Continuing our series of activist profiles, today we talk to Pooja Rathor. In January 2016, Director of Outreach Vic Sjodin and Kimberly Moffatt embarked on Vegan Outreach’s first tour of India. There they met Pooja, who soon joined Vegan Outreach as our first India Outreach Coordinator! In the spring semester, she leafleted 23 different schools, reaching more than 15,000 students. We’re looking forward to seeing how many more booklets she can hand out this fall! Read on to get better acquainted with Pooja.
Where are you from and where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Delhi, India, and I live there now as well.
What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?
When I was 3 years old, I rescued an abandoned puppy. He was covered with mud. When I brought him home, my mother was shocked, but I kept on saying, “Please don’t get angry!” That was my first instant connection with an animal.
I have rescued caged rabbits, rats, pigeons and numerous dogs since then. After watching a video of pigs on their way to slaughter, I cried a lot that night, imagining the torture they would go through. I knew I had to do something more effective to reduce their suffering. That’s how, after researching, I came to know about veganism.
How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?
After learning about veganism, I wasn’t able to stop myself from becoming an activist. Eventually I became familiar with the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations (FIAPO). I started leafleting as a volunteer for FIAPO. In January 2016, I met Victor Sjodin and Kimberly Moffatt while they were on their Vegan Outreach tour of India. Through them I learned about Vegan Outreach and their amazing work.
Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?
Recently I went to Christ University in Bangalore. Two girls came back after receiving leaflets. They told me they had found the same leaflets at Carrots, a vegan restaurant in Bangalore, and after reading the booklet they both became vegan. They were so excited and happy to meet me!
What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?
I doodle, watch movies, spend time with my friends and family, and feed and pamper my stray dogs, cats and cows.
Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?
Be genuine and just keep a big smile on your face while approaching people. Even if they don’t take the leaflet, just say thank you—often after that they come back to get a leaflet.
What is an activist? We use that word a lot in the animal rights movement—maybe so much so that we don’t really stop to think about what it means. While Vocabulary.com defines an activist as “someone who campaigns for social change,” it still doesn’t really clarify what that means. Campaigns how?
In the past I had a pretty narrow idea of what an activist is. I envisioned someone who attended or organized protests, sit-ins, and marches. While those are invaluable forms of activism, over time I’ve realized that activism takes many forms, and we’d like to highlight those various forms on our blog. My interview with Vegan Outreach supporter, Carl Pluim, is a prime example of what some of those can be.
Josie Moody: Thank you, Carl, for taking the time to thoughtfully answer my questions and sharing a little bit of your experience with us.
First question, where are you from, and how did you end up living where you live now?
Carl Pluim: I’m from Madison, Wisconsin. I moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1993 for the rock climbing (outdoor athlete) scene. I moved to Denver in 1995, as I liked the diversity and the feel better than Boulder.
I now live in Westminster—the ‘burbs—on a golf course. I’m not a golfer, but like the green space and tranquility provided by the golf course. Coyotes, foxes, eagles, hawks, lots of songbirds, raccoons, and skunks are prevalent—as good as it gets for ‘burb’ or city living.
Josie: How long have you been vegan, and what inspired that choice?
Carl: I’ve been vegan for eight years. Thanksgiving will be the start of year nine. I was pescatarian, then vegetarian, and then became vegan. I went vegan for two reasons: one being compassion—I read The Food Revolution by John Robbins—and the second being for help in athletic performance—to become faster, stronger, leaner, to recover more quickly, and to have more energy.
Now I am 100% compassion-based and would continue to be vegan even if it turned out that a plant-based diet was unhealthy.
Josie: What made you decide to become an activist? Describe some of your experiences as an activist. Is there one thing that you do that you find especially meaningful or effective?
Carl: My biggest form of activism—aside from giving money—is representing muscular athletic vegans. I’ve spoken at several VegFests with other vegan athletes, including Rich Roll, Scott Jurek, and Patrik Baboumian. I wear vegan-themed clothing often, and I frequently talk with people about how I can be “so lean, muscular, and vegan.”
I do attend various events and an occasional meet-up, but I am not solely focused on activism every weekend and with the bulk of my free time. I am good friends with activist and speaker John Pierre and will sometimes go to a gathering or protests with him, such as circus protests or protesting Whole Foods Market’s sale of rabbit meat. I am unquestionably vegan for life.
I have helped three people become vegan, some of who have helped others. What is most meaningful is when I can show or help someone realize that there is nothing in animal products that we need for optimal health. Most people—and especially weightlifters—are looking for something that helps with performance, so showing them the proof is pretty cool when they start to have honest curiosity.
Josie: How would you describe yourself?
Carl: I am fulfilled and happy with life like I never knew possible, and being vegan is a significant part of that. I am a 30+ year athlete—tall, lean, muscular (6’5″ and 220 fit lbs).
I live my life according to my values versus just talking about them. I am a feminist, emotionally aware, connected, and feel more blessed than anyone I know. I have gotten more compassionate as I have grown older.
I have seen enough slaughterhouse and animal torture videos to last me for the rest of my life, but I think people should see what they contribute to.
I am a big believer in trying to lead by example and not being abrasive about being vegan. I encourage people to look into their food choices and see the clear benefits of living cruelty-free to the extent that we can. I know that encouraging people to give up whey protein for plant-based protein and showing how that helped me is better than being condescending to those that have not seen the path toward living animal-consumption free.
I think that “something is better than nothing” and that it starts with a single effort—replacing dairy creamer with coconut creamer or trying a Tofurky brat instead of a meat one.
I am an athlete: I rock/ice climb, backcountry ski, road and mountain bike, and resistance train a lot (bodyweight plus various lifting workouts). I work out to be good at what I do, not to look in the mirror, but I have achieved a noticeable physique and presence as a result.
Josie: What do you do for work, and how do you spend your free time?
Carl: I work for a Tier 1 Internet Service Provider (ISP). I manage a team of infrastructure engineers who monitor and keep the IT systems working. There are disadvantages to selling one’s soul “to the man,” but there are also advantages in that—making enough money to contribute to causes I care about and finding a niche where I’m satisfied is pretty cool.
In my free time, in addition to all of my athletic interests, I also like not being active: I enjoy cooking, baking, hanging out with friends, reading, meditating, and listening to music. I regularly volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado and also at Longhopes Donkey Shelter.
One of my favorite things to do is hang out with my rescue cat, Lucy. She’s 12, cannot see very well, bumps into things and is the most snuggling, purring cat I’ve ever met. Having Lucy in my life is invaluable to me. International traveling is great—backcountry skiing and climbing is great—but staying at home with her? I can think of nothing better.
Josie: Finally, can you recommend a great place for us to eat in your area?
Carl: WaterCourse Foods and City, O’ City are awesome. The seitan wings at Watercourse are the best vegan junk food I’ve ever had! NOOCH Vegan Market is also amazing.
Also my friends and I are big fans of my homemade chocolate chip cookies which I always have in supply, and I’ll share the recipe with you here!
Josie: Is there an activist that you know whose story you think we should share? If so, please contact me at [email protected].
By Melissa Li, MD, VO Board of Directors Vice-Chair
Kathy Freston does it again! Vegan Outreach is thrilled to have received an advance copy of her new book, The Book ofVeganish. Freston is the author of numerous books on health and wellness, including most recently Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World. Her latest work, co-authored with Rachel Cohn, is aimed at teens and college students, people who might just be beginning to learn about the vegan lifestyle.
Even though I’m decades beyond my adolescent years, I found this book very enjoyable. Kathy Freston writes in an easygoing, conversational style, and she appropriately cites statistics and data in a way that won’t discourage the casual reader. She provides just enough nutritional facts to persuade readers to abandon a standard American diet in favor of a vegan one, without hitting hard on the studies themselves.
It’s great to have a book that targets a young audience because this is a crucial period of time when young adults are becoming invested in social media and finding the peers with whom they want to associate. They may be learning independence and finding out how animals are raised for consumption and what impact they as individuals have on the environment.
It’s a time when self-esteem is also an issue, and it may be scary to stand alone in pursuing an unconventional lifestyle. In each chapter, Freston includes comments from other young adults from all over: small towns such as Mukilteo, Washington; established vegan-friendly cities such as Portland, Oregon; and venturing beyond the U.S., less-established outposts of veganism such as Scotland.
These young people form the community that can become peers, and they offer suggestions, tips, and stories about their processes of becoming vegan. Freston coins the term “veganish” to emphasize that turning away from animal products is a process, and that it’s all about doing the best one can, without judgment.
The book has a lot of frequently asked questions and great answers to help young adults navigate their way, and also to provide them answers to the questions that will be commonly asked of them. The recipes provided towards the end of the book are easy and delicious, and just right for college students’ tight budgets. Freston also offers helpful suggestions for grocery shopping, veganizing dishes, and meal plans.
Lastly, the book includes interviews with some young people about their diet and activism for animals, and it’s a pleasure to learn about the new generation of animal rights activists. I believe more people, at younger ages, are learning about the way animals are treated on factory farms and want to do something about it.
While it’s still spring for a few more weeks in most of the country, summer is here at the Vegan Outreach headquarters in California! The warm weather has inspired us to add two new items of merch to our collection: women’s cut tanks and lightweight tote bags.
The tanks are heather black, and a racerback, and are made in the good ol’ USA by American Apparel and printed by vegetarian business VGKids. They are a tri-blend of 50% polyester, 25% cotton and 25% rayon. Available in women’s sizes small, medium and large, you can get them here for $17.
You are tote-ally going to love our new bags! (I couldn’t help myself!) Printed by VGKids, these black bags are made from 100% recycled cotton canvas and measure 14.5″ x 15.5″ with 22″ straps. Buy them here for $10.
Is there an item that you’d like to see on our merch page? Let us know in the comments below!
This week (June 6-12) is Hemp History Week, so we’re highlighting on the blog a few products and recipes containing hemp—all vegan of course!
Our friends at Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps invited us to participate, so we’re dedicating this first blog post to them. Dr. Bronner’s uses hemp oil in all their soaps because of its essential fatty acid (EFA) content. It makes their soaps lather smoothly and be less drying, and it serves as a great moisturizer in their lotions and balms.
The 18 suggested uses (recommended on the side of the bottle) include using it to wash your hair, face, body, and hands, around the house as an all-purpose cleaner, on the floor, and as a laundry detergent, diluted and sprayed on plants to ward off bugs, to wash your fruits and veggies, and even to clean your dog!
I put it to the test by washing my skin, hair, dishes, counters, cupboards, and bathtub with it. The first thing you’ll likely notice (unless you choose unscented) is that it smells wonderful! As I was cleaning, I thought about how much more pleasant it was to clean while smelling almonds, versus the stringent smell of other cleaners. It also made me think, why would I clean my tub (and other surfaces) with a cleaner that isn’t good for your skin or body, when my skin is the only thing that would touch any surface in the tub?!
Needless to say, I thought it worked great as a multi-purpose cleaner, on my dishes, and on my skin. I was concerned it might leave a residue on my dishes or counter, but it didn’t. I did use it in my hair, and had a hard time rinsing it all out. However, I’m glad that I know that in a pinch it is safe to use in my hair as well. (They do have hair specific products too. Check them out here).
One of the most distinguishable features of any Dr. Bronner’s product is all of that text on the labels! I took the time to read it all, and after reviewing this product, I have to agree with their advice: “Enjoy only 2 cosmetics, enough sleep & Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap!”
What else do you use Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap for? Let us know in the comments below!
I was really excited to discover that the Minimalist Baker had collected their online recipes into a cookbook!
I had a dinner party to attend the same night that I received Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cookingin the mail. The majority of attendees were not vegan, so I wanted to make a recipe that had ingredients that were familiar to everyone. I’m pretty sure you can’t go wrong with cookies, especially when you combine peanut butter with chocolate!
After making this recipe—without exaggerating—I can say I’ve never received so many compliments for anything that I’ve cooked or baked before! Needless to say, I returned home with no cookies and even received a follow up text asking for the recipe. I hope you’ll have a similar experience!
I can’t wait to make these again!
Yields about 20 cookies.
Ingredients
1 stick (½ cup or 112 g) vegan butter, softened (see Recipe Tips note below)
½ cup (128 g) creamy salted peanut butter or almond butter
¼ cup (50 g) organic cane sugar, plus more for topping
½ cup (110 g) organic brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ½ tablespoons (31 g) pumpkin puree (see Recipe Tips note below)
1 cup (180 g) dairy-free dark or semisweet chocolate chips (or bar, chopped)
Optional: 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Directions
Add the softened butter to large bowl. Cream using a standing mixer for 1 minute.
Add the peanut butter, cane sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute.
Add the pumpkin puree, then mix once more.
Set a sifter (see Recipe Tips note below if you don’t own a sifter) over something that will catch fallout (such as paper) and add the dry ingredients in this order: ½ cup (68 g) flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and the remaining ¾ cup (102 g) flour. Use a spoon to gently stir, then sift over the wet ingredients, and beat to combine.
If the dough appears crumbly, add 1-3 tablespoons (15-45 ml) almond milk until dough is formed. Otherwise, skip this step.
Cover and freeze the dough for 20 minutes, or refrigerate for 35 minutes (or chill overnight).
Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven.
Scoop out roughly 2 tablespoons (36 g) amounts of dough, and form into balls with the warmth of your hands. Gently press into loose discs with your palms.
Use a fork to squish the cookies down a little more and form a crosshatch pattern on top. (For smaller cookies, scoop out heaping 1 tablespoon (20 g) amounts and repeat the same process).
Place the cookies on a baking sheet 2 inches apart to allow for spreading, and bake on the center rack for 12-16 minutes (or 8-10 minutes for smaller cookies), or until very slightly golden brown on the edges.
Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
In the meantime, rinse and dry the large bowl, and add the chocolate and coconut oil (optional). Melt in your microwave in 30-second increments (or over a double boiler), being careful not to overheat the mixture.
Line a clean plate or baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper to receive the dipped cookies. Dip the cooled cookies halfway into the chocolate, gently shake off any excess, and place on the prepared surface. Sprinkle with sea salt (optional).
Let dry at room temperature until set. Serve the cookies chilled or at room temperature.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Best when fresh.
Recipe Tips
To speed the softening process, slice the vegan butter into ¼-inch pieces.
If you do not have pumpkin puree, substitute a comparable amount of applesauce, or 1 prepared flax egg. I used one flax egg (1 tablespoon ground raw flax seed plus 2 ½ tablespoons of water, combined together and left to sit/thicken for 5 minutes) in lieu of pumpkin puree and substituted vanilla extract for the almond extract.
If you do not own a sifter, simply whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, and add them to the wet ingredients as instructed.
Have you cooked anything from Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Part of the joy I experience in the animal rights movement is to hear an activist’s story of how they became involved in animal rights, what influenced them, and what they find as an effective means of activism. I am fascinated by what propels someone to go forward and take further action, because it inspires me to be more active. The Pig In Thin Air: An Identification is Dr. Alex Lockwood’s personal account of how he became involved in animal rights.
Do you remember the Facebook image of a pig leaping out of an open bed truck headed for slaughter? That this image was taken from the car behind the truck, on a busy street in China? Many animal rights activists likely know this image that quickly went viral, and remember that the pig, who, because she fought to escape and save her life, was allowed to live. This image resonated with the author Alex Lockwood, and is the source of the title for the book.
Each animal rights activist’s story depicts a path, from becoming aware of atrocities imposed on animals, and journeying towards action against these atrocities. Dr. Alex Lockwood originally began his career as an environmentalist and as an academic. As he approached his mid-thirties, he struggled with unease, and he knew that his health and personal relationships were faltering. He knew there was a disassociation from his feelings and his own body. As he began to correct these issues in his life, he became cognizant and empathetic towards issues in animal advocacy.
He was awarded a Winston Churchill Travel Fellowship in 2014, and used this to travel to North America to learn from animal advocates. Originally, he was to be stationed at the Vancouver Aquarium as a visiting writer in residence. However, the Vancouver Aquarium became a target of an animal rights campaign; he aborted this, and quickly became involved with animal rights groups. I found it interesting to read his perceptions of different methods of action, and to read of his encounters with contemporary groups such as Direct Action Everywhere and Toronto Pig Save, as well as better established organizations such as Farm Sanctuary.
Throughout his interactions with various organizations, he cites references that support the idea that one must be aware of one’s physical body—to embrace it in order to relate to a nonhuman animal’s body. He quotes Lori Gruen:
[T]he distinction between self and other isn’t one of distance and it doesn’t entail dominance or subordination…it is centrally important that one has a balanced and clear self-concept to be able to engage empathetically with others.
When Dr. Lockwood was able to reconnect with his body, it gave him the capacity to live a more compassionate, feeling life.
Dr. Lockwood frames The Pig In Thin Air into two questions: 1. What makes an animal advocate? And 2. How can I be a good animal advocate? Interspersed in these sections are his experiences and citations from several established references regarding efficacy. His writing is eloquent, benefiting from his background in writing. He is open about his personal history, and willing to describe his setbacks. Towards the end, he chooses his own path for animal advocacy, which for every animal rights activist, they must find their place. In the culmination of his summer fellowship, his action in animal advocacy is an achievement; it is astonishing as well as inspiring. He has found his way, and knows he will fight for animals for the rest of his life.
Continuing our series of activist profiles, today we interview Doris Schneeberger. For a few weeks this spring, Vegan Outreach was lucky to have Doris join Yuri Mitzkewich on his tour across the southern states. By the time her internship was over, she had passed out 17,668 booklets! Thank you, Doris, for using your time in the United States to make a difference for animals everywhere.
Where are you from and where do you live now?
I’m from Austria, where I live in a village on the countryside.
What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?
I’ve always loved all kinds of animals and I’ve always been a philosophical person. After high school I studied philosophy and focused on animal ethics. I wrote my PhD thesis on possible future Universal Declarations of Non-Human Animal Rights.
The misery of non-human animals in our society bothers me every day. The way humans treat (especially) farm and lab animals is horrifying and deeply unjust. Many of those who have woken up out of the Matrix, and are now able to see that what we do to fellow beings is an atrocity, feel the need and obligation to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
I’m deeply grateful for each and every animal rights advocate who works towards a better world for all sentient beings on this planet. Every one of them is a multiplier, their influence and existence as an example for others are highly important for the moral advancement of humanity, which is vital for a peaceful future and the preservation of the integrity of our planet and its natural resources that all of us depend on.
Moral progress includes less unnecessary harm, violence and injustice and more peace and respect for the life and welfare of others. Those who are the most vulnerable and powerless are in need of the greatest protection.
It feels great to be a vegan. Everyone who distances him- or herself from the unnecessary exploitation and killing of fellow beings that the production of meat and animal products entails is another human who doesn’t participate in the human warfare against other animals. Veganism is a vote against speciesism, and a vote for peace, non-violence, justice and the protection of our planet instead.
How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?
I saw Vic Sjodin’s talk last year at the International Animal Rights Conference in Luxembourg. My impression was that he was a humble, honest, down-to-earth and friendly animal rights activist, and that’s how I first got to know a little bit about Vegan Outreach. I spent two months at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, as a visiting researcher writing a paper about my thesis in February and March of this year. I was looking for meaningful activities for animals which I could get involved in here in the US and I found out about possibilities of volunteering with Vegan Outreach. I contacted Vic and he was truly welcoming. I just finished traveling the southern states with vegan superhero Yuri Mitzkewich for a few weeks, leafleting at universities and colleges.
On this journey, I was not only able to gather experience on how to advocate for animal rights effectively, I also got to see parts of the US I would never have seen otherwise and met and learned from a lot of great and inspiring people who are involved in working for animal rights.
Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?
I’m always thankful if people take some time to talk to us a little bit—it’s really interesting to hear people’s opinions on the topic. You get a better idea of how people think and where they’re coming from, which allows you to adjust your approaches to make your advocacy more effective. The most valuable situations are probably those when people take the brochure, walk past you and then return a few minutes later to ask questions. I also like it a lot when the leaflets spark conversations about the issues revolving around eating meat and animal products among groups of students. After all, our main objectives are to provide information and get people to rethink old mindsets and make better decisions in the future.
What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?
I love sports, nature and music. I’m really eager to improve my skills and myself in all kinds of directions and enjoy beautiful moments and times whenever they present themselves. I try to do something meaningful and learn and grow every day. As a social animal, I like spending time with human and non-human friends daily.
Can you tell us one of your favorite vegan products to share with our readers?
I love all kinds of vegan products—it’s hard to pick one actually. I especially love cooking and eating vegan dishes for and with friends as it’s an easy and enjoyable way to gather and spread knowledge about tasty and healthy vegan products and dishes. Even if there are a few products one especially enjoys eating, diversity is crucial in a healthy vegan diet: firstly because you thereby make sure you consume all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals your body needs; secondly because you can enjoy and continue to learn about all the manifold magnificent products and dishes a wholesome vegan diet entails; and thirdly because others also see the healthiness, deliciousness and diversity of tasty and healthy vegan dishes.
Continuing our series of activist profiles, today we talk to Katia Rodriguez, Vegan Outreach’s Mexico Campaigns & Spanish Media Coordinator. In addition to helping run VO’s Español pages, Katia has leafleted 36 different schools, reaching more than 29,000 students, and holds the all-time record for the most booklets handed out in a single day with 6,496 booklets at her alma mater, the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León!
Where are you from and where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Monterrey, México, and am currently living there.
What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?
I’ve always loved animals and music. I was invited to a concert where several bands were going to play, and one of my favorite bands was one of them. I was told that the money raised at this event was going to be donated to a local animal shelter, so I invited more friends so that there would be more money for animals in need of a loving home. Since there were more than 10 bands playing, there was a short period of time that was given to the bands to tune their instruments; during that time PETA’s 30 Reasons To Go Vegetarian video was being played on a big screen on the stage. I decided to go vegetarian after watching it. I thought helping animals by not eating them or supporting any form of exploitation was not enough, so I decided to speak up for them and started giving conferences, setting up tables, leafleting, getting involved with animal rights organizations, and I also became vegan.
How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?
I had handed out leaflets about animal rights a few times before during my PETA internship, at my high school and at other animal rights demos, but it was back in 2013, when some vegan friends told me a guy named Vic Sjodin from Vegan Outreach was going to be leafleting at my university and that it would be good to have more volunteers. That was the first time I leafleted with Vegan Outreach.
Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?
So far, I can’t say that I have only one favorite moment, I definitely have a few, but one of the most memorable is when I offered a leaflet to a guy who said no in a rude way and walked away. Then, he came back where I was standing and asked for a leaflet, said he was sorry for rejecting it and explained why he did it. He said he kind of knew what the content was going to be about, that he knows eating animals is wrong, but he has been avoiding reading more about it. He said it was time to face the truth, took the leaflet and continued walking. Another favorite moment was when I gave a leaflet to a guy named Israel the day VO officially started its first tour in Mexico at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León [below]. He read the booklet and decided to join us, and he handed out over 1,000 booklets that day.
Above (from left) are Miroslava Garza, Katia, Fernanda Riojas, Israel, and Carlos Contreras.
What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?
I love reading, attending concerts and visiting my friends that were rescued and now live in an animal sanctuary. I enjoy watching 90s cartoons and horror movies, walking around store aisles discovering accidentally vegan food and hanging out with my friends.
Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?
Leafleting is a very effective way to reach a great amount of people and creates a positive impact. Every time I leaflet and hear someone say they are seriously considering going vegan, every time I see someone reading the booklet, every time someone asks me for more information or thanks me for being there, they are all special moments that remind me how important creating awareness is and how important this is for the animals.
This is part two of my review of the cookbook Baconish by Leinana Two Moons.
Last week I reviewed a recipe from Baconish for Bacon-Spinach Quiche. But this cookbook has so many good recipes, that I wanted to share a couple more! BLT is a definite theme in this book, and I thought this recipe was perfect because it mixes that with one of my (and the world’s!) favorite foods—pizza!
BLT Pizza
Serves about 4 to 6.
Ingredients
1 Quick and Easy Whole-Wheat Pizza Crust (from recipe in Baconish) or store-bought crust, at room temperature
⅔ cup store-bought pizza sauce
⅓ cup vegan shredded mozzarella cheese (I used Daiya brand)
⅓ cup chopped Tofu Bacon (see recipe below), marinated but not cooked
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup arugula leaves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 475℉.
Stretch the pizza crust dough onto a 12-inch round pizza pan. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the crust to within 1 inch of the edge. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly on top of the sauce. Distribute the Tofu Bacon pieces and cherry tomatoes over the mozzarella.
Bake the pizza for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and the Tofu Bacon is browned. Remove the pizza from the oven, arrange the arugula leaves all over the top, cut into slices, and serve.
I couldn’t justify reviewing a cookbook centered on plant-based bacon without trying out one of the recipes for vegan bacon. This is the first time I have ever tried to make anything like this—it was surprisingly easy, and I was happy with the result. I had to stop myself from eating these solo before I had a chance to put them on the pizza! (I cooked these before putting on the pizza, although the recipe above recommends having them cook with the rest of the pizza).
Tofu Bacon
Makes about 2 cups.
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package smoked tofu
¼ cup tamari
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive or safflower oil (if pan-frying)
Non-stick cooking spray (if baking)
Directions
Use a sharp knife to cut the tofu into ⅛-inch strips.
Whisk the tamari, maple syrup, tomato paste, liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder together in a medium bowl. Place the tofu slices in a large shallow 9 x 13-inch baking dish or gallon-size plastic freezer bag, then pour the marinade over the top. Make sure all the slices are evenly coated. Allow the tofu to marinate a minimum of 1 hour (several hours is even better; the longer it marinates, the more flavor it will have).
To pan-fry the Tofu Bacon (which is the cooking method I recommend), heat the oil in the large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet because the bacon slices will get more carmelization and crispier edges than they will in a non-stick skillet. Working in batches, place the bacon slices in a single layer in the oil and pan-fry until they are dark brown in spots and crispy around the edges. Using tongs or a spatula, flip the slices and fry until they are crisped and browned on the other side.
To bake the Tofu Bacon, preheat the oven to 400℉. Lightly spray two cooling racks and place them on top of two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Arrange the bacon slices in single layers over the cooling racks. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, keeping a close eye on the tofu during the last 5 minutes. The thinner the slices are, the faster they will begin to burn. Baking them in the oven will create a firmer, crunchier bacon and will omit the oil.
Have you made anything from Baconish? Have a favorite plant-based bacon? Share your answers with us in the comments below!
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