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Stone fruits are abundant during the summer. Debra Daniels-Zeller previously wrote an article for The Vegetarian Resource Group titled Stone Fruit. Enjoy these recipes:

ANISE POACHED PLUMS AND CHERRIES

COUSCOUS SALAD WITH APRICOTS AND ALMONDS

COOL AND SPICY STONE FRUIT SOUP

GINGER-PEACH SCONES

SPICY PEPPERS AND NECTARINES WITH SEITAN OVER RICE

STRAWBERRY PLUM SAUCE

ALMOND-NECTARINE PUDDING

SAUTÉED BALSAMIC CHERRIES

Find the recipes here: Stone Fruit

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Samosas from Woodlands

By Akua Oppong, VRG Intern

I recently had the pleasure of visiting a Vegetarian Indian restaurant in Gaithersburg called Woodlands. The atmosphere of the restaurant was warm and calming, and the decor was elegant and colorful. Vegan options are indicated on the menu, and there are a variety of them

I went with my family and we all ordered samosas first, our go-to appetizer at Indian restaurants. Samosas are a light, triangle-shaped pastry filled with potatoes and peas. It was very satisfying, with a warm, soft inside and a crispy outside. Next, I ordered Chana Masala with white basmati rice and Onion Dosai, and my family ordered Vegetable Biryani and Kadai Bhindi.

Chana Masala is one of my favorite Indian foods. It consists of chickpeas cooked in a flavorful curry. The Chana Masala at Woodlands was delicious to eat with the rice and samosas. Onion Dosai is a thin, savory crepe that can be eaten with numerous sauces. The Onion Dosai I ordered was very large, which is perfect for sharing with others. It was also crispy and slightly sour, with both mild and spicy sauces to eat it with.

Vegetable Biryani is a colorful, mixed rice and vegetable dish, and Kadai Bhindi is an okra stew. The Vegetable Biryani was fun to eat because of the numerous colors in it, and my sister and I agreed that it was very light and fluffy. The Kadai Bhindi had a nice tomato taste to it, along with a touch of spices and roasted okra. My family and I all thought that it tasted similar to the Ghanaian okra stew that we eat at home. Overall, we all enjoyed our experience at Woodlands and would recommend it to vegans, vegetarians, or anyone looking for great Indian food.

Woodlands Restaurant Website: https://woodlandsrestaurants.com/

Vegetarian Restaurant Guide: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Vegan Health, a website that I contribute content to has added a useful new resource which is in keeping with the website’s mission to provide:

• Reviews of the scientific literature related to the health benefits of a vegan diet.
• Discussions about concerns related to vegan nutrition.
• Recommendations for nutrients that can be low in the diets of some vegans.

The new resource, Nutrition Tips for Vegans, consolidates essential nutrition information that a vegan needs to know into one article. The article addresses protein, iron, calcium, iodine, selenium, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, B12, and D. There are links to more extensive information about these nutrients. Colorful graphics illustrate plant sources of protein, vitamin C, and calcium. The article includes recommendations for supplements for vegans.  Vegan Health is a credible resource that provides evidence-based information about vegan nutrition.

photo from Freepik

The Internal Revenue Service states that individual retirement arrangement (IRA) owners age 70½ or over can transfer up to $100,000 to charity (such as The Vegetarian Resource Group) tax-free each year. These transfers, known as qualified charitable distributions or QCDs, offer eligible older Americans a way to give to charity. For those who are at least 73 years old, QCDs count toward the IRA owner’s required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year. You need to have your IRA trustee send the money to the charity directly, and not to you first. You do not need to itemize your taxes for this benefit. For more information, see https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/qualified-charitable-distributions-allow-eligible-ira-owners-up-to-100000-in-tax-free-gifts-to-charity

This is not legal or tax advice, for which you should speak to your financial and legal advisors.

To make direct donations to VRG and support vegan education and research, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

Share this handy poster with family and friends. You can also print it out and post it on your refrigerator. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/VeganDietsinaNutshellPoster.pdf

We recently stopped in at Govindas in Richmond, Virginia, and greatly enjoyed their vegan Thali. The eggplant pakora was delicious, as well as the bean stew served with rice and a roti.

Govindas is located at 812 W Marshall St, Richmond, VA 23220. They are open Sunday through Friday for lunch and dinner (they close between these two meals). Information can be found here: https://www.govindarichmond.com/

Also, be sure to check out VRG’s online restaurant guide to veggie restaurants throughout the USA and Canada: www.vrg.org/restaurants

photo from Kind burger

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: www.vrg.org/restaurant

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide:

Essen Kitchen, 1 Findlay St., Cincinnati, OH 45202

Breakfast choices abound with Bowls, Wraps, and Scrambles—tofu-based, with spinach, roasted potatoes, and spicy mayo, there are a few varieties. The Bowl showcases chorizo. The Wrap has peppers and onions. Breakfast Sandwich is a “sausage patty” with Hollandaise sauce on a house made biscuit. Two other savory dishes are Poutine–seasoned potatoes, spinach, mushroom gravy, sautéed mushrooms, onions, and “mozzarella” or Homemade Biscuits & Gravy with mushroom gravy, roasted potatoes or tofu scramble with peppers and onion. Sweet starts include Belgian Waffle with either pure maple syrup, house made berry compote, or black pepper syrup, House made Carrot Walnut Cake or Evolve Bake+Shop’s vegan Coffee Cake topped with cinnamon crumble. Lunch and Dinner menus are basically the same. Andie’s BBQ Bowl is Smokey Truffle Mac topped with BBQ jackfruit, a drizzle of BBQ sauce and maple dill coleslaw. Mushroom Burger and Chips—is a Beyond patty, grilled mushrooms & onions, melted “provolone cheese” and smoky aioli on a grilled Cubano bun. Cincinnati Chili is made from lentils, Beyond beef, tomatoes, kidney beans, and a classic combination of Cincinnati chili spices, cocoa and cinnamon, topped with onions, and shredded “cheddar.” Buddha Bowl offers Brussel sprouts, edamame, roasted butternut squash, beets, quinoa, toasted chickpeas, and tahini lemon dressing. Pesto Grilled Cheese and Tomato Bisque features House-made Basil Walnut Pesto and ‘Mad cheese’ on sourdough with creamy tomato coconut bisque. (Beyond) Grilled Brat arrives on a toasted hoagie roll with grilled onions, bell peppers and mustard, and sauerkraut on the side. Ready for Dessert? To name a couple, there are Mini Cheesecakes by Love Thy Desserts in flavors like Death by Chocolate and Lemon N Lime, an almond flour-based, Snicker Bar–agave and date sweetened, with many organic ingredients including peanut butter and more.

Eve Olive, 5281 Rutherford Rd. #102, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5N9, Canada

Globally inspired cuisine, handcrafted with many gluten-free options. Some Starters include Stuffed Greek Mushrooms–Cremini mushrooms filled with tomato, onion, mozzarella, house-made feta, and garnished with stuffed green olive (gluten-free) or Crispy BBQ Cauliflower Bites (GF) Beer battered with whisky infused BBQ sauce. A GF Salad option is Vietnamese Noodle with greens and cabbage over vermicelli rice noodles, home-made sesame hoisin vinaigrette, fresh cilantro, mint, roasted cashews, and sesame seeds. Handhelds include a Beyond Meat Burger or Pulled Pork Style Mushroom Sandwich—Stir-fried organic oyster mushrooms with BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and Cajun potato wedges, yam fries, or Caesar salad. One Main is Thai Coconut Curry with tofu, bell peppers, bamboo shoots, green beans, and onion, over linguini rice noodles with basil. Tom Yum Hot Pot has similar ingredients, except it has mushrooms and cilantro and a tomato based broth with dried seaweed, instead of curry. There’s also Souvlaki or Greek Goddess Plate–Greek salad with house-made feta, lemon roasted rosemary potatoes, oyster mushroom kalamari, house-made hummus, and tzatziki, along with pita or celery sticks. Sweet Potato Rosé Ravioli with cheesy cashew cream rosé sauce, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and chili flakes is another option, as is (GF) Penne with Truffle Cream Sauce with house-made cashew cream, spinach, cremini mushrooms, and truffle oil drizzle. There’s also a handful of Pizzas to choose from. Can’t wait to hear about Dessert? A couple they have had are Decadent Lemon Tart Pie with berry garnish (GF) and a Decadent Chocolate Cake with coco whip and berry garnish (GF), but you’ll have to visit to find out for sure!

Fevers Plant Based Kitchen, 1021 N. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis, IN 46204

Whether you’re the kind of person who likes pizza for breakfast or who prefers an all-day brunch, Fever’s Plant-Based Kitchen has you covered. One of their signature pizzas is the “Girl Mom” pizza, which is topped with spicy sausage, green peppers, onions, spinach, and a buffalo sauce. There is also the option to build your own pizza, with either a garlic butter or a marinara pizza sauce, topped with your choice from a variety of ingredients including mushroom bacon, vegan cashew cheese, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes. No pizza order is complete without wings—cauliflower wings in this case, served with your choice of honey mustard, BBQ, or buffalo sauce. Brunch selections include the Pancake Brunch Platter (3 pancakes, mushroom bacon, fried potatoes, and seasonal fruit). To switch things up a little, make sure to place an order on Tuesday, for the Taco Tuesday entrée—walnut and mushroom meat tacos with radish, lime, guacamole, tomatoes, and cashew cheese.

Kind Burgers, 1305 Pleasanton Rd., San Antonio, TX 78214

Though there are lots more than Burgers here, we’ll start there. The Mean Burger is Two smash’d Kind Patties, grilled onions, tempeh bacon, cheddar cheese, and Kind black truffle aioli on a toasted sesame bun. Spicy Patty Melt has two smash’d Kind patties, grilled onions, ‘Swiss’ and cheddar cheese, and Kind Sauce, on toasted sourdough bread. If you don’t want a lonely Burger, kindly pick a Side! There’s Jalapeño Mac & Cheeze with gluten-free pasta and cashew cheese, Fries, Onion Rings, red pepper Hummus & Veggies, and more. Spicy Chick’n is one of a few Salad choices. It offers kale, grilled spicy chick’n, grape tomatoes, roasted corn, black beans, red bell peppers, tortilla strips, pepitas, and spicy dressing. Handhelds include Chick’n Nuggets, a spicy, Shroom Po’boy with Southern fried oyster mushroom and Philly-Soy “beef” strips, Kind Sauce, provolone, grilled mushrooms, onions, and peppers. There’s a Kiddos menu with children’s faves like Chick’n Nuggies, Grilled Cheeze,- even a Teddy Bear Pancake and more. All day every day Brunch includes Green Eggs & Ham – Beet Ham, scrambled JustEgg, Swiss and cheddar cheese, and arugula on grilled artisan bread with a hash brown patty. With some of those same ingredients, Sunnyside Sandwich is a maple sausage patty and cheddar cheeze on a toasted bun. Chick’N & Waffles features a Belgian waffle and fried chick’n patties with seasonal fruit. Got Milkshakes? Coconut, cashew and oat based, there’s Strawberries & Cream, Chocolate Brownie, Oreo Crumble, and Vanilla Glaze.

KINDEE Vegan Thai Food, 3326 Greenmount Ave., Baltimore, MD 21218

Take-out spring rolls, pot stickers, Kaho soi (Northern Thai spicy noodle soup served with tofu puffs, soy curls, crispy noodles, chili paste, shallot, pickled mustard green, lime, cilantro, and spring onions), Pad Thai, Pad Gaprao (Stir Fried Thai basil with mixed mushroom, asparagus in garlic and chili paste, served with vegan fried egg, and rice & quinoa mix.), Thai Black Tea with oat milk, mango and sticky rice, and more. We recommend delivery.

Lindiana’s Southern Vegan Kitchen, 4310 Almeda Rd., Houston, TX 77004

A hearty southern soul food vegan restaurant offering dishes such as Linda’s Famous Boudin Balls, chicken and waffles, and their French toast set.

Malinalli Superfoods, 4528 Whittier Blvd., East Los Angeles, CA 90022

The theme is decidedly Aztec at Malinalli Superfoods, with numerous pieces of native art, and some attire for sale. The menu is focused on signature items such as the Quetzal Torta; the Hunab Ku Bowl; a few different salads with spring mix bases, fruits, seeds, and other ingredients; and a variety of fresh juices and smoothies. (According to reviews, some non-menu items including tacos, nachos, and burritos have also been served on occasion.) Located just east of Home of Peace Memorial Park and Mortuary (on the other side of 710).

Ve Free, 5525 NW 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33127

A lighthearted, modern restaurant offering a variety of tasty vegan food options including mushroom and potato empanadas, milanesas, and different types of pizza.

image by atlascompany on Freepik

Denmark will tax farmers for every cow in a carbon tax on agriculture to encourage people to eat less meat to reduce climate change. For more information, see https://www.aol.com/denmark-charge-farmers-80-per-135541709.html

photo from Freepik

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

In 2019 a group of scientists from 16 countries worked together to propose a healthy dietary pattern that they believed would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% in 2050 and that could feed the global population sustainably. The diet that they proposed emphasized plant foods, including whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and unsaturated plant oils; called for low to moderate amounts of animal-based foods; and recommended low intakes of saturated fat, refined grains, and sugar. This diet was called the EAT-Lancet diet (1). A Planetary Health Diet Index has been developed to evaluate how closely people follow the EAT-Lancet diet.

What is the study?

Researchers wanted to see if people who more closely followed the EAT-Lancet diet did better health-wise than those who did not follow the guidelines of this way of eating (2). Almost 160,000 women and 45,000 men who did not have diabetes, cancer, or major cardiovascular diseases at the start of the study completed questionnaires about their eating habits every 4 years. Their reports of what they ate were evaluated using the Planetary Health Diet Index. The total possible Planetary Health Diet Index score ranged from 0 (nonadherence) to 140 (perfect adherence). Deaths among the study subjects were tracked for up to 34 years and were correlated with each subject’s Planetary Health Diet Index score.

What did this study find?

Subjects in the group with the highest score on the Planetary Health Diet Index had the lowest risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. In women, a higher Planetary Health Diet Index score was also associated with a lower risk of dying from an infectious disease. Eating higher amounts of red and processed meats, eggs, saturated fats, added sugars, sugar from fruit juice, and potatoes was associated with an increased risk of mortality overall.

Based on an environmental analysis, the food choices of the group with the highest Planetary Health Diet Index score resulted in 29% lower greenhouse gas emissions, 21% lower fertilizer needs, 51% lower cropland use, and 13% lower irrigation water needs compared to the group with the lowest score.

The results of this study suggest that choosing a more environmentally friendly diet also promotes lower risk of death from a number of chronic diseases. It’s not surprising that the environmentally friendly diet consists largely of whole plant foods.

To read more about diet and the environment see the environment section of VRG’s website

References

1. Willett W, Rockström J, Loken B, et al. Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. Lancet. 2019;393(10170):447-492.
2. Bui LP, Pham TT, Wang F, et al. Planetary Health Diet Index and risk of total and cause-specific mortality in three prospective cohorts. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024 [in press].

Zucchini Bread Thumbprints photo by Hannah Kaminsky

Hannah Kaminsky is the Senior Editor of Vegan Journal. She is the author of several vegan cookbooks and wrote an article titled “From A to Zucchini” in an issue of Vegan Journal. Zucchini is a relatively inexpensive vegetable and easy to find in stores. Enjoy recipes for Greek Zucchini Carpaccio; Falafel-Stuffed Zucchini, BBQ Zucchini Chips; Zucchini Pâté; and Zucchini Bread Thumbprints.

Read the entire article with recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue2/2020_issue2_a_zucchini.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php