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
Photo: Erin Parker / TheSpeckledPalate.com
I remember the first time I made no-bake cookies in my 5th grade Home Economics class. I was thoroughly confused since the only type of cookie I’d made up to that point was chocolate chip and sugar cookies. I remember thinking to myself, “how can we make cookies without baking them?”
The world of no-bake cookies slowly opened its door to me that day, and the door swung wide open when I became vegan and started reading more food blogs. It’s incredible what you can do with a few ingredients and zero heat.
When I started sharing recipes for this blog, I knew it was only a matter of time until I shared a recipe for no-bake cookies. And when I recently came across this No-Bake Pumpkin Cookie recipe, I knew the time had come.
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 Jamila Alfred, VO Maryland/DC Events and Outreach Coordinator
Ever since I was a kid, I have always eaten raw cookie dough from the store-bought, pre-made cookie dough packages before my mom even had a chance to bake them!
But can you blame me? Cookie dough is notoriously delicious!
I was such a little menace nibbling on the sweet treat with no knowledge of where the ingredients truly came from.
Although the threat of salmonella in the raw eggs and the high fat and sugar content were alarming, I still couldn’t resist the taste and texture of raw chocolate chip cookie dough.
When I discovered the vegan version on Tami Torossian’s YouTube channel, I knew I had to give it a try! To my surprise, it tasted exactly like how I remember it tasting when I was a kid—just without the unnecessary and unkind extras.
It was awesome to know I could make something so simple that would satisfy my sweet tooth and love for the taste of raw cookie dough!
Now, go make it and leave comments telling me how much you love it!
3 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Yields about 2 servings.
Ingredients
7 medium-sized medjool dates (depending on the size of the dates—you may need more)
1 cup of old fashioned oats
¼ cup of dairy-free chocolate chips (or more if desired)
Directions
Remove the pits from the dates and toss them into a high-speed blender or food processor. Pulse for about 30 seconds or until they become a chunky, thick paste.
Add the oats to the date paste and pulse until the mixture turns into individual clumps.
When the cookie dough is fully formed, sprinkle the chocolate chips into your blender. Pulse only a few times to make sure they stick to the batter.
Remove the dough from blender with a fork and eat it any way you’d like!
Recipe Variations
If you’re a fan of peanut butter, try adding 1 tablespoon (or more if you really love peanut butter).
By Jamila Alfred, VO Maryland/DC Events and Outreach Coordinator
Rhone’t, Rhoni, and Rhoneika Jacobs
A few weeks ago I met up with the tremendously talented triplets of 3 Twisted Vegans (3TV)—who make the most delicious vegan comfort food in Washington, DC.
As relatively new businesswomen, triplets Rhoni, Rhone’t, and Rhoneika Jacobs feature their sensational all-vegan menu as a pop-up restaurant at EatsPlace, near the Georgia Ave-Petworth Metro Station in DC.
I wandered into their pop-up location with a mouthful of questions and ended up with a mouthful of fries!
As soon as my order of the Rudeboy burger, sweet potato fries, and peanut butter Oreo milkshake hit my table, I went to town with no traces of food left. It’s just so hard to explain how tasty this meal was! The tastes were nostalgic, the textures were spot on, and the homemade sauces were absolutely delicious!
If the food itself wasn’t enough, the sisters were an absolute delight! Despite only being in the early 20s, they were as wise and strong as elders. The more we talked, the more evident it became that these three sisters were beyond passionate about their work.
I’m excited to introduce you to this vegan trio—let’s get to it!
Jamila Alfred: Where did you grow up?
Rhoni Jacobs: We grew up right here in Washington, DC—maybe 2 or 3 minutes away.
Jamila: What’s your collective vegan story?
Rhoneika Jacobs: We went vegan pretty much overnight. Rhoni woke up one morning and said, “Let’s just go vegan!” We had never heard of it or been around people who were vegan. We usually go grocery shopping every Sunday, and she told us on Friday that she wanted us to go vegan, so we had no choice but to get vegan food.
We kind of argued about it for a while because the first thought I had was, “I’m going to be hungry!” We literally just did it overnight. At the grocery store that Sunday, we shopped all vegan and we continued up to now.
Jamila: What is 3TV and how did it come to be?
Rhone’t Jacobs: We would say that 3TV is good food that happens to be vegan. And we put the word “vegans” in our name—even when people didn’t think it was a good idea—because we don’t want people to be afraid of vegan food.
When people think of vegan food they equate it to like a salad, rice, or something small. We’re not small people, so we don’t eat light. We want people’s minds to be changed about how they see vegan food—it could be comfort food, it could be fast food, it could be fatty food. It doesn’t have to be this little salad. We don’t like stuff like that. Everybody needs comfort food!
Jamila: What makes you different from other vegan vendors?
Rhoni: Our food tastes better because we season it like we did in the past. If you can’t cook non-vegan food, then you can’t cook vegan food. We brought all of our experience with cooking non-vegan food to vegan food.
Jamila: Did you come across any cooking challenges after you became vegan?
Rhoneika: We’re Jamaican and we thought we’d have a hard time cooking vegan Jamaican food because of certain foods like curried goat, oxtail, beef patties, and stuff like that. Our grandmother is the best cook ever and we wanted to have our food embody the authentic Jamaican flavors she created. Honestly, if you tasted our food, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between our grandmother’s and ours.
Jamila: What’s your favorite music to play while cooking?
Rhone’t: We all agree that it’s rap music! I think it gives you this motivational feeling, but it depends on who you listen to. I listen to Meek Mill, and it’s something that gets you motivated at the gym. Same with cooking—it puts you in the mood to cook. You listen to people you’re relatable to, and he always talks about starting from the bottom or starting from nowhere.
That’s how we feel about Nicki Minaj, too—we love her!
Jamila: Thank you, Rhoni, Rhone’t, and Rhoneika for taking the time to talk to us about your new business!
It’s obvious that these intelligent sisters will surely go far!
Take my advice and drop by EatsPlace in DC on Saturdays from 5:00 pm – 9:30 pm to get the twisted experience!
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!
Keep your toes cozy this fall while sparing animals from suffering!
These fabulous Vegan Outreach socks are back by popular demand and available only until Wednesday, November 2.
Get your pair now and show your friends you “stand” for animals! Every pair you purchase will benefit VO’s work to persuade more people to go vegan!
Socks are $14 per pair, plus shipping. Materials are 75% bamboo rayon, 22% nylon, and 3% elastane. One size fits all. Hand-printed at a family-owned, U.S.-based company, using fair labor practices. Packaging made from recycled paper.
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