Photo from Raiz

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: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

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 (Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many are doing take-out and/or delivery now):

Basil & Bunny, 691 Main St., Warren, RI 02885

Although they serve salads, they want to show diners that vegan food from a food truck is so much more. They offer bean and mushroom patties with various toppings and sauces such as smoky maple tempeh bacon, an herby cream sauce, horseradish-embellished White Barbecue, and Bourbon Brown Sugar to list a few. Their Chipotle Sweet Potato Chili is served with house-made cashew cheese.  One of their most popular items is Crispy Chicken Seitan with Buffalo sauce which they make in house, as they do most of their items. Gluten-free options are available and you can note allergies when you place your online order. Happily, their website states that they “source local, non-GMO, and organic ingredients whenever possible.”

BEG Bakery and Creamery, 3030 N. 68th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251

While it can be challenging to get your hands on a plant-based pastry, BEG Bakery and Creamery’s entire menu offers a wide assortment of everything from cupcakes, cookies, and cinnamon rolls to brownies, muffins, and ice cream. For customers who need a gluten-free alternative, BEG has an entire line of treats for you as well! All products are crafted from plant-derived ingredients such as almond milk, vegan butter, and flaxseed meal. Keep your sweet tooth satisfied without compromising your needs by stopping by at BEG!

Branch Out Foods, 713 Kentucky Ave., Paducah, KY 42001

In some communities, it’s challenging to eat out plant-based alone, but with gluten allergies on top of that, it can easily turn into a disaster. However, Branch Out Foods – founded by a couple who faced the same challenges when dining out – offers an array of dishes and sweets from all over the world to satisfy everyone’s needs. Craving something new? Try the Asian Jackfruit Nachos: tortilla chips, Asian jackfruit, cashew gochujang sauce, pickled daikon and carrots, kimchi, and green onions, or Poutine: Fries, topped with brown gravy, cheese, and parsley. And for those who know a good meal isn’t complete without a delicious dessert – choose from the various donuts, cupcakes, and cookies – there’s something for everyone!

Chef Kenny’s Asian Vegan House, 6128 Wilcrest Dr., Houston, TX 77072

Chef Kenny’s Asian Vegan House brings traditional Asian dishes to your plate with a plant-based twist. In need of a hearty dinner? Try their Spicy Kung Pao Beef or Mushroom Vegetable Ramen! Craving something more light? Indulge in a Dragon Sushi Roll or Chef Kenny’s Chow Mein! And even for the sweet lovers out there, Chef Kenny’s has everything from an Incredible Vegan Ice Cream to Tiramisu Cheese Cake to satisfy your buds.

Elephant & Vine, 719 Church St., Evanston, IL 60201

This fast casual restaurant serves delicious, plant forward food including rice bowls, BBQ shroom bowl, buffalo chik’n sandwich, katuna wrap, cauli-wings, salads, shakes, lemonade, smoothies, and much more.

Raiz, 120 1st Ave., New York, NY 10009

Raiz is a plant-based Mexican restaurant that offers tacos, burritos, salads, soups, and desserts. Popular items include birria tacos with jackfruit and the Westside burrito with vegan asada and cheeses. Other specialties include asada fries with cheese sauce and a crispy dilla quesadilla with jackfruit and vegan cheddar. The menu also lists desserts such as an oat milk flan with candied hazelnuts and churro bites with chocolate hazelnut dip.

The Haunt, 606 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA 31401

The Haunt is a forest to table plant-based restaurant serving blueberry lemonade, cashew cheese garlic bread, porcini banh mi, baked macadamia ricotta flatbread, raw lasagna, and more. The flavors are phenomenal and worth the stop.

The Vegetarian Resource Group produced a brochure called “Save Our Water—The Vegetarian Way” looking at water usage and livestock production versus water usage and eating a veggie diet. One chart shows the estimated amount of water in liters used to produce one kilogram of food in the U.S. Another chart shows global averages of the quantity of water required to produce certain food products by liters. We also present the quantity of grains (kg) eaten by U.S. livestock to produce one kilogram of meat. Three sets of statistics are presented due to differing calculations by various statistics.

You can read this brochure here: https://www.vrg.org/environment/water_brochure.php

The brochure is also available online in Spanish: https://www.vrg.org/environment/water_brochure_spanish.php

If you would like to hand out this brochure in your community, please email [email protected] and let us know how many brochures you would like, street address to ship them to, and where you will be distributing them. Donations are always appreciated: https://www.givedirect.org/donate/?cid=1565

Photo and recipe by Rissa Miller

(Serves 4 as main dish)

Spicy Lime Dressing

1/3 cup salsa (your favorite)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons Mexican-inspired No-Salt Spice Blend (see: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2022/04/20/mexican-inspired-no-salt-spice-blend/)

Zest and juice from 1 lime

Stir or shake ingredients together until well blended. Set aside.

Quinoa & Beans Pilaf

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 cup sliced red onion

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 bell pepper, sliced

1 cup sliced radishes

2 cups shredded cabbage (or kale)

One 15-ounce can red beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups prepared quinoa (could also use brown rice or other grain)

Spicy Lime Dressing

Sliced cucumber, to serve, optional

Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, to serve, optional

Sliced avocado, to serve, optional

Sprinkle of red pepper flakes, to serve, optional

In a large pan, over medium heat, sauté red onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper in olive oil until lightly browned and soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add radishes and cabbage to the pan and sauté another 2-4 minutes, until all vegetables are slightly soft. In a large serving bowl, toss the cooked vegetables with red beans and prepared quinoa. Pour Spicy Lime Dressing over the top and stir to combine. Serve topped with your choice of cucumber, cilantro, avocado and/or red pepper flakes.

Cook’s Note: Looking for something cooler for a hot day? Try this entire recipe (except the red beans and quinoa) as a raw salad. Skip the sauté step and toss the vegetables with drained/rinsed red beans and prepared quinoa. Toss with Spicy Lime Dressing and garnish as desired.

A Dozen Cousins offers easy-to-make refried bean pouches in two varieties: Refried Black Beans and Classic Refried Pinto Beans. You can bring these on your next camping trip or serve them at home wrapped into a burrito, spread on a quesadilla, or use as a dip.

Read our review in Vegan Journal here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2022issue1/2022_issue1_veggie_bits.php

For information on the company see www.adozencousins.com

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

By Rissa Miller, Senior Editor Vegan Journal

1/2 pint Ball jar with lid

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon onion powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

pinch red pepper flakes (optional, more or less to taste)

Add all ingredients to the Ball jar, put the lid on tightly and shake well until it looks thoroughly combined. Store at room temperature for up to a year. Use in tacos, enchiladas, tortilla soup or other recipes where a Mexican-inspired flavor is desired.

Bill Shurtleff from SOYINFO Center is offering a free link to their research titled “History of Vegetarianism and Veganism Worldwide (1430 BCE to 1969).”

See: tinyurl.com/3ztdbbxc

Have you ever wondered if an ingredient listed on a food label is vegan or not? The Vegetarian Resource Group has an online guide to food ingredients that lets you now whether a specific food ingredient is vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian, typically vegan, typically vegetarian, may be non-vegetarian, or typically non-vegetarian.

You can search through this guide here: https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

To support this type of difficult research, please consider making a donation to The Vegetarian Resource Group: vrg.org/donate

Photo from Cali Bagels of Bagel Mix – Vegan-Bacon Sea Salt Everything Flavor

In the latest issue of Vegan Journal, we review Cali Bagels Everything and Vegan Bacon Flavor organic bagel mixes. Each box makes 6-8 full-size bagels.

To read the Vegan Journal review, go here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2022issue1/2022_issue1_veggie_bits.php

For information on the company see www.calibagels.com

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

photo from Camp4Real

Many parents worry about finding a veggie-friendly camp to send their children to. Here’s some suggestions:

Yea Camp will have vegan programs in Hinsdale, MA August 6-14, 2022, as well as a virtual camp July 11-14, 2022. See: http://yeacamp.org/

Camp Common Ground is located in Vermont and has programs for the entire family (adults and kids). They serve vegetarian food with vegan options. See: http://www.cgcvt.org/

Camp Zeke will accommodate vegans and vegetarians. They are located in the Pocono Mountains in Lakewood, PA. See: www.campzeke.org

Vegan Camp has programs throughout the summer in different locations. Andy Mars is the director. See: http://www.vegancamp.org

Camp4Real runs vegan programs during the summer in Virginia. See: camp4real.com

Camp Woolman offers primarily vegetarian meals with vegan options. Located in Nevada City, CA. See: https://www.woolman.org

Enjoy vegan quiche made from an eggless filling and spinach, pot pie including lots of veggies and savory herb gravy, as well as a variety of pies including Dutch Apple and Berry Peach Pie.

To read the Vegan Journal review, go here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2022issue1/2022_issue1_veggie_bits.php

You can find more info on this company here: www.raisedglutenfree.com

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