do not
eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who do not use other animal
products such as dairy or eggs.
One award of $10,000 and two awards of $5,000 will be given. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in spring 2021. Deadline is February 20, 2021. We will accept applications postmarked on or before February 20, 2021. Early submission is encouraged!
Applicants will be judged on having
shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful
world through a vegan/vegetarian diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the
student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give
permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become
property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more
information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please
look at your e-mail.
Posted on
December 28, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Rissa Miller, Vegetarian Journal Senior Editor
(Serves 8-10)
Curl up in front of your favorite
movie or catch the latest game while you enjoy this spicy, but secretly
not-all-junk-food Buffalo Cauliflower Dip. The oven-roasted veggies and beans
add nutrition while the buffalo sauce and spices make it taste like your
traditional game time favorite. The recipe makes enough to share with the
family, or warm it up as leftovers for the entire weekend!
1 head cauliflower, chopped to
medium-size pieces
1 cup roughly chopped onion
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
One 15-ounce can cannellini beans,
drained
3/4 to 1 cup vegan buffalo sauce (to
taste)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup vegan cheddar shreds
(optional)
1/4 cup vegan bread crumbs
(optional)
1 scallion, green part, chopped
(optional)
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
(optional)
To serve, tortilla or pita chips,
carrot and/or celery sticks
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Toss chopped cauliflower, onions, and garlic with olive oil and salt/pepper on
a rimmed sheet pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until vegetables are tender and
lightly browned.
While
vegetables bake, add beans, buffalo sauce, nutritional yeast, paprika, and
coriander to a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth.
When
veggies are baked, add in batches to the blender/processor (unless it all fits
at once) and puree until smooth.
Pour into a
casserole pan and if needed, stir batches together. Top as desired with vegan
cheddar shreds and/or bread crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees an additional ten
minutes. Turn on the oven broiler setting and broil dip to crisp top and melt
vegan cheese for 5 minutes.
Before
serving, sprinkle with dried parsley flakes and chopped scallions. Serve warm
with tortilla or pita chips and carrot/celery sticks.
Cook’s
Notes: Want it hotter? Look for extra
spicy buffalo sauce. This recipe was tested with Frank’s and Primal brands.
Alternatively, add some red pepper flakes or a little sriracha to amp up the
heat. Want it decadent? Serve with a side or drizzle of vegan blue cheese
dressing. Daiya and Follow Your Heart both offer bottled blue cheese sauce.
Posted on
December 25, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
The latest issue of Vegetarian Journal includes results from
a national Harris Poll commissioned by The Vegetarian Resource Group. Find out:
How Many Adults in the U.S. are Vegan and How Many Adults Eat Vegetarian When
Eating Out?
Posted on
December 25, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By
Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD, EdD
A
little rice enrichment fact-let: when rice is polished, most of the nutrients
are removed. In the 1800’s many people who immigrated to the US were accustomed
to eating unpolished rice as a staple food. Unfortunately, only white rice was
popularly for sale in the US. There began to be many Vitamin B-deficiency
diseases seen in the immigrant population, as they had previously obtained
their Vitamin Bs from unpolished, “whole grain” rice. The US government
mandated that all polished rice be fortified with the nutrients that had been
removed. This was accomplished by saving the rice “shells,” crushing them into a
powder, mixing the powder with water and spraying the mixture back onto the
rice. The rice was allowed to dry, and the nutrients were partially restored. Public
health campaigns were launched, to instruct people not to wash the “fortified
rice,” as washing the rice removed the nutrient powder.
Posted on
December 24, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, reviews recent scientific papers related to vegetarianism in the present issue of Vegetarian Journal. Topics covered include Quality of Restaurant Meals and Vegetarian, and Especially Vegan Diets, Are Effective in Reducing Blood Pressure.
Posted on
December 24, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Chef Kathleen Byrd, owner of
Mobtown Sweets and Treats in Maryland, has written an article titled “Heavy
Lifting: Sweet and Savory Dips, Gravy, and Sauces for Winter” in the present
issue of Vegetarian Journal. Enjoy
recipes for Lentil Walnut Paté, Cranberry Onion Jam, Roasted Garlic Dip,
Roasted Carrot Sriracha Hummus, Buffalo Chickpea Dip, Roasted Eggplant Red
Pepper Spread, Golden Sage Gravy, Mexican Chocolate Sauce, and Coconut Caramel
Sauce.
Posted on
December 23, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
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):
Bam’s Vegan, 2301 N. O’Connor Rd., Irving,
TX 75062
At O’Connor Plaza in
Irving, Texas you can find Bam’s Vegan, a restaurant with delicious vegan
options that form a rotating menu. Recipes for Bam Vegan’s chipotle sage
nachos, jackfruit ropa vieja, chick N’ waffles, and more can be found on their
website. Updated business hours and information can be found on their social
media pages.
Chikyu Vegan Sushi Bar & Izakaya,
1740 E. Serene Ave., Ste. 130, Las Vegas, NV 89123
Chikyu Vegan Sushi
Bar & Izakaya restaurant is a spin on a classic sushi bar. The chef only
uses vegetables, fruits, and flowers to compose each dish. However, the chef
still uses Japanese techniques and cooking methods. The menu offers various
items from miso soup, gyoza, and vegetable tempura, to lesser-known dishes such
as Nasu Agebitashi (eggplant with sweet soy) and Nimono (lotus root). This
restaurant is also known for different types of sushi made with plant-based
ingredients.
Conscious Plates, 332 E. 51st,
Chicago, IL 60609
Conscious Plates
near Grand Boulevard, Chicago specializes in vegan alkaline healthy food,
meaning Soy-Free, Wheat-Free and Starch-Free and made with natural ingredients
with an alkaline PH Level.” Dishes range from vegan chickpea egg sandwiches to
chili cheese fries to a waffle supreme! All ingredients can be found on their
website, where one can also order from.
Jacked Up Vegan, 5601 Edgewater Dr.,
Orlando, FL 32018
In an unmistakable
green food truck, Jacked Up Vegan is serving up “good food, not fast food,” as
all dishes are made from scratch. If you are ever craving tacos, burgers,
nachos or more, this place has you covered. Don’t miss trying the signature
Jacked Up BBQ Jackfruit Taco flavored with guava barbeque sauce, cilantro
garlic crema, and French fried onion. Another favorite is the Tostone Burger,
which is an impossible burger with an avalanche of toppings between two crispy
plantains. This food truck is the perfect place to enjoy an indulgent and
flavorful meal.
Leguminati, 2401 Curry Ford Rd.,
Orlando, FL 32806
Enjoy items such as
the Crunch Mac, which consists of seasoned vegan beef crumbles, mac &
cheeze, tostada, vegan sour cream, diced tomato, lettuce, and a flour tortilla,
or the Sloppy Crunch consisting of vegan beef crumbles, slo sauce, queso,
tostada, rice paper bacun, fried onion, diced hot peppers, and a flour
tortilla.
Liberation Donuts, 2054 W. Grand
Ave., Chicago, IL 60612
All of their donuts
are 100% vegan and delicious! Try out the Flapjack (Cake Donut, Maple Syrup
Glaze, Spiced Chocolate Crumb), Firestorm (Chocolate Donut, Chocolate Glaze,
Cinnamon Chili Powder), or even the Balaclava (Cake Donut, Tahini Glaze,
Pumpkin Seed Baklava)! These are all winners. Plus, half of the proceeds from
their classic lemon poppy seed donut go to various animal rights/rescue or
humanitarian organizations. What could be better than this?
Plant Joy, 1801 North Graham St.,
Ste. 101, Charlotte, NC 28206
Plant Joy is a
colorfully designed stall located at Camp North End, which is an old industrial
space that houses restaurants, shops, and more. The menu is inspired by the
Mediterranean Diet. So, the food is delicious, fresh, and healthy, with
vegetables at the forefront. Some menu items include the Falafel Tower (plated
nacho-style), Socca and Salad, which is like a crepe made from chickpeas, and
Nice Caesar topped with a shiitake kebab. All of the food is sourced
sustainably and plated beautifully.
The BeetBox, Stillwater, 421 N. Main
St., OK 74074
This vegan food
truck that focuses on serving Midwestern comfort food was started by two college
students. You can order customized “chickenless sandwiches,” coconut shrimp
tacos, loaded fries, mini vegan cakes made from scratch, loaded fries, and
more! Their Instagram also highlights updates and sale information!
Posted on
December 23, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Each issue of Vegetarian Journal features a vegan activist. In the latest issue
we honor Wendy Gabbe Day. She coordinated the Santa Cruz, California 2019
VegFest, hosts webinars, wrote a cookbook called Scatter Vegan Sweets, and writes a blog titled Lively Days, which features many of her family’s favorite recipes.
Posted on
December 22, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, reviews
recent scientific papers related to vegetarianism in the present issue of Vegetarian Journal. Topics covered
include Eat a Carrot Every Day!; Human Milk: The Ideal First Food; and Vegan
Motivations.
Posted on
December 22, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Salads are popular during summer months; however, you can prepare a
delicious warm winter salad as well. A previous Vegetarian Journal article
by Debra Daniels-Zeller provides recipes for Spicy Black Bean, Corn, and
Couscous Salad; Buckwheat and Rice Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette; Hot Italian
Bean and Pasta Salad with Broccoli; Curried Lentil Salad; Sesame Noodles with
Wilted Greens; Whole Grain and Cabbage Salad with Lemon-Peanut Dressing; and
Smoky Potato-Squash Salad.
The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on veganism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology, ethics, and world hunger. We have been helping health professionals, food services, businesses, educators, students, vegans, and vegetarians since 1982. In addition to publishing the Vegan Journal, VRG produces and sells a number of books.
Sign up for our newsletter to receive recipes, ingredient information, reviews of new products, announcements of new books, free samples of products, and other VRG materials.