The following recipe is part of a larger article called “Halloween Horrors for Children Only” by Mary Clifford, R.D., that can be found in the Vegan Handbook.

Happy Halloween!

SLIME
( Serves 8 )

A simple fruit purée, yet its pale green tint makes this perfect for a special occasion like Halloween. Make this close to serving time, since the bananas will discolor if it sits too long. And, be sure to start with well-chilled fruit. (You can refrigerate unpeeled bananas — the skin will blacken, but the flesh inside will be fine.)

• 3 kiwi fruit, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 pounds (about 6) ripe medium-size bananas, peeled
• 10.5 ounce package silken tofu
• Cinnamon, fruit-juice sweetened cookie crumbs for garnish (optional)

In blender or food processor, purée kiwi fruit. Set aside about 1/3 of mixture and stir in vanilla extract. Add bananas and tofu to remaining kiwi fruit. Process until smooth.

To serve, divide fruit mixture into dessert dishes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and cookie crumbs, if desired. Stir some of remaining puréed kiwi fruit into each serving, swirling slightly to keep a darker green streak visible.

The VRG is happy to announce, we will be at this years Boston Vegetarian Food Festival on Saturday October 29th from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. & Sunday October 30th from 11 a.m.-4 p.m/ at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, address: 1350 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts.

Veteran volunteer Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, and author of recently published Everything Vegan Pregnancy will be at the booth on Saturday and Terri Carlo will be hosting our booth on Sunday. The ladies will be happy to provide insight into the projects of The Vegetarian Resource Group and sustaining a healthy vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. Stop on by and be sure to grab your free copy of Vegetarian Journal, sign up for our national mailing list, and take advantage of our discounted prices for cookbooks and Journal memberships!

The Boston Vegetarian Food Festival is FREE to the public and if you are in the area you will not want to miss these two days of vegetarian fun! Expect free food samples, hundreds of exhibitors, great guest speakers, demonstrations, activities for the kids, and endless learning opportunities!! Another great feature, free parking and a subway stop across the street!

For more information:
http://www.bostonveg.org/foodfest/foodfest.html

This recipe was sent to us by Chef Joseph Muldoon of Atlantic City. Enjoy!

Japanese Eggplant

2 cups Japanese Eggplant, large diced
1 cup mirin
8 oz Mochiko (Rice Flour)
Oil for frying

Dredge the eggplant in the rice flour and meanwhile begin simmering the mirin in a small shallow pot or sauté pan, you want the mirin to form a syrup-like consistency before you fry the eggplant. When the viscosity is reached, fry the eggplant until crisp and add directly to the pan with the mirin syrup, this will coat the eggplant lightly to add sweetness and retain crispness.

Megan from First Magazine is looking to speak with women (ages 30’s, 40’s,
50’s) who lost a significant amount of weight after switching to a low-fat,
vegan diet. She can be reached at [email protected]. Her deadline is today (10/27/2011).

For the next few days, we’ll be featuring recipes that were sent to us by Chef Joseph Muldoon of Atlantic City. Enjoy!

Baby Bok Choy

4 heads Baby Bok Choy – cleaned, quartered, and blanched
3 Tbs. Chinese Black Beans
3 Tbs. Sesame Oil
1 Tbs. Fresh Garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbs. Fresh Ginger

Combine all ingredients except baby bok choy and seep in the sesame oil for about an hour. In a medium sauté pan, heat the oil and bean mixture until the garlic slightly browns, add the bok choy to the pan and heat.

For the next few days, we’ll be featuring recipes that were sent to us by Chef Joseph Muldoon of Atlantic City. Enjoy!

Jade Pesto Steamed Tofu

1 ½ pounds Extra Firm Tofu (equates to four 6 oz. portions)
1 Bunch Mint
2 Bunches Thai Basil
2 Bunches Cilantro
3 Tbs. Fresh Ginger, Peeled
3 Tbs. Fresh Garlic, Peeled
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 Tbs. Mirin

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped to make a thick herb sauce. It is recommended to slice the tofu into two 3 oz. pieces or three 2oz. pieces so that the pesto flavor is infused properly and evenly. *Use a stovetop steamer set up

Katherine Sweet, a blogger for LadyLux.com interviewed The VRG and others for her article, “Vegetarianism: Saving the world by cutting out meat“.

For more information on how a veg diet can help the environment, see our brochure Save Our Water: The Vegetarian Way. You may also be interested in the Environmental Information section of our links page.

Niki Gianni, winner of one of the college scholarships The VRG awarded in 2011, has been featured on the front page of CNN.com this morning!

Young vegetarians: Getting the nutrition they need

Good going, Niki!

For more information about The VRG’s $5,000 college scholarship, visit:
http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

An author contacted us looking for personal stories from women who have had veg pregnancies to include in a book about vegetarian & vegan pregnancy. The author is specifically interested in how much things have really changed.

Do family members still pressure women to add animal products to their diets while they are pregant, and/or nursing? What health concerns do these people raise? In what ways are veg pregnancies different from Standard American Diet (SAD) pregnancies? SAD appears to be making many of us sick yet it seems like most docs still know very little about nutrition. In light of this, what are docs really saying to their pregnant veg patients these days? Did your doctor ask about your diet? What did you tell her? Published stories will include your name and will also be copy edited. Please include your address so we can send a free copy of the book to every woman whose story is used.

Email stories to [email protected].

Q: What can I use to replace cheese and meat in foods like tamales and enchiladas?

A: There are many ways to replace cheese and meat in foods like tamales and enchiladas. Various combinations can be made containing tofu, vegetables, and guacamole instead of dairy and meat products. An example of this is guacamole enchiladas. Corn tortillas are used which are rolled up with guacamole and jalapeños. A sauce is then put over it that can be described as a ranchero sauce, made out of tomatoes, cilantro, onions, bell peppers, and spices. Another recipe for enchiladas uses tofu, corn tortillas, sautéed vegetables, and any kind of sauce. As for tamales, a good way to substitute cheese and meat in them is to use zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, lettuce, and guacamole instead. Beans can also be put inside these. Another way to replace these ingredients is to use black beans, vegetables, and spices. Overall, there are many ways to substitute cheese and meat in meals such as these. Experiment with a variety of vegetables and some of the ingredients listed in this paragraph! You will find a favorite recipe in no time!

Written by Brittany Estes-Garcia while volunteering with VRG.

If you would like to volunteer for The Vegetarian Resource group, please email [email protected].