Serenity in the Storm

Barbecue Jackfruit Sliders

I don’t know about you, but my southern relatives eat “barbecue.” And when they say barbecue, they mean “pulled pork,” usually in sandwich form. Growing up in “The North” (i.e., Pennsylvania), this always confused me since people in Pittsburgh would talk about having “a barbecue,” which could mean eating any number of things. Nope. Where my Virginia relatives were concerned, barbecue was that one, singular dish.

Jackfruit in this recipe replicates the “pulled pork” texture and takes on the flavor of the barbecue sauce and spices you use without harming any pigs. Eric and I have spent time with the pigs at Pigs Peace Sanctuary and learned about the atrocious ways pigs live and die in the meat industry. Pigs are wonderful animals with dynamic personalities. They form deep friendships, they are incredibly intelligent by human standards of intelligence, and they love to have their bellies scratched just like dogs. I, for one, will never choose to eat a pig again.

Luckily, there are great alternatives, like these pulled jackfruit sliders! This is a dish everyone will enjoy. It is incredibly easy to prepare. Note: It tastes best if you let it sit in the fridge all day or overnight to let the flavors combine.

About jackfruit: Jackfruit grows in Southeast Asia and you can generally find it in the United States in Asian food markets in a variety of forms. The kind you are looking for to use in this recipe is a canned product called “Young Jackfruit in Brine”. Make sure you get the kind in brine, not the kind in syrup. A 20-ounce will likely cost between $1 and $2.

The Recipe:

Makes about 6 sliders

6 slider buns

1 20-ounce can of jackfruit (in brine)

3/4 CUP your favorite vegan barbecue sauce

1/4 CUP water

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 TBLS olive oil

1/2 TSP smoked paprika

1/4 TSP ground red chili (optional)

ground black pepper to taste

For a simple cabbage slaw:

2 cups of cabbage (purple or green)

3 TBLS white wine vinegar

pinch of salt and pepper

FOR THE BARBECUE: Drain the jackfruit and rinse in a colander several times. Squeeze the jackfruit firmly (this may squish it slightly — that’s fine, and even desirable). In a pot, sauté the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes in the olive oil. Add the smoked paprika and red chili (if using). Add the drained jackfruit and stir to combine. Stir in the barbecue sauce and the water. Simmer on low for 30 minutes. As it cooks, you should be able to pull apart the jackfruit with a fork or other utensil. Turn the heat off and let it cool. It’s best if you let this sit in the fridge overnight (or at least make it in the morning and let it sit in the fridge all day until dinner time). This will let the flavors combine and is a necessary step in my opinion.

FOR THE SLAW: Thinly slice the cabbage. Add to a bowl with vinegar, salt and pepper. Let sit for a couple of hours in the fridge.

TO SERVE: Before serving, cover pot of barbecue and heat on low, stirring occasionally. Toast slider buns if you like. Add a spoonful of jackfruit mixture to the bun and top with cabbage slaw.

One Year with Saoirse

A year ago last Friday we got up early and drove to the research lab where we adopted Saoirse. She was terrified and shook and vomited on the car ride home. When we got home, we carried the crate into the house and set it down just inside the front door. Maizy (the yellow lab) and Abigail and Eden (the two cats) were intrigued and immediately came over to sniff the crate. Eden hopped up on top of the crate and watched, curiously, as Saoirse made her way gingerly out of the crate. He swatted at her tail from above. She sniffed and touched noses with Maizy, and then she remembered to be terrified. She ran and hid under the table. Those first weeks were rough. Everything was new to her and terrifying — the sunlight reflecting on the wall, the images on the TV, people, coming back in the house after a walk, eating her meals, waking up from a nap. Everything was frightening, but pretty much right away she loved going outside. She had never been outside before — never seen the grass or the sky — and her beagle nose kicked in and she would forget about everything except for following some scent she caught in the wind. For those first few weeks, her tail was completely tucked under her with the tip of her tail practically tickling her chin. I remember the first, tentative wag of her tail — we were so excited to see that tiny signal that she might be alright. She remained skeptical and nervous about things for quite a while. This was the look I got when I told her there was such a thing as a dog park (and that we were going there).

Fast forward to a year later, and she is the funniest dog with the most extraordinary personality. She gets so excited when I make green juice every morning and waits patiently (or not so patiently most of the time) for her share of the greens (lettuce or kale, usually). When I give her a leaf, she snatches it and runs excitedly into the living room to lay on the dog bed and munch on it. She likes to be sneaky and doesn’t like people to watch her while she’s eating the kale or lettuce. Accordingly, it’s extremely difficult to catch a photo of her in the act of snatching the greens:

Maizy doesn’t understand what the big fuss is about the greens — she’s not the biggest fan of them, unless they’re finely chopped in her food with other yummier stuff. Every morning, she looks at Saoirse in disbelief — she can’t understand why she’s so excited about the green juice making.

At night, when I get in bed, Saoirse dives into the covers and snuggles up, jammed firmly against my body and immediately starts snoring. When I shift in my seat at the computer during the day, her little head pops up from the pile of blankets on the couch to make sure she’s not missing anything.

She still loves Maizy so much and frequently sits on top of her or puts her little paw possessively on Maizy’s head. And she absolutely loves going to Eric’s mom’s house for a romp in the yard.

A year later, Eric and I are still struck every day by the amazing transformation she has made and the way she has settled into our little family.

Have a good weekend!

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Pumpkin Pancakes

When I was a kid, my mom used to make this amazing pumpkin cake. It was moist, pumpkiny and nicely accented with fall spices. I’ve been craving pancakes lately, hence the recent savory zucchini pancakes, followed by the zucchini bread pancakes. Are we seeing a pattern here? Uh oh. I’ve also been reminiscing about that pumpkin cake and thought I should definitely try out a pancake version. [Of course, the obvious question is why not veganize the pumpkin cake? I’ll definitely get to that.] But back to pancakes for now. Here you are. Pumpkin pancakes. Just in time for Halloween. Happy Halloween!

The Recipe

Makes about 8 4-inch pancakes

1 CUP all-purpose flour (or a mix of whole wheat and white flour or GF flours)

2 TSP baking powder

1 TBLS brown sugar

3/4 TSP cinnamon

3/4 TSP ground ginger

1/4 TSP ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

1 CUP cooked, pureed pumpkin (canned is fine)

1 CUP nondairy milk

1 TSP vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined (some small lumps are fine). If the mixture is too dry, you can always add an extra splash of nondairy milk. Heat a frying pan or griddle to a low-medium heat. If you’re using a nonstick pan, you can probably get away with not using oil to cook the pancakes. For a regular pan, add a splash of oil (coconut oil is nice, or vegetable). When the pan is heated, use a measuring cup to scoop the batter onto the pan. You can make any size pancakes you want. The trick to cooking pancakes is getting the heat right. Too high a heat and the pancakes cook too fast on the outside, leaving the inside gooey. Too low a heat and the pancakes don’t get a nice crisp and can still be raw in the middle. On a low-medium heat, cook the pancakes on the first side until they bubble and you see little holes appear. Flip the pancakes carefully and cook on the other side until nicely golden brown. Serve with maple syrup, crystallized ginger, or any other toppings you like. Enjoy!

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Help Launch “Food Chain” Newsletter

For the last year, I’ve been working with Food Empowerment Project, helping with writing projects and hearing about the great work they are doing to promote a vegan food justice movement. Food Empowerment Project is an amazing organization and they are now asking for your help (and so am I) to launch their brand new monthly newsletter. Watch the video above with Food Empowerment Project founder and director, lauren Ornelas and read on for details. From the campaign site:

Stand with Food Empowerment Project and become a co-producer of Food Chain, a monthly publication focused on supporting new vegans as they transition to a more compassionate life.

Designed to help new vegans, Food Chain is a lifestyle compass for navigating challenges and staying motivated. Too often individuals opt to go vegan, but without the necessary support or direction slip into old habits. Confronted by skeptical friends and family or simply longing for foods that were once a staple in their diet, new vegans can find perseverance in short supply.

Vegan organizations often provide a one-time information overload. Food Empowerment Project’s Food Chain publication is comprised of 12 monthly installations to provide support on a continuing basis. Food Chain provides new vegans with a monthly booster of information, ideas, and encouragement to keep them in the fold. Our goal is to make Food Chain freely available to individuals who are considering veganism, or who’ve recently jumped the tracks to a more healthful and compassionate way of life.

Food Empowerment Project believes that the choice to become (and stay) vegan is far easier if a person has the right information at the right time. As such, each issue of Food Chain builds on the previous one, offering insights into the raising and killing of animals for food, expert advice on staying healthy, delicious recipes, shopping tips, inspiring stories about rescued animals, and much more.

Food Chain will include contributions from:

– Isa Chandra Moskowitz, vegan chef and author of Veganomicon

– VINE Sanctuary

– for the Animals Sanctuary

– The Vegan Zombie

– Jack Norris, RD

– Michael Greger, MD

– United Poultry Concerns

– Animal Place

– Carol J. Adams and Patti Breitman

Thank you so much in advance if you can manage to donate something to this amazing educational and community outreach/support effort. DONATE HERE.

Onion Rings

I am so excited to share this awesome recipe with you! It is everything I hoped for and everything you would want in an onion ring. Crispy, delicate, flavorful, and not greasy. These are not deep fried; they’re made in the oven and they are not difficult to make.

To give you some backstory. I have a serious onion ring problem. Seriously. I crave onion rings pretty much every time I think of them and no matter how many I eat, my craving is never satisfied for long. I can eat onion rings until I feel sick and still want more. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the crispy breading combined with the sweet moist onions. Oh man, I love onion rings!

Typically onion rings are made using buttermilk or eggs, or both. I wanted to make a vegan version that had all the best qualities of regular onion rings. This recipe uses soy creamer and apple cider vinegar to make buttermilk, and the cornstarch helps bind together the breading in lieu of the eggs.

The Recipe

Makes 3-4 servings

2 medium sweet onions

1 cup plain soy creamer (or other creamer or nondairy milk)

1 TBLS apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 TBLS cornstarch

2 TSP salt

1 TSP smoked paprika

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

3 TBLS vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment (hint: this makes two batches worth of onion rings. If you want them all ready at once, you will want two baking sheets lined with parchment). In a small bowl, mix flour, paprika and 1 TSP salt. In another bowl, mix soy creamer and vinegar and stir. Add the cornstarch to the milk mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk in half the flour mixture. In a third bowl, add the panko, the remaining 1 TSP salt and the oil. You’ll have three bowls to dip the onion rings in. The first is the flour mixture. The second is the milk mixture. And the third is the panko breadcrumbs. Slice the onions in 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Separate each onion slice and start dipping! First, dunk the onion in the flour, then the milk mixture, letting the excess liquid drip off before coating the onion ring in the panko breadcrumbs. Lay the prepared onion rings on the parchment-lined baking sheets. The onions should not be touching each other, but you can nest smaller rings inside the larger ones to conserve space. Bake for 10-12 minutes and then gently flip the onion rings over. Bake for another 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately while still hot with ketchup, vegan tartar sauce, or your dipping sauce of choice.

NOTE: You can freeze these. Simply lay them on the parchment lined baking sheet as described above. Place the whole baking sheet in the freezer. When frozen, remove onion rings and store them in a zip-lock bag in the freezer.

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Near Escape: A Story from a California “Livestock” Auction

A group of young breeding bulls just sold at auction were herded into the chute to the transport truck. Their coats were black and shiny and they were in good shape. Strong and energetic — the picture of health. Two men herded them, one with a paddle and the other with an electric prod. As they neared the entrance of the multi-tiered transport truck, one of the men jabbed the bulls repeatedly with the electric prod. Terrified, they balked and clamored over each other into the truck, desperate to get away from the shock from the prod. One of the bulls — with ear tag #1799 — broke away from the group, turned around, and thundered back down the passage from where they had come. The men started shouting and running, trying to contain him as he ran back through the maze of pens and chutes.

Tish and I stood directly above, on a catwalk that meandered above the expansive network of auction holding pens. We watched as the young bull with ear tag #1799 ran through the chutes with the men chasing him and other auction workers running over to assist. I silently screamed, “Go, go, go! Run!” with the same irrational hope that the bull probably felt. Irrational because there was nowhere to go. Irrational because even if he escaped, he would be chased down and shot, like a steer who had escaped at a previous auction I attended. That steer had made it all the way out to the country highway and ran and ran until the auction workers caught up to him and shot him dead.

Still, Tish and I both rooted silently for the bull. For that moment, we indulged in the glimmer of irrational hope that this bull would be free. In the next moment, one of the auction workers managed to slam a gate closed to contain the bull and he was forced to run back into the chute leading up to the transport truck. Trapped in the chute, he paced and stomped and snorted, determined to find a way out. Determined not to go into the truck. By this time, the man with the electric prod was angry and he jabbed the bull again and again with the electric prod to force him into the truck. With each shock of the prod, the bull jumped forward until he was unwillingly forced into the truck. The man slammed the door to the compartment closed. The transport truck slowly pulled out of the auction yard parking lot and they were gone.

***

Bulls are largely ignored when thinking about the dairy industry and the violence that occurs against animal bodies. Of course, the majority of male calves born into the industry are either raised for veal or killed at birth for cheap meat (called “bob” veal), while some are raised as steers for beef. A tiny percentage of male calves, from exceptional genetic lines, are raised as intact bulls for breeding. These bulls are increasingly kept on separate breeding farms whereby they are forcibly ejaculated for the international semen trade. Two forms of ejaculation are common — the artificial vagina or the electro-ejaculator. The artificial vagina is a tube-shaped device used to collect the semen. A ‘teaser’ animal is used (generally a steer or a dummy animal) to arouse the bull and, after several false mounts, the farm worker diverts the bull’s penis into the artificial vagina to collect the semen. In the case of the electro-ejaculator, an electric probe is inserted into the bull’s rectum and sends an electric shock into the prostate, causing the bull to involuntarily ejaculate. This forced ejaculation (by whichever method) is typically performed 2-3 days per week and 2-3 times per collection day. The semen collected from this process is then sold on an international market and used in the artificial insemination of cows for dairy production.

It is easy to forget the bull — or to not think of him at all. Indeed, he becomes an invisible figure in the idyllic imaginary of the cow used for dairy. But the bull, like the calf and the cow, is subject to the violent appropriation of his life and body in service to the production of dairy.

If you missed the story of a calf at auction, read “I’m not your mother!: A story from a California ‘livestock’ auction”.

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Autumn Morning Glory Muffins

As I recall, I didn’t have my first morning glory muffin until later in life than I probably should have. I remember it well. I got one from Rainbow Grocery on Capitol Hill in Seattle and loved it (this was well before it, sadly, closed). I’ve been thinking about morning glory muffins a lot lately for some reason — something about their heartiness and the change of seasons, I suppose. I had some leftover fresh cranberries in the fridge from a semi-failed raw cranberry bar recipe I was working on (still needs some serious work). And I’ve been stocking up on organic (BPA-free) canned pumpkin at Costco while they have it for this month leading up to Thanksgiving. The pumpkin is mostly for the dogs, but we occasionally eat some, too. So I thought I’d make up an autumn-inspired morning glory muffin.

Just the name — Morning Glory Muffin — puts a little spring in my step. It’s a cheerful name for a muffin and this version lives up to that name with a nice dose of autumn glory.

The Recipe

Makes 1 dozen large muffins

2 CUPS flour (you can use a combination of white/whole wheat)

1/2 CUP oats

1 TBLS baking powder

1/2 TSP salt

1 1/2 TSP cinnamon

1 TSP ground ginger

1/2 CUP applesauce

1/2 CUP pumpkin

3 TBLS molasses

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 CUP nondairy milk

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

2 TBLS minced fresh ginger

1 CUP fresh cranberries

2/3 CUP shredded coconut

2/3 CUP chopped pecans

1 CUP grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 400° F. Squeeze excess moisture out of the grated zucchini. Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl, including cranberries, coconut, and pecans. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients, including the zucchini. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine. Some small lumps are fine. Do not over mix. Grease a muffin tin and spoon batter into the tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I enjoyed one of these still warm from the oven and it was divine — moist and full of fall flavors. Tart cranberries, spicy ginger, the crunch of pecans, cozy hints of cinnamon and coconut, and the subtle pumpkin base…Yum!

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Zucchini Bread Pancakes

Just in time for the weekend, here’s a recipe for a great Saturday morning breakfast or brunch. Not to be mistaken for the savory zucchini pancakes from last week, these are breakfast pancakes that taste just like zucchini bread. I’ve been daydreaming about these for a while now, imagining what they might taste like and they turned out just like I had envisioned — moist, fluffy, with that cinnamon-zucchini flavor. The chewy raisins and crunchy walnuts add some good texture.

The Recipe

Makes about 8 4-inch pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour (or a mix of whole wheat and white flour)

1 cup finely grated zucchini

1 cup nondairy milk

1/2 cup applesauce

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. Squeeze the excess moisture from the zucchini and toss the zucchini, raisins and walnuts with the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined (some small lumps are fine). Heat a frying pan or griddle to a low-medium heat. If you’re using a nonstick pan, you can probably get away with not using oil to cook the pancakes. For a regular pan, add a splash of oil (vegetable, safflower, or coconut). When the pan is heated, use a measuring cup to scoop the batter onto the pan. You can make any size pancakes you want. The trick to cooking pancakes is getting the heat right. Too high a heat and the pancakes cook too fast on the outside, leaving the inside gooey. Too low a heat and the pancakes don’t get a nice crisp and can still be raw in the middle. On a low-medium heat, cook the pancakes on the first side until they bubble and you see little holes appear. Flip the pancakes carefully and cook on the other side until nicely golden brown. Serve with maple syrup, raisins and walnuts. Enjoy!

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Curried Pumpkin Soup

I’m finally ready to admit it’s fall. The leaves are officially changing and dropping to the ground. The weather has turned and the days are getting shorter. I’ve pulled out my fall coat and scarves from the closet. For me, this soup epitomizes fall. It’s pumpkin — one of the stars of autumn produce — and the rich creaminess from the coconut milk, the warm spiciness from the curry, and the burnt orange color combine to make this a perfect meal for those chilly autumn nights. The best thing about this soup is that you can whip it up in 30 minutes or less. Serve with a hearty kale salad and some slices of warm bread or rolls for a complete quick and easy meal.

The Recipe

Serves 2-3

1 medium sweet onion, diced

1 Tbls coconut oil (or olive or vegetable oil would be fine)

2 tsp Thai red curry paste or to taste (you can get this at Asian markets or most natural food stores — check ingredients to ensure it’s vegan)

1 inch segment of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1/4 cup water

1 can of pureed pumpkin

1 can of coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, sauté onions and ginger in coconut oil for 5 minutes until slightly soft. Add the curry paste and continue to sauté. If the curry paste sticks to the pan, add 1/4 cup of water, and stir to combine. Let cook until onions are soft and caramelized with the curry (an additional 5-7 minutes). Add the pureed pumpkin and coconut milk. Puree using an immersion blender, which you can use directly in the pot. Or you can pour the mixture into a food processor to puree. Note: you can skip this step if you’d like the onions to remain whole. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Let simmer on low for 5-10 minutes to let flavors combine before serving. Serve with raw or toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) as a garnish.

Bon appétit!

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Calling All Vegans! Letters to a New Vegan Looking for Submissions

Today I want to let you all know about a fantastic book project — Letters to a New Vegan. This call for submission has been making the rounds, but there is still time to submit a letter for consideration. Melissa Tedrowe, of the lovely blog Mending Creation is heading up this project. Read on for details and I hope you will consider submitting something to this project.

Letters to a New Vegan

Call for Submissions

Deadline: November 15, 2013

Send submissions to veganletters@gmail.com

At the turn of the nineteenth century, a 19-year-old military student wrote a letter to a famous author seeking advice on how to live. “Nobody can advise you, nobody,” Rainer Maria Rilke replied. “There is only one way. Go into yourself.” Having said that, however, Rilke would go on to offer ample advice to the young man, writing him no fewer than ten letters in which he shared his thoughts on thriving in a complex, insensitive world. These letters would become the small but widely-treasured volume Letters to a Young Poet (1929).

Rilke’s bipartite response to his young poet exemplifies the human paradox: we need to go deeply into ourselves and we need each other. Those of us living on the edge of a ground-breaking social movement especially need each other. We need each other’s encouragement and insights; we need to hear how others have made their way—detours, stumbles, and all. Combining the stories of others with our own experience and inner wisdom, we cultivate the sustenance for lives that matter to ourselves and to the wider world.

With that, you are invited to submit your own story to an edited collection called Letters to a New Vegan. The intention of this volume is just as its allusory title suggests: we are looking to create a community of words that can encircle new vegans everywhere, from all walks of life, as they embark on their own journeys. Letters should be no longer than 1000 words (short letters are as welcome as long ones), begin with the salutation “Dear New Vegan,” and end with your name (first or full, your choice) and place of residence. Between the salutation and closing we ask that you write in your own voice, with authenticity, honesty, and compassion.

A possible place to begin as you contemplate your letter: What would you have wanted to hear when you were a new vegan? What would have helped?

Submission guidelines: Please email your letter (Word documents preferred) along with a short author bio to veganletters@gmail.com by November 15, 2013. Questions can be directed to this address as well.

A final, important note: we’re eager for letters from people of all ages, backgrounds, and perspectives. The vegan story is nothing if not multi-vocal. Thank you for helping us distribute this call widely.