Hello Leo season, goodbye seven-layer burrito
Hola Tenderly readers and compatriots,
I missed you on Tuesday, and I’m sorry! To be honest, it was just one of those days. But we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming of delicious plant-based eats, rescued animals, cool photos and art of the natural world, friendly advice and heartfelt recommendations, moving personal stories, and refreshing honesty about the reality of vegan life. Got something you wish we were doing more of? Reply to this email and let me know!
Her name is Alicia and she’s here to say / that tomatoes on toast is majorly okay 🎶 Alicia’s ode to topping toast with what’s seasonally appropriate and locally grown is deliciously inspiring. She also penned a new ‘Vintage Veg’ column on The Horn of the Moon cookbook, writing, in simpatico with this scrumptious tomato toast:
Why eat tomatoes and corn in a cold winter when the sweet potatoes and kale are growing, when we can be nourished by what surrounds us? That’s the approach this cookbook reminds us of, one that shouldn’t be thought of as ‘trendy’ or ‘fashionable’ but as an act of political and ecological will to support local economies.
The secret to making delicious vegan treats without gluten? Oat flour!
Arabella tested four different types of veggie bacon to report on her favorite, and shares a recipe for veggie bacon that you can make with just about anything in your crisper. Also from Arabella: 💔💔💔 GOODBYE SEVEN-LAYER BURRITO 💔💔💔
Meet Björn, a little sea lion rescued by LA’s Marine Mammal Care Center, who told Tenderly about the hardships and surprises they’re facing post-pandemic. Björn was shot in the head, likely after becoming tangled in a fishing net, but thanks to the center’s care he’s headed for a long life — though sadly, he won’t be able to be released into the wild like most of their rescues.
I’m obsessed with these vintage woodcuts by Dutch artist Julie de Graag. Simply beautiful.
After my surgery, I was at the mercy of my doctors to find the cause of my pain. Initially, I was sure they would do this with fervor. But they didn’t. So, day after day life was the same: Wake up, suffer, talk to doctors, go to sleep. Wake up, suffer, talk to doctors, go to sleep. Anguish, disbelief, and despair eclipsed my once purpose-filled life. And monotony, perhaps one of the most crushing and consuming kinds of agonies, set in. Imagine then, being an animal in a zoo. What if you were in pain? What if you were lonely? What if you wanted to walk beyond the bars? Someone once told me that when people go to zoos and aquariums they think they are seeing something extraordinary. But what they are really seeing is a slow death. In real time.
— Christina M. Russo, I Was a Journalist Who Reported on Captive Animals — Then I Became One
Jack shared with us the winners of the 2020 Audubon Photography Awards, whose gorgeous shots showcase the rich wonder of avian life. Such as Sue Dougherty‘s Magnificent Frigatebird, pictured above.
Jack also shared the photos of Chris van Riel in Just 19 Photos of Dogs Majestically Catching Frisbees — which is exactly what I needed.
Also: Salad-defining dressing. Are ‘rights’ what animals really need? Eat your vegetables and enjoy it! What’s the hardest part of being vegan?
TENDERLY REC ROOM
On Fridays, we tell you about things we like
“If you haven’t already heard, it’s Leo season! As a Leo, I have to recommend that everyone take full advantage of Leo season by taking some extra moments for self-love and leisure. You might have to be a bit more creative than usual to make that happen, but it can still be so worth it. Personally, I usually practice self-care by spending time in nature and I’m having to find new ways to make sure that I can still soak up all that beautiful summertime goodness.” — Arabella
“Everyone should be eating grits more often! Maybe it’s my southern upbringing, but grits are a weekly food in my house. We don’t make them for breakfast very often, but we love them as a base for a savory dinner. I roast any veg I have on hand, and/or cook up some meat substitutes. This week, I had decided to try the Impossible ground not-beef product, so I cooked that with fennel and various sausagey spices, then roasted broccoli, white mushrooms, and turnips and sauteed some kale and garlic. All was loaded on top of the creamiest and most delicious grits I’ve made yet — thanks to subbing coconut cream for half of my usual oat milk and adding two generous tablespoons of white miso. TO DIE FOR.”— Summer Anne
“I’m typically starkly against any kind of premade or pre-packaged vegan mac and cheese as I’ve been burned too many times before by “vegan cheese” that just… tastes like plastic. But Trader Joe’s has changed my mind. They recently came out with a refrigerated, premade vegan mac that is pretty amazing. Add a couple of your favorite seasonings, some toasted breadcrumbs, and some vegan bacon and you have a delicious and easy meal!” — Arabella
“I’m a huge fan in general of Study Hall, a newsletter and support network for media freelancers. They do great work creating community and promoting transparency. I absolutely loved their big piece this week, Jessica Wakeman’s profile of NYT Styles editor Choire Sicha, who has been a long time inspiration to me as an editor and boss-type-person. Among other things, he shows off the most underrated leadership skill: simply offering respect, support, and freedom to smart, creative people.” — Summer Anne
“Be very careful next time you decide to strum a beautiful melody on a harp outside in a peaceful meadow because you’re basically asking for this to happen to you.” — Jack
CURRENTLY PLAYING
Tunes from Tenderly HQ
Laura’s back with a new playlist, and this one is FROM the animals. From Thee Stallion to the Doves, it’s a wild and wonderful journey through band and artist names inspired by our fellow species.
THE RECIPE I RETURN TO
Recipes we can’t stop making over and over and over and over
Oh She Glow’s Quick & Dirty 5-Ingredient Cheese Sauce Changed My Life, by Amanda Rock
Like a lot of new vegans, I missed cheese. I especially missed macaroni and cheese, my favorite comfort food. I knew once I mastered a dairy-free version, I’d be a happy and content vegan, my stomach full and conscience clear. A delicious bowl of vegan mac and cheese became my holy grail. All I wanted was a non-dairy creamy cheese sauce that was bright orange and super easy to make. I experimented with lots of different recipes and none of them were good.
When I discovered Oh She Glow’s Quick and Dirty 5 Ingredient Vegan Cheeze Sauce, my future as a happy, satisfied vegan was solidified — I finally made the mac and cheese of my dreams! The sauce tasted great, with a cheesy, nutty flavor from the nutritional yeast rounded out by the garlic and onion powder, and a bit of tang from the Dijon mustard. The texture was lush and velvety — a perfect match for my elbow macaroni and it was the happiest shade of orange. Once I got the hang of it, this recipe was always a cinch to make. Besides mac and cheese, I added this cheese sauce to everything from tacos to french fries.
Almost ten years and a world of vegan cheese innovations later, this recipe is still my go-to for a quick cheese sauce. If you haven’t tried it yet, it’s sure to be one of yours, too. You just need a stove top, a pan, a whisk, and ingredients you probably have in your kitchen: nutritional yeast, almond milk, flour, Dijon mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.
Here’s a few tips for making the sauce that I’ve learned throughout the years:
- Use a mason jar to measure your almond milk and then add the tablespoon of flour and whisk away — no extra bowl to wash!
- Once the sauce starts cooking, you need to stand there and whisk it, don’t get distracted. Add a bit more milk if it’s too thick, or a sprinkle of flour if it’s too thin.
- Make sure you’re not using sweetened vanilla almond milk, because I’ve accidentally done that a few times and your sauce will taste terrible. Oat milk is too sweet, too. (I just found that out the hard way.)
You can keep this sauce in the fridge for about a week, so it’s not a bad idea to double the recipe because you’ll want to put it on everything you eat. Just mix in a little almond milk before you nuke it.
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Stay well and be kind,
Summer Anne Burton, Editor-in-Chief of Tenderly
