VEGWORLD 61 - The Holiday Issue

ISSUE 61 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020

Holiday

ISSUE

KEVIN SMITH & HARLEY QUINN SMITH The Vegan Dad/Daughter Duo launch new podcast “Vegan Abattoir”

AMBER NASH Vegan Actress & Archer Star

HOLIDAY ROAST RECIPE from Shane Martin

& GOODNESS GROWS. Via the creamy flavor of raw macadamias, just one taste of milkadamia opens a world of goodness, where moo becomes moot, and a fresh taste for life is planted.

Get a taste of goodness @milkadamia.com

Made with a great deal of care and flair in the USA. ŠJindilli Beverages, LLC

TABLE OF CONTENTS LIFESTYLE

STYLE

FOOD

8

24 Holiday Wish List

44 Chef Spotlight: Zacchary Bird

Terms Of Endearment

12 Our Top Picks Of 2020 14 Vegan In Tennessee 18 Have A Happier Holiday Season

28 Boost Your Confidence And Organic Holiday Glam

48 Gingerbread Scones

30 Beauty Buys

50 Spicy Nigerian Vegan Pepper Soup

HEALTH & FITNESS

20 Our Favorite Things

52 Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Eggplant Caviar And Dukkah

42 Dear Chef AJ

54 Vegan Holiday Roast

FEATURES

56 Zimbabwean Cornmeal Sadza With Spinach

32 Amber Nash: Actor, Vegan, Activist 36 Kevin And Harley Quinn Smith Keep Veganism All In The Family

58

Jollof Rice

Alora Middleton Hale Carissa Danielle

Tendai Tandi

Karin Olsen

Courtney Garza

Lori Harding Clay Garrett

BOOST Shane Martin

INCREA Haleyna Kociuk-Garza

Rose Bruno Bailey

Zacchary Bird

Kimberly Jurgens

Lydia Palmeri

Fati Adelabu

Karen Ranzi

ENERG Julianne Bambrick McCullagh

FTomi Makanjuola D L R O W G E V E D O C E S U Hope Bailey Tess Chavez Brandy Edwards O C . S N I M A T I V B R E V . W W W Cathy Katin-Grazzini Chef AJ

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

Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash

BOOST MOOD & INCREASE ENERGY USE CODE VEGWORLD FOR 15% OFF YOUR ORDER WWW.VERBVITAMINS.COM

Plant-Based Creamer

No Natural Flavors No Artificial Flavors Made in the U.S.A Illustration by Valeria Aksakova

GetPlantTheory.com

EDITOR’S NOTE A message from VEGWORLD Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Courtney Garza

We've reached the end of one of the most tough years. I think we all can agree that 2020 wasn't exactly what we expected it to be. But with all of that behind us now, I forsee a brighter tomorrow. One with a more educated, aware, and compassionate world. Call me naive, but if there's anything I can personally take from this year, it's the knowledge I've gained that has shaped my mind in ways I didn't know possible, and all for the better. I hope the same for others.

Now that we've come to the end of 2020, I encourage us all to reflect on this "roller coaster of a year" and give thanks where we can. One thing we can all celebrate is that veganism has hit a record high in 2020, according to a report compiled by food-centric media outlet Chef’s Pencil. Veganism is stronger than ever with more people around the world diving into research on animal cruelty, the health benefits of a plant-based diet, and its impact on our planet's well-being. Vegan products are soaring off the shelves and more people are taking their health back, which is a wonderful win for every creature on our shared planet.

I celebrate the end of this year with that milestone for the world to be heading in a more compassionate direction. I look forward to seeing more Tofurkeys and Dandie marshmallow-ladened sweet potatoes casseroles on people's plates this holiday season.

Where there is the bitter, there is the sweet and for that, I toast to 2020 for giving us all huge life lessons to savor it all and evolve forward from it.

Sincerely,

Follow my adventures on social media: @ColorMeCourtney_

by Haleyna Kociuk-Garza

H

aving a father who’s in the restaurant industry, it’s sentimentally fitting that my sister and I share a bond over our love of trying new and exciting foods and restaurants in all different types of new places. It warms my heart at the thought of telling those two little girls, coloring their kid’s menus and playing with their Bratz dolls under the tables at their dad’s restaurant, that when they grow up, they’ll be traveling the world together sampling the vegan fare of such places as San Francisco, London, Edinburgh, and more. Unfortunately, this year Courtney and I had to put a halt on any travel plans, due to this thing called the “coronavirus pandemic” that you might’ve heard about. So, however much I wish that we could be vegan queens traveling the world together, I was thrilled and honored when my sister Courtney asked me to act as a VEGWORLD correspondent here in New York City in her place.

There are many perks to having the editor-in-chief of VEGWORLD Magazine as your sister (like, seriously, how freakin’ cool is that??), and having your finger on the pulse of NYC’s best vegan spots is definitely one of them. What better place to try first than Terms of Endearment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn?

Wind in the hair!

Lead in the pencil!

My sister is notoriously good at converting non-vegans or at least introducing them to how delicious vegan food can be. Following in her footsteps, I asked non-vegan comedian Alex Payne to accompany me on this Brooklyn adventure one lovely October morning. Well, lovely for some. Alex, a self-proclaimed omnivore, awoke hungry, grumpy, and skeptical as to whether or not he would enjoy a fully vegan lunch all the way in Brooklyn. Men can be such babies sometimes. However, one-stop out of Manhattan on the L-train and a short windy walk later, we had arrived at Terms of Endearment.

VEGWORLD Magazine

Although they were closed for indoor dining (as is the case for all NYC restaurants), they had a quaint set up for outdoor dining comprised of a few Tiffany-blue tables and chairs that complimented their lovely tiled exterior well. The staff was casually welcoming, helpful in that hip, and inherently Brooklyn style.

The wind was high, and so were my expectations. “Wind in the hair! Lead in the pencil!” to quote the movie Terms of Endearment. I felt like Jack Nicholson to Alex’s reluctant Shirley McClaine, except instead of standing and screaming while erratically driving a convertible down the shore, we were having lunch.

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

9

The menu was small yet intriguing; with seven items that all sounded really really good.

We settled on the following three dishes:

The Caprese Panini was crunchy and flavorful.

1. THE CAPRESE PANINI Fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella drizzled with a balsamic reduction on housemade olive oil and salt focaccia.

2. THE B.E.C. (Their most popular) Crispy bacon, JUST egg scramble, cheddar cheese, mixed greens, and everything s’mear on a plain croissant.

3. THE LOX Beet lox, red onion, scallion cream cheese, mixed greens, capers, served on a croissant.

While waiting for the sandwiches, we sipped on a Lavender Lemonade, which was as tasty as it was pretty.

The soft purple ombre mimicked the lemonade’s soft lavender flavor that I honestly haven’t stopped thinking about since. Before we knew it, our first sandwich was ready to be eaten and we were ready to eat it. The lemonade, however, was long gone.

The Caprese Panini was crunchy and flavorful, on a perfectly seasoned focaccia bread.

The tomatoes tasted fresh and delicious. The pesto was to die for and actually sparked a debate between Alex and me on whether or not all pesto is vegan (it isn’t; traditional pesto calls for parmesan).

We both agreed that, vegan or not, this pesto was better than most. The mozzarella was forgettable, as it was hardly noticeable against the strength and tastiness of the other ingredients.

As someone who’s ca’razy for caprese, I would highly recommend this caprese panini to all of my friends and even some of my enemies.

10

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

VEGWORLD Magazine

I was amazed by the JUST egg scramble!

The Lox was my favorite.

Next up, the B.E.C. — an NYC staple.

I personally wasn’t too crazy about this one, perhaps because I was so taken with the first sandwich, or perhaps it was the everything s’mear that reminded me too much of mayonnaise (which I detest).

However, Alex absolutely devoured this one and said the everything s’mear was actually his favorite part.

“If they make it themselves, I would purchase it,” he said with a goofy smile. I will say that I was amazed by the JUST egg scramble. It was hauntingly similar to real eggs in flavor and texture.

Last, but definitely not lost, was The Lox. This one was my personal favorite. It was fresh and flavorful. The croissant was perfectly flaky, which made eating it messy, but I like it dirty.

The beet lox was *so good* and even though I was super full, I ate every

VEGWORLD Magazine

last bite. Upon leaving, I remarked to the chef that The Lox was my favorite, and she said she’d tried to take it off the menu, but brought it back due to overwhelming popular demand.

“Everyone kept being like ‘What happened to The Lox?!’ So of course I had to bring it back.” I can definitely see why.

After sampling those few menu items, I can’t wait to go back and try the rest of the menu! Alex was very

impressed, and in a ridiculously better mood after we ate. “Would I go vegan now?” he mused, taking a moment to consider this, “Probably not. But I’d be interested in eating vegan more often now after trying this.” Small victories, my friends. Thank you, Terms of Endearment, for a lovely experience and a delicious vegan lunch. We can’t wait to come back for more! I know one thing’s for sure, next time Courtney is in town, we’ll be making a special trip to Williamsburg.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Haleyna Kociuk-Garza is a comedian and writer based out of New York City. She can recite the first Harry Potter movie on command, as well as most of the office. She considers herself a one-woman-Truman-Show, and is just trying to have a good time, fam.

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

11

OUR TOP PICKS OF 2020

by Karin Olsen / Plant Power Productions

I

f there’s anything we have learned from this year, it’s finding the “life hacks” to make things a little easier. But that’s often hard to do when you’re also trying to meet all of your nutritional needs.

Lucky for the vegan and health-concious community at large, more brands are stepping up to help the modern consumer with time-management with no compromise on taste or nutrition.

Here are our Top Picks to wrap up 2020 with every-day staples that have been fueling us to not just survive, but thrive this year.

DAILY KNEADS Statistics show that 192.34 million Americans consumed whole wheat/multigrain bread in 2019. As a basic food worldwide, bread provides energy for daily living, as carbohydrates are an essential parts of our diet to provide us with energy.

But as we all know, one cannot live on bread alone, as much as we may want to sometimes! With any vegan diet, vegetables, or complex carbohydrates are imperative for a robust, nutritionally-dense diet.

The founders of Daily Kneads grew up hearing “Eat your vegetables”, yet with bread ever-present. As Michael and Bill Itskovich grew up and had their own kids, the idea of a “life hack” of having your veggies and eating bread too sunk in.

They brought the vegetable bread idea to life with three objectives: 1. Create great tasting bread. 2. Make an All-Natural product, using whole ingredients, no artificial flavors, and colors. 3. Infuse a serving of vegetables in a serving of bread. Their breads, bagels, and wraps come in a variety of colorful, vegetable-heavy flavors like Carrot Pumpkin, Spinach Leek, Cauliflower, Sweet Beet, and Roasted Red Pepper.

Today, Daily Kneads is selling their variety of breads and will shortly launch an Oatmeal Vegetable cookie line. You could say it’s become a “daily habit” for us to create fun and easy meals with Daily Kneads at breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

As Daily Kneads’ motto reads, “Bread is the essence of life. Eating good bread daily satisfies. Eating Daily Kneads Bread gratifies”. dailykneadsbread.com

12

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

VEGWORLD Magazine

FORAGER PROJECT SOUR CREAM We think it’s safe to say that Forager Project has been stocked on our shelf throughout this year, simply because it’s just to easy to put their products in everything!

It’s no wonder that their products stand out from the rest, as each is well-crafted with simple, pure plant ingredients “foraged” in the most sustainable form for company of their size. Sourcing from Vietnam, the family-owned and operated company works with small farming cooperatives who produce the highest quality of cashews available. **If you missed our Q&A with CEO and Founder of Forager Project, Stephen Williamson in our last issue, make your way over to read up on his passion for foraging not only the business, but encouraging others to “forage” their lives.

Our current favorite product by Forager is their dairyfree sour cream. Made from organic cashew and coconut milk, their vegan sour cream is thick, creamy, and just the right touch of tangy, making it an ideal substitute for any traditional sour cream. Their Sour Cream is made with lactic acid, distilled vinegar, and probiotic cultures that gives the it that extra tang.

By using the same cultures as their Cashewmilk Yogurt, they ferment it longer to get that extra tang necessary for a true sour cream we love to top our bowls of chili and nachos with, not to mention the endless dip options we’ll sure to be creating this holiday season!

WAKEUP WAFFLES In the spirit of making life easier, being more time efficient, AND not having to compromise on flavors, we are glad we don’t have to part ways with waffles for breakfast, thanks to Wake Up Waffles!

Think Eggos, only completely vegan, gluten, soy, and nut free, and maded with thoughtfully chosen ingredients like whole grain oats, golden flaxseed, and date powder to sweeten.

It has been nostalgic to pop these freezer-frendly waffles into the toaster and enjoy the smell of freshly toasted as they bake! The taste of crispy, subtly sweet waffles makes this quick and easy breakfast all the more bewildering to believe they’re so high in nutrients!

Being so allergen-friendly, our favorite part is how we can share these breakfast classics with just about anyone, no matter their dietary restrictions!

Yay for breakfast! wakeupfoods.com

foragerproject.com

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

plantpowerproductions

Plant Power Productions

plantpowerprod

VEGAN IN

TENNESSEE

by Lori Harding

T

his was my first time visiting Nashville, TN and I was excited to discover the unique vegan options available. Being a Dallas local I was curious to try Nashville’s take on a Vegan “Hot Chick’n” sandwich, and biscuits, and I was not disappointed.

Graze

GRAZE We met with Nick and Ashley, the owners at Graze, and they told us about their vegan lifestyle and how it con- nects with the food they serve. The menu is fully plant- based and a ton of their baked goods are gluten-free. They also have amazing cocktails that I got to try. We tried some items from their brunch menu as well as some baked goods. We started with a blueberry mule, Veggie Sausage Egg and Cheese Biscuit, Hot Tempeh Biscuit, Breakfast Bowl, Plant Bacon Egg, and Cheese Biscuit, a Kale Caesar with Tempeh and some Choc- olate Pretzel Pancakes. For dessert we had an oat- meal cream pie cookie and a red velvet skull with vegan cream cheese filling.

Graze

312 Pizza

312 PIZZA 312 Pizza is an amazing Chicago inspired pizza spot in Nashville with tons of vegan options. We had the pleasure to speak with the owner Kimberly and she was able to give us some insight on the vegan offerings and inspiration behind 312. She informed us that the vegan meats and cheeses are sourced locally. We loved the fact that she’s willing to pay the cost for the best, most fresh ingredients so that her customers can have the best eating experience.

Curious as to why she wanted to bring a Chicago style pizza spot to Nashville, she told us she moved to Nashville 10 years ago from Chicago for music. The family has carried the pizza recipes for generations and

14

The Holiday Issue

|

312 Pizza

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

VEGWORLD Magazine

the pizza crust and sauce come right out of the Little Italy neighborhood of Chicago. When they opened up officially in 2014, they had a line out the door of people wanting their Chicago style pizza in Nashville. We tried their top Vegan menu Items. First, we had these amazing Vegan Soft Baked Pretzels topped with vegan butter and Served with Dusseldorf Mustard. We also had Vegan Buckingham Fountain thin crust pizza, a Deep Dish pizza with pepperoni, and green pepper. Lastly, for dessert, we had Deep-Fried Dough Balls, with Cinnamon, Powdered Sugar, Chocolate Dipping Sauce.

SUCCULENT VEGAN TACOS

Avo

We visited Succulent Tacos for their grand opening in the Nashville Farmers Market. It was nice meeting Adriana Ortega and Ronald Cerdas. The menu is entirely vegan, and the couple has been plant-based for years. They have more than just tacos; they have pan dulce, tamales, tortas, and enchiladas. We tried the Esquites, The Al Pastor, Tinga, Paps, and Asada Tacos, as well as the Comida del dia with a soy-based chicken, and their Pumpkin Conchas with Vegan whipped cream filling.

AVO Avo is an amazing all plant-based eatery in Nashville that we were able to try out and speak to the owner about the food and how the restaurant began. They opened up in 2017 after taking over ownership from a raw vegan restaurant. After the new business owner Annie Choo took ownership, she hired a new chef and they created an all new menu. They introduced hot foods and, then that’s where the business took a turn, and they’ve been doing well. Annie really appre- ciates her staff and wouldn›t be anywhere without them. I started off with a delicious avocado margarita, then we had some Kimchi Spring Rolls, Kale Caesar, and the Cali Burger, A seasonal dish with sweet potato and pumpkin almond ricotta.

We ended it with a creamy avocado tart.

Succulent Tacos

Avo

Succulent Tacos

Two Boots Pizza

Guerilla Bizkits

TWO BOOTS PIZZA We met with the owner McKenzie at Two Boots Pizza, and discovered that the inspiration behind ‘two boots’ is the boot-shaped state of Louisiana and the country of Italy. There is also a location in New York. This place has a full vegan menu. We tried the Vegan Cleo and the V for Vegan.

GUERILLA BIZKITS We met with Zach and Ali, the co-owners of Guerilla Bizkits. It was so amazing to sit and chat with them as they told us their background and insp for their brand. They’re a pop up in Nashville and they do local delivery and pickups. Zach is from Ohio and Ali is from Philly. Their bizkits are “always fucking vegan”. They make each bizkit by hand at their kitchen in Fairview, TN. We got to try their Straight Edge Bizkit, which literally melted in our mouths with a strawberry Jam (“the berry brains”). They also have two other flavors called Loaded and Blackout.

BEHIVE

Guerilla Bizkits

BeHive

We met with Ben from the BeHive and got to try some of his amazing menu offerings. BeHive is an all-vegan eatery that also has vegan cheeses, meats, and plant-based alternatives. They also wholesale some of their cheeses and meats. The acronym BE in BeHive comes from the band Ben was in called “Born Empty”. They lived in a home called the Behive and they’d have vegan pot lucks. We got to try the classic Italian sub, the crunch wrap, the roast beef and cheddar, Nacho tots, and the

BeHive

Fried Chxn Sandwich. For dessert, we got to have the Pumpkin Boo berry coconut cookie, Berry Coconut, and the Basic Be cookie.

THE WILD COW We ate at the Wild Cow and met the owners. We found that they source their vegetables locally. They are close to Farmer Chris, who is a Local farmer and who brings them fresh vegetables daily. Their goal is to see the full potential of their loca- tion and how much they can leverage expansion. We started with some cocktails called The Sky Walker and The King. We had the Caesar Salad, Nachos, Buf- falo Tempeh Strips, the Veggie Burger, Veggie Qui- noa Bowl, and a Small Chicken of the Woods soup.

FALCON COFFEE BAR The Falcon Coffee bar in Nashville is all vegan. We spoke to the owners about their inspiration behind creating the coffee bar and cocktail lounge. Angela says she’s been vegan for about 20 years and she wanted the business to have those values. Jessie, her sister became vegan not long after. Both sisters have found the food to bring people together which is very important to them. We tried the Guava Empanada, The Irish Coffee, and the El Dorado Turmeric Latte.

Falcon Coffee Bar

BECALEW We got to meet with Becalew the also known as @ Theferalpastrychef on Instagram. She gave us the 411 on the Vegan community in Nashville. The com- munity is very supportive and Nashville is a mecca for Vegan Food.

What’s amazing about the Nashville vegan community is that they mostly source all of their ingredients locally.

Becalew is a chef who spe- cializes in vegan baked goods and food. She is also a chef at The Crying Wolf Bar, which is temporar- ily closed. They plan to be mostly Plant-Based when they reopen. It was amazing talking to her learning about her bakery techniques, and we can’t wait to see all she does at the Crying Wolf Bar.

Falcon Coffee Bar

Becalew

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lori Harding is a Dallas transplant from Northern California. She loves to cook and knows that food is the way to the heart. She is super enthusiastic about vegan food and spreading the word about veganism. Follow her journey on her Instagram

312 Pizza

dallas_veganbae Crying Wolf Bar

HAPPIER HOLIDAYS Tips to Bring Health, Calm and Love to Your Family during the Holidays

by Karen Ranzi, MA

1 2 18

EXERCISE DAILY - moving your body burns up stress hormones, leaving you feeling relaxed and refreshed.

SEEK SUPPORT IN YOUR LIFE by reaching out to others. Get the help you need especially at holiday time when daily life can be more stressful.

The Holiday Issue

|

3 4

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

EAT AN ABUNDANCE of nutrient-dense raw vegan foods to energize and keep spirit sup.

GET ADEQUATE SLEEP to feel more relaxed. When overwhelmed with chores and shopping to do, this is most important.

VEGWORLD Magazine

5 6 7 8 9 10

BREATHE DEEPLY - inhale slowly, letting your stomach rise for five seconds. Hold, and exhale slowly for five seconds. Practice five times each day for a total of five minutes.

DEVELOP ACCEPTANCE “Accepting whatever you cannot change”will provide a peaceful feeling in dealing with the world.

A LOVING ATMOSPHERE in your home is the foundation of your life. When you and your loved ones have a disagreement, focus only on the current situation. Do not bring up the past.

PLEASING MELODIES, especially Mozart, have great value for the entire family, a form of meditation that calms as well as uplifts the spirit.

MEDITATE - Sitting in quiet meditation even for 15 minutes a day will create a more focused and rested mind. Silence creates an avenue for dealing with all of life’s situations.

HAVE FUN! Make sure the preparations and stress that come along with the holidays don't affect your family life. The wellbeing of each individual is a more important focus than the preparations involved for a beautiful holiday table. If the preparations are easy and fun then even the youngest child will want to be involved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karen Ranzi, MA, has been a leading expert in the field of plant-based and raw food nutrition and child development for over two decades. She healed her son of asthma, chronic ear infections, and multiple food allergies in 1994 through raw, living plant foods. She is the author of the ground-breaking book Creating Healthy Children and a second book, Raw Vegan Recipe Fun for Families. To find out more, see SuperHealthyChildren.com. Karen is vegan since 1989 and raw vegan since 1994. She is Director of the Raw Vegan Coaching Certification Course at FeelFabulouswithFood.com. She shares her articles and tips through her blog and her monthly newsletter at SuperHealthyChildren.com.

FeelFabulouswithFood.com

SuperHealthyChildren.com

Ranzi, Karen. Creating Healthy Children: Through Attachment Parenting and Raw Foods. Ramsey, NJ: SHC Publishing, 2010.

Rollins, Brandi. Raw Foods on a Budget. China: Raw Foods on A Budget, 2011.

VEGWORLD Magazine

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

19

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 staff’s favorites.

MY ALCHEMY PURIFIER PLUS Purifier Plus wasn't invented for Covid, but was born out of necessity before Covid hit. During Co-founder Rebeca's cancer treatment, her hospital bag was stocked with hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes and lotion. With a weakened immune system hand hygiene was vital. Also, with Rebecca's heightened sensitivity to smells, she needed a sanitizer that didn't make her nauseous. Tired of fuddling through her purse and hospital bag for products to keep her hands clean, she voiced over and over how nice it would be if all these hand essentials were packed into 1 bottle that she could carry with her. The My Alchemy Team went to work and granted her wish with Purifier Plus.

Their new bundle of a hand soap with the Duo (Purifier Plus and Lavender Lotion) launched recently for the holidays with a hint of peppermint makes it feel very holiday-ish. This gift is family-friendly, packed in a TSA approved zipper pouch ready to toss in a purse, backpack, carry-on or Christmas stocking. myalchemyskincare

20

The Holiday Issue

SEA WITCH BOTANICALS KRAMPUS INCENSE Adrift between the lines of good and evil, an ancient spirit awaits its night to emerge. Once a year, Krampus comes in chains to punish the wicked & drag them to unspeakable realms. This incense channels a prayer to Krampus, spewing forth ribbons of indulgent aromatics and whispering secrets known only to forgotten creatures from the Woods of Winter.

Burn this incense to pay homage to Krampus, but never leave unattended. seawitchbotanicals

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

VEGWORLD Magazine

FAVORITE THINGS

LEVEL NATURALS BUBBLEGUM SHOES MADDIE JELLY LOAFERS When Danielle and Janny saw the popularity of jellies skyrocketed in their native Brazil, they knew they had to bring this hot look to the United States.

With a background in the fashion business, they dipped their toes in the shoe biz; they just knew there was something unique about jellies.

The Maddie Jelly Loafers, a chic fashion staple, serves all your day to day needs (and are also versatile for travel!)

These jelly moccasins go with everything in your closet. bubblegum.shoes

All-natural bath and body brand Level Naturals makes special bath bombs in a warm, autumn inspired scent. These bath bombs call for steamy water to drop the bath bomb in for a gentle burst of pure, sustainably sourced essential oils, with aromatherapy working its magic on your body while the extracts and oils show your skin some love!

They also make Roll-On Fragrances for this less than relaxing year...These convenient roller ball fragrances are the perfect items to keep in your bag during the madness of 2020. Available in Lemon + Coconut, Lavender + Chamomile and Jasmine + Rose, these scents capture the purest form of a fragrance, formulated with MCT Coconut Oil and natural fragrance blends that are powered by sustainably sourced, purest form of essential oils. level_naturals

CREATIVE ENERGY CANDLES

GATHER NUTS HOLIDAY BOX

Creative Energy Candles – a high-quality, all natural candle that doubles as a healthy body lotion!

The perfect holiday box to show your gratitude! It contains six of our top selling products – taking the guesswork out of gift giving. All items are organically sourced, fair trade and are made in small batches in Bend, Oregon.

The Creative Energy Candle makes a great addition to anyone’s skincare routine and is also a uniquely wonderful gift for both men and women.

The Creative Energy Candle is an all-natural, hand poured soy candle that melts to create not only a beautiful scent, but also a healthy body lotion that is suitable for all skin types. Our unique recipe features natural anti-aging properties and the healthy moisturizing effects of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins A, E and K. All candles are made with only the finest ingredients, including 100% cosmetic grade soy wax, natural essential oils and organic extra virgin coconut oil. creativeenergycandles

VEGWORLD Magazine

Each box contains six, three ounce bags, that will fuel long days at the office, snack attacks, or treks outside.

Gather Nuts Care Package Contains: "Cheezy" Almonds, Rosemary Olive Oil Almonds, Turmeric Curry Cashews, Red Curry Cashews, Maple Cinnamon Brazil Nuts, and Maple Fennel Pumpkin Seeds. gather.nuts

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

21

SIGN UP FOR

NEWSLETTERS Delivered to your inbox weekly, our VEGWORLD newsletters keep you up to date with plant-based/ vegan lifestyles. Look forward to recipes, news, business, health, fashion, and more.

SIGN UP: vegworldmag.com/newsletter

Photo by Derick Anies unsplash

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.

Holiday Wish List

by Rose Bruno Bailey

O

Christmas tree! O Christmas tree! I started getting into the Christmas spirit back in July, when The Hallmark Channel did their month of Christmas Movies. I even started buying decorations early. To deck the halls like a Hallmark film is my goal this year and to enjoy the gift of being present. I love November and December, and I choose joy.

Let’s face it, we all had a year that calls for more cheer. I’m making my vegan Christmas wish list: I remember as a kid sitting on the floor, circling items in the Christmas catalog and dreaming with Christmas movies playing in the background. Not much has changed since those moments except I’m circling the internet for my Christmas list this year. Once a dreamer, always a dreamer. Here’s eight items I’m crushing on this Christmas. Four items are my splurge wish list, and four items are on my steal wish list. I included sweets because what’s Christmas without a little chocolate?

So, pour your vegan hot cocoa in your favorite Christmas mug, put on the Hallmark Channel, light some lights and dream of holiday cheer. Embrace your inner child and dream of your Christmas wish list. You know I am.

Splurge Items I’m really lusting for Angela Roi Handbags.

The Cher Tote and the Hamilton Satchel are on my list. I’ve always wanted a designer bag but it didn’t fit in with my vegan values. Angela Roi believes personal style should not come at an expense of personal values. The Cher Tote in brown is a casual yet elegant everyday bag and the Hamilton Satchel in black is a dress up lady-like kind of bag. I’m wishing for both, and they are a bit of a splurge for less than $300 dollars but totally worth it. You can order Angela Roi handbags at www.angelaroi.com.

1

Almond Cow. Have you ever wanted to make your own Almond Milk? I do, and the Almond Cow makes the process so much simpler.

You simply put the ingredients in and press the button. Almond Milk is perfect for your vegan hot cocoa, and simple use gives you more time to watch those Christmas movies. You can find the Almond Cow for $195.00 online @almondcow.co

2

24

The Holiday Issue

|

Vitamix Blender. To be honest I’m not sure which model is best for me, but I know I need one in my life. I’ve never loved cooking as much as I have since going vegan. I need the tools to create vegan cheese sauces out of cashews and delicious and healthy smoothies. It’s definitely a splurge item but one that will last a very long time.

You can find Vitamix Blenders in different price ranges, starting at about $250.00 on Amazon.

3

Cuisinart Food Processor. Every vegan needs a good food processor. I make amazing vegan black bean brownies that even non-vegans love. It’s time consuming to mash black beans the old-fashioned way with a hand potato masher.

Cuisinart has one that checks off all of my needs.

Definitely on my wish list. Cuisinart DFP-14BCWNY 14-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless Steel. It comes in several colors and I found it on Amazon for $249.00. Just in time for Christmas Baking.

4

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

VEGWORLD Magazine

2 1 4 3 VEGWORLD Magazine

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

25

6 5 8 7 26

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

VEGWORLD Magazine

Steal items No Whey Foods box of vegan truffles. I love getting treats delivered during the holidays, and I’m so grateful that vegan products like No Whey are available, making life for Vegans much sweeter. This company does the holidays right with festive packaging, and definitely earns a spot on my Christmas list. 100% Milk Free, Peanut Free, Tree Nut Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Soy Free, No Artificial Colors and Flavors! Free of the common eight allergens! Vegan and kosher. Ingredients are mostly oils, pea protein and sugar. They are available on Amazon as well. Vegans now have a place at the dessert table and on Instagram they are @nowheychololate.

5

Avant-Gard Vegan Gaz Oakley is one of my favorite YouTube vegan chefs. He makes all the comfort food I love. He has a Christmas Book I’ve been coveting. Vegan Christmas 70 Amazing Recipes for a festive season. It’s on Amazon for $16.19. This one I may have to gift to myself so I can start using it this year. Why wait?

6

Pacifica perfume and skin care. It’s my long-term favorite. I love the coconut line. You can find it online at Pacifica.com and Amazon, as well as other retailers like Whole Foods and Target. Smelling delicious and taking care of my skin is always on my vegan wish list and it’s affordable.

7

8

Java and Joy is my new motto. Coffee is a non-negotiable for me for my morning routine, but hot cocoa, especially during the holidays, is my evening treat. This list wouldn’t be complete without decadent hot cocoa.

Castle Kitchen is plant based, vegan, free of GMO’s and all natural. They are available on Amazon and www.castlekitchenfoods.com. Their hot cocoa comes in 3 flavors that I totally want for Christmas. Double Dutch Dark Chocolate, Classic Caramel Dark Chocolate, and Marvelous Mint Dark Chocolate.

I’m hoping I get all three. Each one is under $20.00 so all three are definitely a steal.

Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings to all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rose Bruno Bailey is a poet/writer, vegan weight loss/ philanthropic blogger, and author of Camellia in Snow. Her work is published online and in print magazines. She was born in Chicago and raised in Cleveland, OH. Her background is in theater with an emphasis on dance. Her life journey has taken her from New York to West Hollywood, CA, and she now resides in Texas. Her partners in this journey are her husband James and two beloved Siamese cats, Spanky and Max.

VEGWORLD Magazine

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

27

BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE + Organic Holiday Glam

by Brandy Edwards

2020 has been a crazy year, which might be the only thing that everyone can agree on. Regardless of whether you came out of quarantine feeling like your best or your worst self, remember that both happiness and confidence are a choice. Maybe you adopted healthier habits or maybe fell out of your routine after staying cooped up inside for months. Either way, today is a new day and each day presents a new opportunity to work on becoming your best self yet. Be kind to yourself as you navigate the rest of this unprecedented year and prepare for the holidays.

With that said, if you want to enhance your features and layer on your confidence with beauty products this holiday season make sure to try juice BEAUTY, The Organic Solution™, which is an antioxidant-rich skincare and plant-based makeup company backed by science. Rather than using PEGS/ petroleum derivatives or water, juice BEAUTY formulates organic products with antioxidants and a vitamin-rich organic botanical juice base. In fact, juice BEAUTY uses 30 freshly squeezed organic botanical juice concentrates for the base of their products rather than diluting with water.

Below are 4 products to add to your list to try this season:

Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Eye Treatment With all of the holiday gatherings, whether you are attending events virtually or in person, start your morning and end your evening by giving your eyes some extra TLC. Regardless of your age a good anti-wrinkle cream will serve you well. I love the flat applicator tip and a little bit of product goes a long way. To use, simply press the applicator tip under your eyes to dispense the product then gently massage the applicator around your eyes, starting at the inner corner and working your way out. The best part is that this product, in addition to the use of fruit stem cells, has been clinically validated and in just six weeks 100% of the people studied reported improved hydration, which we all need more of during the winter months. ** the stem cells are plant-derived as confirmed by “Juice Beauty proprietary blend of fruit stem cells: apple buds, grape buds & lemon leaf. *Certified organic ingredient / † Plant-derived

PHYTO-PIGMENTS Liquid Lip This is what I am calling a five-in-one lip product. It goes on like a matte lipstick but is not dry at all. Interestingly, it feels like a lipstick but looks like a lip-gloss! The product description provides, in part, that it is a “soft lip balm to the touch” and “wears like a lip stain”. There are 8 gorgeous colors to choose from that are highly pigmented with an intense concentration of plant-derived pigments for color instead of harmful dyes.

Even if you typically wear neutrals or have never worn a bold lip before, there is no

better time than now to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. My personal favorites include Cameron (strawberry pink), Kate (bright pink), and Reese (cherry red).

PHYTO-PIGMENTS Illuminating Primer One thing that stood out to me is that this product does not have much of a scent, which I love! This lightweight primer is great for all skin types and is formulated without silicones or dimethicones. A primer should be used before your foundation to help fill in your pores and help your foundation stay on longer and apply smoothly. This primer also helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with its age-defying serum technology and hyaluronic acid.

PHYTO-PIGMENTS Flawless Serum Foundation This foundation is extremely lightweight and feels like it becomes one with your own skin, rather than feeling like it is heavy or is sitting on top of your skin. It comes in 13 shades and is formulated with coconut alkanes instead of silicones. It is for all skin types and it is buildable for medium to full coverage. When used in conjunction with the juice BEAUTY Illuminating Primer you can say bye-bye to your makeup settling into fine lines, which anyone with mature skin can certainly appreciate! This foundation also hydrates your skin and has antioxidant protection with Vitamin C and E.

Whether you are, or are not, wearing layers of makeup or layers of skincare, confidence is a choice. Wear as much or as little as you like because the only opinion that matters is yours. While I absolutely love makeup, I equally love not wearing any makeup at all.

However, whenever you need a self-esteem boost, or just want to elevate your typical routine, clean makeup and skincare is not only a great way to practice self-care but is also great to help layer on your confidence. Think about it, just like you wear your favorite Fall perfume or style your lovely Winter outfits, everything you do, big and small, layers on your confidence in different ways.

While luxurious makeup and skincare can help you feel better about yourself and boost your confidence, know that it only enhances the unique beauty that you all already have. Embrace and enhance your individual beauty however you see fit while simultaneously challenging yourself to refrain from comparing how you measure up to someone else. Beauty is subjective and the beauty of another never subtracts from your own, always remember that.

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.

Beauty Buys

by Tess Chavez

W

ith the holiday season swiftly approaching, we have decided to share a few of our go-to brands and some of our favorite products for you to check out. These beauty buys are either easily accessible and/or easy on the pocketbook. From a vegan beginner to a vegan vet, there is a little something for everyone here.

Sephora

Target

Ulta

Sephora carries an array of vegan brands now and if the brand isn’t vegan, they may still have some vegan collections or products. They have made it super easy to navigate online: by simply typing the word “vegan” into their search bar and filtering the criteria as needed.

Target is almost everyone’s go-to store these days! They have introduced quite a few vegan products in the beauty department and it seems as though they will continue to expand. Just like Sephora, Target has made it easy to search for vegan beauty products in their search bar with filters in criteria.

Ulta is another popular place to purchase vegan beauty brands. You may find some repeats between Ulta, Sephora, and Target but I suggest double-checking before you make a trip.

1

The 7 Virtues Perfume is an AMAZING vegan perfume with an amazing story behind the brand. The scents are gender-neutral, making it easy to buy for anyone. I highly recommend purchasing their Peace Blend Perfume Set to get seven scents to try.

Spritz them on and see how they settle in your skin and linger throughout your day.

2 Hourglass Cosmetics is a great

makeup brand for someone looking to start their vegan makeup collection that will stand the test of time. They have beautiful colors in their palettes that will complement almost any skin tone during any season.

3

Love, Beauty, Planet is a great brand to start with at Target.

They are fully vegan and have a good amount of options in each of their categories. Their shampoo and conditioner in the scent of Indian Lilac is my personal favorite.

4 Eva NYC Soften Up Conditioner is a beauty must for me! If you have colored your hair like most of us have, this conditioner will soften the dry damage leaving your hair feeling fresh and revitalized!

5 Pacifica is a great brand to change

out with fun, seasonal, and trendy products. This is my go-to brand for Pre-Teens and Teens as they experiment with vegan products since it tends to keep up with fads. Plus their branding is always colorful and exciting.

6 OSEA is not only vegan but clean!

I recommend this to mothers and mommies- to-be. Their products are not only safe but, most importantly, effective. They are a brand with a mission that is easy to support as well.

Wishing you all happy holidays and safe travels this season,

Tess Chavez

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 Vegan Bites Guide, a dine-out vegan options guide. 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.

2

1

3

4

5

6

AMBER NASH Amber Nash is currently the voice of Pam Poovey of Archer, the hit FX/FXX animated adult series. Her character is the former head of an international spy agency and has become a fan-favorite on the show. The series has been honored with two Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program and a Critics Choice Television Award for Best Animated Series as well as a Gold Derby TV Award, to name just a few. Nash’s character has garnered a lot of buzz and is referred to as “the real hero of Archer” by BuzzFeed.

Nash also co-created and hosted the Facebook Live show Archer After Hours alongside co-star Lucky Yates. The three-episode series aired on Archer’s Facebook page and featured special guest interviews, behind-the-scenes commentary, cosplay spotlights, and more.

When she is not busy acting, Nash prides herself on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She was pescatarian for several years and recently began adding vegan meals to her diet.

On top of the many tv and movie appearances, Nash is a board member for Project Chimps, a Georgia-based sanctuary for retired research chimpanzees.

We had the opportunity to virtually meet with Amber to dive into her wide array of exciting projects to learn more about her life’s mission and what she has in store.

The Archer star talks about veganism, Judy Greer, chimps, and more

by Courtney Garza

What was your trigger to start moving from a pescatarian lifestyle to vegan?

When I stopped eating meat and became a pescatarian and a vegetarian before that, it was always an ethical thing for me. When I was 19 and I moved out of my parent’s house I realized that I could eat what I wanted and didn’t have to eat what my parents ate. I realized, if I wasn’t able to kill this animal, I shouldn’t be able to eat it.

For about 20 years, I would switch between vegetarian and pescatarian, and the thing that tipped the scale for me into veganism was everything happening with the pandemic, with meat shortages and the fact that we exploited the animals, contributing to this global pandemic. It became too much to not see anymore and it was always about not exploiting animals; not eating meat when there’s so much bad that happens to animals.

I thought to myself, “I can totally do this!” Cheese was a little hard to give up, but I realized after I did it became easy. Then with eggs, I found JUST Egg and that’s been a really good transition meal.

Also, I am on the board of directors of an Animal Sanctuary for chimpanzees and they operate as a vegan organization, so whenever we have board meetings all the food offerings have to be only vegan. It’s important for animal advocacy programs, such as this, to not consume animals.

Was it hard to go vegan with your busy acting lifestyle?

In the last 10-20 years especially in California, there have been a lot more vegan options avail-

VEGWORLD Magazine

able when you’re on set and at events. I’m so blessed to have people like Kat in PR who makes sure that everyone knows that I have a particular diet and I need certain types of food, so that wasn’t really hard career-wise.

What was hard was being in the South! I live in Atlanta and It’s a big city and luckily, things are changing, but sometimes when you tell someone you’re vegan, they suggest green beans and then say that there’s pork in the green beans!

But the other cool thing I’ve seen in Atlanta particularly is that there is this big cross-section between soul food and veganism that is exploding right now. There are many incredible restaurants that are opening up and are black-owned vegan businesses! Two big restaurants in particular that recently opened up, “Slutty Vegan”, which is well-known, and this adorable family-owned taco shop called Chi Chi’s Vegan Taco Shop. It’s stuff like that that makes it really exciting to see!

Do you ever talk to your co-stars about being vegan or eating vegan?

Yes! Judy Greer is also vegan and she’s on the board of directors of Project Chimps with me as well. That was the thing that pushed her over the edge too because she’s really new to it and she was basically a meat-eater before! It’s not like she wasn’t kinda heading in that direction.

Sometimes people poke fun at us vegans, but the crew is really good about when we all go out to dinner to make sure that there are options for us! Unfortunately, the men are really heavy meat-eaters.

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

33

What would you say is your goal for helping people go vegan?

I think the biggest misconception is that people think vegan food is rabbit food and that it doesn’t taste good, or that it’s weird. What’s weird is eating an animal. We as vegans are just eating things that grow out of the ground, and there’s nothing weird about that. People are so surprised when they try something vegan and it’s delicious, things like the Impossible Burger have come a long way and its convincing people that vegan food is possibly delicious!

My husband is a full-on meat-eater. He eats anything I cook though, so luckily, he’s not picky at all. During the pandemic, it’s just my husband and me so if we make something and there are leftovers, we have been doing food swaps with our friends and they’ll say the food is delicious!

We also do food swaps with another friend that I don’t get to see due to the pandemic. He’s a

34

The Holiday Issue

|

meat-eater as well and also a home cook, he’s been excited to cook vegan to give to me to try, so that’s been fun. It’s really all about getting in front of people and changing their minds.

One meal can change someone’s mind about whether vegan food is good or not.

With your work with Project Chimps, what is something that you are always trying to educate people about?

The thing that most people don’t realize is that putting animals in entertainment is so bad, and we shouldn’t be putting them in those situations.

Across the board, I don’t think people realize how much damage dressing up chimps and parading them around does and that the chimps shouldn’t be living like people. They aren’t people, and they should be living in their natural habitat, and that’s what we enforce at Project Chimps.

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

VEGWORLD Magazine

be living in the wild. So much research has been done on chimps and now it is illegal to do research on chimps, so I’m glad that the new law has been passed. Every other nation had passed that law except America, so when it happened, a lot of the chimps in laboratories needed homes. They’re now in animal sanctuaries, as a lot of them can’t go to the zoo’s because they’re not well adjusted.

They had a horrible life from being experimented on. A sanctuary is an amazing place for chimps.

It’s not for people to go there and look at the chimps. There are so many chimps in laboratories that we need to get out, so that’s all about money and having enough to build out sanctuaries and habitats to get the chimps to a place where they’re happy.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Another thing I have learned being a part of Project Chimps, that a lot of people don’t know, is that when you see a chimpanzee on a greeting card it looks like they are smiling, that’s actually what they call a ‘fear grimace’ and that’s actually because they’re in distress. When they are actually smiling, they have a really slack jaw and their bottom lip hangs down and that’s a happy face, and you never really see that.

I just hint to people that they’re not pets, they’re actually big strong dangerous animals and should

I think that it’s all about exploring and using movements like ‘Meatless Mondays’ to start the path to veganism. I would be happy with people consuming less meat, people don’t have to become 100% vegan and that’s okay. We don’t have to eat so much meat; it’s so bad for us, the planet, and the animals. Any way you can find yourself on the spectrum that is less than where you’re at now, I think is a good start because you never know where that will lead you. I ate fish for 3 years before I became fully vegan, so the little steps you take are impactful in making a change. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing or 0-100, you can take baby steps on making the world a better place and have less suffering for every being.

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.

VEGWORLD Magazine

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

35

KEVIN & HARLEY QUINN SMITH KEEP VEGANISM ALL IN THE FAMILY

by Courtney Garza

H

arley Quinn Smith has recently launched her new podcast “Vegan Abattoir” with her father, Kevin Smith. The August podcast focuses on people’s journeys through Veganism.

When filmmaker Kevin Smith nearly died from a massive heart attack, his only daughter, Harley Quinn, convinced him to try a plant-based diet for 2 months.

Two years later and still not dead, the Dad asked his daughter to join forces so the two can provide plant-based answers to the Vegan-curious questions they get from a meat-eating and dairy-drinking audience.

Twenty-one year-old actress Harley Quinn Smith is a budding star in Hollywood. She was recently seen opposite Brad Pitt, Lena Dunham and Dakota Fanning as “Froggie”, a member of the Manson family, in Quentin Tarantino’s box-office blow-out Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. The film started its awards season off with a 2019 People’s Choice Award nomination for The Best Drama Movie of 2019. She then held a leading role as ‘Milly” in the comedy Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, which hit theaters worldwide this October. Now, Smith has just finished filming her series-regular role as ‘Mallory’ in the pilot for the Jessica Biel produced show for Freeform Cruel Summer.

Harley Quinn grew up in the film business with her father, filmmaker Kevin Smith and mother, actress Jennifer Schwalbach Smith. She starred with her best friend, Lily Rose Depp, in the 2016 Sundance Film Festival favorite Yoga Hosers. The film was released September 2016 and also starred Johnny Depp, Natasha Lyonne and Justin Long;, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (at the age of 1), Jersey Girl, Clerks II and Tusk.

Outside of acting and music, the Vegan thespian has a passion for giving back.

While named after the infamous comic supervillain “Harley Quinn,” HQS is nothing short of a hero when it comes to using her platform to generate change for both people and animals.

Harley Quinn has spoken out against bullying and works with The Humane

VEGWORLD Magazine

Society of the United States, among several other animal rescue organizations. In May 2018 she used her voice alongside Maggie Q and Katie Cleary and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to lobby congress for the Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act at the capitol in Sacramento. After getting the 27+ votes it takes to pass a Bill in the Senate, the Bill passed and is on its way to a vote with the Assembly, which requires 54 votes.

We had the privilege of speaking with the dynamic father-daughter duo about their involvement with the Vegan community.

How is it being vegan on a movie set? Do you have to make any special requests?

HARLEY: It’s something that I ask ahead of time. I request that they use cruelty free, and preferably vegan, products. Cruelty-free is something that is very important to me. There are circumstances where this doesn’t work out, but usually I’m able to make sure that the makeup and hair products are cruelty-free. In terms of food, there have been a few difficulties.

Most of the time people are accommodating and look out for me; other times not so much.

I shot an indie movie in Georgia and we were in the middle of nowhere and it was difficult to find food for myself. I ate Taco Bell for two weeks straight just because I knew it was vegan [Thank you bean and potato burritos]! Other times it’s more difficult, but there’s always a way to make it work.

KEVIN: For me, the last flick we shot I was full-blown vegan. Every day they carried Beyond Burgers and that’s pretty much what I had at lunchtime.

Then Jay and Harley picked up on it. It wasn’t something you could enforce on the entire cast and crew. You couldn’t be like “no meat on this production”. A lot of people are not vegan.

If you take their meat away they’re not going to work well that day. I’m sure it was a budgetary concern.

The Holiday Issue

|

As much as I would like to say “Everyone eat green” that would be a little more expensive for the catering department. Also, I wasn’t quite there yet to be able to enforce my tastes on everyone. I would have hated it in the past if I would have shown up on a set and they said “only vegan options”.

I found along the way the less you push the lifestyle on people and the more you live the lifestyle, that sets a better example and creates more curiosity. It doesn’t create an instant divide or put up a wall with people. I’ve been vegan now for over two years and if the word vegan comes up or if you talk about being plant-based, instantly you get a bunch of people reacting with saying things like “I’m going to eat 3x the amount of meat now” as if you being vegan has anything to do with them!

So, it’s definitely tricky, you don’t want to turn people off. People are already politicized. At the end of the day, I am trying to save my own life. I had a heart attack a few years ago so this lifestyle is me trying to take care of myself.

Some people don’t understand or even refuse to understand.

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

37

For me, what made me decide to start my way to veganism was that I adopted a rabbit named Cinnamon Bun about 6 years ago. For years, my mom would take me to the bus stop and I would ask every day if I could get a rabbit. She’d say no every time. Then, one Christmas my parents told me I could get a rabbit. I was excited! But, all the shelters were closed on Christmas. I looked at pictures of adoptable rabbits online.

It’s easy to disarm people by using the fact that I had a heart attack. They’ll be like “oh you’re trying to be “woke”” and I’m like well, no, I am just trying to save my life because I literally almost died, and they back down. So, I’ll use that until the end of time. But it’s true, it’s why I went vegan in the first place.

Harley was the one that was like “do it, go vegan”. She tried to convince me prior to my heart attack.

She was a little vegan astronaut that went out there finding all the things I could eat and places I could go. She also knew my taste, so it wasn’t like I had to go from 0-60 or go from an omnivorous lifestyle to only greens.

That’s what could be daunting and turn people off. No one wants to feel like they’re giving up something. Harley took me places where I didn’t feel like I was giving up anything, where the food was just as tasty if not better. She introduced me to alternatives, and so that I try to pay it forward with

38

The Holiday Issue

|

everybody else that I meet. I don’t cram veggies down their throat, and when people tell me I look great and ask how I look so great I just tell them I went vegan. I found I had more energy. Truly, the health benefits are off the charts.

You can’t sell health to people. Everyone thinks they want health but then when you tell them what they have to do to achieve health, they no longer want any part of it. It seems to me that being there and showing a new version of your body raises the question of “How’d you do it” and I just tell them I simply went vegan. Then they say that they can’t go vegan because it’s difficult. So, I tell them the different easy options that ARE vegan like peanut butter, beans, and rice, and hummus. Show them the things that they already consume in their diet.

Harley, what was the catapult that led you to be vegan?

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

The next day I went to the shelter and I found this rabbit who I saw online. It looked like a completely different rabbit in the photo. They listed her color as tan, but that was because she was covered in pee. She had a ripped ear and a bunch of metal stitches that were unattended. She was nothing like the picture I saw but I was eager to adopt her because I thought no one else would because of the terrible condition she was in. So, I brought her home and she was so scared of me and everybody. Prior to being surrendered to the shelter, she was in a house of hoarders and the shelter said there were about 100 other rabbits there.

She was really scared of everything and everyone. But, after showing her for a few months that I wanted to love her and provide her with a safe home, she started to open up to me. Seeing how human compassion changed her into this completely different being made me realize that it was super critical for me to change my diet and my lifestyle because I saw what human compassion could do to an animal.

After that, I went vegetarian and a year after that I went vegan. Caring for Cinnamon Bun was my catapult to going vegan.

Q. How did you start to get your dad on a vegan diet?

HARLEY: After my dad had his heart attack, it was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. It was the scariest day of my life and I just knew something drastic had to happen. He couldn’t keep living the way he was living. I didn’t really give him an option. I told him he had to try veganism out for

VEGWORLD Magazine

a little, at least try, because clearly, the way he was living wasn’t working for him. I didn’t think he would be vegan for a long time, but now I believe he will be vegan forever.

KEVIN: I’ve been vegan since a day after the heart attack in 2018 and I never miss any of the old things I used to have. I don’t slip up or cheat, I was terrified for my health, which is what made me make the switch.

It’s not like I’m eating Brussel sprouts all of the time either, there’s a lot of Beyond Burger but it’s all plant-based.

The key is finding the cracks you can exist in. For me turning vegan was all about my health and will continue to be predicated around my health. I know cheating on veganism wouldn’t benefit me because before I was vegan, I ate a ton of animal products, which led me to an operating table in the first place. Now I’m living clean, more or less.

Kevin - Do you find yourself more connected to the ethical side of veganism now?

Absolutely, but that was never an issue for me, I have always been extremely compassionate towards animals, except to the point that I’d also eat them. I never was allowed any pets as a kid, so I naturally loved dogs and cats, then eventually I started getting cats and dogs. I love animals of all sizes and stripes but there was a disconnect even as a kid.

I’d question if we love animals then why are we eating them? Then I’d be told “Because that’s what God told us to do”, so there was a lot of that rhetoric that I was raised on and it made it okay to turn off your feelings about eating a living being, and really cute ones at that, so it wasn’t until going completely vegan that I could tie the compassion to the health.

Harley has taken us to Fox Sanctuary and we currently donate monthly to the organization Mercy For Animals.

This is a big Pro-Animal household, but even though I didn’t approach veganism from a compassionate

VEGWORLD Magazine

IT WOULD BE VERY HYPOCRITICAL TO CONTINUE LIVING MY LIFE IN A WAY THAT CONTRIBUTED TO ANIMAL CRUELTY WHEN I SAW FIRSTHAND WHAT HUMAN COMPASSION CAN DO TO AN ANIMAL. place, it’s now completely in my ethics and DNA.

like the next generation will lead us to a better and compassionate life?

Once you’re in veganism, you don’t want to think about factory farming and meat killing machines. It’s disgusting. What you put in your body is what you get out of life, so eating toxic death is what you’ll get out of it and I saw that in my life, I almost died from the diet I was eating. This isn’t to blame my parents on anything either because they never questioned their parents on what and why they ate the way they did. It took my own kid to have me question my ethics and change the way I was eating in a different way as well as animals. So now my ethics match my emotions.

Certainly. It is always the hope that the next generation will get it done and improve things from where we were. I would say that veganism is catching on now more than ever.

Kevin, since it was your own child who is the next generation that pointed you in the direction of veganism, not an older adult, do you feel

The Holiday Issue

|

Vegan folks were always marginalized and hipsters, this is a movement that bounced back to food restaurants, it’s no longer a movement, it’s a way of life. That came from the younger generation that believed there was a future in this and they held the people accountable and told them that having tasty options available to those who aren’t fond of eating dead animals could definitely work and people would live longer.

By suggesting ‘Meatless Mondays’, a lot of people are accidentally vegan and not realizing it!

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

39

Bringing them over to the other side isn’t about politics, it’s about keeping Americans alive and healthy. Our nation is very unhealthy because we believe that more is better and that includes food and a lot of the foods are predicated around junk and death. This isn’t something we do in our home. We do not have to consume death in order for us to be fed.

Harley, we heard that you’re in the process of getting a bill passed with the Humane Society of America for cruelty-free cosmetics.

Can you share the next steps for passing this the bill?

It was a couple of years back that I was going to Sacramento to lobby for the Cruelty-free Cosmetics Act that I was part of with social justice and legislation. A bunch of other activists were there with me like Maggie Q and Katie Cleary. It was the first time I had ever done anything like that, It was an eye-opening experience.

I remember being there and seeing the other side of people who were against this bill. Johnson & Johnson had people from the company trying to fight against the bill because they wanted to continue their cruel practices. It was crazy to see people fighting for cruelty and surreal to see these people in real life. That issue is near and dear to my heart because I have a rabbit and rabbits are usually one of the animals that are being tested on.

This is really important to me and it’s one of the most common issues vegans and non-vegans can agree upon. Most people don’t spite you when you say you’re advocating for cruelty-free cosmetics because it’s a pretty archaic way of doing things and there are so many amazing alternatives to animal testing that it makes

40

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

VEGWORLD Magazine

no sense that not all cosmetics aren’t cruelty-free. It’s a practice that a lot of people don’t even know truly still exists.

I’ve had people tell me that they didn’t even know that the products they were using had been tested on animals, which I used to not know either.

Harley is 21 now. She has a life of her own and as time goes on she’ll be out there by herself living her own life and I know that as I got older I spent less time with my parents, so it’s nice to spend time with my daughter and get stuff done.

the feedback I’ve gotten. Then you get the cats that are curious that listen as well, so the more that you can let them hear how normal the average vegan sounds and that it’s not some kind of cult, there’s a better chance that they’ll end up trying it out for themselves.

If you just inform people, a lot of the time they no longer want to use the products that were tested on animals. I find that it’s a lot more agreeable than giving up meat or giving up animal products, because people will rebut that argument with many statements like not getting enough protein.

But with cruelty-free products, there is hardly a rebuttal or argument and a lot of people are more open to that because it is such an old practice that doesn’t need to be around anymore.

HARLEY: For me, it’s incredible to do this with my dad and it’s a special point of our relationship to be able to work together. We’ve made films together and he has so much experience in podcasts, so having him to be able to guide me through this journey has been really special.

Any goals for the podcast other than reaching the masses and sharing your feedback and helping others? Is there anything else you want to elevate it to?

It’s a harsh reality that these lab animals are facing and it’s sadly not only rabbits; it’s beagles, rats, mice and even monkeys. It’s such a huge issue that still exists mostly because if you want to sell your cosmetics in China, by law it has to be tested on animals. It’s like these companies are having to either put money over ethics or ethics over money and that’s the decision that companies have to make and it’s up to them to make the right decision.

How do you both come together from each of your generations on your podcast? How has that been, and what has been the biggest take away since you started this podcast together?

KEVIN: For me the biggest takeaway is not so much of what I learned but because of the fact that I can spend more time with my kid. It’s under the guises of “work”, but it never feels like work when you’re talking with your kid.

I’m also grateful because it provides two different perspectives to listeners.

I don’t really pay attention to the health aspect of veganism, I’m not really a healthy vegan and it’s never really been a huge point to me but I’m grateful that our listeners can have veganism from the aspect of health and ethics.

I’m glad we are able to give those two sides to it because a lot of people don’t go vegan for the animals, they’ll go vegan for their health or the environment. So, there are a bunch of reasons why someone would be interested in veganism. I don’t know a lot about the health aspect so it’s good that my dad can provide that point of view from his own experiences.

KEVIN: It would be amazing if we could turn it into a TV show one day or make a YouTube show, which is actually a possibility. Something we should be exploring because there is not a lot out there for us vegans. I have been podcasting for 13 years now. So I look at it like we will start out as audio for a while then grow into something else. I always turn my podcast into live shows, so hopefully, Harley and I will be on a stage doing a vegan live show soon!

Anything else we should keep our eyes open for or that you’re working on?

What has the feedback from your podcast listeners been like?

KEVIN: Harley is coming to Dallas and she’s staying for half a year to shoot her TV show Cool Summer. We actually may be coming to Texas, oddly enough the home of all BBQ, for our very first vegan live show!

KEVIN: I met some of our audience when I went back to Jersey. It’s crazy because I’d be walking behind someone and they’d see me and say “OMG I’m listening to you and your daughter right now”. So, it’s nice finding a listener out in the wild, but it seems like the show is working and connecting from

HARLEY: We’re going to have a lot of fun guests coming up and I can’t wait to talk to more vegans in the community. It’s also given me the opportunity to have more in-depth conversations with people who I admire who I haven’t gotten the opportunity to speak to before.

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.

VEGWORLD Magazine

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

41

Dear CHEF AJ I dread the holidays because I ALWAYS gain weight. It starts innocently enough with a fun size candy bar on Halloween and next thing you know it’s January 2nd and I’m 10 pounds heavier. Any tips?

First of all, I feel ya. Many people gain weight during that time and it’s often weight that isn’t easily taken off. I always recommend to my clients not to even try to lose weight during that time, but instead to focus on not gaining weight. Because maintaining IS a win. The same healthy eating rules apply during the holidays, and the number one rule is ABSOLUTELY no hyperpalatable or junk food in the house! If it’s in your house, it’s in your mouth. If you have a slip or go off plan at a party, so be it, but do not allow a crumb, a drop or morsel of hyperpalatable food in your house. And when you attend these holiday parties never go hungry.

Always go with a belly full of starch so you’re are not as tempted, or bring your food if you can. And remember, holidays are about spending time with loved ones, so focus on the people, not the food.

Chef AJ do you have any holiday recipes that are healthy, easy to make and will still impress my guests?

Holiday Parfait Parfait simply means perfect in French and this festive dessert certainly lives up to its name.

INGREDIENTS •

One recipe each of Pumpkin Mousse, Cherry Peary Cranberry sauce, and Pear Whip

PREPARATION In a clear, pretty glass, layer the parfait. Start with a layer of the Pumpkin Mousse followed by the Cranberry Sauce and top with the Pear Whip.

Garnish with a few fresh cranberries or a fresh mint leaf.

42

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

VEGWORLD Magazine

Pumpkin Mousse

Pear Whip

With canned pumpkin available all year round, no need to wait for the holidays to enjoy this delicious and quick and easy recipe

There is no dessert that can’t be improved by this delicious topping.

INGREDIENTS • • • • • •

8 ounces, pitted dates 8 ounces of orange juice 1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla powder 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

PREPARATION

INGREDIENTS

Soak dates in orange juice until soft. Place softened dates with the soaking liquid in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.

Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.

Chill well before serving.

•

1 25-ounce jar of pears in their own juice (or approximately 2 and 1/2 cups of pears if using fresh or canned)

•

1 cup rolled oats

•

1 teaspoon vanilla powder

PREPARATION Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.

CHEF’S NOTE: For a nice variation try using a jar of peaches instead of pears.

If you want to make it thicker, add 2 Tablespoons of white chia seeds, dissolved in 4 Tablespoons of liquid before blending.

Reprinted with permission from Own Your Health by Glen Merzer and Chef AJ. Hail to the Kale Publishers (2020)

Cherry, Peary Cranberry Sauce A new twist on an old favorite

INGREDIENTS •

1 cup of roasted pear halves (this is the yield from one 25-ounce jar of pears in their own juice)

•

1 large navel orange plus the zest

•

8 ounces of frozen cherries defrosted (about 1.5 cups)

•

12 ounces of unsweetened fresh cranberries

•

2 Tablespoons chia seeds

VEGWORLD Magazine

PREPARATION Roast the pear halves until golden brown on a Crisp Ease tray, piece of parchment paper, Silpat, or other non-stick silicone baking mat. This will take about 35-45 minutes in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F. Zest the oranges and then peel them. Place all remaining ingredients in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade and process until a uniform texture is reached. Do not liquefy.

The Holiday Issue

|

ABOUT THE CHEF Chef AJ has been devoted to a plantexclusive 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 www.EatUnprocessed.com

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

43

CHEF SPOTLIGHT

ZACCHARY BIRD

zaccharybird.com zaccharybird zaccharybird zaccharybird

Zacchary Bird is a vegan recipe developer and food writer from Melbourne, Australia. He is the current Food Editor for Plant Based News and Editor for PBNFood where he hosts live interviews with the top vegan recipe creators from around the world.

Since launching into the food industry in 2014, Zacchary has since worked as a chef, caterer and recipe developer, specializing in the design of plant based meat alternatives. He is currently on the product design team for Unreal Co, producing 10+ commercial meat alternative lines, available Australia-wide.

In 2016, Zacchary made waves with his first viral sensation - a recipe for vegan ‘KFC style drumsticks’ that introduced the world to his signature style of recreating beloved non-vegan classics without compromise on flavor, texture or appearance.

In 2019, Meals for Mere Mortals was released: a collection of vegan dinner recipes with mythical meat dishes such as Unicorn Steak and Mermaid Tail interspersed throughout. From here, Zac signed with Smith Street Books and his first full-length published cookbook, Vegan Junk Food: A Down & Dirty Cookbook is available worldwide from September 2, 2020.

BANANA PEEL BANH MI Serves 2

INGREDIENTS • • • • • •

1 bunches coriander (cilantro), sprigs separated 1/2 long cucumber, sliced into batons 2 bird’s eye chilies, thinly sliced Crushed peanuts, to serve Fried shallots, to serve (optional) 4 Vietnamese rolls or crusty Demi-baguettes

•

2 Tablespoons white sugar 1 teaspoon sea salt

•

Fried Banana Peel •

4 large, barely ripe bananas (tinges of green and no spots) 50g granulated sugar 2 Tablespoons vegan fish sauce (or substitute dark soy sauce) 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder 2 drops liquid smoke Squeeze of lime juice Drizzle of olive oil

• • •

Pickled Veg • • • •

1 carrot, cut into long thin batons 1/3 daikon, cut into long thin batons 1/2 fresh jalapeno chilli, roughly chopped 185 ml (61/2 fl oz/3/4 cup) rice wine vinegar or white vinegar (or use a mix of both)

• • • • • •

METHOD •

•

To make the pickled veg, place the carrot, daikon, and jalapeno in a clean jar. Place 125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) water in a saucepan, along with the vinegar, sugar, and salt, and bring to the boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, pour the vinegar mixture into the jar. Set aside on a workbench for 1 hour to pickle.

Peel the bananas and reserve the banana for later. Slice off the ends, then use a spoon to scrape out the remaining flesh. Thoroughly wash the banana peels and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the skins on a chopping board and use a fork to shred the skin. Place

•

into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and massage through garlic powder and pepper.

Place the sugar in a frying pan over medium heat and cook, shaking and agitating the pan occasionally, for 5 minutes or until beginning to turn to liquid. Pour in the vegan fish sauce and stir to combine. Add the red onion and let the mixture bubble for 2 minutes.

Add in the banana peels and a splash of extra fish sauce or water if needed. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes. Towards the end of the cooking time, stir in the liquid smoke and lime juice. Remove

from the heat and cover to keep warm until required.

•

Use a bread knife to cut the rolls almost in half, leaving them still attached on one side. Use your hands to press in some of the soft bread to make room for more filling. If you like, smear on some mayonnaise before proceeding.

Stuff each roll with the banana peel mixture, pickled veg, coriander sprigs, and cucumber batons.

Scatter over the chilli, crushed peanuts, and fried shallots (if using) and finish with a few coriander leaves.

COFFEEFRIENDLY ALMOND MILK Makes 1L + leftovers for feta

INGREDIENTS Milk • • • •

1.5 cups raw almonds 1L water ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum Salt

METHOD •

•

•

Soak almonds overnight, or if needed in a hurry, pour boiling water over the almonds and allow to sit for at least an hour.

Drain the almonds and rinse well. You may like to remove and discard the skins, however, this isn’t necessary. Add to a blender with 1L water and blender for at least one minute.

Secure a nut-milk bag to a tall jug and pour in the almond milk. Allow to drain, then squeeze out the remaining liquid with your hands until you end up with around 1 cup of almond pulp. Reserve the pulp.

Add the almond milk back to the blender with the xanthan gum and a small pinch of salt.

Blend then pour half of the almond milk into a saucepan and heat while whisking. Once it begins to boil, add it back to the other half of the almond milk. Stir well and store in the fridge until required.

ALMOND PULP FETA CRUMBLES INGREDIENTS •

1 cup of almond pulp (leftover from almond milk)

•

6 Tablespoons olive oil

•

1 lemon, juiced and zested

•

1 ¾ teaspoon smoked salt or flaked salt

•

1 teaspoon minced garlic

•

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary

•

½ teaspoon fresh dill (optional)

•

½ teaspoon cracked pepper

•

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

METHOD Blend or finely chop and whisk all ingredients except for almond pulp. Stir through the almond pulp until well combined and use to crumble on top of salads or avocado toast.

HORIATIKI SALATA (GREEK SALAD) Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS • • • • • • • • •

1 long cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced 500 g cherry tomatoes, halved 1 red onion, thinly sliced 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved 1 green capsicum (bell pepper), thinly sliced sea salt and freshly ground black pepper olive oil, for drizzling Hearty pinch of dried oregano 1 batch of Almond Pulp Feta Crumbles or dairy-free feta

METHOD Combine the cucumber, tomato, onion, olives, and capsicum in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper, drizzle over a little olive oil, and add the dried oregano. Toss together. Stir through half of the feta crumbles and scatter the rest on top.

Gingerbread Scones

by Kimberly Jurgens

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Scone Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

2 1/4 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp baking powder 3/4 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp sugar 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 cup molasses 1 vegan egg replacer 2 tbsp Forager Project Cashewmilk 1/3 cup Forager Project Sour Cream 1/3 cup of chilled Forager Project Butter chunked (for best results leave the cubed butter in the freezer until needed in the recipe)

Maple Glaze Ingredients: • • • • •

2 cups of sifted powdered sugar pinch of salt 1/2 tsp molasses 1 tsp maple syrup 4 tbsp Forager Project Cashewmilk

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl mix your flour, salt, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves,. Set aside.

3. Next, in a small bowl, using a fork mix both sugars with the molasses and vanilla extract until completely blended together. Once the sugars, extract, and molasses are blended add the egg replacer, non dairy milk, and sour cream. Mix until blended. Set aside.

4. Grab your chilled butter chunks and gently, with a spatula or dough cutter fold them into the bowl of flour and spices. Careful not to over mix. You want it to be like grated sand.

5. Next, In your flour mixture, make a well in the middle using your spatula. Then add the bowl of molasses mixture into the well. Gently fold until combined, but not over mixed. You want it to be a little crumbly. But, not to where it doesn’t stick together.

6. Flour your hands and counter. Nudge dough into about an 1inch thick circle.

7. Cut the dough like a pizza into 6 evenly spaced slices.

8. Add each slice to your lined baking sheet.

9. Preheat your oven to 375. And place your baking sheet/scone slices in the freezer while the oven heats.

10. Bake for 15-20 min or until golden brown.

11. While your scones are baking add all of your glaze ingredients except the powdered sugar, to a bowl and blend with a hand mixer until combined. Gradually blend in the powdered sugar until everything is combined. If it’s too thick add more non-dairy milk 1tsp at a time until desired consistency.

12. Take your scones out of the oven. Let cool for 10-15 min and drizzle the glaze on each one.

13. Enjoy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kimberly Jurgens is a Social Media Manager, Lifestyle and Food Photographer, Recipe Developer, and cat mom. She believes that life is lived to its fullest when creativity is involved. She has never met a stranger and would love to take your photo. shesahungrydude

kimberlyjurgens.

Spicy Nigerian

Vegan Pepper Soup

by Fatimat Adelabu

The contrasting textures of the wood ear and oyster mushrooms are reminiscent of the classic Nigerian pepper soup. The variety of ingredients creates a distinctive yet complimentary dish. To make this a less spicy soup, adjust the quantity of habanero pepper and cayenne spice.

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS • • • • • • •

•

• • • • • • • •

1 thumb of fresh ginger ½ onion ½ habanero pepper 2 cloves of garlic ½ cup of water 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ½ pound oyster mushrooms, base removed 1 cup of dry wood ear mushrooms, prepared and drained 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground allspice 1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorn 6 cups water ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon mushroom or vegetable bouillon

Serves 4-6

DIRECTIONS 1. Blend ginger, onion, habanero pepper, and garlic with ½ cup of water in a blender. Set aside.

2. In a Dutch oven pot, heat oil over medium heat. Toss in oyster mushrooms and let fry until it begins to brown. Add wood ear mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes.

3. Add in crushed peppercorn, ground fennel, cumin, and allspice. Stir for 3 minutes.

4. Mix in blended vegetables and let fry for 5 minutes.

5. Pour in 6 cups of water and cook for 10 minutes.

6. Season with salt, vegetable bouillon, and cayenne. Adjust for taste.

7. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

ABOUT THE CHEF Fati Adelabu created Je Gbese as a platform dedicated to showing people how to make simple vegetarian and vegan dishes at home without impacting their pockets much. Using the Yoruba language, Fati’s brand stays central to her Nigerian roots. Je Gbese’s mission is to introduce West African dishes, particularly Nigerian, to audiences all around the world. In Yoruba, je gbese means “to eat one’s debt.” This is a play on words of eating on a budget to eliminate debt. To learn more about Je Gbese, check out Fati’s blog at https://jegbese.com and follow her on Instagram @jegbese.

Photo by Fati Adelabu

VEGWORLD Magazine

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

51

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

WITH EGGPLANT CAVIAR AND DUKKAH

by Hope Bailey, Executive Chef, Pink Salt Cuisine

You can never go wrong with roasted vegetables, but this recipe takes it up a few notches by adding a variety of textures and flavors. The eggplant caviar lends a creaminess and brightness that perfectly complements the earthy Brussels sprouts, while the dukkah adds a delicious crunch to the dish. Served together, this dish is a great holiday side, but can also be served separately - eggplant caviar is fantastic as a dip, while dukkah is a great topping to have on hand for avocado toast and hummus.

Photos by Pink Salt Cuisine

Prep time 25 minutes

Cooking time 60 minutes

Makes 4 appetizer portions

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Brussels Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts

•

• •

1½ pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half 2 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp. kosher salt

Eggplant •

• • • •

• • • •

2 large globe eggplants, cut in half and flesh side scored 1 tbsp kosher salt 2 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 scallions, finely chopped 2 tbsp chopped parsley Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Dukkah • • • • • • • •

¼ c. pistachios, toasted ¼ c. hazelnuts, toasted and skinned 1 tbsp white sesame seeds 1 tbsp black sesame seeds 1 tbsp coriander seeds 2 tsp cumin seeds ¼ tsp black pepper 1 tsp kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Toss sprouts with oil and salt, and place on a baking sheet in a single layer.

3. Roast for approximately 20 minutes, until deep golden brown and edges are crispy.

4. Set aside.

Eggplant 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Sprinkle cut sides of eggplant with salt and rub into the scored flesh. Brush cut sides of eggplant with oil.

3. Place cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes until collapsed and very soft.

4. When eggplant is cool enough to handle, scrape flesh into a mesh strainer and let drain for 30 minutes.

5. Pulse in a food processor or finely chop by hand.

Add remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste 6. Set aside.

Dukkah 1. Toast the seeds in a dry skillet on medium heat, shaking often, until fragrant and lightly toasted.

2. Combine with nuts and pulse in a spice grinder until coarsely ground. Add salt and pepper.

3. Set aside.

To Assemble Smear the eggplant caviar on a platter or four individual plates. Pile the brussels sprouts on top and sprinkle with the dukkah. Garnish with halved grape tomatoes, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

ABOUT THE CHEF As the culinary mastermind behind Pink Salt, executive chef Hope Bailey is a self-taught chef who has worked in the special events culinary realm for over 25 years. Her culinary approach emphasizes a playful yet perfectionist style. She has a great skill at executing gourmet sit down dinners, tray passed hors d’oeuvres and food station parties that range in size from 50 to 4,000 guests.

Hope’s recipes have been featured in popular cookbooks. An animal lover, when Hope is not working, she enjoys spending time at home with her three dogs and four cats. pinksaltcuisine

pinksaltcuisine

pinksaltcuisine.com

Photo by Shane Martin

Vegan Holiday Roast

by Shane Martin Looking for a holiday main dish to keep the meat-eaters happy? This vegan holiday roast has got you covered. It’s loaded with savory fall flavors and absolutely delicious. This holiday seitan roast will leave you feeling stuffed and satisfied.

Prep time 15 minutes

Baking time 1 hour

Makes 10 servings

INGREDIENTS • • • • • •

1 cup low sodium or no salt added red kidney beans 2 Tablespoons tomato paste 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 2 cups vital wheat gluten 1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast 1 Tablespoon onion powder

•

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

•

2 teaspoons sage

•

1 teaspoon dried thyme

•

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

•

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

•

1 1/2 cups low-sodium veggie broth or water

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat your oven to 350˚F 2. Add the kidney beans, tomato paste, soy sauce, and 2 Tablespoons of the leftover bean juice from the can to a food processor.

Blend until everything is smooth.

3. Using a large mixing bowl, add the wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, sage, thyme, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Whisk until everything is well combined. Stir in the bean paste and mix until well combined. The dough will still be very dry with a lot of lumps.

4. Pour in the low-sodium veggie broth. Mix the dough until it has a stretchy elastic texture and becomes thick. Once everything is well combined, knead the dough with your hands for about 2 to 3 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add a little wheat gluten. If it’s too dry, add a little more water or

VEGWORLD Magazine

broth. Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes after kneading.

5. Roll out the dough and make a log that’s about 8-10 inches long.

Layout enough aluminum foil to get at least two wraps around the roast and overlap on the ends. Take out a piece of parchment paper the same size of the aluminum foil. Wrap the log first in parchment paper and then roll it up in the aluminum foil.

6. Set the roast on a baking sheet, place it in the oven and bake for at least 1 hour. Flip the roast every 15 minutes. A good pair of tongs work well for this.

7. Remove the roast from the oven. Carefully remove the foil and parchment paper, let sit for 10-15 minutes, then slice and serve. It’s even better when left in the fridge overnight and reheated the next day.

The Holiday Issue

|

ABOUT THE CHEF Who is Shane Martin? Just your average, ordinary guy who makes plant-based cooking casual, easy, and delicious. In other words, practical, not pretentious. He doesn’t use fancy equipment and I doesn’t use fancy “chef speak” because he sees himself not as a chef but a normal dude who loves to cook, eat good food, and show people that healthy vegan food doesn’t suck. shaneandsimple.com shaneandsimplecooking shaneandsimplecooking shaneandsimplecooking

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

55

ZIMBABWEAN CORNMEAL SADZA WITH SPINACH

by Tendai Tandi

Sadza is the staple of Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa. Sadza can be made from different ground grains and cornmeal is one of my favorites! For sadza use coarse cornmeal to achieve the right texture.

Sadza is eaten in nearly every household with any kind of vegetable, relish, and sauce. Here I serve the sadza with a spinach sautĂŠ, a quick and easy all-in-one dish. Season the spinach to your preference. The onions and peppers provide a nice crunch to contrast the soft texture of the spinach.

Prep time 15 minutes

Cook time 30 minutes

Serves 2

SADZA

SPINACH

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

• • •

I cup of coarse cornmeal 1 cup cold water 3 cups hot water

• •

DIRECTIONS 1. Put half of the coarse cornmeal into the pot. Add cold water,stirring, to make a paste. Put the pot onto the cooker on high heat. Add three cups of boiling water whilst stirring simultaneously.

2. Keep stirring until it comes to a boil. It can splatter upward, so be careful!

3. Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium, and let it bubble for 15 minutes.

4. After 15 minutes, add the remainder of the coarse cornmeal meal a bit at a time, mixing it thoroughly with a wooden stick or spoon.

5. The consistency you are aiming for is not too stiff and not too soft either.

When it’s just about to reach the consistency you want, cover it and simmer for a final 5 minutes.

• • • • •

1 10-ounce package or 250 grams frozen – or fresh - spinach I medium red onion (or white if you don’t have red), medium dice 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (optional) ½ teaspoon salt ¼ cup water ¼ red bell pepper, seeded, medium dice ¼ yellow bell pepper, seeded, medium dice

DIRECTIONS 1. Place all the ingredients into your pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The cooking time will vary depending on whether you use fresh or frozen spinach. If you use frozen spinach you need to cook for it cook it for 15 minutes over medium heat. If you use fresh spinach, cook for 10 minutes or to your own preference.

2. Season to taste.

3. Mound the sadza on your plate and serve with a nice portion of the spinach, onion, pepper sauté.

ABOUT THE CHEF My name is Tendai Tandi and I am from Zimbabwe. I currently live in Cardiff, Wales in the U.K. I am passionate about plant-based eating with an emphasis on using this way of eating to maintain a healthy weight and reverse type 2 diabetes. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2018 and this led me down a journey into learning about the power of food.

I share a lot of other recipes from all over Africa with a primary focus on Zimbabwean food on my social media page @plantbasedafrican. I have an e-book on how to support other Black Africans in the diaspora to transition to a whole food plant-based diet. In the near future I hope to offer guidance and advice for people who wish to transition to this way of eating. plantbased_african youtube.com/channel/UCGE4ZUT20lTzfOlEAETAMCw

58

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

VEGWORLD Magazine

Jollof Rice

by Tomi Makanjuola (The Vegan Nigerian)

A classic and warming West African dish bursting with flavor. Always served at parties and special occasions.

Prep time 10 minutes Cooking time 30 mines

INGREDIENTS •

• • • • • • • • • • •

Serves 4

DIRECTIONS

2 cups long-grain rice or “sella” golden basmati rice 1/2 tin chopped or plum tomatoes 1/2 red bell pepper 1/2 scotch bonnet/chili pepper 2 cloves garlic 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger 4 Tablespoons sunflower oil 1 small red onion (sliced) 2½ cups water 1 Tablespoon curry powder 1 teaspoon dried thyme salt to taste

1. Rinse the rice a couple of times under cold water and set aside.

2. Place the tinned tomatoes, red bell pepper, chili, garlic and ginger in a blender and blend until smooth.

3. Heat the sunflower oil in a large saucepan or cooking pot. Add the onions and sauté on medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

Add the blended pepper and tomato mixture, along with the washed rice.

Cover with 2½ cups of water. Add the curry powder, thyme and salt to taste.

Stir to combine.

4. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.

5. Stir the rice gently and take off the heat.

6. Serve with a side of fried plantain, salad, or stir-fried vegetables.

ABOUT THE CHEF Tomi Makanjuola is an award-winning blogger and chef. She runs The Vegan Nigerian, a platform dedicated to making Nigerian cuisine and the vegan lifestyle accessible to members of her community and beyond. The Vegan Nigerian began as a blog in 2013 and has since evolved into pop-up restaurants, workshops and catering services. Tomi is the author of Plantain Cookbook. vegannigerian.com vegannigerian VeganNigerian Download Plantain Cookbook: www.payhip.com/vegannigerian

VEGWORLD Magazine

The Holiday Issue

|

Issue 61 - November/December 2020

59

Glen Merzer explains nutrition like it’s never been explained before, and Chef AJ adds a bounty of recipes to make healthy nutrition delicious!

GLEN MERZER & CHEF AJ TEAM UP AGAIN! OWN YOUR HEALTH is the funniest book on diet you’ll ever

read. And it’s the diet that’s right for the planet!”

ED BEGLEY, JR., actor, environmentalist

“This is a fabulous book! It’s filled with life-saving information presented with crystalline clarity. And as hard as this may be to believe considering this is a book about nutrition, it’s also side-splittingly funny. I found myself laughing out loud on nearly every page. This book is for you if you want to be healthy for the rest of your life — and if you don’t mind laughing a lot.”

JOHN ROBBINS, Author of Diet For A New America, and other best-sellers; President, Food Revolution Network.

“OWN YOUR HEALTH is one great book! It is engaging, thought-provoking, and persuasive. It’s different than a lot of vegan books—in a good way! The real hook for this book is Glen Merzer’s humor weaved through every page.

As a special bonus, Chef AJ contributes an amazing set of recipes to live by. Glen and AJ are a dynamic duo, and the reader is the beneficiary!”

BRENDA DAVIS, R.D., co-author, Nourish and Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive Edition; author, Kick Diabetes Essentials

“Take Glen Merzer’s wise nutritional advice, add Chef AJ’s fabulous recipes, and you’ve got the formula for health.”

NEAL BARNARD, M.D., President, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

“OWN YOUR HEALTH is a terrific read. Don’t miss it! And don’t miss out on Chef AJ’s latest and greatest recipes!”

DOUGLAS J. LISLE, PhD, Founder, Esteemdynamics.com; Author, The Pleasure Trap.

www.ownyourhealthbook.com

JOIN THE VEGAN

EVOLUTION

ADVERTISE WITH US VEGWORLD is passionate about capitalizing on the growing trend of vegetarianism and vegan eating and building a loyal community of readers. Our regular features are carefully designed to excite readers about being part of the vegan lifestyle; provide the latest news and information on the newest and best veggie products; help ease them through a transition; provide them with cutting-edge information about how to look and feel incredible; show them how to integrate veganism into their lifestyle; give them mouthwatering recipes to share with friends and family; and inject doses of compassion to help them stay on track.

Download our MEDIA KIT at: https://www.vegworldmag.com/advertise Sales@vegworldmag.com