Paws for thought - Mission (Im)Possible?

No! Don't do it! It's dairy - and we've all fallen into that trap.....

I've had a rant on Twitter again.

Well, OK it was more of a mild musing because I've gone all compassionate these days - but it was over the use of the phrase 'Vegan Challenge' to describe an initiative encouraging people to try being vegan for either a week or a month.

My issue was with the word 'challenge'.

And it divided opinion.

I'm of the mind that 'challenge' makes veganism sound difficult and, maybe I've been lucky, but I just haven't found it to be that difficult. Yes, it's taken a little research and planning and some extra daily decision making, but, in general it's actually been quite fun to learn! 

So it concerns me that the word challenge could be putting people off, and will in fact discourage them from even contemplating trying veganism. This stems from my feelings that the majority of us are inherently quite lazy by nature. Something that even hints of being difficult in any way isn't going to appeal to most people and therefore we are missing an opportunity to promote veganism as the wonderful life that it can be. We've lost before we've started.

Several followers agreed with me.

In the other camp however, there were several who felt that the word 'challenge' would inspire people to 'give it a go' because they would want to rise to the challenge and prove that they could do something different and something outside of the norm. They would want to prove they could succeed with something that others might perceive as difficult - a competitive instinct if you like.

I understand the reverse psychology and wonder whether I can get to know exactly what people do indeed really think about it (leading up to the mission now...) What I do know is that some quick research has shown me that vegan organisations NEVER seem to publish the actual physical number of people who sign up to the 'vegan pledge' (The Vegan Society recently reported a 40% increase in take-up for 2012 - but this is meaningless without the actual figure - it could have been 40% up on the previous years figure of 20 people...). Now if those numbers were high, I'd imagine that they would be shouting them from the rooftops and there would be a lot more vegans in the UK, the world and the universe. But I have a sneaky suspicion that we're pretty thin on the ground (last UK Twitter survey got to just 6000 approx!)

So I'm scratching my little vegan head thinking - WHY? why aren't there more of us when a plant-based lifestyle is the healthiest, most ethically sound, environmentally friendly decision there is?

What's putting people off from taking that 'challenge'?

One obvious answer is the answer that relates to me in the bad-old-meaty days - simply - brainwashing (for want of a better word). The food industry in its entirety has done the most FAB-U-LOUS job at convincing us meat, fish and dairy is healthy (nay, vital) to our very existence. It has cleverly kept its abhorrent farming processes hidden, whilst artificially keeping product prices low (without your taxes funding a complex subsidy system these food costs would be 3 x higher!) so that we consume more and more in a frenzy of buttered-up meaty lust.

It seems the vegan community just hasn't been able to compete with this high level wizardry.

* * *  So - to the Mission [cue the music]. * * *

I want to find out just what non-vegans think about vegans and veganism in general and I'd like to understand what deters them from giving it a try.

A. IF YOU ARE VEGAN: Please can you have a chat with someone (anyone) and politely ask them the following questions; note their responses; let me know.

 

1.    What do you think of when you hear the word 'vegan' ? i.e. what does it mean to you?

2.    What type of people do you think are vegans?

3. Who do you know that is vegan? (can be in your circles or in the public eye etc)

4.    Have you ever considered being vegan?

5.    What do you think has stopped you from trying a vegan lifestyle?

6.    What would tempt you to try a vegan lifestyle?

[if the answer to 4. is that you have already tried being vegan, but you are no longer vegan - please say why you gave up and what would tempt you to try again.]

B. IF YOU ARE NON-VEGAN: Please can you reply to me directly answering the above questions and perhaps, if you have the chance, kindly ask other non vegans what they think too - and let me know.

** Please send your feedback to me via either the comments section below (clicking on the title of this post will bring up the comments box if it's not visible), the 'contact me' form field on the rhs, via twitter or via email if you're a regular communicator. **

I'd love to make some sense of the potential stereotyping  and lack of understanding that perhaps exists out there about vegans and veganism, and then perhaps we can have a chance of breaking some of those barriers down.

Thank you friends. Owing to my humanitarian concerns, this blog will not self destruct in 20 seconds - instead it will send you a virtual hug and offer you a recipe for lentil soup.
I await your response...

C (aka Chantal)

Or is it?... to be continued...

RESULTS

Here are just some of the answers collected from my family and friends - still waiting on a lot to come back! But interestingly, with those who did reply, it has opened up a means of communication about the whole subject of veganism and they now have a far better understanding of where David and I are coming from! Perhaps it's something to try with your friends and family too?

What do you think of when you hear the word 'vegan' ? i.e. what does it mean to you?

13yr old girl: Vegetables

Mum in 40s: Eccentric hippy drewid type.

Single lady in 40s: Initial reaction is to their diet: No meat & no dairy.

New Dad 40: I don’t know much about it but is very different from vegetarian in that you don’t eat meat, fish or dairy products, even down to wearing leather shoes or clothing.

Lady 50’s: vegan means to me extreme vegetarianism and a miserable existence, I have lived with two men who have been allergic to dairy produce and it's hard work eating out or all inclusive on  holiday.

Chinese lady, late 20s: First time I saw the word "Vegan", I thought it was refer to vegetarians. But after reading some of the blogs and articles, I realize that being a "Vegan" is more than vegetarian. Vegan take into consideration the food, but also the daily consumption products, they are much more environmental friendly. Basically Vegan don't use animal related products, they go for plant based products. My concern is with extreme cases that human beings stop eating animals, will we be weak and bite by animals at the end of the days?? ^^

What type of people do you think are vegans?

Healthy

As above - Eccentric hippy drewid type.

 (a) people with allergies to dairy food etc (b) People who decide that a vegan diet is healthy (c) People whose ethics determine what they can eat / wear.

I think most peoples conception of vegans are Greenpeace and save the earth fanatics.

Animal loving people, however this should not be forced onto the animal ie feeding them with veg.

Vegetarians, those who use Green Products (like BIO), people don't wear animal-related clothes/shoes. People who against animal violence.

Who do you know that is vegan? (can be in your circles or in the public eye etc)

Uncle and auntie

Brother and sister in law

You and David. Others maybe, but I'm not a foodie and don't talk about food with anyone really. The closest I get is when a friend's vegetarian option at a society Christmas party looks like it's unfit for consumption which is worthy of comment!

You

J, you and D. J is a skeleton, wrinkly and not a good advert for healthy living.

You and D :)

Have you ever considered being vegan?

 No

No

No, I like meat & I'm a fussy eater already!

I personally wouldn’t consider it!

No never unless someone told me I would die otherwise.

I would like to try, but it needs some time to get rid of meat, especially eggs. My mother is now trying to go vegetarian first, because she has lot of concern on the product quality in China. She prefers to eat more vegetables and she's very concerned about what raw material is used in the products that she purchased.

What do you think has stopped you from trying a vegan lifestyle?

I like meat and I love cheese and chocolate.

Nothing I just never wanted a vegan lifestyle.

Removing animal products from my lifestyle would be time consuming and expensive. I don't feel strongly enough about it to try it.

It's fussiness.

What would tempt you to try a vegan lifestyle?

Trying new foods

Nothing, it’s too restrictive. I could probably live without meat but not all the other stuff.

Nothing - Voila! I'm a bad person! I also drive a 4x4 and fly around the world with little regard to my carbon footprint. I do however... no, I can't think of anything environmentally friendly that I do... oh wait, I DO RECYCLE!

I’m interested in what you would eat but that's it.

I think it's worthwhile to try for the sake of my health for sure, but it is also meaningful to improve the ecosystem of human beings & the nature.

Other comments:

I believe you can live a healthy lifestyle as a vegan but would need a very good knowledge of nutrition as we are carnivorous and need good protein and carbohydrates - which can be got from soya, pulses, root vegetables etc.

If you choose this as a way of life I do believe you can be as happy and healthy as any with nutrition you choose, and if it works for you then it’s all good!

Recipe: Sweet potato and chilli empanadas with lime mayonnaise.

'Hola'!

I've gone all Mexican in my house lately. I discovered a little freebie Mexican cook book tucked in my bookcase which turned out to be vegetarian and actually 90% vegan! So it's revived my love of this tasty cuisine.

Empanadas are basically fried Mexican pasties and while the recipe I've used (as you'll see from the 'chaos' pic below, was tasty - it sure as hell was messy! So I've rewritten it, with my slant on improved flavour AND a methodology that won't have you getting sweet potato and dough up the walls for 3 hours (sorry Dave).

 I've been meaning to make these for ages and I'm so glad I finally have. These are 'deliciosa'! and I unapologetically scoffed 4 of them and then needed a siesta...

Chantal xx

sweet potato and chilli empanadas with ribbon salad & lime mayonnaise

[ makes either 12 or 24 large empanadas - enough for you and a mariachi band :) ]

Gather                                                                                                                                       

Kitchen stuff you'll need:

Food processor, large pan, kettle, chopping board, peeler and knives, 2 large roasting tins, rolling pin, pastry brush, pastry cutter, large bowl, dessert spoon, fish slice and spatula, sense of adventure, poncho, apron... 

ingredients

Filling (for 24, halve if you only want to make 12)

600g sweet potato - peeled and cubed

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 small brown onions - finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic - grated / crushed

1 red jalapeno chili - deseeded and very finely sliced (leave some seeds if you like it hot!)

1 green jalapeno chili - deseeded and very finely sliced (leave some seeds if you like it hot!)

30g raisins

30g ground almonds

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Dough (for 12, make 2 lots if you want to make all 24 empanadas)

350g plain flour

50g soft sunflower margarine (I use Pure)

1/2 tsp salt

200ml boiling water

Oil to cook - approx 200ml+

Extra flour to dust your work surface and rolling pin.

Dip

4 heaped dessert spoons of mayonnaise (I use Plamil Organic Egg Free)

Juice and zest of 1 lime

Create

1.  Cook the sweet potato in simmering water for about 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and add to your large bowl.

2.  While the potatoes are cooking sautee your onions in the oil on a low to medium heat until they start to soften and go translucent. 

3.  Add the garlic, chillies and raisins to the onions and continue to cook gently for another 5 minutes.

4.  Add the onion mix to the potatoes, sprinkle over the ground almonds, cinnamon, salt and pepper and mix really well to combine. It is fine if the potato mashes up a little.

5.  Switch on your oven to warm up and pour enough oil into the roasting tins to completely cover the bottom - up to about 5ml deep. Place the trays in the oven.

6.  Next prepare your dough - add all of the dry ingredients to your blender, switch it on and carefully add the boiling water. Keep the blender running until a dough ball has formed -
** this will not take very long - just a few moments**.

7.  Flour your work surface and tip the dough out onto it. Cut the dough into 12 pieces - half, half again and then each piece into 3 will help to make them equal.

8.  Flour your rolling pin and roll a piece into as round a shape as you can manage - about 3mm thickness and 18cm diameter. Don't worry too much about getting a perfect round though as you can trim them to tidy them up.

9.  Place a heaped dessert spoon of your sweet potato mix onto the dough circle. Place it on the half furthest from you (there's a good reason for this). 

10.  Use a pastry brush to brush a little water in a crescent shape around the filling on the far side from you.

11.  Gently fold the dough nearest you over the filling using a cupped hand to press the filling down and expel excess air. Then press the dough together where the water has been brushed to form a tight seal. (NB the dough should be big enough that no filling will ooze out of the sides.)

12.  You can then trim excess 'scruffy' dough either using a sharp knife or a serrated pastry cutter to form a neat & pretty edge and a large crescent shape.

13.  Gently lift the empanada with a fish slice and set to one side on a lightly floured surface and repeat with the remainder of the dough and the filling. (You can either make a second batch of dough as mentioned above or keep the remaining filling to make chimichangas or enchiladas!)

Tip: I used a 'fish slice' spatula to lift the empanadas off the work surface as they are quite delicate to lift by hand and you don't want to risk tearing them.

14.  By the time you've made all 12 your oven should be up to temperature, so take out the roasting trays and carefully add 6 empanadas to each - flipping them over gently with two spatulas so that they are covered in oil.

empanadas gently place on tray of hot oil

15.  Place the trays back in the oven and bake for approx 8 minutes. (you can make a salad accompaniment during this time). Then carefully remove the trays and turn each empanada over with your 2 spatulas (I say carefully as they can still be a little fragile at this stage and the oil will be bubbling hot.)

16.  Return to the oven and bake for another 8 minutes or until you can see that the pastries are a lovely golden brown colour. (You can make the mayo dip during this time by simply combining the ingredients listed in a small bowl with a fork or small whisk).

17.  Once the empanadas are cooked, carefully remove them from the oven and rest on some pieces of laid out kitchen roll to absorb some of the excess oil.

chaotic aftermath - but worth it!

Enjoy!

Serve with a fresh crisp salad (as you can see, this time I used a mixed baby leaf salad with ribbons of cucumber and carrots topped with tomatoes slices, drizzled with a little omega 3,6,9 oil and some grinds of fresh black pepper. I had the mayo as a dip on the side but ended up pouring it all over the salad!

Cooks tip: for an authentic taste use Serrano chillies - which are a little hotter than jalapenos. If this has inspired you to get your sombrero on I'd recommend these great Mexican food product websites:

http://www.mexgrocer.co.uk/home.php

http://www.mexgrocer.co.uk/home.php