Check Out this Old World Vegan Italian Feast!

The idea today is simple and easy Italian without the cruelty. No more meat sausage Italian recipes now that Lindsey is going to show us how to prepare our own! Today she’s using the Tofurkey  brand Italian sausage as a meat sausage substitute. Lindsay recommends using fresh herbs to get that “old-world” flavor as she adds them to her marinara sauce.

Lindsay also generously offered her home for the Vegan Dog Brunch Fundraiser that Lisa Karlan hosted. This study hopes to research the effects of a vegan dog food diet in dogs. The goal is to use science to prove that dogs thrive on a vegan diet. With positive findings in the study, hopefully other brands of dog food will also offer vegan options. This will help drastically reduce the amount of sentient animals that are killed in order to feed our companion animals.

Lindsay is also an animal rights activist. She started by focusing her efforts on dogs and cats. She admits she was a speciesist but she still went vegetarian fifteen years ago. Lindsay transitioned to veganism three years ago and she cannot believe that she ever ate animals or animal products. Lisa explains that whether its a dog or a pig, if you have them as a pet, you love them and you couldn’t imagine eating them. It would be like eating your child.

Sandra Bell joins in and explains that she has been vegetarian her life! She has been an activist and a vegan since 1985, when she found out about the atrocities in animal agriculture. She helped found the People for Reason in Science and Medicine which focuses on the health and environmental issues associated with factory farming. They also expose seemingly charitable campaigns that fill the pockets of the rich without tackling the actual issues. The solution many times involves the elimination of a diet consuming animal products.

Report edited by Ellen Dent.

Angelina Lombardi Phillips’s Southern Italian Cuisine – transformed into super simple, Vegan Italian recipe’s by Lindsey L. Baker.

Recipe quantities stated serve 4 people

Appetizer

 Orange, Celery and Black Olive Salad – a Southern Italian staple. One of many appetizers typically served with any large meal.

Ingredients:  4 -5 stalks of celery, about four Clementine, (or Little Cuties,) tangerines or any sweet orange, ½ can of pitted black olives, Balsamic vinegar, Extra Virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper.

Steps:

1. Cut up celery
2. Peel and separate oranges
3. Add ½ can of olives
4. Mix in a bowl
5. Pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil (or to taste) over combo
6. Lightly sprinkle with Balsamic Vinegar (or leave this step out)
7. Toss and serve chilled

Tip:  Serve with Italian Bread and Balsamic vinegar and oil in a plate

Fireman Hat Pasta – so named because of the fresh pasta traditionally made that start out as flat discs and then are pushed into with the thumbs and flipped over to look like fireman hats.

 Ingredients:  1 jar of Paul Newman’s Marinara Sauce (or any other one you prefer that’s vegan), 1/2 cake of Miyoko’s Vegan Mozz, a few sprigs of basil, oregano, (or any other spice you prefer – fresh spices are best), Follow Your Heart Vegan Parmesan, Cracked Red pepper and salt.

Steps:

1. Combine in a Marinara Sauce, basil, oregano, salt and pepper in a saucepan
2. Heat on medium to low flame
3. Add the Mozz cheese
4. Continue to stir until cheese melts and sauce turns light orange
5. Serve over Penne or Rigatoni Vegan Pasta
6. Sprinkle with FYH Vegan Parmesan, Cracked Red Pepper, Salt

Spinach (and greens) with olive oil and toasted garlic

Ingredients:  1 large package of Organic Greens (Spinach and Kale), ¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 cloves of fresh chopped garlic (to taste), salt and black pepper.

Steps:

1. Use a medium sauce pan
2. Generously cover bottom of saucepan with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3. Chop garlic and place in saucepan
4. Toast Garlic
5. Add Greens and salt and pepper
6. Cook approximately 10 – 12 minutes
7. Stir Frequently
8. Serve warm
9. Optional – Slice and squeeze a lemon wedge over the cooked greens before serving.

Tri- Colori Sausage and Peppers and Onions – Is so named because the peppers used are red, yellow and green. This dish is served in New Jersey sub stores on Italian bread with catsup and mustard.

Ingredients:  3 large Bell peppers, red green and yellow (color is optional – traditional used only green)  ¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 cloves of fresh chopped garlic (to taste), salt and black pepper, rosemary, oregano.

Steps:

1. Dice up the peppers and onions in even slivers that are about a ¼ inch depth
2. Generously cover bottom of saucepan with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3. Chop garlic and place in saucepan
4. Toast the garlic
5. Add peppers and onions and rosemary, oregano and salt and pepper
6. Cook approximately 10 – 12 minutes
7. Stir Frequently
8. Add a bit of olive oil as needed
9. Add pre-cooked Field Roast or other Vegan Italian Sausage
10. Cook another 10 minutes (approx.)
11. Stir Frequently
12. Serve warm