Vegetarian group shares eating tips

By Jomay Steen, Journal staff | Saturday, December 29, 2007

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A new group has set out to expand its members’ culinary skills and educate others on the healthful benefits of vegetarianism.

Four years ago, Rachael Johnson began eliminating meat, fish and poultry from her daily diet. Since her family regularly served meat with meals, she resorted to eating cereals, breads and packaged foods that she could pop into the microwave.

It worked for a while.

Yet the 20-year-old Rapid City woman wanted to learn more about making her own vegetarian meals. Since she didn’t know any vegetarians, she had few resources to turn to for recipes. Besides her limited food choices, Johnson has a somewhat meticulous palate.

“I actually don’t like a lot of vegetables,� she said.

Earlier this month, Johnson met with members of the Rapid City Vegetarian Meetup Group to sample a holiday meal of Stuffed Turkey Rolls, Rosemary Mashed Potatoes and Brazil Nut Gravy with Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert.

The Thursday-night monthly food group, organized by Justin and Ginger White, features a variety of vegetarian entrees plus recipes, an educational video as well as information about health, nutrition, how to become a vegetarian and vegan diets. The local group reflects the more than 12 million people or the 4.2 percent of the U.S. population that are vegetarian.

Organizer Justin White, 34, empathizes with Johnson, recalling his initial meals as a vegetarian, consisting of french fries and cheese pizza. A Lemmon native, White was in college when he changed his eating habits. Influenced by friends, White had limited access to a kitchen — let alone cooking utensils — when he decided to become a vegetarian.

“I didn’t do well in the beginning,� he said.

Yet over the years, health and ethical concerns helped White to maintain his vegetarian diet. Ten years ago, concerns about the food industry’s use of hormones to double milk and egg production tightened White’s eating selections. He became a vegan, eliminating all dairy and eggs from his diet.

Removing meats, dairy and milk products from the daily menu changes not only the dinner table and grocery bill, but will improve your health, he said.

“You can reduce heart attack by 85 percent and cancer by 60 percent just by eating a vegetarian diet. If you want to be healthy, go for it,� he said.

Through practice, cookbooks and research, White has tried to keep his dietary needs simple as well as his recipes. Yet he refused to give up taste.

“Cookbooks are key,� he said of the transition.

Denise Johnson of Rapid City — no relation to Rachael — attended her second meeting, bringing chocolate chip cookies made without animal fats or dairy products.

Having started her vegetarian diet about three months ago, she still cooks poultry and meat for her   husband. “Everything revolved around a piece of meat,� she said of her husband’s meals.

Johnson decided to join the club to find foods and recipes that they’ll both like.

“This hasn’t been easy. It isn’t easy to transition to an all-vegetarian diet,� she said.

Johnson believes that people should know where their food comes from; and no, the supermarket doesn’t count. Empathetic toward all animals, she decided to focus on fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains and soy products for her meals.

However, she has had lapses. Her husband has taken her out to restaurants where she’s succumbed to family favorites.

“I still eat shellfish,� Johnson admitted.

Ginger White came to be a vegetarian after marrying Justin. While he cooked wonderful meals, she thought it made sense just to eat what he did. Now with their daughters, Alijah, 10, and Amariah, 8, they still eat only vegetables, fruits, vegetable and fruit products and grains.

“Both my girls grew up eating like this. This is the only kinds of foods they know,� she said.

As the ranks of adolescent and teenage vegetarians grow, Ginger White said that the school systems eventually will have to serve vegetarian selections as part of their hot lunch programs, especially if children do not drink milk or eat dairy, cheese or meat products.

“I believe it’s going to hit soon â€- especially in bigger cities,â€� she said.

All the more reason why the Whites organized the vegetarian group, Justin White said.

“That’s what this group is for: fellowship, to ask questions, see cooking foods demonstrated and to learn,� he said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.

If you go

What: The Rapid City Vegetarian Meetup Group

When: 6 p.m. the first Thursday of the month

Where: Bridgewood Estates Party Room, 415 E. Minnesota St.

The free gathering includes samples of vegetarian cooking, discussion, lectures regarding the impact of a vegetarian diet and a variety of resources. For more information, go to www.RCVegetarianMeetup.com

Vegetarian recipes

The following recipes will satisfy the appetites of vegetarians, vegans and those who are just plain hungry.

Vegetarian Chili

1/2 cup diced pepper stir fry with onions

1 tablespoon chopped dates or date paste

1 can fat-free refried beans

1 can dark red kidney beans

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Saute vegetables in small amount of oil. Soften dates in 1/4 cup boiling water. Mix with the rest of the ingredients. After mixture begins to bubble, cook 30 minutes on low heat. Serves 3 to 4.

—Joan Hewitt

Christmas Crunch Salad

4 cups broccoli cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cups cauliflower cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half, or cubed plum tomatoes

1-1/2 cups Vegenaise

2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Paprika

Put veggies into a large bowl. Mix up Vegenaise, honey and lemon juice, and pour over the veggies. Toss well to coat. Sprinkle with paprika and serve cold. Serves 20.

—Cheryl Reth

Tomato and Basil Pizza

1 pizza crust

1 package shredded rice or soy cheese (mozzarella style)

3 Roma tomatoes, sliced

3/4 cup soy mayonnaise (Vegenaise, Nayonaise, etc.)

3 tablespoons basil

1 tablespoon diced garlic

Prepare crust according to recipe or directions. In a large bowl, mix shredded cheese, basil, garlic and soy mayonnaise. Place sliced tomatoes in layer over crust; layer next with cheese mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or according to crust directions. Crust should begin to brown and cheese will melt and turn slightly brown.

Chilled Raspberry-Peach Soup

Berry Soup:

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3/8 cup (1/4 + 1/8) Welch’s 100 percent white grape juice frozen concentrate

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, strawberries or blackberries, rinsed and drained.

Peach Soup:

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons Welch’s 100 percent white grape juice frozen concentrate

4 cups fresh peaches, peeled and chopped

Place all ingredients for the berry soup in a blender or food processor and process till smooth. Strain out seeds. If you don’t have a strainer for berry seeds, make the soup with strawberries. It won’t need to be strained. Cover and chill. Stir before serving.

Blend all ingredients for the peach soup. No need to strain. Cover and chill. Stir before using.

When ready to serve, pour berry and peach soups into separate pitchers. Hold a pitcher in each hand. Pour soups simultaneously and slowly into a soup bowl.

Repeat procedure with remaining bowls. Using the tip of a paring knife, swirl the knife slowly back and forth through the two colors.

Makes 8 1-cup servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 146, protein 2 grams, carbohydrate 36 grams, fat 1 gram, sodium 1 milligram, dietary fiber 5 grams.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

4-1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer (equivalent of 3 eggs)

6 tablespoons water

1 cup nonhydrogenated, nondairy butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 cups nondairy, semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a nonstick cookie/baking sheet. In a food processor or blender, whip the egg replacer and water together until thick and creamy.  In a large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Add the egg replacer mixture and combine. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the wet mixture until it begins to form a dough. Stir in the chips and nuts if using. Bake on the cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 1 dozen cookies

— Denise Johnson

Skillet Corn Bread

1-1/2 cups cornmeal

1-1/2 cups unbleached white flour

3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum free)

1 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey or sugar)

1 teaspoon salt

2-1/4 cups soy milk (or water)

1/4 cup oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put cooking oil into 10-inch skillet, then put into oven to heat. Mix dry ingredients; stir in milk and oil. Pour into hot skillet and bake 30 minutes on top shelf. For Mexican Cornbread: Add 1 small chopped onion, 2 cups corn and 2 teaspoon chili powder to batter.

—Justin White

Pumpkin Soup

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup chopped green onion

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves

2 bay leaves

2 cups Hunt’s Choice-cut Diced Tomatoes

1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin

4 teaspoons McKay’s chicken-style seasoning

4 cups water

1/8 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

4 cups vanilla-flavored soy milk

2 teaspoons salt

Saute onion, parsley, thyme and bay leaves in oil. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, seasoning and water; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

In separate bowl, whisk flour and 1 cup of soy milk. Add to soup along with the remaining 3 cups of milk and salt. Stir over medium heat until boiling. Let cool and serve.

Cornbread Stuffing

1 cup chopped red onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped yellow summer squash

1/8 cup canola oil

3/4 teaspoon thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoons salt

4 cups dry cornbread stuffing

1-1/4 cups water

1-1/4 teaspoons McKay’s chicken-style seasoning

Saute onion, celery and squash in oil; add thyme, nutmeg and salt. Add cornbread stuffing and toss. Mix and boil water and seasoning, pour over stuffing and mix with spoon. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Cranberry Cobblestone Bread

8 to 9 cups whole wheat pastry flour

4 teaspoons yeast

2-1/2 cups warm water

2 tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup honey or Agave Nectar

1/2 cup plus 1/8 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped medium to fine

4 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix 6 cups of the flour and yeast in bowl. Whisk together the water, oil, slat and honey in separate bowl. Add to flour-yeast mixture. Knead 7 to 10 minutes. Add the last 2 to 3 cups of flour, just enough to take away stickiness. Cover dough and allow to rise once. Combine cranberries, syrup and cinnamon in large bowl. Cut dough in half. Cover one-half and set aside for rolls.

For loaf: Punch down dough. Cut into 3/4-inch pieces and drop into cranberry mix. Stir every eight to 10 pieces to coat. Put dough into large oiled loaf pan and allow to rise to double. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.

For rolls: Form remaining dough into 16 2-inch balls. Bake in oiled 8-by-8-inch  pan at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Veggie Lasagna

1 package lasagna noodles

1 can vegetarian chili (or chili beans)

1 pound firm tofu, crumbled

1 package rice/soy cheese (mozzarella style)

1 can Hunt’s spaghetti sauce

Set oven to 375 degrees. Boil noodles as directed on package. When tender, drain. In a 9-by-13-inch pan, layer sauce, crumbled tofu, chili and noodles. The last layer should end with sauce, tofu, chili and cheese. Bake in 375-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Tofu Curry

1 package extra firm tofu (freeze first, then thaw to improve texture)

1 large potato

1 medium onion

1 large carrot

1 to 3 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon Garam Masala (optional, but good; found in Indian store)

1 teaspoon honey or other sweetener

2 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or soy sauce

1 to 2 teaspoons salt

1 can coconut milk

1 cup water

Cube the tofu, place on baking sheet then set under the broiler to brown, flipping it once to brown other side. Remove from broiler and set aside. Combine all other ingredients in a large stock pot and cook over medium heat until veggies are tender. Add broiled tofu to stock pot and simmer until ready to serve; allow tofu to absorb flavors. Serve over rice.