Seitan “Brat” Crostini photo by Rissa Miller

Are you getting tired of avocado toast and looking for some other creative toasts? Raise a Toast by Jason Yowell includes recipes for Frico Caprese; Mushroom Medley Toasts with Herbed Cashew Cheeze (photo by Rissa Miller); Seitan “Brat” Crostini; Sweet Potato Toasts with Beet Purée; BLT Toasts; and Sweet Cream & Fruit Tartine.

Read the entire article here: Raise a Toast

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By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD

HEADS UP: there are two large categories of lettuce, head lettuce and leaf lettuce. Until recent years, the most popular head lettuce was iceberg. And why, might you ask, is this green-on-the-outside, white-on the inside called “iceberg?” No, it has nothing to do with the Titanic. When iceberg lettuce was first commercialized on a large scale it had to be covered with ice so it would not wilt during shipping. There, now you know.

OIL BE DARNED: Lettuce was originally valued for the oil pressed from its seeds. We’re talking at least 4,500 years ago. There are documents proving that the Persian nation ate lettuce leaves at least as far back as 600 BCE. The ancient Greeks and Romans valued lettuce as both a vegetable and a remedy. The word lettuce comes from the Latin “lactuca,” which comes from “lactus,” which means “milk,” because, when cut, lettuce leaves tend to give off a milky sap.

GREEN, RED, WHITE, AND BEYOND: Lettuce leaves are generally green, but they also come in red, white, pale yellow, and faintly purple Whichever color you choose, be sure the leaves are glossy, firm and crisp. For head lettuce, be sure the head is dense (the leaves should be closely packed) and that the head feels heavy for its size. Leaf lettuce should have firm, crisp leaves that have a clearly defined rib down the center. Always avoid dull-looking, rusty, soggy or yellowing leaves.

THE GREENER THE LETTUCE…generally the more vitamins and minerals it contains. Most varieties have a fair amount of folic acid (an important B vitamin), are helpful for hydration and are low in calories and sodium. Deep green lettuces, such as romaine or Boston are higher in nutrients then the paler varieties, such as iceberg.

FIRE AND ICE: lettuce is usually eaten raw, but a classic French garnish, called “chiffonade,” is a light sauté of shredded lettuce in a small amount of vegetable oil. So, impress the folks with “petit pois a la francaise,” baby peas with a garnish of sautéed lettuce. Lettuce can be quickly braised in vegetable stock and place on top of a cold salad for a “fire and ice” creation. Toss chopped lettuce leaves into soup right before serving—the broth will cook the leaves. Lettuce gives a light, refreshing flavor to soups. Add interest to cold lettuce salads by combining several types of lettuce (bagged, ready-to-use lettuces are great for this).

Petits Pois a la Francaise

(Serves 6-8)

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil of your choice

3 cups freshly shelled or frozen peas
1 cup finely shredded head lettuce, such as Iceberg
1/2 cup chopped green onions (white part only)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon sweetener

Wash fresh peas and pat dry. If using frozen peas, do not thaw. Heat a large frying pan, add oil. Add peas to the pan and heat and toss briefly, to coat, about one minute. Add all remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Put heat on low, cover, and simmer until peas are just tender, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

How often have you wanted to make a gift in honor of a loved one or friend but weren’t sure which charities are vegan-friendly, pro-environmental, or pro-animal rights? Please remember The Vegetarian Resource Group. You can make a gift in memory of a loved one or as a living tribute to honor someone you care about on a special occasion, such as a wedding or birth. We’ll send an acknowledgment to you and to the recipient(s) you choose. Your gift will support educational programs and help promote veganism.

Make checks payable to The Vegetarian Resource Group and mail to PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203, or donate at vrg.org/donate

Photo by Rissa Miller

By Rissa Miller, Vegan Journal Senior Editor

(Serves 6)

1 Tablespoon vegan margarine/butter

1 small onion, sliced

3-4 radishes, sliced

1-2 cloves garlic

2 sheets vegan puff pastry, thawed to room temperature

Flour, to roll dough

One 16-ounce silken tofu, drained

1/4 cup chickpea flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 Tablespoon miso

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon arrowroot powder

Pinch black salt (optional, see note below)

Pinch ground white pepper (optional)

1 bundle of asparagus, ends trimmed

Salad Topping with Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Salt/pepper, to taste

4 cups fresh arugula, baby spinach, baby kale, or spring mix greens

2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

     In a medium side skillet, melt the vegan margarine and toss in onion, radishes, and garlic. Sauté vegetables until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside.

     Flour a flat surface and individually roll puff pastry sheets using a rolling pin or flat jar until each sheet is roughly about 12×14 or so. Move one puffed pastry sheet to each baking sheet and set aside.

     In a blender or food processor, combine silken tofu, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, miso, turmeric, garlic powder, arrowroot powder, black salt, and white pepper. Purée until smooth and creamy with no chunks of tofu remaining. Pour half of the mixture onto one puff pastry sheet and spread it evenly up to one inch from the sides. Fold sides over to make the crusty edge of the tart. Repeat with remaining tofu mixture on second puff pastry sheet. Use half of the asparagus and place it across the middle of the tart in a row in any way that looks appealing. Repeat with the second tart. Divide the sautéed onions, radishes and garlic, and sprinkle half on each tart.

     Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes until the tart center is set up firmly and the crust is crispy and golden brown. Allow to cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes before topping with salad.

     While tarts bake, prepare the Salad Topping with Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette. In a ball jar with a lid or a bowl combine olive oil, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, smoked paprika and salt/pepper. If using a jar, shake to mix or in a bowl, whisk until blended. Toss arugula/greens, sunflower seeds and vinaigrette until well combined. When tarts are cooled, spread salad over each one. Slice each tart into six portions and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Vegan Chopped Liver

https://www.vrg.org/blog/2011/04/18/vegan-chopped-liver-spread-for-passover/

Sweet Potato Kugel

https://www.vrg.org/blog/2014/04/09/vegan-passover-recipes-2/

Matzo Meal Pancakes

https://www.vrg.org/blog/2014/03/12/celebrate-passover-with-vegan-dishes/

Vegan Carrot Cream Soup

https://www.vrg.org/blog/2020/04/08/serve-vegan-carrot-cream-soup-for-passover/

Russian Potato and Mushroom Croquettes; Indian-Style Potato Dish; Fresh Tomato Soup; A.M. Crunchies; Pear and Apple Slaw

https://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/03/27/vegan-recipes-for-passover/

French Onion Soup

https://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/03/12/vegan-passover-recipes-3/

Eggless Passover Desserts

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_matzo.php

For more recipes, see:

https://www.vrg.org/journal/index.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/CookingAndRecipes.htm

Amp up Tacos in your household with these vegan recipes for Tacos al Pastor and Tofu con Rajas Poblanos. Both offer up layers of flavor with pepper-based marinades and hearty vegan ingredients. Chef Carlos does it again with more Mexican meals!

See this VRG video at: https://youtu.be/cQBoamigfTI

More videos at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvSyCToa_i9fA4D5CLCAFWw https://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php

If you live in Israel or travel there for work or pleasure, be sure to dine at Green Roll in Tel Aviv. This vegan sushi restaurant offers a huge variety of creative sushi, as well as soups, appetizers, sandwiches, desserts, and more.

They are located here: Ahad Ha’Am St 15, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 6514101, Israel

For more information, visit their website (in Hebrew) https://thegreenroll.co.il/

When you go to the restaurant you can request an English menu.

Kusaki seared tofu

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:

Beach’n SF, 4300 Judah St., San Francisco, CA 94122

Beach’n SF is a vegan coffee bar and brunch and lunch restaurant. Breakfast is served all day and includes breakfast burritos with guacamole and hash cake bites as well as French toast topped with seasonal fruit. Lunch items include buffalo mac’n cheeze made with house-made sauce; a beach’n crunch wrap with refried beans, guacamole, house-made cheese sauce, and pickled jalapenos; and tofu sunset banh mi made with tofu marinated in a ginger-lime vinaigrette and topped with pickled carrots and jalapenos. Salads and sides are also available including Caesar salad, fries, and deep-fried Brussel sprouts.

Kusaki, 2535 S. Barrington Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90064

Minimalist, modern, and sophisticated omakase bar and sushi restaurant featuring elaborate, innovative plant-based sushi, sashimi, appetizers, and shareable non-sushi dishes. À la carte options include a variety of sushi rolls, hand rolls, sashimi, and nigiri. The fillings range from vegetables like trumpet mushroom and butternut squash to vegan “seafood” like salmon, tuna, and calamari. Crowd favorites include the king sushi roll, rainbow sushi roll, seared tuna nigiri, salmon nigiri, shishito burger, and avocado crispy rice. Taste and texture-wise, Kusaki’s offerings aren’t necessarily identical to their non-vegan counterparts. That being said, they are exquisitely layered, complex, and beautifully presented adaptations of the real thing. Can’t decide what to order? Reserve a spot at the eight-seat chef’s counter where diners can pick from five-course or seven-course omakase options. This gives the chef freedom to curate a meticulously crafted dinner featuring seasonal produce, elegant plating, and a delicately flavorful journey. Most menu items can be made gluten-free, and the building is wheelchair accessible. Additionally, valet parking and street parking are available.

Revelstoke, 195 Carlton St., Toronto, ON M5A 2K7, Canada and 641 George St. N., Peterborough, ON K9H 3S7 Canada

Revelstoke Café and Kitchen offers starters, brunch dishes, burgers, wraps, salad bowls, and coffee beverages. The all-day brunch includes the Classic Benny that tops a toasted English muffin with black salt tofu egg, seitan peameal, and house-made cashew hollandaise. Breakfast burritos are made with tofu scramble, hashbrowns, and seitan bacon and can be served wrapped in a flour tortilla or as a bowl. Handheld menu items include the Stoked Lentil Burger with a lentil, walnut, and apple patty. The beet and feta salad is made with greens, beets, and vegan feta topped with maple Dijon dressing.

The Happy Vegan Bakery and Café, 293 Bayshore Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94124

Hole-in-the-wall kitchen that offers a colorful variety of breakfast and lunch options. All items are gluten-free and vegan, and many are also soy-free. Try an Original Açaí Bowl with Almond Butter, an Ultimate Açaí / Dragonfruit Bowl, or a Breakfast Platter with hash browns and an additional side. The venue also carries waffles, smoothies, an array of loaded sandwiches, a medley of desserts, coffee, and tea. You can either order for pickup or delivery. Limited street parking is available; just pull up and parallel park into The Happy Vegan’s dedicated spot in front and then grab your order from the window. The Happy Vegan is LGBTQ-owned, and plastic-free/compostable containers are an option.

Tru Vegan Creamery, 1499 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa, FL 33602

Tru Vegan Creamery offers a wide assortment of nondairy desserts such as Tru Scoops, served in cones or cups, “responsibly sourced,” coconut milk based and made “in house” are their answer to vegan-minded “ice cream.” Besides classic Vanilla, So So Berry (AKA Strawberry), there’s Chocolate Drip (AKA Double Chocolate). But wait, there’s more! Does your tongue crave some tang? How about Key Lime? If it’s your birthday, or you just want that special birthday feeling, you might try Birthday Behavior—Birthday Cake and Vanilla. And let’s not forget Chocolate Iced Cookies and Vanilla. There are seasonal flavors too such as Sinful Strawberry Cheesecake Tru Scoop: a mix of Plain Cheesecake, Coconut Milk Vanilla and Fresh Strawberries. Kid sized versions are also available. We could talk all day about Add ons. Besides the familiar favorites, there’s Whipped Coconut Cream, Maple Pecan Pralines, Caramel and Chocolate sauces, Dark Chocolate, Hemp and Chia Seeds, various fruits, Vegan Marshmellows and much more. If it’s a shake you’re seeking, their V Shakes offer some of the above flavors blended with signature additions like PB Me (Peanut butter and Chocolate) or AvoCoco (Avocado and Coconut). They serve at least four varieties of Lux Slushes. Watermelon Mint Please is a combo of Watermelon, Lime, So So Berry and Mint Leaves. In a hurry? They have a huge selection of Grab and Go including: Brownies, Yogurts, Cinnamon Buns, Cookies, Oatmeal Vegan Bites, Muffins, Cheesecake, Bottled Water, Pressed Juices and Protein Bars to name a few. Tru Vegan Creamery is located in fun and historic Ybor City, off 7th Ave. Parking is available.

Passover begins the evening of April 5, 2023 this year and The Vegetarian Resource Group is the publisher of several books that feature vegan Passover recipes. Below we share three recipes with you. In the USA, you can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog

Fresh Tomato Soup (from No Cholesterol Passover Recipes, by Debra Wasserman)

(Serves 4)

1 large onion, chopped

5 small ripe tomatoes, chopped

1-1/2 cups water

½ teaspoon fresh parsley, minced

Pepper and salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes and then cool. Place mixture in a blender cup and blend until creamy. Reheat and serve hot.

Minted Carrots with Chilies (from Vegan Passover Recipes, by Nancy Berkoff)

(Serves 4-5)

1-1/2 cups sliced onions

Vegetable oil spray

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 Tablespoons seeded and minced fresh chilies or green pepper

1-1/4 pounds carrots (about 3-1/2 cups), peeled and sliced lengthwise 1-inch thick

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Place onions in a large frying pan, spray liberally with vegetable oil, and sauté over medium heat until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and chilies and stir. Allow to cook for 1 minute.

Add carrots and add enough water to just cover. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add mint, cook for 2 more minutes. Serve hot.

Russian Potato and Mushroom Croquettes (from The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook, by Debra Wasserman)

(Serves 5)

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped

5 cups water

1 onion, peeled and chopped

¼ pound mushrooms

1 teaspoon oil

1 Tablespoon water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup matzo meal

1 Tablespoon oil

Boil potatoes in 5 cups water until tender. Drain and mash potatoes.

In a separate pan, sauté onion and mushrooms in 1 teaspoon oil and 1 Tablespoon water over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Mix the mashed potatoes, sautéed onion and mushrooms, seasonings, and matzo meal together in a large bowl. Form 10 burgers (croquettes).

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry croquettes for 8 minutes, flip over and continue frying for another 8 minutes. Serve two croquettes per person.

Don’t forget, you can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog

If you enjoy vegan Mexican food, you might want to swing by one of Papi’s Tacos four locations including Hampden and Fells Point in Baltimore, Towson, and Ocean City, Maryland. They have an extensive separate vegan menu with a wide variety of dishes including street tacos, tableside guacamole, nachos, tostadas, burritos, quesadillas, fried plantains made with agave syrup, several salsas, and more. They also offer some monthly specials.

For further information, visit https://papistacojoint.com/

For a complete list of veggie restaurants throughout the USA and Canada, go to: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php