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Lindsay is Vegan | Hooked on Plants Interview + Lasagna Recipe!

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Lindsay O’Donnell has been meat-free for almost 20 years and has been promoting a cruelty-free lifestyle for just as long through volunteering with organizations like Peta, Earth Save, and Sea Shepherd. She ran a cooking blog, hosted vegan supper clubs, and now keeps people informed on food issues through  her Instagram page Lindsay is Vegan!

Today she runs the food marketing company Piquant Marketing and works to raise awareness on food issues and promote veganism. Let’s hear more from her!

How long have you been vegan, and what was the pivotal moment for making the change?

This might sound weird, but there are a few things in my life that I just always knew. Like I always knew I’d be a vegetarian and a vegan. I remember my mom having a friend who was vegetarian and I remember her skin just GLOWED. I remember just knowing that I would eventually be a vegetarian too. It’s funny because my kid isn’t vegan but she says the same thing to me- that she will be when she grows up.

But the catalyst to really make changes was when I really became an activist in my teens. I volunteered with Peta, Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd, The SPCA, EarthSave and eventually co-founded an ocean education non-profit too. I felt like I was asking a big change of the world and I couldn’t expect it without walking the walk myself. 

How long did it take for you to transition?

A long time! I get people that messaging me all the time and they’re apologizing because they’re cutting out meat but haven’t cut out cheese or whatever. I cut out red meat at 16, chicken a year later and seafood later. I went vegan at 26, making the transition 10 whole years!

The key is finding replacements instead of cutting stuff out (think abundance and fun, instead of restriction). When I first went vegan I just drank coke and ate bananas so obviously I failed (and was an idiot). If you’re making changes, celebrate that and now that we’re all on a food journey …and if you’re doing the first step of trying to be better with your food choices you are already making a difference.

If there was just one thing you wish everyone in the entire world know regarding veganism, what would it be?

God, it’s so hard to talk about being vegan without sounding smug. For example, I can’t really think of a good reason to still eat meat (unless you’re in a remote village and it’s your primary food source).

Ok, here’s the thing. Being vegan makes me feel AMAZING. My body bounces back faster than when I ate meat, I feel lighter, and I’m happier. Being vegan has given me so much joy. I wish people know how wonderful and beautiful it is. People think it’s about restrictions and deprivation but for me it’s been the best thing I could have ever done for my mental and physical health. I really think that if you haven’t even tried veganism…you don’t know what you’re missing.

You are SO inspiring over on instagram, and give out so many amazing facts. What are your favourite resources for finding vegan news/animal rights news/mind blowing research?

I really appreciate that! It’s funny, when I first when vegetarian it felt like it was a much more confrontational time. It’s hard to explain but people challenged you constantly on your food choices. Like I needed to have my reasons and facts for everything. Going vegetarian, and then vegan in the 90’s was like going to debate class. 

So, I just signed up for every newsletter I could think of. That way I was constantly getting nuggets of information without being overwhelmed. I still get about 50 newsletters a day…which is now overwhelming! Now there’s documentaries and social media but I still mostly read books and get newsletters. My favourite newsletters are from Peta, Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, and Daily Kos. 

Some websites that really helped me in the beginning were GEFreeBC, PETA, Farm Sanctuary, WWF, Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd, EarthSave, and One Green Planet. 

These are older books but still so worth reading are The Jungle, Fast Food Nation, Greenpeace (love this one for business too!), and I’m currently reading Farmaggeden. 

What are your best tips for dealing with social settings for new vegans? 

1: I constantly feel like I’m not making any difference in the world and feel sort of burnt out by it. Things take time. I once worked with a woman who said she would never give up meat or cheese and loved meat too much. Many years later she emailed me to say she went vegan, is now a big activist online, and said she always remembered some of the things I talked about with her! Seeds take a while to grow but know that by living by example you’re creating change.

2: Sometimes people are just trying to get a rise out of you. It’s about them, not you.

3: You convert more people by making them feel encouraged or empowered than by making them feel guilty or marginalized. 

Where do you see our world in 2050 in regards to the plant-based movement? 

This one is so hard because it blows my mind how main-stream veganism is. I sound so old, but I really can’t believe it. I’m reading statistics that says all meat will be plant-based by 2040 which…I don’t know if I believe?

I’m super curious to see what happens when lab meat starts becoming affordable. Many people are vegan for mainly ethical reasons, so if you only eat lab meat…are you still vegan or will that be something new? Like culture-vegans? I don’t know, it will be interesting.

I feel like consumers are generally going to have higher ethical and health standards but I can see the vegan community become fractured over things like lab meat but I also think that’s a wonderful problem to have.

I can see eating meat becoming like smoking…like there are many people that do it but it’s not seen as healthy or productive and it’s taxed heavily.

What was your main inspiration behind starting Piquant Marketing? 

I feel like I kind of fell into the food business! I had actually always wanted to work at Lululemon and interviewed there a few times but…was never successful. I then saw a posting for a marketing job at Whole Foods Market and it clicked. It was like…this is where I need to be. These are my people! People who were passionate about farmers, food, the environment, and animal welfare.

I worked there for 4 years before being a part of a big layoff of their marketing division. I sort of bounced around and realized I needed to stay in food. It’s where I had made relationships and was spending all my spare time. 

I basically wanted to do what I did at Whole Foods Market! So we started doing branding, social media, event planning, community partnerships, content marketing, and business planning for food brands. Then, last year I decided it was time to use the tools I had to make a difference and make a statement so we created core values for the clients we work with which included no meat products. Overall we have almost completely vegan clients mostly because that’s who is attracted to work with us.

Now we’re about to turn 3 years old and it’s totally wild.

For those rainy summer days, when you want to feel cozy fall feelings!

Hooked on People: Anna Pippus aka Easy Animal Free + her Lentil Walnut Bolognese

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Anna’s instagram stories ( @easyanimalfree ) make the vegan lifestyle as a busy Mom of 2 look like a breeze (by making recipes like her lentil walnut bolognese, shared below!). The way she shares recipes, ideas and tips makes her super approachable, and totally normalizes the plant-based lifestyle.
In a nutshell, Anna is an animal rights activist, and lawyer. Her life’s mission is to minimize animal’s suffering as much as she possibly can… and she’s doing this by specializing in farm animals by serving as director of farmed animal advocacy for Animal Justice, and as a strategic advisor for We Animals.
She is an incredible voice for the voiceless, and does a fantastic job bringing it all back to the mainstream by showing how simple it can be to create easy, breezy, delicious meals for her family.

Let’s get to know Anna a bit more…


Hooked on Plants: Was there a moment in your life that made you go vegan?

Anna Pippus: I went vegetarian as a kid, simply because I was a big animal lover and it didn’t feel right to eat animals. But, I didn’t know anything about farming back then, and I kept eating eggs and dairy, wearing leather, and buying cosmetics by animal testing brands without too much thought. This was the early 90s—there was no internet, and veganism was rare enough that I’d never heard of it.

A little over ten years ago, I first heard about veganism, and on some level I think it occurred to me that this was probably a good thing to do, something that I should and would do. I half-heartedly poured watery rice milk in my tea and tried to avoid cheese made with cow’s milk (which I loved, and in those days vegan cheeses were inedible). But I avoided learning more about farming. I had such empathy for animals that I couldn’t stand seeing them suffering. I told myself that I was already doing my part, that exposing myself to gory photos and videos wouldn’t help.

Then, in Charlotte Montgomery’s book Blood Relations, I read a story about a bull on a truck being taken to slaughter. The bull had a broken hip and couldn’t stand, let alone walk. But bulls are enormous animals and the only way for them to get off a truck is on their own (on farms, tractors are used to move downed cattle). The workers used an electric prod to shock the bull and force him to drag himself—using only his front legs—to the back of the truck, where he slammed several feet into the ground below. Then, he was forced to drag himself into the slaughterhouse. It took hours. By the time he was inside, the slaughterhouse was closing for the day, and he was left— alone and in pain—on the floor to wait for the next day, when workers would kill him.

It was like I’d been splashed with a bucket of cold water. In that moment, I realized with full clarity something I think I’d been growing to understand all along: that when animals are used as commodities, they will suffer. Animal welfare is most often in tension with profits. Workers are desensitized to the suffering of animals, because they have to be in order to be able to do the job. I realized then that farming animals could never be humane. I immediately became not only vegan, but a dedicated activist. And fortunately, plant-based milks and cheeses have come a long way since then—there are lots of delicious options now!

HOP: You have a very in-depth post here about raising vegan children, but could you give a few simple tips here on vegan lunch prepping for families?

AP: In our family, I do most of the kitchen managing and cooking, because it’s something I really enjoy. But I’m definitely not up for making complicated, time-consuming meals, and I only have it in me to cook once a day, at dinner time. (I love my end-of-day ritual of putting on some music and getting absorbed in the creativity of cooking).

So, at dinner, I tend to cook big meals, that will provide us with leftovers for the next day, or extra parts that can be repurposed into something else (e.g. extra rice to make fried rice another day). That way, when I open the fridge at lunch time, there’s always something to work with.

If there isn’t, we have sandwiches or open-faced toast, along with veggies (like peppers or cucumber), fruit, nuts etc.

I’m a big believer in the gospel of hummus. Everyone should have it in the fridge! It’s delicious, ridiculously nutritious, a good source of iron, calcium, and protein, and widely liked even by the world’s least adventurous eaters. It’s perfect on sandwiches, salads, and bowls, and as a dip with crackers or vegetables.

HOP: You use your legal training to do your best to change the farm animal laws (amazing!)… but what are your top tips for people who want to make a difference in the animals lives, but don’t know where to start?

AP: There is so much to be done! Everyone has different skills, lifestyles, and personalities, so I think the first step is to self-reflect and take inventory about how you can best contribute to the movement in a way that will be both impactful for animals and sustainable for you.

Here are a few ways people can get involved to help animals:

  • donate to effective initiatives and organizations.
  • volunteer with established initiatives and organizations, especially if you have skills in bookkeeping, fundraising, graphic design, video production, or anything else that non-profits are chronically in need of.
  • organize or attend impactful protests, demonstrations, and marches.
  • share information and resources that you find impactful or useful on social media.
  • write letters to the editor in response to media pieces about animals, plant-based eating, the environment, health… any hook you can find!
  • write or meet with politicians at all levels of government (municipal, provincial, federal) to ask what they’re doing about animal issues and make suggestions for policies they can back. If there’s a particular piece of legislation being considered, write to let them know you support it.
  • contact restaurants and grocery stores in your neighbourhood to encourage them to add plant-based options. Make suggestions for your favourite products and dishes.
  • sign petitions, if they’re to specific decision-makers with specific, winnable requests.
  • use chalk to write messages on the sidewalks around your neighbourhood, or put up posters on community message boards.
  • host potlucks, meet ups, book clubs or other events to help build community and spread the word.

HOP: What facts might surprise people about grass-fed, free-range and cage free laws?

AP: These terms very often don’t mean what people think they do. Even in best-case scenarios, animals are still genetically manipulated to manifest profitable traits that often compromise their welfare. For example, dairy cows produce up to 10 times more milk these days than they used to, which leads to painful engorgement, physical depletion, and rampant mastitis (a painful infection). Chickens raised for meat are bred to grow very large, very quickly, which can cause cardiovascular problems (their little hearts can’t keep up), and lameness because their bones are too soft and immature to support their relatively massive weight. In all sectors, genetic manipulation has produced a laundry list of grotesque outcomes that directly compromise animals’ quality of life.

As a mother, probably the thing that breaks my heart the most is how on all farms—even the certified humane ones—animals are separated from their families. In the dairy industry, calves are taken from their mothers a few hours after birth, so that the milk can be diverted to humans. The babies are a waste product of the dairy industry. In nature, hens are doting mothers, peeping to their babies through the shell to establish a bond. After hatching, they’d be nearly inseparable, the babies tucked under their mothers’ wings for comfort and safety. But in our agriculture system, chicks are hatched in industrial hatcheries, never knowing their mothers. Chicken meat and egg farms are like giant orphanages with no mature presence to teach or comfort. If you go into a chicken farm and sit down, the babies will come over and fall asleep in your warm lap.

And of course, even in a best case scenario, animals are sent to be killed at a fraction of their natural lifespan. Virtually all animals are babies when we kill them for food: chickens are five to six weeks old, pigs are five to six months, turkeys are three to six months, and beef cattle are 12 to 18 months old. Slaughterhouses are frightening places; the animals can smell blood and they fight for their lives. I would be terrified if I were in their place. All of this for products that are not only unnecessary, they are damaging our health and environment, too.

HOP: Your favourite and simplest dinner recipe!?

AP: I have a LOT of fave dinner recipes, which you probably know if you follow me on Instagram 🙂 Right now, I’m crushing on a hearty lentil-walnut bolognese. Lentils are superfoods that we need to eat more of, and walnuts are a great source of plant-based omega 3 fatty acids.

Another all-time fave pasta dish is pasta with cream sauce. The recipe is here on my site. I’m also a big fan of bowls, which basically follow an endlessly versatile formula: grain, legume, veggies, sauce, nuts/seeds. I have a post on my site all about how to build a bowl, and plenty of bowl ideas on my instagram account.


Easy Animal Free Lentil Walnut Bolognese
 
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Anna Pippus of Easy Animal Free shares her favourite easy dinner recipe at the moment! This is hearty, quick, and delicious for the whole family! Serve it up with some of this Smokey Vegan Parm
Author:
Recipe type: dinner, pasta, comforting
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 sweet onion
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 5-8 mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • Splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • 3 cups tomato sauce or your favourite marinara
  • ¾ cup brown lentils, pre-cooked
  • Oregano, to taste
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Pasta noodles of your choice, cooked
Instructions
  1. Over medium high heat, sauté an onion until soft (with a splash of water to keep it from sticking).
  2. Add a chopped green pepper, 8 oz or so sliced mushrooms, and a few cloves of minced garlic. Use a splash or two of red wine or balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan.
  3. Add about ½ a cup finely chopped walnuts (a food processor works well but not necessary) and toast for a minute or two.
  4. Then add about 3 cups tomato sauce or marinara, and some cooked brown lentils (I boil half a cup from dry but canned is fine too)
  5. Season with oregano and salt, and simmer for a few minutes to combine the flavours.
  6. Serve with a pound of your favourite pasta.
Notes
* Prep time doesn't included pre-cooking the brown lentils

Tag me and Anna if you make this! (@hookedonplants @easyanimalfree on instagram)

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Vegan Mos Hooked On People Interview + Black & White Cookies

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Michael and Ethan are the Vegan Mos. Ethan is a podiatry surgeon, and on the board of directors for the Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. Michael is a recovering lawyer who’s switched his skills to speaking for the speechless, and he’s also a Food for Life instructor through PCRM. They’re both making strides in the vegan world and I was lucky enough to be graced by their presence in Victoria Moran’s house at the Main Street Vegan Academy in NYC a couple months back, where they came to speak. These two are full of positivity, life, good energy, and vegan vibes. Their new cook book, ‘NYC Vegan, Iconic Recipes for a Taste of the Big Apple‘ is packed to the brim with crazy delicious vegan comfort food (including their infamous Black & White Cookies, seen below!)

Let’s get to know them…

Hooked on Plants: Ethan, you were the first one to go vegan, and you weren’t exactly soft or silent about it to Michael (haha). Eventually Michael caught on! Can you expand on this? Why and how did you both go vegan?

Ethan: I initially went vegetarian for health reasons. At 38 years old I was already taking medication for high cholesterol and was 40 pounds over weight. I saw being vegetarian as way to lose weight and get my cholesterol under control. I then read The Face on Your Plate: The Truth About Food by Jeffrey Masson and learned the horrors of factory farming. I knew that I could not continue to eat any animal products or benefit in any way from any kind of animal abuse. Ethically, being vegan was the only logical choice, and after 5 months of being vegetarian, on Thanksgiving 2009 we went to Michael’s family for the traditional meal, but I didn’t eat anything. When we came home, I prepared the Tofurky Thanksgiving Feast and realized that if I could do Thanksgiving as a vegan, I could be vegan all the time.

Michael: During this time, I was working out of the house and doing most of the cooking. I had to learn how to make food that Ethan would eat and that I would like. So, even though I wasn’t even considering being vegan, I was learning how to cook vegan food. Also during this time, Ethan, like most people when they first learn the horrors of factory farming, became full on vegangelical and would continually ask me questions like, “how is your plate of murder?” ….Rather than getting me to go vegan, this had the opposite effect. I can be very stubborn and wasn’t about to be bullied into doing something. Thankfully, Ethan soon realized that this approach wasn’t working and accepted the fact that he was the one who changed and it wasn’t fair to expect me to change as well. As soon as Ethan stopped pushing, space was created that allowed me to walk forward. After seeing Kathy Freston on Oprah talk about “leaning in to veganism” and being “flexitarian,” I started doing Meatless Mondays. I eventually added in Tofu Tuesdays, Wegetable Wednedays, Tempeh Thursdays, etc. I didn’t say a word to Ethan about what I was doing, but as soon as I completed a full 7 days vegan, I looked at Ethan and said, “It’s been a full week, I am vegan now.”  I then of course went through my own vegangelical phase and found myself doing the exact same things Ethan did. Luckily, I soon stopped.  

HOP: What are your tips for talking to non-vegan family members?

Ethan: My best advice is to accept that you might not necessarily be able change them. Just like you are asking for them to accept you and your choice to live vegan, it is important to understand that they may not be in a space where they can receive the same information that you did, much less integrate it or act on it. Often, it is hardest for our closest friends and family to receive this information from us because our relationships are steeped in lots of history and baggage. It is always important to share your truth with the people you love and you should never tolerate relationships where you are ridiculed, teased or not accepted because of the ethical choices you make, because that cuts at the trust and mutual respect which is at the core of any healthy relationship.

At the same time, respect goes both ways. Even though it might be difficult for us to never truly respect our loved one’s choice to not personally embrace a vegan ethic, it’s important to separate that from respecting them as individuals and respecting their right to make their own choices, even choices with which we strongly disagree. In my experience, when you come at folks without an agenda of “getting them to go vegan” it’s far more likely that they actually will.

Michael: Don’t pressure them, as we both learned, that never works. It is better to inspire by example…we need to meet people where they are. If they bring it up, I like to follow the advice of Colleen Patrick Goudreau who said, ‘if you are asked about being vegan during a meal, let the person know you are more than happy to have that conversation, but ask if they really want to have that conversation right now.’

HOP: The Vegan Mos NYC Vegan cookbook is so drool-worthy and packed with old time comfort-food faves! Can you tell us what ‘Vegan Mos’ stands of and how it started?

Vegan Mos: The “Mos” in our name is short for homos. Our friends Dan and Mike already had The Gay Vegans, so we decided to use vegan as the adjective to modify Mos. In the 90’s in the LGBT community, using the term “mo” became a way of referring to one another “oh, he’s a mo,” so we decided to reclaim it. We began Vegan Mos as a way of sharing recipes for delicious, homemade vegan food. We wanted to show people that going vegan did not mean giving up any of the flavours we loved. We also wanted to highlight the intersection of LGBT rights and animal rights. We wanted to help people see that speciesism is no different than homophobia – both stem from a fictitious belief that one group of beings is superior to another and therefore can oppress the perceived lesser one.

HOP: Can you tell us one of the most life changing moments you have had on a farm sanctuary?

Ethan: I remember when The Tiniest Herd was rescued at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary back in 2016 and the first time I went up and met all the tiny baby goats (like many folks, I can get a little obsessed with the cuteness overload from baby goat videos). When I got to meet all of these babies and watch them with their young mothers, I had my first “Ah-ha” moment about how special this truly was: here were Mothers who got to keep their babies. That just doesn’t happen to the overwhelming majority of farmed animals out there. It really hit me right then and there: when we support industries that use animals for food or some other human purpose, we’re actually destroying families. It was such a special experience to witness these cute babies playing around us with their equally adorable young Mamas who were keeping a watchful eye on them, occasionally disciplining them as needed. I thought, “this is how it’s supposed to be.” That experience infused my already deeply-rooted animal rights activism with a deeper layer of commitment: to keeping families from being separated, whether they are animal families or human families. 

Michael: It was when I first got to meet a piglet at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary named Mishka. Ethan named him Mishka, after me. Mishka was my name in Russian class and when my cousin Karen learned that, she began calling me that, and still does to this day (I won’t say how many decades later). At Woodstock, they don’t like to use the same names for different residents to avoid any confusion when talking about the animals. As there already was a Mike there (even though I never go by Mike, they didn’t want to risk confusion between Mike and Michael), Ethan chose to use Mishka. Mishka and his family (3 brothers, his sister, and his mother) were rescued from a horrible situation of neglect. Sadly one of his brother’s passed away, but Mishka will get to live his life safe and happy with his family. Mishka was the littlest of the bunch and they were not sure he would survive, but he did. This is much like my start in life having been born as a premie and no one knew if I would survive. When I finally got to meet my namesake I was overwhelmed with emotions I began to cry. I will never forget that moment. To know that this little pig is getting the life that so few farm animals will ever get and the fact that he was named was truly remarkable. It was this bittersweet experience of joy for this family and sadness for all the other pigs, and really all the animals, that will never get to live free from harm with their families. 

HOP: What are your top 3 tips for people out there who want to go vegan?

 Vegan Mos:

  1. Take it one meal at a time. Don’t worry about what you are going to do on Thanksgiving, or about your birthday cake, or any other far-off meal.
  2. Shifting your focus from yourself to the animals you are saving really helps. No animal product tastes as good as saving that animal’s life.
  3. Instead of focusing on what’s “missing” from your plate, see that empty space as an opportunity to discover new foods. Try wheatberries, quinoa, amaranth or barley if you haven’t tried them. Maybe you could try Anasazi or Fava beans? Ever try a broccolini? What about Romanesco? There are so many amazingly delicious, unique and nutrient-dense foods out there. We just need to open ourselves up to trying them.

HOP: What makes you happy on a normal day outside of being vegan superstars? 🙂

Ethan: When I can remember in the middle of my day to practice mindfulness and focus on my gratitude it shifts my mood immediately and lifts me up. It’s super easy in our current sociopolitical climate to feel threatened and overwhelmed if you’re an LGBT person (or any other minority for that matter.) Sometimes I’ll just stop and think, “You’re breathing… and it’s easy and painless” and I shift my focus and awareness there and just go with that and it immediately de-stresses me and reconnects me to the innate joy and peace that’s always there, but that is often covered up. It is something that I can do anywhere, anytime and radically increases my capacity to feel joy during everyday moments and when doing otherwise mundane activities. 

Michael: Spending time with our dogs Riley and Charlie gives me so much joy. There is nothing as wonderful as the love of a companion animal. Also, I am a TV junkie, so sitting on the couch a being able to lose myself in a good TV show is wonderful. 

HOP: Where is the next place you’ll be for people to come meet up with you?

Vegan Mos: Our next scheduled public appearance will at the Hudson Valley Vegfest on either November 3 or 4.

HOP: Let us in on your favourite recipe from your cookbook!

Vegan Mos: That is like trying to pick which of our dogs we love more. All the recipes in NYC Vegan have some special meaning to us. However, in the list of truly iconic NYC food, Black and White Cookies are near the top (scroll down for the recipe)

Where to find the Vegan Mos:

www.VeganMos.com

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Black & White Cookies ~ NYC Vegan
 
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Thanks to a famous episode of Seinfeld, the black and white cookie, once only known to New Yorkers, garnered national attention. In that episode, Jerry used the black and white as a metaphor for racial harmony. Although called a cookie, these treats are actually made from a stiff cake batter and baked free-form on a cookie sheet. Once found only in bakeries, today the black and white can be found in almost every grocery store and bodega in New York.
Author:
Recipe type: dessert, snack
Serves: 18
Ingredients

  • Cookies:
  • 2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup nondairy butter
  • ¼ cup nondairy milk, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • Icing:
  • 3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ cup boiling water, plus more if needed
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 (18 x 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In another large bowl, combine the sugar and butter and beat until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in batches, beating after each addition, until combined.
  3. Scoop the dough, ¼ cup at a time, onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the scoops 3 inches apart. Flatten them slightly with your hands (keep your hands wet to prevent the dough from sticking). Allow room between the scoops as the cookies will spread as they bake.
  4. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cookies to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets and then carefully flip the cookies over and transfer them, upside down, to a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. While the cookies are cooling, make the icing. In a large mixing bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, boiling water, and vanilla. Mix well to get a spreadable icing. Add a little more water, if needed. Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of icing onto the flat side, the former bottom, of each cookie. Return the cookies to the wire rack to dry. You should have about ½ cup of icing left.
  6. While the white icing is drying, melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler. When the chips are all melted and smooth, whisk the melted chocolate into the remaining icing. The chocolate icing should be thicker than the white, but still be spreadable. If it is too thick, add a little hot water to thin it out. Use the offset spatula to frost one half of each cookie over the white icing. Return the cookies to the wire racks to dry. Store leftovers in a covered container for up for 5 days.

Tag me or the Vegan Mos if you make this! (@hookedonplants @veganmos on instagram)!

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Hooked On Plants Interview: Cheap Lazy Vegan + Crispy Korean Tofu

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Extreme. Expensive. Difficult. Time consuming. Bland….Not when it comes to Cheap Lazy Vegan food! 

Do those words pop into your mind when someone says ‘vegan’?

Well, you obviously haven’t heard of the Cheap Lazy Vegan.

Rose is the Cheap Lazy Vegan. With over 450,000 youtube subscribers, she’s doing an amazing job at spreading the word that vegan doesn’t have to mean complicated or expensive.

She makes vegan easy and attainable. If you’re still skepticle… watch one of Rose’s youtube videos showing the ease of delicious 10 minutes meals, and you’ll be blown away at the simplicity of it all.

Along with being a youtube star, she now has an all vegan café (SaVeg Café) in Calgary, AB.

To celebrate National Vegetarian Week, it’s the perfect time to get to know Rose and bring some inspiration to you guys for cheap and easy vegan meals!


I was lucky enough to stop by the new café with my glorious Grandma to meet this beautiful soul! We also met her Mama who cooked up an amazing Tofu Sweet Potato Korean dish and a super spicy soup that we easily polished off (so dang good).

Let’s get to know Rose.

Hooked On Plants: Cheap Lazy Vegan resonates with hundreds of thousands of people now!  What was your first youtube video about?

Cheap Lazy Vegan: The first video I did was a simple introduction of my channel where I explain that you can be cheap AND lazy on a vegan diet… along with a “What I Ate in a Day” where I showed viewers some easy, simple meals that I ate in a day.

HOP: Did you come up with the awesome name, Cheap Lazy Vegan? Is there a story behind that?

CLV: I did… I had just moved to London, UK at the time and I was making very little money but spending a lot simply because I was living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. I found myself buying affordable groceries and making very inexpensive meals. I realized that I was super lazy when it came to cooking. At the same time, I’ve always been a foodie so I always have enjoyed taking photos of food. So I just came up with an Instagram page with the handle @cheaplazyvegan which is how it all started… 🙂

 

HOP: How long have you been vegan, and what was the main reason? Animals? Environment? or Health?

CLV: I’ve been mostly plant-based for about 7 years total (I became a pescatarian at first, staying away from meat, dairy and eggs, but still had a hard time staying away from fish) and now I’ve been VEGAN for almost 4 years. I went vegan purely for ethical & animal rights reasons and the other stuff (like health and environmental benefits) were just little bonuses for me. I read some books and watched some movies, which really opened up my eyes to the realities of what happens to the animals that I claimed to “love”. 

HOP: Did you take your time to take animal products out of your diet, or did you go completely vegan overnight?

CLV: It took time. I think it takes time to get used to the dietary aspect but also to mentally get your head around the whole idea. I first gave up meat, then about a month later stopped eating dairy and eggs, then lastly I quit fish, years later.

 

HOP: It is SO exciting that you’ve opened a 100% vegan café in ‘CowTown’! With Calgary being known for it’s Alberta Beef, it’s so it’s so inspiring that you’ve taken the initiative to get more vegan food into people’s mouths! Plus, you’re working with your Mom! How did you come up with the name SaVeg?

CLV: Haha, I really wish I could take credit for the name, but it was actually my friend’s sister that had the idea. I liked the trendiness of the name and the smart play-on-words.

HOP: What was the catalyst for opening SaVeg Café?

CLV: My mom already owned the cafe but it wasn’t a vegan one. I helped out there for just a few hours each day and I felt that my own time and the cafe space could be used in a better way. I wanted to be more involved and help out more, but I knew I couldn’t invest my own time/money/energy in a business that sold animal products. So, I approached my mom about the idea of fully changing the menu and concept of the cafe into a vegan one (and of course, me taking half ownership!). Calgary also is lacking in vegan establishments (in my opinion), so it made sense from a business perspective as well.

HOP: What are you excited about this year? Do you have any other cool projects you’re working on?

CLV: At the moment, I’m trying to juggle doing my social media and running the cafe! I’m focusing on getting the cafe established and learning to manage my time before moving onto other projects. I definitely would like to get involved in some new projects in the future!

Here’s a playlist of Rose’s quick meal ideas: Cheap Lazy Vegan quick meals

I had to share this recipe of hers. These spicy korean tofu bits were the special at her café when we came to visit. They were deeeeeelicious.


Spicy Korean Fried Chicken-Style Tofu
 
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Rose AKA Cheap Lazy Vegan's crispy, comfort food style tofu that's good in any dinner bowl or wrap!
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Recipe type: vegan meat, lunch, dinner, tofu recipe
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 block extra firm tofu
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup almond flour OR bread crumbs
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

  • Sauce
  • 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean red hot pepper paste)
  • ½ tbsp maple syrup
  • 4 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder (or you can use 1 clove of fresh minced garlic)
Instructions
  1. Press your tofu to take out some of the liquid for about 10-20 minutes… I’ll be honest, I rarely do this because I don’t have the patience.
  2. Cut up your tofu into small bite sized pieces.
  3. Add your tofu pieces into a mixing bowl and add in soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar. Mix until well combined.
  4. Toss your tofu pieces with almond flour or bread crumbs until each piece is nicely coated.
  5. Add into your air fryer at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes – moving them around at around the halfway point to make sure they cook evenly.
  6. While your tofu is in the air fryer, you can prepare the sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients into a small bowl and mixing very well.
  7. When your tofu is finished, mix in the sauce and sesame seeds (optional) so that the tofu is nicely coated in the delicious red sauce.
  8. Now you can enjoy….!!! Warning: these are ridiculously addictive!

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Hooked On People Interview: Jason Wrobel + his Crêpes with Strawberry Tomato Coulis

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Jason Wrobel ( J-Wro ) is a ball of energy, enthusiasm, knowledge and inspiration. I was inspired by this firecracker ever since I heard him speak on a podcast. He’s a wellness entrepreneur as a coach, author, chef, and public speaker. He’s put his raw food chef certification to use by preparing meals for an array of celebs. His wealth of knowledge now spreads into his new book, Eaternity and his J Wro Show Youtube channel, and he even had his own TV show How to Live to 100 on the Cooking Show Channel. Jason is all about living a full, energized, long life by eating plant-based whole foods and living life through a humorous lens of positivity.
HOP: How long have you been vegan for, and what was the catalyst?
Jason Wrobel: I’m celebrating my 20th year of veganism this year. The initial seed of inspiration to become vegan was observing the health issues in my family. In 1995, my Grandfather lost his second battle with an aggressive form of cancer
and it made me deeply question the lifestyle choices, diet and habits in my family. I took a good, honest look at how I was living and how I was eating. At that time, I took to the web to start researching nutrition, animal rights, global warming and factory farming. The more I learned, the more I realized that I was not living in alignment with my ethical or moral values. Over the course of a few years, I shifted from a SAD diet (Standard American Diet) to vegetarian to eventually vegan. By spring 1998, I was fully vegan and I’ve never looked back. It’s been the single most important, defining decision of my life thus far!
HOP: Who do you look up to in this plant-based world?
JW:
3) The Sarno Brothers (Chad and Derek Sarno)
HOP: Top 5 tips for transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle?
JW:
1) Start gradually incorporating more plant-based foods into your life. Give your body time to adjust.
2) Lean on substitutes for milk, cheese, yogurt and meat – there are plenty of vegan options for all of those products.
3) Connect with community, either local or online. Having a support system makes it easier.
4) Eat a wide variety of foods, eat all of the colors of food and focus on diversity.
5) Be courageous in the kitchen and experiment with new recipes and foods often.
HOP: Top 5 ways to detoxify an exhausted and polluted body?
JW:
1) Drink more water. A LOT more. Nature’s solution to pollution is dilution.
2) Try far infrared sauna therapy. It helps you detox through your skin and get rid of heavy metals.
3) Eat more detoxifying greens – especially chlorella, spirulina, cilantro and dandelion.
4) Eat more alkaline foods and start your day with warm water and lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar).
5) Try a 5 to 7 day liquid fast with fresh juices, tea, broth and water. It’s a good way to re-set your body seasonally.
HOP: Not only are you an advocate for healthy eats, but you’re also all about creating a positive mindset to ward off depression and negative thoughts. Can you give some advice to those who are trying to make mediation and positive thinking a habit?
JW: You have to make meditation a non-negotiable, like eating, sleeping or brushing your teeth (hopefully that’s a non-negotiable for you!) Taking 15-30 minutes each day to sit in stillness, silence and observe your thoughts is an incredibly effective way to let go of so much every day – stress, anxiety, depression, worry – these can all be allayed by doing a consistent, daily meditation practice. I’ve found (and research confirms) that meditation increases productivity and efficiency, while decreasing feelings of overwhelm. It’s good medicine for the mind, body and soul.
HOP: The vegan music festival in LA, Circle V is getting more and more popular with Moby headlining last year. Do you have a favourite musician or DJ? Do you think they’ll be at Circle V one day?
JW: That’s a tough one. That’s like asking me what my favourite dessert is. Most of my favourite musical artists are dead, so, unless they’ve been cryogenically frozen, I don’t think they’ll be coming to Circle V anytime soon. For current artists, I really love Reggie Watts – who coincidentally played the last Circle V festival. In fact, I’m actually performing with a new band in Los Angeles and our plan is to play the festival later this year! Stay tuned!
HOP: What does your ideal morning routine look like (even if it doesn’t actually happen everyday…because none of us are perfect!)?
JW: My ideal morning routine begins with a warm compress on my face and a saline sinus rinse. Then I drink 24-36 ounces of warm water with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to alkalize my body. Then I meditate and focus on what I want to create for the day. Then I’m off to the gym or a hike to move my body. And then I start the work day. I make sure the build in plenty of self-care and take care of my own needs before I start addressing the needs of others. It’s made a massive difference in my life.
HOP: What is the next exciting project that all of us need to know about?
JW: I’m launching a new coaching program where people come to my residence in Los Angeles and live on-site with me for a week, focusing on food, nutrition, mindfulness, abundance and setting a solid foundation for a more vibrant life. I’m incredibly excited about that, as I’ve never offered something so intimate and focused for new clients before. Also writing the treatments and scripts for my second television series, which I plan on producing later this year. I can’t tell you much about it (yet) but it will be fun, and crazy and VERY entertaining.
HOP: You have a lot going on! Do you have any secret time management or motivational tips for entrepreneurial types?
JW: There are so many, I don’t know where to begin.
  • Firstly, take care of your own needs before you address the needs of others. You’ll be able to show up more present and focused (and not resenting yourself for ignoring your needs!)
  • Second, master your calendar. If it’s not on your calendar, it’s not real. Get everything on that calendar so you can stay on top of your commitments.
  • Third, use online productivity tools like a pomodoro timer (to work in time blocks), Calendly (to schedule online appointments) and TickTick (simple online to-do list).
  • Fourth – try to focus on 3 to 5 big things every day. Don’t overwhelm yourself with 15-20 things on your to-do list each day. That’s the path to crazy making. Stay focused and simplify!Image result for jason wrobel
HOP: Your book, Eaternity, is all about nutrient dense recipes. What is your favourite recipe from your book?
JW: Thank you so much! Eaternity was a true labour of love and I’m grateful that it’s impacted so many lives worldwide. My current favourite recipe? It’s gotta be the Sweet Crêpes with Strawberry Tomato Coulis. The crêpes are gluten-free and it took me more than a few tries to nail that recipe. But the results were well worth it. It’s scrumptious and satisfying. Hope you enjoy it!
It seems like all I ever want for breakfast are sweet things. There’s something so sensual, satisfying, and splendid about crêpes—they feel like they should be reserved for special occasions. This crêpe recipe took me about 20 attempts to finally nail it. And the results are absolutely stunning. The inclusion of tomato in the strawberry sauce is hauntingly delicious, and you will be seduced by the perfect texture of these gluten-free crêpes. Plus, strawberries contain anthocyanidins and anthocyanins—nutrients that help reduce stress and depression. C’est magnifique!

Jason’s Tip: Using a very thin, wide rubber spatula will help immensely with getting the crêpes out of the pan. Go slowly and take your time. Crêpes don’t like to be rushed. When using gluten-free flour, make sure it does not contain any added thickeners such as arrowroot powder, xanthan gum, or ground flaxseed. These will ruin the consistency of the crêpes by making them too thick and the batter too viscous.

Jason Wrobel's Crêpes with Strawberry Tomato Coulis
 
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2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least one hour ½ cup coconut nectar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup fresh lemon juice ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons filtered water ½ teaspoon lemon zest ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil, melted
Author:
Recipe type: crêpes, breakfast, dessert, soy free, gluten free
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
  • Sweet Cashew Creme:
  • 2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least one hour
  • ½ cup coconut nectar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons filtered water
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil, melted

  • Crêpe Batter:
  • 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 4 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 3 tablespoons golden flaxseed, finely ground
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
  • ½ cup filtered water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup diced strawberries, reserved for garnish
  • 1 cup crushed walnuts, reserved for garnish

  • Strawberry Tomato Coulis:
  • 2 cups diced strawberries
  • 1½ cups chopped tomatoes
  • 5 tablespoons coconut nectar
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Pinch sea salt
Instructions
  1. First, make Sweet Cashew Crème: blend all creme ingredients in a high-speed blender for 40 seconds until ultra smooth and creamy. Chill before serving.
  2. Make the crêpe batter: mix together baking flour, coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil, coconut sugar, golden flaxseed, sea salt, baking powder, filtered water, and vanilla extract, preferably with a high-speed blender or hand mixer. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. The batter will keep fresh in a covered container stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
  3. Make the Strawberry Tomato Coulis: combine all the coulis ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor and pulse the mixture gradually until well combined, retaining a slight amount of chunkiness to the mixture. Set aside.
  4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil over medium-low heat in a nonstick pan or crêpe pan. If using an 8-inch pan, use ¼ cup of batter. If using a 9 or 9½-inch pan, use ⅓ cup of batter. Pour the batter into the pan and shake the pan immediately to spread the batter evenly. When the topside of the crêpe is totally dry, starting to brown slightly around the edges, and producing little bubbles (after about 2 minutes), carefully flip the crêpe with a thin spatula. The other side will need less cooking time, around 1 to 1½ minutes.
  5. Carefully remove the finished crêpe and transfer to a plate. Repeat until all of the crêpe batter is used.
  6. Assemble: fill each crêpe with a large dollop of the Sweet Cashew Crème, spooning it lengthwise. Fold the edges of the crêpe toward the middle, one at a time, and then flip the crêpe over, with the top facing down on the plate. Spoon a generous amount of the Strawberry Tomato Coulis on top and garnish with diced strawberries and chopped walnuts.