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Food and Recipe of the Month: Pumpkin Gnocchi

Care of Andrea Howe, of glowingongreens.com  When we think of pumpkins, we usually picture it as an October staple served at Thanksgiving, or on our porches for Halloween. However, pumpkins in November are just as acceptable before we make the transition to winter months. Pumpkins are part of the winter squash family, along with spaghetti, acorn, and butternut squash. Its hearty and rich flavour can be used in a variety of recipes including sauces, lattés, or blended into doughs. This versatile vegetable is not only good for autumn recipes, but for its exquisite nutritional profile. Pumpkins get their bright orange colouring from a nutrient called beta-carotene. Our bodies convert beta-carotene to vitamin A, which is an antioxidant that plays a role in reducing the risk for cancer, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease. Vitamin A is also famous for its benefits to our skin. It can fight free radicals which can contribute to aging, skin damage, and fine-lines. Pumpkin is also low in calories and high in fibre. This means that it is a staple ingredient to be used when trying to lose weight. Fibre helps the body feel full for longer while maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Fibre also plays a… Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Nutrition Uncategorised Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes

November Veg Guide Updates

Happy November! It may have started snowy and gloomy, but there’s plenty of great new places to check out in the city this month, so get out there and eat something yummy! CASA Manila 879 York Mills Rd., ​Unit #1 In what we believe is the first GTA Filipino vegan menu, Casa Manila is offering a huge number of plant-based dishes! We enquired with the shop, and were assured that everything on that menu is vegan, so order tasty items such as Tofu, green beans, & eggplant adobo, and sauteed mung beans. They even have vegan key lime milkshakes!    Coven 681 Barton St. E Hamilton’s vegan shop extraordinaire is moving a couple of blocks south in January, to a shop that’s three times the size!  “Our new space is almost 3 times the size and will allow us to double the amount of items we carry, as well as add a significant amount to our bakery section, in addition we will have a hot bar, jewish deli-style sandwich menu, and so much more.” We can’t wait to visit their new digs on Main… Read More

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November 2020 Social Group Events

Toronto Starch Solution is holding a Zoom chat on the first Friday of each month, including Friday, November 6th! If you would like to learn more about whole foods and plant-based eating, bring your questions, struggles, and success stories to share. Email starch.tva@gmail.com to RSVP. Veggies of Hamilton-Burlington are hiking on the Bruce Trail to Mount Nemo, leaving from Walkers Line in November. If you’re interested, email hamiltonburlington@veg.ca for details! TVA Reads is holding their next Zoom book club on November 18th at 6:30 pm. Email tvareads@veg.ca for more info and to RSVP.  Vegetarians of High Park are getting together for a picnic in the park on Saturday, December 5th at 2 pm. Bring a blanket to sit on and another one to keep warm, bundle up, and bring along a thermos of hot cocoa or tea! RSVP to highpark@veg.ca by December 1st. Vegetarians In Their Twenties have bi-weekly Zoom meetings. Join the Facebook Group to find details for the next one!… Read More

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Thanksgiving Veg Guide Updates!

It’s officially October. Time for pumpkin spice, tofurkey, halloween, warm scarves, and colourful leaves. It’s also time to give you a preview of what our Veg Guide businesses are offering up; plenty of pies, roasts, soups, and hearty veggies. Read on to discover your Thanksgiving dinner plans!    Basil Box Basil Box has some awesome new vegan dishes, including Tofu Pad Thai, Thai Cold Noodles, and Vegan Noodle Soup (This one is currently testing at Ryerson location, and will be available Ontario wide come November)!    Bean House If you’re looking for something a little different for dessert, Bean House in Don Mills is offering 20% off their vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free bean cakes! They’re available in the following flavours: Adzuki bean cake with Sakura rose flavoured, Cinnamon green lentil cake, Ginger black turtle bean cake,  Coconut romano bean cake, Vanilla white kidney bean cake, and Original chickpea cake.                                                 Bettercookies.ca Send a beautiful Happy Thanksgiving Homemade Cookie Jar to celebrate someone you want to thank this year. BetterCookies.ca delivers cookie jars in Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, Mississauga, Milton,… Read More

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Butternut Squash Ravioli

Care of Andrea Howe of Glowingongreens.com Autumn is a time that brings warmth into your life through hearty meals, family gatherings, and cozy sweaters. When I think of autumn foods, butternut squash recipes are without a doubt my go-to. Butternut squash is not only good for comforting and warm recipes, but it is packed full of nutrients. Squash is a category of many vegetables, including zucchini, pumpkin, or butternut squash. Their bright orange colour comes from the same nutrient that gives carrots their colouring– carotene! In the body, carotene is converted into Vitamin A, which is essential for eye health, bone health, and immune function. Butternut squash is also packed with vitamin C which aids in immune health, as well as skin and tissue repair. Both vitamin A and C are important to have in the colder months to help keep your immunity strong. Butternut squash contains many antioxidants, which help fight free radicals that can lead to cancer and disease development, one reason consuming at least one green and orange vegetable every day is recommended. Eating a diet rich in orange vegetables, including butternut squash can lower your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic… Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Food of the Month News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Nutrition Uncategorised

Discount Profile: Valiant’s Modern Plant-Based Eatery

If you are ever in the Barrie area, or even relatively close by, a great place to stop by for a wonderful meal and some special treats is Valiant’s Modern Plant-Based Eatery. My partner and I were on our way back to Toronto from Muskoka one afternoon and had been looking forward to this stopover for quite some time. Valiant’s certainly did not disappoint! Being in the downtown area, near the waterfront and Heritage Park, makes it the perfect location for an after-meal stroll. The interior space is relaxing, casual, and inviting. They had some great music playing in the background which really created a genuine ambience of friendliness and community. The menu itself was very large and in fact a bit overwhelming! Of course, this is a good thing, since there are so many awesome options to choose from. It all sounded and looked so good, gluten-free and non-gluten free alike! Although the pizza was tempting, we decided to go for the burgers including the bacun cheeze burger…. doubled! This, as it sounds, included 2 patties, 2 bacun strips and 2 cheeze slices. As you can imagine it was extremely filling and tasted… Read More

Filed under: Discount profiles Eat Veg elifelines News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Toronto Veg Blog Uncategorised

October 2020 Social Group Events

Veggies of Halton-Peel are hosting a hike and picnic in Erindale Park in Mississauga on Sunday, October 4th at 10 am. All attendees must practice Covid-19 protocols of social distancing and bring your own food and water, hat, sunglasses and comfortable shoes. Click here for more details on Facebook, and please make sure to RSVP to haltonpeel@veg.ca. Veggies of Hamilton-Burlington are also hosting a hike and picnic on Monday, October 12th (a stat holiday), at 10:45 am. They’ll meet at Dundas Driving Park and hike to Tews Falls, then pre-order take-out lunch from Bistro Vie to eat in a park after the hike. You must email your food order, and your full name and email address and RSVP by Saturday, October 11th at 10 am to hamiltonburlington@veg.ca. TVA Reads is celebrating their ten-year anniversary this month! They will be reading and discussing How to Survive a Pandemic by Michael Greger on Octobee 21st at 6:30 pm on Zoom. Email tvareads@veg.ca for more info and to RSVP. … Read More

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September Veg Guide Updates

Hi Everyone! Welcome to September, time for back to school, Veg Food Fest, sweaters, pumpkin spice, and open windows. It’s not exactly the same as normal, but like any other month, there’s a few great new vegan restaurants to check out! Abu hummus 199 Baldwin Street.  Kensington Market has a new hummus restaurant, and it looks great! Abu Hummus serves up hummus as a meal, loaded with toppings like cauliflower, falafel, fries, or mushrooms. Vegan options are clearly marked, and there’s a bunch of them, as you’d expect from a hummus restaurant.    Chay Viet Vegetarian Ghost Kitchen (delivery or pickup only from 380 Dundas W.)  This new Vietnamese spot is a ghost kitchen–a restaurant that operates on delivery platforms only inside another restaurant. But they make great Vietnamese food, if you live near Dundas and McCaul, or you want to have a picnic in Grange Park.    localEats.to Pizzeria Du, Parka, Mugi, and others have banded together to form their own food delivery service! Order from these businesses from localEats to help businesses keep a bigger cut… Read More

Filed under: Front page post News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Uncategorised Veg Directory Updates

September Social Group Events

The Vegan Baking Group: Friday, August 28th at 6:30 pm in Riverdale Park. The Vegan Baking Group’s first in-person event in months! You won’t want to miss this. Bake your favourite vegan square recipe (sweet OR savory) and bring them to share! This event will be capped at 10 people, and social distancing measures will be in place. The exact location of the meetup at the park will be posted closer to the event date. Click here to RSVP on Facebook. Toronto Starch Solution Group: Virtual chats are happening on Zoom the first Tuesday of each month at 7 pm. The next one is Tuesday, September 1st. Bring your questions, struggles, and success stories to share. RSVP to starch.tva@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link for the event. Vegetarians of High Park: Wednesday, September 9th at 5:30 pm, Vegetarians of High Park will get together for a socially distanced picnic in High Park. This event will be capped at ten people. That means you MUST RSVP by Friday, September 4th to highpark@veg.ca. Everyone will be expected to bring their own blanket to sit on, to be spaced six feet apart from others. Please bring your own dinner/snacks/treats whatever you like, note this event… Read More

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Food and Recipe of the Month: Basil Pesto

Basil – the famous herb which is likely in everyone’s vegetable garden in the summertime. Basil is known for its fresh and flavourful taste, and is popular in many recipes in Italian and Thai cuisine. The two most common variaties of basil are Genovese basil and Thai basil, however there are well over 15 types. Basil is rich in many vitamins and minerals that can greatly benefit our health. It contains antioxidants, including chlorophyll, giving it that bright green colour. Antioxidants are able to fight free-radical damage, and reduce the risk of cancer cells and diseases from forming. Basil also contains essential oils, which are anti-inflammatory, so it may be beneficial for those with arthritis, heart disease, or type 2 diabetes. Its anti-inflammatory properties may also be helpful for those who experience headaches, poor digestion, or acid reflux. Not only does it contain these powerful nutrients, but it can also be used as a flavour enhancer in cooking, replacing added sugar or salt. Therefore, using basil in your cooking can reduce the amount of unnecessary additional seasoning. Basil can be used in a variety of dishes, including salads, soups, sauces, and tea. It’s most popular use is in pesto,… Read More

Filed under: Eat Veg elifelines Food of the Month Nutrition Uncategorised Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes