photo by Rissa Miller

Who doesn’t love brownies? Find 12 different brownie recipes you can prepare this Valentine’s Day. Try y Pumpkin Spice Brownies with Crumb Topping, Brownie-Beet Pecan Pie, Minty-Zucchini Brownies, Cheesecake Brownies, Orange-Chocolate Chip Blondies, Raspberry Brownies, and more! Find the recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2022issue3/2022_issue3_vegan_brownies.php

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Chili Crackers and Creamy Chili Dip Photos by Linda Tyler

Linda Tyler’s article “Chili & Chill” an issue of Vegan Journal serves up a wide variety of dishes including Chili Crackers; Creamy Chili Dip; Creamy Chili and Spaghetti Squash Casserole; Chili-Spiced Roasted Ratatouille; Go-To Vegan Chili; and Chili Cornbread Pie.

Find the article with recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2022issue1/2022_issue1_chilly_and_chill.php

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By Noelle Merveilleux, VRG Intern

Climate change is a growing concern for the general public. Evidently, there is a growing body of evidence that supports the general view that if we do not act accordingly, we run the risk of environmental catastrophe. Environmental catastrophe means a few things for us. It means weather events can and most likely will increase in severity. It means we shall witness increased loss of species and their habitat. Eventually, we would probably bear witness to the depletion of vital resources like water, making it difficult for life on Earth to flourish.

I had the opportunity to spend some time reading a book focused on different aspects of climate change. Keith Akers’ Embracing Limits: A Radical and Necessary Approach to the Environmental Crisis is a dense read. Now, what do I mean by this? Not only does Akers highlight some of the damage done over years to the biosphere, including discussing the effects of animal agriculture and oil production on the environment, he also brings in the economic element of the crisis, an element that more and more people are starting to come to terms with in more recent years. This was a much-appreciated move. It is as he suggests throughout the book, that understanding this crisis should be addressed at multiple levels, including the economic level. He presents the view that because the Earth has finite resources, we should not expect endless economic expansion and should try to aim for degrowth. However, Akers is generally cautious about prescribing solutions such as this one and others throughout the text, especially in his recognition of negative outcomes of his proposed solutions. He delves more into this than I want to spoil for you here, starting with the second chapter.

My usage of “dense” to describe the nature of Akers’ work is not meant to fault his efforts in any way or to turn readers away, but to hopefully make anyone seeking to read this book aware of how troublesome learning about these issues can be and to possibly challenge you, the readers to become more informed and engaged in your own lives. I think it is fair to say there is no one solution or quick fix for this problem. At various points in the text, Akers laments the amount of work ahead for humanity as a whole just to even begin changing the attitudes in the social sphere surrounding these issues, let alone beginning to scratch the surface on reversing the effects CO₂ emissions have had in our atmosphere. It seems futile, especially these days, but I hope you feel encouraged to act in your own life in all the ways you can and that you find community with like-minded individuals in spite of that.

You can purchase Embracing Limits here:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/embracing-limits-keith-akers/1143247893

https://compassionatespirit.com/wpblog/

Recent topics brought up include:

– I am interested in working on changing school lunches in our district. I have no idea where to start. I have some knowledge in nutrition, I’m a diabetes educator. But I know absolutely nothing about policies/government and how any of that works. Anyone have any suggestions?

– Pizzeria Uno is featuring Vegan Garden Pizza, Vegan Cheese Pizza, and Vegan Cheeseburger Deep Dish Pizza. See https://www.unos.com/menus/glutenfree-vegan-pizza.php

– Share this handy poster with family and friends. You can also print it out and post it on your refrigerator. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/VeganDietsinaNutshellPoster.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRGparentsandkids is intended to be a group that offers support for families raising children on vegan diets and for vegan kids around the world. We envision it as a place to get advice about a wide-variety of topics: pregnancy, birthday parties, school lunches, Halloween, non-leather apparel, cruelty-free products, summer camps, and more. Please use it as a place to share your wisdom, seek advice, or just find a sympathetic ear. The goal is to offer support.

Consequently, any profane, defamatory, offensive, or violent language will be removed. Feel free to disagree, but do so respectfully. Hateful or discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs will not be tolerated. We expect that posts should relate to vegan diets and lifestyles. The Vegetarian Resource Group reserves the right to monitor all content and ban any user who posts in violation of the above rules, any law or regulation, SPAM, or anything otherwise off topic.

Please share this information with any veggie families that you know! Thanks.

Serving muffins on a chilly day will be well-received. Debra Daniels-Zeller’s previous Journal article Muffin Mania offers recipes for Carrot Cake Muffins, Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins, Apple Cider Walnut Muffins, Pumpkin Muffins, Gluten-Free Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins, and Gluten-Free Banana Nut Muffins.

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2014issue4/2014_issue4_muffin_mania.php

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

Are you still looking for a Valentine’s Day gift? If so, you might want to prepare a vegan meal for your family, friends, co-worker, etc. to show your admiration. Nothing beats comfort food, and we have published many articles on this topic throughout the years in Vegan Journal. Delicious vegan recipes can be found in the articles below. Enjoy!

Baby Boomer Cooking

Comfort Foods

Comforting Casseroles

Modern Vegan Comfort Food

Vegan Comfort Foods

Vegan Versions of Familiar Favorites

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This is Coda Spier and vegan food prepared by him in his culinary program. Coda is a 2023 VRG scholarship winner. To enter this year’s scholarship contest, go to
https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm The deadline is February 20, 2024!

To support VRG scholarships and internships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

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

Celebrate the Chinese New Year with Vegan Chinese Dishes! See: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2005issue4/2005_issue4_chinese_cooking.php

And you will find these dishes:

Boiled Rice and Mushroom Congee
T’ang Dynasty Cold Fruit Soup
Cabbage Salad
Citrus Snow Peas
Street Side Tofu and Mushrooms
Stir-fried Noodles
Sweet Walnuts

Also, visit: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2013issue3/2013_issue3_chinese_cooking.php

And enjoy preparing:

Fried Lotus with Black Rice
Sesame Kale
B&B Stir-fry with Udon Noodles

To subscribe to Vegan Journal, visit: http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

In a previous issue of Vegan Journal, chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD shared a number of quick and easy suggestions on how to prepare Eggplant.

Here are some eggplant ideas…

• Roast an eggplant whole, in the oven or on the grill, until soft enough to mash with a fork. Scoop out pulp and add oil and vinegar, garlic, and black pepper to use as a dip or salad dressing. This dish is sometimes called “eggplant caviar.”
• For homemade baba ganoush, purée roasted eggplant and mix with garlic, tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, chopped parsley, and olive oil. Use it as a dip for vegetables or as a sandwich filling.
• Mix diced, grilled eggplant with grilled peppers, lentils, onions, and garlic. Serve cold, topped with balsamic vinaigrette, or hot, atop grains, pasta, or pizza.
• Skip-the-Frying Baked Eggplant: Peel eggplant and cut into ½-inch slices. Create a breading with your favorite crumbs (bread, cornmeal, etc.) and dried Italian herbs (garlic powder, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, etc.). Spray eggplant slices with vegetable oil, coat with breading, place on non-stick pan, and bake until soft. Layer baked eggplant into a deep baking dish, alternating layers with thick tomato sauce; drained, diced, canned tomatoes; sliced mushrooms (if desired); and either shredded vegan cheese or thinly sliced extra-firm tofu. Cover and bake until bubbly.
• Mini Japanese or Thai eggplant stuffed with a mixture of diced smoked tofu, tempeh, or veggie crumbles; pine nuts; and roasted peppers. Wrap in foil and bake.
• Make Eggplant Frisbees: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place slices of unpeeled eggplant (about ½-inch thick) individually on a non-stick baking sheet. Sprinkle with grated vegan cheese, minced onions, sunflower seeds, and nutritional yeast. Bake until bubbly and the eggplant is slightly soft. The Frisbees may also be used as eggplant burgers served on a hearty roll with fixins.

Read her Vegan Cooking Tips column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2021issue4/2021_issue4_cooking_tips.php

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