THE VEGAN NEWS 

MARCH 1997

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In This Month's Issue:

Recipe of the Month

What Is Tofu?

Tofu was originally invented in China but is now very popular in Japan as well. It is made from soya beans which are soaked, pureed and boiled. The resulting soya milk is then strained and a coagulant is added which causes curds to form. It is usually sold in small blocks as firm or silken tofu. (Firm tofu has had more water removed.) It is also possible to buy packets of smoked and marinated tofu. However, it is very easy and much cheaper to make your own marinated tofu, which can then be used in stir-fries etc. A simple marinade can be made by using: 2 tbsp orange juice, 2 tbsp tamari sauce, a chopped garlic clove and some grated ginger. Chop the block of tofu into cubes and soak them in the marinade for a few hours before use.

There are many brands of tofu available. I like Sanchi firm tofu which has a longer life. But, Cauldron Foods also do plain, smoked and marinated tofu. Tofu is a very versatile, high-protein food and if it is coagulated using calcium, it is also a good source of calcium in the vegan diet. It can be used in many recipes as a substitute for eggs, milk, yogurt, or cheese and in various salad dressings and it is a very healthy food product as it contains no cholesterol. Packets of tofu can usually be bought in health food shops, or in the supermarket - where it is often found in the cheese section. I use Cauldron Food's plain tofu to make the banana tofu recipe below and the Sanchi version for the scrambled tofu. Sainsbury's also produce their own version.

Soya beans have been shown to contain substances which have anti-carcinogenic properties and it is thought that the high consumption of soya products such as tofu, in Japan and China may be connected to the low incidence of breast and colon cancers in both of these countries. It is also thought that soya beans can lower cholesterol levels.

Recipe 1 - Banana tofu

Ingredients

Method

  1. Chop the bananas and soya bean curd into pieces and put them into a blender with the water. Blend until smooth.
  2. Pour into four serving glasses.
  3. Chopped nuts, flaked almonds, or grated carob can be sprinkled on the top if required.

Serves 4

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Recipe 2 - Scrambled tofu on toast

Method

  1. Put the tofu into a small pan, after draining off any excess liquid.
  2. Mash up the tofu a little and then mix in the turmeric. (The amount of turmeric can be varied according to how yellow you want it to look.)
  3. Heat the tofu through, thoroughly, for about 10-15 mins.
  4. Place the heated tofu on top of the toast and sprinkle the Smokeysnaps over the top before serving.
Recipe Serves 2

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March Product Review

Scheese

Scheese is produced by Bute Island Foods. It is a solid, dairy-free 'cheese', based on soya. I particularly like the cheddar version, which is quite strong tasting. I use it grated and added to a white sauce for a lasagne, sprinkled on top of pizzas, or it is delicious melted on top of toast and vegemite. It usually keeps for quite a while too and comes in many different flavours.  It can be obtained in some health food shops in the UK.

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Recycling Tips

Before you throw anything away think! Can it be reused? Here are some suggestions:

  1. Another good use for empty jars ...

    Suggestion sent in by: H. Leah. Cleveland, Ohio.

    ... fill them with interesting pasta shapes (or flavours, or colours, etc.) and store them on a shelf where they can be, not only useful, but decorative in your kitchen. Or make a nice pasta sauce and put it in a jar ... place the jar of pasta sauce, and the jar filled with pasta in a small basket with some other decorations or side dishes, desert, etc. and give it to a friend for holidays, birthdays, or someone who has just had an operation, had a baby, or just plain doesn't like to cook that much (besides, it's a good way to provide a vegan meal for a non-vegan (or even non-vegetarian) friend.

  2. Loo Rolls

     Keep saving the cardboard inner tubes from your loo rolls for your early summer seed planting of runner bean and sweetcorn seeds as mentioned in the October issue.

  3. Rags

    If you have got any old clothes, sheets, towels/tea-towels etc. which are too old to be sent to the jumble sale or charity shop, then why not start a rag bag? Cut them up into smaller pieces and use the rags for all those dirty jobs, such as cleaning shoes, mopping up oil, paint and chemical spills etc. You will not need to buy nearly so many disposable new cloths, which is far better for the environment - and think of the money that you will be saving too! Don't forget to save a few, whole, old sheets for decorating and other dirty jobs. They are very good for covering floors and furniture.

  4. Paper Bags

    Clean paper bags can be used for wrapping sandwiches. The greaseproof linings from inside cereal packets and the plastic and cellophane wrappings used to wrap loaves of bread, can also be reused for this purpose too. (Dirty bags can be used to wrap up rubbish.) Choose products wrapped in paper or cellophane instead of plastic whenever possible and of course every time you take a bag of any sort think! Is it really necessary anyway?

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What's Happening in the Veganic Garden This Month?

  1. Seed Sowing

    Now that the weather is getting a little better, it is possible to start sowing seeds outside. It is not too late to sow some broad beans this month. If the soil temperature has reached 13 degrees, then outside sowings of leeks and brassicas can also be made. If you have a small garden then try the dwarf Brussel sprout called Peer Gynt (March 2009 Update: this variety is now difficult to find). It crops in the autumn. I would recommend that you use either The Lyon or Musselburgh for leeks. If you have sown lettuces indoors they should now be big enough to plant outside. Cover the young plants with plastic bottles for extra protection from the weather and slugs. Welsh onion is an interesting perennial onion which can be sown this month, or try White Lisbon - a salad onion. Towards the end of this month it should be possible to sow some carrots and turnips and if it is fairly warm, a few rows of Parsley. Seeded tubers of early potatoes can also be put outside in the second half of the month if they are well sprouted and the ground is warm enough. My indoor sowings of strawberry seeds are doing well and will be put outside at the end of next month in the new raised bed. Finally, if you have not yet planted out your onion sets then get those in. Clumps of Chives can be also be split and replanted.

  2. Picking Garden Crops

    My spring cabbages are now doing well and I shall start to pick of small amounts of leaves from the plants, leaving the centres to firm up. The winter salad i.e. Land Cress, Claytonia and Corn Salad is greening up nicely. The Black Spanish Round winter radishes have now all been eaten and replaced by onion sets.

  3. The Wildlife Garden

    When designing a veganic garden, it can be useful to include a wildlife area. If present in the garden, hedgehogs and frogs will eat slugs and visiting birds will keep down insect pests and remove the need for using toxic chemicals. Bees and hoverflies are good pollinators and should be encouraged into the garden and butterflies and dragonflies are interesting to watch. If you are wondering which plants to use when planning out your wildlife area, then visit The Wildlife Database. Details of stockists of wild flower seeds are available in the December Issue.

  4. Wildlife Organisations

If you want to find out more about the wildlife in your garden, then the following organisations can supply you with further information:

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Any Queries?

I found a second-hand sprouting kit in a charity shop recently. Unfortunately there weren't any instructions with it. I have heard that sprouts are very nutritious, but how do I grow them? D M Martin. Hull. Humberside.

Sprouts are very cheap to grow. They are also very good for you because of their high vitamin and mineral content. They can be grown very easily on a windowsill. I would particularly recommend alfalfa sprouts and mustard and cress. Sprouts can be grown in special salad sprouters similar to the one that you have purchased. The main advantage of a special sprouter is that several different kinds of sprouts can be grown at the same time. Sprouts and sprouting equipment can be obtained by mail order from: The Organic Gardening Catalogue. However, a special salad sprouter is not essential as most sprouts will grow quite happily in an upturned jam-jar. Mustard and cress seeds are an exception as these are not usually grown in sprouters or jam-jars. The best way to grow mustard and cress is usually by placing pieces of damp kitchen towel (or a paper tissue) into a shallow container such as an empty plastic strawberry punnet. Sprinkle the seeds on top of the paper towel and keep them damp. The punnet should be placed inside a brown paper bag until the seeds have germinated. Cut the mustard and cress with scissors when it is ready.

The amount of seeds to use when sprouting largely depends on your own requirements. One tablespoon of alfalfa seeds for example will make approximately one jam-jar full of sprouts. Try not to consume more than 2 oz of sprouts each day as they contain plant alkaloids that should not be consumed in excessive amounts. When ready the sprouts can be used in salads or as a garnish for sandwiches. Mung bean sprouts can be used in stirfries. Try mashing an advocado and spread it on Rye bread or wholemeal french stick. Sprinkle on some Smokeysnaps and garnish with alfalfa sprouts and a few slices of tomato.

The jam-jar method

  1. Soak the seeds in a jar of water for the required time (see chart below).
  2. Empty out the excess water and then fasten a piece of muslin over the top of the jar with an elastic band. Turn the jar upside down and stand it on a saucer to catch any drips
  3. Rinse the sprouts with clean, lukewarm water 2-3 times a day. N.B Chickpeas need rinsing more often.
  4. When the sprouts are ready, (see chart below) tip them out into a bowl of water and remove any husks which float to the top and any ungerminated seeds
  5. The sprouts can be kept in a refrigerator for a few days

SPROUTING CHART
SMALL SEEDS
Name Soaking Time(hrs) Amount Ready in days Shoot Length(cm)
Alfalfa 6-8 1 tbsp 5-6 3.5 cm
Mustard and cress Do not soak 3-4 tbsp 4-5 2.5 cm
LARGE SEEDS
Aduki beans 10-15 1 tbsp 3-5 2.5-3.5 cm
Chick peas 18 1 tbsp 3-4 2.5 cm
Mung beans 15-18 1 tbsp 3-5 1-5 cm
Sunflower seeds 10 1 tbsp 1-2 Grow until same length as seed

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Other Interesting Vegan Websites

This  section was updated in March 2009 and all redundant links were removed.

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March Book Review

Vegan Nutrition Pure and Simple by Michael Klaper, M.D.

This book offers guidelines for the application of animal-free nutrition. It is intended for health practitioners and nutrition counselors who are designing nutrition programs free of animal products. But, anybody who is interested in the health of the planet, their own personal health, animal suffering, or the diseases which have been linked to the consumption of animal products, will also find it an interesting book to read. It tells you what you shouldn't eat and why. It discusses the six essential basic vegan nutrients i.e. carbohydrate, oil, protein, water, vitamins and minerals, provides the nutrient values of selected vegan foods and offers vegan meal suggestions, meal plans and vegan recipes (in American units). A doctor's prescription for a healthy diet for any adult. Pregnant women, and parents of small children, should read his book called: Pregnancy, Children and the Vegan Diet, instead. 

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