eBites Winter 2014

Published by Vegetarian for Life, the advocacy and educational charity working on behalf of older vegetarians and vegans

Veggie SwitzerlandMore than silk-smooth chocolate,cuckoo clocks andyodelling?

Staying food safeShould you beignoring use-bydates?

PLUS: Veggie travelmade easy | Festivedelights | Homelyready-meals scheme

A taste of South AsiaAuthentic recipes with a healthy twist

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WelcomeI’m delighted to introduce the second issue of our magazine,Vegetarian for Life eBites.

Well, the nights have now well and truly drawn in. Whether you’replanning an exotic getaway to sunnier or snowier climes – or a seriesof cosy meals in front of the fire – we have a little something for you.

When you are on unfamiliar turf, trying to find great vegetarian orvegan places to eat can be a minefield. Newly-retired Ray O’Learyhas found veggie and vegan heaven in the Alps (page 3). We alsoshare our tips on finding the most veg-friendly hotels and eateriesworldwide – even if all that you are planning is a simple day trip.

While ready-meals are essential fare for some, at times it’s nice to tuckinto something more homely. At present, two UK schemes offer home-cooked food, made by neighbours for neighbours. Tina Fox discussesMealmakers, a scheme that is local to her in Dundee (page 4).

With thousands of us putting ourselves at risk by ignoring ‘use-by’dates, we offer a recap on staying food-safe this season (page 8).And we have suitably festive recipes to tickle your taste buds onpages 6 and 7 – where we’ve given authentic South Asian delightsa healthy twist, and rustled up treats to help your Christmas go witha bang. Last but not least, there’s the chance to win a great prizefrom Viva! (below). Good luck!

I hope that you enjoy the issue

Amanda Woodvine, Editor

Vegetarian for Life is an advocacy andeducational charity working on behalf ofolder vegetarians and vegansthroughout the UK.

83 Ducie Street, Manchester M1 2JQRegistered Charity Number 1120687

Editor: Amanda Woodvineamanda@vegetarianforlife.org.ukDesign: The Ethical Graphic DesignCompany Ltd

© Vegetarian for Life 2014. All rightsreserved. No part of this magazine maybe used, reproduced or copied withoutwritten permission of the publisher.

CONTACT US Submit articles and tell uswhat you’d like to read about.

VfLUK@VfL_UK

T: 0161 445 8064 E: info@vegetarianforlife.org.ukW: www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk

With 300 pages of deliciouslyinnovative recipes – each oneillustrated with a full-colourphotograph – we’re delighted tobe able to give away a free copyof the Viva! Cookbook to twolucky readers.

The cookbook is the latestpublication from Viva!, Europe’s largest vegancampaigning charity. It features 145 recipes, tips,suggestions and kitchen banter in one beautifully-produced volume.

Says Viva!’s Food & Cookery Coordinator and authorof the Viva! Cookbook, Jane Easton: “This book is aboutpassionate, exciting, accessible cooking that drawsinspiration from around the world. It can be summedup in three words – flavour, flavour and more flavour,

and I haven’t forgotten about those who need gluten-free, wheat-free and low-fat diabetic diets. It’s been alabour of love and I love what’s in it.”

The Viva! Cookbook costs £9.99 (plus £3.95 p&p) fromViva! Order online or call on 0117 944 1000.

For your chance to win, answer this question:How many recipes are featured in the Viva Cookbook?A) 45 B) 95 C) 145

Email info@vegetarianforlife.org.uk with your answerby midday on 31/01/2015.

TERMS AND CONDITIONSTwo winners will be drawn at random from all correct entriesreceived. One entry per household only. There is no cash alternative.By entering this competition, you agree to receive details of futureoffers from VfL and Viva! If you do not want to receive thisinformation, include “no info” at the end of your email.

In this issue…

3VEGGIETRAVEL…

MADE EASYThe best vegetarianhotels and eateriesworldwide

4MAKING AMEAL OF IT

Home-cooked food,made byneighbours forneighbours

7FESTIVEDELIGHTS

Tips for catering forolder vegetarianand vegans thisYuletide

8FOOD SAFETYFOR ELDERS

Staying food-safethis festive seasonWIN!

WHO’D HAVE THOUGHT you’dfind delicious veggie and veganfood in a land of cow bells, andwhere breakfast nearly alwayshas a selection of cookedmeats? But this is exactly what Ihave found on my many trips tothis beautiful country. I am ofcourse referring to Switzerland.

Mountain inns and sometraditional eateries can be aproblem, but even here, themeat-eating Swiss on occasionlike a healthy option. Althoughexpensive, the food in general isgood quality and served up to ahigh standard.

The bigger cities excel when itcomes to offeringvegetarian/vegan food. Onerestaurant to look out for is thefamous Tibits, with outlets inZurich as well as Winterthur andLucerne in theGerman-speaking region.Here you’ll findexclusive veggiefood with manyvegan options. Itis buffet style,and you choosefrom a variety ofdishes and pay byweight so you canindulge to yourheart’s content.

In central Zurich you’ll findVegelateria, a delightful organicvegetarian café with over 20vegan ice creams. Also checkout the famous Samsesvegetarian restaurant, wellestablished and with anexcellent menu. And just outsidethe city I have discoveredLägernstübli, a traditionalrestaurant where diners are a

mixture of meat-eaters,vegetarians and vegans whohave their own separate menu.

As well as restaurants andbars serving wholesomealternatives to a meat diet,there are many fast food outletsdotted around the shoppingcentres. Wurst & Moritz inZurich offers a version of thetraditional wurst; Turkish Delightin Winterthur sells a non-meatkebab; and the takeaway chain,Hiltzburger does an amazingfalafel wrap.

Switzerland is home to one ofthe best (in my opinion) fakemeat and cheese makers,Vegusto. (Their products are alsoavailable here in the UK and youwill find them in many healthfood shops in major shoppingcentres.) For food on the move,

look out for the smallindependent shops inthe smaller towns andtrain stations.

But what pleasantlysurprised me recentlywas on a return visit toZurich – one of myfavourite cities inSwitzerland. Here youwill find somethingquite remarkable! Ata lakeside leisure

complex the main cateringfacility is exclusively vegetarian,and run by the cateringcompany Hiltl, Europe’s oldestvegetarian restaurant. Now thatis what I call progress.

For further information pleasevisit: www.happycow.net/europe/switzerland/zurich

For more veggie travelreviews, or to submit your own,please visit VfL's new blog.

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Veggie travel… made easyTravelling abroad can sometimes be stressful. A big roadblock most veggies runinto is finding places that cater to their needs. In most cases, not only will there bean unfamiliar city to deal with, but you might not know the language either! Here,Ray O’Leary finds veggie and vegan heaven in the Alps

The HouseTrip vegan and vegetarian‘where to eat’ city guide covers London,Paris and Berlin. Each city guide featureshelpful tips from local food experts (whoare vegan/vegetarian themselves),restaurant reviews, and interviews with celebrity chefs who specialise inveggie cuisine.

The featured restaurants areexclusively vegan or vegetarian, and caneasily be found on the interactive map.Simply click on a restaurant that looksappealing, read the review and tips fromlocal experts, and hit ‘get directions’! Youcan filter by ‘best for special occasions’and ‘vegan’, so the ideal restaurant isnever going to be too hard to find.

And if you’re looking for somewhere tostay, you can search for purely vegetarianhotels and guest houses via theVeggieHotels web portal. It features morethan 500 establishments in 60 countries –and more than 60 are purely vegan.

The criteria for a VeggieHotel are simple– neither fish nor meat is served. Manyoffer organic food and accommodatespecific diets such as raw food.

Say goodbye to the stress of findingfood in a foreign city, and hello toexploring fantastic cities with a full belly.

Eating out in Paris and London

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THE FOOD TRAIN, a charityproviding shopping and libraryservices to older folk who arehousebound in Scotland, has set upa new scheme to share home-cooked meals.

The person who offers to cook,usually just once a week, is pairedwith an older person living alone –who would love to have a home-cooked meal instead of the normalfreezer to microwave fare.

As we all know, it is not muchmore effort to cook a nut roast forfour than it is for two. I am suremany of us do that anyway andfreeze the excess.

The cook simply overcooks thequantity for a normal meal andtakes a portion to the recipient. Thismay be in a foil tray for reheating, ordepending on the circumstances,they might share the meal on therecipient’s premises.

Of course this has severalbenefits. First of all, home-cookedmeals are more nutritious and nodoubt more interesting for therecipient. Secondly, it meanscompany for the person living aloneand a chance to ensure they areokay. It also has benefits for thecook – I know that many of us loveto cook for an appreciativeaudience!

The scheme is currently beingtrialled in Dundee and then will berolled out throughout Scotland.(Sorry to those south of the Border;we are aware of just one similarscheme in the rest of the UK,detailed to the right.)

I have already signed up as acook and would encourage fellow

vegetarians to do so if they live inScotland – after all who better canunderstand a fellow vegetarian?Apparently veggie students in theDundee area are queuing up toprovide meals for fellowvegetarians, so that is the other sideof the equation.

Please do sign up for meals if youare an older vegetarian living alonein Scotland. Someone would love tohave the privilege of cooking foryou, and you would get some like-minded company as a bonus.

Full details of the scheme areavailable to the right. If you knowsomeone who would be a goodrecipient or cook for the scheme,perhaps you could mention it tothem. You could sign up on theirbehalf if they do not have access toa computer.

Let’s get cooking!

Making a meal of it!Currently, two schemes inthe UK offer home-cookedfood, made by neighboursfor neighbours. Tina Foxdiscusses Mealmakers, ascheme that is local to herin Dundee

All Mealmakers cooks have toundertake a ProtectingVulnerable Groups (PVG) Checkand take a short food hygienequiz before sharing a meal. Forthe Casserole Club, all volunteercooks have to complete aDisclosure and Barring Servicecheck before they areintroduced to diners.

Dietary requirements will needto be shared between the cookand the diner.

MEALMAKERS – Dundee T: 0800 7837770W: www.mealmakers.org.uk

THE CASSEROLE CLUB – TowerHamlets, Barnet and Reigateand BansteadT: 020 3475 3444W: www.casseroleclub.com

Don’t forget: most councils alsoprovide a ‘meals on wheels’service, delivering frozen or hotfood to your door for a fixedprice. Also, most cater forspecial diets. Contact your localauthority to find out what theycan do for you.

Veggie students inthe Dundee area are

queuing up toprovide meals forfellow vegetarians

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ABOUT ONE IN tenof our residents is avegetarian and theyare catered for inexactly the same wayas those who eatmeat – they havechoice and varietywith minimalrepetition. Manywant to seetraditional dishes onthe menu, but thatdoesn’t stop ourteam of chefs fromproviding moreexotic meat-freecreations. It still surprisesmany, but as readers will knowthe days when quiche or a nutroast were the only vegetariandishes available are long gone.

When we create ourvegetarian dishes, we alwaysmake sure they are packed fullof the right nutrients to ensurea healthy and balanced diet.Eating properly is crucial toensuring residents enjoy highstandards of health and well-being.Sunrise recently appointed a Headof Nutrition and Hydration to makesure each individual receives thevery best diet appropriate to their needs.

This can sometimes posechallenges – for example, anindividual living with dementia maynot remember they are avegetarian. However, our chefs loveworking with residents to ensurethat they enjoy their food.

As well as getting the diet right,choice is also important – after all,variety is the spice of life. Having a

varied menu means our residentscan look forward to meal times. This is where Vegetarian for Lifecomes in.

Their website is an excellentresource, which helps our chefswork out new recipe ideas anddevelop old ones. Our chefs willsoon be attending Vegetarian forLife caterer training sessions, whichwill help to expand their repertoiresand aid their development. Takingchefs out of their familiarsurroundings really brings out theircreativity and is something that wealways encourage.

As well as Vegetarian forLife’s UK List, we have alsojoined the NationalAssociation of Care Catering(NACC) and 2014 was the firstyear that Sunrise entered theNACC Care Cook of the Year.With strong vegetarianinfluences, we managed toachieve six regional finalists, ofwhich two reached the

national final, wherewe gained secondand third overall aswell as best maindish. Our chefs reallyrose to the challengeand we are hugelyproud of theirachievements.

Sunrise was alsoawarded the 2014Sustainability Awardat the NACC NationalAwards, showingthat sustainabilityand effectivepurchasing can workin harmony. Through

an effective procurement strategySunrise managed to be sustainableand become more efficient. Thisfresh approach has allowed us toinvest in even higher qualityingredients, so residents are giventhe very best produce.

Not only do vegetarians atSunrise have a wide variety ofoptions to choose from but thosedishes are lovingly prepared by ourchefs who use the best ingredients.All this helps to ensure our 27communities are vegetarian-friendlyzones. You can view a sample dish here.

Taste of SunriseChristopher Dean is the Regional Director of Dining and Procurement at Sunrise

Senior Living – a leading provider of residential care, and one of the newest membersof VfL’s UK List. Chris helps to ensure Sunrise’s 2,500 residents across England and

Wales, many of whom are vegetarians, eat a balanced and nutritious diet.

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A taste of South AsiaWe are pleased to present our newest guide, A Taste of SouthAsia. It contains mouth-watering vegetarian recipes from SouthAsia that we have given a healthy twist so they can be enjoyed allyear round.

While Western vegetarians tend to have a cardiovascular healthadvantage over omnivores, this difference isn’t experienced byAsian vegetarians. About 50% of Asian Indians are vegetarians,but their blood cholesterol levels and rates of diabetes andcoronary artery disease are no different from those of non-vegetarians.

VfL’s guide contains tried and tested tweaks to authenticrecipes to make themhealthier – withoutimpacting on taste.

For a free copyof A Taste ofSouth Asia,please clickhere toemail us, orcall 01614458064.

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inAloo Tikka – ChannaDaal and Potato CakesMakes 8, Vegan

l Cup of channa daall 1 tablespoon of crushed garlicl 1 tablespoon of crushed gingerl Handful of fresh corianderl ½ teaspoon of turmericl ½ teaspoon of black pepperl ½ teaspoon of saltl Gram flourl Extra ½ teaspoon of turmericl 5–6 tablespoons olive oil or low-cal oil sprayl 3 medium sized potatoes

1 Soak the daal for 3–4 hours before cooking.2 Boil the daal in a medium sized saucepanuntil cooked. Drain and leave to cool.3 Peel and cube the potatoes, boil, drainand leave to cool.4Mix the daal and potatoes together in a bowl.5 Add the crushed garlic and ginger,turmeric, pepper, salt and coriander.6 Shape the mixture into small cakes andplace them on a plate.7 Pour 3 or 4 tablespoons of gram flour intoa small bowl. Add enough water to make asmooth batter. Add coriander and an extra½ teaspoon of turmeric.8 Heat the oil in a frying pan set overmedium heat.9 Dip the potato and daal rounds into thegram flour mixture and place in the fryingpan, 2 or 3 at a time. Cook both sides untilgolden brown.10 Serve. ©

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Spinach and Potato CurryServes 4, Vegan

1 Pour oil or margarine in a large saucepan over medium-highheat. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes until fragrantand golden.2 Add the spinach and tomatoes and stir until well mixed.3Add chilli powder, salt, turmeric and ginger and stir into the mixture.4 Simmer on a medium heat for 20–30 minutes until onions arecooked and the water has evaporated.5 Add the potato pieces. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes.6 Add sufficient hot water to cover potatoes and simmer on a low heat until potatoes are cooked, about 15–20 minutes.

Serve with rice, naan or chapatti.

l 2 tablespoons oil,margarine or low-cal oil spray

l 1 onion, dicedl 1 tin of spinachl 1 tin chopped tomatoes or

2–3 fresh tomatoes

l 2 or 3 medium potatoes cutinto 1 inch pieces

l ½–1 teaspoon chilli powderaccording to taste

l ½ teaspoon salt or to tastel ½ teaspoon turmericl 2 teaspoons minced ginger

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www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk/recipes

Festive delightsChristmas is a busy time in the kitchen. But, with a little forward-planning, it needn’t cause a lot of stress. Our guide, FestiveDelights, contains some tips for catering for older vegetarian andvegans this Yuletide. They will really appreciate your efforts.

Follow our simple tips and plan ahead – including that all-important communication on individual preferences. Then it’seasy to make Christmas a happy time for veggie residents orservice-users. What’s more rewarding than bringing pleasure toothers in the season of giving?

If you would like to receive a free copy of Festive Delights in thepost, please click here to email us, or call 0161 4458064.

Wild Mushroom PuddingServes 4, Vegan

1 First prepare the filling. Heat the oil and add the shallots, cookfor a few minutes then add the bay leaves and continue cookingover a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme andmushrooms, cook gently and stir in the wine.2 Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 15 minutes. Season.3 Now make the pastry: Mix the flour, parsley, suet and salt. Addthe water and mix with a fork to make a dough. Knead and rollout to a circle to line a greased 2 pint/1.2 litre pudding basin.4 Cut off a quarter of the pastry and reserve for the lid. Line thedish with the remaining pastry. Dampen the edges with water.5 Fill with the prepared mushroom mixture, and roll out theremaining pastry to form a lid. Press the edges together to seal.Cover with greased foil and tie with string.6 Steam for about 1½ hours. Serve with potatoes, crisp mange-tout and carrots.

Mincemeat MuffinsMakes 12–14, Vegan

l 350g/12oz self-raising flourl 15ml/1 tbsp baking powderl 175g/6oz caster sugarl 135ml/9 tbsp sunflower oill 375ml/12fl oz waterl 150g/5oz vegetarian mincemeatl 15ml/1 tbsp demerara sugarl Pinch cinnamon

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gasmark 5. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with deepmuffin cases.2 Sieve the flour and baking powder into alarge mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix well.3 Add the oil and water and whisk together quickly.4 Fold in the mincemeat and spoon into themuffin cases (about 2/3 full).5 Mix the demerara sugar and cinnamontogether and sprinkle over the top of each.Put the muffin tins into the ovenimmediately.6 Bake until well risen and golden, about15–20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

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For the suet crust pastry:l 8oz/225g self-raising flourl 1 tbsp chopped parsleyl 4oz vegetable suetl Pinch of saltl 4fl oz/120ml water

For the filling:l 2 tbsp olive oill 4 shallots, chopped

l 2 bay leavesl 2 cloves garlic, choppedl 2–3 sprigs fresh thymel 10oz of assorted wild

mushrooms (if using dried,halve quantity and soak inwarm water for 1 hour)

l 4fl oz/120ml vegetarian red wine

l Freshly ground black pepper

Food safety for eldersAround 1 million people in the UK suffer a foodborneillness every year – with 20,000 needing hospitaltreatment, and 500 deaths. Older adults may be atparticular risk. Leslie Vandever explains how to keepyourself, and those you cater for, food-safe thisfestive seasonALTHOUGH ANYONE CAN becomesick from eating tainted food, somegroups are more vulnerable thanothers. They include elderly adultsand people with weakened immune systems.

One bacterium that’s frequentlybehind food poisoning cases isListeria. Usually found in soil andwater, it can cause a seriousinfection called listeriosis. Unlikemost bacteria, Listeria is toughenough to grow and multiply even inthe fridge. Symptoms include fever,muscle aches, diarrhoea, andgastrointestinal distress. Older adultswith weakened immune systemsmay suffer complications, such asdehydration, from the disease.

This is a serious issue for theelderly. Dehydration can causeweakness, confusion, and a drop inblood pressure that can affect theblood supply to vital organs, like thekidneys. The result can be deadlykidney failure.

Uncooked vegetables,unpasteurised (raw) milk, and otherfoods made from raw milk can allharbour Listeria. It can also occur in

cooked or processed foods, likesome soft cheeses – feta, brie,Camembert, blue-veined, or panela– unless the label states thatpasteurised milk was used.

HOW TO AVOID FOOD POISONINGAvoid infection by Listeria – andmany other foodborne pathogens –simply by practicing food safety inthe kitchen. While many olderadults say they know how to do it,not many actually practice it. Thereare several reasons.

Some of us may remember hardtimes when food was scarce orrationed. We may also live on a fixedincome. Either or both situations maycause people to be frugal with theirmoney and sharply conscious of costs.People are often reluctant to throw“perfectly good” food away and try tomake it last as long as possible.

The Food Standards Agencyreports that elderly people may putthemselves at a higher risk of foodpoisoning by ignoring “use-by”dates. To prevent it, we must all eatfood before its “use-by” date – ordispose of it.

Other reasons for keeping foodlonger than it’s safe to eat includememory problems and the mistakenattitude that “it won’t happen tome.” Unfortunately, that one iscommon among all ages,everywhere in the world.

Cooking foods well andpasteurisation kills Listeria. Butother food safety practices include:

l Washing your hands well withanti-bacterial soap before foodpreparation.

l Rinsing raw fruits andvegetables under running water,even if planning to peel them.

l Scrubbing produce with a cleanvegetable brush. Sanitise thebrush afterwards.

l Drying vegetables with a cleancloth or paper towel.

l If you also cater for people whoeat meat, keep uncooked meats,and the utensils used whilepreparing them, away from veg,other cooked foods, and ready-to-eat foods.

l Washing cutting boards, knives,and work surfaces after handlingand preparing uncooked foods.

l Using a thermometer in thefridge. It should be 4°C or lower,and your freezer 0°C or lower.

l Cleaning up spills inside thefridge immediately.

By practicing good food hygiene,you’ll help keep yourself and thoseyou cater for safe.

Leslie Vandever is a professional journalistand freelance writer with more than 25 yearsof experience. She lives in NorthernCalifornia and writes for Healthline.

For more information on a variety of healthtopics visit www.healthline.com.

What’s the difference between ‘Useby’ and ‘Best before’ on labels?

‘USE BY’ dates appear on food thatgoes off quickly, such as manyproducts found in supermarketchilled cabinets. Don't use any foodor drink after the end of the 'use by'date on the label, even if it looksand smells fine. Using it after thisdate could put your health at risk.

‘BEST BEFORE’ dates appear on arange of frozen, dried, tinned andother foods. 'Best before' datesare more about quality thansafety. When the date runs out itdoesn't mean that the food willbe harmful, but it might begin tolose its flavour and texture.

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