If you’re vegan it’s very likely that you’ve got some cool messages tees and hoodie or two, at least, from the iconic Herbivore Clothing in Portland, Oregon. Using clever sayings and winning designs, I was not surprised to learn that that the very people who brought us “Eat Like You Give A Damn” shirts, as well as “Praise Seitan” and “Wings are For Flying, Not Frying”, have brought an equally approachable aesthetic to their new cookbook Eat Like You Give A Damn Book.
I’ve had the pleasure, well, let’s say the honor, to have visited Michelle and Josh in their shop. Michelle tells it like it is – ie: Girlfriend, you are not a large, you need a small tee! We’ve been at VegFests together and I even got to film a morning TV show at Herbivore. Best part, aside from seeing the heartful funsters, is getting to choose clothing, books, jewelry, accessories, and buttons in the one of a kind one-stop shop that is Herbivore. The fact is, the merchandise is ethical, it is appealing, and it helps the ethical vegan make a difference and the newbie understand why. Their new cookbook is the same.
Eat Like You Give a Damn by Michelle Schwegmann and Josh Hooten offers recipes for the new ethical vegan. Michelle and Josh give an unapologetically ethical perspective. As they write the introductory chapter, “This is not a book pushing a diet; this is a book pushing an ethic.”
This is a cookbook, for sure, with appealing recipes, but the must-readwithin the bookisthe real-life account from a former undercover investigator who gained employment at one of Iowa’s largest factory farms for pigs and documented the cruelty and neglect that was witnessed is outstanding. In the foreword,Ginny Messina, Registered Dietician and vegan, enumerates the health aspects of a vegan diet with some simple guidelines.
I really enjoyed reading about Michelle and Josh’s own journey to veganism. After explaining how and why she went vegan, Michelle writes, “It feels great that my actions align 100 percent with my beliefs. Once I decided to change my behavior, it was easy to see that all I had to do was change my habits.”
New vegans can feel overwhelmed about how to proceed with their new diet, butEat Like You Give a Damnoffers practical advice, the right amount of inspiration, and dozens of recipes for completely satisfying, delicious, and healthy vegan fare that validates their choice.
Michelle and Josh share a collection of their favorite everyday vegan dishes. Ranging from comfort foods to more epicurean dishes, sumptuous photos will kick any cook into high gear. Elvis Quesadilla with Maple-Yogurt Drizzle, Praise Seitan Vegan Roast, Only-Kale-Can-Save-Us-Now Salad, and Roasted Beet Burgers are a few of the 100+ recipes.
With ample helpings of sass and heart, Michelle and Josh intersperse their recipes with treatises on the why and how of being vegan. Parents wishing to raise their kids on a plant-based diet will find family-friendly recipes that kids will love to eat. New and old time vegans as well as anyone who appreciates good food will delight in these innovative recipes and know that every bite makes a difference.
Only-Kale-Can-Save-Us-Now-Salad
Idon’t like to waste superlatives. When people say that something changed their lives, I roll my eyes along with everyone else and chalk it up to a familial tendency toward exaggeration. But I’m not kidding or overstating the truth when I say just how much this simple salad has had an impact on my life. It gets my family eating lots of raw leafy greens. It gets my grade-schooler ex- claiming loudly and excitedly, “Kale salad, kale salad, kale salad, kale salad!” Mother of the year? That’s me.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodiumtamari
- 2 tablespoons nutritionalyeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon flax meal
- 2 teaspoons onion granules
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
- 9 cups torn curly kale leaves(about 1 bunch), in bite-sizedpieces (see tip)
- 1/3 cup hemp seeds or chopped
- raw sunflower seeds (optional)
Preparation
- To make the dressing, put the tahini, lemon juice, tamari, nutritional yeast, flax meal, onion granules, and garlic granules in a large bowl (large enough to accommodate the kale leaves). Add the water and whisk to combine, adding more water if the dressing seems too thick. (Tahini varies in consistency.)
- Add the kale leaves to the dressing and mix using your hands. Don’t be shy now! Rub the dressing into the kale and make sure to distribute it evenly. Sprinkle the optional hemp seeds over the top if desired. Serve immediately or store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Tip
Before you get started, you’ll need to clean and prepare the kale. Hold the stem of a kale leaf in one hand, and with your other hand pull the leaf up the stem. When you’ve removed all the leaves from the stems, tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces (you can com- post the stems). Give the leaves a good bath in cold water, and spin them dry in a salad spinner.
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe and photos fromEat Like You Give a Damnby Michelle Schwegmann and Josh Hooten. ©2015 Michelle Schwegmann and Josh Hooten. Used by permission from Book Publishing Company.
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