sewindie.com IG @caralynnex Cara is the head of content & design at Chickpea. When not working on the magazine or freelance clients, she likes to hang with her three cats and play Animal Crossing.
karolina-wiercigroch.com dine-dash.com IG @dinedashcom Karolina is a Polish food stylist and photographer, currently based in London. She loves beautiful food, culinary travels, sauna and hot yoga.
galgalz.ca armyofmearmyoflove.tumblr.com
pamelafergusson.com
IG @carolinabambina
IG @drpamela.rd
Caroline Macfarlane is an artist, curator, community
Pamela is a vegan Registered Dietitian with a PhD in
builder and vegan living in Brooklyn. She is currently
nutrition. She is also a mom of four plant-based kids,
a Design & Urban Ecologies student at The New
an ultramarathoner and a self-proclaimed master of
School. After graduation she hopes to transform
aquafaba.
medical institutions, homeless shelters and retirement homes through color, collaboration and community engagement.
IG @taylbone heathervillawrites.com IG @heathervilla1 Heather Villa writes from the Pacific Northwest. She loves to make tortillas, hike, and read with her family.
Taylor is a vegan cook, chocolatier, essayist, running junkie, and cross stitch enthusiast living Woodstock, New York with her beautifully bearded boyfriend and their beloved dog, Linus.
One of our biggest dreaded moments as vegans is going to a party and trying to field the many questions of family members or friends. Tough as they are, these times have been a great source of my growth as a vegan and human being. I feel like I'm a much better communicator now than I was before I went vegan, and I don’t credit that to just growing older. I’ve learned so much from interacting directly with people especially people who have a staunchly traditional outlook on the world - about something that challenges them. Whether we’re talking about veganism or climate change, transphobia, or any other polarizing topic, these interactions have shown me how to better get people to critically think about their own beliefs. I’ve learned that different conversations and different people demand different tactics. If we’re too pushy people shut down and aren’t receptive to what we’re saying. If we never stand up for ourselves (or POC, or science, or anything else) nothing moves forward. Some people are more receptive than others. Some people will never change. You can’t control their reaction to anything you say or how you act. But you can plant seeds of thought, and if you’re not a jerk about it people will treat you with more respect over time. It all depends on how much you want that person in your life - sometimes it’s worth cutting them out of your life if they can’t treat you with basic decency. Sometimes it may seem like it’s not worth the energy to fight something stubborn or huge. But other times it is worth fighting. Especially in a time where progress seems to be going in reverse, it is certainly worth putting yourself out there more often, especially with your friends and family. Speak to people in a way that will best connect with them. Don’t take questions too personally. Be patient with yourself and others. Be thoughtful in your interactions and the words you use. Be prepared and always be learning. When it comes to veganism specifically, we like to show instead of tell. We love using food as our method of outreach first. People are much more likely to be open to eating some super tasty snacks than hear us go on about overwhelming statistics of the plight of animals. We’ve seen people’s minds change so quickly when they can directly experience vegan food for themselves, rather than speculate on what it might be. Live your life beautifully and openly, and people will be attracted to what you’re doing. Here are some recipes that we make for parties or weekend dinners with family.
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Ingredients 1 1/2 cups almonds 1/2 cup maple syrup 1 tsp chopped rosemary hefty pinch coarse sea salt a pinch of ground pepper Instructions 1. Toss the almonds in a pan on medium heat. Toast until fragrant and slightly golden. 2. Pour in the maple syrup and rosemary and stir to combine. Let cook until bubbly, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle on salt & pepper and give it one final stir. 3. Pour out evenly onto parchment paper and let cool. Once cool, break apart and store in a sealable container.
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Cashew Cream Ingredients 1 1/2 cups soaked & rinsed cashews the juice of 1 lemon 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 1/2 tsp salt water Jalapeno Ingredients 12 jalapenos 1 cup cashew cream 3/4 cup black beans 3 cloves roasted garlic Instructions 1. Combine all cream cheese ingredients (minus the water) in your blender. Fill the blender to just below covering the other ingredients. Blend until creamy and consistent. Set aside. 2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 3. Slice off the tops and deseed each pepper. 4. Mix together the cashew cream, black beans, and garlic. Using a small spoon, stuff each pepper with the black bean mixture. 5. Replace the pepper tops and roast until browned & softened.
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Ingredients small head of cauliflower, destemmed 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled 2 heads fennel 1 large onion 2-3 cloves garlic 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained & rinsed 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp each smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, turmeric, salt & pepper Instructions 1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. 2. Loosely chop the vegetables and rinse the chickpeas. 3. Mix the olive oil & spices in a big mixing bowl, then toss in the veggies & chickpeas until coated. 4. Pour onto a sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes, or until everything is fragrant and golden brown.
Ingredients 10 medium purple potatoes 2 cloves minced garlic 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk 2-3 tbsp coconut oil pinch each sea salt & black pepper (to taste) Instructions 1. Scrub the potatoes and if they're all different sizes, cut them so that they're about all evenly sized. Cover with water in a large stock pot with a pinch of salt. Let boil & cook until you can stick a fork through them easily. 2. Take about a tsp of oil and pour it in a hot pan. Toss in the shallots and garlic and turn the heat to medium-low. Stir until browned and softened. 3. When the potatoes are done, drain the water and add in the coconut oil, milk, shallots, garlic, and salt and pepper. Mash it all together with a potato masher until consistent. Add more milk & oil if you like your potatoes creamier.
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To Coat 1 cup brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Ingredients 1 tbsp ground flax seed 4 tbsp hot water 1/2 cup room-temp coconut oil 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups flour
2. Stir together the brown sugar & cinnamon coating and set aside. Whisk together the flax & hot water. Set aside to gel while you continue. 3. Cream together the coconut oil and sugars. Add in the flax mixture and vanilla and combine. Add the salt and baking soda, then slowly pour in the flour while mixing.
4. Taking a tablespoon of dough at a time, coat one side of the dough in brown sugar & cinnamon mixture and fold it in on itself, creating a “pocket” of brown sugar that’s peeking out. Lumps of sugar are perfect for these, as long as they’re not bigger than 1/2-3/4” thick. 5. Place the cookies sugarless-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes* until lightly golden on the bottom, then let sit on the pan out of the oven for five minutes. The cookies may not look solid when they’re in the oven, but that’s okay - that means that they’ll still be soft when they’re done cooling. *Sprinkle on some chunky sea salt after 5 minutes of baking to make them extra tasty!
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These cupcakes are more of a “hack” than a recipe - we learned this trick last year and have been making them at any chance we can get. They’re perfect for when we’re traveling or at family parties or really any time we don’t have access to a full array of baking equipment/ingredients. And they’re quite cost-effective as well! Cake Ingredients 1 1/2 cups good quality root beer (1 can or 1 bottle) 1 box cake mix* * Check out ingredient labels to be sure that your mix is vegan. A lot of them are!
Ganache Ingredients 3/4 cup almond milk 1/4 cup cherry jam or pure cherry juice seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean 1 cups chocolate chips To Serve pitted cherries
Instructions 1. Sift the cake mix into a mixing bowl, then stir in the root beer to combine. 2. THOROUGHLY grease your cupcake pan. While you can make this cake in a regular cake pan, muffin pan, or mini-muffin pan, the smaller the receptacle the better. These kinds of cakes are very light and sticky and do better without liners. When filling your pan, don’t overfill - at maximum, fill to 3/4 to prevent spilling over, which will make the cupcakes hard to remove from the pan. The mix should make 12 regular sized cupcakes. 3. Bake the cake to the instructions on the box. 4. While they’re baking, heat the milk, jam/juice, and vanilla until simmering. Pour the liquid over the chocolate chips and let sit, covered, for five minutes. Stir the chocolate and milk together until creamy and consistent. 5. Dip the cupcakes in the ganache and top with a cherry. r
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These are pull-apart breads for all skill levels from pre-made dough, to a loaf of bread, to yeast rolls from scratch. What’s a better way to connect with people than breaking bread?
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words & images by Pamela Fergusson, RD, PhD Becoming vegan and becoming a parent are two of the most transformative experiences I’ve ever had. Both of these roles deeply touch and influence the other; how could I not want to create a better world for my children, a world that is kinder, greener and healthier? How could I not want to teach my children the best path I have found to achieving that world? If you are vegan or if you are just starting to explore how eating more plants can bring more joy to your life, being a parent means that you are also a teacher and a guide. Your children are looking to you. They don’t need you to know all the answers, but they do need you to share your heart and your journey with them. Let’s talk about how to inspire your kids to connect with their compassion and to fall in love with eating vegan food. For me, being vegan goes beyond not eating any animal products to include not wearing animals or using animals for entertainment or beauty. It was a journey for me to get here, though, and it started with food. Wherever you and your children are, it is important to start from a place of openhearted sharing and mutual respect. As parents, it is possible for us to force our children to do things, but that is not the way to win hearts and minds. Allowing children the freedom to question your values makes it more likely they will accept them, rather than rebel against them. Food, animals and nature are topics that children can easily connect to and often have strong feelings about. If you want to explore being vegan with your kids, it is useful to explain your motivations openly and honestly to them, and to be ready to ask and answer their questions. They may surprise you with how thoughtful and compassionate they already are. Many children do not realize that the food ‘chicken’ actually comes from a chicken, and when they do, they are often upset, and don’t want to eat that food anymore. Keep your information and language kid-appropriate. (You know your children best.) You don’t want to scare and traumatize your kids with graphic stories of the realities of animal welfare or of environmental destruction. But it is okay to be truthful and let them know that not all is well with our food system, and that animals and the planet are being hurt by human food
choices. We have watched some nonviolent documentaries like Cowspiracy with our older kids. Emphasize the positive and let them know that they have a hidden super-power: compassion! Through a vegan lifestyle your children can start down a path for a lifetime of better health, reduced environmental impact, and protecting animals. This is a great time to also introduce the concepts of self-care and personal health promotion. Developing a healthy relationship with food starts with understanding our food, eating whole foods and learning to cook. You may have some healing to do in terms of your own relationship with food, and with your body. That’s okay! You don’t need to be perfect. Remember that compassion extends to yourself too. A whole foods, plant-based diet is a type of vegan diet that includes minimal processed food, and plenty of fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, beans, pulses and whole grains. Teach your children that good food is a foundation of self-care, and that self-care feels good. Emphasize how strong and capable and healthy your children are, and teach them to be grateful to their bodies. When we recognize how much our bodies do for us, we want to treat them well, with love, and with the best feel-good fuel. Talk about how we feel if we eat too much unhealthy food, and then how colourful fruits and veggies make us feel. Starting
Blend together 3 handfuls of baby spinach, one ripe banana, 1/2 cup mango (can be frozen) and one cup coconut water. to make that connection between mind and body and food is a powerful tool that your kids can use for healing throughout their lives. But, you say, “What if my kids won’t eat any vegan food?” Think more closely about what they’re already eating. Peanut butter sandwiches are vegan, and most kids love peanut butter sandwiches. I think it is great to start with foods and flavours that your kids love, and gently move them forward to expanding their palate and their comfort with healthy foods. If your child is a nut butter lover, try Chunky Monkey smoothie made with an extra ripe banana, nut butter and almond milk. If your kids love fruit, your smoothie possibilities are nearly endless. (One of our favourites is the tropical green smoothie above!) Have a smoothie party and let kids try different color and flavor combinations. Coming up with creative names for the smoothies can be fun too. If your children are a bit hesitant to try new foods, try re-thinking the language you use around food. We encourage our kids not to say they don’t like something, we suggest instead that they say
For 2 cups of basil leaves use 1/2 cup of nuts (walnuts or pine nuts work well, but I’ve also used almonds), 1/2 cup of olive oil and 1/4 cup nutritional yeast. Add 4 cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp lemon juice and salt to taste. Process in a food processor or high powered blender until smooth. Serve over hot pasta or as a spread.
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“this is a new food for me.” We continually build our kids’ vocabulary around food, asking them to describe exactly what it is about the food they are not sure of; is it the texture (too mushy, too wet, to dry) or the flavour (too spicy, too salty, too sweet)? It may be the smell or the colour of the food that your child is feeling apprehensive about. For a while our youngest was averse to having any mixed textures or flavours. With repeated exposure over time, and lots of patient talks and sometimes games at the table to help her feel confident to try new things, she is now an expert eater who enjoys curries and soups; things she would once have been reluctant to try. Another key way of opening your children's hearts up to vegan foods is by getting them involved in the shopping and cooking. A trip to your local farmer's market or pick-your-own farm is a great way for them to connect food with nature and start to understand where their food comes from. Even spending time in the produce section of your local market will help your child become aware of all of the beautiful, bright fruit and veggies available. Let them help selecting the groceries and then, try tasting and cooking together at home. If you already have budding foodies, one great food to make together is vegan pesto. Try to get a basil plant, if you can. The fresh smell is incredible, and your children will love the job of harvesting the leaves off the plant. (Try my easy pesto recipe to the left to use up lots of basil.) These fresh flavours and vibrant colours are a wonderful opportunity to develop your kids’ palate and confidence around food. And they will be much more likely to try it if they made it.
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If you haven't hooked your children on vegan foods yet, it's time to try baking. There is something about the smell of homemade baking wafting out of the kitchen that is irresistible! Also, baking is messy and fun. Kids love to measure, pour and mix, and it is magic when the right combination of ingredients yields a delicious result. Banana chocolate chip muffins are a great vegan bake to start out with. Ingredients 1 flax egg (3 tbsp aquafaba plus 1 tsbp ground flax) 3/4 cup almond or soy milk 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (can use half whole wheat) 1 cup rolled oats 1/3 cup coconut sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup melted coconut oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup mashed overripe bananas 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions 1. Mix the aquafaba (chickpea water) with the ground flax. Leave to gel on the counter for 10 min while you mix the dry ingredients. 2. Add the apple cider vinegar to your almond or soy milk and leave to sour for 10 minutes before using. 3. Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. 4. In a large bowl, beat the flax egg lightly. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Add the chocolate chips. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper bake cups (or grease your muffin tin) and divide the batter among them. 5. Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 18 to 20 minutes.
In the kitchen and at the dining table, keep the conversation active with your children about compassion and how our choices impact our health, animal welfare and the planet. Let your children know that they have the power to change the world, and that one of the best places to start is with their food choices. They may be small, but they can make a big difference. Empowering your children and helping them to create identity around all the positive aspects of being vegan will help them feel inspired to love being vegan. r
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I don’t think we’ve ever been to a party where someone hasn’t asked us that burning vegan question: “Where do you get your protein?” As a relatively long-term vegan, I think it’s kind of silly that people immediately ask about protein - for us, it’s THE easiest thing to get in our diets. Calcium and iron are harder, and they’re still not impossible to get. Protein exists in just about every food there is - yes, even vegan foods. The need for protein is, in our opinions, a little overstated. It seems as if everywhere we turn there
are new protein bars, protein cookies, protein cereals, protein powder advertisements, and much much more. To us, it feels like just one more way companies are preying on our fear of not being “healthy enough” to make money. But with some thoughtful preparation of our everyday food, it’s really easy to get enough protein in your body.
The amount of protein needed per day is a little more complex because plant foods have different types of proteins that are absorbed by the body better or worse than others. A good number to shoot for is 0.8g per kg of your body weight, or 10-20% of your daily calories, whichever works more realistically for you. For your nutritional benefit, try:
Pairing beans or nuts with whole grains. Different combinations of these foods each week to vary your diet. “Complete” proteins like soybeans, hemp seeds, buckwheat, or quinoa.
There are many ways protein affects the body, and too much or too little can have negative consequences. Too little protein and you might feel tired, sick, weak, constantly hungry (especially for sugar), and your skin & hair might feel lackluster. Too much and the body excretes calcium, which may lead to kidney stones, and build up the levels of ammonia and uric acid, the latter of which can lead to gout. Those that aren’t vegan may feel the effects of a highprotein/low carb diet even more so, as they might not be getting enough vitamin & fiber-rich vegetables and getting too much cholesterol, saturated fat, and salt. Luckily, most issues with too much protein comes from eating animals, so you shouldn’t worry too much about getting excess protein on a vegan diet.
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tempeh (31g per cup) firm tofu processed w calcium sulfate (21g per 1/2 cup) seitan (20g per 3 oz.) firm tofu processed w nigari (15g per 1/4 block) silken tofu (12g per 1 cup)
cooked edamame (20g per cup) cooked chickpeas (17g per cup) cooked lentils (17g per cup) cooked white beans (17g per cup) cooked kidney beans (16g per cup) cooked black beans (15g per cup) cooked pinto beans (15g per cup) cooked black eyed peas (13g per cup) cooked green peas (8g per cup)
We incorporate plenty of more-processed foods into our diet as well as whole ingredients. If you check out the nutritional labels of any food, you’ll be able to tell if that food has a lot of protein or not. We suggest taking a trip to the grocery store and seeing what’s there - see how processed these foods are, how many ingredients are in each one, and what the nutritional profile looks like. There are more options than ever before, so explore! Here are a few of our favorite essentials that happen to be pretty good in protein:
Ezekiel Bread (8g per 2 slices of the Sprouted Grain sliced bread) Soy or other non-dairy milk (2-10g per cup, depending on the type) Banza Chickpea Pasta (14g per 2 oz. rotini) Beanitos Black Bean “Tortilla” Chips (4g per 12 chips) Upton’s Seitan (30g per 1/2 4 oz., half a container)
roasted peanuts (20g per 1/2 cup) roasted cashews (10g per 1/2 cup) brazil nuts (9g per 1/2 cup) hazelnuts (8g per 1/2 cup) peanut butter (8g per 2 tbsp) roasted pumpkin & squash seeds (8g per 1/4 cup) almonds (8g per 1/4 cup) almond butter (7g per 2 tbsp) roasted pistachios (6g per 1/4 cup) tahini (5g per 2 tbsp) hemp seeds (5g per 1 tbsp) chia seeds (4g per 2 tbsp) sesame seeds (3g per 2 tbsp)
buckwheat flour (10g per 1/2 cup) cooked quinoa (8g per cup) russet potatoes (7g per 3-4” potato) cooked bulgur (6g per 1 cup) red potatoes (6g per 3-4” potato) cooked buckwheat (6g per cup) cooked rolled oats (5g per 1/2 cup)
cooked brussels sprouts (5g per 1 cup) cooked spinach (5g per 1 cup) cooked asparagus (5g per 1 cup) cooked artichokes (5g per 1 cup) coooked collards (5g per 1 cup) cooked sweet corn (5g per 1 cup kernels) cooked winter squash (5g per 1 cup cubed) cooked broccoli (5g per cup) raw oyster mushrooms (4g per 1 large piece)
Field Roast Burger (22g per burger) Tofurky Italian Sausage (30g per sausage) Tofurky Deli Slices (13g per 5 slices) Wegmans Vegan Chicken Breasts (17g per piece)
Please note: Even though we included a lot of brand names and recommendations in this piece, we do not receive any compensation or free product from these companies for writing any of this. We just love using them, and want to pass off our recommendations here in a genuine spirit. <3 Information on daily protein needs sourced from this USDA site. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/2015-2020-dietaryguidelines-americans The protein chart was sourced from information on this USDA website. All gram amounts were rounded down to the nearest gram for brevity. http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/ nutrients/index Further reading on complete proteins: http://www.forksoverknives.com/the-myth-of-complementaryprotein/ http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-protein-primer/
Here’s the thing - we normally never include nutritional data in our recipes. That’s because we don’t really believe in calorie counting and have personally experienced what it’s like to obsess over nutrients, calories, and the “healthiness” of food in general. We ultimately believe that a varied, abundant plant-based diet will get you all the nutrition you need without much help from numbers. We added in nutritional info to these recipes to show that each one has a decent amount of protein while still getting reasonable calories in. You can and should enjoy these (and the rest of our recipes) without ever having to look at these numbers and taking out certain ingredients you may deem “bad” - food is not bad. Food is fun and food is fuel; let it drive you each day, both mentally and physically. That said, if you’re a beginning vegan that is worried about getting enough protein, calcium, or iron, we would definitely recommend getting a free account at Cronometer. It’s a tracking app/website that goes beyond just calories and macros - you can see if you’re getting each type of protein, each type of B vitamin, omega fatty acids (and more!) which can be important to a vegan diet specifically. We sourced all of our nutrition info in our recipes from Cronometer for this piece. (We have no affiliation with them whatsoever, we just love using their website.)
This recipe is just a basic overnight oats recipe - feel free to add ingredients as you like. We especially love adding jams, frozen or fresh fruit, and switching out the spices every so often. Serves two.
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2 tbsp vanilla protein powder 2 cups almond milk 1 cup oats 2 tbsp chia seeds 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 cup nondairy unsweetened yogurt a drizzle of maple syrup
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16.6g
33g
13g
10g
1. In a mason jar or other sealable container, pour in the protein powder and almond milk. Shake to thoroughly combine. If you add in any other ingredients that might clump up and not mix in properly (like peanut butter or tahini), be sure to add them in during this step. It makes sure you get it all combined with little clumping. 2. Pour in the rest of the ingredients and shake to combine. 3. Chill in the fridge overnight and eat within 1-2 days.
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CHickpea magazine #22 connecting
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Read the rest of this feature in our full issue HERE
We have digital and print issues, as well as special issue packs and subscriptions. See more at our shop here.
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Thanks for reading our free preview! G E T OUR WHOLE I SSUE HER E
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