Thanks to former VRG intern Ivy Grob for sharing the following vegan tofu scramble recipe! Ivy said, “It was the perfect breakfast!”

Sweet Potato Tofu Scramble (serves 2)

Ingredients (these are estimates):

2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 block of extra firm tofu, pressed well
1 cup spinach
3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice
Seasonings of your choice
Optional: tomatoes or salsa to top

Instructions:
Cook sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and onion in olive oil in large skillet over high-medium heat until sweet potatoes start to brown. Crumble tofu on top. Add spinach and lemon juice. Add seasonings (I used salt, pepper, and paprika).

Once again, Golden West Café located in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore is promoting vegan week through February 22, 2016. In addition to their normal vegan menu (which you should request), this week they’re offering even more vegan options including Buffalo Tofu w/Vegan Blue Cheese, Vegan Biscuits & Gravy, Vegan Tofu Scramble, Vegan Farm Plate, Jackfruit Adovado Taco Platter, Three Sisters Taco Platter, Vegan BLT, Thai Red Curry Soup, Vegan Mac & Cheese, Cauliflower Polenta, and more! Also, don’t forget to sample one of their delicious vegan cakes.

For details see: https://www.facebook.com/GoldenWestCafe/

Vegan group seeks Jack or Jill of all trades good at multi tasking for part-time job 20-26 hours per week in Baltimore, Maryland. Staff person clerically and physically ships vegan books, Vegetarian Journal, and other educational materials throughout the country. Does the billing, packing, mailing, and marketing of items to consumers and wholesalers. Answers phone and e-mails. Coordinates volunteers doing booths, events, and other activities around the country. Works with interns, maintains press list, and supervises volunteers’ updating of national restaurant list and responses to scholarship entries. Entrepreneurial personality helpful. Please send resume, writing sample, and cover letter addressing your short term and long term goals, interests, vegetarian and vegan knowledge, salary requirements, skills, strengths, and challenges to The Vegetarian Resource Group, Attn. Volunteer Coordinator Job at [email protected]

Are you looking for some special vegan dishes to prepare on Valentine’s Day? If so, you may want to prepare some of these dishes that previously appeared in an issue of Vegetarian Journal:

Pasta with Rich Mushroom Broth
Risotto with Asparagus and Capers
Mustard-Roasted Vegetable Medley
Pear-Watercress Salad
Apple Salad with Greens
Rose-Scented Raspberry Mousse
Instant Chocolate Pudding

Visit: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj99jan/99janvalentine.htm

To Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal: http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Visit The Vegetarian Resource Group in Booth #504 at the 12th annual DC Green Festival! This event offers live cooking demonstrations, vegan/vegetarian food, and over 250 sustainable businesses showcasing their products!

For information see: http://www.greenfestivals.org/washington-d-c-2016-may-6-8.html

Creamy mac ‘n cheese. Taste the smooth, velvety sauce as you bite into al dente pasta, pulling a stretch of gooey goodness from your fork. It almost melts in your mouth. Now, imagine all that deliciousness is vegan. Yep, completely plant-based with no animal ingredients. No butter, no sour cream, no cheddar. Amazing, you say? Well, just wait until you taste it!

Baked, stove top, bubbly, or slow-cooked – mac ‘n cheese expresses the style of the individual making it. Experience the best Baltimore has to offer on Saturday February 20th at the Vegan Mac ‘n Cheese Smackdown, where local chefs and cooks will compete for vegan-cheesy excellence. The Vegan Mac ‘n Cheese Smackdown will be held from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Urban Business Center, located at 1200 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21223.

Contestants’ vegan mac ‘n cheese will be judged on mouth feel, taste and texture. Categories include Best Overall Mac ‘n Cheese, Best Gluten-Free, Best “From Scratch” (ie, no processed ingredients), People’s Choice, and Most Like Grandma’s. Grand prizes include a mac trophy as well as gift cards to local businesses. Some lucky attendees can expect to win delightful door prizes, too!

This event is open to the public and costs $10 in advance or $15 at the door. More than 500 guests are expected to taste the city’s finest in vegan mac n’cheese! PEP Foods will be on hand to sell other savory and sweet vegan delights, and a variety of locally-made beverages will be available for purchase.

The Vegan Mac ‘n Cheese Smackdown is a fundraiser for PEP Foods, a collective of vegan businesses and activists. The goal of PEP Foods is to create healthy, affordable, environmentally-responsible alternatives to animal products that are available and accessible to everyone, regardless of income. The collective is currently renovating an all-vegan commercial kitchen in West Baltimore. Other event sponsors include Baltimore Vegan Drinks, A Well Fed World, Better Health Better Life, Open the Cages Alliance and Local Color Flowers.

Website & Tickets:
http://www.pepfoodsinc.com/fundraisers/#macncheese

Calendar Listing:
Vegan Mac ‘n Cheese Smackdown
February 20, 2016, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Urban Business Center, 1200 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21223
Advance tickets, $10; $15 at the door
Join us for an over-the-top cheesy afternoon!

Mechaly is all about design, fashion, the environment, social responsibility, excellence, inclusiveness, integrity, authenticity and, of course, being a voice for animals. The mission is to take animals out of the equation. Since 2014, Mechaly has been committed to using cruelty-free materials in its handbags, wallets, and more. Sample products include vegan leather backpacks, a weekender bag, tote bags, clutch bags, wallets, etc. The items come in several different colors and sizes and are vegan certified by Vegan.org and PETA.

If you’re wondering what the name “Mechaly” means. To the founders, Mechaly represents their Legacy; it is their Culture, Heritage, Family, and Tradition. Mechaly is the maiden name of their mothers. They have vivid childhood memories of their grandfather, Henry Mechaly, and the principles he instilled in them. As children, they would often visit their grandfathers’ farm where he taught them to respect all living beings! He taught them that life is precious and to cherish good health and each day that is given to us on this earth. Grandpa pushed them to pursue their dreams. The Mechaly brand commemorates the confidence and determination their grandfather instilled in them. Mechaly is also dedicated to all grandparents who believe in their grandchildren unconditionally.

Start shopping today online! If you use promo code SHOP35 in your post, you’ll receive a 35% off discount on sales made via http://Mechaly.com

If you are a High School Senior that promotes veganism/vegetarianism on an ongoing basis, or if you know a student that is doing this, please let them know about The Vegetarian Resource Group College Scholarship Contest. Each year, the VRG offers three scholarships to graduating High School Seniors – Two $5,000 scholarships and one $10,000 scholarship.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a veggie 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 don’t forget to look at your e-mail.

Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in spring 2016. Deadline is February 20, 2016. We will accept applications postmarked on or before February 20, 2016. Early submission is encouraged. For details on these scholarships, and to see information on previous winners visit: http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

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

Today is the start of the year of the monkey. Enjoy the Chinese New Year today with some vegan Chinese food. Here are some recipes you can use:

Asian Sautéed Eggplant (from Vegan Meals for One or Two)
(Makes 2 servings)

1 Tablespoon peanut or sesame oil
½ Tablespoon diced onions
2 cups peeled and cubed eggplant
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 Tablespoon vinegar (rice vinegar is best)
¼ cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (if desired)

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft, approximately 2 minutes. Add eggplant and toss over medium-high heat so cubes are coated and oil is absorbed, approximately 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic, vinegar, and broth and reduce to simmer. Cover and allow to cook until eggplant is tender, approximately 8 minutes. Stir in sesame seeds, if desired, and enjoy!

Fried Rice with Peanuts or Almonds (from Meatless Meals for Working People)
(Serves 6)

1 large onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon oil
2 cups pre-cooked rice
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 cup roasted peanuts or almonds, chopped or whole

Sauté onion in oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir-fry 15 minutes.

You may also enjoy this article with recipes from a previous issue of Vegetarian Journal:
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2013issue3/2013_issue3_chinese_cooking.php

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal, go to: http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Dandies All Natural Vanilla Marshmallows have been a favorite vegan treat since they hit the market in 2008. While they are by no means a health food, they are a wonderful cruelty-free alternative to traditional marshmallows, which are made with gelatin, an animal-based ingredient. I love tossing a few Dandies in a mug of vegan hot cocoa and snacking on the mini version by the handful right out of the bag. You can even melt them down to make crispy cereal treats.

During a recent snow storm, while watching the fire crackle away, I got the sudden urge to see how Dandies would fare when toasted over an open fire. Would I be able to recreate a favorite childhood memory with a vegan version of marshmallows? I had never tried it before, thinking they would char when exposed to the hot flames, or maybe they wouldn’t be able to stay firm on the stick, melting away into a sugary mess.

I popped a Dandies marshmallow onto a perfectly-sized piece of kindling and held it over the fire. Much to my surprise and joy, the ‘mallow started to slowly puff up to almost twice its size. Then, right on cue, it started to caramelize into a golden brown color around the edges. Eyes wide, I twirled my stick, giving it an even roast. The sweet, gooey, slightly-burnt taste took me right back to summer camp and it was even better than I remembered. Too bad I didn’t have any vegan chocolate and graham crackers on hand!

It’s not a hugely important part of life, but the fact that vegan kids everywhere can enjoy the time-honored tradition of roasting marshmallows, huddled by the fire, surrounded by friends, maybe with a few folk songs thrown in for good measure, is something I love knowing the possibility of.

You can find Dandies Marshmallows nationwide at grocery stores and natural foods stores. See http://dandiesmarshmallows.com for a store locator to find your nearest Dandies, or buy online at http://www.thevegetariansite.com/index.htm

By Samantha Gendler