Jackie Va

Jackie Va and friends doing outreach in Stockton
Above is Jackie (right) with Stockton Vegan Living volunteers Stina (left) and Shivani (center) at the Stockmarket, a community festival in Stockton, CA, where they provided free samples of vegan cheese and cheesecake.

As part of our activist profile series, today we meet Jackie Va, VO’s Interim Office Manager. Jackie is filling in while Josie Steiger is on family leave. She’s sending out booklets, processing your donations to VO, and much more—and when Josie returns, Jackie will take on a new role with VO’s Community Engagement team.

Where are you from, where did you go to school, and what did you study?

I’m from Stockton, CA, and I went to the University of California, Santa Barbara. I first studied fine art, but after a while I couldn’t see myself going into that career field. I switched my major to geography to learn how to make maps. I graduated in 2014.

When did you become vegan and why?

I went vegetarian when I was 16 because I learned about global warming, and it just made sense because I always thought of myself as an animal lover. I became vegan at age 22 after I visited cows at the PreetiRang Sanctuary in Dixon, CA. After playing with the cows, I just couldn’t eat cheese anymore. My sister was already vegan, so she helped with my transition.

Has your family been supportive?

Yes! When I first went vegetarian, my mom would still offer me meat, but she wasn’t upset when I declined. My sister went vegan after adopting a bunny, which was a few years after I went vegetarian, so the whole family understands that we don’t eat animals.

The older generation in our Cambodian family also likes to tell people in our community, especially the monks, that we’re vegan. They think we’re so cool!

What do you do outside of work?

Outside of work, I’m a busy bee! I work on the Stockton Vegan Living group page on Facebook and organize seasonal potlucks and social outings.

I’m also a community organizer with the group Khmer Space. We create events to unite the Cambodian community in Stockton. It’s been wonderful creating social/cultural events for my Cambodian community, since I feel like we lost so much of our culture after the genocide.

I also used to volunteer with bunny rescues, and I’ve shared my home with many bunnies in the past. I’m taking a break from bunny care for now, but I’m probably going to end up adopting a cat and a pair of bunnies soon! When I’m not community organizing or managing bunnies, I like to go beer tasting in Sacramento and exploring vegan food in California.

What are you looking forward to most about working for VO’s Community Engagement, and what’s been your favorite part of the interim position so far?

I’m looking forward to exposing people to good vegan food, like vegan cheeses and meats—not salads! My favorite part of the interim job so far is answering emails from people who are looking for advice. It feels so good to connect people with veg resources. I also like interacting with Richard, the VO office rescue turtle.

Student Contacts Needed for Virtual Reality Tour!

2017-Tour-Meme-Collage

Southeast Outreach Coordinator, Yuri Mitzkewich, and intern, Carlos Yanez, will be doing Vegan Outreach’s first virtual reality college tour next spring!

They’ll be traveling throughout the eastern side of the US, letting students experience what it’s like to be inside a factory farm or slaughterhouse. This is a powerful experience, which has resulted in many students deciding to stop eating animals!

The states Yuri will be covering include—

  • Maine
  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont
  • Massachusets
  • Connecticut
  • Rhode Island
  • New York (including Upstate New York)
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Maryland
  • West Virgina
  • Virgina
  • Ohio

If you’re connected with a college student group or can help Yuri get permission to table indoors at your school, next spring, please contact Vic Sjodin, Director of Outreach, at [email protected].

Thank you!

And thank you to Animal Equality for providing us with iAnimal headsets and videos!

Yuri_Van

Mango Carrot Ginger Smoothie

mango-carrot

This Mango Carrot Ginger Smoothie recipe comes to us from Sharon Palmer, RD, as part of World Vegetarian Awareness Month. Sweet and healthy, this morning drink will power you up for a great day!

Ingredients

  • 1 mango, peeled, sliced into chunks
  • ½ orange, peeled, quartered
  • 1 large carrot, sliced into large chunks
  • 1 ½ cups soy milk, plain
  • 1 1-inch piece, peeled fresh ginger
  • 6 ice cubes

Directions

  1. Place all ingredients in the container of a blender and process until smooth.
  2. Pour into 2 glasses. Enjoy!

Orapax Restaurant Adds Vegan Options!

Orapax Pizza

Norfolk, VA just got a whole lot cheesier this week!

Our campaigns team reached out to Orapax—a local restaurant that puts a twist on Greek fare—and explained the growing demand for delicious vegan options. Orapax’s management team immediately started experimenting and were excited with the results.

General Manager, Nicole Seretis, said, “We’ve decided to add more vegan options for our consumers because of the growing requests to substitute certain things on our menu in order to make them vegan. Since we’re in the “Chelsea District” [a growing community of businesses in Ghent], we’re trying to stay ahead of the curve and current on what our customers want and need. We want there to be something for everyone to experience when dining at our restaurant.”

Patrons can now enjoy a blend of Follow Your Heart’s Mozzarella and Cheddar Cheese for any pizza, Greek spaghetti with vegan cheese and falafel meatballs, eggplant parmesan, the pasta bowl, rosemary fries topped with vegan parm, and more! To make the options easy to find, the restaurant added a “V” next to each menu item that can be made vegan.

Los Angeles Tofurky Trot and Vegan Food Fest

Los Angeles Tofurky Trot 2017

Thanksgiving can be a challenging time for vegans, but one of the joys of the season can be the coming together of other like-minded people to celebrate what amazing animals turkeys are, as well as eating delicious vegan food. The Los Angeles Tofurky Trot and Vegan Food Fest offers a chance for people to do both!

This year, the LA Tofurky Trot will be held on Sunday, November 12th, in Griffith Park. There will be a 5K run/walk, with Tofurky swag bags for all runners, and prizes for the first finishers, best costume, and the cutest dog.

After the Trot, there will be a Vegan Food Fest featuring some of LA’s most beloved vegan food vendors, like Taqueria La Venganza, Charlie’s Brownies, and Cocobella Creamery.

As if the Tofurky Trot weren’t great enough, there’s also a chance to help animals and win amazing prizes! Anyone can register for a fundraising page on Crowdrise, and all of the funds raised will support vegan organizations working to help animals and promote plant-based diets, with 20% of the funds benefitting Vegan Outreach.

Standford Inn

The top fundraiser will win a two-night stay at the legendary vegan eco-resort, Stanford Inn by the Sea. The prize includes two breakfasts and two dinners at the resort’s award-winning vegan restaurant, The Ravens. The runner-up will win a prize pack and a two-year subscription to VegNews magazine.

Register for the Tofurky Trot before it sells out, and start fundraising to help the animals.

Thank you, and happy trotting!

Five Minute Panang Curry Sauce

Vegan Panang Curry Sauce
Photo: Michelle Cehn / World of Vegan

This “cheater” panang sauce comes together in a flash and is delicious over Asian noodles or stir-fries with rice. Because it’s so rich, it can just be served with steamed rice and vegetables—it adds so much flavor and depth!

Ingredients

  • 1 can—approx. 14 oz—coconut milk, full fat
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup red curry paste
  • ¼ cup natural peanut butter, smooth
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 4 large cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

  1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and emulsified.

Recipe Tips and Variations

  • Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to two weeks. To serve, simply reheat over low heat until warm.

This recipe is provided by vegan chef Tess Challis and is shared from her cookbook Radiant Health Inner Wealth.

You can find more vegan recipes, cooking classes, and more on Tess’s website. Also be sure to check out her books and cookbooks!

Dark Chocolate Espresso Brownies

Dark Chocolate Espresso Brownies
Gena Hamshaw / The Full Helping

Coffeeholics and chocoholics rejoice! Today we’re sharing Gena Hamshaw’s scrumptious Dark Chocolate Espresso Brownie recipe—the perfect flavor duo for these highly sought out indulgences.

For those of you who avoid gluten, you can also rejoice because these brownies are gluten-free! For those who eat gluten, you can swap out the gluten-free flours for equal amounts of spelt, whole wheat pastry, or all-purpose flour.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Brownies

Yields 9 brownies.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons lukewarm water
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
  • 1 cup sorghum flour
  • ½ cup oat flour
  • 1 ¼ cup sugar—you can use 1 cup to make less sweet
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup almond, soy, or rice milk
  • ¼ cup brewed espresso—2 ounces or 2 shots—or very strongly brewed coffee
  • ⅓ cup safflower, grapeseed, canola, or melted coconut oil
  • ⅓ cup applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup vegan dark chocolate chunks or chips

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly oil and flour an 8-inch square baking dish.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seeds and warm water. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
  4. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the non-dairy milk, espresso/coffee, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and the flaxseed mixture.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until they’re combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks or chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top of the brownies.
  6. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the brownie center emerges with just a couple crumbs. Start checking the brownies at the 22 minute mark, just to be safe. If they’re burning at the edges or getting very firm in the middle, use a toothpick to check. You want to avoid overcooking for a perfectly moist, chewy texture!
  7. Transfer the baking dish to a wire cooling rack and allow the brownies to cool for 30 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Click here for Gena’s original recipe.

Rice Crispy Treats—Two Ways

These two delicious Rice Crispy Treat recipes come from our friend Jenné Claiborne at Sweet Potato Soul.

The first is your basic, traditional, and totally nostalgic recipe. And the second has a little bit of sweet and savory melted in. Both are equally delicious, kid and adult friendly, and quick to make—which means quick to eat!

SPS Rice Crispy Traditional
Jenné Claiborne / Sweet Potato Soul

Classic Rice Crispy Treats

Yields 14 squares.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1 10 oz bag vegan marshmallows—Dandies or Trader Joes brands
  • 6 cups brown rice crisps—Barbara’s is one of many brands that will work well

Directions

  1. Line a 9″ x 9″ baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
  3. Add the marshmallows to melt along with the butter. Stir often to prevent burning. This will take about 6 minutes to melt completely.
  4. Remove from heat.
  5. Stir in the rice crisps and make sure they are all coated in marshmallow.
  6. Transfer to the baking dish and press firmly with a palm-sized piece of parchment paper.
  7. Allow to cool for about 1 hour before enjoying.

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Almond Butter Rice Crispy Treats
Jenné Claiborne / Sweet Potato Soul

Almond Butter Rice Crispy Treats

Yields 8 squares.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup almond butter
  • ⅓ cup coconut nectar, maple syrup, or agave nectar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups rice crisps
  • ½ cup marshmallows, chopped or use minis
  • 1 banana, chopped
  • ¼ cup chocolate chips or 2 oz chocolate bar, melted

Directions

  1. Line a 9″ x 9″ baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. Warm and soften the almond butter and coconut nectar over medium heat in a large pot.
  3. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract.
  4. Stir in the rice crisps and make sure they’re all coated in the almond butter mixture.
  5. Transfer to the baking dish, and press firmly with a palm-sized piece of parchment paper.
  6. Sprinkle the top with marshmallows, banana, and a generous drizzling of melted chocolate.
  7. Allow the chocolate to harden in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before enjoying.
  8. Store in the fridge to keep the bars firm. They will soften if they sit out for a while.

For the original recipes and a demonstration video, click here.

Veganomicon—10th Anniversary Edition

Reviewed by Josie Steiger, Office Manager & Jackie Va, Interim Office Manager

During one of the last days of training before I go on family leave, Interim Office Manager, Jackie Va, and I found ourselves in a rare position—we had some free time in our day! All of the booklet orders have been filled, emails answered, and merchandise mailed. So we decided to make the most of the unexpected reprieve by testing out a recipe from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, the well-known vegan cookbook that turns 10 this year!

Creators Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero have continued on in their vegan food-making careers to create cookbook classics, such as Vegan With A Vengeance, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, but it all started with Veganomicon. With over 250 recipes, there is a nice mix of beginner to advanced, as well as familiar favorites to the more exotic.

This cake is very moist, easy to make, and doesn’t taste “lower fat.” If you want to stay on the simpler side of things, you can top the cake with powdered sugar—as we did—or slice fresh strawberries. Heating up a few spoonfuls of nut butter and drizzling over the top would be a nice touch, or if you feel like making it a little more decadent, you can dribble some homemade or store-bought vegan frosting over it as well.

Lower Fat Chocolate Bundt Cake

Lower-Fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake

Yields 12 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups fresh brewed coffee
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup canola oil
  • ⅓ cup applesauce
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose white flour*
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons confectioners sugar

*Whole-wheat pastry flour leaves the fiber of the wheat intact without sacrificing any of the texture, but if you can’t find whole-wheat pastry flour then regular all-purpose flour will do the trick. But don’t substitute regular whole-wheat flour, it is different from pastry flour and will result in a rough and chewy texture.

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease an 8 or 10 inch Bundt pan.
  2. Bring the coffee to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it is simmering, turn down the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until it has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to bring to room temperature.
  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, canola oil, applesauce, and cornstarch until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved, about 2 minutes. Mix in the extracts. Once the chocolate has cooled a bit, mix that in as well.
  4. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until relatively smooth, about 1 minute with a hand mixer or 2 minutes with a whisk.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick or butter knife inserted in its center comes out clean. If your pan is on the smaller side, it could take up to 55 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate to cool completely. Once cool, sift confectioners sugar over the top and enjoy.

Order Veganomicon 10th anniversary edition here!

Pumpkin Curry

By Toni Okamoto

Pumpkin Curry

Fall is here, and we want pumpkin everything! All day, every day!

Here’s a great savory dish to get you feeling festive.

Pumpkin Curry

Yields 2-3 servings.

Ingredients:

  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 cups vegetable broth (or 2 bouillon cubes in 2 cups water)
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons curry
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 1 package extra firm tofu, cubed
  • Your choice of veggies

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil until onions become translucent.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Simmer over low heat for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Serve over rice and enjoy!