Sandwich of the Week: 'Don't be a Chump' Chickpea Sandwich October 22, 2009

Posted by Marta at October 22, 2009 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

I know we've shared many delicious sandwiches with you over the past several weeks, and it's my turn this week! While there are tons of awesome "faux" products out there these days like faux meats, soy cheeses, and vegan mayo (and I fully recommend you try them), I decided to make things even easier on you this week by keeping the "faux" out.

Of course, I couldn't resist sharing a recipe with you from PETA's Vegan College Cookbook, so if you're a lover of chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans), like me, then keep reading!

I bring you the 'Don't be a Chump' Chickpea Sandwich:

Yum! Here's how to make it:

• 1/2 (15 ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and mashed with a fork
• Italian dressing, to taste
• 2 slices bread (I used multigrain and toasted them for a little extra pizzazz)
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots
• 4 cherry tomatoes, halved (I decided to get a little crazy and use grape tomatoes! I know, I need to calm down.)

Mix the chickpeas with some Italian dressing and spread on one slice of bread. Top with the shredded carrots, the tomatoes, and add the other slice of bread.

Makes 1 serving

Some tips: You can stop by a salad bar and grab some shredded carrots and tomatoes if you don't want to buy whole containers of either, and feel free to tweak the sandwich to your personal preferences. I like to see it as a jumping off point. Love avocado? Toss some of that green goodness in there! Hate chickpeas? Experiment with another bean. And if you suck at bean mashin', try using a blender or food processor (though it will have more of a hummus texture—but that's never a bad thing!).

Hope you enjoy it!

Being a Jewish Vegan August 3, 2009

Posted by Marta at August 3, 2009 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 5 ) | TrackBack

Here's a special guest post from my fellow peta2 staffer and cookbook co-author Starza about being Jewish and vegan. Enjoy!
-Marta

I was raised Jewish and my family kept a kosher household—that's right, we had "meat" plates and "dairy" plates that had to be kept separate, and you couldn't eat meat if the meal had dairy and vice versa. Because of this, my brother and I would often fantasize about cheeseburgers, pepperoni pizza, and what would happen if we secretly ate steak on a "dairy" plate.

I decided to go vegetarian a few months after my Bat Mitzvah because I didn't want animals to suffer for my meals. I found out that veganism was automatically kosher because there's no worry about whether or not a meal had meat or dairy in it. On top of that, I could eat "cheese" burgers and "pepperoni" pizza by using their faux alternatives. I even ventured out and made the most un-Kosher-but-Kosher-because-it's-vegan snack I could think of—"ham" roll-ups—which were crazy delicious! There's a recipe for them in PETA's Vegan College Cookbook which I'm also sharing with you here, so that you too can experience their Koshery goodness!

Sham "Ham" Roll-Ups

You've always wanted to make something with chives because they sound fancy—admit it.

1 (8-ounce) container vegan cream cheese
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 (5.5-ounce) package vegan ham deli slices

Mix the cream cheese, chives, salt, and pepper together. Spread
the mixture on the deli slices and roll up. Use a toothpick to
hold together.

Makes 4 servings.

If you're curious about vegetarianism, Judaism, and how they are related, check out this article. It explains how the act of being vegetarian is a mitzvah (good deed) and a form of tzedakah (charitable giving)—something all Jews are required to practice on a regular basis.

So there you go, yet another reason why being vegetarian rocks. I know my Bubbe would be proud!

Shalom!

-Starza

Make Something for Your Dad This Father's Day! June 16, 2009

Posted by Marta at June 16, 2009 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack

Since so many of you loved making a cake for your mom this past Mother's Day, we wanted to make sure that your dad got in on the good eats too. And we couldn't think of a better way for you to show how much you appreciate him on Father's Day than by dishing him up a big, homemade, delicious breakfast! Here's a recipe for you to impress your meat-loving dad with, straight out of PETA's Vegan College Cookbook. This recipe is ridiculously easy and I could eat vats of it because I love it. Yummmm.

Toasty Sausage Surprise

The surprise? Your omni friends will never know this isn't real sausage.

1 (14-ounce) tube veggie sausage, crumbled
2 cups soy milk
2 tablespoons vegan margarine
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup flour
6 slices of bread, toasted

Mix together the sausage, soy milk, margarine, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Heat for 3 minutes, then add a dash of flour while stirring. Heat for an additional 2 minutes. Repeat this flour-adding process until the mixture is thick. Place toast on plates and top with the sausage mixture.

Makes 3 servings.

Serve this up with some of your fave breakfast foods (I personally like hashed browns, fresh fruit, OJ, and tofu scramble), and your dad will totally give your cell back to you after you sent way too many texts last month. Well, maybe not, but it doesn't hurt to try, right?

E-mail StreetTeam@peta2.com a picture of your Toasty Sausage Surprise and let us know what your dad thought of it and we'll give you 1,000 Street Team points.

Happy eating!



P.S. Have you gotten a copy of PETA's Vegan College Cookbook yet? What are you waiting for?! It'll make your life easier and more delicious. Seriously.

Free Stuff Friday: PETA's Vegan College Cookbook June 5, 2009

Posted by Tiffany Wright at June 5, 2009 9:27 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 200 ) | TrackBack

When you head off to college this year, you'll have a lot on your plate. Between classes, homework, study sessions, and frat parties, the last thing you need to worry about is food. That's why we're giving you the chance to win PETA's Vegan College Cookbook. This cookbook provides you with 275 vegan recipes you can make in the comfort of your own dorm room. PETA's Vegan College Cookbook includes simple (and delicious) recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks, drinks, and much more! Better yet, the only appliance you'll need to make all this scrumptiousness is a microwave.

And, by the way, this book isn't just for college students. It's for anyone who wants cooking to be quick, delicious, and cruelty-free. If that sounds like you, or anyone you know, then you'll want to enter to win one of five cookbooks we're giving away this week (see below!).

Wanna know more about the cookbook? Check out what the book's co-authors (and peta2 staffers), Marta Holmberg and Starza Kolman, had to say:

Tiffany: What made you guys decide to put together this cookbook?
Marta: College students write in all the time looking for vegan recipes that are easy and delicious, so we wanted to give them something they would really benefit from and love.

Tiffany: What was your favorite thing to eat in college?
Marta: I tend to go through certain periods where I only eat one type of food. Sometimes, it's stir fry, sometimes it's pancakes ... you never know.
Starza: Ramen with all kinds of different stuff like vegetables, nutritional yeast, and spices. In college, I always took weird dishes and morphed them into something delicious.

Tiffany: What's your favorite recipe from the book?
Marta and Starza: "I'm, Like, So Easy!" Blueberry Pancakes.

Tiffany: What do you think people will love most about the book? ... Besides the food, of course.
Starza: This book makes cooking so easy. You can just roll out of bed and whip something up. This book makes cooking so convenient and fun that you'll actually want to cook.

Tiffany: What advice would you give students whose friends or family don't agree with them being vegan?
Starza: Make them some sample food to show them how good and nutritionally balanced vegan food can be.
Marta: Live by example—people will see how easy and delicious vegan food is if they see how happy you are being vegan.

Tiffany: What's the best thing about being vegan?
Marta: The food!
Starza: The fact that no animal had to suffer for the meals you prepare.
Marta: Oh yeah, that too! :o)

For your chance to win PETA's Vegan College Cookbook, comment below with what we should name our 276th recipe. Right now, the book's recipes include Butt Ugly Sticky Buns, Hangover Helper, WTF Wings, and Frozen Frat Balls. Entries must be received by June 12th. The five people with the most creative comments will be chosen as our winners and notified by June 15th.

Just so you know ... by commenting here, you're acknowledging that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy.

Also by commenting, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions.

GOOD LUCK!

Memorial Day Eats May 21, 2009

Posted by Marta at May 21, 2009 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

Memorial Day is coming up quickly, and you know we like to make sure you're always prepared! Memorial Day and BBQs pretty much go hand-in-hand, and though for some people that means meat, I have a bunch of delicious, easy, vegan (and in my opinion, better) suggestions for you. Here are a few of my personal favorites to toss on the grill:

• Veggie dogs & faux chicken burgers
• BBQ sauce-marinated tofu
• Corn on the cob
• Kebabs with pineapple, orange bell peppers, tofu, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and zucchini
• Asparagus or Potatoes

And a few other ideas of what to dish up:

• Vegetarian baked beans
• A giant bowl of fruit salad
• Chips with salsa, guacamole, hummus, or all three!
• Black bean and corn salad
• Cole slaw

Memorial Day just wouldn't be complete without potato salad though, so check out this recipe from PETA's Vegan College Cookbook!

German 'Tato Salad

Even if you can't get to the beer garden, you can be an honorary German year-round with this tasty concoction of 'taters and mustard.

2 lbs. red potatoes
1/2 cup chopped chives
1 cup vegan bacon bits (you can find this at basically any grocery store)
6 tablespoons vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons brown mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste

Wash the potatoes and stab them with a fork (to vent). Place in microwave for 5 minutes or until tender. You should be able to easily stick a fork in them, but they shouldn't fall apart. Cut into cubes. In a large bowl, mix together the bacon bits, chives, vinegar, oil, and mustard. Toss the potatoes into the bowl and mix until the potatoes are well-coated. Add salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings.

What's your favorite food to eat at a BBQ?

Make a Cake in the Microwave for Mom! May 6, 2009

Posted by Marta at May 6, 2009 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 24 ) | TrackBack

Your mom does so many nice things for you—from driving you to soccer practice to making you dinner (not to mention giving birth to you!)—it seems like you can never do enough to say thanks. Mother's Day is right around the corner, and I bet you're trying to figure out what to get her. If you've got some money, you can give her the gift that gives back, but if you're a bit more strapped for cash, why not make your mom a cake to let her know how much you appreciate her? It's simple, thoughtful, and delicious—Mom will love it!

To keep things easy for you, I present you with a super-easy cake recipe from PETA's Vegan College Cookbook. You don't even need a stove to make your mom happy.

Loco-Cocoa Snack Cake

Crazy fast and delicious.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, then stir into the flour mixture. Microwave on high for 6 to 7 minutes, rotating 1/4 turn twice, until a fork comes out clean when inserted in the corner. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Once you make the cake for your mom, drop us an e-mail at StreetTeam@peta2.com to let us know how she liked it. We'll give you 1,000 points. Want to make her extra happy? Give her one of these ridiculously cute peta2 Mother's Day cards too.



P.S. You can find other easy and delicious recipes like this one in PETA's Vegan College Cookbook. Get your copy now!

Making Vegan Shepherd's Pie at Barnes & Noble ... May 4, 2009

Posted by Marta at May 4, 2009 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

This past Saturday, my friend and co-worker Starza and I did a book signing and cooking demonstration at a Barnes & Noble here in Norfolk to celebrate the release of PETA's Vegan College Cookbook, and it was really fun! After all, when else can you make Silence of the Lambs Shepherd's Pie, Upper-Crust Finger Sandwiches, and Seven-Layer Mexican Dip in a bookstore?

I'm really excited about the cookbook because it makes cooking so easy—you don't even need a stove!

Check out some photos from the event:

The sign advertising the event


Starza and me talking about the cookbook and making food


Signing some books!


The Seven-Layer Mexican Dip

If you want the recipes for all the food we made at the demo, as well as recipes for pancakes in a mug, Butt Ugly Sticky Buns, and F-U Tacos, then get to orderin' the cookbook!

I will leave you with this photo of me being (soy) cheesy—that's the Shepherd's Pie in front of me! Yum!

Something for Robert Pattinson to Bite Into April 3, 2009

Posted by Marta at April 3, 2009 5:33 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 10 ) | TrackBack

sugarslam / CC

If there's one thing I like, it's a guy who knows how to work a microwave. That might sound weird, but hear me out. For the past many months, my friend Starza and I have been working hard to bring you PETA's Vegan College Cookbook: 275 Easy, Cheap, and Delicious Recipes to Keep You Vegan at School. Here's the really exciting part: The most complicated cooking contraption you'll need for these recipes is a microwave!

WTF does this all have to do with Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson? Well, as it turns out, the lovely Mr. Pattinson loves microwaves too. According to an interview with Pattinson in the April issue of GQ, "He explains that the place he's staying at in L.A. has a microwave, and that he's never had a microwave before, and that he spends a lot of time looking for new things you can microwave." Including a carrot! Talk about a match made in heaven (meaning Pattinson and the cookbook, not him and me, although now that I think about it ... ).

Anyway, I can't imagine a more perfect gift for him right now than PETA's Vegan College Cookbook, which is exactly why we sent one his way today. After all, the cookbook is perfect for any busy person—whether you're a college student or a movie star. Wouldn't it be awesome if he realized how easy it is to be vegetarian and gave up the flesh?

Now, the cookbook doesn't come out until May, but here's a sneak peek at a recipe you can sink your teeth into right now!

Campus Streaker Sausage Dip

Great for when you're on the run. Guaranteed to turn any party into a sausage fest.

1 (14-ounce) tube vegan sausage
2 (10-ounce) containers of vegan cream cheese, room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained

Crumble the sausage as best you can and stir it into the cream cheese and tomatoes until evenly blended. Heat in the microwave for 3 minutes, or until hot. Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes 8 servings.

So, are you as excited about the cookbook as I am?!



P.S. If you're ridiculously obsessed with corny infomercials like I am, you'll love our cookbook infomercial!