Zero Food Waste

Food waste is a problem.

It is the third largest contributor to climate change, but with so many people going hungry it also feels like, well, such a waste. That is why we are proud that all our stores are now Zero Edible Food Waste.
Like lots of retailers we work hard to reduce the amount of food that goes to waste in the first place, but as we sell a large range of fresh foods and serve 10,000 meals a week in our cafes there is inevitably some.  To avoid it being thrown away, since 2017 we have been part of OLIO’s “Food Waste Heroes” programme.

At the end of every day we donate all our edible food to volunteers who redistribute it to the local community via OLIO, the food sharing revolution platform. It is a truly pioneering partnership and each month more than 5000 portions of perishable food now feed bellies in communities near all of our stores.  The rescued food helps many people affected by hunger and food poverty.

OLIO Food Waste Hero, Amran Ali, has been picking up food from our Devonshire Square and Islington stores for seven months:-
 
“Volunteering at OLIO has strengthened my understanding of what it means to give back to the community. Since I started saving food from Planet Organic, I have shared my collections with over 100 people in my local area. Struggling single parents, the elderly, the disabled, the hungry & vulnerable; have all benefited from the surplus food. I believe it's important to do what we can for others in need, and as a bonus we're helping the planet too.”

from Planet Organic Blog https://ift.tt/2tIHelZ
via How to Save Money When Buying Organic Foods

Tofu Burger Hoagie Roll

Beet Waffles with Raspberry Sauce

We got a new waffle maker for Valentine’s Day.  One that has ♥ heart shapes. This recipe makes very nice waffles. They were not as bright red as I thought they would be and the beet flavor is not really noticeable. However, the flavor combination with the raspberries made a lovely dessert and treat for Valentine’s Day.

Ingredients:

for the waffles:

• 1½ cups AP flour
• ¼ cup polenta or cornflour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 egg replacements
• ½ cup beet puree and juice
• 1½ cups almond milk
• 4 tablespoons margarine, melted
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom

for the raspberry sauce:

• 2 cups raspberries
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• garnished with non-dairy whipped topping

Directions:

1. To make the waffle batter:
   1. Peel a small red beet.
   2. Cut in small pieces cover with water and cook until soft.
   3. Add water as needed to insure that it does not burn. Once the beet is soft, puree it and allow to cool.
   4. When the beet and water/ juice have cooled puree to a smooth consistency.
   5. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
   6. Mix the egg replacements into a second medium-sized bowl and beat until frothy.
   7. Drizzle in the almond milk and pureed beet.
   8. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, along with the melted margarine.
   9. Mix with decisive strokes from the bottom of the bowl, until all the dry ingredients have been moistened.
   10. If the batter is too thick add a bit more of the almond milk.
2. To make the berry sauce:
   1. Place the mixed berries in a saucepan.
   2. Add the water, sugar, cornstarch.
   3. Stir well to dissolve the cornstarch.
   4. Place on a low heat to simmer until the berries soften and the sauce thickens.
3. To make the waffles:
   1. Lightly spray the hot waffle iron on both the top and bottom surfaces with nonstick spray (depending on your waffle iron).
   2. Add just enough batter to cover the cooking surface-approximately ½ cup for a standard waffle (1 cup for a Belgian waffle).
   3. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on your waffle iron. Don’t over-bake- you want it crisp and brown but not too dark.
   4. Serve the waffles with the berry sauce on top and a small dollop of non dairy whipped topping.

Related Posts:

• Beet Dumplings (Knödel) with Vegan Cheese Sauce
• Vegan Apple, Walnut, Polenta Waffles
• Beet Leaf Pesto
• Eggplant Towers with Beet Hummus
• Beet Salad with Plums and Tofu Feta

from Vegalicious http://bit.ly/2GnbD1H
via Why You Should Consider Buying Organic Food

Review: Winter Slaw with Sprouted Lentils

We found this delicious salad at Beth Dunham’s blog. It only took a little bit of adapting to be vegan. We really enjoyed this salad. You will need to start a couple of days ahead to sprout your lentils but it is well worth doing as they add such a nice crunch to the salad.

We did follow the instructions, and only changed the dressing by using non-dairy yogurt instead of the sour cream and mayo. We did add a small splash of sesame oil to the soy-yogurt so as to bring out the Vitamin A in the carrots. She said that left-overs will keep a few days in the refrigerator, but there was no way we had any left overs.
Recipe: http://bethdunham.ca/updatesnews/2015/11/23/winter-slaw-with-sprouted-lentils

Related Posts:

• Super Slaw – Winter Coleslaw with Apples and…
• Beluga Lentils with Winter Squash, Parsnips and Tofu Feta
• Review: Middle-eastern Rice and Lentils with Harissa…
• Winter Squash Chili Sin Carne
• Winter Squash, Chickpea Tajine

from Vegalicious http://bit.ly/2HZZ3Hb
via Why You Should Consider Buying Organic Food

Beet Dumplings (Knödel) with Vegan Cheese Sauce

Knödel are a common favorite German meal. They are kind of like the stuffing used at Thanksgiving time, mixed with a bit of milk and egg to hold together, then cooked (boiled) and served with a sauce. As vegans we use non-dairy milk and chickpea flour as a substitute for the eggs. These are beet dumplings, there are other kinds but these are quite tasty indeed, and a great way to use old bread or the ends of the loaf.

Yield: 12-14 dumplings

Ingredients:

• 5-6 slices day-old bread
• 2-3 beets
• ½ cup non-dairy milk
• 3 spring onions
• 3 tablespoons chickpea flour
• salt and pepper to taste

for the vegan cheese sauce:

• 1 large carrot, sliced
• ¼-½ cup tofu cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• splash chili sauce (optional)
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons mustard
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

1. Cut the bread into small cubes or process in a food processor.
2. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl.
3. Cut the spring onions in small pieces and add to the bread.
4. If you have a juicer, I would juice the beets, using the beet juice and pulp. Otherwise, cook the beets in water until they are soft, then puree.
5. Add the non-dairy milk, chickpea flour salt and pepper to the bread.
6. Mix well, I used a fork.
7. Allow the bread to soak up the liquid for half an hour.
8. After half an hour, test the mixture. It should be able to be rolled into golf ball sized balls.
9. If it is too moist, add 1 more tablespoon of chickpea flour and mix.
10. Using a serving spoon, take a generous amount of the beet mixture and form into golf ball sized balls.
11. Make about 12-14 balls.
12. To make the sauce: Peel the carrot and cut into small pieces.
13. Cook the carrot pieces in a small amount of water until they are soft.
14. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and puree to a smooth mixture.
15. Season to taste with more nutritional yeas, lemon juice, salt or pepper.
16. Traditionally knödel are boiled in lightly salted water, but often, vegan ones fall apart, so I have learned that they do well in a steamer. I have a traditional Asian bamboo steamer that fits onto my frying pan filled with water.
17. Steam the dumplings for 5 – 8 minutes.
18. Serve the dumplings with the cheese sauce, and perhaps garnished with a few mint or basil leaves.
19. These dumplings were nice as a lunch. They are often used as a side dish, or as a main meal, with mushroom sauce and red cabbage on the side.

Related Posts:

• Purple Potato Pancakes with Vegan Cheese Sauce
• Apple, Sauerkraut, & Vegan Cheese Quesadillas
• Vegan Spinach Gnudi dressed with Tomato Sauce
• Vegan Tortellini with Spicy Pumpkin Sauce, Ricotta…
• Gnocchi with Creamy Vegan Tomato Sauce, Turnip…

from Vegalicious http://bit.ly/2HK67HZ
via Why You Should Consider Buying Organic Food

Vegan Pumpkin Crepes

This recipe of vegan pumpkin crepes filled with carrots, herbed non-dairy yogurt and chervil makes a lovely lunch for 2 or a light brunch.

Serving Size: 2
Yield: 4 crepes

Ingredients:

for the crepes:

• 1 cup chick pea flour
• 1 cup AP flour
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar

for the filling:

• 2 cups carrots, peeled and grated

for the sauce:

• 2 cups non-dairy yogurt
• 1 teaspoon ground anise or fennel
• ½-¾ cups chervil, cleaned and chopped

for the garnish:

• a few chervil fronds

Directions:

1. To make the crepes place the 2 flours in a bowl.
2. Add the salt, cornstarch and sugar and lightly mix with a fork.
3. Mix the 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree with the 3 c ups of water.
4. Peel and grate the carrots.
5. Clean the chervil, reserve a few as garnish and chop the rest.
6. Mix the non-dairy yogurt with the anise and pinch of salt and a splash of water.
7. Add the chopped chervil and mix again.
8. Heat a large frying pan or crepe pan.
9. Add a small amount of oil and spread over the pan.
10. Add 1 soup ladle of crepe batter and lightly fry until there are bubbles on top of the crepe and it looks to be “dry”
11. Flip the crepe over and lightly cook the other side.
12. Place the cooked crepe on a serving plate.
13. Add a small amount of oil to the crepe pan and another ladle of batter.
14. While the 2nd crepe is cooking, fill the first crepe with a handful of grate4d carrots, some of the yogurt/chervil mixture and fold the crepe in half.
15. Garnish with a few chervil fronds and continue cooking the 2nd crepe.
16. This recipe made 4 nice sized crepes.

Related Posts:

• Review: Vegan Pumpkin Chili
• Vegan Tortellini with Spicy Pumpkin Sauce, Ricotta…
• Barley, Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Pumpkin Seeds
• Vegan Pea Salad
• Vegan Apple Snow

from Vegalicious http://bit.ly/2QGpvVg
via Why You Should Consider Buying Organic Food

New Year, New Brews

Our 2019 drinks menu has landed! We're all about brain health and optimal functioning this month. Click to learn more!
Feel better this January. We’re going to honest here…January is our least favourite month. There we’ve said it and we’ll say it again, it ranks 12 in our list of top months.
Christmas is over, it’s dark outside ALL the time, that Christmas Eve pay cheque; which seemed great then, is now being stretched to the max and to top it all off there is this pressure to make life altering commitments. Quite frankly, we’d rather stay in bed.
But the start of a new year; 2019, is a good time to refocus and think about you. Rather than making promises to the gym and a brand ‘new you’ why not give ‘current you’ a bit of a wellbeing hug. We know we’re not alone in hating January, which is why we’re concentrating on boosting our mood and overall feel good factor; physically and mentally.
We’ve designed 3 drinks to deal with January head on; not only are the ingredients potent stress reducers & immunity boosters but they taste great. A wellbeing hug in a cup.
 
High Vibes Shot 5-HTP, CBD, Mucuna Pruriens, Rose Water, Cherry Active & Coconut M*lk
A powerhouse in a shot glass with 5 active ingredients to make January better. 5-HTP increases serotonin levels giving you a mood boost. Mucuna pruriens and CBD help to alleviate stress and reduce anxiety while rose water and cherry active will give your immune system a much-needed helping hand.
 
Blue Pearl Shot Pearl Powder, E3 Live, Hazelnut M*lk
Just 3 simple ingredients, but this delicious tasting shot has the power to turn your day around. Pearl powder (your new best friend) has been used in Chinese medicine for years as a calming, mind stabiliser and for radiant skin. E3 live, a complete food, provides over 65 vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids for an all-round wellness uplift.
 
Bloom & Glow Latte Ashwagandha, Pearl, Rose Water, Beetroot, Coconut Nectar, Oat M*lk
Ashwagandha, an adaptogen, will relieve feelings of stress and anxiety along with giving you an immune boost. Pearl powder will add to the calming effect making this the most chilled out latte around. A great swap for your morning latte or as an afternoon pick-me-up.
 
Available in all store throughout January and February. Share your pictures of them with us on Instagram @planetorganic
 

from Planet Organic Blog http://bit.ly/2TGsQ8Z
via How to Save Money When Buying Organic Foods