Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 33

Easy, Creamy Vegan Carrot Top Pesto Pasta

This easy vegan carrot green pesto recipe looks yum and so fresh for summer eating. Thank you to Food Pharmacy authors Lina Aurrel and Mia Clase for sharing this recipe with us! Over to Lina and Mia.

Ingredients

3 large carrots
2/5 cup (100 ml) carrot tops
1 garlic clove
2/5 cup (100 ml) basil leaves
2/5 cup (100 ml) hazelnuts (filberts)
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/5 cup (50 ml) olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

This pesto is extra healthy due to the inclusion of some unusual vegetable parts. As in, using the carrot tops instead of the root. It’s so nutrient-dense that half a serving is enough. Say what? What should we do with the carrot? Turn it into spaghetti, of course!

Pull off the carrot tops and chop them coarsely. Mix them with garlic, basil leaves, hazelnuts, and lemon juice. Add olive oil in a thin stream until the pesto thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Use a potato peeler, mandolin, or vegetable spiralizer to make long spaghetti-like strands with the carrot onto an attractive plate. Top with the pesto!

 

Lina Nertby Aurell and Mia Clase run the blog Food Pharmacy,one of the most popular science health blogs in Sweden. They live in Stockholm, Sweden.

Excerpted from Food Pharmacy: A Guide to Gut Bacteria, Anti-Inflammatory Foods, and Eating for Health by Lina Aurell and Mia Clase, with permission from Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

Photography by Ulrika Ekblom

Down the Drain: How Doing Laundry Can Contribute to Ocean Pollution

Many of our closets contain clothes made from synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon, and rayon. These synthetic materials make our clothes more stretchy and less wrinkly and can be found in everything from yoga pants and leggings, to dress shirts and socks.

When you wash clothes containing these materials, they shed up to millions of microfibers—tiny strands of plastic. These microfibers are often too small for many filters to catch, so they travel down the drains and into the wastewater system. Experts have found that these microfibers heavily contribute to an already huge issue in our waterways—microplastic.

What are Microplastics?

About 2.41 million tons of plastic waste enter the oceans every year, and about 94% of that plastic pollution is made up of microplastics—these tiny plastics are created by larger plastic waste products breaking down in the environment, but many of our everyday household products already contain microplastics. Most common laundry detergents contain microbeads and microplastic fragments. Some tests found that one of the most popular brands of laundry detergent contained roughly 178,000 microbeads in one milliliter of detergent, which leads to over 2.5 million microbeads per load of laundry! And that’s not even counting the microfibers!

The newest laundry detergent pod packets are worse, with many pods not fully “dissolving” and contributing further to microplastic pollution. Additionally, Laundry Pods are often made of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) or other derivative chemicals—which have been found extremely damaging to aquatic life. Pods are another scheme by Big Oil and their plastics company offshoots whose profits increase with the proliferation of more single-use products—at the expense of choking our waterways and killing aquatic life.

The Impacts of Wastewater

Our community’s wastewater is “treated” and then discharged into our waterways, but these microfibers and microplastics slip through the treatments and end up in our natural waters such as rivers and streams.

These microplastics are then consumed by microscopic organisms called zooplankton, which are then eaten by small aquatic animals, which are then eaten by larger aquatic animals, and so on up the food chain.

This process is called bioaccumulation and can result in large aquatic animals containing dangerous and often deadly amounts of plastic in their systems. Scientific studies have shown humans are ingesting thousands of these microfibers annually from our water, air, and food. Textile fibers are often found in seafood and fish on sale for human consumption.

So, what can you do to ensure you are not contributing to the problem? The easiest thing is to adjust your buying and washing habits. Buy clothes made from plant-based materials such as orgANIC cotton, bamboo, hemp. Support organic. Buy used. Repair clothes. New apparel sheds more than old. Use cold, quick wash cycles. Avoid delicate cycle. Avoid “pods.” Support additional filters such as GuppyFriend or Cora Ball. Wash less.

Best Laundry Detergent to Use

To avoid microplastics, it helps to pick clean detergent brands—Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap (100% plant-based since the beginning!), Eco Nuts, and Dropps are all cleaner options. Dropps is the original plastic-free laundry detergent pods packaged in a compostable and recyclable box. There’s also Ethique that makes waste-free bars

You can also DIY your own detergent if you want to control the ingredients.

10 Volunteer Ideas That Help Children Learn About Compassion

Most children are too young to volunteer at brick-and-mortar nonprofit offices, which is a shame since they are often more passionate than adults. Still, there are ways to get kids started on their path towards compassion, and many start at home with just their imagination and a few supplies.

My young son, Bear, has done so much activism on his own. He started a stand at our community farmers’ market selling local oranges when he was quite small. He made an adorable messed up sign, used orange crates, and then donated the money he earned — his idea — to Farm Sanctuary.

When I was shooting “Sister Of The Groom” in the Hamptons, he was upset by people fishing on the beach, so he made a lemonade stand and sold snacks, and raised $60 (well, it was the Hamptons after all!) and donated it all to Sea Shepherd! Bear asks to volunteer at Gentle Barn all the time. The amazing thing is his young, compassionate heart enacted these ideas entirely on his own. Bear is also happy to sort through his possessions and donate items to kids in need. He routinely cleans beaches wherever we go, on his own accord. I’m always so inspired when I see him on a mission.

Here are some easy volunteer ideas to help get you and your kiddos making a difference together.

1. Cause Clothing

Kids can be share their message (of kindness, eco-consciousness, animal rights, etc) easily on their sleeves. Wearing clothing with messages is a real conversation starter and allows kids to preach to their cohorts naturally. Every nonprofit sells message clothing, but kids could also make their own using fabric pens, tie-dye, or collage.

2. Love Rocks

Paint a rock with a message of inspiration and leave it on a neighbor’s doorstep or in your local town or woods for someone to stumble across. This works as both craft and service.

3. Toy Story

Have your child go through their toys and clothes and see what they are willing to donate to a local women and children’s shelter. Hand them a box and deliver the box together. You can also use givebackbox to mail them in.

4. Discount Time

Scour your local farmer’s market or supermarket together for foodstuffs on special/ sale, and stock them up to deliver to your local food pantry.

5. Garbage Girl

Take a nature walk with a biodegradable garbage bag and pick up trash on the way.

6. Foster Friends

Foster an animal for your local rescue group (they can all be easily found on petfinder or adoptapet) and let your child participate in the exciting part of rehoming and looking forward to who is coming next as your foster mission continues.

7. Senior Sweetness

If your child doesn’t have a grandparent, consider having them “adopt a senior” at a local nursing home. Although covid restrictions won’t allow them to visit, they can surely send beautiful drawings and crafts over.

8. Peace, Man

In the same vein, create a poster, sign, or piece of art that sends a message of equality, and hang it where it can be seen near your home.

9. Postcard Play

Make a stack of postcards and mail them to your local legislator encouraging them to pass bills that better protect animals or the environment.

10. Muffin Madness

Bake a tray of muffins or pick up a vat of coffee together, and deliver them to your local police station, school, or hospital to thank them for their service and dedication.

No good deed is too small to improve our communities. Any long journey starts with a single step!

Photo by Nicole Adams on Unsplash

9 Healthy Vegan Foods Your Child Will Actually Want To Eat

Hi there, Kind Life fam! We are Marisa Miller Wolfson, creator of the documentary, Vegucated, and mama of two, and Laura Delhauer, plant-based culinary artist and environmental theatre-maker, and our new book, The Vegucated Family Table is the first ever cookbook written specifically for those wanting to raise vegan babies, toddlers and kiddos. We know it can sometimes be a struggle to get kids to eat healthy vegan foods, so we wrote a whole book of options to help. Included is expert nutritional advice from Dr. Reed Mangels to help answer any questions you may have about the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle for your little ones. Here’s a sneak peek into the book as we talk about nine healthy vegan things that you can get even your pickiest of eaters to enjoy!

1. Dates

All by themselves, these delightful little fruits taste like caramel candies, but imagine being able to give your child a yummy caramel candy that is naturally filled with potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, vitamin B6, plenty of fiber and even some protein? We use these delicious, nutritious powerhouse fruits in several recipes in our cookbook, such as our Simple Date Bites, Fudgy Nut-Free Energy Bites and even as the main sweetener in our Baby’s First Smash Cake, which is loved by babies, kids and adults alike, and is actually great for any occasion. Dress ‘em up or dress ‘em down, dates are an extremely healthy, naturally sweet vegan treat.

2. Chia, Flax and Hemp Seeds in Puddings, Jams, Sprinkles and More

Chia and flax are both great sources of fiber, omega 3 and protein. Hemp seeds are also a great source of protein and fiber, omega-3 and omega-6, along with vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc and more! And we’ve found that sneaking these nutrition-packed seeds into your kid’s food is not only easy, but it’s actually pretty fun. Children love sprinkles, but most sprinkles are nutritionally devoid and often made of nothing but sugar, artificial colorings and palm oil (no thanks!). So, instead, we decided to create a handful of “sprinkle” recipes in the book that would be made from healthy seeds, natural colorings and other nutritious foods like shredded coconut and goji berries, as well as ground cashews and nutritional yeast in our savory Vegan Parm Sprinkle. There’s something to sprinkle on just about any food for any occasion, and each of them adds a fun and healthy dose of seeds to your child’s meal, snack or treat. Additionally, chia, flax and/or hemp seeds make it into many other recipes, from smoothies to our Chocolate Cherry Chia Muffins, puddings, berry jam and nearly every dessert in the book!

3. Nuts, Nut Butters and Seed Butters

Nuts and seeds provide healthy sources of fat, fiber and protein, which make for very satisfying kid foods. And while PBJs have long been a staple in the American child’s diet, there are so many ways beyond that age-old sammie to use nuts and seeds to make plant-powered meals and treats complete. We’ve got you covered with a host of options, including an almond butter-based Caramel Sauce, plus Cashew Chive Spread, Nacho Cashew Cheese Sauce, Peanutty Dipping Sauce (great for dipping our Sesame Tofu Sticks), Orangutan-Approved Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (free from palm oil and all the yucky ingredients in the store-bought brands, and with a fraction of the sugar), Peanutty Sweet Potato Stew and so much more. The book also contains many nut-free recipes, including several utilizing tahini or sunbutter instead. We also offer the option to use these seed butters as substitutes if you need to make nutty recipes allergy-friendly. (We even have an option to make delicious nut-free peanut butter cups!) That said, make no mistake, we are big PBJ fans over here, and we do have a recipe for a modern twist on the classic sandwich, as well as a PBJ smoothie bowl!

4. Lentils and Beans in Dishes Both Savory and Sweet

Lentils and beans are excellent sources of plant-based proteins and an array of other nutrients, and they are wonderfully accessible and inexpensive! They appear in several recipes in the book, including Laura’s Lovely Lentils and guest contributor Sayward Rebhal’s Magic Beans, both taste-approved by kiddos and packed with protein, iron and zinc. But even if you’re thinking your child is not about to sit down and eat a bowl of beans, there are so many other ways to present your littles with these nutritious legumes. We’ve got you covered between our Muscley Marinara (secretly packed with red lentils), a dal recipe by Leinana Two Moons, khichdi by Christina and Pulin Modi and more. But you can even throw beans into a dessert! On the sweeter side of things we have a recipe for Chickpea Blondies (gluten-free, grain-free and full of B vitamins!) and our White Bean Wonder Waffles, which Marisa adapted from a beloved recipe in The Kind Mama.

5. All Kinds of Veggies in Perfectly Balanced Juices and Smoothies

For many parents, the idea of getting their children to consume cups of leafy greens or raw veggies feels like a laughable fantasy. Well, we are here to tell you, this dream can become a reality more easily than you think. By pairing these veggies with delicious sweet fruits like apples, pineapples, mangoes and bananas in a smoothie or juice (or a smoothie or juice pop!), kids will not only enjoy eating (or drinking) their veggies, but they will request them. In the book we have a whole chapter of “Sips and Slurps,”’ including a Perfect First Green Juice and a green smoothie, both which can fulfil all of your little’s vitamin C requirements for the day! All of our juices and smoothies can also be frozen into pops, which can be an even more appealing veggie treat.

6. Sneaky Veggie-Laden Savory Dishes

Maybe your kid only really enjoys one cooked vegetable? We can capitalize on that one veggie! You can throw it into our Favorite Veggie Risotto or use it on our Fam Favorite Pizza (with super easy and delicious pizza crust recipe by guest contributor Akua Joy). Celebrating the veggies our kids do love is important and both of those recipes are a great way to do so. But seriously, we understand that you need to get your child to eat more than one vegetable, and we promise it’s possible. Pureeing some veggies into sauces and soups is always a great trick. We’ve snuck veggies into our grilled cheeze, hidden sweet potato in biscuits, made rice out of cauliflower, and mixed pumpkin puree into our Mac-O’-Lantern and Cheeze! We’ve even got three different ways to get your little babes to eat a dish of kale! Between our crispy Kale Chips, Cashew Creamed Kale and Marinated Kale, you just might get your child to start requesting this most infamous of nutrient- packed leafy green. Obviously you know your child best, and that’s why we have an array of options for getting those veggies in. You can decide which ones will be most enticing for your babes, but we promise there are veggie dishes in this book that your kid will not only tolerate but that they will love.

7. Add Baby Cereal to Boost Iron

If your kiddos don’t gobble down greens, lentils, tofu or other iron-rich foods, we’ve got a special trick: you can use iron-fortified baby cereal in place of oats/oat flour in many recipes. Whether it’s an oatmeal recipe, a pudding, pancake (like our Top o’ the Morning Green Power Pancakes) or a popsicle (like our Purple Porridge Breakfast Pop–recipe below), adding baby cereal is a sneaky and effective way to up your little one’s iron.

8. Whole-Food Based Healthy Treats

Homemade treats are the best treats. They taste the best and they’re usually healthier not only for us but the planet as well. Homemade and using whole foods takes it to the next level. We loved using whole and nutritious ingredients like nuts, spelt, fruit and oats while developing the snacks and desserts in The Vegucated Family Table. Our Four Seasons Fruit Crumble, Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, dippable Broccoli Hearts, Sunset Pops and Iron Sink Cookies (with 15% of your child’s daily iron requirement in one cookie!) are among the many healthy, whole-foods based treats in The Vegucated Family Table. The book mainly sticks to healthy low-glycemic sweeteners like coconut sugar, maple syrup and medjool dates to sweeten treats; however, we do recognize that these sweeteners can be less accessible and on the more expensive side, so the book has some recipes such as Marisa’s Classic Nut-Free Cupcakes, using all highly accessible ingredients, and there’s always the option to substitute certain ingredients listed with those that you already have in your kitchen. The whole point is for you to feel good about giving your child the best start, and homemade treats free from animal products, using whole ingredients when you can, is doing just that.

9. Balanced Mains Masquerading as Dessert (What!?!)

Not only have we had the White Bean Wonder Waffles for dinner on several occasions, but we have a few other breakfast (or meal of your choice) recipes that are disguised as dessert but are so nutritious you’ll be happy to have your kiddos eating cookies and popsicles for breakfast. Our Thumbprint Breakfast Cookies are filled with protein, iron and zinc, and we shall leave you with one of our proudest recipes: the Purple Porridge Breakfast Pops. Packed with iron, zinc, protein, calcium and B12. Inspired by Marisa’s daughter, Emmie, who went through a phase of wanting nothing but “pops” for breakfast. And even though “pops” in the Wolfson house normally consisted of frozen green juice or smoothie popsicles, it was important to get a few more nutrients (and calories) into this little plant-based princess. So these massively nutritious breakfast pops were born–one of many recipes in the book specifically designed to make eating healthy vegan food something kids get excited about.

Excerpt from The Vegucated Family Table:

Purple Porridge Breakfast Pops

Purple Porridge Breakfast Pops

Marisa’s daughter goes through phases where she only wants ice pops for breakfast. Rather than make a fuss about it, Marisa just rolled with it and made her an ice pop that included the elements of the oaty breakfast Marisa wanted her to have, proving further that sometimes kids will accept an ice pop from what they will not eat any other way. Okay then!

One ice pop made with calcium- and vitamin B12-fortified nondairy milk delivers more than 30 percent of a toddler’s recommended daily intake for iron, more than 20 percent of zinc, more than 15 percent of protein, more than 10 percent of calcium, and at least half the vitamin B12.

MAKES 6

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries1 cup vanilla nondairy milk (or regular nondairy milk mixed with 1⁄8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)1 ripe banana1/3 cup fortified baby oat cereal (or rolled oats, if you don’t have cereal, but oats contain less iron)1 tablespoon almond butter1 teaspoon flax meal

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into six ice pop molds and freeze for at least 4 hours before unmolding and serving.

Main photo by Anthony Two Moons

Popsicle image courtesy of The Vegucated Family Table

The Best Eco Swimwear Brands and Suits For Summer

It’s that time of the year again—things are heating up and I want to jump in the pool with Bear. Or go to France with my pals….whatever the occasion, we need swimsuits. If you’re in need of a new one, earth-friendly, sustainable bathing suits are the way to go. And the great news? There are finally some really amazing options out there.

I have been on the hunt for great-fitting, chic, and sustainable swimwear. These are my favorite picks.

1. Daughters of Summer

This rad swim brand’s fabrics are made from ECONYL® regenerated nylon made from rescued ocean materials including fishing nets and plastics (solid colors!) or recycled polyester from post-consumer materials such as plastic bottles (printed suits!) 

Huge cheers to them!

Here are some of my favorites from this brand:

I love this one below…so excited about it!

Get it here.

Get it here.

Get it here.

I have this top and love it! And, I  pair it with high-waisted bottoms seen below from Emroce.

Get it here.

Loving this dress…It’s a very fancy cover-up..I think I’m going to wear it as a dress, no pool or beach required.

Get it here.

2. Alon Swim

All of Alon’s fabrics are made from eco-friendly Reprieve, which is sourced from recycled plastic bottles and post-consumer materials. The suits are also handmade to minimize waste. I like this bright yellow number.

Top:

Get it here.

Bottom:

Get it here.

3. Emroce

I love how focused on sustainability this zero waste swimwear brand is. Everything from using recycled paper for their patternmaking to using regenerated nylon yarns. So great. 

 

Top:
Get it here.

Bottom:
Get it here.

I don’t love this top so much on me…but the bottoms I’m so excited about! Pairing with so many of my stray tops.

4. Vitamin A

Vitamin A also uses recycled fabrics- and ECONYL which is made from recycled plastic bottles. They are committed to sustainability from beginning to end of their production process.

Get it here.

Get it here.

5. NuSwim

NuSwim uses fabric that is made from 100% regenerated ocean waste, and also uses 100% organic cotton in the non-swim pieces.

Get it here.

Get it here.

6. Aro Swim

Aro uses deadstock and upcycled fabrics for their swimwear. The suit I got last year is sadly no longer on the site, but this one looks really chic. They are very keen on recycling and have implemented zero waste processes in their factories.

Get it here.

Get it here.

4-Ingredient Dairy-Free Pistachio Ice Cream With an Avocado Base

Karielyn Tillman of the cookbook Clean Desserts: Delicious No-Bake Vegan + Gluten-Free Cookies, Bars, Balls, and More is sharing this simple summery diy dairy-free ice cream recipe below. The base is avocado–yes, avocado! And it’s creamy, dreamy, and oh-so easy to make. Her book was named one of PETA’s must-have cookbooks of 2019 – it features 72 vegan treats comprised of whole foods and natural sweeteners (maple syrup, dates etc.)

Yields: 4 servings | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Inactive Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the pistachio nut butter:

1 cup pistachios

For the ice cream

2 avocados1/4 cup maple syrup1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Prepare the pistachio nut butter:

Add the pistachios to a food processor and process until they are broken down into a thick and creamy nut butter. This will take approximately 5 minutes, and you may need to stop one or two times to scrape the sides and help it along. Set aside.

Prepare the ice cream:

Set aside 9 x 5 loaf pan.Add all ingredients for the ice cream to the food processor with the pistachio nut butter, and process until everything is well combined and smooth.Pour the ice cream mixture evenly into the loaf pan.

Assembly:

Tightly cover the loaf pan and place in the freezer overnight, or until the ice cream is firm.Store in an air-tight container in the freezer until ready to serve because the ice cream will get soft if left out at room temperature.

Tip: Want to add some chocolate? Stir in mini-chocolate chips to the ice cream mixture before putting in the freezer, or drizzle melted chocolate over the ice cream before serving!

 

Photo: Karielyn Tillman

 

8 Sustainable and Ethical Jewelry Brands

Jewelry is gorgeous; it’s sentimental, too. But did you know it can also be incredibly damaging to the environment? Jewel mining can hurt people and destroy nature. Here’s everything you need to know about why it’s important to choose sustainable and ethical jewelry whenever possible. 

Jewelry Mining

Jewelry mining is toxic and dangerous; according to the EPA, it’s a leading cause of waterway pollution in the U.S., and around the world. Mining poses human health risks, bringing harm to local communities as hazardous gas emissions pollute the air. Mining is also a leading cause of land erosion, impacting ecosystems and local biodiversity.

Slave Labor

Another leading cause for concern in the jewelry industry is the use of forced and child labor. According to the International Labor Organization, Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the most child labor in the world. Children account for 21 percent of all labor across the region. The US Dept. of Labor found that child labor is common in diamond mining regions such as the Republic of Sierra Leone. This work can involve heavy labor, such as carrying more than 100 pounds of gravel.

But not all jewelry comes from these conditions. In fact, there are a number of eco-conscious brands creating gorgeous options that are improving the jewelry industry on a number of levels. According to jewelry designer Melissa Joy Manning, the best way to change the industry is to demand better product. “Consumers control the market- when they demand transparency in the supply chain by asking where and how things are made designers and corporations will have to provide it,” she told me in an interview a few years back. “If we pay more for a label why can’t we pay more for a belief?”

Here are my favorite sustainable and ethical jewelry brands.

 1. Idyl

This gorgeous jewelry maker uses “green gold,” which comes from conflict free regions where no one is harmed during the mining and uses sustainable lab grown diamonds. I  like this earring for a little sparkle!

Find it here.

2. Elisa Soloman Jewelry

This line is made to order, ensuring there is no waste. All stones and diamonds are responsibly sourced and this maker keeps a small environmental footprint by making everything in her studio!

Find it here.

3. Linjer

Linjer makes really nice, delicate pieces. They use recycled gold, and conflict-free diamonds. Their rings are perfect for stacking, and come at a great price point.

Find it here.

 

4. Mam

Mam makes really funky unique pieces. They use recycled metals, FSC wood, and sustainable shipping to offset their CO2 emissions. Everything they make is extremely thoughtful to the environment while still being super stylish and unique.

This multi-finger ring and hand ring is pretty cool.

Find the hand ring here.

And the fun multi-finger ring here.

4. Balentria Jewelry

I’m really excited about this company. They use 100% recycled metals, as well as upcycled materials. They are very conscious about waste—any shavings or extras are melted down and re-used. They also are currently working with the Oceanus Foundation and donating 10% of sales to the cause.

Find my favorite statement rings here.

And my fun, perfect for date night earrings here.

5. Faeber Studio 

This is another great new find for the season! All items are handcrafted and made to order. All of the silver is 100% recycled, and the brass is 30% post-consumer recycled material. They work with local suppliers like family-owned businesses and artists/refineries. I swear I had a pair of earrings that looked just like this when I was 14! 

Find the pretty statement earrings here.

And my easy go-to hoops here.

6. Tumbleweed Bead Co.

This company makes all of its jewelry from recycled materials and natural stones. They have a lot of very pretty, simple styles, like this one.

Find it here.

7. Chime

Chime’s jewelry comes from used drum cymbals. These fun earrings caught my eye.

Find it here.

8. McFarland Designs

Kind-Lifer Tamara makes eco-friendly jewelry using fair trade gems and recycled materials at McFarland Designs. This pretty stack is drool-worthy!

Find it here.

 

 

 

Meaty Vegan Ribs In Smoky Barbecue Sauce

 

Here’s a recipe that hearkens back to the days when I produced commercial meat substitutes. On the days we made UnRibs, you’d walk into the factory and get hit by the smoky smells of garlic, spice, tomatoes, and chiles wafting in the air. It would permeate my clothes, and I’d go home smelling like one giant rib. I’d grab several packages on my way out, and my kids would chomp on them right out of the bag. Ah, those were the days.

Recently, I found the old recipe. It starts out calling for 250 pounds of vital wheat gluten. Well, a few adjustments had to be made, of course. But over the years, I’ve had people ask me if I was ever going to include the UnRib recipe in a book . . . so here it is (almost). These are quite addictive, and I have to hide them from myself so I don’t keep eating them. They really improve in flavor from sitting for a day or two, so make them ahead if you can. Then just keep them around for noshing.

To make it easier for folks, I’ve changed the technique slightly, giving you the option of making them low-fat or not. When I think of ribs, the words smoky, chewy, and savory certainly come to mind, but the word that tops it all is greasy. That flavorful grease dripping down your chin is one of the highlights, don’t you think? Maybe not . . . so there’s a version for you, too! Both versions are tasty, and I enjoy them both. Make a bunch, freeze them, and you can thaw, slice, and cook them whenever you want.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon white, chickpea, or red miso
4 or 5 cloves garlic
11/4 cups water
21/2 to 3 cups vital wheat gluten
Oil, for cooking (optional)

SAUCE
31/2 to 4 cups Zippy Barbecue Sauce (recipe below) or your favorite store-bought variety
2 cups water

In a food processor or blender, combine the soy sauce, nutritional yeast, peanut butter, tomato paste, miso, garlic, and water and process until a smooth and creamy slurry is created. If you are using a food processor, just keep everything in there; if using a blender, pour it out into a large mixing bowl. Add 21⁄2 cups of the gluten
to the slurry and mix well, either using the food processor or by hand in the bowl. If you’re using a food processor, keep pulsing to knead the dough, adding a little more gluten flour as necessary to form a stiff dough (the more gluten you add, the chewier your ribs will be, so you can control how tender or chewy you want them). It may form one ball in the center or break up into little beads; if the latter happens, all you have to do is push it together with your hands. If you’re mixing it by hand, knead it in the bowl for several minutes until it becomes smooth.

Roll the dough into a log about 6 inches long. Slice the log lengthwise into four “steaks” about 3⁄4 inch thick. Now here’s one of the places where you get to decide whether or not to use oil, and how much. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat—if you’re going for oil-free, make sure that it is nonstick. If you’re using oil, add a couple of tablespoons to the skillet and let it get hot. Add the steaks and cook until browned on both sides. They will rise and puff a little.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. If your skillet is ovenproof, you can just leave the steaks in the pan. If not, transfer them to a baking dish. Mix 11⁄2 cups of the barbecue sauce with the water. Pour the diluted sauce over the steaks in the pan and cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake the ribs for 75 to 90 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and just barely coats them and the steaks are chewy and cooked through. They will be relatively tender while hot but will deflate slightly and become chewier as they cool, so fear not if they seem too soft right out of the oven.

Let them cool until they can be handled without burning your fingers. Then slice each steak lengthwise into “ribs” about 1⁄3 to 1⁄2 inch thick. Heat the skillet over medium-low heat. You’re going to sauté the individual ribs once more to brown or even blacken them on both sides. Once again, you can choose to oil or not to oil. If you like your ribs on the greasy side, you’ll want to use a good 4 to 6 tablespoons of oil to sauté them. Or you can just use a dry nonstick skillet. Cook them all until nicely dark on both sides (I like them almost black). Then toss them with the remaining 2 to 21⁄2 cups barbecue sauce. Now you can dig in. Or wait until the next day, when they will have deepened in flavor and become even chewier. To reheat, just throw them in the oven or on the grill, or eat them cold with some potato salad—yum! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

Zippy barbecue sauce

This is a well-balanced barbecue sauce for UnRibs, tofu, tempeh, or anything else where you want to capture that Fourth of July flavor. It’s got just the right amount of sweetness balanced by acidity, heat, and spice. If you prefer your sauce on the sweeter side, feel free to increase the sweetener.

2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste1/2 cup maple syrup or organic sugar, or 3/4 cup coconut sugar, or more as desired1/3 cup soy sauce1/4 cup apple cider vinegar2 tablespoons molasses1/2 to 1 teaspoon liquid smoke6 cloves garlic, minced2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (canned), minced2 tablespoons chili powder1 tablespoon smoked paprika2 teaspoons ground cumin1 cup water

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together well or mix in a blender or food processor. Store this in a jar in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 months.

MAKES ABOUT 31⁄2 CUPS

Miyoko Schinner is the founder of Miyoko’s Creamery, which manufactures non-dairy, vegan cheeses. Born in Japan, Schinner lives in Nicasio, California with her husband, Michael and a variety of rescued animals. Schinner is the author of five cookbooks including the bestselling Artisan Vegan Cheese and The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples.

The Best Summer Fruit to Eat Right Now

Who doesn’t love a good farmer’s market haul? I recently stocked up on the best summer fruit: blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, raspberries, mulberries and strawberries. Boysenberries are soo good, and fun to have. And mulberries are my absolute favorite. This is the time of year that all of these delicious berries are growing locally for us in California. It’s also time for nectarines, cherries, and I think apricots are almost here too.

Anywho, I made a berry stew this morning. I used raspberries, blackberries, and some brown rice syrup. If you’ve never made a dish like this before, try out the Plum Soup from my book (page 280). It’s in the Superhero section, and it’s delicious. You can use any seasonal, local fruit that speaks to you.

I grew all these berries in my garden!

I love how every year I wait for gorgeous summer fruits to come in season. I wait and wait and then suddenly, one day I go to the farmer’s market and there they are, all ready for me….so exciting. It’s so great to get them when they are in season. This is when they are supposed to be eaten. They are better for you, they taste better, and cost less. It’s a great time for superheroes to indulge in nature’s sweet treat. Don’t let grocery stores pull a fast one on you and make you think that summer fruits are in season all year long. They are usually shipped from far away places, enjoy summer fruit while it’s summertime. It’s like a special gift, this precious window of time.

Eating excessive amount of fruit can cause breakouts, loose stool, and weaken intestines. That said, if you are prone to go for the Häagen-Dazs instead and this is your replacement, have as much as you want!

And you can always freeze the summer fruit that you may have bought in bulk for super cheap at the farmer’s market, so you will have a secret stash of it if you get desperate for an out of season fruit pie or a smoothie.

If you don’t live somewhere that has a local farmer’s market, then of course do the best you can at the store. Some stores have labels saying where the produce was grown. Try to choose fruit that traveled the shortest distance and that is organic. Do the best you can, making the best choices under whatever circumstances you’re dealing with. Otherwise, enjoy the fruit while it’s here!

Seasons are beautiful… Enjoy them!!! And happy Summer!!!

What are your favorite summer fruit dishes?

Photo credit: Justin Kuo

How To Break Free From The Matrix

Freeing oneself from the noise and chaos in our lives by truly following our hearts is the greatest path we can take.Love,
Alicia

Break free from the matrix by creating your own. Let God be your daily bread. Your paycheck. And stop saying ‘yes’ to the crumbling paradigm you don’t even want to be part of anymore.

That’s the theory. Beautiful. But it’s nothing without the tangible. So here we go…

The only way this actually works is by giving your *whole* life over. Every part of you. Surrendered. Open-hearted. To this unseen invisible force we call Spirit. The supreme orchestrator of all things.

None of this is happening *to* us. It’s all happening *for* us. It’s what we came for. So what story do you want to tell your grandchildren about these times?

Were you one of the rebels? Or were you one of the slaves?

By saying ‘Yes’ to a reality not aligned with the world you want to exist in slows down the creation process.

This means:

Any area where you’re living incongruently with your truth slows down the entire manifestation process of what you’re calling in. So you have to let go of everything that’s taking you out of alignment.

The work.
The lovers.
The environments.

Because it’s like going on a trip with more luggage than you need. Eventually, you get exhausted from carrying it all around. And that weight holds you back from moving forward. And physical weight is just a personification of energetic weight.

So this is how you break free from the matrix:

You stop opting in.
You stop saying yes.
And you quietly let go of any aspect of reality that’s not aligned with where you want to go.

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