THE
VEGAN NEWS
THE
VEGAN NEWS
FEBRUARY
2000
- Recipes
- Vegan Product Review
- Vitamin A
- In The Veganic Garden
- Websites
- Book Review(s)
- The Wildlife Database
Recipe of the Month
Noodles With Peas
Ingredients:
- 100g of Amoy soba noodles
- 1 tbsp of sesame, flax or hemp oil
- 2 tbsps of Braggs Liquid Aminos (or tamari)
- Sesame seeds
- 75g of frozen peas
Method
- Fill a pan with about 1 litre of water and add the peas. Bring the water to the boil. Add the Amoy soba noodles and cook the noodles for 5 minutes as instructed on the packet.
- Mix the oil and the Braggs Liquid Aminos together in a small cup or jug.
- Drain the cooked noodles and divide them between two bowls. Pour on the oil/tamari dressing, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Serve with crusty bread or pitta breads. Very quick and easy!
February Product Review
Honesty Sun Lotion (High Protection)
Made from aloe vera gel, carrot oil and vegetable glycerin, this high protection sun lotion protects against both UVA and UVB and has an SPF of 15. I must confess that last summer I became quite hooked on its smell which reminds me of coconuts - although I can't see any coconut oil mentioned in the list of ingredients. Honesty High Protection Sun Lotion is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. A 200ml bottle costs £6.20 (plus £2.50 postage) and can be purchased by mail order from Animal Aid, The Old Chapel, Bradford Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1AW. You can also order this product from Animal Aid's website. Stock up now, especially if you're planning a skiing holiday or are off to the sun soon! (Updated February 2009 - This product is no longer available from Animal Aid. They now stock YAOH Sunblock 30 and after sun products instead. Price £9.95.)
Mountains of the Moon
Produced by Taylors of Harrogate, this relaxing, organic green tea is produced in Darjeeling, India, on an estate where only natural fertilisers are used. Here, the tea bushes are grown alongside plants such as citronella which discourage insect pests naturally. Mountains of the Moon Green Tea contains four added organically grown herbs - chamomile, lemon balm, lime flower and strawberry leaf. It's low in caffeine and is a rich source of the antioxidants needed to protect the body from damage by free radicals. By purchasing this brand of tea you can also help to support sustainable agriculture and aid tree planting projects abroad. Mountains of the Moon green tea is on sale in Sainsbury's for £1.89. Each pack contains 40 unbleached tea bags. Delicious with freshly squeezed lemon juice! Other green teas in this range include: 'Wild Mountain' and 'Crystal Mountain'. Keep an eye out for them in your local health shop.
Vitamin A (Retinol)Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin which is found in certain animal foods. Good sources of vitamin A include liver, kidney, dairy products and egg yolk, but by far the best animal source of vitamin A is cod liver oil. Why is it that despite not obtaining any vitamin A from these animal products, vegans rarely seem to suffer from vitamin A deficiency? Well vitamin A can also be made in the human body from beta-carotene (provitamin A) which is found in green leafy vegetables and is also present in many orange-coloured vegetables and fruits. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A mainly in the intestinal mucosal cells and any vitamin A which is not required for immediate use is stored in the body, for example in the liver. According to Dr Gill Langley in her book Vegan Nutrition (Vegan Society, 1995) there have been no reports of vitamin A deficiency in British vegans who can usually obtain plenty of beta-carotene from the plant foods in their diet.
Why Do We Need Vitamin A?
Vitamin A is involved in many processes in the human body including the immune response, foetal development, spermatogenesis, hearing and physical growth. It is also needed for a healthy skin and plays a very important role in vision, being especially important for night vision. Deficiency of vitamin A can thus lead to a condition known as 'night blindness' and also to another form of blindness known as xerophthalmia which is particularly prevalent in parts of Africa, Latin America, the Near East and in south and east Asia. Globally vitamin A deficiency causes many problems. About 3 million children under ten are blind because of vitamin A deficiency and a further 20-40 million suffer a milder form of deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of childhood death in many developing countries. This is because normally vitamin A acts as a shield against disease, but malnourished people, deficient in vitamin A, soon fall victim to many common diseases - often with fatal consequences. So as you can see, although lack of vitamin A does not seem to cause any problems for vegans living in the UK, it can have a pretty devasting effect in other areas of the world.
The leaves of the drumstick tree are an excellent source of provitamin A and also provide many other important nutrients including potassium, calcium, vitamin C and protein. The drumstick tree (Moringa oleifera) is a very important tree because it can be grown in many developing countries and can therefore help to alleviate much of the suffering caused by vitamin A deficiency. The organisation Trees for Life is carrying out valuable work in poor rural villages in Orissa (India) where many people suffer from vitamin A deficiency. Here they educate the local people about the life-saving health benefits of the drumstick tree, provide them with seeds from which they can grow new drumstick trees and teach them how to include drumstick leaves in their cooking - for example by teaching them how to make drumstick bread! If you would like to find out more about their work, then visit their website. A lot of vitamin A deficiency is simply 'poverty in the midst of plenty'. And the solution to the problem is often to educate people about the vegetable sources of beta-carotene available to them in their environment and to help them to grow and incorporate these souces into their diet. (Updated February 2009)
Some Good Vegan Sources of Beta-Carotene:
- Sweet potato
- Spinach (and other green leafy vegetables e.g. sorrel and cabbage)
- Watercress
- Papaya
- Parsley
- Pumpkin
- Carrots
- Mango
- Peaches
- Apricots
What's Happening in the Veganic Garden This Month?
- Sowing and Planting
The lengthening days always makes me want to rush out into the garden and start sowing. However, it is important not to be too impatient, as anything can happen weatherwise at this time of year! If you do want to start making some sowings, then 'Feltham First' is a reliable winter-hardy, dwarf variety of pea which can be sown from about mid-February onwards. However, I usually cover any February pea sowings with fleece protection just to be on the safe side. You will also find that early peas and beans germinate faster, if you warm up the ground in the area where you intend to sow, by covering it with plastic (preferably black plastic) for a few weeks before sowing. Broad bean varieties such as 'Aquadulce claudia' and 'The Sutton' are also quite hardy and can be sown either towards the end of the month, or in early March. And don't forget that it's your last chance to plant out garlic cloves this month - plant them in a warm sunny position.
Shallots, Jerusalem artichokes and new rhubarb sets can also be planted in February. And if it's mild, I sometimes plant out my onion sets at the end of February- under a fleece of course. But on the whole I think that it's probably better to leave onion sets unplanted until early next month, unless the weather is unusually good. Early sowings of parsnips can also be made this month and if you are impatient for some rhubarb, then force established rhubarb crowns by first of all covering them with compost and then place an old upturned bucket or barrel over the top of them. Young sticks of rhubarb should be ready for pulling by April.
If your seed potatoes have arrived from the suppliers, then place them in shallow wooden boxes (or old seed trays) to sprout - the best eyes should be uppermost. Seed potatoes need to be kept in a frost-free and fairly light place.
Indoor Sowings: Peppers, Welsh onion, Brussels sprouts and lettuces can all be sown indoors in a propagator or trays this month.
Crops Available This Month:
Brussels sprouts, celery, corn salad, kale, Jerusalem artichokes, landcress, leeks, parsnips, sprouting broccoli, winter cabbage and winter cauliflower.
Other Interesting Websites
The Vegan Society (UK)
An excellent site and a particularly good starting point for obtaining information for the new or intending vegan. You can now visit their online Shop.
Here you can find out all about Redwood's quality, animal-free alternatives to meat. The ideal website for any vegan who likes to cheat a little!
All things hemp: Hemp facts, hemp foods, recipes, hempy links and details of hemp product distributors, both here in the UK and abroad. This site was the Hemp Food Industries site when I did this review.
A vegetarian and vegan guesthouse, situated in North Wales only three miles from Snowdon. Ideal for walking and other outdoor activities.
February Book Review
Sweet Temptations by Frances Kendall (Avery 1988)
A nice collection of over 120 sugar-free desserts that need no cooking whatsoever. These delicious recipes are quick to make and use only natural, healthy and readily available ingredients such as fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds and spices. So why not whizz up a healthy nectar, or shake, in minutes in your blender? Or try out a fresh fruit ambrosia, fruit freeze or sherbet on a hot summer's evening? There are also many more substantial nut-based recipes for winter and plenty of recipes for cookies, candies, cakes, pies and tarts - ideal for treats, parties and other special occasions. And dehydrator owners will be delighted with the section of recipes for breads, dried fruit treats and chews.
Please note: you will need a blender and/or champion juicer to make most of the recipes in this book. All ingredients are measured in cups.