Vegan macaroni and cheese with broccoli is a rich and creamy bowl of comfort food. My family calls it Mac and Trees!

My kidloves mac and cheese, but the boxed macs (vegan or not) arent exactly health food. Theyre high in salt and usually have zero vegetables. This vegan macaroni and cheese with broccoli is my home-spun version thats a lot healthierand almost as easy to throw together. Just make the blender sauce while the macaroni cooks, then toss it all together at the end.

This sauce is quick and easy in a high speed blender, but you can make it in a regular blender. In this video, I use my Nutribullet, but Ive made this sauce many times in my now-broken 2006 Magic Bullet. It takes longer, but its totally doable. Just dont give up! Keep scraping down the sides and blending more until you reach a smooth, creamy consistency. A lump-free sauce is key to making your Mac and Treessuper delicious, so its worth the extra time!

Yields 4 servings

Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli

Vegan macaroni and cheese with broccoli is a rich and creamy bowl of comfort food. My family calls it Mac and Trees!

15 minPrep Time

15 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

6.6.15

Photos by Becky Striepe.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli - Care2.com

Summers coming and we all want to put our best faces forward. It can be challenging to find vegan skincare products without dairy-derived ingredients, and some touting vegan ingredients may not necessarily be cruelty-free. On top of that, many companies that promise cruelty-free and vegan options have parent companies that still test on animals. Licensed Esthetician and owner of Sauveur Skin Care Sabrina Ewing says, Its always been a struggle finding effective skincare products that are completely vegan. She lists the most commonly used animal-derived ingredients to watch for: yogurt, biotin, beeswax, glycerin, omegas, lactic acid and urea. PETA offers an extensive list, too.

We slathered and lathered in our home testing and came up with these winners. Bonus learning that each of these companies is eco-friendly and independently owned. And knowing no one was harmed in the making of these skincare products makes them feel even better going on.

1. Epicuren

Epicuren's an independent company based in Southern California and a pioneer in the cruelty free skincare industry. Their Perfecting Sunscreen SPF 27 is mineral-based and fragrance-free, which is good for sensitive skin as well as photo-friendly for those beach selfies (unlike many sunscreens). Despite being zinc-based, it's both light and effective. Their Moisture Surge contains non-animal-derived hyaluronic acid, increasing moisturizing and healing properties for sun-damaged skin. The Eye Serum contains oils and other soothing ingredients good for dealing with allergies, dehydration and dark circles. And for anyone with oily/congested or cystic acne-prone skin, the Clarify Blemish Eraser, an item rarely found in vegan form, is a face-saver. While the brand itself is not entirely vegan, Epicuren clearly labels each of their many vegan offerings.

2. No-Tox Life

No-Tox Life is a new company started by an allergy-prone mother-daughter team creating handmade toxin-free vegan body care. Their aluminum-free natural deodorants are lightly scented and use natural enzymes to control odor as opposed to synthetic ingredients, which often irritate the skin. Their vegan lip butter is cocoa butter based, which goes on smooth and can be better for those with shea (natural latex) hypersensitivities. For those interested in the charcoal skin craze, they also offer facial bars specific to skin types that will help clear stubborn blackheads.

3. Youth to the People

Family-owned Youth to the People promises 100% vegan products using cold pressed extracts, gentle preservatives, custom formulations and earth-friendly packaging. Even better, all products are formulated without soap, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic fragrance or added color. The Spirulina + Microalgae Kale Spinach superfood mask and Kale & Aloe Sunflower Oil eye cream are full of restorative antioxidants and phytonutrients. Both smell so delicious, skin will eat them up. Both are extremely calming to the skin and reduce redness and irritation while giving a natural glow.

4. Eminence

On the anti-aging spectrum, Hungary-based brand Eminence has been focused on organic and cruelty free skin care since the 1950s. If you have spent too much time in the sun over the years and are seeing signs of damage now, their entire Brightening line uses an organic and plant-based alternative to brighten dark spots from sun damage, without the redness or peeling often accompanied by the more commonly used hydroquinone.

5. Sunday Riley

Sunday Riley (available at Sephora) is a relatively new cruelty-free line started by a Texas-based chemist who has created plant-based products that promise the results of doctor-backed brands, which are often filled with animal-derived ingredients. The price point is a bit higher due to the high concentration of active ingredients unique to dermatologist and chemist-run brands known as cosmeceuticals. Her Luna Sleeping oil is an advanced retinol formula buffered with oils to assist in calming the skin's strong collagen boosting properties. Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that can cause redness and peeling, especially in the summer months, so this product gives you all of the pros of retinol with non of the cons.

6. Los Angeles Shaving Soap Company

For hairy faces and extremities, the Los Angeles Shaving Soap Company offers and an array of woodsy and herb-scented lathers, as well as an adorable wet-shaving starter kitsynthetic shaving brush included. The Apricot Scrub by Epicuren preps the skin for a shave by gently exfoliating and opening up the pores, which prevents ingrown hairs. Pacific Shaving Company also offers a great shaving cream that contains caffeine, which stimulates the hair follicles for a deep and clean shave.

7. Dr. Bronner's

Finally, we cant forget the O.G. natural soapmaker, Dr. Bronners, who have been churning out the Castile soaps since the 1960s. Faves for the summer are the tea tree- based products whose natural anti bacterial oil help control body odor and prevent conditions like athletes foot and acne. You cant beat their multi-use efficiency (great for cleaning your makeup brushes!) and their stance as an activist company that financially supports regenerative agriculture, fair trade, animal advocacy, industrial hemp and drug policy reform, and living wages among others. As the label reminds us, All one! Always rub toward the heart.

Shawna Kenney is a lizard-skinned writer living in Los Angeles. Beth Martinez is a professional make-up artist.

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The Best Vegan Skincare Products for Summer - Paste Magazine

By Natalie Gingerich Mackenzie | May 9, 2017 Special to espnW.com

Courtesy of Toni Pressley

Florida State grad Toni Pressley's soccer career took her from coast to coast in the U.S. -- as well as overseas to Russia -- before landing her with the NWSL's Orlando Pride in her home state last year. Despite an exhausting schedule, the self-proclaimed "pretend Food Network star" loves to cook -- and fill her Instagram feed with photos of her creations.

One recent theme: Pressley has been following a vegan diet for about four months. She began as an experiment and quickly noticed that she was getting leaner and had more energy on the field. "I loved learning about which substitutions I could make and how to reinvent recipes and food," she said. "There are so many options available that veganism is not as hard as many people think."

She has found that it's easier than she thought to get the muscle-building protein she needs. "I make sure I get my protein with plant-based protein shakes, tofu, meat replacements (I really like pea-based options), and I also take a daily vitamin," she said.

She shared one of her favorite dishes: vegan mushroom risotto.

Courtesy of Toni Pressley

Day and time: Any day for dinner

Place: My home! I love to cook.

What I'm eating: Vegan mushroom risotto

Whose recipe: Mine

Why I'm eating it: Mushroom risotto is one of my favorite things to eat on this planet!

The recipe: Ingredients: 2 cups Arborio rice 4 cups assorted mushrooms 1/2 cup diced yellow onion 7-8 cups veggie broth 3 cloves garlic 1 cup vegan Parmesan cheese 1 cup raw cashews, plus enough water to cover them completely in a container 1 tablespoon vegan butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped chives Salt and pepper to taste

Courtesy of Toni Pressley

1. Make cashew cream. Soak cashews in water overnight or for at least 8 hours. Using a high-speed blender or food processor, blend for about 2 minutes to make cream.

2. In a large skillet on medium heat, add vegan butter and olive oil. Add mushroom onions, and saut for 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, and saut for another 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add Arborio rice, and stir thoroughly.

4. Add one cup of veggie broth, stirring constantly until the broth is almost all absorbed. Repeat this step for the remaining six to seven cups of broth.

5. Test rice to ensure it is cooked through. If not, cook until tender.

6. Add vegan Parmesan and chives and mix well.

7. Add a half cup to a cup of cashew cream, depending on how creamy you like it. I use a half cup.

8. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Link:

What athletes eat: Soccer player Toni Pressley's vegan mushroom risotto - ESPN

There will be food from established New Orleans restaurants and emerging pop-ups. There will be local bands on stage, the rapper behind a famous, meatless Thanksgiving anthem and a chef giving light flavors a heavy metal edge. There will be beer, from a nearby craft brewery no less.

What you won't find at NOLA Veggie Fest on Saturday and Sunday (May 13-14) are any animal products on the menus or among the product offerings. But this party is about what vegan principles bring in rather than what they exclude and showing where they intersect with ideas of health, sustainability and creativity.

Contributed photo by Joseph Schneider NOLA Veggie Fest returns to the grounds of Kingsley House as a two-day event showcasing the New Orleans vegan community.

That starts with food and drink thats either traditionally vegan or reconfigured to be so. And since being vegan entails a lot more than diet, NOLA Veggie Fest showcases facets of the lifestyle beyond the food booths. Theres entertainment, yoga, pet adoptions and even dating possibilities synced to the event.

The annual event is a project of the Humane Society of Louisiana. Last year, it got a reboot, steering closer to the familiar New Orleans festival format. It was a bid to draw a more diverse crowd, and it worked. The free, two-day outdoor festival returns to Kingsley House, taking over the grassy, oak-shaded grounds of this historic service organization on the edge of the Irish Channel.

We want to draw the average person off the street; thats why its free, and thats why we go with making it a real festival, event director Leah Duncan said. We want to make the vegan lifestyle more relatable because, really, it comes down to small changes once you get into the groove.

That groove can take on many different styles. One special guest this year is Grey the Vegan Rapper. The Atlanta-based musician became an internet sensation last year for his song Vegan Thanksgiving. Heres a taste of his verses: Mashed potatoes so good, put your hands in it. String beans and you know we got yams with it. Got cabbage and greens with no ham in it.

The songs video took off on social media, mixing images of wholesome home cooking and a jamming house party with plenty of twerking but no turkey. Grey is scheduled to appear at NOLA Veggie Fest on Saturday.

Also featured on Saturday is the Vegan Black Metal Chef, whose online video series presents vegan cooking with all the dark theatrics of the heaviest of heavy metal. His cookbook is called The Seitanic Spellbook, the name riffing on the wheat gluten product. The tome is full of vegan recipes and gives an idea of this chefs mashup sensibility.

Contributed photo from Vegan Black Metal Chef Combining vegan cooking with the heaviest of heavy metal, the Vegan Black Metal Chef will be part of NOLA Veggie Fest this year in New Orleans.

As in the past, NOLA Veggie Fest will have a bazaar of booths for products from local and national suppliers. Some of the local brands are vegan-friendly without being vegan-exclusive. One example is Breads on Oak, the Uptown bakery and caf that has built a niche with vegan baked goods and sandwiches, while still preparing traditional pastries.

Others represent the growing range of food concepts around New Orleans built from the start to vegan specs. That includes Little Jim Ice Cream, which makes dairy-free frozen desserts and vegan ice cream sandwiches, served up at events from its own old-time vending cart.

NOLA Veggie Fest has also been a natural fit for Girls Gone Vegan, and each year, it serves as a showcase for a growing local bakery that supplies cafes and restaurants around town.

The sisters Hayden and Erinn Aley created Girls Gone Vegan in 2014, starting with old family recipes they reworked to be both vegan and gluten free. Their repertoire keeps expanding as they take on more bakery staples with a tool kit that includes custom gluten-free flours, seasonal fruit, cashew cheese and dark chocolate.

Contributed photo from Hayden Aley The New Orleans bakery Girls Gone Vegan will prepare a hummingbird cake bar that is vegan and gluten free for this year's NOLA Veggie Fest.

This year, they're preparing a number of bars and brownies for easy festival portability. That includes a special hummingbird cake, with the flavor profile of the Southern classic rendered as a vegan bar.

Girls Gone Vegan doesnt have a storefront bakery, so appearances at farmers markets and events like NOLA Veggie Fest give the Aley sisters a chance to meet their customers and introduce their baking style to others.

Kombucha flows from the taps at the Big Easy Bucha bewery in New Orleans. Big Easy Bucha makes a variety of kombucha, a fermented tea with ancient roots and a growing modern following.

Its always best when people can taste our product while we explain it, Hayden Aley said. What it comes down to is good food is good food.

The festival booths also show some local products at the intersection of vegan-friendly principles and broader health-conscious trends. For instance, one vendor on site will be Big Easy Bucha, the local brewery for kombucha, a fizzy, fermented tea touted for its health and wellness potential. Others are part of event as essential elements of a New Orleans festival. That goes for the beer, this year supplied by NOLA Brewing Co.

Also new this year are sessions for veg speed dating sessions (on Saturday), with categories for different age groups and orientations. Who knows? If you hit it off at NOLA Veggie Fest your next meal might be tofu for two.

NOLA Veggie Fest

Where: 1600 Constance St.

When: May 13, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; May 14, noon-6 p.m.

Free admission (VIP tickets $20)

Schedules and details at nolaveggiefest.com

Follow Ian McNulty on Twitter, @IanMcNultyNOLA.

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At NOLA Veggie Fest, the good times are on a vegan roll - The Advocate

SAVANNAHS first ever all-vegan restaurant opened March 8. While many restaurants and cafs supply vegan offerings, Natural Selections Caf is 100 percent plant-based.

Owned and operated by St. Thomas native Davida Harris, this vegan caf is already altering stereotypes. Not only has Harris pioneered the vegan food scene, she decided to shake it up a bit by integrating soul food into her vegan menu.

Southern flairthat was the whole point, Harris explained. Savannah is heavy on tourism and tourists come here to eat southern food. I wanted to make sure that folks could have the Savannah experience while they were eating here.

With a Ph.D. in Sociology, Harris spent 10 years as a college professor at Savannah State University. Although she had been vegetarian for several years, Harris began researching natural ways to help her body heal after developing heath issues.

This, coupled with a few persuasive documentaries on veganism, caused Harris to throw away thousands of dollars worth of food and become a devoted vegan.

As someone who appreciates food, Harris wanted to continue eating food, while finding a way to make it healthier.

Three years ago, Harris established her own catering business called Natural Selections in Savannah. Last summer, she catered an event for 450 guests, preparing vegan fare in her small kitchen.

After that, I promised myself that I would never cook like that in my kitchen again.

This event prodded Harris to look for a commercial catering space that did not process or prepare meat. To no avail, she settled on her current space at 1526 Bull St., a few doors down from Henny Penny Art Space & Caf.

There seems to be a common theme among caterers that purchase their own kitchen: a front of the house eatery.

Harris followed suit and introduced Savannah to Natural Selections Caf and Catering. The front of the house is going better than I ever thought.

This is a completely plant-based restaurant. No meat. I want nothing to do with meat.

Any product that you have had on the meat side, I can duplicate that with plant-based food.

While this caf resides in a neighborhood among SCAD students, Harris reveals that her most prevalent clientele are middle-aged folks.

Even more, people are coming as far as Bluffton and Hilton Head to graze on the cafs plant-based cuisine.

As far as the food is concerned, Harris boasts, I make everything fresh and from scratch. Southern classics like mac and cheese, collard greens and grits are prepared with high-quality ingredients that satisfy both meat-eaters and plant-eaters alike.

Top-of-the-line vegan products are utilized when fresh fruits, veggies and nuts cannot imitate the textures necessary for certain dishes.

For example, omelets and breakfast wraps are made with Veganegg, a 100% plant-based egg replacer that not only looks like eggs, but fluffs up like them as well.

A comforting Grilled Cheeze sandwich gets it stringy nostalgia from a mixture of Daiya cheeses. This is a product that is dairy, gluten and soy free, offering an assortment of cheeses that are shredded, sliced and blocked.

Hearty sandwiches with facon (fake bacon) and faux sausage get their meaty consistency from seitan, a product made from wheat-gluten. Given that it mocks the texture of meat and is high in protein, seitan has become a popular substitution for tofu.

A special featuring the Not Steak Philly Cheeze, incorporated peppery seitan sausage, sauted onions and peppers and an ooey-gooey cheese sauce, all on a soft wheat roll. One bite and the sausage crumbled in my mouth, bursting with familiar flavors.

The vegan-cheese sauce was made from soaking almonds and cashews in water. The nuts were then blended with almond milk, nutritional yeast and liquid smoke, producing a thick velvety white sauce that emulated melted cheese in the best of ways.

Another crowd pleaser that contains seitan is the Not Chicken Salad Sandwich. This refreshing summer favorite could fool even the biggest cynics, with its creamy combination of seitan, Veganaise, mustard, green onion, celery and red pepper. This mixture is topped with spinach and tomato, all served on Naan bread.

While certain pre-packaged vegan products are helpful in imitating a certain mouth feel, Harris shows innovation with other menu items that stand out as favorites among her patrons. Take the Crabbie Cake Sandwich, which, as you guessed, does not have any traces of crab.

Harris utilizes hearts of palm to replicate the flaky texture of crab. The moist patty is seasoned with gluten-free panko, peppers, onion, celery and Old Bay, utilizing flavors traditionally found in this seafood staple.

Lets not forget the Mac & Cheeze. Harris makes it fresh every single day, but sells out of it as quickly as she can whip it up. We all know what macaroni and cheese should taste like.

After a forkful, all I could think was, Come on, are you sure this is vegan? It was that good.

Anyone can buy store-bought vegan products and plant-based ingredients. Nevertheless, Harris excels at combining these ingredients into inspiring and delectable meals.

Her personal investment into veganism transcends every dish, destroying antiquated perceptions about vegan fare. Harris has succeeded in bringing good-for-you soul food to Savannah.

cs

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Natural Selections Caf offers vegan twists on Southern classics - Connect Savannah.com

Heres something we thought that we would never see happen: McDonalds has released a vegan burger in yet another country. Joining a list of nations like South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Hong Kong, youll be able to grab a bite of McDonalds vegan-friendly burger if you happen to be in Norway. When it comes to fast food, there are chains that have put forth the effort to reach out to their vegan, vegetarian, and flexitariancustomers. Taco Bell is one of the best examples of this. Not only does the Tex-Mex chain make it easier than ever to order a plant-based meal via their mobile app, where you can add or remove ingredientsat will, they even have an online guide that details popular substitutions. If youre craving a burger, you can go to White Castle, which just added a second vegan burgeroption to their menu.

Dubbed the Veggie McSpice, the fast food giants newest addition to their locations across Norway is composed of red kidney beans and a blend of vegetables such as carrots, green peppers, and onion. It comes with cheese, but if you order it without cheese, then youll be able to do something that most peoplein the U.S.cant do: order a vegan meal at McDonalds. Of course, if youre avoiding all animal products, then youll want to skip the fries. Unfortunately, McDonalds fries contain natural beef flavors, an ingredient that is made from wheat and milk derivatives. Dont worry, though you can pick up an order of vegan fries to-go at Wendys.

Finally, it seems like McDonalds is getting with the times and realizing that their non-meat-eating customers arent happy with just a basic salad, apple slices from the kids menu, and a giant soda or that veggie burgers, in general, have been attracting consumers who are not necessarily vegan or vegetarian.

According to the 2017 Protein Alternatives Report by global market research firm Mintel, Millennials are especially open to meat alternatives; 64 percent have tried meatless burgers. Meanwhile, only one in five Millennials has tried a Big Mac.

Whether one is gravitating towards meatless options due to diet, environmental concerns, health, or animal welfare concerns, veggie burgers are no longer a fringe trend. If even McDonalds gets it, then thats truly a sign of the time and hopefully, the Veggie McSpice will make its way to the U.S. After all, with the widespread availability of a chain like McDonalds, their kidney bean-based patty could be the only affordable vegan option available to some consumers.

Theres no doubt that this is fantastic news but if you love to cook, check out the Food Monster App, which is available for bothAndroid and iPhone. With over 8,000 vegan recipes (and over 10 new recipes added daily), youre going to find something you love!

Image source: McDonalds Norway

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McDonald's Debuts a Vegan Burger in Norway Now What About ... - One Green Planet

At an unspecified number of schools come August, the Los Angeles Unified School District will pilot a vegan meal program, according to LAUSD Board President Steve Zimmer.

Zimmer told KPCC he will direct the school board on Tuesday to develop a plan for expanding students vegan lunch options.

We have had a demand and when we get a demand like this from our community, we institute a pilot to find out is this something that we really could implement district wide, he said.

Zimmer, a vegetarian himself, said students deserve access to foods that form lasting healthy habits.

According to his proposal, the World Health Organization, Harvard Medical School, the Physicians Committee and several other national and international health-committees have determined consuming meat and dairy increases the risk for cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

In contrast, plant-based diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and beneficial for the prevention of heart disease, obesity, cancer and diabetes, Zimmer said.

When LAUSD banned antibiotics and hormones in poultry several years ago, the rest of the county soon followed, according to Zimmer.

This fall's vegan lunch program will not be more expensive to students, he added.

More:

LA schools to serve up vegan lunch program this fall - 89.3 KPCC

Hold back from running to your closest mirror or poking at your jowls; this is just another anti-vegan piece of propaganda to laugh off.

The Standard is up to their old ways, and have helped a spa called the Face Gym sling new derogatory claims about the impact veganism has on all those who dare try it. Apparently, protein deficiencies shouldnt only have us fearing being scrawny or dead, it leads to a lacklustre face that is dry, sallow and flaky. Forget the justice for animals or the health of our internal organs, giving up animal products is just signing up for a saggy face.

So were presented with two ways to avoid being called vegan face; either ingest a rack of ribs as soon as possible, or go in for a treatment. Founder of the Face Gym, Inge Theron, promises shes a huge advocate of the vegan movement, but obviously is a much bigger advocate for collagen, elastin, and the taught youthfulness our patriarchal society deems attractive.

Theron, in her infinite wisdom on vegan health, recommends vegan takesupplementing seriously and hopes we ignore her overuse of the word bespoke. And in case youre planning on taking her up on her ridiculous treatment, The Vegan Face facial combines radio frequency treatment, exfoliants, a deep cleanse, a massage, and some unwarranted and incorrect nutrition counselling to make sure you maintain your face for years to come.

Perhaps its not all for naught, because the amount of laughing Ive done to get through this article surely counts for a free workout not only to my glowing vegan face, but to my vegan abdominals. Maybe The Standard and the Face Gym should put down the weights for a moment and pick up a book,so they can learn that theres more than enough protein in the world without the need for exploiting animals. Vegans have nothing to worry about when it comes to their looks, or this latest chapter in the anti-vegan agenda.

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Vegans, you don't have to worry about contracting vegan face - Ecorazzi

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A Truro businessman has come up with a vegan and gluten-free version of a cream tea. And here is how you can get one.

Pura Pressed, which is based in The Old Bakery in Malpas Road, Truro, has come up with a novel twist on our local delicacy which is sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and palm oil-free.

Graeme Holland, who runs the business with his partner Charlotte Waistell, explained that he came up with the idea of the Raw Cornish Cream Tea as a way of making sure vegans weren't excluded from the joys of the cream tea.

There's no denying the end product looks a lot different than the traditional cream tea, but it is bursting with flavour and is a healthier alternative to the fattening clotted cream variety.

Read more: Cranbrook's first pub has just opened - and we took a tour inside

The scone is made from gluten-free oats, macadamia nuts, chia seeds and nut milk. Rather than being baked, the dough is dehydrated for eight hours so that none of the nutrients are lost.

The jam is made from Cornish strawberries and chia seeds a teaspoon of the seeds provides more calcium than a glass of milk while the clotted cream is replaced by gluten and dairy free coconut cream.

You can buy the vegan cream tea from Pura Pressed's stall at Truro Farmers' Market on Lemon Quay on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9am to 3.30pm.

Read more: Cloud eggs are the latest breakfast craze - here is what they are and how to make them

Graeme and Charlotte currently make vegan cakes, desserts, salads and will soon be delivering wraps too. It is also Cornwall's only cold pressed juice business; all of its juices are unpasteurised.

Veganism is on the rise with the recent Cornwall Vegan Festival at Mount Pleasant Eco Park attracting about 1,500 people and selling out of all of its food within three hours.

Graeme said: "We're noticing that a lot of people are making the move to vegan food. We offer a plant-based alternative that is based around health and well-being which is also bursting with flavour and is authentically Cornish."

This story was first published on Cornwall Live.

More here:

Is this the world's first vegan and gluten free cream tea? - Devon Live

The Herbalist, at Merchants

Its easy to feel bad for vegans, a population born to punchline maybe half of all service-industry jokes. (The other half of behind-the-scenes quips about high-maintenance guests are of course reserved for gluten-free diners.) Disdain toward this group has cooled somewhat in recent years, but it seems unlikely ever to fade entirely from this bone-crunching barbecue town.

Even cocktails arent without complication for those who eschew animal products. Theres no need to ask for a meatless margarita, but that splash of Worcestershire sauce in a house Bloody Mary mix renders the brunch staple an anchovy-containing moral hazard. Meanwhile, White Russians, Brandy Alexanders and eggnog contain dairy, off-limits to vegans.

Still, the recent craft-cocktail surge has led bartenders to deeper experimentation, to the benefit of certain dietary exiles. Agave nectar can stand in for honey, almond or coconut milk can solve for that White Russian in a pinch, and aquafaba is having a star moment.

Leading this milkless frontier around here are three bartenders I visited with recently.

Zac Snyder, Westside Local

Its not that the bar at Westside Local is hard to find its that you might just miss it on your way from the dining room to the patio. Theres only a few feet of wood enough room for perhaps four people to get very cozy with one another. The lack of space (and a proper dishwasher) is in part what led bar manager Zac Snyder to search for an alternative to egg whites. He found it in aquafaba.

Aquafaba is garbanzo-bean brine, he says. Its literally just the liquid inside of a garbanzo-bean can, but it does contain some protein and soluble plant solids, and it works exactly like an egg white, which can give a cocktail a light, foamy texture.

Aquafabas applicable properties were discovered in France in 2014, when it gained popularity as a substitute for egg whites in meringues; then it crossed the Atlantic and crept onto bar menus. Today, you can find it at Westside Local in Snyders version of the Port Light, a tiki classic. Though the 1960s recipe calls for whiskey, Snyder favors brandy to complement his passion fruittamarind syrup and fresh-squeezed lime juice.

Making the drink is an involved process because its treated exactly like an egg-white cocktail, he says. We combine everything, wet shake it with ice and then dry shake without ice to fluff the cocktail and really build that foam.

Snyders Port Light works like a tropical brandy sour, one with some curves. The passion fruittamarind syrup tiptoes between sweet and sour to play against the smooth, creamy aquafaba layer. Its a glass of island life to sate landlocked folks and, yes, vegans.

The Local has always been very respective of dietary restrictions, Snyder says, and I try to maintain the idea of being sensitive to those needs at the bar. But honestly, finding creative solutions to cocktails for those diets makes for a great challenge.

The Westside Local, 1663 Summit, 816-997-9089, thewestsidelocal.com

Maurice Cox, Merchants Pub & Plate

Theres only one designated vegan cocktail on the menu at Merchants Pub & Plate in Lawrence, but its the only one youll need. The Herbalist made with tequila, herb oxymel and aquafaba foam is the brainchild of bartender Maurice Cox, with an assist from chef Emily Peterson.

Emily introduced aquafaba to me, he says, and she suggested a flip cocktail, which I thought gave us a great opportunity to show off another cool bar ingredient weve been working on, which is our herb oxymel.

Oxymel a mixture of vinegar and honey is a traditional folk medicine with a few hundred years worth of history and a new life in craft cocktails. Thick and syrupy, its most similar to a shrub.

The thing that makes an oxymel an oxymel is that it has a vinegar component, an herbal component and honey, Cox says. Its more viscous and more textured. Oxymels can be floral and spicy or woody and earthy it just depends on the herbs you use. In our herbal oxymel, we have sage, thyme, parsley, rosemary, some vegan clover honey and an apple cider vinegar.

For the Herbalist, Cox dry shakes the aquafaba and the oxymel, then introduces tequila with ice, shakes again and strains the butter-yellow liquid into a coupe glass. Theres a lot of complexity in these 4 fluid ounces. Tequila is an unconventional spirit for a flip cocktail, but here it fuses a strong backbone to Coxs herb-garden oxymel. You taste no compromise.

Its important that were able to create a really special experience for everyone including people with dietary restrictions, Cox says. They can immerse themselves in the experience of a craft drink with everyone else and not have their dietary needs be an obstacle. I think were going to see a lot more of that mentality: Its not about making exceptions for certain guests; its just thinking outside the box in terms of recipe development, which is part of the job.

Merchants Pub & Plate, 746 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, 785-843-4111, merchantsonmass.com

Katy Wade had to go to Thailand to understand the Moscow mule.

Katy Wade, Voltaire

Voltaires Katy Wade didnt set out to create a vegan cocktail. You might say the cocktail found her.

I was in Thailand last summer, and every mom-and-pop eatery would serve you ice water in these tin mugs like Moscow mule mugs, she says. I finally understood why people love Moscow mules so much, because theyre so cold and refreshing. And that inspired me to put something that reminded me of Thailand into those mugs when I got back.

Aside from sharing the same copper mug, Wades Mai Thai Coffee has nothing in common with a Moscow mule. She combines Auchentoshan American Oaked Scotch, J. Rieger Caffe Amaro, house-made coffee syrup, spicy chili tincture and coconut milk for a liquid experience that might confound even the most experienced drinker, vegan or not.

Coconut milk is a great product, and a little underutilized in the bar realm, Wade says. Its something our kitchen is always going to have around, and it stays on the shelf longer than cream.

At Voltaire, the Mai Thai Coffee often pulls double duty. The vigorous shake that Wade gives it causes a frothy, frapp effect, so her vegan cocktail can also serve as a gluten-free, dairy-free dessert.

I think vegan cocktails are picking up because bartenders view them as kind of a cool challenge, and we all like challenges its a cool thing to be able to master, Wade says. But more important, I think its nice that more people are being conscious of various dietary needs. The last thing we want to do is isolate someone.

Voltaire, 1617 Genessee, 816-472-1200, voltairekc.com

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Going vegan by the glass at Voltaire, Merchants and Westside Local - Pitch Weekly