This year, Easter and Passover fall on the same weekend. So while the festivities and dishes may differ, the common thread can be that we all want peace and happiness with our families and friends and perhaps, we can make both green! Check out some fun and simple tips on how to green your Easter and Eco your Passover!
Easter
- Paint wooden or ceramic eggs. A night out at a place like Color Me Mine is a great alternative to dying eggs at home. No real eggs and no mess! Put them out later for your egg hunt and use them year after year.
- Buy vegan, local and fair trade candies to build the healthiest and most eco-friendly Easter basket ever!
- Look for paper basket grass as opposed to the plastic kind. This “green” paper kind can be used year round for other gifts, packing materials, etc.
- Bake vegan easter cakes in egg and bunny shaped molds. These are great in gift baskets, are healthier and cheaper than ordering stuff online that requires shipping.
- Give children great illustration heavy books like pop-ups instead of toys they will grow out of an create more waste. Books nourish their minds and create wonderful memories.
- Skip the candy and give creative gifts this year. Re-use a basket by covering it in left over, festive fabric. Fill basket with paints and crayons, small sketch books, stickers and blank t-shirts or socks to personalize. Add some seed packets and celebrate spring with a new garden!
Passover
Let’s Start With The Matzah – There are a bunch of options for organic spelt and organic whole-wheat matzah. Like the following:
- Handmade Shmurah Matzah made with 100% certified organic spelt from Matzahonline.com.
- Haddar 18-Minute Organic Spelt Matzah and Matzah Meal from KCKosherCoop.com
- Chicago’s Original Organic Matzah. It’s made in the U.S. and it’s certified organic and free of any GMOs.
- Organic Spelt Matzah from Chabad of greater Dayton
And be sure to keep it green by wrapping your organic matzah in an organic cotton napkin when you hide the afikomen.
Don’t Forget The Wine - Go organic as well as kosher! Organic Kosher wines exist and here’s the list:
- Yarden Chardonnay Odem Organic
- Odem Vineyard in the northern Golan in Israel has been farmed organically since 1998. You can buy it online at Kosherwine.com for $16.99 a bottle.
- Four Gates Winery. Four Gates, located in the Santa Cruz Mountins in California, produces organic and Kosher chardonnay, merlot, pinot noir, and cabernet franc. The grapes are certified organic by the CCOF and the vines are not irrigated.
- Baron Herzog Wine Cellars. Ranging from cabernet sauvignon to brut champagne, Herzog Wine Cellars produces Kosher and Mevushal wines. While not certified organic, many of the wines use grapes that have been sustainably grown.
The Quintessentially Eco Seder Plate
Horseradish for Maror – Check out Silver Spring Organic Prepared Horseradish. It’s certified organic by Oregon Tilth as well as kosher. Or make your won with all organic, natural ingredients.
Parsley for Karpas – Opt for local as well as organic.
Charoset – Use your favorite charoset recipe and be sure to make it with organic and locally sourced ingredients!
Eggs for Baytzah – For vegans, go for an organic chunk of pan fried or baked tofu instead of the hard boiled egg.
The Meal – There are all sorts of great Kosher recipes for Passover. From matzo ball soup to vegan gefilte fish, there are lots of ways to green your Passover menu. But the best rule of thumb is simply to get as many organic and local ingredients as possible, regardless of where you get your recipes. Beyond that, if you’re looking to lower your impact, try serving a vegetarian or better yet, vegan meal! Check out this week’s recipes!
The Service – If you can, try to use reusable cups, wine glasses, plates, and silverware. This way, you’ll have the least amount of disposable waste — and of course, make sure you put your dishes in the dish washer! It’s far more water efficient than washing by hand.
If you are looking to pick up something new for the occasion, check out eco-friendly tableware like glassware made from recycled glass such as trycycle or plates made from bamboo. If you do go with something disposable, look into biodegradable and compostable plates, cups, and utensils. For something a little less formal, check out the offerings from WorldCentric or the compostable cups from Greenware. For something with some eco-chic to it, check out VerTerra’s plates, bowls, and platters made from nothing but fallen leaves and water.
No matter what holiday you celebrate, make it a healthy, happy and green one!
Posted in Travel on April 5, 2012
So, there are times where despite our best efforts, our only options just might be fast food, especially on vacation or a trip. On a road trip or in a podunk town with little to zero options for a healthy meal, I’ve found ways to navigate the fast food menu. I do not, I repeat, do not, advocate the consumption of fast food except for in a pinch and other compromising situations. So I suggest you print this blog in case of emergency!
Here are some of the biggies:
- Subway – This one of the most veg and health friendly places if you are in a bind. You can always go with a veggie sub on Italian bread (9 grain wheat contains honey), hold the cheese and mayo, while piling on the veggies, avocado and mustard. You can also get this wrap style or forgo the carbs and chomp on a salad ; ) They do have veggie patties however, if your vegan, it’s a no go as they contain egg. For allergy sensitive folks, stick to the salads.
- Quizno’s - These guys aren’t far behind Subway. I do love a warm sandwich but Subway has better veggie options. Here I order a veggie sub, no cheese or mayo, add guac and vinaigrette. Toasty yumminess ; ) Also, grab a salad if you’re not doing bread! Again, for allergy sensitive folks, stick to the salads.
- Taco Bell – You’d be surprised but the Taco Bell menu can be easily manipulated to bring it down to somewhat a’ight ; ) Everything is still full of high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils BUT the menu can be veganized. And again, don’t make this a habit ; ) Ok so, their new Fresco Style menu is easy to change up. Order the tacos or burritos Fresco style and swap the meat for beans and voila, veganized. The crunchwrap supreme can be veganized by tossing the meat, cheese and sour cream and subbing beans and guac. You can also have a 7 layer burrito minus the layers of cheese and sour cream, BAM, vegan 5 layer burrito! So yes, the ingredients in all of these are vegan but certainly not the best thing for you. But like I said, in a bind, it’s fine ; ) Make sure, for allergy sensitive diners, to check the site as each item contains different allergens. Their site is very comprehensive regarding allergens ; )
- McDonald’s – Oh yes, the golden arches. It can be done if there is no choice. Don’t even think about the fries if you’re vegan as they contain beef and milk. Not even kosher! Although, you can go for a side salad and ask for the cilantro lime as that one, despite being chemically, is still vegan. Or opt for salt, pepper and a lemon wedge. The other salads can be veganized by picking off the croutons and cheese. And you can get their new iced coffees sans milk.
- Burger King - Well, vegans, no can do on the veggie burger as it contains egg whites but the fries are fried in a separate fryer with no animal products. Not so much for the onion rings, they a cooked in a shared fryer. So allergen diets, beware of the buns as well as the croutons in the salads. I say you’re safest here with a salad and to find out before you drown your greens, what is in the dressings they happen to have available at that store. Again, there is always, salt, pepper and a lemon wedge ; ) I have heard that the french toast sticks are vegan, good in a breakfast time pinch!
- Jack in the Box - Well, here is a place you have some ok options outside of a salad. The Teriyaki Rice Bowls are veganizable by dropping the meat out and are packed with veggies. Sugary ones, but veggies nonetheless. Sometime you just gotta take what you can get ; ) Go for a taco here by ordering it with black beans instead of meat and leaving off the cheese. Fries and hash brown sticks, while fattening, are vegan friendly and only if you must! In addition, Jack food is all made to order so you’re likely to get a fresher meal here then the burger royalty.
- Carl’s Jr/Hardee’s – Well, a side salad with no cheese and balsamic vinaigrette seems to be the safest bet here. If you are so inclined to fill your tummy, make sure you share and don’t eat the whole order of fries or hash brown nuggets as those are vegan as well. You can also grab a taco salad without the meat, cheese or sour cream.
- Wendy’s – oddly enough, they are great to gluten free diners. As for vegans, we can have their side and regular salads so long as we pick of the meat and/or cheese and choose an appropriate dressing. The baked potatoes can be ordered plain so you can add salt, pepper, chives and any other healthy toppings on your own. They also offer oranges as a combo side too so if you do happen to go for burger, grab some fruit instead of fries ; )
- Arby’s - Um, its pretty tough here. You have to pick a lot off of the salads and read the ingredients on the dressing packets to be 100% safe. The market fresh sandwich bread had honey in it but is suitable to vegetarians and calories counters as you can make a lettuce, onion and tomato sandwich if you must. The subs can be made veggie as well.
- Pizza Hut – Vegans, we are screwed here unless we order multigrain dough with no sauce and tons of veggies. All other sauces and doughs contain dairy ; ( For non vegans, go for the cheeseless veggie on multigrain ; )
- Domino’s – Crunchy thin crust is the only vegan crust (contains soy for those sensitive to it). Pizza sauce is dairy free so pile on the veggies and order up! Salads are ok without cheese and any of the Italian dressings. Skip the breadsticks as they contain dairy as well. Go ahead and get the pasta primavera but swap the alfredo for pizza sauce (not marinara as it has cheese in it).
- Papa John’s - I’m leery as they do not have ingredients listed although they do claim to be all natural. Call and ask the manager before ordering anything regarding vegan and/or allergen ingredients.
- Baja Fresh – I love Baja as everything is made fresh with no lard, msg, etc. I go for the tostada salad with no meat, cheese or sour cream and pile on salsa, guac and all their cool fixin’s from their salsa bar. It’s chock full of beans, rice and crispy veggies. You can also go for the veggie burrito or tacos with no cheese or sour cream!!
- Chipotle -Another great place in a pinch for healthy fast food. The black beans, rice, guac, and tortillas are all vegetarian so eat away people and create you dish however you choose ; )
- Del Taco - From what I can decipher, the veggie works burrito without cheese or sour cream is vegan as are their fries. Make sure you ask a manager before ordering.
- Starbucks - Soy latte, soy tea latte, soy chai latte, yum ; ) If you need the extra flavors, they use syrups for most of them and they too are vegan but chemically and high fructose sugary. Also, Frappucinos can be made with soy now so have at it for a sinful treat! If you’re hungry, go for the tofu and noodle bento box or a fruit medley. Starbucks in Canada carries vegan baked goods!
- Coffee Bean – Soy lattes and hot tea with soy milk here. No yummy flavored drinks as they use powders that all contain dairy ; (
Stay tuned as next week I navigate chain restaurants!! Be safe and conscious fast fooders!!
bryannaclarkgrogan.com
Are you having a hard time coming up with a dish to serve for Easter dinner? You might like Bryanna Clark Grogan’s vegan Chickn Breasts with Rosemary and White Wine. It’s easy to make but flavorful and festive.
Bryanna has devoted 40 years to studying cooking and nutrition, the last 22 years to vegan cooking. She has written many cookbooks, and her recipes have appeared on many well-known websites including those of Dr. Neal Barnard and Dr. Andrew Weil. Her website is www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com. Here’s Bryanna’s story.
“Of course, like most of us, I was not raised vegan, so some of my old favorites were “meaty”. My late mother, Eve Urbina, was a great cook, but not a baker, so not many homemade desserts came to mind (we mostly had yogurt and fruit for dessert). But one of my real favorite from my Mom’s repertoire was chicken sauteed in olive oil with white wine and rosemary, which resulted in a sticky, flavorful “goo” at the bottom of the pan, which she would mix with steamed long-grain rice to serve with the chicken.
MY MOM’S “CHIKN BREASTS” WITH ROSEMARY AND WHITE WINE, VEGANIZED
Servings: 4
This dish is extremely quick and easy to make, but one of my all-time favorites for flavor. I was trying to more-or-less replicate the chicken with white wine dish that my mother often made when I was a child growing up in a California winery. She would mix steamed long-grain rice in the pan in which the chicken and herbs had been cooked and scrape up the delicious, sticky residue to mix with the rice. You could do the same with this dish, if you like.
Ingredients:
4 PC Blue Menu Meatless “Chicken Breasts” (117g each) (in Canada); or use 8 pieces Gardein Turk’y Cutlets or Chick’nScalloppini, or Gardein Chick’n Filets in the US; or equivalents poultry sub available in your area
1/4 cup Seasoned Flour (see below)
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups sliced mushrooms, white, cremini, or chantarelle
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup jelled “chicken-style” vegetarian broth (see below)
3/4 cup white wine, such as a Riesling (can be non-alcoholic) or a dry white wine with a little medium sherry mixed in
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, stripped off the stalk and chopped
freshly-ground black pepper to taste.
Directions:
Add the mushrooms and garlic to the pan and sprinkle with a little salt. Stir-fry them over high heat, adding a tiny bit of water if they seem to be sticking (the mushrooms will exude a little liquid), until they start to wilt. Add the browned pieces back to the pan, along with the wine, jelled broth and rosemary. Cook over high heat, stirring gently now and then, until it cooks down and forms a thick sauce. Quickly remove from heat and grind pepper over the dish. Serve immediately over steamed rice or mashed potatoes (or mix the rice with any sauce left in the pan and serve the dish over that.)
JELLED BROTH: Adding agar to vegan broth gives it even more body, enabling it to coat foods the way melted fat does. Mix 1 3/4 cups hot water in a small saucepan with 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Vegan broth paste. Add 3/4 tsp. agar powder with 1/4 cup cold water and stir into the pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes. Keep any leftovers refrigerated in a tightly-covered container. The jelled broth will melt when heated.”
How about some festive vegan desserts to go with this dish? You might like Berry Jelly Trifle or Key Lime Cheesecake or Super Easy Chocolate Mousse. There are 52 other luscious recipes to choose from in Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Desserts). Vegans and non-vegans all love them, and all your family members and all your guests will love them. They are exact clones of non-vegan classics. Click the link to Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Desserts) to see the beautiful photos and get some free recipes.
Happy Easter!
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holycowvegan.net
Vaishali has the first Indian vegan recipe blog on the web. She became vegan in 2007, thanks to her dog, Lucy. She’s a vegan for ethical reasons, and the stories she tells about all her wonderful rescue animals are truly heartwarming.
If you a new vegan or you’re thinking about trying Meatless Mondays, you might like to take a look at Vaishali’s site, www.holycowvegan.net. She has veganized lots of recipes from all over the world. She also gives great advice about cooking vegan, including vegan substitutes for non-vegan items. See some of them below the recipe.
Low Fat, Whole Grain Carrot Bread
(Makes 2 loaves)
Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp powdered cardamom (run the whole pods– about 10– in a coffee grinder with a tablespoon of the sugar to get a fine grind)
1 cup cashew nuts, chopped into large pieces
Mix the ingredients together and set aside.
In another bowl, mix together:
3 tbsp flaxmeal and 9 tbsp water
4 tbsp canola or other vegetable oil
1 cup turbinado sugar
Then whisk in:
1 3/4 cup applesauce
2 1/4 cups grated carrots
1/4 cup golden raisins (optional)
Add the wet mixture to the dry, with a spatula or a whisk, using 1/3rd of the flour at a time. You want a lumpy but well-integrated batter. Do not overmix because you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour.
Grease and flour two standard-size loaf pans. Divide the batter equally between the two and smooth down the top.
Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a rack about 15 minutes, then slide a knife around the edges to unmold. Place right-side-up on a rack to cool.
Vegan Substitutes
Here are some substitutes that always work for Vaishali. You can find some more on her site.
1 EGG
(To replace more than one, just multiply)
1 tbsp of ground flax meal + 3 tbsp of water
I use this most often for baked bread-cakes.
1/4 cup tofu
(I usually blend my tofu so it is smooth before using it. If you add it as is to a recipe, you might never be able to break the lumps. Tofu works especially well in quiches and pancakes and pastas. It is also a great replacement in scrambled eggs).
1/2 banana
(I usually don’t use banana unless I want the recipe to be banana-flavored, as in my Banana Cake.)
1/4 cup applesauce
(Applesauce also makes a baked good really moist, so it allows you to cut down on fat in the recipe. It works great in my Carrot Cake.)
Commercial powder substitutes like EnerG
(I don’t use these a lot, but they are handy at times, especially in lighter cookies, like Amaretti. Read package instructions for measures.)
1 CUP MILK
(With all the alternatives available, there is really no excuse to use dairy milk. I love soymilk with cereal and in cakes and muffins etc, and I use almond milk instead of milk in many Indian sweets)
1 cup Soymilk
1 cup Rice Milk
1 cup Almond Milk
1 cup Hemp Milk
1 cup Hazelnut Milk
If you like this healthy, delicious carrot bread recipe, you’ll love the vegan recipes in Claire Gosse’s Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Breakfasts). You can choose from recipes for muffins or biscuits or cinnamon buns…as well as N-eggs or quiche recipes, and many more – 50 in all. These recipes all have been tested and loved by non-vegans. Click the link to Are You Sure That’s Vegan? (Breakfasts) to see the beautiful photos and get some free recipes.
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There’s more evidence than ever that eating red meat or processed meats is detrimental to your health. Harvard School of Public Health recently completed a study which examined data from more than 110,000 people and found that eating as little as two pieces of bacon or one hot dog a day increased their mortality rate by 20% over a 20-year period. It also found that a small, three-ounce serving of red meat a day increased mortality by 13%. Consuming processed meats has long been linked to greater risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Our bodies use protein to repair damaged cells and create new ones, so protein is important in our diet. But many of us eat far more than we need. The average man needs 65 grams a day, and the average woman needs 55 grams. An eight-ounce cheeseburger with a milkshake has two to three times that amount. The National Institute of Health says that we can get all the protein we need from two to three protein-rich servings of food a day. For example, two tablespoons of peanut butter or ½ a cup of black beans or chick peas equal one serving. Here are some other good sources from Rodale.com.
Four Good Sources of Plant-based Protein
1. Edamame
Containing 28 grams of protein, a single cup of cooked soybeans contains the same amount of protein as a three-ounce steak. Whole soybeans have more than three times the protein of tofu and soymilk, so it’s better to find ways to cook the beans rather than resorting to more processed versions of soy. For instance, edamame, a Japanese snack, is a form of salted, boiled soybeans, but you can also mash up the beans for a mashed edamame and pita sandwich or to use in edamame hummus.
2. Quinoa
Quinoa, the ancient South American grain that’s getting more popular lately, has the most protein of any grain—10 grams per cup. Not only is it a good source of plant protein, but, along with soybeans, quinoa is also one of very few non-meat “complete” proteins, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids. Plus, it has lots of whole grain fiber.
3. Other beans and legumes
While soybeans are the best in terms of protein content, other beans and legumes, including white beans, black beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas, aren’t far behind. Their protein content ranges from 14 to 19 grams per cup. Another benefit to beans and legumes is that they’re high in complex carbohydrates.
4. Green veggies
Vegetables don’t pack quite the power punch that beans and whole grains do, but you can still get a good amount of plant-based protein from them. Spinach, collards, and other leafy greens contain around 5 grams per cup, cooked, while other green vegetables like broccoli, brussel sprouts, and asparagus contain slightly more, about 6 grams per cup, cooked. Medium artichokes have about 4 grams of protein.
One of the best things you can do for your health is to go on a Vegan Flush. It is a gentle, healthy, two-week cleanse that helps you eliminate the toxins in your body while you are eating the nutritious fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains that we’ve discussed today. You’ll have a variety of recipes and foods to choose from. The Vegan Flush lasts two weeks. In that time you’ll begin to feel better and lose weight. It’s a good introduction to vegan living too. Click the link to read more about it.
Sources:
Hsph.harvard.edu
Rodale.com
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