Anchorage, Alaska

by Jack Norris

My wife, Alex, is from Alaska and we go there about once a year to visit her family in Anchorage. In Anchorage, you’re more likely to run into a moose than an animal activist – yet there are a surprising number of restaurants with delicious vegan options!

Here’s a rundown of where we ate during our latest trip.

Organic Oasis 

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This is probably the most vegan-friendly of any restaurant in Anchorage. They have quite a few vegan entrees and are a good place for a nice sit-down dinner.

Potato Coconut Soup (background) and a combination of the two angel hair pasta dishes: Lightly Steamed Veggies & Macadamia Nut Basil Pesto. The potato soup was so delicious I had to order a second cup!

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Vegan High Protein Tempeh Wrap

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Moroccan Hummus Sandwich

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Lentil Soup

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Golden Baked Tofu with Caesar Style Dressing

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Middle Way Café

The Middle Way Café is a totally hip café where you can have just a snack and coffee, brunch, or an early dinner (they close at 6 PM).

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But it’s not just for hipsters, and I try to go there as much as I can when in Anchorage!

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Korean Tofu Dish (special), Split Pea Soup, Vegan BBQ Burger

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Multigrain Pancakes
(What? You can hardly get vegan pancakes in California!)

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Vegan Breakfast Burrito with Potatoes

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Colour’s Tofu Stack

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Thai Kitchen

This vegan-friendly Thai restaurant has been a staple for vegans in Anchorage for many years.

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Spring Rolls

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Tofu and Vegetables, Tofu Noodles and Vegetables

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Snow City Café

The extremely popular Snow City Café is located downtown. There are only limited reservations, but even when we have to wait for up to an hour, their tofu scramble and hash browns make it well worth it! You can get a soy latte at the counter to hold you over while waiting.

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I’m still not sure why it’s called “Snow City” since it’s yet to snow in Anchorage when I’ve been there.

Tofu Scramble and Hash Browns

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Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzeria

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Pretty darn good for a pizza without any vegan cheese or vegan meats. They have gluten-free, too, if you’re so inclined.

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Kaladi’s

Coffee drinkers will be happy to know that the West Coast’s fascination with coffee shops extends to Anchorage where you can find a delicious Kaladi’s everywhere you turn. So while Alex is hiking up a 10,000 foot mountain in the pouring rain, I’m sitting tight with a hot cup of coffee and my laptop.

And Kaladi’s has breakfast oatmeal if you’re in a pinch for a quick vegan breakfast.

Taco Bell

When it comes to the Bell, you just can’t beat one with these mountains behind it!

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Bean Burrito (without cheese) and Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes (without sour cream and cheese)

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If you travel to Anchorage, please tell them I said, “Hello!”

Reindeer Pops

By Toni Okamoto

Happy holidays, everyone!

I teamed up with Michelle Cehn from World of Vegan to try out these adorable Reindeer Pops that we saw on Pinterest. They’re really easy to make and great for holiday parties!

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What you’ll need:

Directions:

Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, and place in microwave for 1 minute. Stir until chocolate becomes a smooth consistency.

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Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Using a fork, dip the marshmallows entirely into the melted chocolate. Dip two pretzels half way into the chocolate and place them on the parchment paper. Place the chocolate dipped marshmallow onto bottom half of the two pretzels (as pictured below).

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Dip tips of two white chocolate chips into the melted semi-sweet chocolate, then place at the top of the marshmallow.

Place red hot at the tip on the marshmallow to use as a nose.

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Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then place the lollipop stick into the bottom.

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Enjoy!

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2015 Holiday Cookie Roundup

By Toni Okamoto

Want to try your hand at vegan baking this holiday season? Here are some of our Pinterest favorites!

Coconut Snowballs

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Recipe from The Kitchn

Creamy Dreamy Peppermint Patties

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Recipe from Oh She Glows

Sugar Cookies

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Recipe by Stephanie Lundstrom 

Pistachio Praline Linzer Cookies

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Recipe by Bittersweet Blog

Everyone’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Recipe by Vegan Outreach

Gingerbread Cookies

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Recipe from I Love Vegan

Chocolate Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

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Recipe from Forks and Beans

13 Vegan Holiday Cookies

By Toni Okamoto

This holiday season, try your hand at compassionate baking! Here are some of our Pinterest favorites:

Vegan Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

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Sugar Cookies 

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Gluten-Free No-Bake Snowballs

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Chocolate Peppermint Crinkled Cookies 

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Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies 

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Snowman Pops

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Candy Cane Oreos

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Gluten-Free No-Bake Gingerbread Cookie Balls

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows

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Peppermint Patties

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Gluten Free Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

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Gluten Free Coconut Sugar Cookies

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Quinoa Ginger Snaps

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Thanksgiving with an Outreach Coordinator

By Lori Stultz, Outreach Coordinator

A few weeks ago, I took a short break from leafleting and flew home to visit my family for Thanksgiving. I am not exaggerating when I say that I spent the entire week simply resting, cooking, and spending time with my dog and my parents. In short, my time off was as restorative as it was enjoyable.

I arrived home on Sunday, and I started preparing food for Thanksgiving the next day. Knowing that I would, at the very least, be cooking food for my vegan grandfather, my wonderful mother (who has drastically reduced her meat, dairy, and egg consumption), and myself, I started preparing early. I also starting preparing three days in advance because I was just so excited to cook—an activity that I don’t have many opportunities to do while living on the road.

As you’re about to see, I made a wide variety of entrées, sides, and desserts. I loved not only seeing my grandfather and mother enjoy the food I prepared, but my other family members as well. The vegan Thanksgiving menu looked like this:

Tofurky Roast*

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TVP and Tofu “Meatloaf”

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Gravy*

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Stuffing*

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Cranberry Sauce (spiced with a very small amount of orange juice, cinnamon, and stevia)

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Caramelized Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Sesame Seeds

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Sweet Potato Biscuits

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Pumpkin Pie (along with a spray can of soy whipped cream)

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Caramel Chocolate Squares

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*Store bought, so not much preparation involved

 

And my favorite dish happened to be one that I did not prepare. The dish was one that my mom prepared at the request of my oldest sister—a vegetable side that my grandmother used to make. Understandably, the recipe wasn’t vegan, but my mom simply swapped out a few of the ingredients that the recipe called for and voila!

Let’s just say this dish will now be at every Thanksgiving meal from here on out. In fact, I thought it was so delicious that I wanted share the recipe.

 

Easy Cheezy Cauliflower

2 packages frozen cauliflower

2 Tbsp. tapioca

½ Tsp. sea salt

1/8 Tsp. paprika

1 C. nondairy milk

1 C. vegan cheddar cheese

Pour the frozen cauliflower into a casserole dish. Combine the tapioca, salt, paprika, and milk in a medium-sized sauce pan. Stir over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Add the “cheese” and continue to stir until all the cheese has melted. Remove from the heat and pour over the frozen cauliflower. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Your end result should look something like this.

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The next time I make this dish, I plan to add a little bit of nutritional yeast to give it a little extra hint of cheezy flavor!

My semester is quickly coming to a close, which means I will be home again very soon. I am looking forward to spending more time in the kitchen and seeing what other traditional family dishes my mom and I can put a vegan twist on! My prediction: They will be even tastier than the original.

Until next time…

 

 

 

 

Video: Two Cheese Veggie Lasagna

Guest Post by Lively Days

This creamy and “ricotta-cheesy” lasagna is not only delicious, it is packed with veggies! Unlike typical lasagnas that are loaded with fat and calories, this lasagna relies on the richness of cashews and tofu crumbles to create its cheesy layers.

And if you want a lower calorie version or you’re avoiding nuts, you can substitute white beans for some or all of the cashews. Feel free to add any veggies you enjoy!

lasagna

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (or other nuts or white beans*)
  • 1 jar pasta sauce (24-26 oz)
  • 1 cup water
  • 12 lasagna noodles (brown rice or whole wheat)
  • 3 – 4 cups veggies (thinly sliced or chopped)
    (i.e., zucchini, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.)
  • 3 – 4 cups leafy greens (chopped) (i.e., kale, spinach, collards, etc.)
  • 12 – 16 oz firm or extra firm tofu (crumbled)
  • 1 teaspoon each: garlic powder and onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

  1. In a blender, add the cashews (and/or beans), pasta sauce and water, and blend into a smooth “cheese sauce.” Add a little more water if needed.
  2. Boil a large pot of water. Cook noodles 6 minutes until slightly soft.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  4. Spread 1/4 of the cheese sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch glass pan.
  5. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce, using 4 noodles and leaving a little space in between them.
  6. Spread half of the veggies over the noodles and top with 1/4 of the cheese sauce.
  7. Place another layer of 4 noodles.
  8. Spread crumbled tofu over noodles and evenly spread garlic powder, onion powder, and salt on top.
  9. Spread the remaining veggies on top of the tofu. Top with 1/4 of the cheese sauce.
  10. Place the last layer of 4 noodles.
  11. Spread the remaining cheese sauce on the top (make sure to cover all edges of the noodles).
  12. Cover and bake 50 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 additional minutes.
  13. Cool 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

*You can replace half or all of the nuts with cooked white beans (i.e., navy, cannellini, etc.)

Yields: about 8-10 servings

Tempeh Taco Salad

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Reviewed by Toni Okamoto

If you’re like me, you are very skeptical about any cookbook with “salad” in the title. Although I enjoy vegetables, I have a really hard time being satisfied with a typical salad for a meal, and I like to challenge the idea that vegans only eat salad by avoiding them altogether. However, given that this book was authored by the fabulous award-winning Terry Hope Romero, I figured that it would likely be mind-blowing and absolutely worth trying.

Haven’t heard of Terry Hope Romero? Check her out right now! She’s written some really wonderful cookbooks, such as: Viva Vegan, Vegan Eats World, and she co-authored Veganomicon, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and more. She also has an awesome blog at VeganLatina.com.

As I suspected, this book was exceptional. I really appreciate cookbooks that include many photos, and the photographer, Vanessa K. Rees, did a beautiful job. The backgrounds of most photos are black or white, which makes the food colors look really vibrant. It was hard to narrow down two recipes to review, but with the help of the Vegan Outreach office, I chose the Tempeh Taco Salad and Sesame Noodles in the Dojo.

Taco Salad

These taco bowls are very easy and make your presentation so fancy. I made them for the VO office, and everyone thought I was a culinary genius. I’m sure it all tastes just as good made as nachos, but I highly recommend making these bowls to impress friends.

The Avocado Ranch Dressing was the second biggest hit. I’d even recommend doubling the recipe in case your party loved it as much as mine. Our office manager Josie was found scraping the bowl for every last drop.

Tempeh Taco Salad Bowl

Serves: 4

Time: 1 hour

Avocado Ranch Dressing:

1 large ripe avocado
½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro
½ cup unroasted cashews
¾ cup hot water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons white (shiro) miso
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 tablespoons chopped herbs, such as dill, basil, or tarragon

Tempeh Asada:

8 ounces tempeh
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon powder, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt

Salad:

4 baked tortilla bowls (in recipe), or 1 cup tortilla chips per serving
6 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup thinly sliced red onions
1 cup pitted sliced black olives
lime wedges for garnish

Directions: 

  1. Avocado Ranch Dressing: Soak the cashews in the hot water for 30 minutes.  Then pour into a blender (including the soaking water) and blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until silky smooth. Taste and season with a little more salt if desired. Chill dressing until ready to use.
  2. Prepare the tempeh! Dice the tempeh into rough chunks. Preheat a skillet over medium heat and then saute the tempeh and olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Add the broth, chili powder, paprika, lime juice, cumin and salt. Simmer 1 minute, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 4-6 minute, or until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed but the tempeh is still slightly juicy. Turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep warm.
  3. Bake the tortilla bowls. Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange 4 ovenproof bowls on a baking sheet. Warm the tortillas (either in the microwave or directly over the gas burning stove top). Press the tortillas into the bowls, crimping the sides to press into a bowl shape. Spray the insides with a touch of cooking spray (preferably olive oil). Bake the bowls for 8-10 minutes, until crisp and golden; watch carefully so they don’t burn. Remove from oven and use them warm for the best flavor and texture.
  4. When you’re ready to assemble the taco salad bowls, first arrange the warm tortilla shells on serving dishes. Drizzle a little avocado dressing on the bottom of each bowl, then heap in lettuce, tomatoes, beans, onions, and olives and top with tempeh. Drizzle on more dressing, sprinkle with a little chili powder if you like, and serve. Pass around the dressing and a few lime wedges, too.

 Noodle Salad

I shopped for this recipe at a local natural grocery store and could only find organic nori seaweed for $10. Instead of paying that expensive price, I bought a small individual snack package of seaweed for .99 cents. It was a little crispier than nori seaweed, but it tasted just fine.

The peanut sauce was tasty and packed with flavor! The rice vinegar made it more of a dressing than the regular Thai peanut sauce, and its lightness complimented both the noodles and the lettuce.

My opinion is totally biased because of my profound love of noodles, but of the two dishes I preferred this one. Sesame Noodles in the Dojo was filling, quick to make and definitely not your typical salad. I’m looking forward to making it again!

Sesame Noodles in the Dojo

Serves: 2
Time: 30 minutes

Sesame Peanut Sauce:

½ cup tahini
½ cup warm water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon smooth, unsalted natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark agave nectar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Noodles and Salad:

4 ounces uncooked soba or udon noodles
1 sheet nori seaweed
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 seedless cucumber, peeled and sliced into thin strips
1 large, red ripe tomato, seeded and diced
3 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

 Directions:

  1. Pour all of the sesame sauce ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning by adding a little more soy sauce, vinegar, or agave if desired.
  2. Prepare the noodles according to package directions but slightly undercooking them to al dente. While the noodles cook, use kitchen scissors to cut the nori sheet into long, thin matchsticks. Drain the noodles and rinse with plenty of cold water, then toss with the toasted sesame oil.
  3. Fill serving bowls with shredded lettuce. Toss the noodles with the sesame sauce and mound on top of the lettuce. Top with cucumber, tomato, scallions, and nori strips. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve right now!

Potato Soup

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By Lisa Rimmert, VO Director of Development

This is my first recipe posting! That means two things: 1) You’ll have to forgive me for not knowing all the right lingo, and 2) this newfound fame is sure to go straight to my head! My goal is to be 10% as cool as Toni. I have a long way to go! 🙂

I have to admit: I usually don’t get excited about soup, unless it’s Ramen. For soup to impress me, it has to be very filling and flavorful, and I give bonus points if it’s easy to make. Since it’s chilly outside (and since I needed to use two potatoes before they grow a bunch of weird potato-cysts), I decided to give soup a chance today.

I guess working on our end-of-year newsletter and fundraising letter has my creative juices flowing, because I made this soup without a recipe. Brave, huh? Nice plug for donating to VO, huh? There’s another one later, and it’s even more impressive. Anyway, this soup turned out great, so I want to share it with you. Here’s what I did:

Ingredients:

  • 2 potatoes
  • 2 carrots (I actually used a handful of baby carrots)
  • 1/2 cup frozen kale
  • 1/4 cup lentils
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup soy milk
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Peel the potatoes and cut into bite-size pieces. If you’re using a regular sized carrot, chop it. No prep is required for baby carrots.

In a large pot, bring water, potatoes, and lentils to a boil. Heat medium-high for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are soft enough to stick a fork in. Around minute 10, add in the carrots.

Drain and blend with remaining ingredients until smooth. Add more soy milk if it’s too thick.

Donate to Vegan Outreach. Not required, but definitely recommended.

While the potato mix is blending, heat oil on medium in the same pot (less cleanup!), add kale, and cook for a few minutes, stirring often.

Add potato mixture to pot and mix together with the kale.

Serve in a bowl at the coffee table, so you can work while you eat!

Pad Thai

By Jean Philippe of The Buddhist Chef, Guest Blogger

I discovered this dish in Thailand where I was taking cooking lessons in a very nice vegetarian restaurant. I fell in love with this healthy Pad Thai recipe. I hope you’ll like it – you can find more recipes like this at TheBuddhistChef.com!

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(click image to play video)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup firm tofu diced
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 2 French shallots, minced
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp chopped garlic
  • 2 medium carrots julienned or grated
  • 1 diced tomato
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp cane sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon chili paste or dried chili to taste
  • 4 cups rehydrated rice noodles
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • 1/2 cup crushed peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Soak rice noodles in hot water until they are fully hydrated.
  2. Coat the tofu in corn starch. Fry tofu in oil until browned. Set aside.
  3. Sauté the shallots, green onions, garlic, carrots and diced tomatoes in oil for 5 minutes.
  4. Add the soy sauce, cane sugar and chili paste.
  5. Add the rice noodles, bean sprouts, fried tofu, crushed peanuts and rice vinegar. Continue cooking for 3 minutes and serve.