Nava Atlas, author of the new book Vegan Express, talks with Spice Route

Nava Atlas is the author and illustrator of many books on vegetarian cooking, most recently, Vegan Express, The Vegetarian Family Cookbook and The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet. Her earlier books, Vegetariana, Vegetarian Celebrations, and Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons are considered classics. Nava has also written scores of articles on healthy cooking with natural foods, which have appeared in Vegetarian Times, Veggie Life, Cooking Light, and numerous other publications.
Her home is in the Hudson Valley region of New York State, where she lives with her husband and two sons.
Today, let's talk with our guest, Nava Atlas author of the new book Vegan Express.

How did you come up with the idea of Vegan Express?

Though I love to cook, I have little time to spend in the kitchen. I know that's ironic for a cookbook author, but I'm a writer and artist with a wide variety of work and activities around these professions, so I've learned to be efficient! I know that I have many, many readers in the same situation. I did a book that was published in1995 called Vegetarian Express, and for the last few years I've wanted to do a vegan version of that concept (though the two books are very different).

Are you a vegan?

Yes. My entire family is vegan. I went vegetarian in high school (that was a long time ago, when even being a vegetarian was considered weird). Years later when I got married, my husband was eager to go vegetarian. We raised our two sons vegetarian from birth; then, when my youngest was ten, he became the first vegan in the family. We all followed suit quickly. That was almost six years ago.

What is your favorite dish/recipe and why?

I honestly couldn't answer that! I've made most of these recipes so many times, many have become favorites. I do have a section in the front where I listed my two favorite recipes from each chapter. I'll bet that if I were to make that list again now, I'd have different favorites altogether.

What recipes will you encourage new vegans to try out first?

They are all easy and adaptable, and I think anyone scanning the book would zero in on recipes that contain their favorite ingredients.

What recipes are closer to having a texture similar to meat for carnivores who might try this book?

Definitely the seitan recipes; no wonder that it's called "wheat meat" in Chinese cuisine. Seitan, which is cooked wheat gluten (so obviously not for those with gluten sensitivity!) has a chewy, meaty texture that makes it perfect as a meat substitute in certain dishes. A couple of examples from the book are the Jerk-Spiced Seitan and Seitan Gyros.

What are some of the 'must try recipes' in your book?

• Nearly-Instant Thai Coconut Corn Soup
• Golden Tofu Triangles with Rich Peanut Sauce
• Jerk-Spiced Seitan
• Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and Olives
• White Pizza with Sweet Potatoes and Caramelized Onions
• Our Favorite Chocolate Cake

I also like a lot of the side salads and veggie side dishes that can be made in minutes. I tried, throughout the book to offer dishes that you don't see all over the place. For example, last night I made the Broccoli Salad with Yellow Peppers, Pine Nuts, and Cranberries. Tonight, with a nearly-perfect mango, I'll make the Black Bean, Mango, and Avocado Salad. Sometimes I like to choose an easy yet exciting side dish and build the meal from that, instead of the more common approach of choosing a main dish, then deciding what goes with it.

That said, one of the features I think the readers will enjoy is that all the recipes that are centerpiece-type dishes have menu suggestions on how to complete the meal. Some are pairings with other recipes in the book, others are suggestions for recipe-free accompaniments. The
recipes have nutritional data, too. I think those two features are fairly unique in the field of vegan cookbooks, which is getting rather crowded, but there are SO many good ones out there now!

How do you find the balance between writing the recipes and cooking and other work obligations?

I just never get into the kitchen before 5:00 pm, even when I'm writing a cookbook, and most often, not before 5:30 pm or 6:00 pm. I have it easier than most people in that I work from my home. I've always tried to be mindful that people get home from work tired and they don't want to spend even an hour making a meal. I firmly believe that a great meal can be made in 45 minutes or less, so I try to walk the talk.

What, who motivated you to write this book?

What motivates me are my readers. I've been fortunate to have great feedback on my books. I've been able to connect with readers via my newsletter and blog. Via the internet, authors don't have to feel like they're working in a vacuum any longer. I appreciate the fact that readers want to connect with me.

What advice would you give to other vegan or vegetarian mothers and caregivers raising their kids vegan or vegetarian?

There are so many resources out there for veg/vegan families, not to mention all those great books. I always encourage those who want to raise veg/vegan families. I wish the resources had been there when my kids were young. They were born in 1989 and 1991, and even though that is not so very long ago, we just weren't all wired back then. It started to happen in the mid-90s. I think of all the milk my boys drank and I just cringe. Now, people have information at their fingertips. Great resources on the web for vegetarian families include VegFamily and The Vegetarian Resource Group, among many others. I would also recommend my previous book, The Vegetarian Family Cookbook. That's a good book for both vegetarian and vegan families as the recipes are adaptable. It also gives a lot of encouragement and tips, including tips for picky eaters and things like snacks, school lunches, and all those things you need to make when you're raising a family.

Please visit my web site, In a Vegetarian Kitchen for dozens and dozens of mostly vegan recipes, and lots of cooking tips and nutritional information not only from me but from many guest experts.

We, at Spice Route, will be reviewing Nava Atlas's new book Vegan Express in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for more on Nava Atlas.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Salad, nuts, parathas, dal, pasta, side dish, a cup of hot almond milk and fruit

                                         Fresh green spinach salad to start with.

                                         Nuts for the extra crunch.

                                          Persimmon, oranges, guava.

                                          Avocados, kiwis

                                          Almond milk

                                          Parathas

                                          Dal with parsley, ginger, tomatoes and onions.

                                         Organic wheat pasta with tomatoes, spinach and herbs.

                                          Cauliflower, broccoli, green peppers

                                                      Ate peanuts, they are a good source of Vitamin E.

Apricots, Bok choy, Cucumber salad

The ABC salad, made with apricots, bok choy, broccoli,  cucumber, celery, chives, with your choice of dressing. I used Annie's Natural Goddess vegan dressing. It is the just the right sense of chewy, tangy and crunchy texture for the palate. Enjoy!

Shrove Tuesday/ Mardi Gras Day Feast

Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing is a vegan dressing for a light salad. You can find this at Target or Amazon if you want to order online. The organic 12 ounce glass bottle will last a while as you just need a couple of tablespoons for the tangy raspberry flavor on lettuce and arugula.

Start with a simple salad, of blood red oranges and tangerines and you can have savory pancakes to celebrate Fat Tuesday or Mardi gras day, or Pancake day.

Every day eating should be in moderation but every once in a while it is ok to indulge to fulfill the cravings of the palate. 

Rice pilaf, macaroni pasta, zucchini medley, peas and carrots, some fun stuff to enjoy.

              Basil Tofu with black pepper. 

                  

 A soft savory pancake of chickpeas flour, turmeric.

            Luscious Magenta Dragon fruit to enjoy as a fresh fruit dessert.  

Food in Italy

Our vegan culinary journey in Italy.

Today, I wanted to share some of the pictures and photographs to describe Italian food journey through my eyes and taste buds. These are my views and do not reflect any judgment on palates of other parts of the world.

My family and I went to Italy in summer June 2005. Apart from sightseeing the culinary journey was remarkable as well. Italians are just as fond of cooking and enjoying a great meal as most Indians do. A lot of staples like wheat, flour, together with bread, pizza dough and fresh ingredients really make a difference in the taste. A lot of care is taken in preparing delicacies that could take minutes or hours. In Florence, behold the beautiful array of pizzas, pasta, fries, fruit salad photographs on top, right.

Most store owners and restaurants would buy their ingredients fresh that same day. For instance, in order to serve for lunch they would get the ingredients early in the morning and start preparing their dishes in a few hours they had, before customers start lining up for lunch. People enjoyed long conversations after lunch and sometimes the restaurants and stores would close in the afternoon so people can take siesta and not wander in the streets during the hot summer afternoons.




We started our journey in Rome and then went to Florence. We took the train to get to Venice and from there boarded the train to get to Milan. We found enough juice stands that carried water as well. We used to carry a water bottle each every day not to get dehydrated, a hat and sun glasses. I had also packed some staple food items when we commenced our journey from Seattle, America that came in handy when we landed there tired from the long flight and did not want to look for a restaurant.

I took a beginner Italian conversation for travelers course before heading to Italy so that I could converse about our vegan food preferences.
The most used phrase that I can remember now (my Italian is a bit rusty after three years, and remember I only took a basic course) is "Vorremo un glassa di agua de rubinetta". (Could we have a glass of water from the faucet please)

At most restaurants I would explain that we wanted food with no meat, no milk , no animals or animal ingredients, no cheese only vegetables or vegetable soups. (non ceso , non leche non animales e animales ingredientes, non formaggio, verduras sopa).
Luckily, we found at least two to three options that were vegan in most places. Sometimes, we went to the local grocery store to buy fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, green veggies and bread. I would make vegan sandwiches in our hotel room in the afternoons.

In Italy we went to Milan, Venice, Rome, Florence and visited Pompeii and Pisa.
In Rome we found these vegan varieties.
Carrots with garlic, carrots with daikon radish, eggplant or aubergine with basil and sundried tomatoes, baked brinjal or eggplant with tomato sauce.


When we went to Pisa we found small bakery shops that carried cakes, pastries and ready made salad.



















We enjoyed gondola ride in Venice. My daughter asked for her Grandma's pizza in a store which really meant deep dish pizza with veggies in her language.

Rice and lentil Khichdi

Mouthwatering khichdi made by Dad. 

Dad makes sure he makes a few dishes for me when I visit my folks. This time he said he will make sugarless, vegan kheer for me but my heart was set for khichdi, a medley of rice and lentils, so he made just what the daughter ordered.

It has whole black peppers and a few soaked black gram, or chana, and is served hot, with optional yogurt and salad. To complete the meal, a plate of fruit is a must, for that craving of crunch.

Spice Route talks with author of cookbook "7 Minute Chef," Mark Reinfeld

Let's talk with Mark Reinfeld, author of cookbook "7 Minute Chef" today. Sit back relax and enjoy.

How did you come up with the idea of your book?

For "7 Minute Chef", we wanted to help people learn the basics of vegan food preparation in a simple, easy to follow format.

Are you a vegan?

Yes.

How about other members of your family? Are they also vegan?

My wife Jennifer is vegan. I am the only vegan in my birth family although some family members have experimented with veg food for periods of time.


What is your favorite dish/recipe and why?

I like the kichari recipe. Its a simple recipe that has been used in Indian cooking for thousands of years as a healing meal.

What recipes will you encourage new vegans to try out first?

Most of the recipes in 7 minute chef are designed for beginners. The first chapter goes through basic dishes like guacamole and Italian Tomato Salad that everyone should be able to prepare.

What recipes are closer to having a texture similar to meat for carnivores who might try this book?

The tofu scramble recipe is a great intro. for those accustomed to meat based meals. Some of the soups are also hearty and filling.

How do you find the balance between writing the recipes and cooking
and other work obligations?

I have been mainly focussed on recipe development and writing. We just completed our next book, co-authored with my wife Jennifer Murray and 7 Minute Chef Coauthor Bo Rinaldi. Its called the Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw and is due to be released in July.

What, who motivated you to write this book?

A desire to share with people how fun, easy and delicious it is to prepare vegan food.

What advice would you give to other vegan or vegetarian parents raising their kids vegan or vegetarian?

Provide them with the tastiest food available, keep it fun and allow them to help in the preparation process. Let them know , depending upon their age, of why you are vegan and why its important for their health and the health of the planet to go veg.

Our website is www.veganfusion.com, where we share recipes, current events and other info. on living an inspired vegan life. Please check out our first book, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine, which is now available in soft cover. Its won 9 international awards including a Gourmand Award for Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the USA.
---------------------------------------------------

Thanks for talking with us Mark Reinfeld.

So, folks we were talking with Mark. Happy Cooking!

Garlic Dip for celery sticks and carrots

I initially thought of making a vegan based sandwich spread with garlic. Though I kept adding more ingredients just for the fun of it to see what comes up. It is a quick recipe.
I completed the recipe and kept it in the fridge. My daughter likes eating carrots as long as I remind her to get her daily salad intake, or a raw vegetable snack between meals. She saw this creamy stuff in a bowl and started dipping the baby carrots in the garlic recipe I had made. She enjoyed it because she ate more carrots than usual and was double and triple dipping the carrots. I was happy that she was eating more veggies and she was happy so a win-win for both of us.

Ingredients

2 tbsp plain 'Tofutti better than cream cheese'
6 cloves of garlic chopped fine
juice of half a lime
salt to taste
1/4 tsp chilli powder

Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix with a spoon vigorously pressing and mashing the garlic at the same time so that it blends well.
After about 7 minutes of mixing the ingredients try it as a spread on your favorite bread or a dip.
This is a versatile dish.

Comments welcome!
Enjoy!

Highlights: Aug 25, 2008

Vegan lifestyle is better for the environment.

Bigger portions of salad- is it good to supersize the salads?

Have a wonderful day! Enjoy the summer while it lasts and soak up the sun while you can get it here in the North West. I get as much Vitamin D as I can; to prepare for Fall.

Enjoy!

Highlights: March 15, 2009

When we eat veggies and fruits we can lose a few pounds as a side benefit. An article that I read in Newsweek where middle aged Americans have discovered that if they choose to eat a big salad vs. a couple of slices of pizza; has helped them not to grow a belly.

I have found that adding more salads to my daily regime gives me more energy and I tend to keep myself full and not get too hungry between meals. When I want to snack on something I eat a couple of tangerines or slices of cucumber. This gives me something to munch on; while not adding any extra pounds.

Give it a try.

Enjoy!

Vegan Bhaturas

We are in Daljit Athwal's kitchen and she is making some yummy bhaturas for us. You can skip the yogurt all together or substitute soy yogurt while making the dough, to make them vegan. Eat them with chick peas and some salad.

                                         A great cook, rolling the bhaturas

                                                     In Daljit Atwal's kitchen, frying them.

                                                    Soft and puffed bhaturas.

                                                     Hot, out of the pan and on the plate.
Happy Valentine's Day!

Thai Cuisine

Araya's is a great place to entertain guests with vegan cuisine. Their Brussels sprouts, mango salad, spring rolls and soups are exemplary. I usually take my guests to this place if they opt to eat outside and they enjoy it.

Vegan Thanksgiving

Celebrating Thanksgiving with a bunch of friends who eat vegan, raw, and vegetarian. I am grateful for all the wonderful friends and family in my life.

                              Vegan turkey made with grapes, cantaloupe, pear, red bell pepper.

                                         vegan pasta

                                        Mix veggies broccoli, cauliflower, squash and carrots

                                         Salad, mangoes, vegan patte, lentils dip

                                         Truffles- all vegan, by Alisa; they just melted in the mouth.

                                         Vegan mud-slide pie by Deanna Steinwand was yummy.

Oompa Loompa Truffles made by Andrew Chin (no picture, as they were gone so quickly, simply delicious)
He suggested that the name was inspired from 'Willi Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' movie.
Andrew's recipe.
3 oz or (3/5th cup) cacao beans with skin ground
1/4 cup coconut butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup cacao powder
5 1/2 tbsp maple syrup grade B
2 tsp vanilla powder
1 tbsp lucuma (dried fruit from Peru, resembling an avocado)
pinch quantum pink salt

Highlights: September 25, 2008

Heather Mills donates $1 million in vegan food to kids in Bronx neighborhood in New York.

Katie Hicks describes her challenge of being a vegetarian for a week and
the support of a vegan roommate.
Well, Katie at least you gave it a try. Next time, may before plunging into it find some vegan options so that you can eat wider variety of food besides tofu and salad.

Kiwi, Black-eyed peas, Sundried green peas, Blackbeans, Sprouts, Persimmons Salad

Vegan Tidbits!

Vegetarian peace groups want to share food with the poor. Middletown Foods and not Bombs seeks an injunction to keep Middletown from enforcing a cease and desist order that prevents the vegetarian peace group from sharing food with the poor.

Carb counting for vegans is not impossible. A salad made with SIX CUPS of raw spinach, on the other hand, contains just 42 calories and 6 grams of carbs (or about 2% of your 2100 calorie diet)
A one cup serving of brown rice, for example, contains 216 calories and 45 grams of carbs. If you are eating 2100 calories a day, that would be 10% of your calories, right there.

Enjoy!

Basmati rice and wild rice pilav

I wanted to make pilav but with a variation so I tried to see how this turns out. Wild rice has to be soaked overnight and cooked separately because it takes longer to cook. It took almost an hour to cook soaked wild rice on low heat in a small pan covered with a lid. I cooked 1 cup soaked wild rice and used the remainder for a salad recipe and other recipes during the week. Wild rice goes a long way in any recipe.
I cook it and use portions of it in various recipes and save the rest in the fridge for later use. Wild rice is high in protein and low in fat.

1 cup plain rice when boiled will become two cups of rice as it almost doubles. You can use the rice cooker to make boiled rice. Left over rice from the night before can also be used for this recipe.

2 cup boiled plain rice
4 tbsp wild rice cooked
4 baby carrots diced
1/2 green pepper diced
1/2 tomato diced
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
salt to taste
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp amchur (dried mango powder)
3 tbsp canola oil

Tip: If you cannot find amchur powder at your local Indian grocery store, you can use juice of half a lime.

Rinse and dice the veggies. In a 10 inch pan on medium heat roast cumin till golden. Then saute the veggies till tender. Add the spices, both kinds of rice and mix well on low heat. After five minutes switch off the flame. Cover with a lid for a couple of minutes and fluff. Serve warm with
your favorite chutney. I served with blackberry, apple & garlic chutney, papad and sticks of celery on the side.

Wild rice is chewy and I feel full and can satisfy my hunger even with a smaller portion when I add wild rice to recipes.
A complete and nutritious meal.

Enjoy!

Vegan Highlights: April 7, 2009

A raw food diet of cucumber, grapes, melon and grapefruit come to the rescue as a detox and cleansing experience when you are not well.
I personally feel that fresh fruit and salad add energy to my lifestyle. Cucumber and tomatoes enhance the flavor of soups as a side dish.

Enjoy!

Bottle Gourd with Chana Daal

This is a dish that you won't find at Indian restaurants easily. In fact I have not seen it at any Indian restaurant on the the East Coast or the West Coast. This is usually made in Indian homes and is delicious and easy on the stomach.

Dudhi/Lauki/ Ghiya/ Calabash/ Bottlegourd with Chana Daal

It is known as dudhi, lauki, ghiya and sorakaya. Bottle gourd is slender and beautiful and is in the shape of a bottle hence the name bottlegourd. It can also look like a globular bottle in shape. Today, we will be cooking the slender shaped gourd.

Ingredients

1 med. bottle gourd (available at Indian grocery store)
1 1/2 cup chana daal (rinsed and soaked for ten minutes)
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1/2 a onion chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 med. tomato chopped
1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 cup water

Rinse the bottlegourd, peel and cut into cubes.

In a pressure cooker on medium high heat add oil and onions. Saute for a few minutes. Add chana daal, garlic stir for another minute then add tomatoes. Saute for one to two minutes add the chopped gourd, Stir. Add 1 cup of water. Stir and then add another cup of water. Sometimes, a medium gourd can use the entire 2 cups of water and at times 1 cup suffices. If the gourd is smaller in size one cup is more than enough. Close the lid of the pressure cooker. Increase to high heat and cook for one whistle. Reduce heat and simmer for another five minutes. Then turn the stove off. Let the pressure release before you open the lid of the cooker. Serve in a bowl.

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Serve with plain paratha/ tortillas. I served it with wheat and corn tortillas and a salad of endive frisee and a couple of onion slices on the side.

Serves four

A complete video on how to make this, is coming soon.

Enjoy!

Highlights

For a vegan, a helping of rice and a spoonful of lentils is all you need to get the strength and nourishment you need.
In India rice and lentils are usually served with chapati, vegetable sabzi and salad or just rice and lentils. My daughter is a great fan of dal chawal or lentils and rice.

Enjoy!