Join lots of other vegetarians/vegans at the Valley VegFest in Northampton, MA this Saturday and the annual Veggie Pride Parade in New York City this Sunday. Many groups will be distributing information at these events including The Vegetarian Resource Group.

For details on the VegFest see: http://www.valleyveg.org/vegfest/
For details on the parade see: http://www.veggieprideparade.org/

Image courtesy of Pizza Nova.

Are you looking for vegan pizza in Canada? Pizza Nova with numerous locations throughout Canada is now offering the option of Daiya cheese on their pizzas! To find a location near you see: http://www.pizzanova.com

Anna Pazzaglia shared this recipe from Italy. Her website is: veganoidi.it

tagliatelle al pesto

8 ounces organic red peppers
2 ounces organic pine nuts
1 clove organic garlic
1/8 to 1/4 cup of organic extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces vegan parmesan
Sea salt to taste
12 ounces organic whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon organic turmeric

Bake peppers in the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or steam peppers for 20 minutes.
Remove the skin from the peppers. Slice the peppers and put them in a blender adding
pine nuts, garlic, oil, parmesan, and salt.

To make the pasta, put the flour in a bowl with a cup of water and the
turmeric dissolved in half a cup of water. Mix the ingredients and let the pasta
rest for 20 minutes and then with a pasta machine pull it and make the
noodles by rolling and cutting pasta into strips.

Cook the noodles in boiling salted water for 5-6 minutes.
Dress the noodles with the pesto sauce peppers and serve hot.

Don’t forget to stock up on your favorite vegetarian products from The Vegetarian Site this month! For the full month of March 2015, The Vegetarian Site will give 10% of their sales to The Vegetarian Resource Group!

The Vegetarian Site sells vegan footwear, belts, wallets, bags, and other accessories, food products, books, personal care items, plus much more. They are always adding new items in their store.

Support The Vegetarian Resource Group by shopping online at: http://www.thevegetariansite.com/cgi-bin/miva?Merchant2/merchant.mv+

Bid on unique products from your favorite veg-friendly companies for a good cause at The Vegetarian Resource Group’s 1st Annual Online Charity Auction!

June 1st through June 15th, 2015, The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) will hold an online fundraising auction via Ebay Giving Works where 100% of each item’s final bid price will be donated to The VRG. Funds from this event will be used to help offset the costs of printing and shipping our vegan and vegetarian-based educational materials which we have provided to activists, professionals and organizations around the country, for over 33 years, free of charge!

The link to the auction will be shared on our website, www.vrg.org, and Facebook page the day it goes live on June 1st at 10 am. If you would like to receive sneak peaks of all the amazing vegan goodies being offered in this auction please RSVP on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1412672129044692/

If you have any questions about this event or you are a veg-friendly business that would like to donate an item please contact our Outreach Coordinator, Nina, at [email protected].

We thank you in advance for your support!

Amy’s Kitchen said that it was voluntarily recalling some of their products after learning from one of its suppliers that it may have received organic spinach that was possibly contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. For more details on which products have been recalled see: http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/23/health/amys-kitchen-recall-spinach-listeria/

The Pollination Project provides $1,000 start-up grants to individual change makers and projects that promote compassion around the world. The foundation does not fund projects that support the consumption, distribution, farming, or eating of animals or animal products. They encourage vegan youth to apply.

See: https://thepollinationproject.org/#

Below are some new entries in The Vegetarian Resource Group online guide to veggie restaurants in the USA and Canada. To see the entire list go to: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Gush Juice
1100 4th St. North, Ste. 101
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Gush Juice offers juices, Kombucha, and Hydrators. All juice is cold-pressed, raw, organic, and made from locally produced fruit and vegetables. The juices could include a combination of kale, lime, spinach, and even pure Aloe Vera, such as the Green Monster juice, or a (somewhat!) more traditional combination of pineapple, orange, and ginger, as in the Sunrise juice. The store itself has no counter; the workers interact with costumers to build relationships and educate.

Lamb’s Bread Vegan Café
2338 Main St.
Columbia, SC 29201
Lamb’s Bread Vegan Cafe is a family run organic soul food restaurant conveniently located off I-26 in Columbia, SC. The cafe is decorated colorfully with African themed paintings, sculptures and drums. Try crowd pleasing entrees like orange “chicken” or BBQ “spare ribs” and sides like mac and cheese and purple cabbage. If you’re in the mood for something sweet, check out the variety of cupcakes they serve daily.

Pig Minds Brewing Company
4080 Steele Dr.
MacHesney Park, IL 61115
Pig Minds Brewing Co. is an entirely vegan bar, brewery, and restaurant. With appetizers, salads, sandwiches, sides, vegan burgers, tacos, and desserts, you’ll never go hungry here. For drinks, they offer wines, sodas, and beer. Pig Minds Brewing Co. also has live bands perform and organizes activities such as Thursday Trivia. Whatever mood you’re in, there’s a meal for you, be it fresh cut fries, a soy buffalo wrap, or a pumpkin carrot cupcake!

Pink Diva Cupcakery
394 N Watkins St.
Memphis, TN 38104
This vegan bakery features a variety of cupcakes and cakes. Flavor options include Snickerdoodle, The Unicorn, and Chocolate Covered Pomegranate. They also have options that exclude gluten, nuts, or sugar. Be sure to check their Facebook page or call in to see what they offer from day to day!

Violette’s Vegan Organic Eatery and Juice Bar
8560 West Desert Inn Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89117
Violette’s features a very eclectic menu full of options from lite and healthy to vegan comfort food. Starters include Wild Buffalo Sticks and Red Rock Nachos. Alongside a selection of burgers and salads, Violette’s features recreations of hearty dishes like the Triple Country Cutlets. They also have a kid’s menu with fun choices like the No Meato Bandito (bean burrito). Be sure to check out their juices, smoothies, and desserts! Located north of the Desert Breeze Park.

Vegan Nirvana
7862 Warner Ave. Ste. 110
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Vegan Nirvana has a unique decor blending undersea and space themes. The menu includes a variety of wraps, salads, and mock seafood items. Try dishes like the Fish Tacos or Kingdom of God (stir-fried vegetables and tofu with rice). They also have a fun selection of lemonades and desserts. Located near the intersection of Warner Ave. and Beach Blvd. Closed between lunch and dinner, so call ahead for hours.

Vegan Vee
306 46th Ave. N.
Nashville, TN 37209
Vegan Vee is a gluten-free only bakery offering American and European style bakery goods featuring mainly organic ingredients and fresh local fruits. Try their baked doughnuts with unique flavors such as pistachio rosewater and snickerdoodle. There are cookie sandwiches, brownies, blondies and about six muffin varieties offered each day. They also offer raw desserts, breads, rolls and chocolates. Vegan Vee’s tasty treats are also sold at several local markets.

Each year, on March 20th, we celebrate Meatout Day. Share these recipes with a friend.

Kidney Bean and Peach Cakes (from Conveniently Vegan)
Makes 5 burgers

Enjoy these unique burgers!

15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1-pound can peach halves, drained
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons oil (for pan)

Place all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor bowl. Blend for 2 minutes. Pour batter to form 5 burgers in an oiled large frying pan. Fry over medium-high heat for 5 minutes on each side. Serve warm on a whole grain bun with lettuce and a slice of tomato.

Potato Tacos (from Vegan Meals for 1 or 2)
Makes 3 tacos

Have fun with these tacos!

Vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup frozen hash brown potatoes
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup shredded vegan cheese
1 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup tempeh, seitan, or other alternative meat (cut into thin strips)
2 Tablespoons canned cut corn or thawed, frozen cut corn, drained
2 shredded Romaine leaves
3 taco shells or tortillas
Salsa, as desired

Spray a medium-sized frying pan with oil and heat. Cook hash browns until very crispy. Season with cumin, chili powder and pepper. Remove from heat, place in a medium-sized bowl, and toss with vegan cheese. Cook tempeh, seitan or other alternative meat strips in same pan, adding onions and cooking until onions are soft and “meat” is heated. Assemble tacos with potatoes, “meat,” and lettuce on taco shells or wrapped into tortillas. Top with salsa, if desired.

The Vegetarian Resource Group recently received the following note:

I was wondering if you guys help vegan startups? We have a fast-casual plant-based restaurant in Costa Rica that we would like to bring to the rest of the world. Here is some information: www.luvburger.com

Fabrizio Pilato
Founder & CEO
LuvBurger