Cruelty-Free: BBQ season officially begins

Here in Tucson, the Discorfano pool has been open since late March, and I took my first dip of the season into the cool water a couple of weeks ago; nevertheless, there’s something about Memorial Day Weekend that just spells SUMMER. And for me, summertime has always been about spending as much time as possible poolside, which often means family and friends lingering into the evening hours, which means lots of opportunities for grilling outdoors. In contrast to the the Texan barbecues I later encountered during my days in Houston and Austin, the barbecues of my childhood meant hamburgers, hot dogs, and a variety of cold salads (potato, macaroni, etc.).  If you were lucky, there would be some fresh corn on the cob the go with it!  This holiday weekend, many of us will have at least one outdoor (hopefully, poolside) get-together on the schedule. Here are a few suggestions about how to update the traditional BBQ fare:

• Burgers
  By now, I think everyone knows veggie burgers exist. The original Boca burgers seem to be a favorite; the soy burgers look and taste more like the old-fashioned hamburger. My personal preference still is for the more obvious vegetable patties: Dr. Praeger’s California Burgers are a staple at my house — I grill them up year-round. Also, for a holiday, you might want to try grilling some Portabella mushroom caps. My Aunt Jean loves them as much as I do, so we’ll be having them at our own Memorial Day soiree. Did someone order a cheeseburger? Try the single “cheese” slices by Galaxy. This Memorial Day, we’re using the soy “mozzarella” slices on the burgers and shrooms. All-American and Italian-American, always
• Hot Dogs
  There are a few brands to choose from, like Tofurky and Smart Dogs. Especially once you’ve loaded on the mustard and relish, you (and your guests) will never know the difference!
• Sausages
  Italians love their sausage sandwiches smothered with onions and peppers. Generally, I’m not a big mock-meat person, but this is one food from my childhood I am happy to replicate from time to time: my version, I use the Italian sausages by Field Roast. However, both my dad and husband like all things spicy — and we are in Arizona now, after all — so I’ve opted for the Mexican-Chipotle flavored sausages.  I haven’t tried this flavor yet, so I’m excited to see what kind of response they elicit.  At every get-together, I like to throw in something new… and the casual atmosphere of a BBQ makes it especially easy to introduce a new product or try out a new recipe.
• Potato Salad/Cole Slaw
  You can keep the BBQ All-American (Italian-American extras, notwithstanding) with one easy switch: substitute the usual mayo for Vegenaise egg-free mayo, and you’re good to go!

While we take time on this holiday to honor those who have given their lives in service, have a great time with family and friends this weekend, everyone –

Cruelty-Free: Artichoke Dip everyone will love

It’s always exciting to try a new recipe and find that it’s sooooo easy and sooooo delicious. Not only is it a keeper, but also it’s one you want to share. The following vegan artichoke dip is based on a recipe from The Kind Diet. We served it to a non-veg crowd last night and it got a unanimous thumbs-up.  And Galileo, our canine kitchen assistant and lover of all good food, came back for seconds… and thirds.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of artichoke hearts (packed in water)
• 1 cup “Parmesan cheese”
• 1 cup Vegenaise
• 2 cloves garlic
• paprika

The original recipe uses soy-cheese by Galaxy Foods, but I prefer the Rice Grated Topping made by the same company. Also, in the original recipe, one clove of garlic is listed as optional; true to my Italian roots, I doubled up the dose. If you’re not familiar with Vegenaise, it’s an egg-free mayonnaise brand that really is head and shoulders above the rest. Texture and taste – you can’t beat it, especially in a recipe like this one.

Drain the two cans of artichoke hearts and mash them up using a wooden spoon in a mixing bowl. Add the Vegenaise and slowly add the “Parmesan” while you continue to mix and mash.  Once you have the ingredients mashed up, spoon into a baking dish and cook uncovered on the middle rack for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. The top will get slightly golden brown. As soon as you take it out of the oven, sprinkle with some paprika and let it cool for just a few minutes before serving.

We served the dip with plain brown-rice cracker rounds – something light, crisp, and without any competing spices. Whether you serve the dip with crackers, crostini, or – as the original recipes suggests – some endive leaves, this dish is DE-LISH.

Cruelty-Free: Where’s the beef?! (Meatless Mondays)

Some of you might remember when this was the catchy slogan shouted out by Clara Pellar in all those Wendy’s commercials.  Oh my, how times have changed.  Yesterday’s Washington Post had an article about how “Meatless Mondays” is becoming so popular that even celebrity-chef Mario Batali is getting on board.  I’ve been to his restaurant Babbo many times, and now I can look forward to my next visit: in all of his fourteen restaurants, he’s decided to include two vegetarian options and highlight them on the menu with a “MM” logo.  Molto bene, Mario! 

The Meatless Monday campaign’s earliest appearances were during World War I, and then World War II, when the government was encouraging Americans to reduce their consumption of staple foods as a means of helping the war effort.  In 2003, the campaign resurfaced with the help of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health when meat consumption was recognized as a contributor to climate change.  As it turns out, going meatless one day a week is a “cruelty-free” choice that  also has benefits for the environment.

What difference can a day make?  If millions of people went meatless one-seventh of their week, it’s not difficult to see how that could have a dramatic impact on the overall market, not to mention individual waistlines. By dramatically reducing the demand for all this meat, factory farming could be on its way to being a thing of the past!  And, along with the horrific treatment of animals on factory farms, we’d also be doing away with the pollution of the rivers that these farms cause with the astounding amount of waste produced each day.  And less animal waste also means substantially less greenhouse gases released into the environment.  It’s an all-around win — for animals, for our health, and for the health of the planet.

So what’s for dinner?  Don’t panic, my non-veg friends.  Some of the meals you eat regularly are vegetarian, even if you don’t think of them that way.  In my Catholic-school days, every year when Lent came around (no meat on Fridays), “pizza day” was switched to the last day of the school week.  It doesn’t have to get complicated. Feeling like Italian?  Spaghetti with marinara sauce.  Indian?  Vegetable Korma.  Mexican?  Vegetable fajitas or a veggie burrito.  You get the idea.  The simpler you make it for yourself, the more likely you are to stick with it.  For more ideas and new recipes weekly, check out the Meatless Mondays web site.

As for me,  I’m looking forward to my next visit to Babbo — can’t wait to see what new delectable “MM” creations Mr. Batali has in store for me.  Buon Appetito!