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September 2004—Issue #12
Vegetarian News, Food & More!
Brought to you by VegNews Magazine
In this issue:
**Last Chance: Veggie Awards Voting Closes 10/1
**The Best Restaurants of 2004
**Simple Treats Vegan Bakery
**Delicious Dairy-Free Mexican Fare
**Product Review: Low-Carb Vegan Ice Cream
**Hot New Find: Faux Suede "Ugg" Boots
**Preview of the October VegNewsletter
Thanks so much for your interest in VegNews, America's premier vegetarian lifestyle magazine. The popular "VegNewsletter" arrives in your e-mailbox just once a month and is filled with vegetarian news, tidbits, recipes, products, reviews, and more. It's the perfect accompaniment to a VegNews subscription.
The deadline is quickly approaching to vote for your favorite veggie products, people, and places in the third annual Veggie Awards. Each year, in the November/December holiday edition of VegNews Magazine, we publish the best of the best as voted by our readers. It's the largest survey of its kind in the world and features over sixty categories, from Best Vegetarian Restaurant to Most Veg-Friendly Airline. As always, all ballots are entered into a Grand Prize Drawing with a chance to win these great prizes:
GRAND PRIZE: A One-Week Stay for Two at The Lodge Grenada in the Caribbean. Gourmet vegan meals and breathtaking scenery await you! (one winner)
SECOND PRIZE: An Annual Supply of Soy Delicious Ice Cream. Receive a pint every week for the next year of this decadently rich and creamy non-dairy ice cream. (two winners)
THIRD PRIZE: A VegNews Gift Pack. Our signature oversized tote bag will be filled with a gift certificate for a pair of Earth Footwear vegan shoes, a beautiful hemp backpack from Earth, a VegNews cotton t-shirt, six jumbo vegan cookies from Alternative Baking Company, and a one-year VegNews subscription. (three winners)
The polls close on October 1, so vote TODAY!
Click here to vote online in the 2004 Veggie Awards
If you haven't yet seen the current edition of VegNews Magazine, you don't know what you're missing! Showcased in the September/October edition are 14 of the best veg restaurants in the country, complete with mouthwatering photographs, chats with the chefs, veg-friendly cooking schools, restaurant recipes, and menu standouts. From a splashy, upscale dining spot in Fort Lauderdale to a down-home, innovative diner in Texas to a trendy, celebrity-filled Los Angeles eatery, our editorial team shares the best of the best.
Here's a sneak preview:
Columbus: Dragonfly
Fort Lauderdale: Sublime
Fort Worth: Spiral Diner
New York City: Candle 79
Click here to discover the Best Veg Restaurants of 2004
After a brief restructuring period, the fabulous Simple Treats vegan bakery is back and better then ever. Run by sisters Jill and Ellen Abraham, the duo has opened a bakery in Seattle and will soon be opening a second location in Vermont. All of their dairy-free goodies are wheat-free and organic, and their specialties include cookies (we love their Oatmeal Raisin and Mint Chocolate Chip), fudge brownies, and blondies. Their brownies were voted #1 by VegNews readers in the 2002 and 2003 Veggie Awards.
If you're in the Seattle area, be sure to check out the bakery located in Nervous Nellie's Cafe. For everyone else, there's nothing like homemade, freshly baked vegan cookies, so order a dozen or two for your eating pleasure. They'll be baked just for you and arrive in a few days. The sisters also have one of the best dairy-free dessert cookbooks around. If you like to bake, you'll love their collection of recipes!
Click here to order some delicious cookies or brownies from Simple Treats Bakery
by VegNews Food Columnist Robin Robertson
Mexican vegan food? It’s not as improbable as it sounds. After all, many of us have dodged certain starvation with a Taco Bell bean burrito, just by saying "no cheese!" when we ordered.
However, depending on where you live, eating vegan in a traditional Mexican restaurant may limit you to the guacamole, not only because of the predominance of meat-and-cheese, but because many Mexican restaurants cook with lard. Happily, an increasing number of establishments now use only vegetable oils and some include vegan alternatives such as spinach and potato enchiladas and vegetable fajitas on their menus. If you can’t find such a restaurant near you, don’t despair—you can recreate the flavors of Mexico in your own kitchen.
An integral part of Mexican cooking includes produce such as avocados, corn, tomatoes, jicama, and the several varieties of chiles, as well as seasonings such as cumin, cilantro, and oregano. The abundance of beans, grains, and fresh vegetables in Mexican cooking makes it a natural for vegan recipes. In addition, many traditionally non-vegan dishes can be easily adapted with plant-based alternatives. Veggie burger "crumbles" are great in tacos while strips of seitan or Portobello mushrooms make yummy fajitas. Cheese can simply be omitted from recipes or a vegan cheese may be substituted.
Mexican-Inspired Tortilla Bake
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 cups cooked pinto beans or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder (or to taste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups prepared tomato salsa
4 ounces soft or silken tofu
2 tablespoons lime juice
Twelve 6-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded vegan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350º. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pinto beans, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. In a food processor or blender, combine the salsa, tofu, lime juice, and 1/2 cup of the bean mixture. Process until well blended. Spread a thin layer of the tofu-and-salsa mixture over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange 6 of the tortillas on top, overlapping as necessary. Spread the remaining bean mixture over the tortillas and cover with another layer of tortillas. Top with the remaining tofu-and-salsa mixture and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Bake until hot and bubbly and lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes.
Click here to order VegNews Food Columnist Robin Robertson's Highly Acclaimed Cookbooks
The VegNews staff was so intrigued by the new Carb Escapes line by Turtle Mountain, we just had to give it a try. After all, it’s the only low-carb, cholesterol-free, certified-kosher, non-dairy ice cream on the market, and as makers of the hugely popular Soy Delicious ice cream, their track record is near perfect. The verdict? They've done it again. For those concerned about their net carbs (nearly half of the American population), this low-carb treat will satisfy and delight. Staff favorites included the Mint Chip, White Mousse, and Chocolate Almond ice creams as well as the chocolate-dipped Vanilla Bars.
Click here to learn more about Carb Escapes Soy Ice Cream
When we discovered these fabulous faux suede and shearling Ugg-style boots, we just couldn't wait to share the find with our readers. Available at the hip online cruelty-free fashion site, Alternative Outfitters, colors include pink, camel and black. Not only are they adorable and animal-free, they're also affordable. So gear up for winter and get yourself or the gal in your life a pair of these beautiful boots. The popular shopping site also sells sleek handbags, tees and makeup.
Click here to check out these adorable boots from Alternative Outfitters
We've got loads of great veggie tidbits and information for our next edition of the VegNewsletter, to arrive in e-mailboxes everywhere in October.
Please help us get the word out. We'd be most grateful if you could share this edition of the VegNewsletter with your friends, family, colleagues and any related lists you're on. If this issue was forwarded to you, please visit our home page at vegnews.com to begin receiving your own copy each month. Past editions are available for your enjoyment by clicking on "See our past VegNewsletters" at vegnews.com.
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