| eLifelines June 2010 - Get Active This Summer |
| Friday, 11 June 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The heat is on! Summer has arrived and that means it's a time of anticipation. With our first ever Compassion Week behind us, we're now moving into the Vegetarian Food Fair preparation mode, so keep your eyes and ears tuned for updates throughout the summer. We're also gearing up for the November Toronto election, and we've got some tips for how you can get involved in your community and get your local candidates thinking about Meatless Mondays. If for you summer means time to get out and get active, you'll probably be looking for something nutritious to keep your energy levels up, and we've got just the thing with a spotlight on lentils and a great recipe to go along with it. Or, find out even more about cooking with lentils in Nimisha's upcoming Healthy Vegan Indian cooking class! Don't Miss These Upcoming Events!There are still spots left in Nimisha Raja's two remaining cooking classes at Whole Foods, plus her newly announced Healthy Vegan Indian class and TVA's Special General Meeting will take place on June 23rd. Find out more in the TVA in Action section or on Facebook.
This Month...
TVA in Action - TVA Events (Plant-Based Cooking 101, Demystifying Tofu and Healthy Vegan Indian Cooking Classes, Special General Meeting, social group events), Meatless Mondays and the Toronto Mayoral debate, directory updates In the News - 2010 World Vegetarian Conference announced, Critical Animal Studies available at Brock University, HSUS Lawsuit Successful Animal Profile of the Month - Lobsters and Us Nutritious Food of the Month - Love Your Lentils Recipe - Spaghetti with Red Lentil Sauce Discount Profile - Simon's Wok: 10% off with the TVA Discount Card Readers' Classifieds - WSPA Panel Discussion on Cheap Meat
TVA In ActionUpcoming Events
Cooking Series at Whole Foods - Two classes left plus one new one! Nimisha Raja of Evolving Appetites still has two classes remaining in her cooking series at Whole Foods, and she's just announced a new one in July as well. All menus are 100% plant based, low fat and full of fibre. You’ll receive copies of the recipes to take home, and sample everything we make in class. Thursday, June 17th Wednesday, June 23rd Sunday, July 11th Nimisha grew up with traditional Indian food. She has recreated the recipes with reduced oil and fats, but kept the flavour in tact. We’ll start our exotic Indian journey with a red lentil dhal (soup) served over brown basmati rice. A main course of hearty “Aloo Chole” (potato/chickpea stew) served with whole wheat pita and a sides of kachumber (traditional Indian salad of cabbage/tomato/cucumber) and papadums will be finished off with a sweet treat of vegan mango shake. Where? Whole Foods teaching kitchen, located at 87 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5R 3R9 How Much? Classes are $30 each or 4 in the series for $100. Registration? Please call 416.944.0500 for more information or to register for any of these unique classes. Unless otherwise stated, please register in person at the customer service desk or by phone. Space is limited to 14 students so don't delay. Toronto Vegetarian Association Special General MeetingThe Toronto Vegetarian Association is updating its bylaws to ensure that they remain consistent with and reflect the current practices of the organization. These amendments to the bylaws will help to ensure that they remain a relevant, accurate governing document for the organization. TVA members are invited to a Special General Meeting to ratify amendments approved by the Board of Directors. Where? Lillian H Smith Library (239 College Street, just east of Spadina) More Information: Details regarding the amendments, as well as the rationale behind the changes, are posted at veg.ca/bylaws. Note: This event is open to TVA members only. Snacks and desserts care of Vegan Delights will be served. Find other veg-related event listings at veg.ca/events. TVA Group EventsThe Dinner Social Group will hold their next meeting at Sushi Q (705 College Street) on Thursday, June 17th at 7 pm. Please RSVP to tvadinner@veg.ca. The York Region/North York Vegetarian Group will hold their next meeting at Loving Hut (953 Eglinton Avenue West) on Sunday, June 13th at 1 pm. Please RSVP to yorkregion@veg.ca or 416-636-5757. The York Region/North York Veg Group welcomes new and experienced vegetarians, and anyone wishing to make a transition to a vegetarian lifestyle. All ages welcome. TVA Reads will meet to discuss The Pig Who Sang to the Moon by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson and enjoy a vegan potluck. June 21 at 7 pm, in the Queen-Ossington area. For more information or to join the group contact Shân at tvareads@veg.ca. Join one of TVA’s social groups. Invite Toronto's Mayoral Candidates to Join Meatless MondaysThe upcoming November election in the city of Toronto presents a great opportunity to engage the city in the Meatless Mondays campaign, and spread the word about how easy it is to incorporate more plant-based foods into people's diets to create a healthier, more sustainable city. We invite you to attend your local mayoral debates and submit your question to the candidates, asking them if they would support a city-wide endorsement of Meatless Mondays. Here is some suggested wording to get you going: According to the UN, animal agriculture is responsible for a whopping 18% of global climate change. The City of San Francisco recently endorsed a non-binding resolution encouraging Meatless Mondays as a way for people to help reduce the city's ecological footprint and encourage healthy, cruelty-free eating. Similar resolutions have been adopted internationally in Ghent, Belgium and Tel Aviv, Israel. What would you do as mayor to encourage healthy, sustainable eating and would you be willing to pledge to go meatless on Mondays and encourage city council and staff to do the same? Directory UpdatesMore plant-based options have arrived in the western suburbs! A vegan cafe with organic foods, a bakery and a juice bar has opened in Burlington, called Kindfood. Their baked goods are even gluten free! In other news, Village of India Sweets and Restaurant has changed their name to Village of Punjab: Sweets and Restaurant. But, they're still offering vegetarian eat in and take out in Scarborough. We regret to inform that Excellent Cafe and Restaurant appears to have closed.
Stay in-the-know as more updates are announced on our directory updates page. In the NewsWorld Vegetarian Congress 2010The 39th Annual World Vegetarian Congress will take place in early October, in Jakarta and Bali Island, Indonesia. The event will feature over 50 speakers. More information can be found on their website at www.wvc2010.org.
Critical Animal Studies Now Available at Brock UniversityThe Department of Sociology at Brock University (in St. Catharines) is now offering a Critical Animals Studies Concentration. The department puts animal rights into a social justice framework, and also has a vegan food policy for all campus events. Learn more about the department, as well as professor John Sorenson's new book, About Canada, About Animal Rights, here. Humane Society of the US Wins Lawsuit Opposing Foie GrasLast month you learned about geese in our animal profile of the month, and this month there's some good news we can all celebrate on their behalf. The HSUS won a federal lawsuit against the country's largest foie gras factory (Hudson Valley Foie Gras). The company was accused of violating the federal clean water act, and they now face a fine of $25,000 per day until action is taken to remedy pollution problems. The lawsuit may not have changed the conditions for the birds for the time being, but it's a step in the right direction. Animal Profile of the MonthCare of Bonnie Shulman Lobsters and UsWhat do the movies Annie Hall and Julie & Julia have in common? Each features a gruesome scene in which a giggling woman struggles at the idea of putting a live lobster in a pot of boiling water, but does so anyways. Formulaic hilarity ensues.
Nutritious Food of the MonthLove Your LentilsCare of Amy Symington Lentils are a hearty way to fuel your body! Part of the pulse family, they’re packed with fibre, Folate, Vitamin B1, iron, protein and are brimming with essential amino acids. They come in almost every colour of the rainbow from French Green to Masoor Crimson Red and they have even more culinary uses. From lentil burgers to hearty stews, stuffed pastries to pasta sauces and succulent side salads, the delicious list goes on and on.In terms of health benefits, there are a plenty! From all that glorious fibre they can aid in lowering cholesterol levels and help to maintain blood sugar levels, which is phenomenal in the prevention and treatment of heart disease and/or diabetes. Consuming them during pregnancy is great for the ladies with the babies in obtaining sufficient amounts of Folate needed to keep thoughts of neural tube defects out of their minds. The high levels of iron in this tasty pulse also keep any concerns for iron deficiencies at bay. Teamed up with a grain or rice dish, one can obtain a meal that is complete in all the essential amino acids that our bodies need but don’t produce. Also, since the protein content of lentils is practically fat-free with no sign of saturated fat they will fill you up without filling you out. Who needs animal protein when there is our little friend the lentil around? If all this nutrition talk doesn’t sell you, the price will. They are one of the most inexpensive and massively utilized sources of protein in the world. As a Canadian you’ll also be happy to know that we are the second highest leading producer of lentils, so why not support our nation’s bountiful gifts while simultaneously making an exceptionally healthy yet mouth-watering meal? Click here to join TVA and receive the print Lifelines, which offers more nutritional info, recipes and cookbook reviews. Find more nutritional information at veg.ca/nutrition. RecipeSpaghetti with Red Lentil Sauce from Robin Robertson's Quick Fix Vegetarian
Ingredients
Directions Get the pasta water boiling in a large covered pot. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils, the water or broth, and salt to taste. Cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, uncovered on low heat about 6 to 8 minutes, or until the pasta is done cooking. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serves 4. Find links to more recipes at veg.ca/recipes. Discount ProfileSimon's Wok: 10% off with TVA Discount Card
Simon's Wok is a little Chinese eatery serving Buddhist vegetarian delights. Tucked away on Gerrard just west of Carlaw, you can get a quick and inexpensive meal for less than $10 per person all in. Popular dishes include the gluten and tofu-based vegetarian dim sum and the olive leaf fried rice. Seating is generally easy to come by in this cozy space. During peak hours or to enjoy at home, take-out is also a popular option. Use your TVA discount card and get 10% off. Where? 797 Gerrard Street East (at Logan) Veg Status? Vegetarian Savings with TVA Discount Card: 10% off The TVA Discount Card is available to members of the Toronto Vegetarian Association. Find a full listing of participating locations here. To join TVA and/or purchase a discount card, make a tax-deductible, online donation or phone the TVA office at 416-544-9800. Readers' Classifieds
WSPA Panel Discussion: The True Costs of Cheap MeatThe World Society for the Protection of Animals will hold a screening on June 16th of Pig Business, a documentary of an investigation into the devastating impacts intensive farming is having on the environment, human health, rural livelihoods and animal welfare. Following the screening will be a panel discussion including Erika Ritter and Stephanie Brown. More information can be found at www.wspa.ca/pigbusiness. Join the Toronto Vegetarian Association today!
Founded in 1945, the Toronto Vegetarian Association is a volunteer-driven charitable organization devoted to providing information and support to people who are interested in making healthier, greener, more peaceful food choices. By becoming a member of TVA, you'll support vital programs such as the largest annual vegetarian food fair in North America, the vegetarian directory, a volunteer-run vegetarian resource centre and the Veggie Challenge. You'll also receive our quarterly print newsletter Lifelines, and be entitled to a free, customized subscription to VegE-News. Plus, you'll have the option to purchase our Discount Card, offering savings at over 80 veg-friendly businesses in the GTA. All donations of $20 or more are tax-deductible. Join the Toronto Vegetarian Association today and help us inspire people to choose a healthier, greener, more peaceful lifestyle.
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