We received this inquiry:
I just received some “Nabah” seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds or RareSeeds.com and I am looking forward to planting them in my garden. The only problem is, once they start growing, how do I cook them? I have done an internet search which led me to some interesting Indian and Egyptian cuisine websites but no specific recipes for Nabah. I understand that these need to be soaked to leach out the bitterness, but what do I do after that? Would anyone in your community have any recipes?

According to http://www.rareseeds.com/nabah-from-cairo/ nabah is a variety of lupines.

Francesca Del Vecchio, RD answers:
Being from an Italian family we eat lupines often. You actually eat the seed not the flower, but you can grow them if you want. This link is to exactly what we do to prepare:
http://www.greenprophet.com/2013/04/lupines-traditional-middle-eastern-snack-food-recipe/
Here is another I found: http://www.christinascucina.com/2012/12/lupini-beans-and-olives-italian.html

In order to make lupini beans edible, they have to be soaked in a brine solution to draw out the alkaloids. Typically, the beans are washed first and then soaked in a brine which is changed until the brine no longer tastes bitter. It can take as much as five days with twice daily changes of the brine. When properly soaked, these beans have a great flavor, and are high in protein, making them a good choice for vegans and vegetarians.

Remember the beans have a thick, tough skin. The skin makes the beans fun to eat because you pop the bean out by squeezing the skin. Hope this helps!

For other bean recipes, see:
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2013issue1/2013_issue1_quick_and_easy_beans.php
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2001jan/2001janbean.htm
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2011issue3/2011_issue3_Fava.php

Job opening for executive chef at Sublime in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. We are located 10 minutes from the beach and downtown. This vegan restaurant has received countless accolades for decor, food, and service. Locals, celebrities, and politicians dine at Sublime. Sublime’s rooftop garden is one of two gardens supplying some ingredients. Salary commensurate with ability. Send resume to [email protected]

Are you looking for vegan orthopedic-style shoes? If so, here are two options:

Arcopedico Shoes: They offer several vegan styles. Please note these shoes have arch support; however, they don’t have the extra padding at the bottom that orthopedic shoes typically have.
See: www.arcopedicoshoes.com classic/index.html

Drew Shoes: You need to call the company at 1-800-837-3739 to find out which styles are specifically vegan. Presently they have three options for women. See: www.drewshoe.com

Spring is a particularly busy time for groups engaging in educational outreach such as The Vegetarian Resource Group. Thankfully, we have had an amazing team of volunteers eager to represent VRG at various events during the month of April!

We started the month off exhibiting at Worcester VegFest in Worcester, MA on April 6th. Our amazing volunteers, Eric Sharer, MPH, RD, Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D and Arnie Alper, MD engaged with a steady stream of visitors about the many benefits of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, offered a variety of vegan cookbooks for sale and handed out tons of great educational materials to vegetarians and omnivores alike!

Volunteer Eric Sharer at Worcester VegFest

Later in the month, on April 24th, we switched gears and exhibited at the PA Academy of Dietetics Annual Meeting in Bethlehem, PA. Our wonderful volunteer and registered dietitian, Nora Allen, RD, LDN, took full responsibility for representing VRG at this professional conference, and acted as a wonderful advocate for healthy and nutritional vegetarian/vegan diets.

April 26th was a particularly busy day for VRG as we exhibited at two events in Baltimore: the Spring Into Good Health Festival in Pigtown, MD as well as Greenwork’s EcoFest in Druid Hill. The Spring Into Good Health Festival was sponsored by Paul’s Place, a community outreach center in Southwest Baltimore, and aimed to promote strategies for health and wellness for local residents. VRG was the only vegetarian group on site and many patrons took interest in decreasing the amount of animal products in their diets. This booth was particularly special because it allowed volunteer, Matt Baker, RN and staff member Nina Casalena, to better reach those from low-income backgrounds, who may have limited access to information about plant-based eating and the vegan lifestyle.

Volunteer Matt Baker at the Spring Into Good Health Festival

At Greenwork’s EcoFest, volunteers Mark Rifkin, MS, RD, LDN and Chris Dietrich engaged with environmentally conscious patrons about how vegetarian and veganism can be an important aspect of sustainable living. Mark even brought his own visual display on the impact of animal agriculture on the environment and global climate change.

April was a wonderful month for booths and I anticipate the rest of the season will bring many more amazing opportunities for veg outreach. I would just like to thank all of our incredible volunteers again for all of their patience and hard work! Everyone here at VRG feels extremely lucky to have each and every one of them on our team.

To volunteer at VRG outreach booths, please contact Nina at [email protected]
To support VRG outreach, please donate at www.vrg.org/donate
To join The Vegetarian Resource Group, please go to
http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Isabella became a vegan in eighth grade after being exposed to information concerning the treatment of animals and the environmental impact behind producing animal products. Following are excerpts that she wrote about her outreach activities.

I worked with Food Not Bombs during the beginning of high school. I would help serve fresh, homemade vegetarian meals to the homeless prepared by members along with day-old pastries and breads donated by The Panera Bread Company. We would bring food to two separate locations on the intercoastal where the homeless know they can get a hot meal. For our school Environmental and Cosmos meetings, I contribute by preparing large dishes so everyone can enjoy a healthy lunch. My most popular dishes are quinoa salad, homemade hummus, vegan samosas with homemade mango chutney, guacamole, black bean and corn salsa, pasta salads, vegan chocolate chip rosemary cookies, and pumpkin banana bread. It is my way of proving to my peers that vegan food isn’t bland.

Since sophomore year I’ve sold my vegan granola everywhere at school: at my locker, during lunch, and between classes. It has happened more than once that a friend has interrupted my teacher during one of my classes to buy some of my granola (most of my teachers don’t mind, since they enjoy my granola as well.)

My experience with my school garden has been the true delight of my high school career. Currently, there are plans to erect a greenhouse at my school using the money we received when I wrote a grant request to the Whole Foods Garden Grant. Through my journey of cooking for others and showing them the wonder of plants in the garden and through my art, I hope to extend the joy I have received from living life compassionately.

This summer Izzy will be coordinating vegetarian food for her job leading volunteers on the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.

For information on the 2015 scholarship and to see past winners, go to http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

For information on our video contest, see http://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php

To support VRG scholarships and internships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

Thank you to Nora Allen for volunteering to do a VRG booth at the annual
meeting of the Pennsylvania Dietetic Association. Nora reported,

I had about 150 or so visitors to the table. The My Vegan Plate handouts went over great, as well as some of the general information.

Nora was a previous VRG scholarship winner. See
http://www.vrg.org/student/2007winners.htm
http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

Nora, thank you for continuing to do vegetarian education!

If you would like to contribute to VRG scholarships and outreach, you
can donate
at https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565
You can join The Vegetarian Resource Group at
http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

If you would like to volunteer for booths, contact Nina at [email protected]

Here are some materials available.
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/MyVeganPlate.pdf

Here are some terrific recipes to prepare for your mom and other guests on Mother’s Day:

Citrus and Greens Salad (From Vegans Know How to Party, by Chef Nancy Berkoff)
Serves 10

Salad:
8 cups mixed green salad (make a colorful combination of fresh baby lettuces, spinach, romaine, etc.)
2½ cups diced pink grapefruit and/or tangerine sections
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries

Dressing:
½ cup peeled and seeded fresh tangerine sections
1½ cups peeled and seeded fresh orange sections
½ cup peeled and seeded sliced lemon
3 Tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup minced sweet onion
½ cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon orange juice concentrate
1 Tablespoon black pepper

Combine all salad ingredients in a large glass or plastic bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
Place all the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor canister and process until just smooth. Place dressing in a glass or plastic container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Toss the chilled salad with the dressing right before serving.

Note: If fresh tangerines are not available, more oranges can be used.

Fruit Pizza (from Conveniently Vegan, by Debra Wasserman)
(Serves 4)

One 12-inch wide pita bread
1 cup unsweetened apple butter
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
6 large strawberries, sliced
1 apple or pear – peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Spread apple butter over pita bread. Arrange slices of fruit on top of apple butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve as is, or heat pizza in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes and serve warm.

Note: You can substitute several small pita pockets for the large pita bread.

Festive Cashew Cookies (From Simply Vegan, by Debra Wasserman and Reed Mangels)
Makes 2 dozen

2 cups raw cashews
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup 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 the jam. Mix well.
Form 24 round balls and place them on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. With your thumb, form a small well in the center of each ball of cookie dough. Place a small amount of jam in each well.
Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Allow cookies to cool before removing them from the cookie sheet.

Conveniently Vegan, Simply Vegan, and Vegans Know How to Party are published by The Vegetarian Resource Group and can be purchased online here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/

Honor your mom by giving her a gift subscription to Vegetarian Journal: http://www.vrg.org/member/

According to the Taco Bell, website, these are ingredients for their apple empanada. Note that it is not vegan.

Caramel Apple Empanada*
Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Apples (Apples, Salt, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid), Vegetable Shortening (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil), Brown Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Food Starch-Modified, Non Fat Dry Milk, Contains 2% or less of the following: Margarine (Soybean Oil, Water, Mono and Diglycerides, Salt, Whey, Soy Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Artificial and Natural Flavor, Vitamin A Palmitate, Beta Carotene Color), Tapioca Dextrin, Dextrose, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Salt, Rice Flour, Dicalcium Phosphate, Sodium Alginate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Locust Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum, Soy Lecithin, Agar, Carboxymethylcellulose, Carrageenan, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavor. Oil: High-Oleic Low-Linolenic Canola Oil, TBHQ (To Protect Flavor), Dimethylpolysiloxane (An Antifoaming Agent). CONTAINS: WHEAT, MILK, SOYBEANS

Water, Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Apples, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Shortening (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oil With TBHQ And Citric Acid To Protect Flavor), Modified Food Starch, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Canola Oil With TBHQ (Preservative). Contains 2% Or Less Of: Ascorbic Acid, Baking Soda, Caramel Color, Cellulose Gum, Citric Acid, Dextrin, Dextrose, Dough Conditioner (Sodium Metabisulfite), Maltodextrin, Margarine (Palm Oil, Soybean Oil, Salt, Mono- and Diglycerides, Annatto Color, Calcium Disodium EDTA [Preservative], Artificial Flavors, Vitamin A Palmitate), Natural and Artificial Flavor (Natural and Artificial Flavor, Flour, Sugar, Cornstarch, Unsalted Butter, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Dextrose, Polysorbate 80, Xanthan Gum, Annatto Color), Nonfat Dry Milk, Salt, Whey, Xanthan Gum. Oil: High-Oleic Low-Linolenic Canola Oil, TBHQ (To Protect Flavor), Dimethylpolysiloxane (An Antifoaming Agent). CONTAINS: WHEAT, MILK, SOYBEANS

*Will Contain One Of The Ingredient Statements Above, Depending Upon Regional Suppliers

Churro
Their Churro also is not vegan.

Water, Wheat Starch, Corn Flour, Vegetable Oil (Contains One Or More Of The Following: Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Palm Oil, Soybean Oil), Egg Yolks, Modified Food Starch, Egg Whites, Sodium Caseinate, Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate), Salt, Nonfat Dry Milk, Buttermilk, Artificial Flavor, Rice Flour, Maltodextrin, Wheat Flour, Tapioca Dextrin, Mono And Diglycerides, Soy Flour, Caramel Color, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum. CONTAINS: WHEAT, EGGS, MILK, SOYBEANS

Taco Shell
Here are the ingredients for Taco Bell’s taco shell.

Water, Ground Corn Treated With Lime, Sodium Propionate (Propionic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide), Methylparaben And Propylparaben, Cellulose Gum.

They state:

We do offer meatless options, but none of our products are certified as vegetarian. Please note that in some restaurants we use the same frying oil to prepare menu items that may or may not contain meat. All meatless ingredients are handled by our employees in common with meat ingredients, which may not be acceptable to certain types of vegetarian diets. Product formulations and/or ingredient changes may occur before www.tacobell.com is updated. Variations may occur due to differences in suppliers, ingredient substitutions, recipe revisions and/or product production at the restaurant. Limited time offers, test products, or regional items have not been included.

A reader asked:

I am interested in making my own cashew butter. This far,
experiments in a food processor not so hot. What sort of machine should I use?
Thanks! Oh, also I loathe peanuts though I know they’re healthy. How do cashews,
pistachios, and almonds stack up in comparison?

Francesca Cugini, RD wrote:

The Vitamix makes a perfect nut butter without any added oil. The only
ingredient to blend is the nut itself. It is a bit of a pricey machine,
but there is so much you can do with it and it doubles as a food
processor. It also has a lifetime warranty. The almond reigns supreme, but
all nuts contain heart healthy fats and antioxidants. Be careful to not
eat a ton each day as they are high in calories. Stick to a handful of
nuts or 2 tablespoons of nut butter. -Francesca

These articles may be of interest.
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2001nov/2001novnuts.htm
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/milk_alternatives/nut_and_seed_milk_table.pdf
http://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/fsu20022/fsu20022nutstoyou.htm
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2011issue1/2011_issue1_soy_nut_free.php

The contents of this post, 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 judgement about whether a
product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or
confirmation on your own.

These vegan restaurants were recently added to The Vegetarian Resource Group’s online restaurant guide. To find restaurants in your area, please visit: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php.

A Fresh Start
120 Main St., Kalispell, MT 59901
(406) 756-3774
Vegan/natural foods/café. A Fresh Start is an all-vegan natural foods café in Montana! Featuring a salad bar, the café also serves sandwiches, soups, veggie burgers, and wraps. They use organic and local ingredients as often as possible. Check out their daily specials! A Fresh Start hosts wellness education and cooking classes, too. Open Monday through Friday for lunch. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Limited service, take-out, catering, fresh juices, smoothies, VISA/MC/AMEX/DISC, $.

New World Café
223 E. Walnut St., Des Moines, IA 50309
(515) 244-0029
Vegan/organic/café/juice bar. New World Café is an all-vegan eatery in Des Moines, Iowa! Although they rotate menu items weekly, some foods that are frequently served include their spicy black bean hummus sandwich, falafel salad, lentil burgers, roasted squash tacos, and Creamsicle orange smoothie. They use organic and local foods as much as possible and compost all food scraps. The business model of New World is unique and community-focused; they provide a non-hierarchical work and service environment with volunteer opportunities. Prices are inexpensive, and there is always at least one sliding-scale option (pay what you can afford) available. The café is closed between lunch and dinner, so please call ahead for hours. Open Monday through Thursday for lunch. Open Friday and Saturday for lunch and dinner. Closed Sunday. Limited service, take-out, fresh juices, smoothies, espresso/cappuccino, soymilk, VISA/MC, $.

PositiviTea
550 Bloomfield Ave., Verona, NJ 07044
(973) 239-2020
Vegan/café/eclectic/juice bar. PositiviTea is an eclectic vegan art space specializing in organic teas and smoothies, burgers, po’ boys, salads, parfaits, ice cream, waffles, and gourmet raw desserts. The menu features a variety of sandwiches and salads including the Thai-style “Peaceful Papaya Salad.” The eatery strives to offer as much local produce as possible and fosters an environment friendly to local artists and musicians. Check out their online calendar for special events, live music, open mic, and culinary lessons and demonstrations. Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Closed Sunday. Limited service, take-out, catering, fresh juices, smoothies, special beverages, VISA/MC/AMEX, $-$$.

Sun In Bloom
460 Bergen St., Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 622-4303
Vegan/organic/raw foods/juice bar. Sun In Bloom is a quaint little eatery serving an all-vegan menu of mostly organic and raw foods. Breakfast is available all day and includes Rosemary Dijon Tofu Scramble and Apple Pie Pancakes. They also feature a plethora of muffins, cupcakes, and raw cheesecakes — all vegan, of course. Sun In Bloom makes all food, desserts, and beverages from scratch in their kosher kitchen. Don’t miss their weekend brunch! The café is nestled in Park Slope, between 5th and Flatbush. Open Monday through Friday for three meals. Open Saturday and Sunday for brunch. Full service, take-out, delivery, catering, fresh juices, smoothies, soymilk, espresso/cappuccino, BYOB, VISA/MC, $$.

Wild Leek Food & Juice Bar
2156 Windsor St., Halifax, NS B3K 5B6
(902) 444-5466
Vegan/café/juice bar. Wild Leek is a small neighborhood vegan eatery that focuses on seasonal and local ingredients. Everything is prepared fresh daily in-house. The menu features daily specials of three items: soup, quiche, and entrée. Some popular dishes include the BBQ Portobello (with cashew cheese on a baguette) and Banh Mi (homemade seitan with veggies and sesame sauce on a baguette). The atmosphere is very comfortable and charming with local art featured on the walls. The restaurant is located in the West End area of Halifax. Open Monday through Saturday for breakfast and lunch. Closed Sunday. Full service, take-out, VISA/MC, $-$$.