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Giving Tuesday is today! Please support The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Mission to Make It Easy for Anyone to Become Vegan! Go to: www.vrg.org/donate or text ‘give’ to 80660vegan (80660 83426).

According to Food Navigator Beyond Meat is being tested in:

8 U.S. McDonald’s restaurants

Their chicken at Panda Express in ten major U.S. markets

Beyond Pepperoni at 70 Pizza Huts in the U.S.

For information on other chains, see: https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own

How often have you wanted to make a gift in honor of a loved one or friend but weren’t sure which charities are vegan-friendly, pro-environmental, or pro-animal rights? Please remember The Vegetarian Resource Group. You can make a gift in memory of a loved one or as a living tribute to honor someone you care about on a special occasion, such as a wedding or birth. We’ll send an acknowledgment to you and to the recipient(s) you choose. Your gift will support educational programs and help promote veganism.

Make checks payable to The Vegetarian Resource Group and mail to PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203, or donate at vrg.org/donate   

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A 4^th edition of The Dietitian’s Guide to Vegetarian Diets has just been published. It’s a great resource for dietitians, nutritionists, and other health care professionals as well as students in these areas. As a contributor to this book, I can confirm that this edition has been extensively updated. It includes 4 new chapters – Carbohydrates, Vegetarian Diets and Bone Health, The Vegetarian Athlete, and Strategies for Working with Vegetarian Clients.

The book includes summaries of the most recent research on health benefits of vegetarian (including vegan) diets in prevention of heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes. It discusses important nutrients for vegetarians and provides lots of sample menus, lists of good sources of nutrients, and other information that will be helpful for those seeing clients who are interested in vegetarian diets. There are five chapters with updated information on use of vegetarian diets throughout the life cycle which include details about nutritional assessment of vegetarians at various life cycle stages. Chapters on soy foods and phytochemicals include lots of new research.

For more information, see the publisher’s website.

Chanukah is a time for extended families to gather together. The first night of Chanukah this year is November 28, 2021. Here are three vegan recipes you can share with your friends and family during this 8-day celebration.

Tofu/Potato Pancakes (from Conveniently Vegan)

Makes 8 pancakes – serve 2 per person

2 pounds white potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups water
1 box (about 10-12 ounces) extra firm silken tofu, crumbled
½ cup matzo meal
Small onion, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon dill weed
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons oil

Place potatoes in water in a large covered pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook 15 minutes over a medium-high heat. Drain.

Place the cooked potatoes and remaining ingredients (except for the oil) in a food processor cup. Blend until smooth (about 3 minutes).

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown pancakes on each side for 8 minutes. Flip over carefully. Serve warm pancakes with applesauce.

Vegan Noodle Kugel (from Vegans Know How to Party)

Serves 5

Vegetable oil spray
One 12-ounce package wide vegan noodles (lasagna noodles work well)
1½ cups silken tofu
¾ cup organic sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons orange zest
½ cup raisins
½ cup drained, chopped canned peaches
1½ cups peeled, cored, and cubed green apples
¼ cup applesauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a loaf pan (about 4 inches deep and 8 inches long) with oil. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain, and cool. Using a blender or mixer, puree tofu with sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and zest.

In a large bowl, combine raisins, peaches, apples, and applesauce. Whip in tofu mixture. Add in noodles and mix until well combined. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden.

Variations: For different flavors, use pineapple or apricots instead of peaches and dried cranberries and cherries or apricots instead of raisins. Whole wheat noodles can be used in this recipe.

Festive Cashew Cookies (from Simply Vegan)

Makes 2 dozen

2 cups raw cashews
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup molasses or maple syrup
½ cup water
¼ cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Small jar fruit-only jam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grind the raw cashews and rolled oats together in a food processor for a few minutes. Pour mixture into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients, except for the jam. Mix all the ingredients together.

Form 24 round balls and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. With your thumb, form a small well in the center of each ball. Place a small amount of jam in each well. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Allow cookies to cool before removing from the cookie sheet. These cookies make a wonderful gift!

Hello, my name is Abi Singstock and I just conducted research regarding the availability of plant-based lunch menu items at public schools in Cincinnati, Ohio. I recently published my paper and would like to allow for more people to see my results. I wanted to share my results with you. I found my paper to be of essential value to me personally since it was the push in my own decision to go vegan. I have found myself in a happier existence with this new lifestyle and would hope that I could help others find what I have found through veganism. I have provided the link below for you to see my paper and abstract. Thank you so much, Abi

See: https://www.jsr.org/hs/index.php/path/article/view/1911

For more information on school food lunches, see: https://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/index.htm

Organic Krush has a vegan menu listed on their website. Among their offerings are Tofu Breakfast Bowl, Sweet Potato Hash, Thai Tofu over Brown Rice, Spicy Korean over Noodles, Avocado Toast, and much more. For more information on this establishment, see: https://organickrush.com/

Vegetarian Journal Senior Editor Rissa Miller wrote an article titled, “On a Roll” in a previous issue. She provides recipes for making the dough (including a gluten-free option) or if you’re in a rush how to use vegan canned crescent-style dough. You’ll also find three sweet roll fillings and three savory roll fillings. Start baking today!

Read the complete article here: On a Roll

Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA only by visiting https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

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):

Curbside Comforts, Eastern Promenade, Portland, ME 04101

Curbside Comforts food truck is veteran owned and offers delicious plant-based vegan all-American comfort food, such as Chick’n Patty Sammy, Gravy Comfort Fries, Comfort Burgers, and a variety of Comfort Mac & Cheeses. Be sure to check out their social media pages for their schedule and location. See: https://www.facebook.com/curbsidecomfortsfoodtruck/?ref=page_internal

HipCity Veg 28 E 12th Street, New York, New York 10003

HipCityVeg is a vegan fast food eatery with inexpensive yet delicious fare. Although there are a few tables for dining, the restaurant is mostly for take-out. Enjoy the Ziggy Burger (made with smoked tempeh), Curry Tofu Wrap, or the Classic Veg Burger. The café uses recycled and compostable packaging.

Minglewood Bake Shop, 3337 W. Cary St., Richmond, VA 23221

Minglewood Bake Shop is a bakery that serves delectable vegan delicacies such as pumpkin scones, chocolate chip cookies, soft serve ice cream, cupcakes, and much more. The staff is kind and helpful. The decor is trendy and has a cozy ambiance.

Not Ya Average Leaf, 197 Vulcan Rd., Birmingham, AL 35209

Not Ya Average Leaf is a woman owned vegan food truck service doing pop-ups across Alabama. They serve egg rolls, cheese ranch fries, chik’n sandwich, loaded burger, red velvet cake, and many other items.

Sweet Vegan Bakes, 409 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL 60610

Sweet Vegan Bakes is a plant-based dessert and gluten-free bakery. Wraps, sandwiches, cupcakes, and cookies are among the items on the menu. A part of the shop’s revenues is contributed to local community groups. The location is ideal; it is only around the corner on North Ave from the Brown Line’s Sedgwick stop.

Toma-tis, 796 Mecham Ave., Elmont, NY 11003

Toma-tis is a plant-based restaurant that serves vegan Caribbean food such as Jackfruit BBQ, Vegan Oxtails, Jerk Chicken, Curry chickpeas, Plantains, and more. They only utilize natural products, including spices and condiments. The workers are quite courteous, cheerful, and informed. When placing an order online, the eatery is called “Liv in Vegan.”

Veg-in YYC, 215 6th Ave. SE, Calgary, AB T2G0G4 Canada

Veg-in YYC is a woman-owned and family-run restaurant. The menu offers a wide range of culinary alternatives, including deconstructed samosas, rice bowls, homemade burgers, wraps, flatbreads, and much more.