Vegan time to celebrate

Vegetarianism is perhaps as old as mankind, veganism probably as well or perhaps even older. Both the religious and non-religious.

For those who follow the evolution theory: pre-historic man, who may have been a hunter (and gatherer of roots, fruits and nuts) didn’t cage, enslave, exploit, or mistreat the animals that he ate. And pre-historic man did not abandon eating fruits, nuts and herbs. Gathering fruits, nuts and herbs was presumably a woman’s task, who would likely have developed higher intelligence on the nutritious and healing capacities of plants. All needed in times when game was scarce. For those who subscribe to the theory of evolution, going vegan seems to be the next evolutionary step for humankind as it addresses the problems of global warming, environmental devastation, food scarcity and in particular the ethical call for ending exploitation and suffering.

For those who follow religion in their defense of a carnivorous diet: Judaism, Christianity and Islam do not teach to exploit, mistreat or enslave animals. Their scriptures and traditions highlight not only the rights of animals to have a peaceful life, but in particular that in paradise (or in heavenly spheres) there is only peace and no killing.

Religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism have such a clear and strong tradition in non-violence that, for now, I will not pursue that discussion (but will certainly get back to that).

The history of mankind and abstaining of meat-eating is an ancient one that goes back to at least Pythagoras (6^th century BC), thus showing that ethical veganism has a long history in Western civilization stretching back to antiquity. Following the long line from antiquity to the present, it becomes easier to understand the decision to the New Zealand government to recognize all animals as sentient beings, see https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/animals-are-now-legally-recognised-as-sentient-beings-in-new-zealand-10256006.html

And this is reason for celebration. To most vegans the protection of animals and the recognition of animals as sentient beings, the process may seem too slow in the western world. However, considering that in the 1840’s the term vegetarianism was coined and the first vegetarian society was formed in 1847 in Britain, it took only 170 years until the first recognition of all animals as sentient beings, while it had taken over 2500 years from the days of Greek antiquity to form the first vegetarian society in the Western world. 

Ethical veganism is clearly gaining momentum, a reason to celebrate!

Banana cake

Ingredients

300 gr. ripe or overripe bananas

160 gr. flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

75 gr. sugar

75 gr. sunflower oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 teaspoons cinnamon

75 gr. chopped walnuts or pecan nuts

(to make it more festive:  100 gr. candied orange peel!)

Preheat over 180⁰C

Bake for 40 min at 180⁰C

Method 

Grease and line a small loaf tin.

Mash bananas, add cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, pinch of salt, mix well to a smooth mixture

Add sunflower oil, mix well.

Add flour, mix well

Add chopped walnuts (and orange peel), baking powder and baking soda, mix and pour immediately into the prepared tin.

Bake for 45 min at 180⁰C

The proof of the banana cake is in the eating…

Hunters and gatherers.

Every Saturday, early morning I go out to the main and biggest open market in the Netherlands, the ‘Big Market’ in The Hague, a good place to gather fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, and herbs. One has to be early to hunt for the best deals. A good vegan may think to only gather food, but no, you hunt as well!

For those who labor under the illusion that we have evolved from our days as hunter-gatherers, they should have a closer look at shopping behavior.

Supermarkets and big department stores may have played a significant role in human evolution when it comes to abandoning hunter-gatherer behavior.  However, mankind has not evolved that much. Nothing easier to trigger this instinct with just one word … SALE! And see the herds hunting for the best deals, gathering their treasures in baskets or shopping carts. A stampede of wildebeest seems safer to run into. Don’t think that this behavior only applies to shoe sales!

For the evolved ones: forget about all those specialized delis, stop hunting for the very best quality, just head for a good (biological)  supermarket or local market with your shopping list and you’re done for the whole week! More time to cook, walk, read, dance, love, run, have fun, work, spend time with friends and family!

Or be elitist, if you prefer, and go from deli to deli so as to later on brag about your very unique finds, such as that sweet old-fashioned tea shop where you can get the most amazing green tea, or that Italian deli as the sole place in your town to buy decent pasta, and of course do not forget about that small alleyway where you found the one-and-only place in town to buy organically grown lentils. An absolute must! If this is your hobby, please do continue enjoying it! And ignore me.

The gatherer’s salad from the (super)market

Ingredients:

1 large salad bowl

1 bag of mixed salad with rocket

250 gr. green asparagus

½ cucumber

Handful of baby Roma tomatoes

½ yellow paprika

1 small avocado

A few sundried tomatoes

A handful of black olives (pitted)

Black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

1 teaspoon pine nuts

Method:

Cook the asparagus for four minutes, drain and cool

Slice the cucumber in big matchsticks

Slice the paprika in big matchsticks

Slice the sundried tomatoes

Cut the avocado in slices

 Toast the seeds and nuts in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat for 2 or 3 minutes.

Take a big salad bowl, toss the salad in it, divide first the paprika and cucumber, the tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, olives and avocado. Arrange the asparagus on top.

Season to taste and sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Sprinkle the toasted seeds and nuts over the salad.

No need to fish for compliments, just gather them in.

              Enjoy!

Compassion and coconut

Sometimes I have strange ideas about veganism. To think that it is all about respect, compassion, non-violence and non-exploitation of any sentient being. Thinking that those who follow the abolitionist approach in veganism are all compassionate beings, whose compassion reaches out to all sentient beings, even beyond with  genuine compassion for the entire planet. I can relate to that.

However, in their enthusiasm for animal rights, some vegans go overboard and display nasty forms of moral superiority towards non-vegans. In those cases I wonder about compassion, I wonder about the respect for all sentient beings, which I presume include human beings (vegan and non-vegan). Sometimes I try to follow discussions on the internet and read questions of vegans who wonder how to interact with non-vegans; some go that far as to advise shunning non-vegans and the tone of voice is not very respectful. Really? Dissing a sentient being?

A recipe for coconut cookies seems to be in order because of the symbolic meaning of the coconut.  

Most people will be acquainted with the ritual of the breaking of the coconut. A ritual with its origin in Hindu practice. Whenever a great work is undertaken or on the reward of an achievement is on its way, it is very human to feel a sense of pride. The ritual of smashing the coconut indicates that the actual ‘actor’ is God and that humans are merely instruments in its hands.

Smashing the coconut is symbolic of annihilating the ego and humbling oneself before God.  The coconut also symbolizes selfless service.

Of course, there is much more to say about the symbolic meaning of the coconut, and in endless praise for it as easily digestible, nutritious, blood enhancer, purifier, etc. But for the sake of abandoning any sort of feelings of moral superiority and for the sake of fostering compassion and respect for all sentient beings, I would like to sweeten things up with this recipe for: Coconut sugar cakes (Kronto koekoe from Suriname, South America)

Ingredients:

1 coconut

Sugar (2 parts coconut, one part sugar)

½ cup coconut water

1,5 teaspoons of fresh finely grated ginger

1 Teaspoon almond essence

Optional: 4-6 drops of red or green food coloring

Baking tray and waxed paper

Method

Line a  baking  tray with waxed paper.

Open the coconut, peel and chop to pieces, and use the food processor to chop into smaller pieces, no grating needed.

Cook the coconut water with sugar and ginger, bring to a rolling boil, add the pieces of coconut and essence, and cook for about 15 minutes, constantly stir until the liquid reduces and gets thick.

Drop the coconut mixture by tablespoon onto prepared baking tray; let cookies cool and harden. Store in airtight container.

                                                 Enjoy!