Category: vegan

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Blue Heron Creamery – Vancouver’s first plant-based cheese shop

 

Blue Heron Creamery launched in 2016 as a vegan cheese-making and event catering company, but recently Chef Karen McAthy and her business partner Colin Medhurst announced that they will shortly be opening Vancouver’s first standalone vegan-cheese shop. We talked to Karen about the new storefront operation and about the growing appeal of plant-based cheese.

 

How did Blue Heron Creamery start?

I had been the executive chef of Graze Vegetarian (a vegan restaurant that closed in 2015). During my time there, I had wanted to offer a vegan charcuterie or antipasto board, but I didn’t really love what was available in the stores with respect to dairy-free, vegan cheese options. I have a background in fermentation, and such, so I began searching for ways to make something I would want to eat and to offer. So began what is essentially the first stage of Blue Heron r & d. I was very fortunate during that time, in that I had a young cook/chef from another restaurant who knew I was doing fermentation and culturing and reached out to ‘stage’ and Katie became an integral part of that early research. 

In late 2015, I moved to another vegan restaurant, but the interest and demand for the cheeses and other foods didn’t stop, so I began thinking about what I wanted to do with this process. In 2014, I had been approached by New Society Publishers to write a book about vegan cheese-making, and since I was doing ongoing research for the book, I was making cheeses and sharing them. By the spring of 2016, I knew that Blue Heron was the name I wanted (I have an abiding respect, admiration and appreciation for herons) Then I had the great fortune to reconnect with Colin Medhurst at an Erin Ireland event, Mindful Movie night. Colin had been a regular guest at Graze along with his wife at the time, and I had done some recipes for one of their e-books for Feed Life, their nutrition and wellness company. 

Reconnecting with Colin, put the whole project into a new motion, and we were so incredibly blessed to have the help, support and effort from Eden Chan and Zoe Peled in our first effort to get the company into a more formal place, and since then it has been a constant sense of growth and demand, and a multi-faceted learning curve!

 

What was the response from Vancouver consumers?

I would say we’ve been so fortunate to have support from so many people. I never assume everyone will like everything, so I am always happy when our products are well received. We have some products coming, such as our blue cheeses, that we know won’t be everyone’s preference, but that is okay too. 

It’s an interesting time to be producing a product that we know will make some people very happy, invite some skeptics, and, well, all the usual things that come with being in the food industry. 

 

How difficult is it to create cheeses that have the same appeal as their dairy equivalents?

Well, this may seem surprising to say, but that hasn’t necessarily been my overt goal. I am more interested in understanding what the microbes want to do with the plant-based mediums and what flavours and textures will be the result. My goal has been more to create cheeses, free from animal products, that can stand on their own. Some will occasionally feel familiar or taste a little similar, and some of that is because the microbes doing the culturing produce those same kinds of flavour and texture in dairy cheeses. I work primarily with cultured cheeses and that is the focus of the cheeses Blue Heron will be offering. So, it is a bit of an invitation to not compare and contrast (though this will be a little inevitable), but to taste something for its own characteristics.

This is a little different than some of the other vegan cheese producers out there, who are doing the work of trying to capture some nostalgia and familiarity of things that folks miss or think they will miss.

 

What made you decide to open a storefront operation in Vancouver?

We weren’t actually seeking to open a storefront in Vancouver, or anywhere really (at least not at this stage). We were looking for a larger, non-shared space to produce, and this opportunity just came up and it seemed like we should just go for it. We are right beside Friendly Snackbar, another vegan (and gluten-free) spot with amazing treats, and we really enjoy working with the folks attached to that project and the Wallflower Modern Diner, where owner Lisa Skelton has been incredibly supportive and encouraging among many other things. And, the neighbourhood, Mt. Pleasant, has been my home for more than 10 years, so it has a lot of appeal. 

 

Will you be expanding your product range?  (Some examples? – What’s most popular now?)

I have developed more than 20 styles of cheese that we will be releasing gradually. Some take a long time to age and will not be ready for release until the fall. Others, like our Cumulus (a coconut milk based cheese, presented in several flavours), along with our Smoke’n’Spice (sort of like a young smoked gouda), Forest (earthy and mild smoky notes), our coconut yogurt, cashew/coconut sour cream, cultured and non-cultured butters, and some other products of the non-cheese variety. 

Later in the year, we will be releasing some of our more ’boutique’ cheeses, the ones that take longer to age and develop, like our Beachwood (an almond-based cheese), our Ardea Blue (an ashed and wine washed blue cheese), and a couple of varieties of  bloomy-rinded camembert. 

 

What has been the biggest challenge In launching a plant-based business?

How do I communicate hysterical laughter in writing? First, there is never just one big challenge in this kind of enterprise, and sometimes they overlap and can be overwhelming. Vancouver is an expensive city. So, finding affordable, suitable space is immensely difficult. Food costs are an ongoing challenge for anyone working in the food industry, and trying to be mindful of things like wanting to minimize waste, and remain attendant to Fair Trade issues, and meet all regulatory requirements requires constant attention. 

The growing nature of a business partnership is a challenge and pleasure all at the same time, and good partnerships require as much attention and care as good friendships or other human relations, and are essential to the core of the business, but this isn’t a ‘bad’ challenge, just the reality. 

And, we make cultured food products, so if inventory is getting low, we can’t just ‘make more’ and have it be ready the next day… so we have the challenge of trying to keep all the layers of production moving so that we can meet a constantly increasing demand. 

Also, I am not sure that these challenges are any different than any other food business, the only one that I haven’t mentioned yet, that is different than some of the others, is that we need to be ready to inform, educate, and speak to what we are doing much more often and at much more length than some other food businesses. At tasting events we have participated in (some of the Gala’s that we’ve been at), we are often asked many more questions and need to be prepared for that… but this is actually a pleasure and worth it. 

 

Who buys plant-based cheeses?  (Just vegans or is the appeal wider?)

Since I was at Graze and through until now, our client base has been fairly wide ranging. We have many vegans, of course, and quite a lot of vegetarians who are transitioning to vegan. But we have a number of clients who are lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy proteins, and we have a growing number of food interested, food curious people who are spending more time thinking about where their food comes from, how it is prepared, and who like trying new things. 

 

Do you think the market for plant-based food will continue to grow?

I think the numbers speak for themselves. I don’t think the increase in plant-based, vegan products or lifestyle choices will be a trend, such as cupcakes (peaked then dropped a bit). With the UN posting reports about the impact of animal agriculture, increasing water insecurity due to human engagement and politics, and ever mainstreaming of some of the animal ethics concerns, I think the growth will continue. The Plant-based Foods Association identifies the dairy free sector to be selling several billion dollars globally by 2020, and vegan cheese is looking at global sales of $3.5 billion by 2024. I think other issues will arise, as they always do with rapid shifts in consumer changes. Commodity prices for the ingredients used in these products, and for the products coming from sensitive political and developing nations will pose some challenging questions around extraction and ensuring human rights and wellness of those related communities will become larger topics I am sure. 

 

What do think is driving the interest in plant-based products? – Animal welfare, health concerns, environmental concerns?)

I think there is more than one factor. For many years, it could have been said to be the primary influence was personal health and wellness, then environmental, and then animal welfare and rights, but the hard, diligent, difficult and tireless effort of so many activists and researchers and lawyers on the ground have been steadily having deeper reach, (my opinion) within larger parts of mainstream society. Animal Justice (Anna Pippus as a rep for them), The Furbearers Association, Van Chicken Save (all here in Vancouver), do constant work in this area, and folks like David Isbister of Plantbase Food and Products, aligns his business with animal activism, and while there is ongoing exercised dialogue between this realm and detractors, this dialogue also creates the opportunity for shifts in perception. 

No major changes, or perhaps very few, didn’t come without a number of different forces at play.  

 

Where do you see Blue Heron Creamery in five years?

We hope to be widely distributing across Canada and the U.S., and have licensing of our method to other companies in other countries, and develop our food education and innovation components. The course I teach in conjunction with my first book, The Art of Plant-based Cheesemaking is routinely full, and we are looking to develop an online course, along with several other courses… and Colin, co-author of the Juice Truck book and a certified health coach, and I want to develop some other ideas. 

We also want to be in a place to mentor and develop other vegan cheesemongers, and help develop the methods and practices of craft vegan cheese-making evolve and be understood as an evolution of cheese-making craft itself. 

I have a personal goal that I have had for much longer than Blue Heron, Soil (I won’t say much more here right now), but I am hoping that somehow Blue Heron will allow that project to sprout and grow. 

Blue Heron will open at 2410 Main Street in February.

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The knowledge of suffering was too much to bear alone

The Vegeteers at work on Gabriola Island.

 

Our guest blogger Sigrid Bjarnason is an animal advocate and vegan living on Gabriola Island. Here, she describes why she made these important life choices and how she and her fellow “Vegeteers” work on behalf of animals.

Forty years ago when I was in my mid-20s, I stuffed my flip-flops, a bathing suit and some shorts into my neon orange backpack and headed off with a couple of friends on a South American adventure.  Two months into our trip we found ourselves on a bargain-basement ocean voyage to the fabled Galapagos Islands.  We’d booked passage on a rusty old ship that was taking supplies to the Islanders and, we later learned, picking up cattle to transport back to the mainland of Ecuador for slaughter.

You might think I have happy memories of blue-footed boobies and lumbering tortoises from that trip to the Galapagos so long ago.  But no, instead I carry two unsettling memories: The agonizing sight of dozens of cows crammed together on the open deck below us standing day after day in the blazing sun without food or water, a handful of them collapsing and dying along the way; and worse, the screams of a tethered pig, destined to be dinner for travelers and crew, struggling for her life as two crew members stabbed and sliced at her until her desperate shrieks became pitiful whimpers and finally, mercifully, stopped altogether.

You might think those two incidents would have been enough to cure my meat-eating habit right then and there. But no. Instead, I told myself a story. The story was that farm animals were treated harshly in Ecuador but Canada was a kinder, gentler nation and we had laws to protect animals from such horrible suffering. I didn’t research it. I just decided it was true.

Then, seven years ago, a close friend phoned. She was devastated. She had just watched a Global TV documentary called “Revealed: No Country For Animals.” The documentary showed in sickening detail the horrific hidden abuse of millions of animals trapped out of sight in Canada’s industrial food system. Turns out Canada does not have effective laws to protect farm animals after all.  So, that was it – my story was blown. 

I’ve been a vegan ever since.

So, what to do with the knowledge of all that suffering? It was too much to bear alone.  So I found some like-minded people on Gabriola Island where I was living. We formed a group, called ourselves the Vegeteers and set out to raise awareness about compassionate food choices.

We are now a well-established organization on Gabriola Island.  One of our regular activities is to set up information tables at community events on Gabriola like the fall fair, the food forum and theatre festivals. When we started tabling we had to entice people to talk to us by offering vegan treats and prizes. We got used to fielding the usual derisive comments and bacon jokes, but these days people are more likely to search us out for new vegan recipe ideas or plant-based nutrition information.  The world is changing but it feels right to nudge things along by giving people who want to change some support to help them do that.

We have a website and a Facebook page. We show animal advocacy movies at our local library. We hold regular vegan potlucks, arrange special restaurant meals, distribute brochures, participate in street fairs, hold cooking demonstrations and organize plant-based cooking workshops.  This summer, we sponsored a Gabriola music festival where all the food was vegan.

There are billions of animals suffering in horrific conditions in Canada and around the world, but there is reason for hope.  More and more people are coming to recognize the environmental, health and ethical advantages of a plant-based diet.  The shift to veganism is snowballing and it feels wonderful to be part of such positive change.  

To learn more about what the Gabriola Vegeteers are up to, check our website or our Facebook page.

 

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An amazing vegan holiday feast!

 

Our guest blogger Amanda Tracey is from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and started her blog All She Does Is Eat to share her favourite recipes and tips to living as compassionately as possible. She now lives in Vancouver and works as a communications professional and blogger.  

 

 All She Does Is Eat’s Holiday Feast

When I first adopted a vegan lifestyle, one of my worries was “how am I going to participate in the holidays?” I was concerned that my veganized recipes wouldn’t live up to the part – but boy was I wrong. Growing up I always thought the turkey was the centrepiece of the dinner, but my favourite things were always the potatoes, stuffing and gravy (I’m pretty sure gravy runs through my veins). So, for me personally, I’ve never missed the turkey.

I’ve been vegan for three years, and it was only last year that I decided to step my game up. I’ve had family and friends try everything I am going to share with you here, so I am 101% positive that you will like it. 

I’ve taste-tested the Tofurkey roast and it wasn’t really my thing. Other people I know really enjoy it, but my favourite is the Gardein roast. If you don’t like either, you could try a roast like this one from hot for food or you can just stick with a bunch of delicious vegetables. But for me, I’m going with the Gardein roast. Just bake it according to instructions. It’s very straightforward! As for the rest, keep reading for the recipes. 

Serves: 2

What you’ll need:

Gravy 

  • 2 tbsp vegan butter
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 pinch of sea salt 
  • Black pepper to taste

Stuffing

  • 3 pieces of bread
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter (melted)
  • 1 tsp parsley flakes
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings

Garlic, whipped potatoes

  • 3 medium potatoes
  • 1 tbsp almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Other ingredients you’ll need:   

  • Gardein roast
  • 3 carrots
  • 1 cup peas

Directions:

*A little note, all of the above serves 2 people (fairly big plates though). Make sure to double or even triple each recipe depending on how many guests are joining you!

1. Peel and wash your potatoes and carrots. Then place them in a medium to large sized pot, and boil them for 20-25 minutes. They will be fork tender when finished.

2. For the stuffing, crumble your bread by hand in a bowl or in a food processor. Add the butter to your bowl, along with the parsley flakes, garlic powder and Italian seasonings. To bake, add to a small casserole dish and cover with tinfoil. Bake for 20-25 minutes on 450F. Once done it is ready to enjoy!

3. Cook your Gardein roast according to package. So yummy!

4. In a food processor, blend your garlic clove until it’s broken into small pieces. Add the vegetable broth, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, sea salt and black pepper. If you don’t have a food processor, mince your garlic by hand and add all ingredients to a blender. Heat the butter in a small pot. Once melted, add the all-purpose flour, whisking immediately. It will be a thick paste. Let cook for 1 more minute, and then add your blended ingredients. Whisk again until fully combined. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 5 minutes on low heat. Now it is ready to serve!

5. You can either eat your potatoes plain like the carrots, or you can whip them up a bit more! In a small bowl (big enough to fit all potatoes), mash the potatoes with a fork or potato masher. Add the almond milk, garlic powder and Italian seasonings. Stir together until fully combined.

6. For the peas, drain and rinse them and then heat them up in a small pot/pan or the microwave. Whichever is easiest!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! For more recipes follow me on Instagram @allshedoesiseat_

Amanda xx

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Cruelty-free holiday gifts

 

Looking for that perfect, cruelty-free Christmas gift?  We’ve got a few suggestions!


Books                 

How to Create a Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach by Tobias Leenaert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captive by JoAnne McArthur

 

 

 

 

 

The Animals’ Agenda by Jessica Pierce and Marc Bekoff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veganism in an Oppressive World  by Julia Feliz Brueck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond Beliefs by Melanie Joy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a Fish Knows by Jonathan Balcombe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carnivore Minds: Who These Fearsome Animals Really Are by G. A. Bradshaw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World by Paul Shapiro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cookbooks

Vegan for Everybody  by America’s Test Kitchen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frugal Vegan  by Katie Koteen & Kate Kasbee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen  by Richa Hingle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Meat Athlete Cookbook by Matt Frazier & Stephanie Romine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Products & Services

 

Nice Shoes all vegan shoes, bags, wallets, socks, chocolates

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan Yarn all vegan, hand-dyed, ethically sourced yarn

 

 

 

 

 

 

LUSH (fresh, handmade cosmetics) easily identifiable as vegan or vegetarian

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan Supply  all vegan food

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pureology  all vegan, sulphate-free hair care products

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kama Natural Soap – essential oil scented vegan soap, bath salts and candles (beeswax in balms and ointments)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sephora –  makeup and accessories, identifiable as vegan on website

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bioethique Spa On 4th –  100% natural and vegan spa

 

 

 

 

 

Zimt Chocolate – all vegan chocolate bars and other goodies

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kiss My Face – mostly vegan (some products have beeswax) personal care products, available at many local retailers

 

 

 

 

 

Matt & Nat – vegan handbags and other goodies

 

 

 

 

 

Emani Vegan Cosmetics – available at London Drugs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arbonne – plant-based health and beauty products

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, gift cards to any of the wonderful array of vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Metro Vancouver (check out Earthsave Canada’s veg directory) are a great stocking stuffer.

And who doesn’t gift a bottle of wine or some craft beer? Check Barnivore to see if your favorite wine or beer is vegan! Here are a few that are:

 

Wines

 

Sandhill Wines

 

 

 

 

 

50th Parallel Estate Winery

 

 

 

 

 

Cedar Creek Estate Winery

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hester Creek

 

 

 

 

 

Red Rooster Winery (everything but Bantam)

 

 

 

 

Stag’s Hollow Winery

 

 

 

 

 

Sumac Ridge Estate Winery (2015 and forward)

 

 

 

 

 

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beer

Russell Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

Big Rock Brewery (all but Honey Brown)

 

 

 

 

Okanagan Spring Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

Vancouver Island Brewing (all but Honey Brown)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bridge Brewing Company

                               

               

                               

 

 

Happy Holidays!

 

 

 

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Helping animals on Giving Tuesday

Garth is one of the newest (and youngest!) animals at The Happy Herd Farm Sancturary. He’s someone, not something. That’s why VHS promotes a plant-based diet and cruelty-free living.

 

Making life better for animals now and in the future

On November 28, the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) and The Happy Herd partnered for Giving Tuesday to raise $10,000 to help rescued farmed animals and to fight factory farming by promoting cruelty-free living. 

Thank you to everyone who donated toward our campaign, to our generous matching gift sponsors, Lisa Kramer and Mark Kamstra, and for each of the partner businesses who supported us by raising funds for this campaign. Be sure to check out our complete list of Giving Tuesday partners and show your support for these compassionate businesses that give back to our community!

At The Happy Herd Farm Sanctuary in Aldergrove, B.C., animals are treated with compassion, not as the exploitable commodities we see on industrialized farms.  When animals are seen as valued, sentient beings it’s clear each one is  “someone, not something.” So shouldn’t we treat them accordingly?

That’s the question that underpins VHS’s campaigns for cruelty-free living. VHS volunteers are out on the streets and at events distributing our Go Veg booklet to thousands of people who want to live more compassionately.  More people are joining our Go Veg Campaign and our Meatless Monday program every day and we’re helping schools, hospitals and businesses increase their offering of humane, sustainable and healthy plant-based dishes. Every year our bus ads prod the consciences of Vancouverites, asking why we treat some animals as friends and others as food.  Together we are changing hearts and minds. Thank you for your support!

 

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Help promote the plant-based revolution in Canada

Petition urges federal government to lead the way with compassionate, sustainable food choices

It’s time for food services in Canada to provide more vegan options and a new Parliamentary petition is urging the Canadian Government to lead the way.

The petition, initiated by concerned citizen Fée Lehouiller and sponsored by Member of Parliament Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, calls on the federal government “to require public canteens under federal jurisdiction to provide a vegan option, and to raise this issue and work with provincial and territorial counterparts to require the same at all levels of government.”

We were pleased to see the petition cite a poll commissioned by VHS in 2015, which found that 33 per cent of Canadians are either already vegetarian or eating less meat. The petition also cites evidence from health and medical organizations, the United Nations, environmental organizations and academic researchers to make the case that overconsumption of meat is bad for our health and the planet, as well as for animals.

A major shift toward a plant-based diet is taking place and Canada should be in the forefront.  We urge you to support this petition!

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Chickpea: plant-based comfort food with a Mediterranean twist

Photo: Hanna McLean

 

The Chickpea food truck has been a big hit with Vancouverites, who have been lining up for its Mediterranean-inspired vegetarian food since it opened for business in 2016.  Now, owners Rotem Tal and Itamar Shani have opened a restaurant on on Main Street that’s attracting diners with its popular plant-based comfort food.  VHS asked Rotem and Tal about their new venture and about their thoughts on plant-based dining in Vancouver.

 

The Chickpea food truck has obviously been popular and successful.  What made you decide to open a restaurant?

Having a brick and mortar shop was always our dream. We decided to start with a food truck so we could try out our recipes and gauge the public’s response. We were blown away and really excited by the immediate positive reactions to our food and the Chickpea culture. So moving to a restaurant happened sooner than expected. 

 

You recently announced on your website that the restaurant had “gone vegan” and removed all eggs from the menu. What prompted the change?

We both grew up in households where meat was a main ingredient. Individually, through our own personal experiences we each became vegetarian, however. As our business began to grow, so did our research into ethical and sustainable practices. Months ago we removed dairy from our truck’s menu, so it seemed only natural to remove all animal products and by-products from Chickpea before opening the restaurant. We care very much about how our business impacts our community and the world as a whole.

 

You describe Chickpea’s cuisine as “delicious vegetarian comfort food with a Mediterranean twist.” How have Vancouver diners reacted to your menu?

Now we’re vegan comfort food 😉 

The responses have always been positive. There was a bit of an uproar when we removed eggs from our Shakshuka (a dish that traditionally is made with eggs). But overall, people like our food regardless of their dietary restrictions, preferences or practices. In fact we hear a lot of meat-eaters telling us that they didn’t even notice that our meals are all plant-based. 

 

Are there any dishes that have proven to be particularly popular?

Our Falafel Pita is a truck and restaurant favourite, and our chickpea fries seem to be taking Vancouver by storm. If you’re at the restaurant we’re currently obsessed with the Shakshuka Chickpea fries. 

 

How would you describe the typical Chickpea customer?  Is there a predominant demographic?

One thing we love about Chickpea is that both our truck and restaurant see customers of all different walks of life. We feed adorable children, serious business people, colourful hippies, cute old couples, proud vegans, and everyone in-between. Our customers are united by their desire for delicious food and good vibes. 

 

Do you think vegan and vegetarian food is becoming more mainstream in Vancouver?  If so, why?

Globally, we are becoming more aware of our impact on the world and how we’ve lost touch with our roots. As we move together as a community to reduce our carbon footprint, our eating habits play an important role. Vancouver is constantly working towards becoming more environmentally conscious, so it makes sense that more people are reducing or eliminating their animal product/by-product consumption.

 

What have you enjoyed most about launching and building Chickpea as a business?

Chickpea is more than just food. We’ve worked hard to create a business that reflects our desire to promote love, joy and creative inspiration. As a result, it’s been an absolute pleasure meeting new people who also care deeply about our planet and connecting with one another. Also, through the truck we’ve been exposed to some really cool local initiatives and events. In addition, we continue to love creating a family with our staff, customers and community members.

 

What have the biggest challenges been?

Anyone who’s started a business knows how all encompassing it is. Before Chickpea, we were both really good at taking time for ourselves and spending time with our family and friends. We’re working hard to regain that balance. 

 

Do you have plans to expand Chickpea further?  What are your goals for the future? 

We are always discussing Chickpea’s future and new goals for the business. However, going back to our biggest challenges, for now we’re quite focused on having more quality time spent in nature with family and friends. 

 

What would you say to skeptical carnivores to convince them to try Chickpea?

Carnivores regularly eat at Chickpea. So instead of trying to convince them, we’re happy that we can show how accessible and delicious meat-less meals are. 

 

Chickpea is located at 4298 Main Street, Vancouver.
(604) 620-0602
info@ilovechickpea.ca

Photo: Hanna McLean

 

 

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Today is Meatless Monday in Metro Vancouver

Sutherland Secondary’s Meatless Monday Club tabling for Meatless Monday and giving away free salads.

Schools lead the way, as more schools offer plant-based meals

In an effort to raise awareness of the links between diet and the environment, health and animal welfare, the Cities of Vancouver, New Westminster, North Vancouver and Port Moody have proclaimed today Meatless Monday. Students in Metro Vancouver are leading the way in introducing the concept, with a number of secondary and post-secondary schools offering plant-based meals in their food facilities on Mondays.

To mark the occasion Vancouver Councillor Adriane Carr will visit David Thompson Secondary at 1755 E 55th Avenue at 11:30 a.m. to congratulate students and staff on the success of their Meatless Monday initiative. Here are a few photos from today’s media and outreach event at David Thompson Secondary!

Eleven Metro Vancouver schools will be participating by offering at least one meatless dish on their menu in addition to their regular menu items. Two of these schools, Argyle Secondary and Lord Byng Secondary, are launching their initiatives today.

The Carnegie Community Centre, which serves the Downtown Eastside, will be offering a special Meatless Monday menu today. The centre aims to offer healthy, culturally diverse and delicious food on a daily basis for the community.

Meatless Monday is a global initiative, active in more than 30 countries and growing in popularity in Metro Vancouver. The campaign is aimed at increasing awareness about the impact of food choices and improving access to humane, healthy and sustainable food options. Reducing our overconsumption of animal products and increasing our consumption of plant-based foods helps fight climate change, protects individual/public health and reduces the demand for cheap meat that drives factory farming.

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Meatless Monday is on the move

Meatless Monday at Langara College.

Mark May 15th in your calendars! In an effort to raise awareness of the links between diet, the environment, health and animal welfare, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson has proclaimed Monday May 15th, 2017 to be Meatless Monday.

The globally popular movement, aimed at increasing awareness about the impact of our food choices and improving access to humane, healthy and sustainable food options, has been gaining popularity in Metro Vancouver. To date, ten schools have embraced the “once a week, cut the meat” message, with the most recent being Sutherland Secondary in North Vancouver. Sutherland launched their cafeteria campaign with the leadership of their new Meatless Monday club, comprising students who are passionate about the impact eating meatless has on pressing issues like factory farming, climate change and individual and public health.

Sutherland’s Meatless Monday club got its start after students learned that Capilano University was implementing the meat reduction initiative with support from VHS. Program Coordinator, Emily Pickett, was thrilled to help Sutherland’s Meatless Monday club bring the campaign to their cafeteria. Just a couple of months in and the club has worked closely with food service provider, Amaga Foods, to add and promote delicious menu items like Mexican bean burritos, Mediterranean chickpea salad, tofu fried rice and lentil vegetable curry with rice.

Sutherland Secondary launches Meatless Monday

“Our club does regular outreach in our school’s cafeteria to help raise awareness of Meatless Monday, the benefits of participating and what meatless options are on the menu, “ says club organizers Naiara Peruchena and Shiqi Xu. “We are thrilled to see sales of the meatless Monday special steadily increase and we think this initiative is important for helping students become more aware of what’s on their plate and the impact that has beyond their plate.”

But it’s not just schools who are getting on board, Cabrito, a Spanish tapas restaurant on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive, also recently embraced Meatless Monday. Jamie Stolar, Cabrito’s general manager, says the idea emerged from a mix of reasons. “We love the idea of being able to encourage people that aren’t vegan or vegetarian that even choosing one day a week to eat meet free can make a difference.”

Cabrito’s Meatless Monday offer includes a sampler of the three items for $19, allowing diners to try a few different items for a great value and still leave full. Currently, both vegetarian and vegan options are available, but Stolar say the focus will be “100 per cent vegan going forward.”

Cabrito’s Roasted vegetable sliders

Stolar thinks Meatless Monday has lots of potential, given Vancouver’s veg-friendly nature. “It would be really cool to see more restaurants join the movement as it’s such a great way to educate people and get them to start thinking about what they are consuming. It leaves them with ideas that they can incorporate into their daily lives.”

The Mayor’s May 15th Meatless Monday proclamation is not only a great show of support for the local schools, businesses and individuals who have already embraced Meatless Monday, but it may be just the type of encouragement needed to take Meatless Monday to the next level!

VHS has invited other Lower Mainland municipalities to follow Vancouver’s lead and pass similar proclamations in solidarity and is encouraging citizens, schools, businesses and the community as a whole to embrace plant-based eating on Monday, May 15th (and every Monday moving forward)! Get in touch with Program Coordinator, Emily Pickett, to learn more and get involved.

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Here’s a great way to help hungry birds in this cold weather

 

This vegan recipe provides the fat that birds need in the cold

While feeding birds is not necessary year-round in our temperate climate, (there are some exceptions), birds definitely begin to have trouble finding suitable, nutritious food when the weather turns cold and snowy. Now is an important time to provide high fat, accessible food for our feathered friends. Birds seem to start coming to my backyard for a meal once the temperature drops below zero and especially when there’s snow on the ground.

You can find advice on many websites about what to feed and when – check out this store in Vancouver. However, if like me, you’re trying to avoid feeding suet (animal fat), I have a great recipe for a high-fat, vegan ‘suet’ that the birds in my backyard love. Of course, you’ll still need the wire suet cake holder, available at any pet supply or bird supply store.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cup Shortening
  • 3/4 cup Peanut Butter
  • 3 1/2 cup Wild Bird Seed
  • 1 cup Quick Oats
  • 1/2 cup Corn Meal/Polenta

Instructions:

Stir together your bird seed, oats, and corn meal. Set aside.

Melt the shortening and peanut butter together and stir until completely combined (you want the mixture to be a smooth liquid). Pour into the seed mixture and stir together until the seed mixture is thoroughly coated and no dry spots remain.

Spoon the mixture into moulds of your choice, spreading and smoothing to edges, and freeze until set (about an hour)… Alternatively, allow to cool in the refrigerator until the mixture can be easily moulded by hand. Form balls (or whatever shape you think the birds would like), use a skewer to make a hole to hang from string, and freeze until set.

Store in the freezer until ready to use.

I put the suet into two ziplock bags and while it’s still somewhat soft, scrunch it into two wire suet holders. Once it’s frozen, all you have to do is pull the block out of the holder, remove the bag and place it back into the cage. Hang where birds can easily access all sides and somewhere they are safe from predators. Added bonus? Cat TV, all day (do keep those cats on the inside of the window!)