DAY 7
Mystery Meat
GOAL FOR THE DAY: “Veganize” a meat dish!
When I was a little girl, I’d always wait until my mom wasn’t looking, stand on my tippy toes, and sneak a piece of raw hamburger meat before the meatloaf made its way to the oven. When caught in the act, my mother would always scold me, “You’re going to get sick!” but I didn’t care; I thought it was worth the risk. It didn’t stop me from scooping out the raw marrow that was tucked in the bone of lamb chops before they’d hit the oven, too. I’d run my finger down the hard crevice, scoop out the gelatinous fat, and lick it up like a finger dipped in cupcake batter. I loved eating animals, especially raw.
The funny thing is, I didn’t realize I was eating animals. I thought I was eating meat, and meat was just a type of food. In my young mind, meat had nothing to do with my furry friends. I grew up in the late ‘60s and ‘70s, long before PETA or the Internet and social media came to be. Kids like me got their food facts and lore from family, friends, teachers, and commercials sandwiched strategically between Saturday morning cartoons. No one I knew questioned eating meat. No one around me worried about the health effects of chowing down on greasy burgers and hot dogs, or the environmental impact of producing them. No one wondered if children’s storybooks depicting happy farm animals relaxing in spacious pastures were actually true. We were blissfully blind and we loved our “meat.”
Today’s world is far different. Thanks to the relentless advocacy work of those who care, our eyes are now wide open; it’s just a matter of opening our hearts. Chances are, for the most part, you already know how cows, pigs, chickens, lambs, turkeys, and other animals wind up on your plate. If you need a refresher, just hop online and watch the short videos “Meet Your Meat” and “From Farm to Fridge,” or one of the dozens of undercover investigations. It’s not a pretty story, and it’s happening at lightning speed. You can visit the United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization’s website at http://www.fao.org/home/en to see exactly how many animals are killed for food each year throughout the world, but the numbers are so large that they almost become meaningless. There are so many lists documenting millions and billions of animals that it all becomes a blur of statistics rather than the living, breathing, heart-beating individuals that they really are. A “kill counter” based on United Nations data provides a better sense of what’s really going on. ADAPTT, http://www.adaptt.org/killcounter.html, continually tabulates the number of animals killed for food. The counter moves so fast that your eyes can’t keep up with the numbers. According to the United Nations’ data, 30 dogs are killed for food every minute, 277 cows are slaughtered every 30 seconds, and in less than 10 seconds, over 300 rabbits, 425 pigs, and 43,000 chickens meet the same sad fate.1
It’s true. Americans eat a lot of animals: roughly 200 pounds of animals per person, per year.2 But this wasn’t always so. Our primate ancestors ate almost exclusively plants until a change in African climate made plant food scarce, forcing them to scavenge on animal carcasses for survival.3 As time went on, people resorted to eating animals in order to migrate through colder climates in Europe and Asia, where sometimes weather was so harsh, plant foods simply didn’t exist.4 Throughout our early history, people didn’t eat animals because they thought meat was healthy; they ate animals because there was no other option. The intermittent pockets of transition from eating plants to meat were born from necessity, not by choice. Even the hunter-gatherers that Paleo dieters so revere got the majority of their calories from plant foods.5
So why is it that with today’s abundance of healthy fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, which we know help us live long, happy, and productive lives, people are eating billions of animals and their by-products? MONEY. No surprise there, right? The amount of money might come as a shock, though. According to farm receipts, the USDA estimates that the United States meat industry makes over 96 billion dollars a year just from the slaughter and sale of cows and calves alone.6 The figure jumps to over 186 billion when you account for all the other animals and their by-products sold for food.7 From the perspective of those who profit, that’s an investment worth protecting, no matter what the health, environmental, societal, or ethical consequences are. Be it laws, education, public relations, medical research, or any other aspect of society that affects the profitability of animals sold for food, the meat industry makes sure its voice is heard loud and clear, ensuring its assets are safe. Big money opens doors, and closes minds, each and every day.
Just ask Dr. Luise Light, leader of a group of “top ten” nutritionists assigned with the task of developing the very first food guide pyramid. After lengthy research, the group submitted their final version of the pyramid, recommending a base of 5 to 9 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Sounds good, right? According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, if Americans ate just one more serving of fruits or vegetables a day, we could prevent thirty thousand premature deaths each year, just from heart disease and strokes, and save 5 billion dollars in medical costs related to those diseases.8 It makes good sense to eat fresh produce, and lots of it.
As you can imagine, though, Dr. Light’s recommendations didn’t go over well with Big Ag. They knew eating more fruits and veggies meant eating less meat, dairy, and eggs. Doors flew open and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture John Block listened, changing the official government recommendation to a “paltry 2 to 3 servings” of fruit and vegetables per day.9 Light’s outcry of concern fell on deaf ears. After all, she was just a nutritionist, with only one lonely vote like the rest of us come election time. Staying true to his twisted vision of good health, Block went on to serve on the Board of Directors for Hormel Foods, makers of SPAM, and currently writes on his personal blog, which is proudly “brought to you by Monsanto.”
For those who study food politics, these special interest accommodations come as no surprise. The meat and dairy industries have been in bed with the USDA and other government agencies for many years. Perhaps the most outrageous benefit from this cozy relationship are the federal subsidies and insurance perks imbedded in the Farm Bill, which is tweaked and renewed every five years or so. It was originally created as a temporary program in the 1930s, under President Roosevelt’s New Deal, to help folks out during the post-depression era, which makes sense, but today it’s taken on an insidious life of its own. If you grow “commodity” items such as corn or soy, which Big Ag uses to produce high-fructose corn syrup and to feed animals in the meat and dairy industries, the government will give you huge subsidies. Just how huge? Between 1995 and 2012, the government gave out $292.5 billion dollars in subsidies and the most recent Farm Bill, the Agricultural Act of 2014, signed by President Obama, continues the same gilded favoritism.10
Over the next ten years, the United States government will subsidize Big Ag under the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) Program to the tune of over $44 billion dollars.11 During the same period, they’ll also fork over another $89.9 billion in crop insurance to put Big Ag growers at ease. If bad weather destroys crops raised for animal feed, or you lose your hefty profit thanks to a price drop, not to worry: our tax dollars will help cover the tab.12 It’s the law. But if you’d like to know which Big Ag farmers receive the insurance dough, don’t bother asking. The clause that mandated public disclosure was removed just before the nearly one-thousand-page bill was signed.13
So how does all of this political mish-mash affect those, like yourself, who are trying to go vegan? Well, consider this: the USDA only spends a piddly 14.7 percent of total commodity support on fruits and vegetables. The government ensures meat, eggs, and dairy items stay affordable, while those who grow food like organic kale, tomatoes, or berries are comparatively left out in the cold. Fruit and veggie growers fair a little bit better in the most recent Farm Bill, but the bottom line is that this type of politicking keeps the greasy, fatty, cholesterol-laden SAD diet cheap and easier to buy than the healthier plant-based choices you, I, and others want and need. And that’s not fair.
I learned the effect of this craziness firsthand when I sat down with a high school cafeteria manager in an attempt to have her prepare healthier meals for the students. I showed her my list of delicious vegan food that met government standards for school meals, and in turn, she showed me her long list from which she ordered the food items. Sure enough, the unhealthy items were supercheap compared to the fresh plant-based foods. The manager explained that she was interested in accommodating my requests, but in order to keep within her budget, she had to order the bulk of her food from the government-assigned “commodities” and a nice variety of affordable fresh fruits and vegetables just wasn’t part of that deal. Politicians get their votes, the meat and dairy industries get their moolah, and the kids, well, they mostly just get hot, greasy slop.
Speaking of slop, the majority of fast-food isn’t much better. Ever wonder what’s in a Big Mac? It’s a heck of a lot more than the seven ingredients in their jingle, “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun.” And if you take into account all of our taxpayer-funded subsides, along with external and hidden expenses, the true cost to society for each Big Mac is actually twelve bucks!14 It may seem like a bargain when you’re buying one, but trust me, you’re paying a heck of a lot on the back end, too—both in your wallet, and your pants. Yet another great reason to be vegan: you won’t be eating this mess, mistakenly called food. Take a look at the ingredient list for a Big Mac with a side of fries:
BIG MAC INGREDIENTS15 (SOURCE: MCDONALD’S WEBSITE)
BEEF PATTIES: Beef, Salt, Black Pepper
PICKLES: Cucumbers, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Alum, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Natural Flavors (Plant Source), Polysorbate 80, Extractives of Turmeric (Color)
BIG MAC SAUCE: Soybean Oil, Pickle Relish (Diced Pickles, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Vinegar, Corn Syrup, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate [Preservative], Spice Extractives, Polysorbate 80), Distilled Vinegar, Water, Egg Yolks, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Onion Powder, Mustard Seed, Salt, Spices, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Mustard Bran, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Vegetable Protein (Hydrolyzed Corn, Soy and Wheat), Caramel Color, Extractives of Paprika, Soy Lecithin, Turmeric (Color), Calcium Disodium EDTA (Protect Flavor).
PASTEURIZED PROCESS AMERICAN CHEESE: Milk, Cream, Water, Cheese Culture, Sodium Citrate, Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Citric Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Lactic Acid, Acetic Acid, Enzymes, Sodium Pyrophosphate, Natural Flavor (Dairy Source), Color Added, Soy Lecithin (Added for Slice Separation).
BIG MAC BUN: Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Yeast, Soybean Oil, Contains 2% or Less: Salt, Wheat Gluten, Sesame Seeds, Leavening (Calcium Sulfate, Ammonium Sulfate), May Contain One or More Dough Conditioners (Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, DATEM, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide, Mono and Diglycerides, Monocalcium Phosphate, Enzymes, Calcium Peroxide), Calcium Propionate (Preservative).
LETTUCE: Lettuce
ONIONS: Onions
AN ORDER OF FRIES
Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [Wheat and Milk Derivatives], Citric Acid [Preservative]), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (Maintain Color), Salt. Prepared in Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil) with TBHQ and Citric Acid to preserve freshness of the oil and Dimethylpolysiloxane to reduce oil splatter when cooking. (Try singing that as a jingle!)
OK, let’s talk chow.
1. Keep these morsels of advice in mind as you continue your transition to a happy, healthy vegan lifestyle:
The closer you can get to a whole foods plant-based diet, the better.16 What does that mean? It means more often than not, the less processed your food, the better it is for you. Instead of eating grains that are smashed and refined, try to eat them whole. In lieu of cookies with sugar stripped from its fibrous source, enjoy sweet whole fruit instead. I always used to tell my students you need to exercise your body, inside and out, and that includes giving your “insides” a workout by letting your stomach break down whole foods. That generally means the less ingredients you see on a vegan food label, the healthier it is. Not always, but usually. You should also be familiar with the words on the label, too. It’s good to see items like blueberries, celery, and black beans listed (no question what those are) instead of words like potassium bromate and butylated hydroxyanisole (huh?). So keep your thinking cap on, and remember being vegan doesn’t ensure good health. Being vegan means you’re compassionate; being a healthy vegan means being smart, so choose wisely.
It’s OK to take baby steps to get from a SAD diet to a healthy one. If you go straight from eating Big Macs, sodas, and fries to a healthy, whole foods, vegan diet overnight, you’ll likely set yourself up for failure. So don’t be afraid to enjoy some easy-to-prepare, vegan convenience foods for a little while. Think of them as a stepping stone to get to the other side of a stream. You can even have them as a treat now and then down the road, as do most vegans, myself included. They’re tasty! Just don’t get stuck here. Please. I care about you just as much as I care about the animals. I want us all to live happy, healthy, productive lives. We’re saving the world together, and I need you, so stay fit!
If anyone pesters you about eating vegan “fast-food” during the transition, don’t let them bring you down. As my friend and cookbook author Annie Shannon always says, “Fake meat saves real lives,” and it’s true. If you’re vegan, you’re saving animals with every bite you take, processed foods or not. You’re also being kinder to the environment, and no matter how junky the food may be, there’s still zero cholesterol in it and your heart is darn tootin’ happy about that. So go easy on yourself. If you have to eat a lot of packaged vegan food until you get the hang of things, it’s A-OK. No shame, no blame. Just remember to enjoy those healthy whole foods as often as you can.
2. Begin to explore the huge variety of vegan “meat” products available to help you ease into your journey: The array of vegan burgers, hot dogs, and other yummy options is truly spectacular. Long gone are the days of plain white slabs of tofu, mon amis. Peruse the lists and select a few things to help make the transition a savory snap.
VEGAN BURGERS
Gardenburger Veggie Medley
Trader Joe’s Thai Sweet Chili Veggie Burger/ Vegetable Masala Burger
Boca Vegan Veggie Burger
Gardein Beefless Burgers
Hilary’s World’s Best Veggie Burger
Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burgers
Beyond Meat’s Beast Burgers / Beyond Burger
Sol Cuisine Burgers
Tofurkey Veggie Burgers
Field Roast Grain Meat Co. Burgers
Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value Meatless Burgers
Amy’s All American Veggie Burger
Amy’s Sonoma Veggie Burger (Soy-free and Wheat-free)
Engine 2 Tuscan Kale Plant Burgers (Soy-free and Wheat-free)
Sunshine Burger (Soy-free and Wheat-free)
MorningStar Vegan Grillers
MorningStar Spicy Indian Veggie Burgers
MorningStar White Bean Veggie Burger
VEGAN HOT DOGS
Lightlife Smart Dogs
Lightlife Tofu Pups
Loma Linda Big Franks
Tofurky Breakfast Links
Tofurky Hot Dogs
Tofurky Sausages
Yves Tofu Dogs
Yves Meatless Hot Dogs
Field Roast Grain Meat Co. Frankfurters
Field Roast Grain Meat Co. Sausages
Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value Veggie Dogs
VEGAN RIBS
MorningStar Hickory BBQ Riblets
VEGAN CRUMBLES FOR SPAGHETTI SAUCE, CHILI, TACOS, BURRITOS, STUFFED PEPPERS, AND CASSEROLES
Lightlife Smart Ground
Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles
Boca Veggie Ground Crumbles
Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef
Gardein Ultimate Beefless Ground
VEGAN MEATBALLS
Beyond Meat Swedish Meatballs
Beyond Meat Italian Meatballs
Trader Joe’s Meatless Meatballs
Gardein Meatless Meatballs
Whole Kitchen Vegan Meatballs
Nate’s Vegan Meatballs
IKEA Veggie Balls
VEGAN CHICKEN
Boca Spicy Chik’n Patties
Lightlife Meatless Chick’n Strips
Trader Joe’s Chickenless Strips, Chickenless Crispy Tenders, and Chicken-less Mandarin Orange Morsels
Simple Truth Meatless Crispy Tenders (Ralph’s/Kroger Brand)
Simply Balanced Korean Barbecue Meatless Chicken (Target Brand)
Gardein (9 different types of vegan chicken. Everything from BBQ wings to scallopini!)
Beyond Meat (7 different types of vegan chicken. Everything from Grilled Strips to Feisty Buffalo Poppers!)
Upton’s Naturals Chick Seitan
VEGAN BACON
Lightlife Smart Bacon; Meatless Veggie Bacon Strips
Sweet Earth Hickory and Sage Smoked Seitan Bacon
Betty Crocker’s Bac-Os (yep, they’re vegan!)
Turtle Island Foods Smoky Maple Tempeh Bacon
Upton’s Bacon Seitan
Phoney Baloney Coconut Bacon
Yves’ Meatless Canadian Bacon
Vegan Magic (It’s vegan bacon grease! Curious as to what’s in it? I know I was! Coconut Oil, Non-GMO Soy Protein, Sea Salt, Pure Maple Syrup, Black Pepper, Onion, Garlic, Torula Yeast, and Natural Smoke Flavor.)
VEGAN CHORIZO
Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo (60% less fat than traditional chorizo)
Frieda’s Soyrizo (Gluten-free)
Yves Veggie Chorizo (50% less sodium than regular chorizo)
Upton’s Naturals Chorizo Seitan
EVERYTHING FROM VEGAN DUCK TO VEGAN MUTTON
Yes, they make it all. Check out May Wah’s Vegetarian Market. They’re located in New York City, but also sell their huge selection of products online at: www.maywahnyc.com.
3. If you’d prefer to skip all the prepackaged food, just go ahead and create your own “meaty” vegan meal from scratch. It’s easy to do! Here are some ideas to get you started:
MUSHROOMS: Most vegans I know love using mushrooms in lieu of meat for a wide variety of tasty vegan meals. Mushrooms give food an earthy, woodsy flavor and that chewy meaty texture most of us became accustomed to as kids. White button mushrooms work well, but for a special treat, try shiitake, oyster, or cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms grilled alone or added to sauces and stir-fries. Put a giant grilled portobello mushroom in a bun and you’ve got a scrumptious burger, too. You can even marinade them before grilling if you want an extra juicy kick. Or you can slice a portobello mushroom into strips, marinade overnight, and then bake at 250°F for 1 hour, flip and bake for another, and voilá—you’ve got mushroom “jerky.” (The thicker the slices, the higher you’ll need the heat.) There are so many types of vegan marinades to choose from! I suggest combining a few of the following and creating your own. It’s easy. Just pick a liquid or two, and combine with your favorite seasonings. You can call it: [Your name]’s Vegan Marinade!
VEGAN BUTCHERS
They exist! No Evil Foods, based in Asheville, North Carolina, sells “The Pardon” Thanksgiving roast and other various handmade “meats” online and at selected stores: www.NoEvilFoods.com. And check out The Herbivorous Butcher, created by brother and sister team, Aubry and Kale (love the name!), which sells twenty-four types of artisanal “meat” ranging from deli bologna and bangers to Korean ribs and Porterhouse steak. The have vegan cheese and butter, too: Visit www.TheHerbivorousButcher.com. Brilliant! Or visit The Butcher’s Son in Berkeley, California. They have everything from roast beef to pulled pork and a sit-down deli where you can grab lunch, too. See thebutchersveganson.com.
SUGGESTED LIQUIDS AND SEASONINGS TO CHOOSE FROM
| Lemon Juice | Rice Vinegar | Olive Oil | ||
| Chopped Garlic | Smoked Paprika | Thyme | ||
| Wine | Apple Cider Vinegar | Soy Sauce | ||
| Chopped Onions | Black Pepper | Ginger | ||
| Balsamic Vinegar | Sesame Seed Oil | Tamari | ||
| Chili Pepper | Sea Salt | Mustard |
(Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki makes for a nice marinade, too.) The previous suggestions are just to get your mouth salivating. We’ll kick it up a notch with more marinade ideas in Day 9, Fast, Cheap, and Easy!
SEITAN: Did you know using seitan (pronounced say-tahn) as a substitute for meat goes clear back to the eleventh century? Proof again that enjoying delicious vegan food is nothing new. Seitan is made from wheat gluten, which is separated from flour. It was discovered by Chinese noodle makers who referred to gluten as “the muscle of flour.”17 Many vegans, myself included, really enjoy the chewy texture, and we love that it can easily absorb so many wonderful flavors. Small pieces of the dough can be fried for tacos, burritos, and stir-fries, or you can toss small pieces into a boiling veggie broth with noodles, chopped celery, and carrots, to make a vegan chick’n noodle soup. Seitan can be shaped into cutlets for grilling or frying, or even made into big roasts that you can stuff with a medley of mushrooms, onions, and garlic, or whatever else you enjoy. Field Roast Grain Meat makes a seitan roast that’s filled with cranberries, hazelnuts, and a bread stuffing, and they have another roast accompanied by a pineapple-mustard glaze. No Evil Foods adds sweet potatoes and balsamic vinegar to their seitan roasts. Sweet Earth Foods makes seitan in thin slices, which are perfect for sandwiches, and Tofurky makes seitan strips that can be added to just about anything that’s savory. The variety is endless. Truly. Endless. Just don’t go to the store and say, “I’m looking for Satan.” Unless of course, you’d like a strange look, and a good laugh.
Here’s a simple seitan recipe if you’d like to try making your own at home:
Simple Seitan
MAKES 8 BALLS
I use tamari and vegetable stock for the liquid in my homemade seitan, but you can really use any plain or savory liquid that suits your fancy. You can even just use water; you’ll just have to season it up a bit after it’s done. And feel free to add more yummies to it, look at the list of liquids and seasonings on the previous page. Make this your recipe. Get creative and have some fun!
1 cup wheat gluten
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
½ cup vegetable stock
¼ cup tamari
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil (or oil of your choice)
1. In a bowl, mix together the wheat gluten, onion and garlic powders, thyme, pepper, and nutritional yeast.
2. Add the stock and tamari and stir until incorporated and the mixture forms a doughlike mixture.
3. Using your hands, knead and pound the mixture on a lightly floured surface, as though you were making bread. Continue until you achieve a nice stretchy dough consistency.
4. Shape into a ball. Cut the ball in half, then in fourths, then in eighths, until you get small chunks about the size of a quarter or smaller. (You can also cut the ball into 4 pieces and flatten out to make cutlets.)
5. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a large sauté pan. Place over low to medium heat, add the seitan chunks, and sauté until browned, using a spatula to turn them now and then so they don’t stick to the pan.
6. When browned and slightly crispy, remove them from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool.
7. Add the seitan to your favorite recipe, serve as cutlets, or make Seitan Veggie Kabobs (here).
TOFU: Poor little tofu, it sometimes gets a bad rap. Some folks seem to get the willies at just the mention of soybean “curd,” despite dairy cheese also being the dreaded “curd” word, too. I once dated a guy who, thanks to all the “tofu is evil” media hype, wouldn’t let me cook my tofu in the same pan as he used because he was afraid he’d grow breasts. The fear of tofu-induced “man-boobs” stems from a singular 2008 report of a Texas man who drank three quarts of soy milk a day and complained of “enlarged breasts and decreased libido.”18 When he decreased his consumption of soy milk, he said his breast tenderness disappeared. The authors of the study were quick to point out this case was “very unusual.”19 In fact, no other similar medical cases have been reported.20 Wow, three quarts? Every day? Makes me wonder what else that man consumed. I’ve seen a lot of men walking around with jiggly breasts, and I’m pretty sure it’s not from the tofu. In fact, I bet they’d be very insulted if I ever suggested that it was. “Wow, I see you’ve been eating a lot of tofu!” Nope, I’m not saying it.
And consider this. It’s well documented that people live the longest in Okinawa, Japan, which also just happens to be the place where they consume more tofu than anywhere else in the world. Their diet is high in carbohydrates, low in saturated fats, and heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease are practically unheard of. The residents work and exercise well into old age, all while eating loads of citrus, greens, and tofu.21 Japan has over sixty-one thousand centenarians, more than anywhere else in the world.22 For all the naysayers who think tofu is unhealthy: Why are the people of Japan doing so well, and living so long, while eating so much of it? I don’t think tofu assures anyone will live past one hundred, but there’s no doubt that it’s great for those in transition to a vegan diet, especially when mixed with other healthy plant foods. Unless you have a soy allergy or a medical condition that warrants avoiding it, I’d suggest tofu over animal products any day.
HOW DO SOYBEANS BECOME TOFU?
Soybeans are soaked in water —> then blended —> then pulp removed —> producing soy milk —> add a coagulant (a natural acid for silken tofu, calcium sulfate for the firmer varieties, or even lemon juice if you’re making it at home) —> heat —> strain solids —> press out water (unless it’s silken tofu, which isn’t pressed) —> and voilà, you have tofu!
I was going to introduce the next section with a witty tofu joke, but decided it was tasteless. Bada Boom! OK, here are the different types of tofu, and once you’re done preparing them, you’ll find they truly are tasty. Enjoy!
SILKEN TOFU: It’s jellylike and silky, just like it sounds, with a high water content. People love to make smoothies, sauces, creams, pies, and puddings with it. If you see a sweet dessert calling for tofu, it often calls for silken tofu. Mori-Nu Silken Tofu is the one you’ll likely find the easiest. You’ll see it in the refrigerator section, or in small shelf-stable Tetra-Pak boxes that don’t need to be refrigerated until opening, making it great for travel, or keeping on hand in the cupboard as a backup. But if you’re looking for a sturdy tofu to chop into cubes or throw on the grill, this isn’t the one for you.
SOFT TOFU: You’ll find this tofu in the refrigerator section, in a package filled with water, and although it’s soft, it has a completely different texture than the silken tofu. It’s not slippery, just a bit less dense than the medium or firm varieties, so it crumbles very easily for tofu stir-fries or taco filling.
MEDIUM, FIRM, AND EXTRA-FIRM TOFU: The firmer tofu gets, the less water it has, and the sturdier it is to cook with. A firmer tofu will flip better in a pan, and unlike a soft tofu, stands a good chance of staying on that veggie kabob stick without falling through the grill. All of these can be found in the refrigerator section of stores.
SPROUTED TOFU: Sprouted tofu is made from soybeans that have sprouted, making them easier to digest, and increasing the amount of nutrients, such as calcium, protein, and iron. It’s my favorite tofu.
If you don’t use all the tofu in the package, make sure you fill the container with water and keep the tofu submerged to slow spoilage.
Most soybeans in the U.S. are doused with pesticides and genetically modified, but all the tofu I’ve seen in stores lately has been 100 percent organic and non-GMO. Examples of tofu manufacturers that offer non-GMO and organic varieties include: Nasoya, Morinaga, House Foods, SoyBoy, Tree of Life, Wildwood, WestSoy, Hodo Soy, and Trader Joe’s.23 Always double-check the label, just to be sure.
Ever try Hodo Soy tofu? Hodo Soy Beanery was started by Vietnam refugee, Minh Tsai, who set up shop in Oakland, California, in 1981. What makes Hodo Soy tofu unique is that the soy milk they create and use to make the tofu is almost twice as thick as that used by conventional brands. The texture of the finished product is silky, yet firm. The yield is lower, so the price is a bit higher, but dang, it’s good!
If you want to try something nifty, freeze your pack of tofu overnight. Any type other than the silken tofu will do. Let it thaw the next day, and then gently squeeze out all of the water. The tofu becomes much more porous, with visible holes like a sponge, which will soak up extra flavor when you cook it. Freezing and thawing tofu will make it chewier, too!
AND TEMPEH, TOO!
Tempeh is fermented whole soybeans. It has antioxidants, all of the essential amino acids, and lots of protein and fiber, too. Steam, bake, marinate, or sauté it with your favorite seasonings. As with tofu, it will take on the flavors you add to it. Just be sure to do something with it, though, because like our little friend tofu, tempeh needs a bit of help to make it taste good.
4. Get familiar with vegan sources of iron, and which foods help you absorb it: Lots of folks assume that if they don’t eat meat, they’ll become deficient in iron, not realizing that there are plenty of plant sources to provide your daily needs. Just as vitamin D helps with the absorption of calcium, vitamin C helps out with iron. So if you want to boost your body’s absorption of iron, be sure to eat foods that are rich in vitamin C at the same time. Dark green leafy vegetables, bell peppers, raisins, and oranges are just a few of the smart choices for vitamin C. Some folks like to kick it up an extra notch by cooking in a cast-iron skillet. Just make sure it’s not preseasoned with animal fat. (Lodge Cast Iron uses vegetable oil.) I absorb enough iron without giving it any thought, but since you’re just starting out on your vegan adventure, it’s good to have it on your radar. Check out the list on the next page and see what looks good to you!
THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO THE MARKET
It sounds so sweet when we’re counting toes, but in the real world, there’s nothing cute about it. Before pigs arrive at the market, most are confined to concrete gestation crates, only two feet wide—an area so narrow they can’t even turn around. Ever. Nor scratch an itch. That’s where mother pigs lie for most of their lives, without any bedding, in their own waste, biting metal bars, awaiting the birth of their babies.24 They never get a single breath of fresh air, or a glimpse of earth or sky. When the piglets are born, their teeth and tails are cut without anesthesia. Within ten days the testicles of baby male pigs are torn out without any pain relief.25 About fifteen days later, all of the babies are torn away from their mothers and sent to stacked cages, where they wallow in the waste of those above.26 Film footage shows runts of the litter being hung, or having their heads thrown to the floor—or as the industry calls it, being “thumped.”27 That’s what really happens to the little piggy on her way to the market. She cries all the way there, and never goes home.
Want to skip the packaged burgers and hot dogs, and replace animal products with a simple, non-processed plant protein? Check out here for lots of great protein-packed options!
GOOD SOURCES OF IRON
Pumpkin Seeds
Quinoa
Blackstrap Molasses
Spinach
Lentils
Kidney Beans
Black Beans
Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)
Lima Beans
Swiss Chard
Tempeh
Tofu
Cashews
Dried Apricots
SERVES 4 TO 6
This is one of my favorite soups—sweet, savory, and hearty! It also feels like you get a lot more for your money when you make a big pot of soup yourself, as opposed to buying it in small cans. And what makes this soup extra wonderful is that sweet potatoes are a powerhouse for vitamin C, and split peas have iron! But as I always say: get creative, adjust to taste, and make this recipe your own!
Oil of choice (I like using organic cold-pressed olive oil, but any will do)
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
8 cups water
One 1-pound bag split peas, picked over for debris, rinsed
1 medium, unpeeled, scrubbed sweet potato, chopped into cubes
1 medium unpeeled, scrubbed Russet potato, or two Yukon Gold potatoes chopped into cubes
½ to 1 tablespoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ to 1 tablespoon seasoning of choice (I use organic no-salt seasoning blends that you can get at Trader Joe’s or Costco)
1. Pour enough oil into a large soup pot to lightly cover the bottom.
2. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook on low heat until slightly translucent and beginning to turn golden brown, stirring occasionally so they don’t burn. This shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes.
3. Add the water, peas, and potatoes, and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to a simmer and cook on low to medium-low heat for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Trust me, this soup is worth the wait!). When the potatoes start to soften, gently smash them against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon to help the soup develop a thick and creamy texture. Continue to cook, and stir every 7 to 10 minutes.
5. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and any other seasonings you like.
6. When the soup is thick and creamy, give it a taste. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Enjoy!
NOTE: If you’d like more info on the amount of vitamins and minerals in the food you enjoy, visit http://nutritiondata.self.com and simply search the name of the food and it will provide you with loads of nutrition data.
“It is normal to have leg-kicking reflexes in an animal that has been properly stunned with electricity, captive bolt, or gunshot…. The person assessing insensibility should concentrate on looking at the head and ignore kicking limbs.
Gasping is permissible: it is a sign of a dying brain.”28
—Guidelines for Humane Handling, Transport and Slaughter of Livestock, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.
MYSTERY MEAT?
There is no law that requires the USDA to label the country of origin when it comes to “beef” and “pork.” You don’t have the right to know where the animal was born, raised, or slaughtered, despite the fact that 90 percent of Americans are in favor of such labeling.29 Good luck trying to figure out if that ground “beef” came from clear-cut land that was once a rainforest, or was schlepped in from an alley in China. Fresh fruits and vegetables, however, are required to be labeled with the country of origin by law. Yet another benefit to being vegan.
Checklist
□ Did you select a meatless meal to make?
□ Did you think about which ingredients would make a nice marinade?
□ Did you drink any water today?
Thought FOR THE Day
To discuss the causes of climate change without mentioning factory farming is like discussing the causes of lung cancer without mentioning cigarettes.