By Lori Stultz, VO Rocky Mountain Outreach Coordinator
Photo Credit: Renee Press / Fire and Earth Kitchen
If you’re a peanut butter fan then this Peanut Buttery Sandwich Cookie is sure to hit the spot!
And if peanut butter isn’t your thing, try swapping it out with your favorite kind of nut butter! The cookie will still meet your sweet and savory expectations!
A huge thanks to Renee Press with Fire and Earth Kitchen—the genius behind all this deliciousness—for letting us share yet another one of her fantastic recipes!
Peanut Buttery Sandwich Cookies
Yields 7 sandwiches or 14 cookies.
Ingredients
½ cup coconut oil
⅓ cup creamy peanut butter + ½ cup for filling
⅓ cup brown sugar
2 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons flax meal
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free or wheat)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine coconut oil, ⅓ cup peanut butter, and brown sugar. Cream together using a fork.
Add vanilla extract, flax meal, and water. Mix well to combine.
Add salt, baking soda, cinnamon, oats, and flour. Stir well to incorporate.
Roll dough into golf ball sized balls and place on parchment paper. Gently flatten with the palm of your hand. Leave a few inches between each ball of cookie dough.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies are golden and lightly crisped on bottoms.
Remove from oven and let cool thoroughly—10 to 15 minutes—before adding the peanut butter filling. Once the cookies are cool, gently coat the bottom of one cookie with a tablespoon or so of peanut butter and spread with a butter knife. Attach second cookie and gently press to adhere. Enjoy!
We’ve accomplished a lot for animals together in 2016!
Expanded Outreach
Engaging More Communities
Keeping Vegans Vegan
Measuring our Impact
Get these stories and more—and a bonus Pumpkin Pie Bagel Spread recipe—online now! Thank you for making this work possible with your donations to Vegan Outreach!
By Steve Erlsten, VO Northern California Outreach Coordinator
It was the morning on the third week of my seven-week leafleting road trip. My day in San Bernardino, CA started when the alarm went off at 6:45 am. I quickly brushed my teeth and hustled to my car, which was packed with boxes.
I’d left my apartment in Berkeley, CA at the beginning of my tour with 25 thirty-eight pound boxes, each containing a thousand animal-saving booklets.
After I jumped in my car, I ate a Trader Joe’s vegan cinnamon roll while zipping through the beginnings of rush hour traffic. By 7:30 am, I was in action—trying to catch the initial arrival of students at Cal State in San Bernardino!
I like to start leafleting early in the day because the initial rush of students usually has a great take rate—it’s often effective to catch them coming in from the parking lot or their dorms.
I’d checked AdoptACollege.org—a website maintained by VO that contains a wealth of information about each school that volunteers and VO staff have done outreach at—and I’d also spoken with VO’s Director of Outreach, Vic Sjodin, the night before. Vic had previously leafleted Cal State San Bernardino, and I wasn’t familiar with the layout or the best leafleting spots.
I was disappointed by the flow of foot traffic at the first location I tried. I checked out a couple of other suggested spots, but they didn’t seem promising either. I decided to skip ahead to the prime mid-day spot near the library. It worked out great!
There was a steady stream of students with huge rushes at every class change. Most importantly, there were new students passing me at each class change. I wasn’t repeatedly meeting the same students or having to rotate leafleting locations.
I started the day with 2,000 booklets—I handed out booklets continuously for 6 and a half hours. By 2:00 pm, there were still plenty of new students arriving for afternoon and evening classes, so I decided to stay on campus and continue leafleting.
As I trekked back to the car to get a few hundred more booklets, I realized I could set a new record for the number of booklets passed out at this school if I leafleted for just a few more hours! I re-energized with a Clif Bar and refilled my water bottle.
Throughout the day, I had dozens of great conversations! Too many to recount in detail!
Some of my favorite conversations included a chat with a woman named Glenda, whose daughter had been asking to go vegan. I spoke with her for 15 minutes or so, answered her questions, and gave her two of VO’s Guides to Cruelty-Free Eating (GCFE).
The most rewarding moment, however, was meeting James—pictured below. He’d been vegetarian since receiving a booklet from VO last year. He and I spoke for a few minutes, and he told me he was excited to try to go vegan with the help from the GCFE booklet I gave him.
I took an hour break from 2:00 to 3:00 pm and from 4:00 to 5:00 pm when foot traffic was slower. By 6:00 pm, I’d set a record for this university for the most number of booklets handed out in one day.
When the campus started to empty out, I left to get dinner—I was hungry! I ate a cheeseless pizza at a nearby Papa John’s. At 9:00 pm, after watching a few episodes of Better Call Saul in my car and returning a few emails, I drove to my host’s house in a nearby city.
I’d contacted this host on CouchSurfing.com—we’d never met before. We spoke for an hour or so after I arrived. He wasn’t familiar with VO, but was enthusiastic about the work we do. Interestingly enough, he told me that he’d been vegan for four years and applies his experiences of being vegan to his work with respiratory patients.
Sometime shortly after midnight I fell asleep. My alarm rang again at 6:00 am that next morning and I was up and ready to drive to another school to do it all again!
I love my job, and I love that VO has such amazing donors and volunteers to keep our work going! And I want to give a huge shout-out to our other VO Outreach Coordinators who are doing this work in different parts of the world!
VO Executive Director Jack Norris and Steve Erlsten
Your donations make Steve’s work possible. If you want to see even more people go veg next year, donate now to our Half Million Dollar Challenge and your donation will be matched! Thank you!
By Alex Bury, VO Organizational Development Consultant
I’m a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America—the CIA—and I couldn’t get my degree without spending a chunk of time in the pastry kitchen.
Honestly, pastry work has just never been my “thing.” You have to be so careful and exact with everything! The savory side of the kitchen is much more forgiving of last minute spice changes or experimentation.
I do, however, have two amazing pie recipes that I’ve been making for 20 years. One is a classic pumpkin cheesecake pie and the other is a chocolate fudge pecan pie. The chocolate fudge pie will be shared in December—great things come to those who wait!
These pies aren’t fussy or fragile like so many baking recipes. Every year between Thanksgiving and December 31 I make at least 4 of each, sometimes more, and I usually serve them to non-vegans with rave reviews.
And this year I’ve added a third pie to my baking standards list—basic pumpkin tofu pie.
This fall, Vegan Outreach is hosting a series of informational meetings at churches in Los Angeles, CA. The congregations and local communities are almost completely non-vegan. Vegan advocacy, Whole Foods, kale smoothies, and Tofurky haven’t been a part of these communities.
Therefore, we needed a pie recipe that didn’t use any fancy ingredients—like agar or vegan cream cheese—didn’t need a Whole Foods to complete the shopping list, was somewhat healthy and inexpensive, and was delicious enough that a non-vegan would love it.
I found a recipe that met these criteria! It’s made with tofu, which is a good source of protein and easy to find; canned pumpkin, which is cheap, nutritious, and also easy to find; sugar; and spices.
Whichever pie you make, be sure to serve it with your favorite non-dairy ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
Yields 8 servings.
Ingredients
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1 8 oz container vegan cream cheese (I use Follow Your Heart brand)
1 container (12.3 oz) Mori-Nu firm silken tofu
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 vegan pie crust (see Recipe Tips/Variations below)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Puree all of the ingredients—the filling for the pie crust—in a food processor until you have a very smooth consistency.
Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust and bake for 50 minutes.
Allow the pie to cool for 60 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight before serving.
Recipe Tips/Variations
It’s easy to buy pre-made vegan pie crusts in the freezer section of your store! If you’re like me and have zero patience for making pie crusts from scratch, I highly recommend buying one. If you have the time and patience, though, feel free to use your favorite vegan pie crust recipe!
It really helps to make the pie a day before your meal so it can set up and chill overnight.
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Basic Pumpkin Tofu Pie
Yields 8 servings.
Ingredients
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1 container (12.3 oz) Mori-Nu firm silken tofu
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice mix (see below if you want to make your own)
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 vegan pie crust (see Recipe Tips/Variations above)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix all of the ingredients—the filling for the pie crust—together in a food processor. Make sure the filling is extremely smooth and blended. Once you’re sure it’s smooth and creamy, give it another 60 seconds of processing to make it fluffy.
Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust and bake for 45 minutes. If the crust and top of the pie aren’t golden brown, bake for another 15 minutes.
Recipe Tips/Variations
Let the pie cool very well and then cover with plastic wrap, chill overnight, and enjoy the next day!
Vegan Outreach has launched a petition urging California Pizza Kitchen to add a vegan cheese pizza to their menu and over 23,000 people have already let them know they’d support this animal-friendly dish!
With 30 million lactose-intolerant Americans, vegans aren’t the only customers who’d purchase a dairy-free option. In fact, the vegetarian and vegan food market has been exploding recently and is predicted to grow even further. Many popular chains have added a vegan cheese pizza—including Pieology, MOD Pizza, zpizza, Amici’s, and Blaze Pizza.
California Pizza Kitchen is currently expanding their menu, so it’s a perfect time for them to reel in the millions of vegan, dairy-intolerant, and health-conscious consumers and become the largest pizza company in the U.S. to offer a vegan version of one of America’s favorite foods!
Help us show California Pizza Kitchen they have a market for a delicious vegan cheese pizza by signing our petition!
By Jamila Alfred, VO Maryland/DC Events and Outreach Coordinator
Celebrate with us as we kick off a marathon of delicious Thanksgiving-themed side dishes and desserts.
The recipe we’re sharing today is not a traditional Thanksgiving side dish, but it does include potatoes and gravy!
Poutine, a traditional Canadian dish, is actually quite simple—French fries smothered in gravy and cheese.
And thanks to our good friends at Tofurky, there’s a perfected vegan version that sure as heck beats your typical mashed potatoes and gravy! We’re certain it will have your Thanksgiving guests asking for thirds!
Give it a try this holiday and be sure to let us know how much everyone loved it!
Poutine with Bacon Gravy and Pepper Jack Cheese
Yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
4 medium russet potatoes (about 3 pounds), cut into thin fries
1 4 oz. block vegan cheddar or pepper jack cheese, cubed
Directions
Preheat oven to 450˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss to combine potatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and garlic. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake, tossing halfway through, until well-browned and crisp, about 30-35 minutes.
In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Add tempeh and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to skillet. Add flour and whisk until it’s a paste.
Stir in vegetable broth and simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and add thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Chop tempeh and stir into gravy.
To serve, mound fries on a plate. Scatter with cheese cubes and pour gravy on top. Enjoy!
The original poutine recipe from Tofurky can be found here.
By Lori Stultz, VO Rocky Mountain Outreach Coordinator
Kim Sujovolsky, founder of Brownble, has provided a tasty, flavorful, and simple salad idea!
Keep in mind that this recipe doesn’t necessarily require fresh corn, as it may not be available everywhere this time of the year. Kim has provided additional instructions in the recipe below if you need to use frozen corn.
Roasted Corn and Bean Salad
Yields 2-4 servings.
Ingredients
Salad
2 ears of corn, silk and husk removed or 1 large package of frozen corn (if fresh corn is not available)
A drizzle of high heat oil for grilling the corn
2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
½ yellow bell pepper, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
1 tomato, chopped
1 small red onion, finely diced
½ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
½ jalapeño pepper, finely diced (optional)
Avocado slices or guacamole for serving (optional)
Dressing
2 minced garlic cloves
3 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt and a few cracks of pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
½-1 tablespoon mustard
1 ¼ teaspoon agave nectar or maple syrup
Directions
Brush the ears of corn with the oil and place them on a hot, oiled grill pan. Turn them every few minutes to create a nice char all around. Remove from the pan and cut the kernels from the cob using a knife. Place them in a bowl.
If you’re using frozen corn, saute the kernels in a pan using little bit of oil and place them in a bowl.
To make the dressing, add and shake all the ingredients in a jar and let it sit while you assemble your salad.
Add the rest of the salad ingredients except the avocado (if using) to the bowl with the corn.
Add the dressing and toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. If possible, chill the salad in the fridge for all the flavors to come together and toss occasionally.
Top with avocado slices or guacamole when serving and enjoy! This salad is also great as a filling for tacos or burritos!
By Lori Stultz, VO Rocky Mountain Outreach Coordinator
At the beginning of the year, when I drove through San Antonio, TX to leaflet the four college campuses in and right outside the city, I have to be honest and admit that I didn’t have high expectations.
I wasn’t expecting the students to be as receptive as they were when I handed them VO booklets, or was I expecting the city of San Antonio to be as lively, fun, and veg-friendly as it is—check out the blog post I wrote earlier in the year to get the full scoop on the veg scene in this city.
In fact, I think San Antonio was one of my favorite places I toured through last spring, and it was by far one of the most memorable weeks I had while living on the road.
Most if not all of this was due to the lovely host I stayed with, Kaz Sephton. Despite being the president of the San Antonio Vegan Society, helping rescue and foster stray dogs—San Antonio has one of the highest stray dog populations in the U.S., taking care of her five special needs dogs, and working full time, she made it a point to show me all the unique places in the city and to take me to all the restaurants that served delicious vegan food.
Throughout the entire week we spent together, I kid you not, I spent the majority of that time doubled over in laughter because of Kaz’s amazing sense of humor, and I remember wishing I could stay in San Antonio longer.
Kaz’s dedication to helping animals is inexhaustible, so I wasn’t the least bit surprised when she recently announced that she’d joined a few other animal-loving folks to open a highly unusual shop called Munch On and Beyond.
Chris Sauve, founder of the San Antonio vegan snack company Munch On!, opened Munch On and Beyond in mid-July. She had enough left-over space to let three other vegan food companies move in with her—My Tea Soul; Papi Agave Paletas, Fiestas y Más; and Famous Juice Co.—as well as Kaz’s resale store called Golden Horn of Plenty Resale Shop.
Michele Hernandez, Founder of My Tea Soul, and Chris Sauve, Founder of Munch On and Beyond
Golden Horn of Plenty is a simple 100 sq. foot room within Munch On and Beyond, and it’s filled to the brim with donated goods—like clothes and household items. 100% of the proceeds from Kaz’s shop go to the Golden Horn Foundation—pending nonprofit status—which goes towards rescuing, providing medical care, and finding forever homes for stray dogs.
If you ask me, bringing multiple small vegan businesses together to work individually, yet as part of one large operating business is such an awesome and inspiring idea for anyone who might be considering starting a vegan business. Teaming up with other people inevitably creates a bigger pool of resources, which yields a greater chance at raising awareness about living a vegan lifestyle.
Needless to say, my love for San Antonio pretty much went through the roof knowing that Munch On and Beyond now exists within this surprisingly veg-friendly city!
So if you’re in or near the San Antonio area, go grab yourself a delicious vegan goodie, plan some time to do some thrifting, and don’t be shy about sharing your experience in the comment section below!
By Alex Bury, VO Organizational Development Consultant
Whether we like it or not, the holiday season is officially upon us.
That means that most of us will be invited to at least one or two holiday parties in the very near future. Or better yet, you might be the host of an upcoming holiday get together!
Regardless of whether you’ll be doing the party planning or attending, we’ve got a yummy party appetizer idea for you—Holiday Party Rolls!
These wraps are quick to make, easy to store and serve, and guaranteed to please everyone! The old-fashioned holiday flavors will be a hit with your vegan friends, your vegetarian neighbor, and your omnivore Uncle Joe.
1 can cranberry sauce (or use your favorite recipe if you prefer homemade)
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and dried (keep the leaves whole)
Directions
Mix the mayo and mustard together in a bowl.
Lay each wrap or tortilla flat on whatever surface you’re working on.
Spread a thin layer of mayo-mustard spread on the wrap. Top with 4 pieces of Tofurky slices, 2 pieces of cheese, 4-6 slices of apple, and 1 tablespoon of cranberry sauce. Lastly, add 1-2 whole lettuce leaves to the center.
Roll the wrap up like a burrito and slice into multiple thin rounds.
Get ready for multiple compliments!
If you make these Holiday Party Rolls for your next holiday party, please leave a comment below to let us know how much everyone enjoyed them!
