Sesame Sriracha Tofu photo by Rissa Miller

Leslie Gray Streeter article “Flat Out Flavor – Sheet Pan Meals” features recipes that were conceived for minimum effort but maximum flavor, with lots of veggies and a variety of plant-based add-ins. Enjoy Hash Brown Sheet Pan Brunch Casserole with Cashew Cream; Black Bean Taco Bake; Chickpea Lasagna; Sesame Sriracha Tofu; and Oatmeal Apple Dessert Bake.

Find the article here: Vegan Sheet Pan Meals

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

Debra Daniels-Zeller’s article Perfect Pears provides recipes for Reisling-Braised Kale and Pears With Basmati Rice; Sweet And Spicy Yams And Pears With Toasted Pecans; Maple-Sautéed Pears; Creamy Rosemary, Acorn Squash, and Pear Soup; Coconut-Cranberry-Pear Sauce Hazelnut-Orange Asian Pear and Beet Salad; Pear Crisp With Cranberries; Pear-Walnut Bread; and Berry-Poached Pears. She also explains the differences between popular varieties of pears. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2004issue3/2004_issue3_perfect_pears.php

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

photo from Wellness Sushi

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):

Mothership, 2310 30th St., San Diego, CA 92104

Reserve a 2- to 6-person table (there is also a walk-in option but you may only get space at the bar if at all) for a 90-minute experience at this themed (Sci fi meets tropical tiki) bar. Everything, from the menus, to the presentation of the cocktails and tapas dishes, to the bathrooms, has been carefully selected to contribute to the ambience. Most cocktails and zero-proof mocktails are based around tropical fruit juices, coconut, and different Caribbean rums and liqueurs, combined with different herbs and even (in the Zero Proof Stun Ray) Szechuan peppers, and are served with unique and fun garnishes and decorations.  The tapas-style shareable food is eclectic and innovative, leaning towards Asian fusion. For example, the “Potato” dish features scallion latkes served on a bed of kimchi cream cheese, with Japanese cucumber and black radish.

Organic Food King, 3246 N Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33127

Serving up organic comfort food in the Wynwood area of Miami, this vegan food truck features an extensive menu of meatless meals that even carnivores are likely to enjoy. From breakfast sandwiches and egg burritos to tacos, hot dogs, burgers, “chick’n” sandwiches, and sweet smoothies to boot, there’s something for everyone. Outdoor seating is available.

Propaganda Coffee, 17806 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, OH 44107

Propaganda Coffee has lots of Eats to choose from. Besides salads, sandwiches and more, there’s Potato Latke Waffles, described as “hot, fresh and crispy,” served with applesauce or sour cream. If you’re in the mood for some crunch, you might enjoy Blackberry Overnight Oats with a vanilla twist and granola. The Pesto Flatbread features house made pesto, feta and roasted red peppers. For veggies bursting with color and texture, there’s peanut-sauced Raw Pad Thai or veggie based Coconut Curry Noodles in a cream sauce, crowned with cashews, sesame and cilantro, and served cool as the cucumber in this dish. Drinks offer so many choices! There are cold beverages and more hot. Hot drinks include varying flavors of tea, hot cocoa, mocha, macchiato, espresso and cappuccino to name a few. Baked goods abound with cakes, rotating varieties of doughnuts and Lemon Lavender Scones. If muffins are your jam, besides blueberry, there’s also Matcha. Are you in the mood for a different type of sandwich? They’ve got you covered with a double cream cookie sandwich. Propaganda Coffee is located near Beck Center for the Arts.

RāwASF Plant-Based Café, 1679 N Milpitas Blvd, Milpitas, CA 95035

Besides Steak & Eggs Bagels, and Eggs & Bacon Bagels, The All-Day Breakfast menu section also includes Adaptogenic Mushroom Toast starring roasted mushrooms, umami spread, roasted garlic, sliced radish, maitake mushroom dust, and truffle oil served on levain bread with seasonal microgreens. Another choice is Rawvocado—sliced avocado graced with plum jam, roasted garlic, radish and seasonal microgreens, served on levain bread. RawASF serves Adaptogenic Lattes with herbs like ashwagandha, sea buckthorn, camu camu or mushrooms like reishi, in cold brews with a coffee or matcha base. You can customize your own Superfood Bowl or choose one of their artistic, colorful designs. If you’re craving Pizza, there’s Pepperoni, or White Truffle with wood-fired mushrooms and white truffle oil, both served with plant based mozzarella and avocado pesto. Choose from several Burgers, many with Smoked flaxseed cheese. Looking for a saucy burger? Spicy Jalapeno 2.0 features goji mango-habanero with pickled cucumber. There’s a BBQ burger too— to name a few. Finally, there are oodles of Smoothies including a gorgeous, violet colored Ubé Avocado Nice Cream, whipped up with a whole avocado, coconut milk, agave and purple sweet potato/yam.

The Fragile Flour, 122 East 7th St., New York, NY 10009

Enjoy sweet and savory plant-based desserts and wines from around the world including apple cider parfait, chai hazelnut tiramisu, and salted maple pumpkin pecan pie. Note this place is walk-in only with 12 seat spaces.

Wellness Sushi, 2504 E Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80206

Sushi items on the menu include krunchy krab with krab salad and avocado, ebi tempura roll with vegan shrimp tempura, and an ohnagi roll with green bean tempura. The menu also features okinawa origiri including classic crunch onigiri with vegan spam and tamago. Several ramen bowls with soboro soy meat are available.

Yellow & Lavender, 1406 McGavock Pike, Ste. D, Nashville, TN 37216

Yellow & Lavender is a charming and eclectic bakery located in the heart of the Inglewood neighborhood. You’ll find a variety of sweet and savory creations on display at the counter, though possibly not for long as the menu changes weekly. Help yourself to a classic almond croissant stuffed with almond créme, a bread pudding cup surrounded by cinnamon roll and blended with pumpkin spice babka, or a classic pig in a blanket croissant that you’d swear had real cheddar and sausage in it. The shop is owned and operated by an LGBTQ+ couple who used to make hundreds of confections for other restaurants and coffee shops in Nashville. The shop’s decor is a reflection of the couple’s philosophy: pennants with slogans like “we ain’t mad with nobody,” “this is not the end of the road for you,” and “no dairy, meat, fear, homophobia, racism, misogyny, ignorance, or drama . . . be nice or go home” abound. For those with dietary restrictions, there are gluten-free options available. The bakery is also wheelchair accessible with both indoor and outdoor seating. Note that the shop is located in the back alley of Riverside Village, a small cluster of businesses within Inglewood.

For short cooking video, see https://youtu.be/84T8Nph3NGU

Enjoy this Chili Fries recipe and other low-cost vegan dishes from Skyler Kilmer. See: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2020/10/15/vegan-at-the-dollar-tree-store/

Kasheri with Brown Rice

Chef Nancy Berkoff shares delicious vegan Egyptian recipes in her article Vegan Recipes from Egypt. Dishes include Kasheri with Brown Rice, Brown Rice Mujaddara, Makloubeh (Layered Eggplant), Vegan Kofta, Orange and Olive Salad, Khoshaf (Compote), and Egyptian Lemonade.

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

Recent topics brought up include:

– Suggestions on vegan items to have on hand for Halloween.

– East Carolina University shared info on the need for pregnant vegan/vegetarian women for research study participants.

– Sharing The Vegetarian Resource Group’s 2022 Video Contest Winners

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.

Savory Muffin photo by Rissa Miller

By Rissa Miller, Senior Editor Vegan Journal

Try these savory muffins warm from the oven beside a soup or stew. They also make a great snack for car trips.

Savory Veggie Muffins

(Makes 12 muffins)

Wet ingredients:

2 cups grated zucchini or yellow summer squash, thoroughly drained

1/3 cup plain, unsweetened vegan milk (oat or soy recommended)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup jarred roasted red pepper, drained

1/4 cup canola oil

1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal

Dry ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon chili powder (or more/less, to taste)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use non-stick spray to prepare a 12-muffin baking tin. Set aside.

Add all wet ingredients to a food processor or high-power blender, and pulse until smooth and well combined. If you prefer to mix by hand, chop red peppers and then add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine.

Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture in a blender or processor, and pulse to combine. Be sure to scrape down the sides. Do not over-mix or the muffins will be chewy. If mixing by hand, add ingredients gradually and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed.

Spoon muffin batter into prepared tin and fill to the top edge. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until muffins have puffed up and lightly golden. Use a toothpick to chew and make sure the middles are done. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack, or just serve warm.

East Carolina University is recruiting pregnant vegan and vegetarian women to participate in a research study that examines urine and breast milk iodine concentration. We need your help in this process.

The following are the basic eligibility criteria:

• Following one of the following diet patterns: vegan or vegetarian,
• Currently pregnant,
• Willing to provide 1 sample of urine while pregnant and one sample of breast milk approximately one month after delivery,
• Willing to complete a web-based screening survey and a diet questionnaire.

Women selected for the study will receive a gift card to reimburse them for their time.

More information about the study can be found at: https://www.vegstudy.com/

To complete eligibility screening visit (please use Firefox as your browser): https://go.ecu.edu/veg-study

We sincerely appreciate your help.
Roman Pawlak, Ph,D, RD
Principal Investigator
East Carolina University

The Vegetarian Resource Group will be awarding $30,000 in college scholarships to high school seniors graduating in Spring, 2023. $10,000 of these scholarships specifically will be awarded to students of need who are concerned with the ethics of consuming animals, have promoted a veggie lifestyle, and will be future leaders in advocating a vegan society.

Deadline is February 20, 2023. We will accept applications postmarked on or before FEBRUARY 20, 2023. Early submission is encouraged.

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 will ask semi-finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by email or telephone. Please look at your email.

Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who do not use other animal products such as dairy or eggs.

To apply for the awards, please send below to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203, or [email protected]

1. When applying, please include the following:

• Name:
• Street address:
• City, State, Zip:
• Email address:
• Phone number:
• Date of birth:
• Date of expected graduation from high school:
• Grade average in high school:
• College(s) applied/accepted to (if known):
• Anticipated major in college:
• Parents’ or Guardians’ names:
• Parents’ or Guardians’ addresses:
• City, State, Zip:
• High school principal:
• Name of one high school teacher:
• Name of high school:
• Address of high school:
• City, State, Zip:
• People in the vegetarian movement, if any, who know you (Please include contact information):
• Extracurricular activities (please describe):
• Favorite subjects in school:
• How did you hear about the scholarship?:
• Type of vegetarian/vegan:

1. Please submit an essay addressing all of the following:

Use as few or as many words as necessary to best sell yourself. Don’t worry about word count.

1. How you promoted vegetarianism/veganism in your high school and/or community
2. Animal rights activities
3. Your successes
4. Your challenges
5. What you learned/what you would do different
6. How you expect to promote vegetarianism/veganism in college and beyond
7. Your future goals
8. Your strengths
9. Your weaknesses
10. Your “perfect” life in five years
11. Why you should receive this scholarship/financial need
12. How you became vegetarian/vegan and why you are vegetarian/vegan
13. How you define vegetarian
14. Why vegetarianism is important to you
15. What else is important to you
16. What vegetarian foods you would recommend to a non-vegetarian
17. What restaurants you would recommend to a non-vegetarian.

III. Please also attach:

1. A copy of your transcripts or report cards for the past two years. (An official copy is not necessary. Photocopies of your report cards will suffice.)
2. Three or more recommendations (including at least one teacher).
3. Any documentation related to your promotion of vegetarianism/veganism in high school and/or community including photographs, newspaper stories, etc.

Please send application and attachments to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203, or [email protected]

For more information call (410) 366-8343 or email [email protected].

Don’t spend extra money on express mail. Save it for your college class materials.

If you would like to donate to additional scholarships or internships, go to www.vrg.org/donate

For information about other scholarships, see https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

The Vegetarian Resource Group is celebrating its 40^th Anniversary this fall and this year we have changed the name of our quarterly magazine to Vegan Journal. You’ll find the same type of articles and recipe pieces in an updated format. Enjoy in-depth original research, product and book reviews, scientific updates on veggie nutrition, delicious vegan recipes with gorgeous photos, plus so much more. Both long-term vegans and those new to a vegan life-style will enjoy this magazine.

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