Vegan/Vegetarian options at Taqueria Tlaxcalli

Recently, we went to Taqueria Tlaxcalli for my birthday, and to my delight, I found that the place is eminently survivable for the vegan/vegetarian palate, more so than I was aware. In the past, I had stuck to the cactus salad and maybe some rice and beans. This time we found more options, not to mention one that was particularly gorgeous and delicious. A true culinary piece of art.

Vegetable Burrito at Taqueria Tlaxcalli

In particular, the vegetable burrito was delightful, and, for an appetizer, I had the cactus salad - sin queso, of course. My girlfriend had herself a delicious black bean soup for an appetiser.
Naturally, if I'd have my 'drathers, the rice would be brown rice, and I'd like to double check the soup stock on the bean soup for I would suspect it's not all that vegetarian.
The bottom line is the options are growing compared to what I was used to in the past. Plus, I also know more about nutrition today than I ever did before, so menus are getting easier to navigate. The simple fact is there are more and more people going vegan, all around us, and you see it reflected in supermarkets and increasingly in restaurants. Nice to see one of my favorite places catching on.

More Kitchen Tools for Happy Vegans

Along with eating more vegetables, including many of them raw in salad, one of your key allies in the kitchen is  a good mandolin.

For my money the absolute winner in the category, as well as easily one of the safest designs is the Börner V-slicer, reviewed here on Cook's Illustrated.

And here is even a video review on America's Test Kitchen:

I consider this a pretty good review. I have owned two V-slicers over the last 40 years, and I have used other people's mandolins, but for me the V-slicer has always been the winner. Some of these mandolins actually make me scared from a safety standpoint, but the V-slicer is very safe to operate, although you must always be careful with sharp knives, not only to protect yourself, but also to keep them sharp longer. So grant yourself a Swissmar Börner V-slicer, and enjoy. It will make you an instant champ with vegetables, and able to make any number of fancy salads with some ingredients that might seem unwieldy otherwise.

Secret Weapons for Vegans: Rice Cookers

For one thing, in going vegan, you'll have a lot more fun cooking than ever before in your life, there's lots to discover, and as per usual, the key to it all is to make your kitchen efficient.

The pattern that has evolved for me is preparing some cold dishes ahead, so they're always ready to grab. That might include Tabouleh, or French Lentil salad, Black Bean Salsa, and usually I make some hummus so I can quickly make crackers with hummus and cucumber (and I like some sprinkles of Tajin or Siracha, or Sambal). Also I always have some quinoa, which I like to add to salads (minimum one a day, and meal size), and brown rice, or other whole grains.

Some of the tools you will find yourself looking for are a salad spinner, a mandolin, and generally sharp knives, plus I like to have a mortar and pestle around for crushing garlic and grinding spices. All these and more add convenience to your life. However, the one instrument that is absolutely indispensable and the key secret weapon for the vegan lifestyle is the rice cooker. And with rice cooker I mean a serious, top of the line automatic rice cooker, which must have a GABA brown rice (GBR) cycle and a timer function. The reason for having GBR is nutrition: GABA brown rice is simply more nutritious because the germination cycle allows Gamma-aminobutyric_acid (GABA) and other nutrients to develop, making it much more nutritious in the same way that various sprouts (beans, broccoli) are so exceptionally healthy. The timer thingy is phenomenal because it makes your life easier than having your own cook (rice cookers are endlessly patient), and you can put on your breakfast at night, to be ready when you wake up, and put on brown rice for dinner after you finish breakfast, so it's ready when your day is done. The extra money for the fancy models is easily worth it.
Here are two of my favorite designs (I am considering primarily the smallest models, for a one person household):

• The ideal might be a rice cooker with Induction Heat and a pressure cooker, but Zojirushi doesn't make one in the smallest size, so my favorite is their NP-GBC05 which has a 3-cup capacity that is great for one person households and small families. I have had this one for years, and I can honestly say that without it, my transition to a fully vegan lifestyle would have been almost unthinkable.
• Another phenomenal option would seem to be the Cuckoo CRP-EHS0309F, which is the same small size (3 cups), and offers generally the same conveniences as the Zojirushi, but it adds the pressure cooker feature, which does save time when you're in a hurry. Admittedly the timer should allow you to always cook ahead, but sometimes you forget, or you have a change of plans, and then saving time does count.

So, there you have it. The one thing to know is that brown rice has a shorter shelf-life than white rice, because it is more "alive." So you do not want to over-buy brown rice, lest you end up eating stale rice all the time. There are plenty of choices at most good supermarkets, and in our neighborhood Chang-Li is my favorite destination for rice, although, when I have a chance, I like to get some mixes like Organic 10 Mixed Grains at MayWah, or any one of the Lundberg varieties. Lundberg is the leader of the pack in terms of quality organic rice varieties and various products. The closest place you can get it in our neighborhood is at Good 'n Natural on White Plains Road by Pelham Parkway, which is one amazing health food store. Other places where you'll find Lundberg rice include Fairway, Whole Foods, and most any healthfood store in town.

Rogier's Black Bean Salsa

This recipe is based on Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr.'s book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, where on page 161 is his recipe for Best Black Bean Salsa. I wrote about some of my variations on the recipe before, but here it is in full:

Using ingredients from the neighborhood:

1. 1 lb. Wild Harvest organic black beans (from Pioneer at 1345 Castle Hill Avenue)
2. Optional: one 15 Oz can of Corn (Goya, other).
3. 1 17.6 Oz. Jar of Green Salsa (Pioneer, Key Foods and Chang-li all have it _ Goya or other brands).
4. 1 7 Oz. or 12 Oz. can of Chipotle peppers in adobo saus (La Morena, La Costeña, at Chang-Li, Pioneer or Key Food)
5. 1 can of sliced Jalapeño Peppers
6. 2-3 limes
7. One bunch of fresh Cilantro
8. Chunk of Kombu seaweed, sheets, or knots (from Chang-Li), alternatively use Savory (either summer or winter variety of Savory is good). Note: either kombu seaweed or savory is very helpful for the digestion of beans, and either adds depth to the flavor.

Preparation:

• Sort and rinse the beans and the seaweed.
• Cook the beans with the Kombu, or Savory about 45 minutes on a slow simmer after you bring it to the boil.
• While it cooks, squeeze the 2-3 limes (depending on size), chop the Cilantro leaves, and chop the Chipotle peppers. Drain the corn.
• Drain, remove Kombu, if you used it.
• Add in the chopped Cilantro leaves, the lime juice, chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce. 
• Mix, put away in the fridge. Best served next day.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve on puffed rice crackers, or you could use corn chips, but I don't like them because they are made with oil, and often it is canola oil, which I believe is unfit for human consumption and should be reserved for axle-grease, even aside from the no-oil directives of Dr. Esselstyn.

Madras Lentils - an oil-free variant

I always love Madras lentils, but the point here is an oil-free variant, since I have adopted Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's oil-free vegan lifestyle. Actually, this is a very easy recipe.
It is amazing how cooking with oil now tastes dull to me...

Pulses are plentiful on Starling Avenue, so any lentils and such are easy to find.

Ingredients:

3-4 cups of water (or you can also use some cooking water from green leafies, like spinach, etc.)
2 cups of red split lentils (Masoor Dal)
1 large onion, finely diced
1 large potato, peeled and cubed [1 russet or a few yukon gold]
1 Qt pack of tomato sauce/puree
1 15 Oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 15 Oz can of unsweetened coconut milk
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt, Real Salt, or Sea Salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin seeds, ground
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste

Watch it with the red pepper - the above may be too hot for some palates, so you may want to start with 1 tablespoon of red pepper the first time you try if you have a sensitive palate.

Preparation:

• bring 2 cups of water to a boil with the chopped onion, garlic, 
• add lentils and potato and simmer for about 45 mins,
• add in ground cumin, dried oregano, salt
• add in 1Qt of tomato puree, 1 15 Oz can of diced tomatoes
• add in 2 Tablespoons (to taste) of Indian Red Chili Powder, or Dried Crushed Red Peppers, or Cayenne pepper
• mix in a can of unsweetened coconut milk
• keep stirring with a wooden spoon all the time
• let it simmer until if feels "done."
• You can puree it, if you want it smooth.

This is excellent to freeze portions so you have this ready in a flash during the week. Over rice, with some fresh veggies, and you're done. A very healthy meal.

About the Stores

All the stores in my Starling Avenue food triangle are now posted on Nextdoor. You can get everything you need for the above recipe in one quick shopping excursion up and down Starling Avenue. SWAD lentils are everywhere. The Pioneer at 1345 has my favorite, Pomi Tomato Sauce. And the Key Food on Unionport usually has Muir Glen canned organic tomatoes.

WHY VEGAN DOCTORS ARE SUING THE GOVERNMENT: Dr Neal Barnard

It helps to realize how much the food and agricultural industry has dictated nutritional information in this country and around the world. I know, for I grew up in that dairy country, Holland, and while I was raised vegetarian, my parents were deeply convinced that dairy, including milk, eggs, cheese and yoghurt was actually healthy for you. Not until a few years ago did I discover that the complete vegan diet is simply the way to go, healthy, delicious and nutritious.

What also helps is to remember how skewed our information stream has really become, for the recent obsession with deaths from opioid addiction and heroin overdoses puts this in perspective:

• 78 deaths a day from heroin overdoses is a national health crisis, and we send in the marines,
• 1671 deaths a day from cardiovascular illness is business as usual, and the USDA blithely continues to recommend animal proteins and dairy, even in its latest version of "MyPlate." 

An objective reader might conclude that cardiovascular disease should be the bigger priority, and the government should stop promoting more of it, i.e. animal protein, fats and dairy. Sugar, white flour and whipped cream are a more dangerous addiction than opioids. Time to tune in to Dr. Neil Barnard, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, and others who are focused on the right priorities.

Meanwhile, John Oliver recently put the whole mess with opioid addictions in perspective beautifully: 

Meaning again that iatrogenic disease, disease caused by doctors and the side effects of medicine continue to be a serious issue. A recent piece on Nutrition Facts makes the same point all over again: Medical Care: The Third Leading Cause of Death.

Taking responsibility for your own health and nutrition is really up to you, and it pays to do your own research and to scrutinize the validity of the government's assertions. The USDA is in the business of supporting the food industry, and the health and well-being of consumers is an after thought. What PCRM is doing is of critical importance, and we all need to pay attention and come to our own conclusions.

The Starling Avenue Food Shopping Triangle

There are areas in the Bronx where the selection of fruits and vegetables leaves something to be desired, but Starling Avenue is the exception that perhaps proves the rule. Indeed in our own district there is a dearth of good grocery shopping in many areas, especially also since the Key Foods at the Bruckner Plaza shut its doors last August, and we understand it won't be till next August before there's a new store coming in, I believe a Shoprite. Be that as it may, in the interim it may be worthwhile from people in nearby areas to shop on Starling avenue, we have such a selection of stores, it is almost unbelievable. It is a real shoppers paradise, especially if fresh produce is your thing.

The anchor stores of the Starling Avenue Food Shopping Triangle are:

1. Chang-Li Supermarket on 2079 Benedict Avenue, corner Unionport Road.
2. Key Foods on 1535 Unionport Road
3. Pioneer Supermarket at 1345 Castle Hill Avenue

Chang-Li Supermarket

Key Foods on Unionport

Pioneer at 1345 Castle Hill

Two outliers are:

• World of Spice, for West-Indian specialties, on Westchester Avenue, right by the Castle Hill Elevated subway station.
• Lady Afrique International Market on Castle Hill, across from Pioneer, for West African (principally Ghanaian) staples and specialties.

World of Spice

Lady Afrique International Market

The main event, the Bangladeshi markets on Starling Avenue

Some are purely Bangladeshi, some have West-Indian as well as West-African specialties and a few have some more Indian and Pakistani ingredients as well, so if ethnic cuisine is your thing, here is where the action is.

1. Bangla Town Supermarket, at 2161 Starling Avenue
2. Halal Meat & Grocery at 2148 Starling Avenue
3. Poshora at 2142-2144 Starling Avenue
4. Al Aqsa Halal Meat & Supermarket at 2109 Starling Avenue
5. Premium Halal Meat & Fish at 1500 Olmstead Avenue, corner Starling Avenue - 24 hours
6. Friends Grocery & Halal Meat - 24 Hours
7. Neerob Bazaar at 2085 Starling Avenue, developing an interesting selection...

Bangla Town

Halal Meat & Grocery

Poshora Market

Al-Aqsa

Premium Halal Meat & Fish

Friends Grocery

Neerob Bazaar

So, there you have it, be my guest. You will find most all the ingredients I ever use in this neighborhood, and I seldom have to go far, and sometimes I turn the stove off in the middle of cooking if I find out I forgot something or ran out of something... it's just too easy to do!

Happy shopping!