VEGWORLD 60 - The Animal Advocacy Issue by VEGWORLD Magazine

ISSUE 60 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

THE ANIMAL ADVOCACY ISSUE KSENIA LAVRENTIEVA A Woman with a Mission

MENA MASSOUD

AKASHINGA

Evolving Vegan Cookbook Release

The Female Anti-Poaching Warriors of Africa

WHAT IF OUR

GREATEST WEAPON against climate change is a

GROCERY CART? We can all switch our support to grocery items, as not just a thing, but a way. Regeneratively farmed products help rejuvenate our soils which helps just about everything. Palm oil production does the opposite. It destroys tropical forests and emits as much CO2 annually as all forms of transport combined! Yet, a disheartening 50% of grocery products still contain palm oil. While it’s not as simple as to say that our planet’s eco-ills are the direct result of our purchase choices, its recovery can be. We know the foods we purchase to sustain us also sustain companies and agricultural practices. Together, we can shift the trajectory of eco-events and make choices like the future of our planet depends on them.

We’re in this together, cart & soul.

TABLE OF CONTENTS BUSINESS 8

FOOD

FEATURES

Why Forager Project CEO Is Not Done Foraging

36 Mena Massoud's Vegan Evolution 40 Akashinga—The Female AntiPoaching Warriors Of Africa

LIFESTYLE 16 Are You Blocking Our Love Life? 18 VegVoyage’s Zac Lovas Is Working To Feeding Thousands 22 Can Vegan Children’s Books Teach Kids To Be Kind? 24 Keeping Your Dog Healthy On A Vegan Diet

44 Ksenia Lavrentieva Is A Woman With A Mission

64 Easy Air-Fry Seitan Riblets With Lime Corn On The Cob

48 Burning Bright—Not Out—As An Animal Activist

66 Pumpkin Curry With Chickpeas And Kale

50 A Safe Haven—Barn Sanctuary

68 Buddha Bowl With Tempeh Satay

HEALTH & FITNESS

26 Our Favorite Things

52 Simple Time-Saving Recipe Hacks For People On The Run

STYLE 30 "Mane" Squeezes

63 Sweet Potato Spice Breakfast Oat Groats

32 Fresh Fall Fashion

56 Plant-Based Cooking In A Food Desert

34 What’s In Your Collagen Powder?

62 Dear Chef AJ

70 Tomato-Sweet Pepper Sourdough Skillet Bread 72

Roasted Beets & Butternut Squash Salad With Tahini Vinaigrette

74 Raw Snickerbars

Alora Middleton Hale Carissa Danielle

Clay Garrett Karine Charbonneau

Karin Olsen

Courtney Garza

Dragana Vucic Dekic

Stuart McDonald

Rachel Ama Kathy Hester Wendie Pett

Char Nolan Lindsay Rubin

Liz Sterling

Liadh Keogh

Katie Mae

Lydia Palmeri

Andréa Sunna

Tess Chavez

Brandy Edwards Cathy Katin-Grazzini

Chef AJ

Julianne Bambrick McCullagh

Plant-Based Creamer

VEGWORLD TEAM Courtney Garza Editor-in-Chief

Julianne Bambrick McCullagh Senior Editor

Clay Garrett Art Director

Cathy Katin-Grazzini Food Editor

Tess Chavez Style Editor

Lydia Palmeri Marketing Director

Carissa Danielle Business Writer

Alora Middleton Hale Editorial Assistant

No Natural Flavors No Artificial Flavors Made in the U.S.A ÂŠ VEGWORLD 2020

GetPlantTheory.com

NON-VIOLENCE LEADS TO THE HIGHEST ETHICS, WHICH IS THE GOAL OF ALL EVOLUTION. UNTIL WE STOP HARMING ALL OTHER LIVING BEINGS, WE ARE STILL SAVAGES. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Thomas Edison

EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE A message from VEGWORLD Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Courtney Garza

This issue holds a special place in my heart, as my vegan journey started with my love for animals. Cows specifically. Once I made the connection, when I was 13 years old, that the cows that I passed on my drive to my cousin's house out in the country of Texas were the same cows that were in my burgers that I ate at McDonald's, I could no longer knowingly consume them. From cutting out red meat, then shortly after pork, poultry, eggs, and dairy, I adopted the vegan lifestyle for ethical reasons and never looked back. Though my journey took years to fully implement into my Texas-native lifestyle that was full of BBQ, now I see how easy it is to still enjoy all of my favorite foods without any animal's suffering. With this issue, I hope these stories help you on your journey, no matter what stage, to shed light on how truly precious an animal's life is and how it is up to us to help them live a happy, healthy life. We can be the voice for our furry friends to advocate on their behalf to stay off our plates, out of the factory farms, and instead roaming in nature where they belong. Thank you for joining us on this journey to save them. Sincerely,

Follow my adventures on social media: @ColorMeCourtney_

B USINESS SPOTLIGHT

WHY FORAGER PROJECT CEO IS NOT DONE FORAGING by Courtney Garza

hen you envision foraging, what do you see? For me, it is a warm, summer day out in the forest, where a young girl is foraging for berries for her grandmother to make her famous homemade pies. Maybe I’ve watched one too many fairy tales, but is this too far-fetched of a concept to think we all can be foragers of the food we eat? The founder and CEO of Forager Project, Stephen Williamson doesn’t think so. That’s why he set out to prove it in his lifelong mission to share quality, organic food with the masses. I had the pleasure of (virtually) sitting down with Stephen to hear more about his approach to creating, educating about, and instilling organic, plant-based food products in our society. He left me with a whole new perspective on the word Forage and how it can be even more of an active word than I previously imagined.

Tell us about your journey into the food world and what inspired you to create the Forager Project? Why is “Foraging” important to your overall mission? I believe foraging is the foods that we choose to put into our diets. If you spend the time to create a “good” meal or a “bad” meal, it’s really your choice, but it will be about the same time and effort. Early on, when I was at University of California at Berkeley, living off campus, I chose to learn how to cook

simple, staple meals. My go-to was avocado, black beans, and rice to keep things incredibly simple. After college, I worked on Wall Street but I did not want to be a “WallStreeter”, though I was there 11 years. I moved on and invested in Odwalla eventually becoming CEO. If you look at the classic definition of Foraging, it’s “the food you seek” and the curiosity behind what you find within the food. To me, that curiosity is one of the most important elements

to making life full, and it’s certainly the main element of how we started the company as we began by seeking new ways to share organic foods by bottling them. Starting with our juices. Moving on from Odwalla to creating Forager, I carried that sentiment on. I really felt when we started Forager Project that it would be a journey that I had no clue where it would go. I wanted to start by taking vegetable juice that was actually vegetable juice because most was really just apple

B USINESS SPOTLIGHT juice. They call it vegetable juice, but the first ingredient was actually apple and I didn’t think that was forthright. So, we put the ingredients on the front of the label and after being forced to name it, we called it ‘ABCD’ and that was a little confusing, so we called it ‘Greens & Greens’. It was along the journey that it was clear that vegetable juices wouldn’t be enough, so we moved to do a nut juice and in my Odwalla Days, we created a juice called ‘Future Shake’ that was oat and soy-based. It was a different experience and I enjoyed that product, so when veggies weren’t enough, we went into nuts, starting with almonds. As someone who appreciates vegan food, though I’m not 100% vegan, I eat very little dairy and meat, I always

The Animal Advocacy Issue

appreciated that vegans use cashews to make things creamy. All you do is soak the cashew and it turns into a paste. So we ‘foraged’ into cashews and they taught us a lot.

What is the philosophy behind the Forager Project and how can people connect with it?

If I could give any good example of how the Forager Project name merged to be our brand, it would be by the way of cashews and how they guided us to make so many items using them, such as our sour cream, yogurts, milk, and a long list of things that we are doing around our love for cashews.

I can’t tell anyone why they should or shouldn’t care about something, but anyone who wants to forage with us is welcome. I think how you grow your food, respect it, and eat it has an enormous impact on your life and the life around you. By being conscious of that and thinking of how you can make the world a better place, be healthier, and help others be healthier, is our philosophy behind the company.

I really believe in operating our business around staying humble; it’s so easy to be wiped out and life is pretty fleeting and incredibly short, so, enjoy it and learn. That is the spirit of what foraging is for me.

I feel it’s pretty straight forward. Organic matters. With this many billions people on the earth, the animal-based food system is not a sustainable food system. I am not convinced that the way animal-based food is created is in

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keeping with my soul. Let’s offer a different vision and take what has been traditionally animal-based food systems, like dairy, and offer an alternative. I personally feel better on a non-dairy diet. I don’t see dairy as being a staple in an American diet. I know at the moment it is, but I feel that America world would be better off with far less consumption of animal products. I don’t like to get preachy, but I want to be welcoming, and the whole idea of foraging is to be welcoming. Let’s wander and seek together. My point is, I actually think we make products that taste really good. If you taste our yogurt and compare it to dairy yogurt, I think it compares very well. I think the same about a bunch of products that we have coming out as well. There’s a ton of exciting areas to still forage through when it comes to taking what has been considered as a typical animal-based product and making it a plant-based product and it is super important to never leave the organic core. When you get down to it, if you don’t have a healthy farming system, which to me means healthy soil, you’re simply mining the resources in the soul and depleting them. What’s so important about organic, from my perspective, is how it is a respectful way of minding the farm and engaging with the soul. Traditional western style of farming, with its petra-chemical waste support system, is super high-yields and can be very profitable in the short run, but in the long run, I’m concerned about the health and well-being of the soil. Ultimately, it’s where your food comes from. So, if your soil is depleted and solely functioning through nitrogen-based fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, and pumping your groundwater out, then I don’t see how that is a sustainable long term view. But that’s the way I see the world. I want to share with the world what we do to come forage with us or don’t. That is your choice.

For me, non-GMO is not enough, because you could still use herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, nitrogen-based fertilizers, and you aren’t respecting the ecosystem as deeply as organic. Organic just is at a higher level, living within nature. If you’re nature-led, I don’t see how you could not embrace organic. As a company, we would probably be more profitable and much broader and bigger if we weren’t organic, but I don’t care. I’m not here to build something that’s bigger. I’m here to make a product that I fully believe in that is made by a band of fellow foragers that serves a bigger mission of trying to leave the world a better place because of how we view and produce food and how we get it out to people.

Why does Organic matter to you? Isn’t nonGMO good enough? Do you think consumers know where their food is coming from and how it’s made?

Through the food we create, we are advocating for animals as well. It may not be a primary driver as far as the way we approach the work, but it has that cross-section of helping animals by providing these alternatives through plant-based foods for people. We want to make it easy

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B USINESS SPOTLIGHT what we do. I’m always asking, “why is this ingredient here?”, “why does it need to be in there?”, “Is it the right ingredient?”. I think as a company, we are super focused on this idea of organic, exceptional, and plant-based. You have to have all three. We also believe that we are a company that embodies a philosophy on the way to eat, the way to live, and the way humans should live with regard to nature. If you get down to it, maybe this is too philosophical (he adds under his breath), but I’m not sure from a bird’s perspective, that man has been a very good inhabitant of the earth. I think many other species have been far more respectful of nature and able to live in harmony with nature than man has. I don’t think that man has been a very good steward. Let’s look at where we are now, we’re unquestionably in global warming, we are in the middle of a human-based pandemic, we are in a situation in the United States that things are very unsettled politically, philosophically, racially, financially. I mean, we’re in an unusual place altogether.

for anyone to have another choice. We know that when looking at organic, it’s really difficult for a lot of people to only buy organic foods. So, we aim to create more options that taste good and are financially accessible. What do you think ultimately differentiates Forager Project from other vegan companies with similar products in the market? We make the majority of the food we have ourselves, from the ground up.

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We think that how you make your food has a huge impact on its quality. How you respect it in its state as far as sourcing, refining, and packaging matters. The key to the philosophy, if you look at our packaging and design of the brand, it’s very minimal. We try to stay away from lots of hype and colors to be straightforward to state who we are. I really love that Einstein quote, “Be as simple as possible and no simpler”. That’s kind of the way that we are in

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We’re a small company and are committed to the idea of “what we do today, is not what we do tomorrow”, in the vein of the things we know we need to do better at, such as using plastic in our packaging. We must get out of plastic usage. We must be more carbon neutral and we need to push further the value of being organic, which we know is tied to that. Where do you seek inspiration for all of the myriad of innovative items coming from Forager? What are some of the products you are most proud of?

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Food is a universal language. It’s probably one of the only universal languages. I love to travel---well I used to love to travel, but since March, there hasn’t really been much of that! But I have always been a curious traveler, as I love local food. I think it’s fascinating to go around the world and taste the local food. I remember the first time I went to Italy and tasted pesto from a local garden and it was unlike anything that I have ever experienced before. There are so many amazing things to gather from wandering/foraging along my travels and that’s where I get a ton of inspiration. Most everything we’ve developed really does come from a kitchen, it can leave the kitchen quickly or it can stay in the kitchen for a long time. We’re not trying to make complicated foods. There is a natural process involved in our yogurt development, of course. I would say the product I’m probably most proud of is our cultured-based products, such as our yogurt, our drinkable yogurts, and our sour cream. Those are really great products and are incredibly clean and simple. We have a lot more coming too! We’re foraging and we’re not staying still! If you look at the early products we made, we don’t make any of them anymore. We don’t make vegetable juice anymore. That was a time and I respected it and learned and wan-

dered along the trail. We’re in a different place now.

black beans and an avocado, you’re set with a simple meal.

If there is one thing you could change in the food ecosystem, what would it be?

What words of inspiration do you have for our audience, especially as there is so much change in the environment of the world today?

Why don’t we switch labeling requirements and not have the ‘Organic’ label but instead have everything that is not organic is labeled? We should let people know, “these are the 27 different chemicals that were sprayed on your food” then compare it to “here’s what went into your organic food”. I love to go to France; they love their food. It’s a culture of respecting the fact that you can have a phenomenal, simple French breakfast of a beautiful croissant and super dark, black coffee, jam, and it’s oh-so-good because of the quality ingredient makeup in every item. You go to the South of France’s farmers market and walk down the aisle of farm-to-farm options from the melons to the tomatoes, and it shows their respect for the food. Like I said earlier in the conversation: to make a great meal or to make a crappy meal, really takes about the same amount of time. It’s just about the commitment. For lunch today, I plan to have some sliced tomatoes, some sea salt, maybe a drizzle olive oil, some pesto I made, and that’s it. That takes two minutes and it’s an incredible lunch. Maybe not every place has the beauty of climate to grow vegetables as here in Sonoma does, but even with a simple can of

Vote. Take responsibility for where we are. I just think that democracy doesn’t work. I’ll be more specific: democracy does not work unless you have active involvement and people that are conscious. Facts matter. They just do. Integrity is the basis for any good society. There is no society in the history of mankind that was successful without it. I think it’s incredibly important for people to look at what’s going on and ask, “Is this really who we are?”, “Is this really what we’ve come to?”, “Is this the best that man is?”. I think that we’re in a world of hurt here and it’s time to ask if it’s really what we want? So, I hope to inspire everyone to vote. We are putting ‘Vote’ on all of our labels through November. Voting is the basis of democracy. So, let’s make our democracy healthy. As a smaller company, we are excited to be part of the mission to plant seeds for people to participate with us and Forage for a better future. Visit our Vote page for resources: www.foragerproject.com/vote

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Courtney Garza is a passionate vegan who brings her love for journalism, creativity, helping local businesses, and animals together with her compassionate social media agency, Sprinkles Creative, which she co-founded with her business partner Christina Bluford to aid businesses with their branding strategy. Courtney also owns and operates VEGWORLD Magazine, an international vegan lifestyle publication, as the Editor-in-Chief to curate and promote plant-based stories about vegan products, services, and individuals from all walks of life.

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ARE YOU BLOCKING YOUR LOVE LIFE? by Karine Charbonneau

WHAT’S THE MOST COMMON REASON WHY PEOPLE ARE SINGLE? I want to start off by saying that if you are happily single, and want to be single, there is nothing wrong with that! You do YOU! Let’s face it--sometimes being single is way more fun than being in a relationship, especially if you’re not with the right person. You don’t need to be with a partner, and in fact, anyone who I talk to who tells me they absolutely need a partner - that’s a major red flag. As a vegan matchmaker and dating coach, I’ve been helping veg singles find love for over 9 years. On the daily I have people coming to me saying they no longer want to be single, but they can’t figure out why they are single. They don’t know what to do to break the patterns, whether it be swiping on yet another dating app, going on dates with people they aren’t compatible with, or dating people who aren’t into the whole vegan lifestyle. Too often my clients come to me thinking they are single for one reason, but after just one Cupid Call with them, I’m able to uncover the patterns of what’s REALLY holding them back. So you might be asking yourself what’s the most common reason why people are single?

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Spoiler: it’s NOT because there aren’t enough veg singles. If you are like my most successful clients before we started working together, then chances are, you are probably blocking your own love life.

WHAT DOES BLOCKING YOUR LOVE LIFE MEAN? I’m sure everyone can say they experienced at least one (or maybe multiple) difficult breakups in their lifetime. We all have baggage from past relationships, but the way we carry that baggage determines our ability to find love. Some people are never able to get past the hurt or resentment which keeps them stuck from being able to move forward. Maybe you have a pattern of overlooking great potential partners over something trivial, not giving people enough of a chance, or running away at the first sight of what you consider to be a “red” flag. Another block that my clients learn how to remove is the story they tell themselves that they are “too picky” to find love. Honestly, the “too picky” story isn’t that you’re too picky. It’s really that you’ve become “comfortable” being alone, you don’t truly believe in yourself, you don’t think your person even exists. (they do!) The story that you’re single because you’re too picky or that you can’t find

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any single veg men or women is just that… a story.

WHAT’S THE SOLUTION? The number one thing I teach my clients is how to LET GO so that you can be free and move forward. And it’s more than just saying to “let go,” because we go through a systematic process that WORKS no matter how long my clients have held onto their blocks and limiting beliefs. Be as open-minded as possible! The pool of veg singles is smaller, so I always tell my clients to open as many doors as possible instead of closing them. This means going on dates with people who aren’t exactly your “type,” considering people who live outside of your city, and recognizing that you don’t need to find a partner who is your clone... it’s about finding someone who compliments your personality. The reality is that there is no “easy” solution. You have to understand how you block yourself and how to remove those blocks so you can experience the love you deserve. Love is all about taking risks, and there is no love without risk. Are you ready to re-write your love story? It’s time for happily ever after, and not just staying single if you don’t want to be.

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Photo by Farsai Chaikulngamdee - Unsplash

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karine Charbonneau is a vegan matchmaker and dating coach who works with veg singles who are ready to invest in their future, be ready for love, attract what they seek, and meet their veg match without wasting time on dating apps swiping left & right. She does this by leveraging her network of 20k+ singles across North America. Book a call with Vegan Cupid to learn more and check out the Veg Love Vault to get on her radar. findveglove.com/database

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With His Tour Guests On The Last Flights Out Of Nepal, VegVoyage’s Zac Lovas Got To Work Feeding Thousands By Karin Olsen / Plant Power Productions

When Nepal went under lockdown March 24 to combat the COVID virus, VegVoyage’s (Vegan Adventure Tours) co-founder Zac Lovas was in Kathmandu having just finished back-to-back vegan cultural tours through the country. After making sure all of the guests made it on the last flights out, Lovas decided to skip the evacuation flights and remain in the country where he could provide the most help. And help he did…

In less than a week, Lovas and VegVoyage’s Foundation, the company’s 501(c)3 nonprofit public charity, had teamed up with local vegan activists to prepare and provide vegan meals to a wide-ranging population including day laborers and their families from villages in Nepal (and India) who could not return home; people newly homeless due to the lockdown; and cancer patients in the hospital along with family members staying in small shelters nearby. The team also started providing daily vegan meals for dogs, cows, and monkeys living on the city streets who relied on people to feed them. “Coming up with vegan dog food required some innovation,” Lovas said. “After searching online, the team found dog food recipes with locally available ingredients and began preparing and delivering meals daily.” The effort serendipitously resulted in the recipe being shared across the country and within the activist community, inspiring other rescue programs to provide vegan food to dogs on the street and at some of the city’s animal shelters. As of July 29, 2020, the team had provided 30,235 vegan meals for people and 29,990 vegan meals for street animals including 16,890 vegan meals for street dogs and 13,100 vegan meals for street monkeys and cows. “It’s inspirational seeing vegan, animal rights and social activists joining together to serve vegan meals to both people and animals,” Lovas said. “This, in my opinion, reflects what veganism is truly about. Everyone did a great job keeping up their energy and efforts even as the lockdown was extended. The entire team committed to helping people and animals get back up on their own feet.” While the pandemic lockdown was certainly an unplanned addition to the company’s Nepal travel dossier, Lovas’ crisis response and subsequent call-to-action was less of a departure than one might guess. VegVoyages is not your average travel company and, as expected, Lovas was uniquely prepared as he is not your average tour director. The Texas native co-founded VegVoyages as part of a mission to bridge cultural gaps throughout the countries the company visits

each year. Based mainly out of Jakarta, Indonesia, Lovas spends most of the year living out of his suitcase and coordinating vegan cultural immersion group tours and promoting vegan activism in Asia, melding his passions for helping animals, traveling, experiencing local vegan food and bringing people together. Additionally, he and his co-founders started VegVoyages Foundation under the premise that travel should be beneficial for both the people traveling and the communities visited. Since its inception, VegVoyages has incorporated social charitable activities, projects and programs into the journeys. Initiatives have included working with local grassroots animal rescue or sanctuaries, community education projects, community recycling programs, and local animal protection and conservation programs. The group has also provided school supplies, water filtration plants and desks to village schools, as well as serving vegan lunches at children’s homes.

and the food crisis has subsided, VegVoyage’s work is not done. The company now helps the largest local homeless shelters in Nepal transform their kitchens to vegan in order to prepare a projected 3,600 vegan meals a day, which will add up to more than 1,300,000 vegan meals a year. And, after seeing the large number of street dogs and puppies during their food runs in the city, the team is collaborating with local organizations to facilitate a large-scale spay/neuter program in the Kathmandu valley. The group also continues weekly vegan food deliveries to cancer patients and their support family members.

When asked why VegVoyages, a travel company that has been hit hard economically by the pandemic, got involved, Lovas replied, “We’re definitely feeling the impact and we will for some time to come, but we help now because we can, and since we can, we must. It’s kind of like our mantra, so it’s what we do whenever and wherever we can.” In addition to Lovas, the team consists of Suresh Sharma (WVO Nepal and VegVoyages), Bikesh Shrestha (vegan activist, Chair SPCA Nepal), Radhe Khadka (social and vegan activist), Bina Panta & Rima Kapali (animal rights activists, SPCA Nepal), Niru Gurung and Sushil Shrestha (co-founders C-YA Vegan Restaurant), Parbat Thapa and Ayush Shrestha (animal rights activists, SPCA Nepal), Rita Limbu (animal rights activist and FM radio host), Babalu Gupta (social activist), Saritanandi & Toya Yogi (social activists), Surajan Shrestha (animal rights activist), Jerry (chef at C-Ya vegan restaurant), and Kajol Sethia (Vegan Dairy Nepal). If you are interested in supporting VegVoyages Foundation as a donor or potential foundation partner, please visit https://vegvoyages.com/foundation or email: yusi@vegvoyages.com -100% of donations are used to support the foundation’s projects.

Though the valley has since re-opened

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vegan for eight years and vegetarian for many years before, Karin Olsen is passionate about living and sharing the plant-based lifestyle. Born in Dallas and raised in Tulsa, she grew up in cattle country, knowing from a young age that she didn’t like eating meat and didn’t understand why some animals are pets and others are food. Karin believes food is medicine and has a passion for helping people heal themselves through plants-not-pills. She is a certified (but amateur) health coach and Bikram Yoga instructor. After many years of working in PR and marketing in Los Angeles and New York, she moved to Dallas where she recently launched Plant Power Productions. The company offers consulting services in PR, marketing, communications, content creation, business development and sales. She has a special interest in whole-food/plant-based/vegan lifestyle, wholistic health and healing, sustainable living, and animal welfare. PlantPowerProductions.com

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HOW CAN VEGAN CHILDREN’S BOOKS TEACH OUR KIDS TO BE KIND? by Dragana Vucic Dekic

t’s a common belief that adults usually teach children about how to be kind and how to treat living creatures. It is expected that adults are wiser and that they set an example for children with their own behavior. Unfortunately, this is not often the case. Laws that protect animal cruelty exist in the adult world, but sometimes, we need the children to teach us true values instead. This is the case in the children’s book, The Donkey Doctor, where the child in the story teaches the adults how to treat animals kindly. In my stories, I describe animal characters primarily in an anthropomorphic way, giving them human traits. Children generally connect easily with animals, because animals show them that they have feelings, are playful, and are also smart. Making emotional contact with animals is a valuable human trait that is unfortunately limited mainly

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to relationships with animals we consider pets, such as dogs and cats. Vegan books help children understand that all animals, not just pets, deserve to be treated kindly. The Donkey Doctor is a story about the difficult life of a donkey on a Greek island.

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The donkey’s owner takes advantage of the poor animal to make money and ignores how this creature suffers in the heat while carrying heavy loads. The young boy in the story feels compassion towards the donkey, and his kind actions have a positive and life-changing outcome.

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We live in a world where children are taught that it is completely acceptable that animals are exploited with the excuses that it’s simply “tradition,” it’s what we’ve always done, and it’s the purpose of their existence. Because of this, children grow up into people who continue that learned behavior. The purpose of vegan books is to teach children that we don’t need to behave like the rest of society, and that compassion and empathy towards animals is actually more important than making money or eating them. Positive values like this help children grow up into adults that can take action to reduce this unnecessary violence against animals. This story also teaches children

that donkeys are more than just entertainment for people. Like all other animals, they are our friends, and friends deserve to be treated kindly. The story highlights that it is not enough to simply empathize, but that it is also important to take action. Like the famous Doctor Dolittle, the boy who is the main character of the book has the ability to talk to animals. He recognizes and understands their languages and emotions. While this story illustrates the friendship between humans and animals, it primarily encourages the virtue of compassion. It is also a critique of people in our society who ruthlessly exploit sentient animals for entertainment and monetary gain while not caring for their well-being. Vegan stories such as this can create a vision of a better and more positive world, a world in which the welfare of every being is manifested in harmonious coexistence. Being aware of the violence and injustice in a world we cannot change overnight may seem disheartening to us, but any change begins at the level of awareness. In The Donkey Doctor, we see the main character return to the island to help the donkeys. His actions make a profound difference in their lives. Vegan books have the power to inspire. Those written for children can help us raise kids who will one day do their best to create a better world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dragana Vucic Dekic is an author of humorous short stories, poems, and picture books. She holds a PhD in humor theory and stand-up comedy and has worked as a TV presenter and a cultural program producer. Her children’s books promote animal rights and empathy towards all animals while encouraging creative thinking to dispel the various prejudices that exist in the modern world. She has won an award for her humorous travel stories, which are published on her blog, www.momthemuse.com. Learn more about The Donkey Doctor at: https://www.momthemuse.com/my-books/the-donkey-doctor/

VEGWORLD Magazine

The Animal Advocacy Issue

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

Marek Szturc - Unsplash

Samia Liamani - Unsplash

by Lindsay Rubin

KEEPING YOUR DOG HEALTHY ON A VEGAN DIET

Alvan Nee - Unsplash

ere’s a secret: You don’t have to feed meat to your dogs to keep them healthy. It turns out the growing vegan lifestyle can benefit your pets, as well.

It’s a myth that dogs are carnivores. With thousands of years of evolving alongside humans under their belt, dogs are actually physiologically omnivorous and can both digest starchy foods and make excellent use of them. This genetic adaptation allows them to thrive on a balanced plant-based diet. But, if dogs can live on a balanced vegan diet, will they actually thrive? Another myth is that a dog’s health will decline on a vegan diet. In my 15 years in the vegan dog food business, we’ve seen the complete opposite, with dogs living well into their golden years on a plant-based diet. They experience fewer allergies; they reach an optimal weight range; and their overall health improves. We’ve also seen older dogs experience less inflammation and have better mobility on a vegan diet.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A BALANCED DIET All dogs require a complete and balanced diet. To ensure optimal complete nutrition, it’s important to seek out commercial vegan pet food, fortified with required vitamins and minerals, or consult your veterinarian about what supplements are required for homemade vegan meals for dogs.

A lot of pet parents worry that switching to a vegan dog food from a traditional meat-based food will present issues. The good news is it’s actually quite simple and low-risk. Simply transition your dog to the new plant-based food slowly, over the course of 7 to 10 days. In healthy dogs, there are few to no side-effects, and pet parents often find that their dogs end up liking the new plant-based food even more than their previous meat-based option. If you are trying out a new plant-based diet for your dog, ask your veterinarian which plant-based human foods and snacks are also safe for dogs to try. For example, topping your dog’s dinner with some steamed broccoli, coconut oil, and nutritional yeast can be a yummy, healthy treat. Trying new foods, in moderation, is a really fun way of discovering your dog’s new favorites as you explore the world of plantbased options for dogs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lindsay Rubin is vice president of v-dog, making a difference in the lives of dogs by manufacturing plant-based dog food and snacks. https://v-dog.com

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The Animal Advocacy Issue

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

OUR FAVORIT E T HINGS From Oprah to Ariana Grande to Julie Andrews, many people look forward to their favorite things. At VEGWORLD Magazine, we are happy to be blessed with so many fun, new products that make checking the mail a little bit like Christmas every day! We are excited to share with you our staffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorites.

EDWARD & SONS' YELLOW CURRY BOUILLON CUBES Edward & Sons' Yellow Curry Bouillon Cubes has made many appearances in our kitchen lately! These make wholesome, satisfying broth in seconds with just hot water. Just mix with hot water for delicious mild curry flavored broth, or add to soups, stews and sauces as the chef's secret seasoning. We can never say no to a delicious curry in a hurry! edwardandsons

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ECLIPSE PLANT-BASED ICE CREAM The days of icy vegan ice cream with no creaminess are long over! We have found a new love in Eclipse's decadent flavors, especially their 'Cookie Butter' flavor that basically tastes like a Biscoff cookie. They have made the first plant-based ice cream that is indistinguishable from dairy and we're all about it. Their cookie butter is crafted in a kitchen from 100% plants and always Non-GMO. We'll toast another spoonful to that! eclipsefoods

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

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FAVORITE THINGS

OUTSTANDING FOODS PIG OUT Perfect for kids, or adults (aka big kids) that can’t help themselves from eating the whole bag at once! With 7g of protein per bag, you can pig out on all unique and tasty flavors in one sitting, guilt free. Trust us, we've done it... ;) outstandingfoods

SWEET EARTH GREEN CHILE CHEDD'R The plant-based flavors of green chiles, chedd'r cheese and sausage all come together in this plump and juicy sausage! Ready for the skillet or the grill - in recipes or on a bun! They have played a big role in our vegan grilling seasons this past summer! sweetearthfoods

BADA BEAN BADA BOOM We’ve been eating a lot of these Bada Bean Bada Boom snacks at home! They have tons of different flavors, like nacho cheeze, spicy wasabi, buffalo wing, and everything bagel.

ARCOPEDICO SHOES The easy walk Arcopedico Lolita ballet flat features a patented Elstech® technology upper which is a blend of Lycra® materials which conforms to the shape of the foot. The polyurethane bottom provides dual-arch support for even distribution of weight over the entire surface of the foot. This must have travel companion is washable, lightweight, and breathable. The Lolita is completely free of any animal products and is even biodegradable, making them better for the environment. They are fun and versatile, they come in different colors with black and white soles. Being trendy and vital, they can be combined with any outfit and highlight the style of every woman. arcopedico.official

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Our go-to flavor has been the nacho for its rich cheddar cheeze with a dash of spice! These crunchy bean snacks aren't just vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free—they're also made with no saturated fat and packed with enough flavor and protein to crush potato chips and tie pretzels in knots. Perfect packed in a lunchbox for kids or stashed in your office snack drawer or gym bag, low calorie snacking is as easy as bada bean, bada boom. These are crunchy roasted broad beans packed with flavor and protein, that can be delivered to your door! badabeansnacks

The Animal Advocacy Issue

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND ITS MORAL PROGRESS CAN BE JUDGED BY THE WAY ITS ANIMALS ARE TREATED. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Gandhi 28

The Animal Advocacy Issue

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

VEGWORLD Magazine

The vegan fashion revolution is on the rise, inspiring designers, stimulating creativity, and saving animals as well as, in many cases, the environment. Check out some of the latest trends, timeless pieces, and the up-andcoming innovation of vegan products.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maneâ&#x20AC;?

SQUEEZES by Tess Chavez

You are what you eat. As we phase out of summer and into the cooler breezes of fall, many of us transition from our sun-kissed makeup, purge our closet to make room for cozy sweaters and opt for a fresh color or cut. Showing our hair a little TLC can go a long way this season and prep us for luscious locks come spring.

Things like Biotin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Zinc are great internal contributors for healthy hair. Love Beauty & Planet is a vegan brand that is available at Target. They also have hair and nail dietary supplements in Berry Extraordinary and Citrus Crush flavors. Vegamour is another brand that can be easily ordered online. They carry a series of products for lashes, brows, and hair growth. Their Lovestruck Biotin Gummies are a tasty treat that contains biotin, folic acid, and vitamins B, A, C, and E to help stimulate fuller and thicker hair that shines. The daily damage you are doing to your hair also calls for remedy. I recommend trying a few types of shampoo and conditioner to see what works best for you. Make note of the ones that you like and alternate between them. Keep in mind as you navigate through the vegan shampoos and conditioners of the world, stay away from sulfates, and embrace vitamin B5. Some brands that I recommend for getting you started on your shower collection are Noughty Haircare, Love Beauty, and Planet and By Humankind. By Humankind Citrus Lavender Shampoo Bar and Grapefruit Conditioner Bar

are two of my personal favorites. Make it a point to indulge in vegan products that tame your hair, hold it in place, and promote all your hair goals. Serums are a great starting point and can address many individual hair care needs. Noughty Haircare has an anti-frizz serum that worked wonders for me while Vegamour has a GRO hair serum that helps promote new growth while I transition out of my color-treated hair days. I don’t use a lot of products beyond serums so that my hair stays healthy, however, if I fall victim to my love of a great hairdo, Love Beauty and Planet’s hairspray are my go-to along with HairFlare’s Style Formers Shine silk styling lotion. As you continue your hair care from season to season, I definitely recommend playing with some hair products, giving them a real chance over time while not being afraid to try something new. If you have a good product right now, good for you, but keep in mind that there might be a little bit of greatness waiting in a bottle somewhere for you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Quintessa “Tess” Chavez is VEGWORLD Magazine’s Style Editor and a lover of all things beauty and fashion — of course, vegan and cruelty-free! She is also the owner and founder of Markers Method, a marketing agency that houses Vegan Bites DFW, an online site for dine-out vegan options. Her vegan journey started with her love of animals; soon the health benefits came along, and then the environmental welfare, and it was a done deal. Based in Dallas, TX, Tess continues to carry out her vegan mission of spreading awareness.

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The Animal Advocacy Issue

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

FRESH FALL FASHION

Eco-Friendly & Ethically Made by Brandy Edwards

ew seasons are a kind reminder that change is good, which is why right now it is the perfect time to detox your home, especially your closets. The weather is changing and Fall is upon us, but cleaning and detoxing your closet is not just reserved for the Spring. As you remove clothes that no longer bring you joy, for whatever reason, please consider donating your items to your favorite local shelter, having a yard sale, or even consigning them for extra cash. If you are looking to freshen up your wardrobe with a few new pieces for Fall, consider browsing and buying from some of these eco-friendly companies:

WHOLESOME CULTURE Wholesome Culture is an affordable, casual fashion line that includes several inspirational t-shirts made from organic cotton and recycled plastic bottles. The “Bloom Where You Are Planted” tee has gorgeous botanical flowers in various colors to remind us that although life does not always go as planned, we can make the most of our current situations and opportunities. A few of my other favorites from this brand have the following phrases, which you can get on items like a soft t-shirt or warm hoodie: “A Little More Kindness, A Little Less Judgement” and “Grow Positive Thoughts”, which allows you to spread inspiration in our world as you go about your day wearing them. With our words, actions, and even our fashion, we all have the power to make our world a more loving place. wholesomeculture.com

VEGAN OUTFITTERS Vegan Outfitters provides plastic-free packaging, and, with every purchase the company donates to sanctuaries in the United Kingdom that rescue farm animals from abuse and slaughter. The unisex t-shirts are made from ringspun cotton, which are extremely soft. To help show your support for animals you have many t-shirt options with different phrases, such as “Bee Kind”, “The Only Difference Is Your Perception” and “Herbivore”, which are available in different colors and styles. veganoutfitters.com

MATE Mate is on a mission to spread love, not chemicals. This company uses nontoxic, natural and certified organic materials to make their clothing and 100% recycled materials for their shipping mailers and boxes. If you are interested in a dress that is comfortable and versatile, try the Dana Midi Dress that hits just below your knees. It comes in several colors and while I love to wear pink yearround, the clay or charcoal colors would be great for Fall. The dress had short sleeves so you can wear it as is, for a casual look, or pair it with a blazer to dress it up a bit. The side slits add a bit of detail to this casual dress, which you can wear with flats during the day and transition into wedges or heels at night. Another great option is to pair the semi-fitted Classic Joggers with a matching tank or sweatshirt to be causal chic, run errands or just lounge around the house comfortably and in style. The joggers also have pockets! While there are 17 colors to choose from, I just love the classic black color because it goes with absolutely everything. If you want a pop of color, the Rosewood color is perfect for Fall and it can be easily dressed up with jewelry or dressed down with comfortable shoes and a casual hat. matethelabel.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brandy Edwards is an attorney turned Empowerment Speaker and Coach in Dallas, TX. She is the Founder of The Self-Love Challenge and emphasizes the importance of self-love, confidence, and courage. Her self-discovery journey led her to be strong and courageous, to take action despite fear, and to follow her happiness to create a life she loves. Her magnetic energy captures the attention of both youth and adult audiences, and her inspiring vulnerability empowers listeners to bridge the gap between fears that hold them back and bravery that can propel them forward. Learn more by visiting www.SelfLoveChallenge.com. Speaking, coaching, and collaboration inquiries may be sent to TheSelfLoveChallenge@gmail.com.

What’s In Your Collagen Powder?

AVEGAN Beauty’s NutraChic Plant-Based Proprietary Supplement for Beautiful Skin Does It Better Without Animal-Derived Collagen by Karin Olsen / Plant Power Productions Collagen powder is all the rage but do those seeking de-aging and beauty benefits realize that all collagen is slaughterhouse-derived from a virtual cauldron of animal bones, skin, and connective tissue. Eating dead animal byproducts to help reinvigorate a youthful energy and appearance is counter-intuitive – no? Instead, let’s look to vegan science, for enhanced health, beauty and longevity. That’s what AVEGAN Founder Sally Malanga did when enlisting nutraceutical company scientists to create her newest product NutraChic. The proprietary plant-based powder supplement with patented and proven nutrition just entered the market unrivaled in the category. Malanga said she is so confident in her product, that she offers a 100 percent money-back guarantee. “After consulting with scientists, I combined these ingredients with great success for myself and my family. So, based on my own experience, I could see a difference as NutraChic enhanced my beauty from the inside out creating energy and giving me a health-kissed appearance.”

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Issue 60 - September/October 2020

NUTRACHIC WORKS BY: •

Delivering crucial nutrition to skin for beauty from the inside through such proven nutrients as deep orange and red lutein, lycopene and astaxanthin.

•

Building health and beauty by helping: • • • • • •

Increase collagen Enhance skin firmness Diminish visible signs of aging Maintain clear skin Strengthen fragile skin Energize cells for a luminous skin tone

•

Including antioxidant super vitamin E, a sustainable palm-fruit-wonder 50 times stronger than regular vitamin E or stand-alone d-alpha tocopherol to help squelch free radicals

•

Providing a tasty berry-flavored powder with enough powerful anti-aging nutrients to replace eight bottles of pills.

•

Employing three patented blends, HydroQsorb, EVNolMax, and Bioenegry Ribose to help restore, rebalance and re-energize the skin’s cells for luminous, beautiful skin. It’s also non-GMO + gluten and sugar-free.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: As for me, I already know I don’t need that guarantee. I just bought my first jar and started making double-dose shots every day, because that’s what I do. “Miraculously,” my left hip, which I just found out has arthritis, is nearly painfree?! Update videos coming… 3oz / $95 | 30-day supply/ $3 per day, less than a latte! aveganbeauty.com

VEGWORLD Magazine

The Animal Advocacy Issue

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

Mena Massoud's Vegan Evolution by Courtney Garza

The Animal Advocacy Issue

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

VEGWORLD Magazine

n his first book project, Mena Massoud, who played the titular role in Disney’s live-action Aladdin, stars in the Hulu original series Reprisal, and co-stars in the new film Run This Town, has written a vegan lifestyle/travel/cookbook featuring North America’s best plantbased establishments, restauranteurs, and chefs to show that eating plant-based around North America, is in fact, accessible, fun, and trendy.

In addition to gorgeous photos and delicious recipes inspired by these incredible people he met on his travels, Evolving Vegan will also celebrate the incredible cities he visited, the different cultures he encountered, and Mena’s personal journey towards plant-based living with heartfelt stories, advice, and some of the actor’s favorite recipes. Mena shares his travels, passion for plant-based cooking, and the work he does through his organization Evolving Vegan which inspired the cookbook with us in an insightful chat we got to have with him about his upcoming book release plus the feedback he gets as a plant-based actor.

What inspired you to make a cookbook that showcases vegan recipes from every culture? When I was starting this venture, there were only so many vegan cookbooks you can pick up off the shelves and take a look at to study the lifestyle, so I thought by adding my own take on cultural vegan food was missing in the market. There are many vegan cookbooks, but I found that they’re mostly filled with American recipes, so I wanted to get a culturally diverse cookbook out there for people to explore.

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A lot of people are going vegan lately, but many don’t realize that they’ve had many vegan dishes before. How are you using your book to help showcase that? I think the next phase of education for people is to learn that vegan food is already ingrained into many cultures. When I started the Evolving Vegan company years ago, there was no Beyond Meat or Impossible burger, so the companies have come a long way. But people still don’t realize that there are Japanese sushi and Mexican restaurants that are all vegan for exam-

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ple. I’m hoping people will pick up this book and be able to find a familiar recipe from their heritage and want to try it out. I think it would be great for nonvegan people to start the discovery process that way. Explain your process of choosing the restaurants that you highlighted in the book. I sat down and chose the cities that we could visit on our budget. Obviously, we would have loved to go to every city with vegan options, but we had to narrow it down. Since we didn’t have a

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other recipes and photos that didn’t make it to be the book for various reasons, but these are the ones that made the final cut. How did they feel being featured? Did you have any restaurants that didn’t want to share their trade secrets? We had restaurants that I so wanted to share but some wouldn’t let us in, or said no right off the bat, and even some restaurants we couldn’t get into because they were so high in demand. There was this one Japanese sushi restaurant in San Francisco that is incredibly famous and we couldn’t even get in for the 3 days we were there! They said no to the book and we couldn’t even get on the waitlist just to try it!

Photo by Alexi Lubomirski

book deal when I started all of this, I was kind of betting on myself, so I funded the whole project from the start. No one wanted to give me a book deal before seeing the material, so we funded the whole thing through the Evolving Vegan brand. We ended up visiting restaurants in 10 different cities all across North America, including Canada. I basically just picked different restaurants that had varying cuisines, because I wanted it to be universal and worldly. We reached out to the restaurants and tried 3-7 of their dishes, taking photos of each, and in post-production, we dwindled things down. Believe it or not, we have many

The Animal Advocacy Issue

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

There were places that we visited that I did an IGTV episode for, Jajaja Mexicana in New York City was one of them that we featured, probably one of the best Mexican restaurants I’ve been to, vegan or not. We had beautiful photos of their nachos, tacos, etc and I even sat down with the owner, did an IGTV episode that you can watch on Evolving Vegan, but in the end, they said, “we’re actually going to do our own cookbook, so we don’t feel comfortable sharing the recipes with you”. So it was definitely a learning process for us, but I learned a lot and in the end, it worked out well for the book. Some restaurants didn’t necessarily give us their recipe, but they let us make our own take on their dishes. For example, there’s one that says, “Inspired by Veggie Galaxy in Boston”. So we came up with our own just similar to their dish. That way we could still give the audience a quality recipe close to what we had at that restaurant. Explain the ‘Hero Spotlight’ features in the book. What was the purpose of calling out these people alongside the recipes?

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I think one of the things that makes the vegan community so unique is the people that invest the time and take the risks. Restaurants are hard enough as they are, but to open up an allvegan restaurant, whether it was this year or 3 years ago, it’s still a huge risk. So I wanted to feature those people that really inspired me. These are people that either has something really unique going on, or their food was just amazing, or they have an interesting story to share. Again, we had so many hero spotlights but only had enough room for a select few, so it was hard to make those tough decisions to narrow them down. This way the reader gets to learn a little bit about the inspiring people that are behind the food at their favorite restaurants. What are the dishes you’re most excited for people to try to make at home? Definitely some of my mom’s recipes! These are the dishes that are staple Egyptian meals that most people have never tried before. I tried to stay away from the typical falafel recipes, though there is a Falafel Salad recipe in there, but it’s not my mom’s recipe. My mom’s dishes are very traditional Egyptian dishes that were already vegan. We didn’t have to make any changes to them to make them vegan, such as the Koshare. It’s basically lentils and rice with pasta on top with a tomato sauce and fried onions, topped with chickpeas. It is very carb-heavy, so not something you’ll eat if you want to lose weight! But it does have a lot of protein in it from the beans. It’s a very comforting dish! On the lighter side,

there’s a Green Lentil Salad dish that’s a beautiful, fresh, salad made of lentils, herbs, and spices. Then there’s a dessert called Basbousa, which is basically an Egyptian cake but has a texture of a crumble cake! It’s nice to have a great mix of things from my heritage as well. So when can we all start cooking up these dishes?! September 15th is when the book drops! Until then, you can pre-order the book on evolvevegan.com internationally. It is also available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble as well. Pretty much all of the big retailers, but as of now, it is only available internationally on EvolveVegan.com How is it when you talk to your fellow cast members on set about being vegan? What kind of feedback do you get? Everyone understands what veganism is now. Most people understand that you can work out and do anything that a “normal person” does on a vegan diet as well. But most people are surprised on set when they learn that I’m vegan and only eat plantbased. For Aladdin, a lot of my crew members were surprised at how hard I was hitting the gym and the progress I was making. Guy Ritchie, who is a very country, “British-chap”, was especially surprised to learn about my vegan diet. That was interesting to hear from him! But I think people are getting it more now for the most part. You can do whatever you want on a vegan diet, whether it’s gaining mass, losing body fat, or really whatever lifestyle you choose. The reactions from non-vegan people are always very ver-

bal, but I think they’re less and less surprised now more than ever. My cast member, Naomi from Aladdin, would go with me out for lunch during production, so she would always eat vegan with me! Whether it’s grilled tofu or vegan sausages, she was intrigued by it. She would always try the vegan sausages, that was her thing. She was always really interested by them! There was a certain brand that I can’t find anywhere that’s just available in the UK that she particularly liked and I think she went to the store just to pick some up. So you can definitely convert people by getting them to try your vegan food! My dad is one of those people who is especially hard to convince to eat vegan though. I took him to a restaurant here in LA called Mohawk Bend that has mostly vegan options, but there are non-vegan options as well. My dad was not wanting to try the vegan options, so I told him to just get the burger and he ate all of it only to find out that it was the Impossible Burger! But he loved it! Sometimes I trick people into eating vegan food and then telling them afterward! Congratulations on your newer productions as well! We always want to support vegan actors! So where can we watch your new show Reprisal and movie Run This Town? Thank you! Yeah, I am excited about them too. Due to COVID, both of my new shows are available on streaming platforms, such as HULU for the show Reprisal and Amazon Prime has it available for you to rent Run This Town.

VEGWORLD Magazine

The Animal Advocacy Issue

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

AKASHINGA

THE FEMALE ANTI-POACHING WARRIORS OF AFRICA by Carissa Danielle

Following multiple tours in Iraq as a special operations sniper for the Australian Defense Force, Damien Mander found himself in Zimbabwe, looking for his next great adventure. It was there, inspired by the plight of wildlife, that he liquidated his life savings and founded the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF), which utilized his specialized skillset to recruit, train and support hundreds of anti-poaching rangers. Eight years later, upon the realization that women possessed the exceptional ability to de-escalate violent confrontations and build relationships within local communities, the all-female ranger unit, Akashinga, was born. Known as “The Brave Ones”, the women recruited for this elite task force were often survivors of domestic abuse, exploitation, and extreme poverty. Life as an Akashinga ranger promised to be difficult, but these women would not be deterred. Recounting the grueling special forces training the female recruits under-

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went, Damien says, “We pushed them much harder than any training we had done with men”. The first cohort of female trainees successfully graduated 33 of the 36 who began, in stark comparison with a similar course Mander ran years prior for men. Of those 189 male trainees, only 3 were left at the end of day one. The harsh conditions endured by Akashinga rangers did not end with the completion of their training. In fact, the women work in some of the harshest environmental and mentally stressful conditions in the world. With the understanding that proper nutrition was crucial for both mental and physical health, Mander planned for the program to be vegan in nature from its inception. To support this effort, he partnered with Nicola Kagoro to establish the Akashinga Back to Black Roots Vegan Kitchen and Garden – a nod to the prevalence of plantbased diets in Africa prior to the introduction of commercial animal farming by the western world.

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“THERE’S A SAYING IN AFRICA, ‘IF YOU EDUCATE A MAN, YOU EDUCATE AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT IF YOU EDUCATE A WOMAN, YOU EDUCATE A NATION’. WE’RE SEEING INCREASING EVIDENCE THAT EMPOWERING WOMEN IS ONE OF THE GREATEST FORCES OF CHANGE IN THE WORLD TODAY.”

Vegan himself following a revelation of the “hypocrisy of protecting one group of animals only to eat another,” Damien’s goals for a vegan camp kitchen extended beyond matters of health and nutrition. His hope was that the rangers, who came from rural villages where meat consumption was the norm, would take their newfound knowledge of a plant-based diet back to their families and communities. And they did just that. While the rangers were free to eat as they chose at home, most soon shifted to plant-based eating permanently in an extension of their compassion for all animals. Akashinga, the first and only program of its kind, delivered astonishing results within the first 2.5 years of operation. In short order, the program grew to over 170 employees, who achieved an 80% reduction in elephant poaching within the African wilderness over which the women presided. There is no end in sight for the growth of this extraordinary organization. Under management of IAPF, Mander aims to employ 1000 women to watch over a network of 20 nature reserves by 2025.

Damien credits the women of Akashinga with the program’s remarkable success. Through working with the local population, building longterm partnerships, and injecting a large portion of operational costs directly into the local economy, the organization has built a network of support throughout the areas in which the women serve. These communities, which once heavily relied upon income from trophy hunters,

now receive the equivalent amount of funds every 34 days as trophy hunting previously provided on an annual basis. Through these actions, Mander asserts that the rangers exemplify a crucial conservation principle: “Wildlife is worth more to the community alive than it is dead at the hands of poachers.” In this regard, Akashinga has demonstrated sustainability at a level no other conservation effort has been able to achieve.

With a foundation built upon compassion, self-sustaining community support, and the empowerment of women, Akashinga may just be the catalyst to bring about lasting positive change - for wildlife, humankind, and nature - to Africa and beyond. To learn more about the all-female ranger unit, Akashinga, and how you can help support their anti-poaching efforts, please visit iapf.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Carissa Danielle is the founder & director of North Texas Vegans. She is an intersectional vegan entrepreneur with a passion for speaking on the topics of living a vegan lifestyle, following a whole food plant-based diet for good health, and environmental stewardship. Carissa is a graduate of the Plant-Based Nutrition Certification program through the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell. She resides in Dallas, TX, with her partner and rescue dogs, where she works as a business consultant, public speaker, writer, and wellness educator. In her spare time, Carissa enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling, as well as practicing yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. nooch.bunny

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Issue 60 - September/October 2020

KSENIA LAVRENTIEVA

A WOMAN WITH A MISSION by Courtney Garza

A former actress turned TV personality, Ksenia Lavrentieva advocates for a plant-based lifestyle and is extremely passionate about improving our relationship with animals and the state of the world. She is an ethical luxury-fashion and lifestyle specialist. Her portfolio at www.ksenialavrentieva.com, Ksenia’s Edit, showcases the latest innovations in bio-fabrication technology and celebrates advanced textile manufacturing that’s leading the way to the future, where animals are no longer used in the process. It also features Ksenia’s favorite

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vegan fashion brands, which are leading us towards the future of fashion that is ethical, environmentally responsible, and, of course, cruelty-free.

VEGWORLD’S PERSPECTIVE Ksenia specifically hones in on our often strange and contradictory relationships with the animals we love, the animals we don’t, and the animals we don’t yet know we love. She wants to exert her influence for the greater good and help bring about real and much-needed change.

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Many people want to help and contribute but are unsure of how they can do so. This is why Ksenia has made it her mission to educate and guide people about ways in which they can do their bit, while they still can. Their efforts will help all of us to further discover the world of alternatives, from fashion and food to health and beauty.

There’s too much innovative technology out there for us to keep relying on the same outdated products being marketed to us. I believe these innovations will help us make progress towards saving billions of animals as well as our environment and our health. As I like to say...to see past the unnecessary killing of animals is to not see at all.

Ksenia does this by challenging the existing status quo and representing a plant-based lifestyle as a modern tech innovation — the new, desirable, conscious “cool.” With her mission to encourage a culture shift, she’s breaking the stereotype of the “vegan lifestyle cliché.”

I wish to create awareness and consumer transparency through the work that I do. To shed light on the reality of the industries that rule the world — to reveal how they manipulate minds and impose cruelty on living beings, which further contributes to the destruction of our planet and our health.

Ksenia enjoys mixing glamour with activism, two things that have no reason not to go hand-in-hand, yet are an unlikely pair that rarely would appear in the same context. Through Ksenia’s lively and quirky personality, she’s repainting the meanings of the popular narrative, making sustainability and all things surrounding it a lot less daunting and intimidating — and a lot more inspiring and liberating.

I wish to present people with a plethora of alternatives and to show that our current way of life is not the only way and, in fact, cannot possibly go on “as is” for much longer. I do not wish to blame and shame anyone in particular but just generally to open people’s eyes to the reality that has been practiced in secrecy for years.

KSENIA’S PERSPECTIVE The future: Seeing past killing animals for fashion, food, and beauty.

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I wish to make people aware of the processes they are funding, so that they are in a much clearer position to decide whether it aligns with their ethics and morals and whether they’ll choose to alter their lifestyle in some shape or form to revamp

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Issue 60 - September/October 2020

A new economic and political system must arise that will get us through the climate crisis we are currently facing. 46

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society and social stances towards the exploitation of animals. Connecting people to their roots, putting us back in touch with our habitat and the inhabitants we share it with: I see tremendous potential in our own strength. I full-heartedly believe that this is a shift towards everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest good and that, as soon as these companies understand that people are no longer willing to fund their products, they will start providing us with cruelty-free alternatives that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t involve exploitation of sentient life in their processes. To some extent, this is already happening now, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much more to do. I wish for animals to be viewed from a different standpoint, not just as mere resources, to steer us towards conscious living in general and help empower us with the truth of how our food and products are made and how they sentence animals to lifelong immense suffering. My hope is to decrease the demand for animal products, showcase the alternatives, and speed up the shift towards a more technologically advanced and civilized future that benefits us all.

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ABOUT KSENIA LAVRENTIEVA Ksenia Lavrentieva is a British actress/TV personality of Eurasian descent. Known for her numerous appearances in British TV series (see the list on IMDb.com) as well as working in reality television for E-entertainment and Endemol Shine. Born in the former communist state of Georgia, Tbilisi, to a renowned dissident Georgian artist and one of Russia’s most revered actresses, Ksenia has worked and traveled on both sides of the Atlantic, working in television and commercials with creatives as diverse as David Cronenberg and Dr. Dre. Her efforts as an advocate for veganism inspired her appearance on the reality TV show Big Brother (UK) in the hope of presenting a plantbased lifestyle as more approachable to a mainstream audience and raising positive awareness for the cruelty-free movement. Ksenia was also featured in a BBC documentary, Hayley Goes Vegan, that highlighted her work as an advocate for vegan-friendly fashion and organic, cruelty-free beauty.

KSENIA SUMS UP HER MISSION Ksenia is also among the representatives and spokespeople for Animal Rebellion (a sister movement to Extinction Rebellion). “With Animal Rebellion, we are changing the narrative and veering away from the hostile ‘vegan extremists vs. poor workers’ scenario that has characterized the animal justice movement for so long, by putting the focus firmly on the government as the institution that can lead real change. By resetting the old systems that are no longer serving us and only leading us into further climate breakdown. A new economic and political system must arise that will get us through the climate crisis we are currently facing. This is what we are working towards: a plant-based food system.”

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Creating Ksenia’s Edit gives her an opportunity to alter the often negative perception of the vegan fashion cliché; to commercialize it and maximize the audience to which it will appeal.

www.ksenialavrentieva.com

somethingaboutksenia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Courtney Garza is a passionate vegan who brings her love for journalism, creativity, helping local businesses, and animals together within her compassionate social media agency, Sprinkles Creative, co-founded with her business partner Christina Bluford, to aid businesses with their branding strategy. Courtney also owns and operates VEGWORLD Magazine, an international vegan lifestyle publication; as Editor-in-Chief, she curates and promotes plant-based stories spanning vegan products, services, and individuals from all walks of life.

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Issue 60 - September/October 2020

BURNING BRIGHT — NOT OUT — AS AN ANIMAL ACTIVIST by Stuart McDonald, Animal Outlook

n a time when the world is literally on fire, it often feels like we must be constantly working to put out the flames. With animals dying by the billions, our movement can seem incredibly urgent and overwhelming. And being constantly bombarded with advertising and support for animal products is no help. It’s easy to get burnt out — and even more so for activists who work in other movements, too, or carry marginalized identities that have been shown to push activists out of their activism work.

way to trial a vegan sub, or our groundbreaking lawsuit resulting in federal prosecution against a lamb-slaughter plant.

But a burnt-out advocate is a loss to the movement. And sustainable, equitable, and mindful activism (and workplaces) cannot be overvalued. For me, going vegan itself was a self-care tactic that provided a way to sustain my activist self. Having been exposed to the concept of speciesism as a student, I saw veganism as an easy and quantifiable way to reduce my contribution to an oppressive system — the same system that marginalized me as a woman and as a queer person. Stepping back from a harmful system and regaining a sense of purpose over what I put in my body, for me, was a way to care for myself and make my work and mental health far more sustainable. But mindfulness and self-care go far beyond taking an evening to watch Netflix and do a face mask or going for a hike. For me, they mean doing a little hard work to get to mindfulness — and ditching the idea that my work, even my work as an activist, represents all of who I am or my entire worth to society. Taking care of myself also means taking time to celebrate victories, like Compassion Over Killing’s recent campaign success getting Sub-

The world may be on fire, but there is still time to pause and realize the good fight is being fought, even if we all wish change would come much quicker. It’s time to lose the idea that taking a break to care for yourself is failing as an activist, or that it means you don’t care enough about the animals. After all, we are animals, too — and it’s up to us to make sure we give all of us our best fighting chance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Stuart McDonald joined Animal Outlook (formerly Compassion Over Killing) in 2018 as a Creative Writer. She holds a B.A. in Social Justice from George Mason University and is currently pursuing her Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree in Social Justice and Human Rights. Stuart became interested in Animal Rights through her human rights work when she realized that animal issues are interwoven with other social justice topics such as racial justice and environmental sustainability. Plus, she loves animals - especially her cat, Josie.

A SAFE HAVEN - BARN SANCTUARY by Liz Sterling Dan McKernan lives in Chelsea, Michigan. He quit his six-figure technology career in Austin, Texas and founded Barn Sanctuary in 2016. He was called from a deep place within to return home and convert his family’s generations-old farm into a rescue for barnyard animals – with absolutely no experience.

Animal Planet created Saved By the Barn, twelve 1-hour long episodes about running the sanctuary. It began airing in April when most of us were sheltering in place. Each week, I looked forward to the inspiring stories and came to admire the whole team at Barn Sanctuary. The program featured rescue stories, unique medical cases, charismatic characters – both human and animal – while shining a light on modern day farm life, with a distinctive twist. This is definitely a story of heroic and bold adventure. (Google Saved By The Barn to watch episodes online).

The mission of Barn Sanctuary is rescuing and rehabilitating farm animal refugees and spreading the message of compassion. Dan, along with his twin brother Chris, and their dad who has lived and worked on the farm for most of his adult life, are passionate about animal welfare. They share a common goal: to save farm animals from perilous situations and give them a place to live out their natural lives in safety and peace.

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It’s very hard work for Dan, his brother and his dad to care for the turkeys and pigs and cows and goats and the farm — yet they are real heroes. Their passion and purpose is palpable. A variety of programs for children have been established and families from the community are invited to learn about the proper care of animals. Because of COVID-19, most learning for the community is virtual. Check out BarnSantruary.com. The folks at Barn Sanctuary are proponents of a vegan lifestyle. The awakening awareness about the atrocities that are endured by factory farm animals must be mitigated by reducing the demand. It’s basic math — by consuming less meat and fowl that comes from animals that have been abused and neglected and treated inhumanly, we can all create a safe haven on earth.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Liz Sterling hails from New York City and earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Development from Hunter College. Thousands of clients and radio listeners have been impacted by her keen ability to elicit epiphanies through the forging of deep and meaningful connections that she creates. She is the author of Behind the Scenes: Celebrity Interviews & Inspiring Life Lessons. Liz writes, teaches, coaches and lives a full and adventurous life! AskLiz.com

SIMPLE TIME-SAVING

Recipe Hacks for People on the Run by Wendie Pett

Photo by Alyson McPhee - Unsplash

“What’s for dinner?” If that’s one of your least favorite questions, then keep reading. Or, keep reading if you’ve ever had the desire to make more extravagant meals, but it hasn’t been feasible due to the busyness of running from one appointment to the next. The thought of gourmet sounds wonderful, but who has time for the stepby-step processes and the mental energy it takes night after night? Right? Well, here are a few dinner hacks to save you time and energy in the kitchen and fool your family with a quick semi-gourmet meal every time.

Peel, Prep, Chop, and Freeze. Let’s face it, most of the time-consuming effort is in the prep work. Pick a day each week to peel, prep, chop, and then freeze vegetables, fruit, beans, grains, pastes, purees, and sauces for a time-management game-changer in regards to dinners. And please, for those grains and beans, get yourself a pressure cooker already! It’s time.

Get Your Soup On. Always have one or two homemade soups made and in the freezer. Sometimes an added soup with a meal can make it feel a bit more gourmet. You can easily freeze them in individual or family-sized servings, then pull them out when needed for a quick reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. The sophisticated finishing touch can be a sprinkling of some fresh herbs – which will already be washed and ready, since you rinsed and wrapped them up on your prep day.

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Make Salads in a Jar. Since you have your veggies and loads of fixings chopped and ready, grab several large Mason jars for salads! Place greens at the bottom of the jar, then continue by layering your favorite salad toppings on top of the greens. Allow your creative chef to spill forth here. Salads are way more than just vegetables. Use the prepared grains, beans, and even fruit to make this an award-winning and fun meal. With multiple Masonjar salads made, you now have “grab-and-go” meals or snacks to take with you on the run or to pull out when you get home from a long day.

“Heart” Your Favorite Quick Recipes. When you find an easy, favorite meal, keep the recipe close at hand. It could be from an old-fashioned recipe book or box, or stored in a great app on your phone. Be sure to have the main ingredients on your prep list for the week or in your pantry. Feel free to be creative. Maybe your recipe calls for diced and sautéed sweet potatoes, but all you have prepped is carrots. Go for it! Now you’ve tweaked the recipe to make it your own gourmet dish.

Keep Your Refrigerator and Pantry Organized. When food is “hidden” in storage containers, we’re less likely to open them and explore what’s inside. Once you’ve prepped your food for the week, keep the results of your work visible. Utilize glass jars and bowls (or use labels) so when you or someone in your house opens the refrigerator door or looks into the pantry, what’s available is clear to see. Remember that we eat with our eyes first, so keep all your beautifully prepared foods visible and easily accessible to all. This will also make dinnertime less hectic. When you see your selection that is available to choose from, you immediately de-stress and remain focused on your gourmet dinner that will soon be on the table.

Make Meal Prep a Family Affair. When we are struggling to find family, friend, or couple time, the kitchen is a great place to gather

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together to talk, laugh, and work. Many hands make light work, right? When you’re at the end of your prepped foods for the week, incorporate your “team” into the meal-making. Even young kids can be involved by easily tearing lettuce, sprinkling on the herbs, and stirring whatever you are needing mixed together. The older kids are learning life skills, and everyone is connecting face-toface. Allow your family members to add to that favorite recipe list, too. You may soon have a family gourmet cookbook! When your family has a part in the preparation, they are also much more likely to enjoy what they’re eating. There’s always something truly satisfying about having a part in the process and enjoying the finished result. So, what’s for dinner? Hopefully, that question isn’t daunting now but rather a question that you are well-equipped to answer and excited about answering. Make your grocery list, head to the store, come home, and begin – and enjoy – your prep work. You’ll be thankful to that gourmet chef in your kitchen throughout the whole upcoming week!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Wendie Pett is a full-time business owner of Visibly Fit as well as a naturopathic doctor, wife, mother, fitness expert, author, speaker, TV host, and parttime volunteer. Her business consists of wholefood plant-based wellness coaching, emotional healing, personal online training, educational and motivational speaking, and creating new products/ tools to assist clients along their wellness journey. www.wendiepett.com

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Issue 60 - September/October 2020

Do what you love. Teach what you know.

PLANT-BASED COOKING IN A FOOD DESERT by Char Nolan

BACKGROUND More than a year ago, I got an email from a former colleague inviting me to apply for a new grant position in Philadelphia. There was a search for a health educator at Project HOME’s primary care clinic at 22nd and Cecil B. Moore. My colleague said I was the only one she knew who was a health educator and also a plant-based chef. It was a one-year grant called “Healthy Hearts Philly.” According to Lisa Greenspan, RN, who’s worked at the Stephen Klein Wellness Center (SKWC) for seven years as the Director of Nursing , the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) was awarded a 5-year grant by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to focus on cardiovascular disease prevention and management in Philadelphia. Greenspan explained that the PDPH works closely with the Health Federation of Philadelphia (HFP) and their member centers. Greenspan adds, “The goal of the grant was to carry out grant strategies aimed at decreasing risk, complications of and barriers to prevention of cardiovascular disease and cholesterol in high burden populations,” through plant-based cooking classes as well as patient education about topics such as heart disease, smoking, stress reduction, common cardiac medications and the importance of exercise.

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Project HOME is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located throughout various areas of Philadelphia. It was started by Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon in 1989. Project HOME empowers individuals to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness through affordable housing, employment, health care, and education. In public health circles, they say that a zip code can identify health status, well-being and per capita income. Stephen Klein Wellness Center (SKWC), a 37,000 square foot primary care facility supports the community through primary care, behavioral health, dental care, women’s health and prenatal care, wellness programs, a medication-assisted treatment program for people with opioid use disorder, support groups, counseling, and a pharmacy. SKWC is located in zip code 19122, where the per capita income is $15, 580 per annum. In that same zip code, there are high percentages of lifestyle-related diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, morbid obesity, addiction, depression and more. Keep in mind that many under-served communities are also food deserts, so the mindfulness of “Where will people shop?” is important in creating recipes and classes; how does your food become medicine when access to healthy food is minimal? If you’re living in a food desert, it’s difficult to access to nutrient-dense foods. So, the question was, how would I be able to design a curriculum that would help participants develop better lifestyle management? Much like “Cagney and Lacy” or “Oprah and Gayle,” that’s where the dynamic team of Lisa Greenspan, RN and Alyssa Hatsukami, MSW come in. At the time, Hatsukami was a social work graduate student from the University of Pennsylvania. Let’s just say that Greenspan and Hatsukami were the energy behind the project, and the three of us connected in a way that highlighted mutual respect and trust. According to Greenspan, “I was expecting participants to take a class or two, but never imagined that they would turn out to be a core group who came for each and every class.” Greenspan also describes how moved she was that the classes became a support group for participants.“Friendships were formed; it was magical. And healthy food was the focal point.” In a nutshell, each series would run for six sessions, every other week, and then, start over after twelve weeks. Classes were hands-on where attendees would learn basic plantbased cooking techniques from stripping kale to making oilfree dressings. When Greenspan and I first met, she would ask questions like, “You really think this can work?” With all the confidence in my heart, I would say, “Yes, it will.” Classes were taught with a three-course meal focus—a salad, an entrée and a dessert. All plant-based. No oil. No salt. No sugar.

We created a “kitchen on wheels” with items like an induction stove top, coolers, pots and pans, fire extinguisher and more. To put it mildly, it was a lot of schlepping. Safe food handling practices were the priority. Having cohesive relationships is the key to running any community-based program. So, to answer the question, “How did you make this work?” I like to think that everything we do in life is a “work in progress,” and that we do our best when we “learn and grow.” I’ve taught many health education and cooking classes in my life, but the role at SKWC was filled with challenges. With that challenge, I tried to see as few gaps as possible, so that the participants could “forge ahead” to meet their goals and objectives. Hatsukami has a long history in community education and admitted, “I was curious to see how Chef Char would bring a functioning kitchen to a medical office conference room.” Using a toaster oven, an airfryer, and an induction stove top, we made the kitchen come alive. Etched in my heart is “do what you love” and “teach what you know.”

TOOLS FOR MAKING THINGS WORK Plant-based nutrition can be a hard sell. How do you express the importance of eating leafy greens, grains and legumes when you’re competing with corner stores that sell overly processed foods with zero nutrient-density? Before we go any further, I can tell you that after the first six months, people outside the building would greet me with a hello, then say, “Hey, what kind of good food do you have today?” The front desk staff would say, “Hey, what’s cooking today?” For me, that was a mark of success—it meant that plant-based footprints were planted in the community.

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BUILDING BLOCKS FOR BUILDING PLANT-BASED CLASSES Show Up with Intent: Even before your program begins, think of an engaging activity that will bring people to YOU. In this case, Greenspan and I thought that a “Nice Cream Social” would be an activity that everyone would love. On one of the hottest days of the summer, 85 people showed up for “Yonanas Frozen Fruit Cones.” There was a sundae bar with two fresh fruit toppings. Sure, some people were skeptical, “Oh, this isn’t ice cream.” But, many returned and asked for seconds and thirds. With each cone, participants received a flier announcing the Healthy Hearts Program. Oddly, throughout my tenure, the most frequently asked question of clinic patients was, “Are we having your kind of ice cream today?” Needs Assessment: Aside from gathering health outcomes data, this was an “on foot” assessment where I visited four local grocery stores in the community. Most were family-owned businesses, with the exception of Aldi, where I also personally shop. It would have been very unfair to show a fancy, artisanal bread from an upscale grocer when EBT (food stamp dollars) can only take you so far. The first lesson I taught was about reading labels. Why? Because cheaper brands substitute ingredients. For example, a generic soy sauce has sugar listed as the second ingredient. You’ve got to keep foods accessible, real, and nutrient-dense. Your validity as a resource gains clout when you can say, “I got this on Broad Street.” Keep it Safe: With chef and paring knives, it was crucial to keep the teaching environment safe. When you teach a “hands-on” approach to cooking, safety is paramount. Hands washed, gloves on, you have to let partici-

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pants figure what is safe so that their understanding is generated from their own thought processes. Some of the safety practices included, “no double dipping” and “sneeze into your sleeve.” Knives were passed with a verbal cue so that everyone was paying attention and meeting the goal of being safe. Tent cards at each table reinforced the steps to staying safe, all created by participants. I always travel with a small fire extinguisher, which is a good safety net to have. Introduce New Foods with Known Counterparts: An easy example is the first time you make rice, start with a 50/50 blend of white rice and brown rice. Then gradually lean to more whole grains with little to no fanfare. After six weeks, it was no big deal eating whole wheat pasta that was purchased at the local Aldi. As weeks progressed, eating carrot dogs and mac and no-cheez became the norm. Oh, and yes, people were starting to lose weight, see their elevated blood pressure levels decrease, and recognize blood sugar levels that were within normal limits. And that’s because participants were starting to understand that “food is medicine.” Emphasize the cost effectiveness of a whole foods, plant-based diet, and that eating unprocessed foods is the healthiest and most cost-effective measure there is. Be Aware of Learning Styles: We live in a very electronic society. Although my presence was a mere ten feet away from the 16-20 participants of each class, I knew that classes needed to be stepped up a notch. Programs such as Canva provide tools for creating informative templates for presentations. Easy to read and colorful pages were developed to reinforce goals and objectives for each day. I knew that the big screen presentations were

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

your help and expertise.” Along with the participants of the “Healthy Hearts Club,” Costigan and her kind heart showed up make a mushroom stew and work with the crew. Costigan recounted a great story when she witnessed the helpers at the spice table on the food line for our lunch of mushroom stew, vegetables, corn muffins, and fresh fruit. Costigan recalled, “A guest came to the condiments section with his plate piled high with food, and he said to one of the servers, ‘I can’t eat salt.’” The guest was told, “No worries about that, Char never uses salt, try some nutritional yeast instead, you will like it.” When Costigan told me that story, I felt as though learning goals were met. Keep ‘em Coming: Let’s face it, it is fun teaching to a full crowd. With each student having a cutting board, knife, and other kitchen utensils, hands-on cooking was the tool that allowed people to create a new recipe, be it a garbanzo-based “tuna like” salad or crudités platters that required lots of chopping and cutting. Having fun is another tool that becomes an incentive. a hit when one of our program regulars said, “Oh, this is fun, I feel like I am watching a cooking segment on the Today show.” Hatsukami adds, “I was inspired by people learning to invest in themselves by opening up to new experiences and lifestyle changes. Coming to class was fun.” Call in Your Friends: We all have friends who are excellent at what they do. When our class lesson was “Oilfree Corn Muffins” to make at-home, it was easy to summon my friend Deb, a practicing vegan for more than 25 years. She is experienced with teaching food prep and was able to set up a learning station that included everything needed to make muffins

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at home—including muffin tins and parchment paper liners. At another event, we served a luncheon for “Drop-In Day,” where SKWC patients and community members, many of whom are experiencing homelessness, come to shower, do their laundry, and leave refreshed. It might also be the day a patient is seeing a practitioner, dentist, counselor, etc. The “holistic” approach to patient care is one of the cornerstones of the work that is carried out by every Project HOME facility.

We ended each class with a door prize. Generally, the door prize was related to the lesson of the day—but, some prizes were blankets, handwarmers, gloves, hats and the like.

On “Drop-In Day” I knew that feeding 75 guests would not be easy. That is when you pick up the phone and call noted vegan pastry chef and author Fran Costigan and say, “Fran, I need

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At the end of each twelve-week period, an air-fryer was raffled off; but, a participant could only be included in the raffle if they had attended all six cooking classes in the series. Everyone crossed their fingers to win the mega prize of the air-fryer.

THEN, COVID HAPPENED: In early March of 2020, COVID-19 was making its entry and the classes stopped abruptly. Our plans for the final series evaporated. It broke my heart because I loved facilitating the classes. At this writing, Greenspan and Hatsukami aren’t sure when Philadelphia will open for classes to reenter the scene as part of the clinic’s roster of events. Greenspan sums it up best, “I have personally loved to see the class participants grow—trying new foods, new cooking techniques…venturing to an organic grocery store during a field trip.” Greenspan adds, “Knowing the deep traumas that many participants have experienced, I feel so grateful that many have found a safe community within the classes.” For me, I am the grateful one, and drove home after each class feeling very rich and privileged to work with such a dynamic group of people—staff and patients. It was a true gift.

are your thoughts about teaching the classes virtually?” Through her magic, she was able to assemble a socially distanced classroom where eight participants showed up for a virtual class. I was twelve miles away, nestled in my kitchen with screens, lights, wires, groceries and a stove. Several former students also tuned in from their homes and participated in the class, as well. How did we make it work? Well, one of the many things I have learned through Covid 19 is that food is even scarcer during a pandemic. As a result, I am in the process of creating a 501(c) (3) whose primary focus is to supply canned/shelf stable, low-sodium, nutrient-dense foods like brown rice, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and more to those in need. Called, “B. Well Meal Kits,” the small board is comprised of several members of the North Philadelphia community, as well as colleagues from the plantbased world. Classes continued for eight weeks,and ended with a small party to celebrate friendships and healthy eating. For the Project HOME classes, students came to class, and they received a filled mini-bag of groceries that was used during class. A recipe with nutritional tips and information was included in each bag. Board mem-

This experience exceeded my broadest expectations, and just today, I got a text from a participant that read, “Was thinking about our classes today, but mostly, “Drop-In Day.” That day, I tell you, everyone who was there will never forget it.”

As we tip-toe in a Covid 19 world, Lisa Greenspan had a genius of an idea. She called one day and asked, “What

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Look for an update about “B. Well Meal Kits” that will include involvement with dietetics students who will help to create nutritional profiles of each dish, as well as identify communities in need. We hope to work with local corner stores and bodegas to help them supply better food options to those in need, as well. Each meal kit is either packaged in a perma-seal pouch, “pop-top” can, or a box. The food can be cooked, and for those living on the streets, they will still have the opportunity to eat nutrient-dense foods that are easy to open and eat. While Covid19 surprised many of us, created isolation, and changed the fabric of our lives, this food giveaway program was born out of the desire to feed people in a great time of need. Look for updates about “B. Well Meal Kits,” as the goals and dreams are met to help others eat better and find another avenue to food accessibility.

ABOUT THE CHEF Char Nolan is a serious crusader for plant-based education, armed with a good sense of humor. Char studied public health at Temple University and teaches nutrition and plant-based cooking throughout Philadelphia in many underserved communities. She holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell, and completed the “plant-pro” course at the Rouxbe Online Cooking School.

Eat plants. Eat grains. Enjoy legumes and show your gratitude.

GOOD NEWS UPDATE

bers also engaged in the process, for example, reading labels, understanding nutritional values was an important tool to learn. Another important element was to look for the 1:1 sodium and calorie ratio which was another important aspect of learning more about plant-based eating.

Char prides herself on learning everything she knows about cooking from growing up in her grandparents’ Italian restaurant. Her favorite vegetables are kale and Brussels sprouts. char_nolan

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Issue 60 - September/October 2020

Dear CHEF AJ I heard you say on a social media post that eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast was like eating cake. If all of the plant-based doctors eat and recommend oats, how can you dare say that? Great question and thank you for giving me the opportunity to fully explain my position. Like much of what I do and say, things are taken out of context. People hear what they want to hear and don’t hear what they don’t want to hear. I remember when I started my ultimate weight-loss program, which includes eating lots of nonstarchy vegetables, even for breakfast, a well-known blogger at the time told people that I force people to eat 2 pounds of steamed kale for breakfast and drink the water. Anyone who is familiar with my program or has read my book knows that that simply isn’t true. The posts that I made on Instagram and Facebook were to promote a recipe video I did based on the Forks Over Knives meal planner, and I mentioned that this sweet oatmeal dish was so delicious that I recommend people have it as a dessert rather than for breakfast, because if you are someone who struggles with your weight or food addictions, eating rolled oats and fruit for breakfast is more like eating dessert. Allow me to explain more fully. Rolled oats are very processed and much higher on the glycemic index then either steel cut oats or the actual whole-grain which is called the oat groat. You can tell how processed a grain is by how easy it is to chew and how long it takes to cook. The whole oat groat, which is hearty and toothsome like rice, takes about an hour to cook. It is very dense and chewy. The next incarnation of the whole grain is the steel-cut oat. It is much smaller

and takes about 2/3 the time to cook, about 40 minutes. The way steel-cut oats are made is that the whole grain is cut 2 to 3 times with a sharp blade. Rolled oats are made by steaming the whole oat groats, then rolling them, steaming them again, and, finally, toasting them, resulting in the familiar thin flake which takes about 10 minutes to cook on the stove and about five minutes in the microwave. They are so soft that you could ostensibly eat them with very little chewing. For the thousands of food addicts that I have worked with, they could not fully annihilate their cravings until they stopped eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. For them, the rolled oat (which by the way is the highest in fat of all the grains), was their “flour”” and the sweet fruit was their “sugar.” As a former restaurant executive pastry chef, I can tell you when you put sugar and flour together you have dessert. When we ran out of flour at the bakery, we would often use rolled oats and we wouldn’t even have to grind them because they were already so processed that they would turn into flour when they were baked. The doctors in Mastering Diabetes, a recent New York Times bestseller, have this to say about eating oatmeal: “We have found that eating oatmeal can cause unwanted blood glucose elevations in people living with a medium, high, or very high level of baseline insulin resistance.” I have said since Day One to do the least restrictive program you can do that will help you achieve the goals that you want. If you are happy with your weight and your health, then by all means eat whatever you want for breakfast and all your meals. But if you are still overweight after doing a more flexible version of a plant-based diet, and if you are having

cravings throughout the day especially for sugar, consider swapping out your rolled oats and sweet fruit breakfast for something more savory like beans and greens or sweet potatoes and broccoli. Please also keep in mind the principles of calorie density: Many people eat rolled oats with fruit and a splash of almond milk without even cooking them first, and the caloric density is about 1800 calories a pound, the same as sugar. When you cook the oats in water you decrease the calorie density to about 365 calories per pound. Please keep in mind that very few of the wonderful plantbased doctors who enjoy oatmeal and fruit for breakfast have ever been overweight or obese or suffered from food addictions. If you are happy with your weight and aren’t having cravings, then knock yourself out on fruit and oats. But if you aren’t, perhaps consider trying something different for just a few weeks “as an experiment.” I recommend that people who suffer from sugar addiction start their day in a savory way. And by the way, not ALL the plantbased doctors eat or recommend oatmeal for breakfast. Visit the TrueNorth Health Center, where you can watch myriad doctors enjoy salads, steamed vegetables, and winter squashes for breakfast every day. (That’s where I learned this stuff!) Here is a delicious recipe from Kathy Hester that uses whole oat groats. VEGWORLD Magazine

SWEET POTATO SPICE BREAKFAST OAT GROATS by Kathy Hester

INGREDIENTS • • • • • • •

DIRECTIONS

3 cups water 2 cups whole oat groats 2 cups chopped sweet potato. cooked 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Add all ingredients to your pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. 2. Release the pressure manually and mash the sweet potato right in the pot using a potato masher. 3. Serve with your favorite toppings.

ABOUT THE CHEF Chef AJ has been devoted to a plant-exclusive diet for over 41 years. She is the Host of the television show Healthy Living with Chef AJ and the YouTube show Weight Loss Wednesday. She is the creator of the Ultimate Weight Loss Program and conference and the author of the popular book Unprocessed and the bestselling book The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss. In 2018, she was inducted into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame; she is proud to say that her IQ is higher than her cholesterol. Watch the free summit: therealtruthaboutweightloss.com

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Issue 60 - September/October 2020

EASY AIR-FRY SEITAN RIBLETS WITH LIME CORN ON THE COB by Kathy Hester This may be the easiest seitan you ever make. It goes through two baking cycles. After the first, it’s still a bit wet and easy to cut into strips. The second cook makes them nice and chewy. Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Makes 4 servings

• • • • •

1 cup (120 g) vital wheat gluten ¼ cup (27 g) nutritional yeast 1 teaspoon (2 g) mushroom powder or vegan Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon (2 g) onion powder 1 teaspoon (2 g) salt (optional) ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¾ cup (177 ml) water or unsalted vegetable broth ¼ cup (60 ml) BBQ sauce

4. Remove dough, put it on a cutting board, and knead a little bit more with your hands. 5. Press and pull the dough into a circle that will fit into your air fryer basket. Then cut it in half so that it will cook a little faster and more evenly. 6. Place the 2 seitan pieces into your air fryer and cook on 370 degrees for 8 minutes. Then flip the pieces over and cook 5 minutes more. You could stop here and cut the seitan into chunks to use in stir-fries, slice thin for sandwiches or cut it into pieces and pulse in your food processor to make ground seitan for tacos or spaghetti sauce. Or go ahead and make riblets!

DIRECTIONS 1. Add vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, mushroom powder (or vegan Worcestershire sauce), onion powder, salt, and garlic powder to your food processor. 2. Pulse until mixed well. Let flour settle, then drizzle water in through the top opening while you have the processor on. 3. Let food processor run about 3 minutes more to knead the seitan.

Ever since I had corn with lime on it, I’ve never added vegan butter or oil to it. The lime breathes fresh life into the already flavorful fresh corn. Air frying slightly caramelizes the corn for an addictive plus! Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS • • •

LIME CORN ON THE COB

7. Slice half the seitan into half-inch– wide (12-mm–wide) strips, then toss with about ¼ cup (60 ml) of your favorite BBQ sauce. 8. Place in an oven-safe container that fits into your air fryer and cook at 370 degrees for 5 minutes.

INGREDIENTS • • • •

4 ears corn, husked and cleaned 1 lime, quartered Salt to taste Optional spices such as chili powder, cumin, garam masala, or your favorite spice blend

DIRECTIONS 1. Rub each corn ear with a quarter of a lime, then sprinkle salt and/or your choice of seasoning over corn. 2. If ears are too large to fit in your air fryer, you can cut them in half. Place 2 to 4 ears into your air fryer basket, depending on the size of your fryer. 3. Cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn using tongs and cook 5 to 10 minutes more until the corn is tender.

Reprinted with permission from Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer: 75 Incredible Comfort Food Recipes with Half the Calories by Kathy Hester. Page Street Publishing. January 2, 2018.

ABOUT THE CHEF Kathy Hester is passionate about making healthy eating easy and delicious. She shares her recipes and tips at healthyslowcooking.com and plantbasedinstantpot.com, plus she has 10 cookbooks, including Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer, to help make plant-based eating and special dietary needs more accessible. amzn.com/1624145086

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Pumpkin Curry WITH CHICKPEAS AND KALE

This is one of my favorite comfort stews to enjoy during chilly season. The coconut adds an irresistible creaminess and the curry spice adds an extra warmth. Start with less, and then add more if you like, based on how spicy your curry powder is and how strong you want the curry flavor to be. Makes 4 servings Prep time 10 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes Stores 1 week in fridge

INGREDIENTS • •

• •

by Katie Mae • •

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Issue 60 - September/October 2020

1 red onion, minced (about 6 ounces) 1 green chile, minced (keep seeds for more heat) 3 large garlic cloves, minced 1 medium pumpkin, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 2 Tablespoons) 1–2 Tablespoons curry powder ½ Tablespoon ground coriander

VEGWORLD Magazine

• • • • • • •

½ teaspoon ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1½ cups diced tomatoes (14-ounce can) 1 cup water 1 cup canned coconut milk OR low-sodium vegetable broth 1½ cups cooked chickpeas (15-ounce can, drained and rinsed) 3 cups kale, de-stemmed and sliced thinly

ABOUT THE CHEF Chef Katie Mae is the founder of The Culinary Gym, an online hub for learning, practicing, and mastering the whole food, plant-based cuisine. With a master's degree in nutrition from Bastyr University and a personal passion for flavor science, Katie Mae teaches how to prepare food that's both health promoting and mouthwatering! Since 2011, she has been teaching at TrueNorth Health Center and Dr. McDougall’s residential health programs. Witnessing patients radically transform their health through real food inspired her to create an indepth culinary curriculum to help people embrace and thrive on whole plant foods at home. Now you can train with her from anywhere in the world through a weekly live cooking show, robust online course, and ongoing membership. Learn more at TheCulinaryGym.com.

DIRECTIONS 1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the onion, green chiles, garlic, and pumpkin. Cover and dry-sauté for a few minutes. 2. Stir in the spices and tomatoes. Cover and continue to sauté for 5 minutes. 3. Add the water and coconut milk or broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low-medium. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how soft you want the pumpkin to be. 4. Stir in the chickpeas and kale. Continue cooking until the kale is tender, and the soup has your desired consistency. CHEF’S NOTE: For a creamier stew, blend part of the soup before step 4. The easiest way to do this is using an immersion (hand-held) blender, which is placed directly into the soup pot. Leave some of the pumpkin intact to have the contrast in texture. If you don’t have an Immersion blender, carefully transfer half of the soup to a blender, blend, and then return it to the pot.

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Issue 60 - September/October 2020

BUDDHA BOWL WITH TEMPEH SATAY by Liadh Keogh

Buddha bowls are one of my favorite go-to dinners. You can pack them with as much plant-based goodness as you like - leading to them being versatile, healthy and delicious! I have put a twist on the standard buddha bowl here by using tempeh with a tangy satay sauce as the protein source - also a perfect accompaniment with rice, noodles, stir fries or as a sandwich filler. Any of these of the components can be interchanged if you want to diversify or simplify this recipe. Tempeh satay is perfect in a Buddha bowl, as pictured here, but also makes the perfect addition to rice, noodles, in stir-fries, and in sandwiches drizzled generously with its peanut satay sauce.

Prep Time 1 hour Cook Time 20 minutes Servings 2 68

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Issue 60 - September/October 2020

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DIRECTIONS INGREDIENTS Pickled Cabbage • • • • •

½ head red cabbage 1 cup / 236 milliliters apple cider vinegar 1 cup / 236 milliliters water 1 Tablespoon salt ½ cup / 64 grams sultanas

Tempeh and Satay Sauce • • • • • • •

5 ounces/150 grams tempeh 1/8 cup/ 30 grams crunchy peanut butter 4 Tablespoons maple syrup 3 Tablespoons soy sauce Juice of a lime 3/8 cup / 20 grams minced ginger (or chopped very fine) ¼ cup/ 50 milliliters hot water

Carrot Ribbons • • • • •

1 large carrot 4 Tablespoons soy sauce Juice of a lime ¼ cup / 60 milliliters water 3/8 cup / 20 grams minced ginger

Spiced Sweet Potato • • • • • •

1 medium sweet potato 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika ½ Tablespoon cumin 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt

For the Buddha Bowl • • • •

2 cups/ 40 grams arugula ½ cup/ 10 grams alfalfa sprouts ¼ cup/ 43 grams pomegranate seeds ½ cup/ 80 grams quinoa

VEGWORLD Magazine

Pickled Cabbage

For the Buddha Bowl

1. Thinly slice cabbage into strips 2. Place the rest of pickled cabbage ingredients in a jar and mix 3. Add cabbage to jar and mix, distributing sultanas evenly throughout 4. Seal jar tightly and leave in fridge for at least 48 hours.

1. Cook quinoa as per instructions on the packet. 2. Wash and dry arugula.

Tempeh and Satay Sauce 1. Chop the tempeh into pieces approximately 1-inch thick 2. Place a pan on high heat. Add the tempeh and cook for 3 minutes on either side. Set aside 3. In a bowl whisk together the ingredients for the sauce (peanut butter, maple syrup, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, and water) until smooth. Set aside.

Assembling the Buddha Bowl 1. Divide the arugula between your two bowls 2. Place a large handful of arugula at the bottom of your bowl 3. Add the quinoa, ¼ cup pickled cabbage, spiced sweet potatoes and the tempeh - arranging them around the sides of the bowl 4. Drizzle the satay peanut sauce over the tempeh 5. Roll your carrot strips into ribbons and place facing upwards so they hold their shape 6. Sprinkle with any extra toppings you like - I used sprouts and pomegranate seeds!

Carrot Ribbons 1. Peel the carrot. Using the vegetable peeler, slice the rest of the carrot into ribbons 2. Place the ingredients for the marinade (soy sauce, lime juice, water and ginger) in a bowl and allow the carrots to soak for at least an hour.

Spiced Sweet Potato 1. Preheat oven to 392°F/200°C 2. Peel and chop the sweet potato into small cubes 3. Whisk the spices with the oil and rub into the sweet potato 4. Place on a baking tray and bake until golden and slightly crispy (approximately 22 minutes).

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ABOUT THE CHEF Liadh Keogh is a vegan foodie based in Dublin. She is passionate about creating healthier adaptations to popular treats! Find Liadh’s beautiful dishes on Instagram @LeeTheVegan

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

Tomato-Sweet Pepper Sourdough Skillet Bread by Cathy Katin-Grazzini

If you, like many, have embraced sourdough baking as a new pastime as we collectively shelter in place, you may have been flummoxed by the common practice of tossing most of your sourdough starter at every feeding. What a waste! Instead, here’s one tasty way to put that discarded starter to very good, and delicious, use! Here, I’ve simply cooked it like a hotcake and finished it in the oven topped with roasted peppers, tomatoes, and onions, but you can use whatever veggies inspire you (e.g., roasted asparagus and sautéed mushrooms are another favorite of mine)! Prep Time 30 minutes

Photos courtesy of Giordano Katin-Grazzini

Cook Time 30 minutes

Makes two 9-10” pies

INGREDIENTS • •

• • • • •

1 cup rye or rye/whole wheat sourdough starter* 2-3 Tablespoons chopped chives (or other fresh, tender herb such as basil or parsley, chopped or cut chiffonade) 1 red onion, peeled, halved and cut in 1/4-in. slices 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 2 cups mini peppers, sliced in half and seeded 1/3 cup kalamata or similar olive, pitted and halved 2 Tablespoons capers

*No sourdough starter on hand? No worries! Find my recipe at https://www.cathyskitchenprescription.com/ product-page/sourdough-starter-free.

DIRECTIONS 1. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment, place peppers (cut side down) and tomatoes (cut side up). Roast on the middle rack at 375°F/190°C for about 30 minutes or until peppers and tomatoes have softened. Set aside. 2. Increase oven temp to 450°F/232°C and insert a baking stone if you have one. 3. Heat a good-quality nonstick pan (approved for oven use up to 450°F) or a seasoned skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. 4. Dilute your sourdough starter with water to create an easily pourable batter that’s thicker than pancake batter. Stir in your herbs. 5. Pour in half the sourdough batter, swirling the pan to spread across the bottom of the skillet. Cook for a few minutes or until the bread is partially set. 6. Remove from heat and top with your veggies except olives and capers. 7. With a large nylon spatula, transfer pizza to your baking stone OR simply place skillet in oven. Bake for about 20 minutes or until crust is beginning to brown at the edges and veggies are toasted. 8. Remove and transfer to a rack or woven mat and cover to keep warm. Decorate with olives and capers. Repeat process using the rest of your batter. 9. Cut in wedges and serve warm. Enjoy!

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ABOUT THE CHEF Cathy Katin-Grazzini, Food Editor and feature writer at VEGWORLD Magazine, is a plant-based chef, nutritional coach, cooking instructor, and owner of Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription LLC.Certified in PlantBased Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell, Cathy is also a graduate of Rouxbe Cooking School’s Professional Plant-Based Program. She has a BA from the University of Chicago, attended graduate school at Harvard University, and received a MA from Johns Hopkins University. Cathy lives with her husband Giordano in Ridgefield, CT.When she’s not inventing and fermenting, she loves to run, hike, and adventure travel atop their trusty Ducati. Cathy’s original recipes, cooking videos, and nutritional blog can be found at www.cathyskitchenprescription.com and gallery of her dishes at www.instagram.com/cathyskitchenprescription.

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Issue 60 - September/October 2020

ROASTED BEETS & BUTTERNUT SQUASH SALAD

with tahini vinaigrette by Rachel Ama

hearty salad that combines maple-glazed squash and beets with salad leaves, tomatoes, and nutritious lentils, all drizzled in a creamy tahini dressing. If you’re not a fan of balsamic vinegar, you can substitute it with fresh lemon juice. I like to use light tahini for a smooth dressing.

Cook Time 40-50 minutes

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

For the salad

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (200°C fan [if using a convection oven]). 2. Place beetroot, butternut squash, and rosemary in a large baking or roasting pan. 3. Toss in olive oil, maple syrup, and some salt and pepper until evenly coated. 4. Spread out vegetables in a single layer and roast in oven for 40-50 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until tender and slightly crisp. 5. Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the tahini vinaigrette together in a bowl, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

2 large, raw beetroots, peeled and chopped 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and chopped Leaves from 2 rosemary sprigs, chopped 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 Tablespoon maple syrup 1 14-oz. (400g) can brown lentils, drained and rinsed 7 oz. (200g) mixed rocket and other salad leaves 7 oz. (200g) cherry tomatoes, quartered 4 Tablespoons sunflower seeds Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped 4 Tablespoons pomegranate seeds Salt and black pepper

For the tahini vinaigrette • • • • •

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tablespoon tahini 1 teaspoon maple syrup 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (to taste)

To serve 1. Place lentils and salad leaves in large bowl with cherry tomatoes and a small drizzle of the tahini vinaigrette. 2. Toss until evenly coated. 3. Transfer dressed salad to a serving dish and add the still-warm roast vegetables in layers with the sunflower seeds, parsley, and pomegranate seeds. 4. Finish with a generous drizzle of vinaigrette.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rachel Ama launched her YouTube channel in 2017 and has amassed a legion of followers who are all hungry for her simple, affordable, and delicious vegan recipes and recommendations (and for her dance moves). A self-confessed KFC addict as a teenager, she decided to go vegan three years ago, aged 23, and she hasn’t looked back. As her passion for plants grew and grew, so did her interest in cooking — and her belief that vegan food need not compromise on taste or nutrition.

Raw Snickerbars by Andréa Sunna Rich, creamy and crunchy. These extremely easy and healthy raw snickerbars are a staple favorite in my freezer. Working as a professional chef can be intense and highly energy consuming, when the flames are tall and the pressure is on, these bars have saved me more than once. Good natural energy without using a lot of energy and they taste like the real deal! Active work time 10 minutes Prep time 2 hours 20 min Cooling time 2 hours Servings 10 portions

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Base

• • • • • • •

¾ cup dates, pitted ½ cup natural peanuts ¼ cup natural whole almonds ¼ cup raw cacao nibs 2 Tablespoons raw cacao powder 1 Tablespoon organic blue agave syrup Pinch Himalayan sea salt

Soak dates for 10 minutes in filtered rainwater. Drain dates and add all base ingredients into food processor. Blend coarsely and press out into a rectangular silicone mold with slightly wet hands.

Fudge Blend agave, peanut butter and coconut oil in food processor until combined. Smear on top of base and sprinkle the peanut and salt on top. Place in freezer and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Fudge • • • • •

½ cup organic blue agave syrup ¾ cup crunchy raw peanut butter 2 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted ¼ cup natural peanuts Pinch Himalayan sea salt

Chocolate Coating Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until all incorporated and smooth. Take the base out of freezer and cut into bars. Dip the bars in the chocolate using toothpicks and place on a baking rack. Store cold in fridge or freezer.

Chocolate Coating • • • •

½ cup virgin coconut oil, melted ½ cup raw cacao powder ½ cup organic blue agave syrup 2 Tablespoon raw peanut butter

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ABOUT THE CHEF Swedish chef Andréa Sunna lives in the small South Pacific island kingdom Tonga together with her pet pigs, dog and cats. She is working as a consultant and executive chef for exclusive private island resorts, creating vegan food enjoyed by some of the worlds most powerful people. vegandrea

Enjoy!

Issue 60 - September/October 2020

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Photo by Anas Hinde from Pexels

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