photo from Freepik

Starting in 2026, Americans who do not itemize on their tax returns, will be able to deduct charitable contributions, such as to The Vegetarian Resource Group, up to $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for married couples.

photo from Freepik

• Add to salad dressings: Creations include a basil walnut vinaigrette or creamy salad dressing with almonds, mustard, and dill with added chopped pine nuts.
• Add to sandwiches: Chopped walnuts, almonds, peanuts, and pecans add a toasty flavor and extra texture to grilled vegetable sandwiches, falafel, and hummus. Or add chopped nuts to smooth peanut, almond, or soy butters to make a crunchy sandwich.
• Use as garnish: Increase protein, flavor, and texture by adding to bean and rice casseroles, baked potatoes, hot and cold cereal, baking batters, puddings, or vegan ice cream sundaes.
• Add to pasta: Top tomato-sauced pasta with chopped almonds or pine nuts, creamy-sauced pastas with walnuts or pecans, or toss pasta with olive oil, sautéed garlic, and chopped almonds.
• Add to sauces: Stir peanut butter or soy butter into mushroom sauces for a Thai effect; add ground almonds or pine nuts to creamy sauces and pecans or pistachios to fruit sauces.
• Add to breakfast: Baked apples, oatmeal, hot cereals, cold cereals, and muffins can all benefit from a variety of chopped nuts.

Franchia Kimbap

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Franchia Vegan Café’s website says, “It is a beautiful and unique space for a relaxing dining experience.” It lives up to this description with its traditional Korean décor, attentive service, and delicious food. The menu is described as “Asian fusion” and while it includes many Korean dishes, it also has dishes from Thailand, Japan, China, and Malaysia.

We were there on a Saturday afternoon and ordered from the dinner menu. There is also a lunch menu (served noon-2:59 pm Monday through Friday), a prix fixe lunch menu, and a prix fixe dinner menu. We started our meal with Franchia Kimbap. This is a seaweed roll, reminiscent of sushi, but described as a Korean seaweed rice roll. Our roll was filled with brown rice, spinach, tofu, carrots, yellow radish, and gosari. Gosari is an edible fern which is dried and rehydrated. It has a meaty texture. The roll came in 10 generous slices and was served with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi paste. This and a salad would be a fine lunch for one person.

Classic Bibimbap

For entrées, we shared Classic Bibimbap and a Sizzling Bulgogi Plate. The Bibimbap was a bowl of rice topped with beautifully prepared vegetables – spinach, carrots, sprouts, mushrooms, shredded zucchini, hijiki, and gosari. You could choose one of three sauces – spicy chili, bean paste, or ginger soy. Our server instructed us to mix the vegetables and rice and add the sauce. It was simple and flavorful. The Bulgogi plate was served on a sizzling hot metal plate and included shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, onions, and “beef” in a savory sauce. Our entrées were served with a small bowl of sweet pickled cabbage.

Sizzling Bulgogi Plate

Other dishes on the dinner menu that sound especially intriguing include Pumpkin Porridge, Spicy Kimchi Dumplings, Katsu Curry Udon, Soondubu Jiigae (Korean soft tofu stew with vegetables), Korean Sweet and Sour Mushrooms, Ticokbokki (rice cakes and vegetables stir-fried in spicy gochujang sauce), and Tempura Udon with fried “shrimp” and vegetables. There is an extensive sushi selection. The lunch menu features many of the same dishes as the dinner menu but also includes several kinds of ramen.

We did not order desserts or drinks but noted several interesting desserts including Black Sesame Pie and Fried Taro and Sweet Potato Rice Balls, as well as vegan ice creams and gluten-free cakes. Drinks include vegan organic wines, beer, sake, signature cocktails, an extensive list of teas, soda, and sparkling water.

Franchia is located at 12 Park Avenue (between 34^th and 35^th Street) in New York.

To find a list of veggie restaurants in the USA and Canada visit: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Red lentils are featured in new dips from Maazah. These savory dips come in several flavors including Basil Jalapeño, Lemon Tahini, Roasted Red Pepper, and Turmeric Ginger. Serve them at your next party or family gathering! Read our review here https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue4/2025_issue4_veggie_bits.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only: www.vrg.org/member

By Whitney McVerry

These bars are a great on-the-go pick-me-up and filling snack. We tried the Matcha Vanilla flavor and it was crunchy and perfectly sweet!

The bars come in a variety of flavors and are all vegan and gluten-free:

• Hot Chocolate
• Peanut Butter
• Maple Blueberry
• Almond Butter
• Pistachio
• Hazelnut

Check out their variety pack and try each flavor here: https://eatmezcla.com/products/variety-pack

Cornbread Flapjacks

Are you still looking for some new ideas for dishes to serve on New Year’s Day? If so, you may enjoy these veganized traditional southern dishes served on New Year’s from Anna Lam including Cornbread Flapjacks with Jalapeño-Mayhaw Jelly; Hoppin’ Johns; Turnip Greens; and Seitan ‘Ham’.

See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2017issue4/2017_issue4_new_year.php

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

Each issue of Vegan Journal features a vegan doing creative activism. In the latest issue we introduce Heather Francis a former VRG intern who is now an environmental lawyer. Read about her outreach here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue4/2025_issue4_vegan_action.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only: www.vrg.org/member

The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Annual Scholarship Program for Graduating High School Seniors in the USA Promoting Veganism

Due to the generosity of anonymous donors, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award one $10,000 and several $5,000 college scholarships to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted veganism in their schools and/or communities. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in SPRING 2026

We will accept applications emailed or postmarked on or before FEBRUARY 20, 2026. Early submission is encouraged.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegan diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

If you would like to donate to additional scholarships or internships, go to www.vrg.org/donate

Applications

For information on applying, visit: https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar or call (410) 366-8343 or email [email protected].

This contest is sponsored by The Vegetarian Resource Group/Vegan Journal, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

By Whitney McVerry

If you’re looking for the perfect pizza topping, The BE Hive vegan pepperoni is it! These pepperonis are hearty, flavorful, and packed with protein.

The BE Hive operates out of Nashville, TN, where they also run a fully vegan deli (see: https://thebehive.com/pages/deli-menu). They offer a wide variety of plant-based products, including bulk and variety packs that can be shipped nationwide, such as:

• Italian Crumbles
• Chz Shreds
• Roast Beef
• Bacon
• Chipotle Chorizo
• Pastrami
• Deli Slices
• Breakfast Sausages
• Marinated Filets
• Taco Meat
• Sliced Trky
• Soy Chxn
• Nashville Hot Pepperoni
• Gyro Slices
• Buffalo Chxn Slices

For more information, visit https://thebehive.com/

Who doesn’t love Italian food? Giuseppe Federici’s book Italian Cooking with Nonna is reviewed in the latest issue of Vegan Journal. Learn about all the creative recipes offered in this vegan cookbook here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue4/2025_issue4_book_reviews.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only: www.vrg.org/member