Honor Earth Day
Channel Your Plant-Powered Prowess.
Hello, wonderful witches!
Earth Day is tomorrow! To celebrate, we’ve got an issue full of fun plant-based recipes for you to make. Before that though, a couple reminders:
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Alright, onto our Earth Day feast.
To Honor Earth Day, Channel Your Plant-Powered Prowess
By Sam White
Happy Earth Day, Kitchen Witches! It’s a day to respect, love, and honor our beautiful Mother Earth, and one of the best ways you can do that is to incorporate more plant-based dishes into your regular diet.
I understand that complete veganism isn’t for everyone, but I do strongly believe that eating more plant-based meals can help to spiritually connect you with the Earth in a deeper and more meaningful way. But don’t take it from me—veganism, vegetarianism, and other plant-based diets have been a part of different spiritual practices for literally thousands of years.
Buddhists have practiced vegetarianism for centuries under the First Precept of Buddhism, which is “Do not kill.” This is because they believe that the lives of the Earth’s sentient creatures are sacred and not theirs to take. Even Buddha himself was said to be a practicing vegetarian.
Tofu? Seitan? Soybeans? We can thank ancient Chinese civilizations for those. Traced back to as early as the 6th century, the ancient Chinese followed a way of life called Tao, which is a lifestyle of spirituality based on peace, compassion, naturalism, pacifism, and vegetarianism.
And of course, Wicca is another spiritual sector where veganism and vegetarianism are highly prevalent. Many Wiccans interpret the tenet “an it harm none, do as ye will,” to include no harm done not only to fellow humans and witches but also to other animals and sentient creatures.
So, what do all of these spiritual vegans/vegetarians have in common? A desire to have a deeper connection with the natural world, and to live in peace, harmony, and symbiosis with the environment. If that resonates with you at all, to honor Earth Day, I’d love to share with you three of my favorite easy and delicious vegan dishes that were provided in their entirety by the generosity of Mother Earth.
Breakfast: Parfait Bowl
Ingredients:
1 cup plant-based yogurt of your choice. I used the vanilla flavor from Silk.
1 cup granola of your choice. I used a homemade apple, cinnamon, and banana kind.
As much fruit as your heart desires. I’m not here to tell you how to live your life like that.
A dash of cinnamon, or whatever other garnish you want. Go with what you like.
Directions:
Throw it in a bowl. Eat it with a spoon. Enjoy!
Lunch: Mediterranean Veggie Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa. I used a tri-colored blend.
½ cup hummus of your choice. This was a homemade roasted eggplant hummus, but store-bought works perfectly fine, too!
Plant-based tzatziki sauce. I used Kite Hill brand.
Mediterranean-inspired veggie medley. I chopped up cucumber, cherry tomato, red onion, kalamata olives, and carrots.
(Optional) sriracha and everything bagel seasoning to garnish if you like spice or some extra salt, but fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro work great here, too.
Directions:
Mix your cooked quinoa together with your veggie medley and toss it in the tzatziki sauce.
Fill half of your bowl with that mixture. In the other half, fill it with the hummus and carrots.
Garnish to your liking and enjoy!
Dinner: Hearty Vegetable Stew
Ingredients:
Enough vegetable broth to fully cover your veggies. I used stock that I made at home, but a store-bought broth or water with bullion cubes works perfectly fine, too.
Vegetables of your choice. I used potatoes, carrots, green cabbage, potato, green beans, yellow onion, and diced garlic, but I’m a huge advocate for “use whatever is in your fridge” dishes, so please feel free to customize this to your liking.
Seasonings of your choice. I seasoned this with a healthy amount of salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, turmeric, umami seasoning, and smoked paprika. But again, choose your seasonings to your personal liking.
Directions:
Throw it all in an instant pot and pressure cook for 15 minutes. If you don’t have an instant pot, you can throw it in a slow cooker or crockpot for 1 hour. If you don’t have a slow cooker or crockpot either, you can easily do this on the stovetop. Bring everything to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes. Enjoy!
Sam White is a freelance writer and journalist from New York who is passionate about social activism, environmental conservation, and cruelty-free living. A proponent of justice both social and ecological, she has dedicated her life and career towards helping make the world a better and more magical place. Follow her on Twitter @misamthropist and on Instagram @misamthropy.
In the next issue…
Coming up soon, how herbs can be used for chronic illness, and a paid-only Beltane issue.
See you then!