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Features Columns
Making Tasty Burgers 13 What’s Cooking? 3
By Jill Nussinow, MS, RD
Find out what’s up with the Vegan
Jill writes about what makes a Culinary Experience this month.
perfect burger for her using only
“real ingredients.” Hint: Quality From the Garden: What a
grains, the right beans, and lots of
Peach! 26
flavor.
By Liz Lonetti
Burger Schmurger! 16 Liz talks about the best techniques
By Marty Davey, MS, RD for growing, harvesting, and
storing fresh peaches.
Every wonder exactly what the
difference is between a burger Vegan Cuisine and the Law:
and a regular sandwich? Marty
Risky Business – The Real
takes us through the history of the
burger and consults several chefs
Story of Grilled Meats and
and authors about what makes a Fast Food Lawsuits 28
burger to them. By Mindy Kursban, Esq.
Find out about the latest lawsuit
Making the Perfect Patty 19 regarding the dangers of grilled
By Chef Jason Wyrick meats and how the fast food
industry is reacting to it.
Great burgers aren’t just about
the flavor, they’re just as much
about texture. Learn how to make
Marketplace 7
the perfect seitan and the perfect
Get connected and find out about
black bean burger patties.
vegan friendly businesses and
organizations.
Burgers in the Raw 24
By Chef Angela Elliott Recipe Index 58
Angela treats us to a fabulous raw A listing of all the recipes found in
meal with a delicious burger, this issue, compiled with links.
onion rings, and shake.
see the following page for
interviews and reviews…
Interviews Reviews
Interview with Dynise Restaurant Review:
Balcavage 31 Cinnaholic 50
By Ryan Luttrell
The Urban Vegan talks about her
cookbooks and life as an author. A vegan bakery dedicated to the
magnificent cinnamon roll in
Vegan Dietician and Public Berkeley.
Health Nutritionist Ginny
Restaurant Review: Bay Leaf
Messina, MPH, RD 35
52
By Eleanor Sampson
Ginny talks about her career,
veganism in the medical field, and
Delicious Asian inspired dishes in
weighs in on the optimal vegan
Portland.
diet debate.
Book Review: The
Activists Hillary Rettig and Veganopolis Cookbook 54
Dan Nordstrom of Vegan By Jason Wyrick
Protest Fuel 40
A food lovers cookbook featuring a
Learn how Hillary and Dan started mix of standard recipes and a
VPF, an organization that merges delicious host of dishes off the
vegan activism with social justice beaten path.
protests.
Product Review: Wayfare
Featured Artist Vegan Cheese Spreads 56
By Madelyn Pryor
Children’s Author Lisa Dips and cheeses that make the
Cottrell‐Bently 44 grade!
Lisa writes educational children’s
books with a vegan family as the
protagonists!
Burgers,
Fries, & Shakes March 2011 | 3
Contributors
Jason Wyrick ‐ Chef Jason Wyrick is the Executive Chef of Devil Spice, Arizona's vegan catering
company, and the publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience. Chef Wyrick has been regularly
featured on major television networks and in the press. He has done demos with several
doctors, including Dr. Neal Barnard of the PCRM, Dr. John McDougall, and Dr. Gabriel
Cousens. Chef Wyrick was also a guest instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program. He has
catered for PETA, Farm Sanctuary, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Google. Visit Chef Jason Wyrick at
www.devilspice.com and www.veganculinaryexperience.com.
Madelyn Pryor ‐ Madelyn is a lover of dessert, which she celebrates on her blog,
http://badkittybakery.blogspot.com/. She has been making her own tasty desserts for over
16 years, and eating dessert for longer than she cares to admit. When she isn’t in the
kitchen creating new wonders of sugary goodness, she is chasing after her bad kitties, or
reviewing products for various websites and publications. She can be contacted at
thebadkittybakery@gmail.com or madelyn@veganculinaryexperience.com.
Sharon Valencik ‐ Sharon Valencik is the author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan
Desserts. She is raising two vibrant young vegan sons and rescued animals, currently a rabbit
and a dog. She comes from a lineage of artistic chef matriarchs and has been baking since age
five. She is working on her next book, World Utopia: Delicious and Healthy International
Vegan Cuisine. Please visit www.sweetutopia.com for more information, to ask questions, or
to provide feedback.
Milan Valencik ‐ Milan Valencik is the food stylist and photographer of Sweet Utopia: Simply
Stunning Vegan Desserts. His company, Milan Photography, specializes in artistic event
photojournalism, weddings, and other types of photography. Milan is also a fine artist and
musician. Milan is originally from Czech Republic and now lives in NJ. For more information
about Milan, please visit www.milanphotography.com or www.sweetutopia.com.
Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen ‐ Jill is a Registered Dietitian and has a Masters
Degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from Florida International University. After graduating, she
migrated to California and began a private nutrition practice providing individual consultations
and workshops, specializing in nutrition for pregnancy, new mothers, and children. You can
find out more about The Veggie Queen at www.theveggiequeen.com.
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I can almost recall making some of my first contain some flour or bread crumbs for binder. I
imaginative burgers in the early 1980s when I was also often like to add nuts or seeds for texture and
invited to attend a potluck group. I knew that there flavor. My burgers usually don’t contain any egg
were a lot of great vegetarian cooks who attended. replacer but sometimes they have silken or regular
I was younger than most of them and I was unsure tofu, or ground flax seeds and water, for binding or
of what to prepare. for texture. Some people like to freeze the tofu so
that it’s crumbly but I don’t find that it’s easy
When I did a refrigerator scan, I had some leftover
enough to make into burgers in that form. Cooked
cooked split peas. I wondered if they might make
mushrooms also make a great addition to burger
great burgers. It turned out that combined with
texture but must be cooked thoroughly so that
brown rice and spices, they created synergy,
they don’t add too much liquid.
transforming simple ingredients into a sublime
meal. This was at a time when burgers were really The same is true for vegetables such as summer
in vogue, but mostly for meat eaters. These were squash or spinach that is still watery. They’ll often
the days before frozen veggie burgers graced the turn burgers into a mushy, but sometimes tasty,
freezer cases like they do now. mess.
Since that time I have created many different Burgers can easily be made from store‐bought
burgers and patties, usually from leftover beans meat substitutes made from soy or gluten but I
and grains but sometimes I have invented them stopped preparing those a few years ago,
based on the taste, texture or color that I wanted. preferring to use “real ingredients”. When I want a
My burgers from 20 years ago often contained burger like that, I just buy a package to keep on
cheese or eggs but these days, all the burgers are hand.
vegan and still work out quite well. Unlike my
What I like best about making my own burgers is
earlier recipe testing, I usually knowingly test them
that it is so easy to vary the flavors. You can easily
on myself, or others, long before bringing them to
season one batch of burgers in a couple of different
an event.
ways, or make a double batch and season it in
When I show up with burgers, I often avoid three or four ways. The only thing limiting you will
mentioning that they are vegan until someone be your creativity and your pantry.
asks. I am going to share my tips for making tasty
Most burgers can be cooked, then frozen and
burgers with appeal. And since I don’t eat many
defrosted when you’re ready for them. Grilling
buns or much bread these days, I often serve the
after defrosting is not always a good idea as the
burgers or patties, wrapped in a lettuce leaf or a
burgers might stick. In fact, many burgers stick on
corn or teff tortilla.
the grill so I like to pan fry them or oven bake them
Here’s how my “typical” burger begins: with well on parchment paper brushed with a little oil. If you
cooked beans, grains and spices. It may also eat oil‐free, it will be difficult to get the burgers to
Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
Mushroom Veggie Burgers Makes 6 medium
Serves 6 This will likely work with any cooked grain or bean with
slight adjustments in amounts. I developed this recipe
I like this burger recipe because I love eating
mushrooms and the ingredient list is short. for one of the Barbaras in my life who wanted
something tasty and easy to prepare and eat.
1 tablespoon oil
½ cup finely diced onion ½-¾ cup cooked quinoa
½ pound mushrooms, shiitake, crimini or 1½ cups cooked black beans
Portabello, sliced ¼-½ cup onion
3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cloves garlic
4 cups spinach leaves, washed Fresh herbs such as parsley, basil or cilantro
5 sundried tomatoes, rehydrated in boiling 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
water, chopped fine ½ teaspoon salt, if using fresh cooked, not
1 cup cooked bulgur, rice, quinoa or other grain canned, beans
1-1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs, processed in the 2 tablespoons hemp seed, if you have it
food processor
Salt and pepper Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Put mixture into a bowl. Add the sundried tomatoes, Bake on an oiled or parchment lined baking sheet for
breadcrumbs and salt and pepper. Mix with a spoon 10 minutes. Turn over and bake another 10 minutes.
or your hands until everything is combined. Eat, refrigerate or freeze.
Form into 6 patties about 3-inches in diameter and This burger tastes especially great served with
½ inch thick. Pan-fry or grill for 5 to 8 minutes per avocado and sprouts on a corn tortilla.
side or until lightly browned.
Jill Nussinow is a Registered
Dietitian, cookbook author of The
Veggie Queen™: Vegetables Get
the Royal Treatment and stars in
the DVD Pressure Cooking: A
Fresh Look, Delicious Dishes in
Minutes. She’s available to do
cooking classes and workshops
throughout the US. She hopes to take a number of
groups traveling next year. You can find Jill at
www.theveggiequeen.com.
When did the hamburger become a “burger”? appellation switch‐a‐roo by a chef no doubt a name
Why is it called a hamburger when it has no ham? change for better marketing.
These, and other life changing questions, are what
occupy my brain when I wake up at 3 a.m. and I A few hundred years later, Hamburg sailors longed
can’t get back to sleep. I live a shallow life. for their native dish in the nascent United States.
The meat had become salted and hard in its move
The history of the hamburger is very interesting from feeding roving bands on the plains to men at
because it is a global affair. The definitive burger sea. Eating establishments of New England served
article I found was written by Linda Stradley.1 All this steak cooked in the “Hamburg style.”
other articles and reference material either quoted
Ms. Stradley’s work or were included in her treatise Jewish emigrants were known to make, Hamburg
to the All‐American culinary delight. What follows beef, and “stretched [it] with breadcrumbs and
is a truncated a rendition. However, the website is onions.” It was also noted to have been served
listed below so if you are up at 3 a.m. you can get between two pieces of bread.
all of the details to make you the trivia maven at
the next trip to your local veg burger joint. The nineteenth century is where the history and
myth of hamburgers merge. Newly built
My freezer’s flat discs look nothing like the patties mechanical meat choppers unleash a wave of
Genghes Khan and his tribe would place under revamped products sold in a multitude of locales
their saddles to tenderize. After a day’s ride of and establishments. Thus, a form of the
proper smashing, the bits of mutton were eaten hamburger shows up at the Delmonico Restaurant
raw in one hand while guiding their horse with the in New York City as well as the Clipper Restaurant
other. in San Fernando, California. It even gets the nod
from the Boston Cooking School Cook Book in
The meat patty left Mongolia for Russia in the 13th 1844.
century with Khublia Khan and adopted the
moniker “Steak Tartare.” The invading Mongolians 1885 is the infamous year the modern hamburger
were dubbed Tartars by the Russians. It was there had its birth. However, it appears it was twins ‐
that Ivan, the unknown hash slinger, took the one born in Seymour, Wisconsin and the other in
cholesterol to a new level by introducing raw eggs, Akron, Ohio. Wisconsin native, Charlie Nagreen is
then adding onions. Yum! quoted to have sold meatball sandwiches, but
realized the little balls were too unstable for
Skip ahead a couple of centuries to the port city of walking at a county fair, so he turned them into
Hamburg, Germany. Among the imports from patties. Buckeye boys, the Menches brothers, sold
Russian ships was “Tartare Steak.” A brilliant out of their pork sandwiches at a county fair. They
switched to beef and put it “between two pieces of
1
Stradley L. [2004] Hamburgers - History and Legends
bread.”
of Hamburgers. Retrieved on February 12, 2011 from
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HamburgerHistor
y.htm.
Are you on a quest for the perfect veggie burger,
too? Sometimes I feel like a grail knight, armed
with my chef’s knife riding through fields of seitan,
beans, oats, breadcrumbs, and a host of other
ingredients, a juicy veggie burger emblazoned upon
my shield. Ok, now that’s a weird image, but if you
love food, you probably identify with the
sentiment.
A good veggie burger not only has to taste great, it
has to have the right texture. Usually, veggie
burgers fall short on the texture category. Some of
them are so mushy, they can’t even hold up in a
sauté pan let alone on the grill. Some are made of
slabs of seitan and seem more like a thick piece of
chewy stuff between two buns. I’d rather have
thick chewy stuff than mushy stuff for a burger, but
neither are truly satisfying.
has the most classic burger feel to it. Let’s start
This article will concentrate on two of my favorite with the basic recipe.
burger patties and go into the reasons of why each
of them works, with plenty of tips for adding extra 2 cups of ground seitan
flavor to each burger. The first one is a ground 2 cups of cubed whole wheat bread, about 1”
seitan patty and the latter is a black bean and pieces
ground oat patty. The seitan patty has the most ¼ cup of dark ale or water
meat‐like texture and the black‐bean oat patty is
perfect for capturing strong flavors and ideal if you Place the seitan in your food processor. If it comes
want to avoid using seitan. Enjoy! in a large chunk, chop it a few times first. Pulse the
food processor a few times until you have ground
The Perfect Seitan Patty seitan that’s about the texture of ground round. If
you pulse it too much and your seitan grind
Seitan already has a meat‐like texture and when becomes very small, the burger patty will have a
you grind it, it comes out very similar to ground homogenous texture. It will still be good, but not
round, perfect for making a burger. It holds perfect and we are on a quest for the perfect
together well on the grill as well as in the pan and veggie burger, after all! Note that you can use
The fruit trees are blooming in my backyard and it
makes me think of all the wonderful peaches,
apricots, apples and other delights coming my way!
One of my favorites is the peaches. Nothing is
quite like a home‐grown peach, juicer and more
flavorful than anything I ever bought at the store,
they are perfect to eat as they are or to make into
all sorts of wonderful recipes.
If you are interested in growing your own peaches, Like they sound, a free stone style has an easy to
choose a variety that will do well in your area. remove pit where a cling stone would need to be
Here in the desert we need to choose fruit that do cut out of the fruit. Depending on what you plan to
well in our brutally hot summers and mild winters. do with the fruit, the type of stone may be
Many of the fruit trees we enjoy are deciduous important.
trees, meaning they drop their leaves in winter and
go dormant through the winter months. After the fruit starts to ripen, you will only have a
Amazingly, it is more important to take matter of days to get your harvest in before your
consideration of the winter cold, than the local bird population will start to do the job for
summer’s heat here. “Chill hours” is a term used you! Some backyard orchardists have success with
by growers to determine how much cold will be hanging old CDs from the branches, the dancing
necessary for a given tree’s dormancy period as reflections can startle the birds and keep them
measured in time below 45 degrees. By contacting away. Some growers will put paper bags over the
your local extension office you can find out how fruit, and some just let the birds take some or don’t
many chill hours your region typically gets and then mind a couple of peck holes in their fruit. No
make your fruit tree selection accordingly. Here in matter your preference, you can only eat so many
Phoenix, we get range of chill hours depending on peaches and when the time comes, you should be
where in town you live, between 250 – 400, so prepared with a plan to handle the bounty. After
looking for trees on the lower end of that spectrum stuffing myself with fresh fruit, giving some to the
will mean better fruit production. I you pick a tree neighbors and baking a couple pies, there are still
with more chill hours than your area allows, that lots left to either can or freeze.
tree may never successfully bear fruit!
Freezing is one of my favorite methods for
Another point to consider when choosing a peach preserving the fruit. It is super easy. I take my free
tree is the type of pit or stone in the fruit. There stone peaches and just cut them in half, removing
are two broad categories, free‐stone or cling‐stone. the pits and no I don’t bother with removing the
Liz Lonetti ‐ As a professional
urban designer, Liz Lonetti is
passionate about building
community, both physically and
socially. She graduated from the
U of MN with a BA in
Architecture in 1998. She also
serves as the Executive Director
for the Phoenix Permaculture
Guild, a non‐profit organization whose mission is to
skins. Next, lay them on a tray in a single layer and inspire sustainable living through education,
put in the freezer until frozen solid. After your community building and creative cooperation
(www.phoenixpermaculture.org). A long time
peaches more closely resemble little hockey pucks,
advocate for building greener and more inter‐
slide them into a plastic bag and vacuum seal it to connected communities, Liz volunteers her time and
minimize moisture loss and freezer burn (or talent for other local green causes. In her spare
double bag in Ziplock type freezer bags using a time, Liz enjoys cooking with the veggies from her
straw to suck out as much air as you can). Peaches gardens, sharing great food with friends and
frozen that way are easily portioned out for use in neighbors, learning from and teaching others. To
contact Liz, please visit her blog site
small or large batches because the fruit can be
www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profile/LizDan.
removed piece by piece. You could also freeze the
fruit whole, but I like not having to defrost before
using because of a pit in there. Of course you can Resources
do the whole ascorbic acid or lemon juice with www.urbanfarm.org
www.phoenixpermaculture.org
sugar syrup and other added steps if you like to do
more work, but the simpler the better I say!
Happy growing!
Favorite Peach Smoothie
2‐4 peaches, depending on size
½ cup of your favorite non‐dairy yogurt
Optional agave nectar for those with a strong
sweet tooth or if using plain yogurt
1 cup soy or rice milk, adding more to achieve
desired thickness
Splash of vanilla
Place all ingredients in a high powered blender (like
a VitaMix) and blend to desired consistency.
Cancer is a frightening disease. Though it’s the linked to colon cancer such as heme iron, the
second leading cause of death in the United States, compound that gives red meat its color.
claiming more than half a million lives each year, Additionally, processing red meats by smoking,
there is still much we don’t know about it. While curing, salting, or adding preservatives can form
some risk factors, such as smoking, are well known cancer‐causing substances, as noted in the 2010
and extensively studied, many causes are still Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as by the
unknown. American Cancer Society and the National Cancer
Institute.
Even the factors we know about are often beyond
our control. We cannot control our age or family Unbeknownst to many, how we cook and prepare
history. As the recent nuclear crisis in Japan meat can also increase our cancer risk. Meats that
disturbingly illustrates, we can’t even control our have been grilled or pan‐fried at high temperatures
exposure to radiation. can increase the risk for colon, prostate,
pancreatic, stomach, and breast cancers. One study
But there are plenty of factors we can control. A from the University of Minnesota found that eating
report issued by the World Health Organization in charred meat on a regular basis increases the risk
February 2011 indicated that simple changes in for pancreatic cancer by up to 60%.
diet and lifestyle could prevent 30 percent of all
cancers. Cancer‐causing compounds called heterocyclic
amines, or HCAs, form when meat is grilled. One of
Nothing you do can guarantee that you won’t get these HCAs is a chemical called PhIP. Significant
cancer, but there are choices you make all the time amounts of HCAs are found in nearly all grilled
that profoundly affect your risk. Not smoking is a meats, including barbecued pork, hamburgers, and
good choice. Using cosmetics free of toxic grilled salmon. Topping the list is grilled chicken.
chemicals is another good choice. Exercising Even a skinless, boneless breast of a chicken
regularly is a good choice. contains more HCAs than any other grilled meat
product.
Perhaps the most significant choice of all is one we
make several times a day, every day: What am I Given the high rates of cancer and the popularity of
going to eat? having animal flesh at the center of the dinner
table, especially the meat of chickens, you would
The cancer‐preventive properties of fruits and think that the link between grilled meat and cancer
vegetables are well known and well documented. would be common knowledge. Unfortunately it is
On the flip side, red meat such as beef or lamb and not.
processed meats like hot dogs, bologna, and lunch
meats can increase the risk of certain types of In 2006, the doctor’s group Physicians Committee
cancer such as colorectal and prostate. for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) set out to change
that. PCRM commissioned independent laboratory
According to the American Institute for Cancer tests on the levels of PhIP in grilled chicken from
Research, red meat contains substances that are seven of the most popular fast‐food restaurant
Please tell us a bit about yourself. switching to a fuel‐efficient hybrid car!
I’m a creative gypsy with itchy feet and restless And as far as health goes, many studies published
legs. I’m also the author of The Urban Vegan: 250 in respected medical journals point to the benefits
Simple, Sumptuous Recipes from Street Cart of a vegan or vegetarian diet. Three large European
Favorites to Haute Cuisine (Globe Pequot, 2009). I studies published in the 90s showed vegetarians
love traveling outside the tourist cage and are about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer
experiencing other cultures. I live in Philadelphia compared to meat‐eaters. Vegan and vegetarians
with my 3 cats, all former strays. also have better outcomes than meat eaters in
ischemic heart disease, blood pressure, gallstones,
Why did you go vegan and how has that affected kidney stones, osteoporosis, and in lowering and
you? preventing diabetes.
I have been primarily vegetarian since I was 14 and But since this interview is for a culinary e‐
I dabbled in veganism unsuccessfully in my early magazine, from a culinary standpoint, I loved—and
20s. I went vegan in 2006 for ethical reasons after still love the challenge of cooking vegan. When I
much reading and research. The residual health first went vegan, most vegan food I had tried had
and environmental benefits also reinforced my tasted either too stereotypically "healthy" or bland.
decision. You can’t call yourself an (And to be honest, sadly, a lot of it still does.) I was
environmentalist without at least being vegetarian. determined to learn to cook vegan food that just
According to Peter Singer, the average person who plain tasted good—so good that it defied
follows the SAD diet is responsible for generating, categorization. Let’s face it: anyone can throw 6
on average, 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide each year. eggs and a cup of heavy cream into a dessert and
Switching to a fuel‐efficient car prevents about 1 call it “rich” or “decadent.” Attaining the same
ton of CO2 emissions. So switching to a vegan diet “wow” effect with plant‐based foods took a little
is actually better for the environment than more creativity and I like tend to gravitate toward
Please tell us a bit about yourself! nutrition. I immediately started eliminating all
animal products from my diet and lifestyle.
I’m a dietitian with a focus on vegan nutrition. I live
in a little town off the beaten track on Washington I’m sorry to say, though, that I don’t have any great
State’s Olympic Peninsula and my days are filled stories about how veganism improved my health. I
with tasks and projects related to veganism— was a pretty healthy omnivore and then a healthy
writing and providing technical consulting services vegetarian before I went vegan—low cholesterol
for the most part—plus local animal volunteer and no problems with weight or hypertension so
work and taking care of my own little herd of things didn’t change much in that regard.
rescued cats.
There have been other impacts, though. I know it’s
Why did you become vegan and what impact did a cliché to say that going vegan broadens one’s
you see personally when you did so? food horizons and makes food more interesting,
but like many clichés, it’s also true—or at least it
I became a lacto‐ovo vegetarian for ethical reasons was for me. I certainly found that cooking became
just after getting my graduate degree in nutrition. I much more fun when I went vegan. But the real
had a sort of epiphany while paging through a personal benefits center on my beliefs regarding
vegetarian cookbook; the little light bulb went on animals. Even though I’ve empathized deeply with
over my head and I realized just exactly what it animals for as long as can remember, I wasn’t
meant to eat meat. actually living in sync with my principles and values
until I went vegan. I didn’t know it, of course, and
But it was still a few years before I learned that a can’t say that I suffered any angst over it—but
compassionate diet had anything to do with dairy when I went vegan, it felt good to know that my
and eggs. When I started working for PCRM in 1989 actions were, for the first time, actually lined up
I began reading about both factory farming and with my ideals.
animal rights philosophy and also—because it was
my job to promote veganism—about vegan
Please tell us a little bit about yourselves. Dan: I was recently contacted out of the blue by
Hillary and asked if I wanted to work with her on
Vegan Protest Fuel was co‐founded by Hillary this project feeding pro‐democracy protestors here
Rettig and Dan Nordstrom. where I live in Madison, Wisconsin. I was
interested in getting more involved and doing
Hillary: I'm author of The Lifelong Activist: How to something for the large numbers of people coming
Change the World Without Losing Your Way here, especially those who were spending long
(Lantern Books, 2006), a self‐help guide for hours both inside and outside the Capitol. I spent a
progressive activists and others with a strong social night sleeping out myself, and as a vegan I felt
mission. I'm a vegan/animal rights activist, and really strongly that the food that was being offered
professionally I work as a productivity coach at the square, like pizza, was not stuff that I or
helping people with issues of procrastination and other vegans could eat. So it’s been really great
writer's block. I'm a Bronx native, but currently live doing logistics and everything else ‘on the ground’
in Boston. I'm a huge dog person and a former for Vegan Protest Fuel, and I’m excited that things
foster parent; and people can read about my vegan are moving to other cities now. I am also a
kidney donation here: unionized Wisconsin state employee, and the
http://girliegirlarmy.com/blog/20090107/kidney‐ Republican attacks on our freedom and democracy
karmarama‐or‐how‐my‐kidney‐found‐mr‐right/ really hit close to home. As someone who has
worked on peace and justice issues for many years
Please tell us a bit about yourself. vegetarian, as our daughter had already insisted on
being her whole life.
My name is Lisa Cottrell‐Bentley, and I am an
author/publisher. I live on ten quiet acres in For me becoming vegan started as a 100% health
Sahuarita, AZ with my always homeschooled decision. I have a history of a variety of diseases,
daughters Zoe (14) and Teagan (10), husband Greg, including, but not limited to: Irritable bowel
and five indoor housecats. Originally from the syndrome, diagnosed bleeding ulcers, severe
Quad‐City area of Iowa/Illinois, I’ve been in Arizona debilitating migraines, acne, kidney stones,
now for 11.5 years. gallstones, severe menstrual issues, and much,
much more. All of these were diagnosed by well‐
What spurred you on to become vegan? meaning doctors starting when I was just a baby. In
2003, I was finally sick of being sick. I’d tried a
I became vegan in April 2003 after having been variety of pills and diets to cure me, and nothing
vegetarian for a few years, and “chicken and fish worked. I’d even tried alternative things like
only” vegetarian for a few years before that. My homeopathy and acupuncture. I accidentally
turning vegetarian was encouraged my oldest stumbled upon veganism as a cure to various
daughter, Zoe, when she was only two or three diseases. Since I’d already tried many different
years old. She was a very verbal toddler and diets, I thought the whole thing was hogwash.
refused to eat or do anything she didn’t
understand fully. One day when she was interested So, I set out to prove that veganism wouldn’t work
in broadening her food horizons, she asked me for me. I gave it a three day trial, which in
what I was eating. I was eating chicken and I told retrospect seems incredibly short‐sided, and I
her that. She quickly went from laughing (thinking stocked up the refrigerator with vegan foods. At
it was a joke), to being quite mad at me, to being the end of the three day trial, I’d never felt so good
sad that most people in the world eat animals. To in my life. My acne had cleared. I hadn’t had a
me, that was very enlightening. It was that day that headache, let alone a migraine. I hadn’t had a
my husband and I decided to become fully single stomach pain. I was effectively disease free
Ah, Portland. most other places I've had that particular dish. Not
that either of these dishes were bad ‐ they were
Possibly the most vegan friendly city in the country, fine, just not exceptional.
Portland, Oregon boasts a variety of vegan fare
that I have never seen anywhere else. From vegan Also falling into the fine but not exceptional
pho to multiple pizza shops with "Now Serving category was the hot and sour soup, although it
Vegan and Soy Cheeses" banners dangling out was refreshing to see chunks of mushroom floating
front, Portland is definitely a culinary destination around in the dark brown broth. Personally, I
for any vegan traveler. preferred the corn chowder ‐ Bay Leaf's version of
the decidedly non‐vegan egg flower soup that one
Portland is also home to the Bay Leaf Vegetarian sees at almost all Chinese restaurants. The corn
Restaurant, which has some of the finest Chinese chowder is a stick‐to‐your‐ribs soup, with a lovely
cuisine this reviewer has ever eaten. delicate flavor that is still bold enough to match the
thickness of the soup.
Not every dish
is a home run, Although there were a few misses, when Bay Leaf
of course. The gets it right, they knock it out of the park.
appetizer spring Take, for instance, the sesame tofu. It's soft tofu
rolls, which that has been dipped in batter studded with
arrived at the sesame seeds and then lightly fried to light golden
table fresh from perfection. It was served with steamed broccoli,
the fryer, were bright green and tender yet with just the right
hot and firmness. The sauce, however, is what makes the
extremely crispy as fried spring rolls should be, but dish phenomenal ‐ the tofu is served with a light,
the filling was pretty standard fare. Likewise, the refreshing, and unusual citrus sauce, tangy and
veggies delight noodle, stir‐fried lo mein noodles sweet all at once. Other hits include the lion's
with mixed vegetables, pretty much tasted like mane satay, firm lion's mane mushrooms served
every other vegetable lo mein dish I have ever with a slightly spicy peanut sauce, and you simply
eaten. Thankfully, however, it was less greasy than can't go wrong with either the mushroom or
Book Review: The Veganopolis
Cookbook Authors: David Stowell and
George Black
When I first visited Portland, I had scouted out tread that same stagnant waters and this one goes
vegan restaurants to go try (as any respectable out of its way to teach something different. I
vegan foodie should do!) and was frequently told I mean, how many books feature achiote paste, let
should head to Veganopolis. Sadly, Veganopolis alone a vegan cookbook? Big points from me.
closed two weeks before I made it to Portland.
Luckily, there were plenty of tasty vegan places in Of particular note is the Cheitan recipe. This is a
Portland to keep me satisfied my entire trip, but seitan recipe that also uses chickpea flour and
with so many recommendations, I was a bit wistful other proteins to achieve a remarkably meat‐like
about Veganopolis. That is, until I saw the texture. In many ways, it reminded me of Gardein
Veganopolis cookbook hit the shelves. At last! An mock meats.
opportunity to try some of the dishes I had just
missed out on. I should mention that this book is for people that
love to cook. Some of the recipes have long
What immediately struck me about this cookbook ingredient lists or take several steps more than a
was the style of recipes it offered, that is recipes quick and dirty recipe. While I think even
that are high on flavor, but most of them are beginners can handle those things, beginners can
probably regional dishes most vegans have never sometimes get intimidated by them. This book is
seen before. Of course, if has some basics like the not a vegan primer, but rather an exploration of
Creamy Potato Salad and the Veganopolis Mac and food for the person that instantly smiles when they
Cheese, but it also has recipes for Coq au Vin, walk in the kitchen.
Blackened Tofu Etoufee, Ceviche, Achiote Rice, and
Ecuadorian Yapingachos. If you haven’t heard of a I would definitely recommend this book.
lot of these, that’s ok. The fact that it has flavorful,
off‐the‐beaten‐path recipes is one of the big selling
points of the book. Most vegan cookbooks seem to
I teach cooking classes at least once a week, and cumin when you first dig in. However, after a few
one question I consistently get is “How do I replace bites that recedes and you just get the creamy
cheese?” I also hear many people say that cheese is tastiness of the cheese. It would be perfect for
the hardest thing to give up as they transition. Of making a big pile of vegan nachos. The cheddar
course, animal cheese is not only wrong from an spread is a lot like the hickory spread, only without
animal rights view, it is a health disaster. Luckily, the smokiness. I liked it, but I think it needs to be
more and more great animal free alternatives are used in something, rather than eaten alone. One
letting us have our cheese and eat it, too. One of suggestion would be to put it out for guests with
the great companies making tasty cheese is some good crackers and slices of Tofurkey sausage
WayFare. WayFare makes their products with that have been skillet browned. On its own, it just
oatmeal as one of the key ingredients, which lets does not illicit any awe.
them keep it soy free (and delicious).
Over all, I was impressed with the texture and
As of this writing, WayFare has five products: a clean taste that WayFare has managed to create in
sour cream, cheddar dip, cheddar spread, Mexi its cheese dips and spreads. They are creamy, tasty
cheddar drip, and a hickory cheddar spread. I have and slightly addictive. It is also great that they are
not yet had the sour cream since it isn’t in my area, free of many allergens, such as soy and wheat.
but I have sampled the dips and spreads. The dips Over all, they’re a very safe bet… just don’t get the
have a softer texture, think sour cream. The hickory if you are on a diet, because you will eat it
spreads are like a cream cheese or thick hummus. I all!
cannot stop eating the hickory cheddar spread…
seriously. It is addictive! It is creamy, smoky, and Recommended.
has a nice cheddar taste. It is wonderful, and worth
tracking down. My husband and I are polishing off The Reviewer
the hickory cheddar as I write, because once you
start, you cannot stop. The mexi‐cheddar dip is less Madelyn is a busy culinary
addictive. To me, it has a slightly strong flavor of instructor teaching people
Type: Burger Serves: 4
Time to Prepare: 40 minutes
Ingredients
1 large, wide eggplant, sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 ½ tbsp. of olive oil
¼ tsp. of salt
½ tsp. of cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. of chopped fresh oregano
8‐12 large basil leaves
Vegan mozzarella
4 buns (bottoms only)
Instructions
Slice the eggplant into 1” rounds and keep the four largest pieces.
Slice the tomato into thick rounds, about ½” each.
Slice the garlic.
Toss the eggplant, tomatoes, and garlic in the olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano.
Bake this on 400 degrees for 20‐25 minutes.
Slice the mozzarella until you have enough slices to thoroughly cover each eggplant.
Create four stacks with a bottom layer of eggplant, a middle layer of mozzarella, and a top layer of
tomato.
Return this to the oven in a covered baking dish for 5 minutes (just long enough to soften the cheese,
but not thoroughly melt it).
While this is baking, toast the buns in a dry pan over a medium heat for about 30 seconds.
Place each stack on a bun and top with 2‐3 basil leaves.
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Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Type: Burger Serves: 2
Time to Prepare: 10 minutes
Ingredients
The Burger
2 buns, toasted
2 vegan burger patties
1 tsp. of olive oil
1 large roasted green chile (such as a Hatch chile) or ¼ cup of roasted, diced green chiles
4‐6 raw Brazil nuts, chopped
Option: 2 slices of white vegan cheese
The Sauce
1 cup of chopped flatleaf parsley
2 tbsp. of white vinegar (white balsamic makes the best sauce)
1 tbsp. of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
½ tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp. of cracked black pepper
1/8 tsp. of salt
Instructions
Toast the buns over a medium‐high heat in a dry pan for about 30 seconds per side or in the oven on
325 degrees for about 1 minute.
Over a medium heat, sauté the patties in the oil until brown on both sides.
Option: Brush the patties with oil and grill them over wood‐fire grill for a smoky flavor.
Option: If you use the cheese, cook on side of the burger, flip it, lower the heat to medium, add the
cheese, cover the pan, and cook the other side of the burger for about 2 minutes.
Chop the roasted chile into large pieces and give the Brazil nuts a rough chop.
Puree all the ingredients for the sauce.
Dress the patties with the sauce, then the chiles, and then the Brazil nuts.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com
Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Type: Burger Serves: 4
Time to Prepare: 20 minutes
Ingredients
The Patty
2 cups of ground seitan
2 tbsp. of minced parsley
½ tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of cracked black pepper
2 cups of cubed bread, moistened
2 tsp. of oil
The Burger
1 cup of shredded lettuce
1 large tomato, sliced
12‐16 pickle slices
¾ cup of ketchup
¼ cup of mustard
¼ cup of vegan mayonnaise
Option: 4 slices of vegan American cheese
4 sesame seed buns, toasted
Instructions
Making the Patty
Pulse seitan in a food processor until you have about 2 cups worth with a “ground round”
texture.
Mince the parsley.
Combine the seitan with the parsley, salt, and pepper.
Cube the bread and moisten it with water.
Smash the bread.
Combine the smashed bread with the ground seitan until you have a fairly uniform
distribution.
Form this mix into 4 thick 1” patties and pat the sides, so the patties don’t taper at the edges.
In an iron skillet, heat the oil to a medium high heat.
Sauté each patty for about 2 minutes per side.
Option: If you use the cheese, sauté one side of the patty, flip it, add the cheese, and cover
the skillet.
Finishing the Burger
Shred the lettuce.
Slice the tomato.
Toast the buns in a dry pan over a medium heat for about 30 seconds or in the oven on 350
degrees for about 1 minute.
Add any of the burger fixings you like and assemble your burger!
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com
Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Type: Burger Serves: 2
Time to Prepare: 10 minutes
Ingredients
6 cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ tsp. of fresh thyme
1 tsp. of olive oil
¼ tsp. of Liquid Smoke
1/8 tsp. of salt
2 vegan burger patties
¼ cup of Daiya white cheese
2 buns, toasted
Option: 2 large leaves of Swiss chard, sliced and wilted
Instructions
Slice the mushrooms, mince the garlic, and combine them with the thyme, then set them aside.
Bring the oil, Liquid Smoke, and salt to a medium high heat.
Sauté the patties until they brown on both sides.
Reduce the heat to medium.
Sprinkle the Daiya cheese on the patties and cover the pan.
Keep the burgers on the heat in the covered pan for about 1 minute.
Keep the heat going and place the patties on the buns.
Add the mushrooms, garlic, and thyme to the pan and sauté until the mushrooms are just soft (about
2 minutes).
Top the patties with the mushroom mix.
Give the burgers a gentle press.
Option: If you want to add the wilted chard, slice the leaves and reduce them in the pan in which you
cooked the mushrooms. The chard will take about 5 minutes to properly reduce. Once you are done,
top the burgers with them.
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Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Type: Burger Serves: 4
Time to Prepare: 15 minutes + 1 hour for the patty
Ingredients
The Patty
1 ½ cups of water
¾ cup of brown lentils
1 tbsp. of smoked paprika
Option: 2 tbsp. of fresh oregano
½ tsp. of salt
½ cup of raw, unsalted peanuts
Option: 2 tbsp. of oil for sautéing the patties
The Rest of the Patty Melt
3‐4 tbsp. of chopped sage
1 onion, sliced
1 tbsp. of oil
4 slices of vegan cheese
6‐8 tbsp. of ketchup
8 slices of toasted bread (roasted garlic bread works incredibly well)
Instructions
Making the Patties
Bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil.
Add the lentils, smoked paprika, and optional oregano and stir.
Return to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low.
Cook the lentils for about 20 minutes.
Once they are done cooking, add the salt and peanuts.
Puree the mix, but don’t worry about getting it perfectly smooth.
The lentil/peanut mix should be fairly dense and tight and should have some peanut chunks
for texture.
If you need to tighten the mix more, you can add more peanuts.
Once the mix cools, form it into patties.
Baking Method: Lightly oil a baking dish, place the patties in it, cover the dish, and bake the
patties on 350 for 30 minutes.
Sautéing Method: Bring 2 tbsp. of oil to just above a medium heat and fry the patties on each
side until lightly browned.
Finishing the Patty Melt
Chop the sage.
Slice the onion.
Over a medium high heat, fry the sage in the oil until it crisps.
Remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon.
Add the onion to the pan and sauté it until it lightly browns.
Remove that from the pan.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com
Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Type: Burger Serves: 4
Time to Prepare: 30 minutes (10‐15 minutes if you use a pre‐made patty)
Ingredients
The Patty
¾ cup of corn grits (polenta)
1 tbsp. of chile powder
½ tsp. of salt
½ cup of hot water
1 carrot, shredded (about ½ cup loosely packed)
2 cups of cooked pinto or black beans, thoroughly rinsed
Corn flour or bread crumbs as needed
Pumpkin Seed Spread
1/3 cup of toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
4 cloves of roasted garlic
1/8 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of olive oil
3 tbsp. of water
Chile Arbol Sauce (optional)
8‐12 dried red chiles arbol
1/8 tsp. of salt
2 tbsp. of white vinegar (white balsamic works best)
¼ cup of water
Bun and Garnishes
4 whole wheat buns
12‐16 rings of red onion
1 roasted poblano, peeled, deseeded, and chopped
¾ cup of arugula or sliced chard, loosely packed
Instructions
Making the Patties
Combine the corn grits, chile powder, and salt in a small, heat‐proof mixing bowl.
Bring the water to a boil.
Pour it over the cornmeal and stir.
Shred the carrot.
Once the cornmeal mix has cooled, stir the carrot into it.
Add the beans (make sure they are thoroughly rinsed and as dry as possible).
Smash the mix with your hands, forming it into as tight as dough as possible.
If it feels wet and falls apart, add corn flour or bread crumbs (2 tbsp. at a time) until you have
a tight dough.
Form the dough into patties.
Use them as is, or…
Type: Side Serves: 4
Time to Prepare: 30 minutes + time for the potatoes to soak
Ingredients
4 large Russet potatoes, cut into fry‐sized strips
Vegetable oil or peanut oil (usually about 1 quart)
¾ tsp. of salt
Options: 8 cloves of minced garlic, 3 tbsp. of minced fresh parsley, ½ tsp. of freshly ground black
pepper
Instructions
Thoroughly wash the potatoes.
Peel the potatoes (or not if you like fries with the skins on them!).
Slice the potatoes in ¼” thick slabs, then slice the slabs into ¼” wide strips.
Soak them in water for at least 1 hour, but preferably 6 hours.
Pat them dry.
Heat the oil in a heavy‐bottomed pot like a Dutch oven or a fryer to 325 degrees F.
Line up paper towels over a rack or plate.
Fry the potato strips for about 3‐4 minutes, until they no longer look raw, but do not fully cook them
(they should be limp and not crisp, yet).
Set them to drain on the paper towels.
Increase the heat of the oil to 375 degrees F.
Fry the strips again, for 3‐4 minutes, until they look golden brown.
Place them on new paper towels and give them a quick shake.
Dress them with the salt and give them one last quick shake.
Serve immediately!
Garlic Fries Option: Mince the garlic and parsley and set them aside, keeping them separate, before
you heat up the oil. Immediately after the fries come out of the oil, toss them with the garlic (this
hot fries will cook the garlic). Give the fries a shake, then add the parsley, salt, and pepper, and
serve.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com
Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Type: Side Serves: 4
Time to Prepare: 20 minutes
Ingredients
4 Russet or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into wedges
1 tbsp. of olive oil
½ tsp. of flaky sea salt
1 tsp. of coarsely ground black pepper
¼ tsp. of paprika or cayenne pepper
Instructions
Cut the potatoes in half along the length.
Cut the potatoes halves into ½” thick wedges by slicing into the potato every half inch and angling
towards the center.
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Add the potato wedges, boiling them for about 7 minutes, until they are barely done.
Remove them from the water and pat them dry when they cool.
Toss them in the olive oil and then the salt, pepper, and chile powder mix.
Make sure your grill is hot (a high heat if you are using a gas grill).
Grill the wedges, about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com
Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Type: Side Serves: 6‐8
Time to Prepare: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 red onions or Maui sweet onions, sliced into rings
1 ¼ cups of corn flakes
2 cups of flour, separated into equal portions
½ tsp. of salt
¾ tsp. of smoked paprika
½ bottle of dark beer
Vegetable or peanut oil
Instructions
Slice the onions into rings and separate the rings.
Remove the thin film on the inside of each ring, as much as possible.
Pulse the corn flakes in a food processor until they are coarsely ground (you should end up with just
under ½ cup.
Combine the ground corn flakes, 1 cup of flour, salt, and smoked paprika.
Slowly add the beer while you stir until you have a semi‐viscous batter.
Fill a heavy pot, Dutch oven, or fryer with enough oil to completely submerge a couple layers of onion
rings.
Bring the oil to 375 degrees F.
Set up a rack or platter with paper towels.
Add the remaining 1 cup of flour to a shallow bowl.
Dredge the onion rings through the dry flour.
Quickly dredge the rings through the batter and allow any excess batter to fall off the rings for a few
seconds.
Fry the onion rings for about 4 minutes, then remove them and set them to dry on the paper towels.
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Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Type: Condiment Serves: Makes ½ cup
Time to Prepare: 7‐10 minutes
Ingredients
1 tsp. of whole cumin seeds, toasted and ground
5 tbsp. of tomato paste
3 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp. of salt (unless your tomato paste has salt already)
Instructions
Over a medium heat, toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan for about 5 minutes.
Grind the cumin seeds into a powder.
Combine all the ingredients.
Type: Condiment Serves: Makes 1 ¼ cups
Time to Prepare: 10 minutes + time to sit
Ingredients
The Pickles
4 pickling or Persian cucumbers
12 whole cloves of garlic
Option: 3 sliced red jalapenos
1 tbsp. of fresh dill
3‐4 slices of ginger
1 tbsp. of white peppercorns
1 tsp. of salt
3 tbsp. of pickling spice (use a store bought one or see recipe below)
1 cup of white vinegar (try white balsamic or apple cider vinegar)
3 cups of water
1 ½ cups of sugar
The Pickling Spice
2” cinnamon stick, crushed
1 tsp. of brown mustard seeds
3‐4 whole cloves
3‐4 whole allspice berries
4‐5 juniper berries
Pinch of mace
2 dried bay leaves
Instructions
Cut the ends off the cucumbers and thoroughly wash the pickles.
Slice the pickles into about ¼” thick rounds.
Add the cucumbers, garlic, dill, ginger, peppercorns, salt, and pickling spices to a glass bowl or jar and
thoroughly mix.
Bring the vinegar, water, and sugar to a simmer, dissolving the sugar (make sure to use a pot that
does not have any exposed metal).
Pour the hot liquid over the mix and allow it to sit for at least 4 hours.
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Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Type: Condiment Serves: Makes ¾ cup
Time to Prepare: 10 minutes + time to sit
Ingredients
3 pickled Serrano chiles, minced
¼ cup of diced Spanish onion
2 tbsp. of diced yellow bell pepper
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small pickle, diced
1 tbsp. of coriander seeds
2 tbsp. of minced cilantro (coriander)
Apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp. of salt
Option: ¼ cup of fresh corn kernels
Instructions
Cut all the veggies.
Place them in a glass bowl or jar and cover them with apple cider vinegar.
Cover the bowl and let them sit for at least 24 hours.
Drain the relish when you are done marinating it.
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Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Type: Dessert Serves: 2
Time to Prepare: 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 pint of soy vanilla ice cream
Juice of ½ of a lemon
½ cup of vegan cream cheese
2 tbsp. of vegan sour cream
2 graham crackers
Option: 1 ½ cups of blueberries, ¼ cup of sugar
Instructions
Puree the ice cream, lemon juice, cream cheese, and sour cream.
Crumble the graham crackers.
Add the shake to the glasses and top with the crumbled graham crackers.
Option: Over a medium‐low heat, reduce the blueberries and sugar into a rough sauce. Top each
shake with the blueberry sauce, then add the crumbled graham crackers.
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Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
Type: Dessert Serves: 12
Time to Prepare: 2 hours plus several hours to rest
Ingredients
The Crust
2 cups graham cracker pieces or crumbs (or 1 sleeve of graham crackers)
1/3 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon agave nectar
The Filling
3 packages (12.3 ounces each) silken tofu, drained
1 package (8 ounces) tofu cream cheese
1 cup agave nectar
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons lime zest (or zest of 2 limes)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon extract
The Topping
1 cup berry juice
2 tablespoons agar powder
½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Instructions
Making the Crust
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grind the graham crackers in a food processor or blender.
Add the oil, sugar and water and mix until combined.
Press into a 9‐inch pie pan or spring form pan.
Bake for ten minutes.
Let cool and then fill.
Making the Filling
Process the tofu, cream cheese sugar, agave, maple syrup, lime juice, lime zest, vanilla,
cornstarch and lemon extract in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.
Prepare the cheesecake for a water bath by wrapping the bottom of the spring form pan in
aluminum foil first so that there are no leaks when you put it in the water bath.
Place the pan in a roasting pan with 1‐2 inches of water that come up the sides of the
cheesecake pan.
Pour the batter onto the crust.
Bake for an hour and 20 minutes or until the sides pull away from the edges but the middle is
not completely firm.
Let cool and then refrigerate all day or overnight before serving.
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Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia, www.sweetutopia.com