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Tickets Available ONLY until April 6th -- at ECM:  785-843-4933

Vegan Passover Seder at ECM,
Monday April 17, 2017 6:30 pm

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Ever since I embraced veganism -- about 26 years ago, I have dreamed of being part of a community vegan Passover seder.  My memories growing up of the Passover seder at our synagogue were the highlight of my Jewish upbringing.  I loved the community coming together to talk, sing and share this ritualized meal, which always included special foods that I looked forward to having year after year.  

But as a vegan, Passover became something different -- a glaring contradiction that I could no longer participate in;  celebrating my ancestor's freedom from slavery -- while ignoring the fact that body parts of recently enslaved beings killed for our celebration were sitting right on our table and on our seder plates.   I have missed celebrating Passover with a large community all these years.

Passover is fundamentally an important holiday for today.  It invites us to open our homes and hearts to strangers and refugees.  It embodies the desire of all beings to live free and be the masters of their own lives.  More so now, than at any other time in my life, a Passover seder based upon compassion and non-violence, and that integrates contemporary social justice issues feels critically important.  For all these reasons, we are creating a Jewish-Ecumenical seder at ECM. (Note: some scholars believe that Jesus's last supper was a Passover Seder.) This seder will be very inclusive by broadly recounting the lessons of Passover and inviting all those present to dialogue about freedom and social justice and to share their personal perspectives.    All are welcome regardless of what religion they hold or even if they have no religion at all.    Tickets for this event will be $25.00 per person and all proceeds will go to ECM. Ticket sales END on April 6, due to the extensive prep work that will go into creating this dinner.   Whether you are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, any other religion or even allergic to religion, we invite you to be part of this of this unique seder.


                                                 Download a printable flyer for this event HERE

THE VEGGIE LUNCH PAGE

I use to be the veggie lunch coordinator at ECM.   Below are the recipes that I had posted from that time that I was involved in Veggie Lunch.  I am putting my energy to other projects now -- including more writing and  I would love for you to read my thoughts about THE most important thing we can do, in light of the drama and trauma happening right now in our nation's capital:  Read it HERE.

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Menu for the Seder:

GF Matzah Ball Soup
Gefilte Fish-less Patties
Home made GF Matzahs
Traditional Matzah (NOT GF)
Charoset
Tossed Salad w/Kalamata Dressing
Lentil Walnut Loaf
Quinoa vegetable Pilaf
Steamed Cabbages
Coconut Macaroons
Cheesecake


Note: The entire menu will be prepared from ingredients that are vegan, gluten-free and GMO-free.  The only exception will be the boxed kosher matzah that will be available (which will be vegan -- but is made from wheat, and I don't know it's GMO status)  Please be aware, the ECM kitchen is neither a vegan, nor gluten free space.

Every Thursday when classes are in session, from 11:30 - 1:00 pm, there is a FREE VEGAN MEAL *  at Ecumenical Campus Ministries, 1204 Oread on the KU Campus.  I was the volunteer coordinator for this event, but have had to relinquish this role for personal reasons.  Please know that I loved the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people at ECM, and felt enriched from the experience. However Kim Brooks told me that she intends to keep Veggie Lunch VEGAN (YAY KIM!!!)  and for the time being, I will keep this page showing the menu and recipes I made last semester. Scroll down for Veggie Lunch menus and recipes  -- listed by date.
                                                                                           * But donations to ECM are gratefully accepted -- and help make Veggie Lunch sustainable.

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Veggie Lunch Menus and Recipes:
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NO VEGGIE LUNCH on Nov 24th -- I'll be making food for my own family.  Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, compassionate Thanksgiving!


November 17 -- A BIG thank you to so many for making today's Veggie Lunch extra special.  We had even more volunteers than usual -- which was great because we definitely had a lot more food than usual too!  Thank you to Anita, Brian, Cooper, Lance, Kim  and Taylor, who all helped with food prep and clean -- up -- and some did this on multiple different days too.  Central Soyfoods was the inspiration for this meal -- via their donation of a huge amount of tempeh, and Daiya Foods generously donated cheesecakes (of which we have extra -- which will be served at Sunday's LAVA Potluck/Jeopardy event).  We also sampled some of Miyokos Cheese -- which had been donated for another event -- and we had extra from that so saved it to share with everyone today as well.  Everyone loved the meal and you can find photos and more information on the menu and links to companies and recipes below.  Hope everyone has a wonderful, connecting, compassionate Thanksgiving with their loved ones.  Hope to see you all at the potluck in three days (and we have a bit of the tempeh and gravy left to serve then too!)  and then again two weeks from now at the next Veggie Lunch.

​--JoAnn
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Would you believe -- it took THREE people with potato mashers to make the 40 lbs of mashed potatoes we served!
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November 17, 2016   Veggie Lunch:

Our special Thanksgiving Veggie Lunch menu will be the following thanks to a generous donation of tempeh, from Lawrence's own Central Soyfoods, and donations of Daiyafoods AMAZING gluten-free/dairy-free/soy-free cheesecakes.
Please be aware that most of the donated tempeh is NOT gluten free -- a little of it is -- and I will be preparing TWO SEPARATE batches of the tempeh.  
If you are not someone who consistently eats gluten free -- please leave the GF tempeh for those who do.  Thanks!
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Here is the Menu:

Seasoned Tempeh Strips
​Mashed Potatoes

Golden Gravy
 
Brown Rice 
Steamed Red and Green Cabbage
Sweet Peas
Daiya  Cheesecake​
​Samples of Miyoko's
 
Rustic Alpine Cheese


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November 10, 2016  Today's Veggie Lunch:

Baked Falafel over brown rice, with Sunny Ginger Sauce, baked sweet potato rounds and steamed red and green cabbage.  All gluten free, soy free and GMO free.
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Scaling up the falafel recipe to feed 80 people, made the smashing of the chickpeas -- and then forming the chickpea mixture into a zillion little patties a very big undertaking.  I am so thankful I had the help and camaraderie of these two strong men -- Taylor and Jose -- and I think they had fun too.



Baked Falafel Recipe:

4 cups cooked chickpeas (well drained)
3/4 cup ground golden flax seeds
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt (optional)
olive oil for oiling the pan

Directions:  Use a potato masher to smash (but do NOT completely mush) the chickpeas.  Stir in all remaining ingredients except oil.  Form the mixture into small patties and place them on an oiled cookie sheet.  Bake in 400 degree oven about 20 minutes, flip over and bake another 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.  Serve over a bed of rice and drizzle with Sunny Ginger sauce.

Sunny Ginger Sauce:

1 cup water
1/2 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 cloves pealed garlic
1/4 cup of finely diced raw ginger root
1/2-3/4 tsp salt (depending upon how salty you like things)  

Directions:  Place all ingredients in a powerful blender and blend on high until thick and creamy. Leftovers store in a glass jar for at least 5 days.  Stir well just before serving.



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Here is an image from when I made a version of this recipe for the Douglas County Naturally Nutritious Food Fair (and won an award for it too!)





November 3, 2016 I will be serving a hearty vegetable lentil soup.  There will also be some fresh, locally grown (unsprayed) pears.  I won't be following a recipe to make the soup -- but will essentially do this:

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil, add soaked brown lentils, water, celery, carrots, potatoes, parsley, bay leaves, red cabbage and cook until soft.  Blend fresh ginger root with water in a blender and add it to the pot, along with salt, pepper, canned tomatoes, lemon juice, cumin, curry powder, coriander, thyme, and Sriracha sauce.


27, 2016 I will not be cooking Veggie Lunch this week 


October 13, 2016  Masala Lentils with potatoes over rice, and tofu sour topping and steamed cabbage wedges.  All gluten-free!
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Masala Lentil Recipe (Adapted from Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen -- FABULOUS book BTW -- and it's available at the Lawrence Public Library - click on the title to go to the page about the book.) 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups brown lentils 
4 cups water
1 medium potato washed and diced (optional)
1 TBS olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 TBS chopped garlic
1 tsp each cumin, cardamon, cinnamon, 
1/4 tsp each fenugreek seeds and nutmeg
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 TBS ground coriander
2 tsp paprika
3 TBS sriracha sauce
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups canned tomatos

Directions:

1) Rinse and soak lentils overnight (soaking is not absolutely necessary -- but it will shorten cooking time.)

2) Combine the rinsed (and possibly soaked) lentils with the 4 cups of water and the diced potato and and cook over medium heat until lentils are soft -- about 25-30 min.

3) Heat the oil in a skillet and add onions and cook until golden brown.

4) In a blender combine the garlic, herbs, sriracha sauce and 1/4 cup of water and blend well. Add this paste to the onions and and cook until fragrant, about 2 min.

5) Add the onion mixture,salt and the tomatoes to the lentils bring to boil over medium for 5 minutes.  Serve hot over rice and garnish  with Tofu Sour Topping


Tofu Sour Topping (plant-based alternative to sour cream)

1 12.3 oz package of organic firm Mori-Nu Silken Tofu
2 TBS lemon juic
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Store leftovers in a glass jar -- keeps for about a week refrigerated.   This actually tastes really good without the salt -- but for those who are use to eating a lot of salt, it will make it taste better.



1 TBS ground corriander





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October 6, 2016 Sept 29, 2016  Sweet Potato greens in Lentil Soup, raw vegetable slices with Tofu Dill Dip, and freshly made Smokey Gooda Cheeze Slices.  (Gluten-free   crackers will be available for those who do not eat bread -- but you must ask for them -- as we will only have a limited amount.)  As always, there will be an ample supply of Wheatfield's Bread (which does contain gluten) on a different table for you to eat your smokey Gooda cheeze slices on.

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​Smokey Gooda cheeze block shown above -- click image to see the recipe.


Did you know that the leaves of the sweet potato plant are nutrition powerhouses?  They are a bit like spinach -- but with an even milder flavor and are much lower in oxalic acid -- so they don't have the astringent mouth-feel of spinach either.  As I harvest sweet potatoes from my garden -- I have more of the leaves than I can use myself, so I will be incorporating freshly picked sweet potato leaves from my garden into today's meal.  So come and get nutritionally CHARGED!

I will make the soup using onions, garlic, olive oil, hot peppers, lentils, carrots, celery, red cabbage, sweet potato leaves, canned diced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (depending upon what is on hand) cumin, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.  I won't be following a specific recipe -- just simply sautéing  the onion, garlic and hot pepper in olive oil, then adding the carrots and celery and cooking them until soft, next I will fill up the pot with water, add the lentils and bring to a boil until the lentils are soft, and then add all remaining ingredients and boil for about 20 minutes, remove the bay leaves and serve.

The Smokey Gooda will be made from THIS RECIPE (except that I will omit the almond milk and cashews -- and use one can of full fat coconut milk instead  -- this lowers the cost to make this cheeze, and removes the tree nuts for those who might be allergic to them)

Here's the Dill Dip Recipe:

1 12.3 oz package Mori -Nu (non-gmo) firm aseptic tofu
4 tsp dill weed
2 TBS olive oil
5 tsp lemon juice
5 tsp wheat-free tamari
1/2 tsp garlic powder or large clove of garlic
​2 TBS chopped onion

3/4 tsp dry mustard powder

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth and creamy.

Sept 22, 2016
 
Tossed salad with Great Garlic dressing and frozen green peas,  piping hot, Scalloped Potatoes.  All gluten-free!

Great Garlic Dressing Recipe: 1/4 cup grape seed oil, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 2 tsp dijon mustard, 2 TBS chopped onion, 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, 1 TBS agave nectar, 2 TBS chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp dried dill weed, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp xanthin gum, 1/4 cup fresh stevia leaves (or 1/4 tsp extract)  Blend it all together in a high speed blender and serve over salad, with green peas.

Scalloped Potatoes Recipe:  Layer slices of  thinly sliced potatoes (Red, Yukon or Russet) with chopped onion and sprinkle each layer lightly with sorghum flour, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Fill a large pan about 4-5 layers deep, then cover with soy milk and bake covered in an oven at 350 degrees F for 1 hour, remove cover and bake another 30 minutes.

{Thought for today is a quote from Professor Gary Francione

“If you are a feminist and are not a vegan, you are ignoring the exploitation of female nonhumans and the commodification of their reproductive processes, as well as the destruction of their relationship with their babies;If you are an environmentalist and not a vegan, you are ignoring the undeniable fact that animal agriculture is an ecological disaster;   If you embrace nonviolence but are not a vegan, then words of nonviolence come out of your mouth as the products of torture and death go into it;   If you claim to love animals but you are eating them or products made from them, or otherwise consuming them, you see loving as consistent with harming that which you claim to love.  Stop trying to make excuses. There are no good ones to make. Go vegan.”}

Sept 15, 2016  
Create your own vegetable black bean burrito bowl.   We'll have rice, seasoned black beans with kale and carrots, cheesy sauce, tofu sour cream, lettuce, and salsa. Use everything, or pick just the ingredients that you want.  All gluten-free!

{Thought for today:  Animal exploitation is the most widespread and deeply entrenched form of social injustice in the history of the human race.  There is no society that did not enslave animals, kill them for food, fabric, labor, and/or scientific knowledge.  The emotional power of meat, eggs and dairy is multiplied because it is the material out of which many of our defining rituals are constructed.  America is more deeply invested in animal slavery and slaughter than we ever were in the oppression of blacks or women, because most Americans believe that their health, happiness and prosperity depend upon the abuse and murder of animals}



Sept 15th Recipes:

​Seasoned Black Beans with Kale and Carrots, and Tofu Sour Cream.  Recipes are HERE.  

​(I might add some cabbage that was left over at ECM to this recipe too.)


Cheesy Sauce Recipe is HERE.


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Sept 8, 2016  Veggie Lunch will be prepared by Food Not Bombs -- can't wait to see what they make!

{Thought for today: Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.}



Sept 1, 2016 Veggie Lunch Served BBQ Jackfruit, Jasmine Rice and Creamy Coleslaw made with Just Mayo (and BBQ chickpeas were made with leftover BBQ Sauce and served when the Jackfruit ran out.)
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Ingredients:

1 onion diced
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 cup grated carrots

20 oz can of green jackfruit, drained





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For the BBQ Sauce:

2/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
8 tsp turbinado sugar
2 tsp ground yellow mustard seed
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup water

1 tsp molasses

Directions:

  1. Saute the onions on high in the olive oil until they begin to brown, stirring frequently.
  2. While onions are cooking place all of the sauce ingredients into a blender and process until well blended.
  3. When the onions begin to brown add the carrots and continue sauteing  and stirring 3 more minutes.
  4. Lightly smash the jackfruit and stir it into the onions, reduce heat to medium and continue stirring until everything is well mixed.
  5. Add the BBQ sauce, mix well, cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes -- stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking.   The longer you cook it, the better it tastes!


Aug 25, 2016  was the First Vegan Veggie Lunch of the school year.  We served, tossed salad with goddess dressing, baked potato, sauteed onions and broccoli, cheesy sauce, chick pea (faux) tuna salad
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​Goddess Dressing:

Ingredients

1 cup of sunflower seeds (rinsed)
2 cups water
2 cloves of garlic peeled
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 T lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground yellow mustard seed

Directions:

Place the sunflower seeds into a powerful blender with half of the water (one cup) and blend on high until thick and creamy.  Then add the second cup of water and all remaining ingredients and process on high until completely blended and creamy.  Stores well refrigerated for about 5-7 days -- shake well before using. 

Sauteed Onions and Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 head of broccoli -- chopped

1 onion diced
Olive Oil
San-J Wheat Free Tamari (organic)

Directions:

Saute the onion in the oil until it starts to brown, add the chopped broccoli and continue stirring until it turns bright green.  Sprinkle with tamari, remove from heat and cover and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.

The Cheesy Sauce Recipe was posted to my blog Previously
 
Find it HERE.

Other Vegan Events In or Near Lawrence!

Check out the Lawrence Area Vegan Association:  LAVA 
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