Vegan Airport Travel Survival Guide

Greetings from 35,000 feet!

While it isn’t impossible, it can be difficult to find food at the airport and in-flight if you are vegan. Most of the time, you are relegated to the snack section at Hudson News, a soggy hummus wrap, or having to pay for an overpriced snack box where you can only eat a few of the items. Your best bet is to just make the little bit of extra effort and pack yourself some snacks.

Here are some of my favorite travel snacks:

Lara Bar
Billed as “The Original Fruit & Nut Food Bar” they come in a variety of flavors. Made primarily with dates, they are 100% real food, no added sugars and one bar is the equivalent of 1/4 cup of fruit. While the majority of the flavors are vegan, there are a few that aren’t due to a certain kind of chocolate chip that is used. However, all are gluten-free!

Dried fruit and nuts
Always a great idea for any traveller, a selection of dried fruits and nuts is a great way to make you feel full without eating something gross, like fast food fries. Dried cranberries, apples, bananas, mangoes, pineapples as well as raw cashews or almonds are my faves. The particular brand of mangoes I have for this trip are sliced, like an all natural fruit roll up!

Primal Strips
Can we say vegan beef jerkey?! These things are THE BOMB! I have tried other brands of vegan jerkey and was traumatized by the texture… It was like a soggy dog biscuit. Not Primal Strips! Made from seitan, shiitake or soy, they pack a whopping 10 grams of protein per package. They are gluten-free, cholesterol free and freaking awesomely delicious. They come in flavors like hickory smoked, mesquite lime, teriyaki (my personal fave), Texas BBQ, hot & spicy, and Thai peanut. I’ve tried nearly all of them! They also make for fantastic pre/post gym snacks.

Sweet And Sara
A snack arsenal isn’t complete without a little sweet indulgence! You might remember these delicious little morsels when I wrote about the 2012 Vegetarian Food Festival. Sweet & Sara produces vegan marshmallows and marshmallow treats such as peanut butter s’mores and rice crispy treats. You can find them at Whole Foods and other natural food markets. Rumor has it that they are starting to pop up in Duane Reade’s around NYC!

Tofurky Sammies
Lastly, I’ve got two lovely sandwiches made with Tofurky and Veganaise. Along with my Eco-friendly sandwich wrapper, this meal has very low environmental impact compared to a typical deli sandwich produced with meat. Oh, and it’s super yummy, too!

What are your favorite vegan travel snacks?

An Unexpected Surprise!

It was Melissa’s birthday last weekend, and she, being the loving and kind soul she is, wanted to spend the day volunteering up at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.  The day was filled with lots of animal loving!  The unexpected surprise came in an impromptu stay at The Guesthouse at Woodstock Sanctuary.  I couldn’t let the experience go by without blogging about it!

Facing the pastures of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, the pre-Civil War B&B has been completed restored, and in an eco-friendly manner to boot.  Beautiful wood floors and antique furniture can be found throughout, providing for a warm and welcoming experience.  Upon entering the kitchen via the porch, you might be greeted by the house cats, Errol or Leon.  Sweet as pie, they live at the house, so if you are allergic to cats, this probably isn’t the place for you.  As you walk through the house, with each step you are greeted by walls lined with joyful photos of animal residents and you can’t help but to smile.

All of the rooms are named in honor and memory of past residents of the farm.  We had the distinct pleasure of staying in the Olivia Room, named for Olivia the Goat.  She was most “famous” for acting as a surrogate mom to Dylan (a rescued veal calf) when he first arrived at the Sanctuary.  Each room is also adorned with framed photos of the room’s namesake.  The room was well-appointed and had beautiful views of the pastures.  We were told that if we left the door open just a crack, we could be joined by one of the house cats.  Of course being the cat lovers that we are, we had to take that chance!  Much to our delight, Leon decided to join us that evening.  He spent a good portion of the night snuggled with us, and it was quite comforting, reminding us of home.

I am kicking myself for not taking a photo of the room itself (you can see it via the link to the B&B above), but upon waking in the morning I was awe-struck by the view.  Morning light hitting the beautiful Catskills Mountains, green grass, and Kayli, Mike Jr., and Maybelle out for a morning graze.  My heart swelled at the sight.

I was hoping to wake up to hearing some roosters, but either we slept too soundly or the house is well insulated because no such luck!  Oh well, maybe next time.  We headed down for breakfast and was greeted by a beautiful all-vegan spread including a selection of oatmeal, breads, fruit, granola, baked goods, orange juice, coffee, tea – the works!  I also spotted a note posted to the house cats that I found to be just adorable.

Armed with coffee, toast and two bowls of granola with soy milk, we headed outside to the porch to eat.  The porch has two rocking chairs with a small table in between, aka the perfect place for us to have our breakfast.  We watched Kayli, Mike Jr., and Maybelle graze while we ate, as well as listened to the morning sounds of the farm (now I could hear some cock-a-doodle-doos!) and the sweet, fresh air.

After breakfast it was time to say good-bye and we did so with full, grateful hearts, knowing we would be back very soon.

One thing to note if you would like to book a visit to the Guesthouse — you must have a WFAS membership in order to do so.  It’s a small fee of $30 per year for a basic membership and is full of wonderful perks.  You can find out more information about membership here.

Daiya Wedges! Finally!

For those of you who might read my blog regularly, I’m quite often singing the praises of Daiya (day-yah) dairy-free cheese.  After over two years of development and experimentation, their initial product line started with vegan cheddar and mozzarella shreds, and later pepperjack shreds.  Even before I went full vegan, we quite often would purchase  these shreds because they really are very tasty!  They are perfect for pizza, italian dishes like eggplant parmesan, tacos, quesadillas, you name it, Daiya could do it!  Derived from the Sanskrit word “dayaa” meaning “loving, kindness, and compassion”,  Daiya cheese enables vegans to continue to practice those exact values but still enjoying the flavor and texture of cheese.

Rumors started rumbling early in the year that Daiya would be coming out with a new product, and that was confirmed when I attended the 2012 Vegetarian Food Fest:  Daiya wedges were on their way!  They made their official debut at the 2012 Natural Products Expo and I couldn’t wait to get my little vegan hands on it!  It comes in three varieties – Cheddar, Jalapeno Havarti and Jack.

And I finally did!  Well, Melissa did.  She found them at the Whole Foods in Union Square.  Although they were sold out of cheddar (BUMMER!) Melissa grabbed both of the others.  The packages were smaller than I anticipated, though not sure what I was expecting there.

I tasted the Havarti first – upon first taste, I was impressed.  The flavor was bold and the jalepeno gave it a great bite.  It wasn’t just jalepeno flavoring – there were jalepeno bits in the cheese.  As far as texture is concerned, well, its not cheese.  BUT!  For a vegan, this is an amazing alternative.  The texture didn’t bother me so much because of that.  I would think that given to a cheese eater, they might scoff.

Next was the Jack, which was my favorite of the two.  It was creamy and flavorful.  I noted that the flavor was not that artificial tasting, to me anyway.

Now, the ultimate test – paired with crackers and vegan pepperoni!  Both passed the test with flying colors.

I don’t know how well they would stand up at room temperature for an extended period of time, say at like a dinner party or on a cheese plate, but overall I was really thrilled.  I hope to soon find and taste the cheddar wedge.  I also need to test it out cooked, like in grilled cheese or maybe a toasted sandwich.  I will post an update once I do so.  (Since I originally drafted this post, I have also had it on a sandwich (Tofurky w/Jack cheese) and it was totally yum.)

Rating:  Four out of five carrots!

Vegan-ize It: Grilled Cheese

Did you know that today is National Grilled Cheese Day?!  Well it is!  And guess what?  Vegans can celebrate!!!

There are so many great cheese substitutes available nowadays.  Follow Your Heart produces several varieties of cheese wedges and cream cheeses. I love their cheddar for use in cheese and crackers or grilled cheese.  But my absolute fave lately is Daiya — they produce cheese shreds and their new wedges which I have not been able to find yet!  However, their cheddar shreds are PERFECT for making some vegan grilled cheese.  

I know pretty much everyone knows how to make grilled cheese, but I’m going to include a recipe anyway.  After all, its further proof that being vegan does not mean you miss out on some of the best comfort food!  Best part about vegan grilled cheese?  NO Cholesterol or Trans Fat!

Vegan Grilled Cheese (serves two)

Ingredients

• Your favorite vegan bread
• Daiya cheddar shreds
• Sliced tomato, if desired
• Earth Balance butter

Directions

1. Warm a pan or skillet over medium heat.  Melt a tablespoon of butter in the pan.
2. Butter one side of four slices of bread.  Place two bread slices, butter side down in pan and portion out some Daiya cheddar on to each slice.
3. If desired, warm some tomato slices in the skillet.  (I prefer no tomato, but Melissa loves it!)
4. Take the other two slices of bread, and place them butter side up on top of the cheese, like a sandwich.
5. Cover pan with a lid to help the cheese melt, for a minute or two.  Be careful not to burn the bread.
6. Flip sandwiches to let the other side crisp.
7. Remove from pan and serve!

We had our grilled cheese with a nice kale salad tonight, but sometimes we’ll have it with tomato soup.  It’s the perfect comfort food!  Do you have a favorite vegan comfort food?

Vegan-ize It: Tofu Scallops

Before I went vegan, I used to go crazy for a perfectly pan-seared sea scallop.  Anytime I went out to a restaurant and scallops were on the menu, I need not look any further.  My parents always had scallops for me when I would go visit.  I was the scallop girl!  I “Excuse-itarian’ed” (Colleen Patrick-Goudreau coined this term and I love it!) my way around consuming scallops for quite a while — “They don’t have a face!” was my perfect reasoning.  When I connected the dots about the problems with industrial fishing and factory fish farms, I preferred that those little tender fleshy morsels stayed in their cute little shells in the sea and not in my belly.  If you haven’t learned about the downside to the seafood industry, you can get a little snapshot about it here, here, and here.

My ever-creative amateur chef (and partner of 6 years) Melissa came up with a brilliant solution to satisfy my scallop cravings — make them out of tofu!  After all, it is the seasonings, sauces and marinades that have us so attached to eating flesh anyway.  We aren’t like tigers and lions who eat flesh raw, no problemo.  Here is her brilliant recipe… my mouth waters just thinking about it!

Tofu Scallops

Ingredients

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1 lemon
• 2-4 tablespoons vegan butter (I recommend Earth Balance)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• salt & pepper, to taste

Tools

• Small cookie cutter or juice glass with a small diameter

Directions

1. Press the tofu.  See Tofu Isn’t Scary for more detailed instructions on pressing tofu.
2. Cut thickness of tofu in half.  
3. Use cookie cutter or juice glass to cut circles out of tofu.  Season tofu scallops with the Old Bay and salt and pepper.
4. Heat pan with 1 tbsp (approx.) of olive oil on medium/high heat.
5. Place tofu scallops in pan, allowing them to get golden brown on each side.  Remove from pan and set tofu scallops aside.
6. Turn heat to low and melt 2-4 tbsp of vegan butter in the pan.  Use more butter if you are making more scallops.
7. Squeeze half the lemon into the pan with the melted butter, stir to incorporate.  Add dill.  Stir and turn heat off.
8. Plate tofu scallops and drizzle/spoon lemon dill sauce over scallops.  Serve with your favorite veggies and sides.  Pictured with a mix of quinoa and kale.

I hope you enjoy this recipe — its one of my favorites!  Do you have a favorite vegan-ized recipe?

Vegan Pizza in Point Pleasant?!

We travel down to Point Pleasant, NJ on a regular basis to visit my partner’s mother and husband. When we travel to either of our families, we usually always travel with a goody bag of our basics: a carton of soy milk, package of tofu, Earth Balance butter and then whatever else we might want to prepare ourselves to eat. It saves our families a little bit of stress when we visit, because they tend to get a little nervous about what to feed us.

We arrived today mid-afternoon… Too late for lunch, too early for dinner. But we were hungry. So, Melissa does as we always do when traveling to a city or town we aren’t familiar with – she Happy Cow’d Point Pleasant. (Happy Cow is a vegan/veg food finder that basically works globally… You start up the app, it locates you, and tells you where the closest vegan/veg friendly places to eat). Our eyes about bugged out of our heads when it returned the result of Jason’s Organic Pizza Cafe. Could this really be true?! Vegan pizza in Point Pleasant?! Indeed, vegan pizza in Point Pleasant.

My mother in law took a ride with us over to their location at 1314 Richmond Ave, a short ride over the bridge in a cute plaza full of Italian specialty stores and a random taco joint. Not only do they cater to vegans, but offer gluten-free options as well. And, of course, everything is organic. Their brochure states, “We believe that all natural foods help you feel better. At Jason’s our wish for you is to eat good and feel good.” I couldn’t agree more!

We took a look at the menu, which is full of wonderful options for vegans and omnivores alike. Specialty pizzas, salads, appetizers, and sandwiches, I felt like they really made a conscious effort to include the vegan and gluten-free crowd, which was worlds away from your typical pizza parlor. I opted for a “Create Your Own” pizza, selecting a whole wheat crust, organic spicy tomato sauce, Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese, topped with organic crimini mushrooms and Field Roast sausage. Melissa got the same crust and cheese, topped with basil, red pepper and crimini mushrooms.

While we waited, the owner, Jason himself, treated us to a sample of his homemade vegan meatballs. I thought this was extremely kind and generous, and before I even had told him about Jerseycityvegan.com! The meatballs were delicious, made from veggie protein, had a perfectly seasoned Italian flavor exactly like what you’d expect from a meatball! My mother in law even gave them a taste, and she was thoroughly impressed. That’s kind of a big deal, in my book – An omnivore giving a seal of approval on a vegan meatball.

And I’m sure you’re wondering how the pizzas were? Well, have a look…

The cheese was perfectly melted, toppings were full of flavor, and the crust was crispy. I was absolutely delighted. I would love it if Jason’s opened a location in Jersey City, but for now I will settle for it being my Jersey Shore go-to for pizza. Summer is coming, so trips to the shore will be plentiful very soon… As will my visits to Jason’s Organic Pizza Cafe!

Jersey City Vegan on Jersey City Independent

Fun news!

I was recently interviewed by a local online news website here in Jersey City called the Jersey City Independent all about this very website and my vegan mission.  I am so grateful for the opportunity (which, might I add, just fell into my lap!) and thank them sincerely for approaching me.  It was my first interview EVER about the subject… most of the time I just am talking casually with friends or co-workers about it, so it was nerve-wracking in the most exciting way possible.  But, I think it turned out well and I’m really happy with the result!  So please, feel free to click on over to their site and check it out:  Jersey City Vegan on Jersey City Independent.

Vegan Like Me No. 4

Vegan Like Me aims to profile fellow vegans, from all walks of life from everywhere in the world!  We’ve all been beginners and I think its important for folks to hear people’s stories in order to motivate themselves to keep going. This feature is intended to do just that.  If you are vegan and would like to participate, get in touch with me and I’ll be sure to send our questionnaire along to you.

Name:  Cassandra Meehan

Cassandra, Vegan for 9 years

Where do you live?  Melbourne, Australia

How long have you been vegan?  About 9 years

What inspired you to take on a plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) diet?  I had been vegetarian since I was 13, granted, my vegetarianism started through peer group pressure (my group of new-found friends were veg), but it slowly grew to be a huge part of my life. I became vegetarian purely for ethical reasons – for the animals.  For about 2 years (18-20), I was on and off fish, like tuna and salmon, feeling pressure to eat fish for my health, from family, friends, and doctors, but it never sat well with me.  I soon gave up fish for good.  When I hit my 20’s I tried on and off to become vegan, but would always fail with things like eggs (huge cravings, that would develop into sickness once I had consumed them), and occasionally cheese.  I was still wearing animal products, such as leather, wool, silk.  Then when I was around 24/25, I’d recently been stuck  behind a truck carrying a lot of calves to God knows where.  There were so many of them crammed into the trailer, they were on top of each other and every time we stopped at traffic lights, blood seeped onto the road – it was such a bright vibrant red, it didn’t look real. The calves were just looking at me through the grates of the trailer. Anyway, I had to pull over after 20 mins and had a bit of a meltdown.  It had a huge impact on me.  Then a couple of weeks later, with academic assessments coming out of my ears, tired and run down I watched a PETA video on the Dairy Industry.  That toppled me over the edge.  I could not stop crying for about 4 hours.  I rang my mother and said I’d wiped my hands clean, of anything to do with the animal/meat/dairy eating industry.  It was like a switched had been flicked.  There was no struggle.  I was vegan.  I no longer buy clothing such as leather, wool etc.. but there are probably a few items still around in my wardrobe.  So, I guess you could say, it was an evolution for me.  I always knew where I wanted to be – ie. vegan, it just took me a little while to get there. Since then, I have been a fully committed ethical vegan for 9 years 🙂

What do you love most about being vegan?  That I can live a healthy and happy life without consciously contributing to the use, abuse, death of another living being.  Why wouldn’t I?  All lives are precious.

What three items do you always have in your pantry?  Brown rice, chilli and avocado.

What is your favorite vegan comfort food?  Dark chocolate.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about taking on a plant-based (vegan) diet?  Take it slowly. I recommend mostly to vegetarians, because they’re half way there. But no one I know has actually made the transition to vegan. Most of the times it’s, ‘My doctor said I can’t/shouldn’t…’  My sister has done a few 30 day challenges, but has always failed. Haha. Always won over by the cheese and eggs!

But if you allow yourself time.. Surf the web for tips on making the transition. I get a lot of advise and information mostly from the internet and my own research. PETA and their links were a great help. And vegetarian victoria were great too. Cruelty Free website. The Ethical Consumer Guide. Lots of link clicking and internet surfing!

Do you find anything difficult about being vegan?  Other people! 😉 Say for instance, if I’m tired or run down, people automatically say, “Oh, it’s because you’re vegan – you’re not getting enough of this, or the right kind of nutrients!”   Nothing to do with the 3 jobs, 2 assignments and life dramas that may be present at the time.

A lot of people a shocked to discover I’m vegan, they’re always “You look so well/healthy for a vegan” Ha! It’s because I love food and I love to eat. You really need to look after your nutrition being vegan; actually everyone needs to look after their nutrition and eat well. A lot of people don’t see that. Those who have known me a long time, love going out and suggested new veg places to eat or cooking vegan meals, or having me cook vegan meals. They really get in on ‘being vegan for the day/night’ – so they’re totally supportive and curious. It’s mostly new people that I meet, sometimes go on the attack AS SOON as they discover I’m vegan. And that’s when the whole “well, what about the vegetables? How do your morals lie with that?” And “You know I’m not going to stop eating meat around you”. And bringing up the environmental impact of soy etc… And the ol’ classic “I’d like to be a vegetarian, but I could never give up steak” But on a whole – people are more intrigued than anything else. “Can you eat this?” “Can you eat that” “What about this?”

Any other comments you or words of wisdom you would like to add?  All lives are precious. Go vegan!

Thanks so much, Cassandra!  I, too, consider myself to be an ethical vegan… the health benefits are such a great bonus.  Much love to my dear friend down under!

Vegan-ize It: Weekend Brunch

Its Monday.  The weekend just ended and I’m already counting down the days until next weekend!  No better way to do that than dream about one of my favorite weekend meals:

BRUNCH!  First thing that comes to mind for most people are eggs, right?  First thing that comes to a vegan’s mind is the delicious dish we all know as Tofu Scramble.  For as many incarnations of an omlette that might exist, the possibilities are also endless for Tofu Scramble.  Except with the vegan version, you don’t need to worry about all the saturated fat and cholesterol!  Or, the cruelty of the egg/dairy industry.  It really is a win/win.  Here is my favorite recipe…

Melissa’s Best Tofu Scramble in the World

Ingredients

• Two links of Tofurky Breakfast Sausage, sliced  -OR-
• 1/3 tube Gimme Lean sausage, crumbled
• 1 c. sliced Baby Bella mushrooms
• One block of extra firm tofu (DON’T press!)
• Approx. 2 c. chopped kale
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 c. Daiya cheddar cheese
• Few shakes of dried dill or oregano, to taste
• salt & pepper to taste
• fresh chopped parsley to garnish
• Hot sauce/ketchup to serve

Directions

1. Slice the Tofurky Breakfast Sausage and saute in a pan with the mushrooms over medium high heat with a little bit of olive oil or vegan butter until browned.
   

   We like Tofurky and Gimme Lean sausage but feel free to use your favorite.

2. In a bowl or a large cutting board, use a fork to crumble the tofu.  Feel free to leave larger chunks of tofu and have the texture be uneven – we are mimicking scrambled eggs.
3. Add tofu to saute pan with sausage and mushrooms.  Add turmeric and nutritional yeast and toss in pan to incorporate.
   

   Before

   

   After

4. Add greens.  Cover and let steam for a minute or two.
5. Sprinkle Daiya cheese evenly on top of the scramble.  Cover briefly to melt the cheese.  Reduce heat to low/medium.
6. Top with the fresh parsley and salt/pepper to taste.  Serve with hot sauce or ketchup.
   

   Absolutely yummy.

And because no weekend brunch is complete without a little indulgence, here is a bonus smoothie recipe.

Blueberry Smoothies

Ingredients  (serves 2)

• 2 c. your choice of non-dairy milk (in this instance, vanilla soy)
• 1 c. frozen wild blueberries
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• Filtered water, as needed
  

  Smoothie ingredients

Directions

1. Put blueberries, milk and flaxseed meal in blender and blend until incorporated, adding some filtered water if needed to thin out  a little bit.
2. Add chia seeds and blend for another 30 seconds or until incorporated.
3. Serve.
   

   Beautiful blueberry color -- Full of antioxidants!

This recipe was inspired by a post by Dr. Greger on nutritionfacts.org, one of my favorite vegan nutrition resources.

Antioxidants + Omega 3's = Nutritious and Delicious!