16 Five easy plant Based Recipes

five eAsY pLAnT-bAsed recipes

Briah Ramos

IngredienTs

2 ounces of chickpea pasta ½ cup cubed tofu 1 cup of sliced carrots and broccoli, mixed ½ cup sliced zucchini Soy sauce Teriyaki sauce Sesame seeds Optional: Sriracha

direcTions

1. Add salt to water 2. Boil chickpea pasta for about 10-12 minutes or until al-dente. 3. Drain pasta but save 1/2 cup of water 4. Cube half a block of tofu and air fry or bake at 400 F for 15 min. 5. Slate the veggie mix 6. Once the broccoli is soft, add the soy and teriyaki sauce 7. Combine sauce with the chickpea noodles and serve topped with sesame seeds.

IngredienTs

2 ounces chickpea pasta 1 can spaghetti sauce 1 cup cubed tofu 1 green pepper 1 tomato Salt to taste Optional: Pepper flakes Nutritional yeast

Tofu Stir Fry direcTions

1. Add salt to water 2. Boil chickpea pasta for about 10-12 minutes or until al-dente. 3. Drain water but save 1/2 cup 4. Cube half a block of tofu, and air fry or bake at 400 Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. 5. Cube the tomato and green pepper. 6. In a separate pan, slate the veggies together for about 3 minutes. 7. In the same pan add the baked tofu and tomato sauce along with the pasta water. To mix or not to mix- your choice. You can mix the sauce and noodles before plating, but I like them separate. Optional: After plating, add nutritional yeast on top of the spaghetti.

IngredienTs

½ cup of oats 1 ½ cups of Oat milk 2 dates A few drops of vanilla extract 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (optional) Splash of maple syrup (optional)

direcTions

1. Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate them overnight.

Note: The overnight oats will have a semi sweet vanilla flavor, so you can add any of your favorite toppings. My favorite topping or fruits to add to the oats are: apple, peaches, banana, nuts and cinnamon.

bAked TofubAked Tofu

edients Ing R ons I ect d IR

2 slices of any type of bread

½ an avocado

Alfalfa sprouts

1 slice of tofu about ½ inch thick

2 slices of tomato

Pickles

sAndWhich

1. Bake the slice of tofu in the air fryer at 400 Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.

2. Toast bread.

Salad:

2 cups chopped kale ½ a tomato Sliced carrots 1 can of chickpeas ½ broccoli ½ cubed tofu

3. Spread avocado on one side of the toast.

4. Assemble the sandwich with the tomato, pickles, alfalfa sprouts and tofu.

Hummus:

½ can of chickpeas 2 tablespoon of olive oil 1 tablespoon of tahini Juice of ½ a lemon 1 tablespoon of garlic Salt to taste

edients R Ing

1. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil. 2. Open a can of chickpeas and spread out half onto a baking sheet. 3. Next, add the cubed tofu and broccoli. 4. Add salt and garlic powder to your liking. 5. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit. 6. Cut the half tomato into cubes. 7. Once everything is cooked, place the kale at the bottom then add chickpeas, tofu, broccoli, carrots and tomato. 8. For hummus dressing, blend the chickpeas then mix in olive oil, tahini, lemon juice and garlic.

R ections d i veggie sALAd

food ALLergies Are MAJor

why people need to take them seriously

Seva Hester Magazine Editor

Growing up, I never really thought about someone having a food allergy. While seasonal allergies are the norm for my family, it wasn’t until a cousin of mine experienced an allergic reaction at a restaurant (nothing serious, thankfully) that I realized how lucky my family and I are. Food allergies are serious and not a lot of people seem to realize that. While that incident was years ago, I have since read about numerous instances of people suffering from having an allergic reaction on social media. Some range from minor incidents and only having to take Benadryl, to severe reactions which resulted in a hospital visit and near death experience. What I noticed, however, for those who had experienced severe reactions, is that many of them had their experiences at restaurants. They would tell the server about their food allergy and make a request for the kitchen to avoid that food, but the server would disregard the request or imply that the guests were exaggerating. While there are some people who claim they have a food allergy in order to make special requests, no one ever knows the truth.

With that being said, why would someone want to take that risk of potentially hurting someone? Taking precautions is serious in terms of someone’s health. Crosscontamination is a big risk in food service, and from personal experience in working at food establishments, not everyone seems to realize this.

Every time you change stations in a kitchen, you have to change your gloves. You have to wash your hands numerous times throughout your shift. If someone comes through saying they have an allergy, the process is: change gloves, wipe down the area and make sure the food is separate away from the allergens while it is being made. But some people do not realize the importance of taking precautions like this because they have no experience with food allergies.

The other day, I was scrolling through social media and found a post where someone was explaining how their family realized their son was experiencing an allergic reaction within minutes at a restaurant. The family had made sure to tell the server that their son had an allergy and apparently, the server didn’t acknowledge it. Because of this, they had to give their son his epi-pen before taking him to the hospital. This wouldn’t have happened if the server had acknowledged the allergy and let the kitchen know. Negligence is real and often way too common in some food establishments. This shouldn’t be the ‘norm.’ peanut allergy: the kind where if they touched a surface someone else had touched who had peanuts, the child could go into anaphylactic shock within seconds. One of the mothers had said they would bring no-nut cookies to a class party because of this, but at the last second had brought peanut butter cookies because they were her child’s favorite and she just ‘had’ to have them. Luckily, the mother of the child with the allergy caught on to this and made sure everyone washed their hands right after they finished the cookie and made sure her child was safe. Again, this shouldn’t have happened. What if the child had come into contact with the cookies? They could have gone to the hospital, or worse, gone into anaphylactic shock. Taking allergies seriously is so important. Someone’s life is at stake every time their food allergies aren’t taken seriously.

Taking someone’s health into consideration should be prioritized more. People need to realize that if they don’t take someone’s allergy seriously, they could very well end up seriously harming them. Through education and compassion, we can lower the instances of allergic reactions occurring and help keep people safe.

fAcT vs. ficTion:

seven Food Myths Busted

Bella Nieto Managing Editor

Myth: caRBs aRe Bad FoR you

Fact:

Despite diet culture rhetoric, eating carbs isn’t inherently bad. The false narrative that carbs are bad stems from the speed at which they are digested. Simple carbs are digested much faster than proteins and fats and thus receive the label as “bad” when in reality, all food groups are needed to complete a balanced diet. In fact, not eating carbs can have longterm disadvantages. The brain preferentially uses sugars to fuel its process; without them, the result can be things like brain fog and forgetfulness. At the same time, folks often conflate carbs with food such as chips, bread and cake, but apples, potatoes and bananas are also categorized as carbohydrates.

Myth: you need to eat Meats like chicken, BeeF, poRk to get pRotein

Fact:

Another part of the narrative that accompanies diet culture is the idea that in order to get protein you have to eat meat. Of course, that is far from the truth, in fact, approximately 375 million people worldwide are vegetarian. One way to get protein is through nuts like almonds, cashews, pecans and legumes such as beans and chickpeas. Grains like rice are also a great way to get protein. In addition, dairy products also serve as a source of protein with a serving of whole milk containing seven grains of protein. Myth: eating BeFoRe Bed Makes you gain weight Fact:

Eating before bed does not make you gain weight, but rather may impact how you sleep. If eating a bag of chips before bed is the main concern, fear not because the only true indicator of weight loss is if an individual burned more calories than what was consumed regardless of the time of day. Instead, what happens when eating at night is the muscles that digest and metabolize food have to keep working instead of resting. Therefore, we might not get a full night’s rest or have trouble falling asleep.

Myth: FResh vegetaBles have MoRe nutRients than FRozen

Fact:

According to several studies, there is no real difference between the nutrition content of frozen and fresh food. Contrary to popular belief, fresh produce is actually less nutritious after five days in the fridge. The reason for the nutrient loss is attributed to the farm-to-store process for the loss in fresh vegetables, rather than a piece of produce losing nutrients the moment it leaves the grocery store it begins right after harvesting. Once the fruit or vegetable is picked, it releases heat and water in a process called respiration. Respiration impacts the nutritional utility of the product. The bottom line is frozen produce doesn’t have inferior nutritional value, but rather is on par or even better than fresh produce.

Myth: Red Meat is Bad FoR you

Fact:

Studies show that eating too much red meat might increase the risk of high cholesterol and heart diseases; however, like carbs, red meat has the necessary vitamins and minerals. Similar to carbs, red meat isn’t inherently bad for you, but it should be a part of a balanced diet, one that includes veggies, carbs and fats.

Myth: the FiRst FRench FRies weRe cooked in FRance

Fact:

Myth: gluten-FRee Foods aRe healthieR

Fact:

A gluten-free diet is recommended for individuals with celiac disease, heightened gluten sensitivity, or to manage irritable bowel syndrome; however, there is virtually no evidence to suggest that it is any healthier than a diet void of gluten-free foods. The first thing to understand is what gluten actually is. Gluten is a family of proteins that is found in cereal grains like wheat, barley and rye. Eating gluten-free can be helpful if it is necessary, but it shouldn’t be used as a way to eat healthier. In fact, carbohydrates, which make up almost 60% of a healthy diet, make up several products where gluten is found.

There are many conflicting narratives about where the French fry originated, but the most agreed-upon speculation is that it originated in Belgium. According to Belgian lore, poor villagers, who relied on fish as their main source of sustenance, would slice and fry potatoes when the river froze in the winter. Despite originating from across the globe, the French fry has become a staple in American cuisine, how did they make it across the sea? According to a manuscript from former U.S President Thomas Jefferson there was mention of a dish called ‘Pommes de terre frites en petites tranches.’ Historians believe this recipe is what garnered mass popularity for the potato dish making it a critical component of any fast food combo.

pineAppLe creAM cheese egg roLLs

Seva Hester Magazine Editor Editor’s Note: This recipe is inspired from a cookbook called The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook by Ashley Craft. For more info, it will be listed on our references page on page 39.

IngredienTs

15 egg roll wrappers 2 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese 2 (20-ounce) cans of pineapple chunks, drained 2 eggs 2 teaspoons of room-temperature water 15 tablespoons of sugar 4 cups of Crisco shortening

direcTions

1. Whisk together eggs and water, set aside. 2. Grab one egg roll wrapper and spread a layer of cream cheese in the middle, then place for pineapple chunks on top of the cream cheese. 3. Sprinkle one tablespoon of sugar over the pineapple and cream cheese. 4. Brush two adjacent sides of the wrapper with egg wash then begin to wrap it like a burrito. (Tip: be sure to press down on the seal once the egg roll has been wrapped so it won’t open when it starts frying.) 5. Repeat steps two through four until every egg roll is finished. 6. Preheat fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 7. While the fryer is heating up, add in the Crisco so it can heat up. (Note: if you don’t have a fryer, a four-quart pot works just as well.) 8. Once the fryer is ready, place an egg roll into the oil, turning it every so often so it doesn’t burn, until golden brown. (approximately four to five minutes) 9. Place cooked egg rolls on paper towels to cool off. 10. Once cooled, transfer them to a container or plate. Now, they’re ready to eat. Tip: If you have any egg rolls left the next day, put one in the microwave for 20 seconds to warm it up before eating it.

cinnAMon sWirL bAnAnA breAd

Bella Nieto Managing Editor Editor’s Note: This recipe is inspired from a website titled The Baker Mama. For more info, it will be listed on our references page on page 39.

IngredienTs

BATTER: 2 sticks of melted, unsalted butter 1 cup white sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 4 ripe bananas; you can also measure with your heart if you want more of the banana flavor (Pro-tip: if you don’t like chunks of banana, use a blender to add to the batter, if not, using a fork is fine). Optional: Walnuts or pecans Optional: Thin slices of banana for garnishing the top of the loaf

CINNAMON SUGAR SWIRL: 3 tablespoons of melted, unsalted butter 3 tablespoons of white sugar 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon (or teaspoons)

direcTions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit 2. Grease or flour loaf pan 3. In a bowl, melt the butter, whisking in both the sugar, eggs and vanilla. 4. Stir in the flour and baking soda 5. Fold in the blended or mashed bananas until combined 6. In a separate bowl, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and add the white, brown sugar and cinnamon to add as a swirl on the banana loaf (Optional: fold walnuts or pecans into the batter). 7. Pour half of the banana batter into the loaf pan, stopping to pour the half cinnamon swirl mixture into the pan. Use a toothpick or knife to swirl the mixture into the batter. Place the rest of the banana batter into the pan using the remaining cinnamon mixture to swirl across the top. (Optional: place thin slices of banana as a garnish over the top of the uncooked loaf). 8. Place the loaf pan into the oven and bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Use a knife to insert into the loaf to check if it is ready. If the knife comes out clean, it’s ready for eating.