Ten Don't Miss Flicks

There are myriad documentaries available to guide you on your plant-based journey. Some focus on the health benefits, some on animal rights, and others on the effects of animal agriculture on the environment.

Whatever your motive for being plant-based, or vegan, there's a movie for you. So pop some popcorn and take a look at these ten must-see movies focused on the elimination of animal products from your diet, with descriptions from the International Movie Database (IMDB).

Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home (2004)

Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home explores the powerful struggle of conscience experienced by several people from traditional farming backgrounds who come to question the basic assumptions of their way of life. A riveting story of transformation and healing, the documentary portrays the farmers' sometimes amazing connections with the animals under their care, while also providing insight into the complex web of social, psychological and economic forces that have led to their inner conflict. Interwoven with the farmers' stories is the dramatic animal rescue work of a newly-trained humane police officer whose sense of justice puts her at odds with the law she is charged to uphold. With strikingly honest interviews and rare footage demonstrating the emotional lives and intense family bonds of animals most often viewed as living commodities, this groundbreaking documentary shatters stereotypical notions of farmers, farm life, and perhaps most surprisingly, farm animals themselves.

Forks Over Knives (2011)

Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.

PlantPure Nation (2015)

PlantPure Nation tells the story of three people on a quest to spread the message of one of the most important health breakthroughs of all time. 

Earthlings (2005) *graphic*

Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, Earthlings chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret follows the shocking, yet humorous, journey of an aspiring environmentalist, as he daringly seeks to find the real solution to the most pressing environmental issues and true path to sustainability. Available on Netflix.

What The Health (2017)

What The Health follows an intrepid filmmaker on a journey of discovery as he uncovers possibly the largest health secret of our time and the collusion between industry, government, pharmaceutical and health organizations keeping this information from us.

The Game Changers (2018)

The Game Changers tells the story of a UFC fighter whose world is turned upside down when he discovers an elite group of world-renowned athletes and scientists who prove that everything he had been taught about protein was a lie.

Dominion (2018)

Dominion uses drones, hidden and handheld cameras to expose the dark underbelly of modern animal agriculture, questioning the morality and validity of humankind's dominion over the animal kingdom.

Vegan: Everyday Stories (2016)

From YouTube: Vegan: Everyday Stories is a feature-length documentary that explores the lives of four remarkably different people who share a common thread - they're all vegan. The movie traces the personal journeys of an ultramarathon runner who has overcome addiction to compete in one hundred mile races, a cattle rancher's wife who creates the first cattle ranch turned farmed animal sanctuary in Texas, a food truck owner cooking up knee-buckling plant-based foods, and an 8-year-old girl who convinces her family of six to go vegan.

Vegucated (2011)

Vegucated is a guerrilla-style documentary that follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks and learn what it's all about.

Which of these films have you seen? Are there others that would make your top ten list? Tell me in the comments!

What's For Breakfast?

It should be the simplest meal of the day but sometimes it's hard to think of ideas for vegan breakfasts. Taking eggs, bacon, sausage, and many other traditional breakfast items off our plates can force us to think outside the box as we search for healthier, more compassionate alternatives.

Don't let that discourage you! With a little ingenuity and very little work, we can find new ways to fuel our bodies as we start the day. Here are some ideas to get you started and feel free to chime in with anything else you've discovered!

Chia Seed Pudding

One-eighth of a cup of chia seeds provides 12% of your calcium for the day, and 4564 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids! That packs a nutritious punch! Chia seed pudding can be customized with your choice of fruits, plant-based milks, and sweeteners. Give it a try!

Oatmeal made with rolled oats

Rolled oats provide more nutrition than quick oats and this is a breakfast that can be dressed up in so many ways. Add a tablespoon of flaxseed for 1597 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids, or some chopped nuts for protein! Toss in some goji berries which are full of health benefits, or choose your favorite fruit to add texture and sweetness.

Leftover potatoes

The next time you roast potatoes, make some extra to be reheated for breakfast. Cooking potatoes without oil but with lots of herbs and spices is a healthy, and delicious way to get energy at the beginning of the day. Potatoes have gotten a bad rap mostly because we're accustomed to eating them fried, but my favorite way to eat leftover roasted potatoes for breakfast is to reheat them in the waffle iron for 5-7 minutes. Hold the ketchup if you're watching your sugar intake.

Smoothies

Smoothies can be made so many ways that the possibilities are practically endless. While many people are fond of juicing, using the whole fruit in a smoothie keeps the fiber intact. My favorite is this Energizing Sunflower Seed, Cinnamon & Maca smoothie from Kris Carr.

Tofu Scramble 

When I moved to Costa Rica I thought I'd have to give up my beloved tofu scramble. Tofu was nowhere to be found! I discovered using silken tofu actually created a better result and am now able to enjoy my favorite breakfast again.

Avocado Toast

This is such a simple breakfast that proves a delicious plant-based breakfast doesn't have to be difficult. Find a good whole-wheat bread, toast it and spread avocado on top. You can add all sorts of toppings such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, or sea salt to change the flavor profile.

Rice and Beans 

Here in Costa Rica you can find cafes known as sodas on every corner. And, at every soda you will find gallo pinto on the breakfast menu. Gallo pinto translated means spotted rooster but you won't find any poultry in this dish. Rice, beans, onions, garlic, and other spices make this a delicious, protein-packed breakfast. If you're avoiding oil, consider using Jason Wyrick's recipe here on the Forks Over Knives website.

Quiche

Did you know by using chickpea flour you can replicate the flavor of eggs? These Mini Chickpea Flour Frittatas taste great warmed up if you have a busy morning, or are an impressive item to serve for overnight guests. They're gluten-free, too! Add some kala namak (black salt) which adds an egg-y taste and smell.

Leftovers

Don't be a breakfast purist! What did you have for dinner last night? Reheat and dig in! You just may discover a new breakfast favorite.

Fruit

And, let's not forget a delicious fruit salad. The best fruit salads are made from organic fruits in season – think regional and seasonal. Full of antioxidants, fiber, and deliciousness!

What are your favorite vegan breakfasts?! Tell me in the comments.

Silken Tofu Scramble

One of our favorite weekend breakfasts is tofu scramble. Every time I try another version I make changes to my recipe to improve it.

When we moved to Costa Rica I was disappointed to discover tofu was hard to find. I was accustomed to spending $1.99 for a pound of organic tofu at Wegmans and now the only tofu I could find was silken or canned neither of which was organic. To add insult to injury, the canned version is $5.00 for less than a pound.

My oldest daughter suggested using silken tofu reminding me that it had a similar texture to scrambled eggs. Silken tofu is typically only used in puddings and pies but I took a chance and substituted the extra-firm cold tofu I usually used with a shelf-stable firm silken tofu. The result was a creamy and delicious tofu scramble.

When developing this method I used Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's recipe as a starting point and added my own modifications to create the perfect tofu scramble. I hope you love it as much as we do.


Silken Tofu Scramble

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 scallions, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
10 mushrooms (any kind), sliced
1 (12 oz.) box of firm silken tofu, drained
5 stalks of swiss chard, or any other tender leafy green veg, chopped
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1/2 cup vegan cheese, any kind
1/4 tsp. salt

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic during the last minute of cooking.

Add swiss chard, turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika, and nutritional yeast and cook until spices are fragrant and chard has thoroughly wilted.

Crumble drained tofu into the pan and stir to thoroughly combine. Cook for 5-8 minutes until tofu is heated through. Add vegan cheese and stir until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

Minestra

I'm posting this here as I work through revamping my website. Oh, how I'd love to know even a little bit about building one. Sigh.

My mother made this all the time when I was growing up and it was one of my favorite meals. In fact, it was the meal I most often requested she make as my birthday dinner. Maybe I was always a vegan at heart.
Over the years, as much as I tried, I couldn’t get the recipe to taste like Mom's. I tried again this week. Nailed it.

Minestra over Fried Polenta

3 large potatoes, peeled and diced into large chunks

2 cans of kidney beans, undrained

3 bunches of Swiss chard or endive, sliced into short ribbons (stems are okay)

3 ½ Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 Tbs. minced garlic

4 C. vegetable broth

Cornmeal polenta

1. Heat 1 Tbs. of olive oil in a large skillet. Fry the potatoes until the outside is slightly crispy but not thoroughly cooked. Set aside in a bowl.
2. In the same pan, heat up ½ Tbs. olive oil. Add greens and cook until wilted. In the last minute of cooking add minced garlic and stir to combine.
3. Cook polenta according to instructions (I used 1 ½ cups of polenta). After polenta is cooked, press onto a floured surface into a 9x9” square. Polenta should be approximately 1” thick
4. Sprinkle more flour on top of polenta and cut into 9 squares.
5. Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Fry polenta slices for 3 minutes on each side and move to paper towel to drain. You may need to add more oil to the pan as it gets absorbed by the polenta.
6. Heat vegetable broth to boiling in a large pot and add potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes then add beans with their liquid, and greens and garlic mixture. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add salt and/or garlic powder to taste.
7. Serve beans and greens over fried polenta.

Guest Blogger Cookbook Review Coming Up!

I was sent a review copy of The Best Green Smoothies on the Planet by Tracy Russell.  This book will be available on December 16, 2014 and it's full of fun recipes to amp up your nutrition in a healthy, delicious and vegan way.

When I got the cookbook, I considered trying the recipes by myself but then remembered Miss M., my 14 year old daughter loves smoothies and will be able to give me a unique insight into which ones may be favorites of other kids like her. Mothers everywhere are looking for ways to get more greens into their kids' diets.

For instance, last week I made this delicious Pina Colada smoothie from one of my favorite websites.  We both loved it!  Two days later I got a text from her asking me to have one waiting for her for when she gets off the bus.  

You want a cup of spinach waiting
for you when you get home?
Sure thing!

So, for the next couple of weeks, we will be testing smoothie recipes and at the end of it Miss M. will be A New Day Vegan's guest blogger giving a review of the recipes she's tried.  All this comes during the time that I'm eagerly anticipating the delivery of my new (refurbished) Vitamix.  

The Universe works in wonderful ways!

Business Spotlight - Water Street Brewing Company

First, an explanation:  There are no vegan or vegetarian restaurants within a 60 mile radius of our home so when I do a local Business Spotlight I choose places that are kind, welcoming and accommodating to vegans.  With that said, let's go on to today's Business Spotlight!

I have been coming to this locally owned brewpub since before I was vegan. As a vegetarian, I was thrilled to find many options to choose from and the beers they make are fantastic!  They have a type of counter service where you place your order at the bar and a server brings it to you at a table.  

The bar stretches across good part of the restaurant with about a dozen tables scattered around the front of the room.  The shiny beer tanks, where the magic happens, sit across from the bar.  The ambiance is cozy, casual and welcoming. There's plenty of space here for a large group.  Their website mentions just one of the reasons it's one of my favorite places.

"We invite you to experience our space, our beer, our people. Oh, and no TVs."

No TVs!  Yes!

My most recent visit was with Dr. D. on a cold and rainy Saturday in November.  As soon as we walked in we were warmly greeted by Dan who was working behind the bar. 

"How are you?"

"Cold," I grumbled.

"Then you need to try our scotch ale!  That'll warm you up!"

I asked for a sample and he was right!  It was a delicious ale called Bonnie Knees. The blackboard on the wall details not only the beers that are currently available but the International Bitterness Units (IBU) and Alcohol By Volume (ABV) numbers so you know what to expect.  Their beer selection changes with what the brewer decides to concoct and flights of beer are available to allow you to try many at once.  I'm an IPA girl so I opted for a pint of their current IPA on tap called Head First and Dr. D. ordered their Hefeweizen.  

A selection of wines is also available if beer isn't your thing and they haven't forgotten our four-legged buddies either!  You can buy Barley Bites (not vegan) made from brewing grain by the bag .

HOMEMADE PRETZELS

(Sunday only) Two handmade pretzels with a side of spicy mustard for dipping.

Fresh, warm and delicious. Want vegan? Just ask.
(ed. note: they used the V word!)

After our beers arrived, Dan came to take our lunch order.  I had stashed a new jar of Just Mayo in my purse and asked if the cook could use it on my lunch.  Dan checked with the kitchen and was told they weren't able to allow it in the kitchen but I was welcome to use it on my food at our table.  That was fine with me although I'd really love more restaurants to carry this delicious plant-based mayo for their vegan customers.

Just Mayo and a hoppy IPA!

I ordered my favorite meal, Tempeh Spiedies which are served in a wrap.  For those of you who aren't familiar with spiedies, they're a local favorite here in the Greater Binghamton area and are usually made with meat which has been marinated and cooked on a grill on a skewer.  The tempeh spiedies at Water Street Brewing taste incredibly similar to chicken spiedies and are delicious!

They are usually served with barbecue sauce, tomato, onion and lettuce but I asked them to hold the sauce so I could put my Just Mayo on it.  Dr. D. ordered a black bean burger which we confirmed was indeed, vegan.  Many veggie burgers in restaurants contain eggs and/or cheese making them suitable for vegetarians but not vegans.  Dan even went the extra mile and asked if we'd prefer the vegan chickpea salad instead of the usual coleslaw as a side.

Our lunch was delicious and the fries were just right!  Fries are a rare treat for me lately so when I splurge it had better be good.  These did not disappoint!  Dan chatted with us after our meal telling us he was a member of Triple Cities Runners Club and had many vegetarian friends.  It was so nice to have a server who was sensitive and agreeable to our requests.  Water Street Brewing offers many other vegan and vegetarian options as well such as hummus, salads and soups.  They're able to accommodate those on a gluten-free diet too.

I highly recommend Water Street Brewing Company for vegans as well as vegetarians and omnivores.  There's something to please everyone here!

Business Spotlight - Baked! By Camille

Anyone who knows Camille Ciotoli knows she's been the premier baker in the Greater Binghamton area for years.  What you may not know is that she does fantastic vegan and gluten free cakes.

We had a small luncheon after our wedding on June 27th and had Baked! By Camille do a vegan cake for us.  It was simple, just white cake with white frosting.  Our guests are still talking about how wonderful it was.

Our pretty little cake for The Best Day Ever in June.

My brother and his wife are vegan and gluten free so when we celebrated their marriage two years ago, we called on Camille to make the dessert.  Again, she came through with a delicious cake all of us could enjoy.

When Dr. D. and I got married in June, we didn't have a traditional reception so we decided to have a party later with all our friends and family.  It was important to us that we have a traditional wedding cake for our party.

I sat down with Camille in September to discuss making this cake for our post-wedding party.  No matter what curve I threw at her, she said it was possible. 

Purple accents on the cake?  No problem. 

Part chocolate, part white?  No problem.  

When you're vegan, you expect to encounter problems when asking for special orders but Camille felt perfectly capable of providing us with exactly what we wanted.  

We had our party on November 1st (World Vegan Day) and once again, she came through!  We had almost 100 people there and went home with only couple of slices left over (which Willow the Wonder Dog found and consumed).  Everyone raved about it!  It really was fabulous!

Our vegan wedding cake!

I highly recommend Baked! By Camille and will continue to call on her whenever we need a special dessert.  Check out her new place at 1405 Watson Blvd. in Endwell and tell her I sent you!