The British Vegan Conspiracy

I couldn't help but laugh at some of the latest vegan-related media coming out of the UK. First up is a piece from meatinfo.co.uk, which straight away explains their bias. Here is a link to their article entitled, "Is There A Secret Vegan Plan?". It reveals that the British government has a secret plan to turn the nation vegan, largely in part due the climate impact of factory farming. They also report that the National Farmers' Union president stated that there may actually be benefits for the environment with more intensive farming of livestock. Huh? Not surprising given who he represents. He has also made calls to the British consumers to purchase more lamb and support increased meat prices. This week is 11th National Barbeque Week in Britain, which I think should be renamed "Mad Cow on the Barbi"....

Also, this week Heather Mills announced that she was vegan (thought she was already?), and she was slammed (for slamming factory farming) in this article. The reporter seems to have a bit of a sore spot for Heather....

Back on the homefront, last night I tried out a new recipe and an awesome sauce. John's love of mushrooms led me to Truffled Wild Mushroom on Whipped White Beans from the April 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times. I used portobello, shitake, and oyster mushrooms and subbed dried thyme for fresh (much less than the recipe called for). This dish led me to purchase truffle oil for the first time (have only tried it once before at a restaurant), which has a very distinctive, rich flavor. The whipped white beans were delicious and could have easily passed for a healthier version of mashed potatoes.

On the side we had some steamed kale with cashew cream sauce from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen. The sauce was excellent, a perfect balance to the bitter kale. And luckily it made plenty of leftover sauce! I used the option of adding nutritional yeast. The ingredients sounded kind of funny to me, but trust me, you'll love it.

We also tried some ripe apriums, according to wikipedia a complex cross hybrid of plum(25%) and apricot (75%). You really can taste both plum and apricot! Finally, I had some yaya's coconut kream pie (raw and organic) that I purchased at the farmer's market. It was such a refreshing dessert on a warm evening. Plus I think their ingredients list is so cute!

You Go Girl!

A few days ago Heather Mills was kicked off dancing with the Stars....but before she made her exit, she took a stand for the animals. One British entertainment guide labeled her speech as a "bizarre plea." She told the audience and the rest of America, "If you can't stop eating meat, do a no-meat Monday and go vegan and change the world." Apparently, now that she's free from her dancing commitment, she plans on launching an online health and beauty business called I Do Care and promoting veganism, there is even talk of her opening a vegan restaurant.

I realize that there are a lot of people out there that don't like Heather Mills (the British media being number one it seems), but I respect her for saying the 5-letter v-word on national television.