(Photo: wwe)

Tomato Rice Pilaf (Recipe adapted from Red Gold Recipe Collection)
Ingredients: (4 servings)

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (14.5 oz) can Redpack Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in wok over medium heat.
2. Add chopped onion and rice.
3. Cook until rice is golden brown, stirring frequently, 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Stir in diced tomatoes, thyme and 2 cups of vegetable broth.
5. Season with the salt and pepper.
6. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low.
7. Cover and let simmer. Cook until rice is tender, about 18 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
9. Fluff rice gently with fork before serving.

The tomato rice pilaf came out very well. It was tasty. Although the canned tomatoes where already prepped with basil, garlic, oregano and spices, the flavors were simple and nothing too salty or overpowering. It would have been extra wonderful if I had some fresh parsley leaves, cilantro, or chopped scallions to garnish on top of the rice. Next time I might even try adding some crunch into the rice pilaf. I think pine nuts would be a good addition to dish.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary six pack of Red Pack tomatoes. No other compensation was received for this post. The post was written by LookyTasty and all opinions expressed are solely mine.

This recipe calls for a 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes in thick puree. I used Red Gold’s 100% natural tomato product. I made a few modifications to the recipe and made it vegetarian-friendly and also a bit healthier, I guess. Instead of the eggs, I used egg substitute made by combining 1 part flax seed meal with 3 parts hot water. I reduced the amount of sugar in the recipe by a half. One cup of sugar just seemed too much to me. I used about 1/2 cup of raw cane sugar. I used a half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour combination.

Tomato Bread (Recipe adapted from Red Gold Recipe Collection)
Ingredients: (8-12 servings)

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp flax seed meal + 6 tbsp hot water (substitutes 2 eggs)
• 1 (15 ounce) can Redpack Crushed Tomatoes in Thick Puree
• 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• sliced almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine eggs, oil, sugar in a large bowl.
3. Stir in Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes.
4. In another bowl, combine flour and spices.
5. Combine the tomato mixture and dry ingredients; batter will be thin.
6. Pour into a greased 5×9-inch bread pan.
7. Sprinkle the almonds on top.
8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted comes out
9. clean.
10. Cool completely before slicing.

The bread had a wonderful aroma and tasted great too. Although it’s called Spicy Tomato Bread, I found that the blend of spices gave it a very slight kick but it was more savory than spicy. The bread had a very nice texture. Moist and flavorful, and so satisfying. This dish would make a delicious item to complement your breakfast or a tasty mid-afternoon snack too.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary six pack of Red Pack tomatoes. The family-run company from Indiana, produces over 100 different styles and flavors of tomato products in 20 different sizes and containers, with a mission “to produce the freshest, best tasting tomato products in the world.” No other compensation was received for this post. The post was written by LookyTasty and all opinions expressed are solely mine.

This included animal friendly tees and apparel, shoes, sustainable furniture, soy candles that melt into a lotion, delicate handmade letter press, and even recycled paper products made from elephant poop. There were also delicious and innovative vegan food products to sample, buy, and share.

There were vegan food products from Edward and Sons and Integral Yoga Natural Foods. The Regal Vegan was there with her delightful faux gras.

KurSuperfoods and Sacha Vida introduced their innovative and delicious snacks. Simply 7 Snacks, Superseedz, and Platte Clove Naturals shared their crunchy snacks. Ice cream from Raw Ice Cream Company is always a treat. There were vegan chocolates from Angell Bar, Gnosis Chocolate, and of course, Sarah Gross’ Rescue Chocolate.

Of course, you can’t forget about vegan baked goods. There were delicious compassionate cupcakes from Sweet Cheeks Vegan Bakery and gluten-free, organic, handmade cookies and cream sandwiches from Sweet. by jana.

It’s Moringa showcased their nutritious products made from the moringa plant. Runa introduced me to their line of tea brewed with guayusa, Amazonian tree leaf.
Kombucha Brooklyn offered their kombucha tea and intrigued me with their kombucha home brew kit. Lastly, PALO‘s caffeine-free herbal tea brewed from mamajuana are always satisfying to drink.

The day was not just filled with lots of cool merchandise and food, but there were also many fun activities, live entertainment, and opportunities to learn about health eating, the vegan lifestyle, and sustainability from various animal rights organizations and health organizations. Up on the stage, there was a belly dance class, a yoga demo from Jivamukti, a musical performance by Craig Greenberg, as well as a pet fashion show, where Robert Negrin of Hec-lin Couture for Dogs showcased his eco green collection made entirely of recycled material. People of all ages gathered at the holiday craft station to build gingerbread sanctuary houses and to partake in some recycled arts and crafts. Stylists from the eco-friendly NY Hair Co. provided free salon services to attendees, while using their selection of cruelty-free hair care products.

Downstairs in the lower level, there were speaker presentations going on throughout the day. Jared Koch talked about healthy eating for the holidays, while Amie Valpone talked about preparing allergy friendly dishes. The Sproutman Steve Meyerowitz spoke about growing micro-greens and benefits of super foods. There were also informative presentations from Victoria Moran, Karen Ranzi, and Alex Jamieson, about the vegan lifestyle and promoting healthy eating habits in the family.

I had a great time at the Festival, helping out and attending, and returned home with a handful of goodies. I’ll post more extensively about the food and snacks in the upcoming weeks.

Lastly, don’t forget that the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival returns in March, 2012. This two day food festival will take place a few doors down at The Metropolitan Pavilion. Whether you’re a vegetarian/vegan or not, you’re bound to have a great time at the food festival!

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Any plans for this weekend? Do you want to win 4 tickets to the Green Holiday Festival and try the newest and healthiest snacks around? You are in luck. Sacha Vida is giving away 4 tickets to the Festival and a goodie bag with their new sacha inchi snacks for your tasting pleasure.

What kind of snacks?
The snacks are made from sacha inchi seeds. Sacha inchi seeds come from eco-friendly harvests from the Peruvian Amazon and are super seeds loaded with Omega 3, fiber and complete protein.

The snacks come in four flavor profiles:

• Naturally roasted sacha inchi seeds
• Roasted & salted sacha inchi seeds
• Organic chocolate covered sacha inchi seeds
• Crunchy & spicy sacha inchi seeds

How do I enter?
To enter follow these simple steps:

1. Follow Sacha Vida on Twitter and like them on Facebook
2. Follow Looky Tasty on Twitter and like us on Facebook
3. Tweet us and tell us why it is important to support sustainable green products, or leave a comment below.

Contest ends on December 9 at midnight and is open to residents of the United States only. Good luck!

The Green Holiday Festival will take place at the Altman Building in New York City on Sunday, December 11th. More information on the Festival can be found here.

Among one of the food companies that will be present at the Festival, is It’s Moringa. I first came across It’s Moringa at a health expo earlier this year and is excited to see that they will be participating at the upcoming Green Holiday Festival. It’s Moringa is an innovative natural foods company dedicated to developing and promoting premium food, beverage, supplement, and ingredients based on the moringa plant. Their products include moringa herbal teas, moringa dried leaf powders and capsules, and even a cosmetic and massage moringa seed oil.

What’s so unique about it? It’s Moringa leaf powder combines the health benefits of the moringa plant with great taste to increase energy naturally, nourish the body’s immune system, improve eye and skin health, promote weight-loss, control sugar levels and provide a general feeling of wellness. The powder can be added to juices, smoothies and shakes for added nutrition. It is vegan, kosher, dairy-free and soy-free.

If you’re in the NYC area, come check them out at the Green Holiday Festival at the Altman Building on Sunday, December 11th. Tickets available now.

Also, LIKE It’s Moringa on Facebook to stayed informed with It’s Moringa related news, demos, and discounts/promotions.

Portions of the proceeds of the Festival will go to For the Animals sanctuary. So come eat, shop, socialize, and simply have a great time, while doing something good too!

Where?
The Altman Building located at 135 18th Street, between 6th and 7th Ave, in Chelsea

When?
Sunday, December 11th from 10am to 5pm

How?
Tickets are $20 and are available through Brown Paper Tickets
Children 10 and under, free.

And while you’re here…
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the return of the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival in March, 2012. It’s going to be a two-day event, March 3rd and 4th, with an even larger venue, The Metropolitan Pavilion. It’s going to be great!
(They’re also currently accepting applications for sponsors/vendors/advertisers for the food festival. More information can be found here.)

Aaron Simpson did an interview with peta2 a few weeks ago where he talked about why he became a vegetarian.

My wife has been a vegetarian going on 10 years. Everything she taught me about being a vegetarian made sense to me. I considered myself an animal lover (like most people), yet by eating meat I was contributing to the deaths of so many animals. So, with the birth of our twin babies, 3 years ago, I was on my way towards becoming a vegetarian. We always talked about raising our kids vegetarian and teaching them compassion and empathy for all living things. I could no longer be a hypocrite and stand by and eat animals. So, almost two years ago, I stopped eating meat. All along I justified it by saying that as a high level athlete I needed to eat meat to stay strong and fit. Little did I know, this was the furthest thing from the truth. It actually really made sense with me when I read Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, as it was backed by facts as to why it is wrong and unhealthy to eat animals.

Check out the rest of the interview here.

The film premiere is the first stop on the Let’s Get America Vegucated! Autumn 2011 tour and tickets are on sale now. The event starts with a red carpet reception for early evening ticket buyers and special guests, followed by the film showing. Afterwards, there will be a special after party with the cast and crew. The reception and party will have delicious goodies from Candle Cafe, V-Spot, FoodSwings, Cinnamon Snail, Sweet & Sara, Fran Costigan, Yoli Ouiya, and Verite Catering, plus Smuttynose beer from City Swiggers and organic wine from Frey Vineyards.

Special guests of the evening include emcee Michael Parrish DuDell from Ecorazzi and Ecomagination, artist Peter Max, Alex Jamieson, who detoxed Morgan Spurlock after his binge in Super Size Me and authored many cool books, Simone Reyes from the show Running Russell Simmons, author/speaker Victoria Moran, Chloe Jo Davis from GirlieGirl Army, and many more.

What:
US Premiere of Vegucated!
When:
Thursday, October 13th
Red carpet reception 6:45 pm; Film 8:00 pm
Where:
SVA Theatre, 333 W. 23rd St, New York
How:
Tickets available: here.
RSVP and spread the word: on Facebook

Vegucated is a feature-length documentary that follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. Lured by tales of weight lost and health regained, they begin to uncover the hidden sides of animal agriculture that make them wonder whether solutions offered in films like Food, Inc. go far enough. Before long, they find themselves risking everything to expose an industry they supported just weeks before. But can their convictions carry them through when times get tough? This accessible, entertaining documentary showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three people who share one journey and ultimately discover their own paths in creating a kinder, cleaner, greener world, one bite at a time.

Watch the trailer

Greenhouse is definitely unique. It’s actually New York’s first LEED certified event space, meaning the facility was designed and built to be environmentally conscious and operate with green building practices.  The space is constructed from recycled or recyclable materials. The walls are made of sustainable bamboo rather than wood. But the coolest thing about the space I’d say, is up on the ceiling.

The ceiling fixture has over 5,000 individually hanging crystals, and makes the place look pretty amazing when illuminated by the surrounding lights.

The DJ played music while the models showcased gorgeous evening gowns and cocktail dresses by Fraley Le, Yan Mode, Pretty Birdie by Stephanie Teague, and Sew Moe Designs.

Plates of hors d’oeuvres circulated among the event space throughout the night. There were zucchini muffins and potato balls from Verite Catering, a full vegan catering company, as well as dark chocolates from Rescue Chocolate.

At the bar, you’ll find a vibrant wall of liquors and a sign that says there’s a $50 bar tab minimum for credit card payments. Complimentary cans of Mercy Beverage were also available at the bar. I’ve never tried it, but apparently Mercy beverage is a non-alcoholic, caffeine-free drink that’s filled with nutritional supplements to help you body process alcohol. It’s supposed to be consumed during or shortly after drinking, to help prevent uncomfortable hangovers. For non-alcoholic drinkers, there were also bottles of Balance flower essence-infused waters.

James Koroni and Tracey Katof from the Enforced Arch performed an anti-fur piece ‘Please, Don’t Touch,’ which was filled with beautiful movements and inspiring sounds and visuals.

The vegan drag queen Honey LaBronx gave an entertaining performance, from faking gunshots to singing about Oprah. Don’t forget to check out her cooking show!

Here are the organizers, Sarah Gross and Nira Paliwoda, who put together this “kind and merciful” event.

The evening was a lot of fun and the atmosphere was just great. I really liked how the crystals hanging from the ceiling helped light up and add glitter to the room. Come to think of it, the place kind of reminded me of a Rainforest Cafe, if it was an upscale nightclub instead of a restaurant and the animatronics were replaced with a bar and a DJ booth.

Here are more pictures from the event: