Vegetarians of Washington

Vegetarians of Washington April 2008 Newsflash

In this newsflash:

Monthly Dining Event featuring Pabla Indian Cuisine, Wednesday April 16^th , 6:30pm
Thank you to all Vegfest Volunteers
New and Updated Guidebook: Vegetarian Pacific Northwest
Vegfest Chef Recipes

Monthly Dining Event – Wednesday April 16^th, 6:30pm, Mount Baker Club

Our monthly dining event will feature the delicious and authentic Indian creations of Pabla Indian Cuisine Restaurant. Long a favorite in the vegetarian community, Mr Pabla has two of the most popular Indian vegetarian restaurants in the region. A big supporter of Vegetarians of Washington, Mr. Pabla will be pulling out all the stops to provide us with a wonderful gourmet dinner. Come enjoy a delicious multi-course meal and meet lots of interesting people. All attendees will also receive a special free gift to take home.

The cost of the dinner is only $15 plus tax for members ($20 plus tax for guests and non members). This is the best deal in town! If you are not already a member, you can join when you get there to obtain the lower price. Please make your reservation as soon as possible to help us prepare. Let us know the names of those planning to attend via buffet dinner, by email to reservation or by calling our message line 206 706 2635. The Mount Baker Club is in the beautiful Mount Baker neighborhood in Seattle, just one mile south of I-90.

Special Thank You to All Vegfest Volunteers

A big thanks to all the Vegfest Volunteers who made this year's Vegfest the best ever. The many volunteers who pulled together to make Vegfest happen are the heroes of the event and we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

New and Updated Guidebook: Vegetarian Pacific Northwest

Our new and updated guidebook is packed with reviews of new restaurants and old favorites, natural food stores and farmers markets throughout Washington and Oregon. Rearranged into helpful geographical regions with useful maps for guidance, you’ll find this book invaluable whether you’re traveling, new to the area, or new to healthy eating. This book is now available at all of our events and on Amazon

Please also see our two other books:

The Veg-Feasting Cookbook features recipes from local restaurants and leading chefs throughout Washington and Oregon, with everything from breakfast and appetizers to soups and desserts. The entrées section shows the full diversity of both American and ethnic cuisines found in the Northwest, so if you’d like to learn how to cook some classic or ethnic vegetarian recipes, this is a great book to get.

The Vegetarian Solution shows how our food choices have a huge impact on our risk of many modern diseases, not just hear disease and cancer, but diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and many more. Not only a solution to our health concerns, the book also shows how a vegetarian diet can be part of the solution to environmental crises such as water pollution and global warming, to feeding the world’s hungry and to giving the animals a better life. Complete with detailed references, this book provides a valuable resource for those considering a change toward a vegetarian diet.

Be sure to look out for all books at all of our events, where you can buy them at a special price. They are also available at local bookstores, natural food stores and online. For more information, see our books page.

Vegfest Chef Recipes

For those of you who weren’t able to be at Vegfest this year, here’s a selection of some of the great recipes which were demonstrated by renowned chef Louise Hagler, at Vegfest.

Couscous, Tofu, and Peas or Edamame

From Miso Cookery by Louise Hagler

Yield: 5 cups

Quick and easy, this can be a side dish or a light main dish.

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup frozen shelled peas or shelled edamame

1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into small cubes

1/4 cup sweet white miso, or 3 tablespoons red miso

1 cup couscous

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive in until transparent. Add the cumin and continue to cook for about 1 minute.

2. In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil, add the frozen peas and tofu, return to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat.

3. Dissolve the miso into the hot liquid, stir in the onion mixture and couscous, cover, and let stand for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Chile Colorado

From Tofu Cookery 25th Anniversary Edition by Louise Hagler

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is an adaptation of a Northern Mexican dish usually made with beef that has been cooked to the falling-off-the-bone state. In its place, frozen tofu gives a similar tender but chewy texture and soaks up the flavorful chile sauce. The type chilies used for this recipe vary depending on the region and family tradition. Start with dried whole chilies with no blemishes or tears. A comal is the Mexican version of a griddle and can be made of metal or clay. Serve Chile Colorado with flour or corn tortillas, chopped white onion, and chopped cilantro.

Have ready:

2 pounds firm regular tofu, frozen, thawed, squeezed dry, and torn into bite sized pieces

Rinse or dust off:

4 dried whole Guajillo, California or New Mexico chilies

4 dried whole ancho chilies

Slit the chilies down one side and remove the stems, seeds and membranes. Toast the opened up chilies on a griddle or comal over medium high heat for a few minutes. Pressing the chilies into the griddle with a spatula just until they start to bubble speeds up the process. Toast the chilies both inside and out and don’t let them burn—burning gives them a bitter flavor.

Place the toasted chilies in a 2-quart saucepan or bowl, cover them with boiling water, and let them soak for about 30 minutes. Remove the chilies with a slotted spoon, place in a blender with the some of the soaking water (if it is not bitter) to cover and until smooth. If the soaking water is bitter, use water.

Heat over low heat in a 2-quart pot:

1/4 cup canola oil

Cook and stir in the heated oil over medium heat until soft:

1 medium onion, minced (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely diced

Pour the processed chilies through a strainer into the simmering pot with the cooked onions and garlic. Discard any stray larger pieces of the skins caught in the strainer. Also add to the pot and bring to a simmer:

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce (2 cups)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons salt

Stir in the prepared tofu pieces and simmer all together for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve hot with corn tortillas.

Strawberry Bisque

From Lighten Up with Louise Hagler

Yield: 2 cups (4 servings)

Sweet and creamy and very quick and easy, this bisque can be served as an appetizer or a dessert.

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries

2 tablespoons sweetener of choice (agave syrup or nectar)

Half a 12.3 ounce package silken tofu

Blend all the ingredients together in a blender until smooth and creamy. Chill and serve with a sprig of fresh mint and slices of fresh strawberries.

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