Starter Guide

Congratulations!
You’re on your way to living a healthier life, helping animals and protecting the
planet. In this guide, we’re going to give you heaps of helpful tips, recipes and
information so that you’ll see how easy it is to choose a cruelty-free life. It’s
easier and more fun than you imagined!

A veggie diet “Nothing will

A vegetarian diet means benefit human health
not eating any animals, and increase the chances
including cows, pigs, of survival of life on earth
as much as the evolution to
sheep, chickens, fish a vegetarian diet.”
and crustaceans such as Albert Einstein
lobsters and shrimp. A
vegan diet means not
eating animals or animal
products, such as milk,
eggs, cheese and honey.
“Now I can
This guide will give you look at you in
information and tips on peace; I don’t eat
doing both. you anymore.”
Changing to a Franz Kafka
compassionate lifestyle
can be exciting, inspiring
and rewarding. But
don’t feel discouraged
if you find it difficult
at first. Remember that “We all
every journey begins love animals.
with a single step, and Why do we call
some ‘pets’ and
every person, no matter others ‘dinner?’”
how small, can make a k.d. lang
positive difference.
A few famous vegetarians
Abraham Lincoln . Albert Einstein . Alicia Silverstone “The time
Anna Paquin . Anne Hathaway . Aristotle . Barry will come when men
White . Brad Pitt . Casey Affleck . Christian Bale such as I look upon the
Dustin Hoffman . Elijah Wood . Emily Barclay murder of animals as
Epicurus . George Bernard Shaw . Gin Wigmore they now look upon the
murder of men.”
Ian McKellan . Joaquin Phoenix . Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci
Orlando Bloom . Pamela Anderson . Paul McCartney
Plato . Plutarch . Pythagoras . Ringo Starr . Samuel L
Jackson . Socrates . Tobey Maguire

“If slaughter-
houses had glass walls,
everyone would be a
vegetarian.”
Paul McCartney

“To my mind,
the life of a lamb is
no less precious than that
of a human being. I should
be unwilling to take the life
of a lamb for the sake of
the human body.”
Mahatma Gandhi

“If any kid

ever realised what
was involved in factory
farming they would never touch
meat again. I was so moved by “Animals
the intelligence, sense of fun and are my friends...
personalities of the animals I and I don’t eat
worked with on Babe that by my friends.”
the end of the film I was a George Bernard
vegetarian.” Shaw

James Cromwell
Choose Your Health
Here’s to you! By following a veggie diet you have just
chosen to lower your blood pressure and reduce your
risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and osteoperosis.

Veggie diets are How will I get my iron,

naturally low in protein and calcium? Plant sources of protein,
saturated fat, high According to a study by the however, contain no cholesterol
in fibre, and full of American Journal of Clinical and are low in fat. Another
vitamins, minerals Nutrition, vegetarians are no advantage of plant protein is
and cancer-fighting more likely to have iron that in most cases it is high in
deficiency than meat eaters. fibre, which is great for your
compounds. Meat, digestive system.
Iron is found in numerous
dairy products and plant foods, including beans, By eating calcium-rich
eggs, on the other nuts, whole grains and leafy vegetarian foods, including
hand, are low in vegetables. leafy green vegetables, white
fibre and loaded with With the traditional Western beans, fortified soymilks and
diet, the average New juices, and a variety of fruits
saturated fat and and vegetables, you can
Zealander consumes about
cholesterol which can double the required protein. obtain all the calcium your
make us overweight Additionally, the main sources body needs. But keeping your
and lead to clogged of protein consumed tend to bones strong and avoiding
arteries and heart be animal products, which osteoporosis depends on more
are also high in saturated fat than calcium intake - you also
attacks. The National need to keep calcium in your
which can contribute to kidney
Heart Foundation of disease, colon cancer, bones. Exercise and vitamin D
New Zealand reports osteoporosis and kidney help keep the calcium in your
that vegetarians stones through increased bones, while animal protein,
“have a lower risk of calcium excretion. excess salt, caffeine, and
tobacco can cause calcium loss.
heart disease and
other diseases of
affluence such as
diabetes,
obesity and Moroccan chickpea
and kale soup
some cancers.” Get the recipe at
www.safe.org.nz/recipes
 Som tam piquant
Thai salad
Get the recipe at
www.safe.org.nz/recipes

What About Fish?

Fish and shellfish readily
Fat content of absorb mercury and other
toxins from contaminated
dairy products food and water ways.
Based on percentage
These toxins can then enter
of calories from fat
the food chain. In humans,
Source: Physicians Committee
mercury poisoning can cause
for Responsible Medicine
Whole milk irreversible damage to the
49% fat central nervous system and
can harm a developing fetus.
Butter Cheddar cheese In 2009 a review by the
100% fat 74% fat New Zealand Food Safety
Authority (NZFSA) found
high levels of mercury in
New Zealand fish, as well as
high levels of cadmium and
arsenic - both highly toxic.
Plant foods such as walnuts
and flax seeds contain the
essential fatty acids that we
The hazards of eating chicken need without the harmful
toxins found in fish.
By 1999, 57 per cent of all antibiotics used in New
Zealand were used on animals – two-thirds administered
with feed given to factory-farmed chickens to increase
growth rates and combat disease caused by over-
“Even one fish meal a
crowding. Such practices encourage the spread week is likely to push
of antibiotic resistance and new strains of the intake beyond the
bacteria and endanger human health. World Health
Because chickens are now bred to Organisation’s
grow so large, chicken flesh today
contains three times as much fat as it
‘Tolerable weekly
did just 35 years ago. intake.’”
Despite the use of antibiotics, Sue Kedgley, Green
animal products are still a common Party Food safety
source of food poisoning - the best spokesperson, after a
known bacterial contaminants being E-coli, 2009 NZFSA review found
salmonella, listeria and campylobacter. With Dunedin fish had high
the rise of factory farming, the risk of infected animal levels of mercury.
products has risen even more.
Choose the Earth
The livestock industry is one of the largest contributors
to environmental degradation worldwide. Modern
practices of raising animals for food contributes on a
massive scale to land degradation, deforestation, loss
of topsoil, air and water pollution, climate change, the
overuse of resources including oil and water, and loss of
biodiversity.

Oceans
Forest & Bird assessed
all 75 New Zealand
fisheries, and it found that
none had a management
plan and most caused
significant habitat damage.
Some fishing areas were
severely overfished and
many commercial fishers
killed seabirds or marine
mammals as they went
about their business.
Deforestation
Over 50 per cent of land in
New Zealand, much of it once
pristine forest, is taken up
by animal farming. With the
recent increase of dairy farms,
the Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry reports that some
455,000 hectares of forestry
land are at risk of being
converted to farms. This is the
equivalent of over seven times
the size of Lake Taupo.
Globally, one-third of our
planet’s landmass has been
cleared to farm animals. The
livestock industry is still the
leading cause of deforestation
around the world.
Land degradation
The Ministry of the
Environment reports that
animal farming is causing
contanimation, erosion and
compaction of New Zealand
soil. This can also lead to
desertification - literally
turning healthy land into
a desert - because plants
have difficulty growing in
contaminated soil.

According to the United

Nations, many global
fisheries are also overfished
or on the edge of collapse.
 1kg of beef=
15,500L of water
32kg of CO2 emissions
29m2 of land
Global warming
Reports by the Ministry of the
Environment show that farmed
animals are a major contributor
to New Zealand greenhouse
gas emissions. As a result, New
Zealand is rated eleventh in the
world for greenhouse emissions
per capita compared to China
(72nd) and the United Kingdom
(36th).
Worldwide, the United
Nations Food and Agriculture
Organisation reports that
animal based agriculture causes
18 per cent of the world’s
greenhouse gases, greater
than that caused by all forms
of transportation on the planet
combined.
1kg of potatoes=
75L of water
640g of CO2 emissions
0.2m2 of land
Land use
The world is feeding over
50 billion farmed animals,
while millions of people,
disproportionately children,
starve to death. In The Food
Revolution, John Robbins
asserts that by using 2.5 acres
of land to grow potatoes, we
can feed 22 people. If we
use the same land to raise
cattle, we would only support
the energy requirements of
one human being.
“You can make
a bigger contribution
to cutting greenhouse
gases by becoming
vegan than by buying
an eco-friendly car”
Jonathon Porritt,
chairman, Sustainable
Development
Commission, UK.
Drinking water
The modern meat industry
wastes a huge quantity
of water. It takes only
a fraction of the water
used for meat production
to make an equivalent
amount of plant protein.
Then there is the pollution
from the excrement of all
those animals. The Ministry
of the Environment reports
that runoff from factory
farms is so toxic that it is
contaminating surrounding
groundwater and streams.
In 2010, The Reids
piggery in Carterton,
owners of the Premiere
Bacon brand, were
prosecuted and convicted
for pumping what
essentially amounts
to raw sewage into
waterways.
Choose Life
By switching to a veggie diet you can save more
than 100 lives each year and send the message that
you refuse to support the following cruel practices.

Chickens Approximately 88 per

New Zealand farms 81
million meat chickens that
spend their entire lives in
ammonia-laden sheds that
house tens of thousands
of birds. They are bred to
grow at an unnaturally fast
rate causing many birds
to become crippled due to
being grossly overweight or
can suffer organ failure. In
nature, chickens can live up
to 10 years of age, but meat
chickens are slaughtered
between 6-7 weeks of age.
They are transported to
slaugther where they are
shackled upside down and
electrocuted before having
their throats slit.
cent of chickens raised for
their eggs in New Zealand
are kept in small cages.
Their wings and legs
weaken from lack of use
and they can suffer from
painful foot problems from
standing on slanted cages.
Many hens have the tips of
their sensitive beaks cut off
with a burning hot blade to
reduce feather pecking and
cannibalism caused by the
stressful living conditions.
After nearly two years
of confinement the birds
are sent to slaughter. Male
chicks are of no value to the
egg industry and are either
gassed or minced alive at
one day old.

That’s no bird brain

Chickens in the wild exist in stable social groups and can recognise friends
by their facial features. Professor Chris Evans of Macquarie University in
Australia discovered that chickens have 24 distinct cries, like
a language, that communicate a wealth of information.
Evans notes that chickens “are good at solving
problems…perhaps most persuasive is the chicken’s
intriguing ability to understand that an object, when
taken away and hidden, nevertheless continues to
exist. This is beyond the capacity of small children.”
Pigs
Factory-farmed sows are
confined to stalls and crates
that are barely larger than
their own bodies; they literally
go insane from living in
such a barren and cramped
environment.
When about to give birth,
the sow is put into a farrowing
crate, a similarly barren cage
where they are deprived the
opportunity of building a
nest or mothering their piglets
properly.
In nature, piglets suckle from
their mothers for
12 weeks, but in a
factory farm piglets
are separated from
Pig smarts
their mother at 3-5 weeks,
are dosed with antibiotics, Professor Stanley Curtis
have their tails chopped off of Pennsylvania State
and their eyeteeth cut withoutUniversity found that
any painkillers. They are thenpigs play and excel at
placed in cramped pens with joystick-controlled video
concrete floors to be fattenedgames. He observed that
for slaughter. When fully
they were capable of
grown, there is barely enough abstract representation,
space for the pigs to lie down
were much smarter than
comfortably.
The mother sow is
dogs, and did better at
impregnated again and video games than some
returned to the sow stall primates. “There is much
where the cycle of abuse more going on in terms of
starts again. thinking and observing
by these pigs
than we ever
“What I witnessed was would have
absolutely disgusting. The guessed.”
pigs who have been stuck in these
crates for years were chewing on
the sow crate bars, frothing at the
mouth and either highly
distressed, deeply
depressed, or
dead.”
Mike King
SAFE has been campaigning to have sow stalls and farrowing
crates banned in New Zealand. For more information, visit
www.lovepigs.org.nz
Cattle
Modern cows have of milk. They
been bred to produce are prone
unnaturally high volumes to lameness The dairy
caused by industry
heavy udders is closely
and mastitis, integrated
which is a painful with the
udder infection. meat industry.
Cows produce milk Up to 55 per cent
for the same reason humans of all beef produced is from
do: to nourish their babies. cattle bred for the dairy industry.
Calves are traumatically taken Calves have their horns amputated
from their mothers shortly with hot irons or shears, and are
after birth and are either castrated with rubber rings that
Cows form strong slaughtered for veal, or for cause their testes to wither and
relationships with the enzyme in their stomach drop off – all without pain relief!
other cows, spending (rennet to make cheese). Traditionally New Zealand cattle
most of their time After approximately five have lived in reasonably spacious
years of pregnancy and
in “friendship paddocks, however an increasing
lactation, the mother cow’s milk number of beef cattle are being
groups” of 2 to 4 production drops off and they grazed in intensive systems. The
cows who lick and are sent to slaughter, having Five Star Beef large-scale feedlot
groom each other. lived only one-third of her near Ashburton holds up to 15,000
Cows are intelligent normal lifespan. animals at a time in concrete
Many cows are slaughtered
animals who enjoy floored pens. On some dairy farms,
prematurely - they will be sent cows are confined for up to ten
challenges and to slaughter earlier if their months per year inside large sheds
feel excitement milk production drops off, or if where they walk on concrete floors
when they finish a they fail to get pregnant. and rest in invididual cubicles.
task or use their
intellect to overcome
an obstacle.
Scientists in the
United Kingdom
discovered that “the
brainwaves showed
their excitement;
their heartbeat went
up and some even
jumped in the air.
We called it their Calves are taken from their mothers after
Eureka moment.” only days, are dehorned, castrated
and sent to fattening pens.
Fish
Like other animals, fish physiologically and biologically, change often ruptures
feel pain and experience the pain system in fish is virtually their swimbladders,
fear. Dr Donald Broom, the same as in birds and pops out their eyes and
animal welfare advisor to mammals.” pushes their stomachs
the British government says, through their mouths. Then
When they are dragged from
“Anatomically, they’re tossed onboard
the ocean depths, fish
ships, where many slowly
undergo excruciating
suffocate or are crushed
Fantastic fish decompression
to death. Others are still
Research by Culum Brown, – the rapid
alive when their throats
a zoologist at the University of pressure
and bellies are cut
Canterbury shows that the cognitive open.
power of fish match or exceed those
of “higher” verterbrates in many
areas. “Fish can not only recognise
individuals, but can also keep
track of complex relationships.”
Recent research has uncovered
fish species that use tools, build
houses, and show evidence of
long-term memory.

Factory-farmed fish
Aquaculture, breeding fish in overcrowded
underwater farms, is as cruel and
environmentally destructive as other forms
of factory farming.
Fish are wild animals and naturally
scared of humans, but farmed fish are
routinely netted and moved, causing high
levels of stress and physical injury.
Factory-farmed salmon are often fed
an unnatural diet of pellets filled with
colorants to enhance the pink colour of
their flesh, and may be given anti-parasite
drug formalin, a cancer-causing agent.
Because they are packed in so tightly,
outbreaks of disease are common and the
water beneath fish farms is polluted with
waste, potentially killing animals living in
the vicinity.
Making Changes
1
It’s easy to make the change - just replace the
meat in your favourite dishes. Try spaghetti
with marinara sauce, replace the beef
in your burritos with beans and rice,
add veggies rather than meat on your
homemade pizza and pop a veggie burger
on the grill for your weekend BBQ.

2
Purchase a veggie cookbook, borrow one from
the library or go on www.safe.org.nz/recipes to
get some new recipe ideas. You will quickly see
that there are thousands of exciting, flavourful
meals that you can make yourself with everyday
ingredients!

Explore the many veggie foods that are

3
popular in other countries, such as hummus
(a delicious spread made from chickpeas),
falafel, (patties made from a mix of
beans), sushi, Thai curries, Indian samosas,
Chinese dumplings, Mexican-style bean
and rice dishes, and hundreds more.

4
Get inspired and keep in mind the reasons that
encouraged you to make the change. Volunteer for
SAFE to get involved in animal advocacy, attend
public lectures on nutrition and health and read about
the amazing environmental changes you can make by
simply choosing a veggie lifestyle.

5
Have fun! Try new foods, challenge yourself,
step outside your comfort zone and think of it
as an adventure. By choosing a compassionate
lifestyle you will soon be feeling great about
your health and the impact you are making on
the world around you.
Try These Easy
Substitutes!
Meat Soy Works and Bean Supreme veggie sausages, Fry’s
veggie burgers, schnitzels, mince, pies and nuggets.
Blissful’s wallet-friendly alternatives to pretty much
everything including meat balls, Veat ‘chicken’ stir-fry and
Sanitarium deli luncheon.

Milk There are dozens of options like Vitasoy, Sanitarium

So Good, Get Natural and Rice Dream. As well as
plain, there are flavoured varieties such as chocolate,
strawberry and vanilla that can be used any way that
you’d use cow’s milk.

Butter Simply use vegetable oils or try dairy-free margarine

Olivani and Home Brand table spread.

Yoghurt Try Bean Me Up plain yoghurt and Kingland soy yoghurt

in a variety of fruit flavours.

Ice cream There’s no need to miss out on ice cream! Sanitarium So

Good and Litelicks offer a range of flavours at many
supermarkets, and SAFE’s Cruelty Free Shop also stocks
Tofutti Cuties ice cream sandwiches, bars and tubs.

Cheese Try Sheese’s range of hard cheese, Tofutti cream cheeses,

and Cheezly’s meltable cheese perfect for pizza, all
available at SAFE’s Cruelty Free Shop. Nutritional yeast
has a cheesy taste and can be used for all types of
baking.

Sour cream Try Tofutti’s Sour Supreme.

Eggs For baking, use Orgran egg replacer, bananas or mashed

potatoes. For breakfast, scramble tofu with veggies and
nutritional yeast as a yummy alternative!

Breakfast Porridge

1 C water
Ground cinnamon to taste
5 dried pitted prunes,
Breakfast Ideas chopped
Sugar to taste
Toast with avocado, dressed
1 2/3 C oat bran
with lemon juice and black
pepper
Combine water, cinnamon,
prunes and sugar in a
Bagel with jam and lots of
saucepan over medium heat.
fresh fruit
Bring to a boil then stir in
the oat bran and boil for 2
Whole grain cereal with
Tofu scramble minutes.
soy milk
2 tsp olive oil
Tofu scramble with tomato, 1 bunch green onions,
onion and capsicum chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
Blueberry pancakes with 1 1/2 C firm silken tofu,
banana and maple syrup drained and mashed
Ground turmeric to taste
Melon and a toasted Salt and pepper to taste
raisin bagel
Heat olive oil in a skillet
Porridge with apple, over medium heat, and sauté
cinnamon and pecans green onions until tender. Stir Banana smoothie
in tomatoes and tofu.
Fried tomato on toast with
hummus and fresh basil 1 banana
Season with salt, pepper, 1/2 C chopped kale
and turmeric. Reduce heat 1/2 C soy milk
Wraps filled with scrambled and simmer until heated
tofu, black beans and diced 2 tsp flax seeds
through. 1 tsp maple syrup
tomato

Fruit smoothie with banana Place the banana, kale, soy

and frozen berries milk, flax seeds and maple
syrup into a blender. Cover
Fruit salad topped with soy and puree until smooth.
yoghurt and desiccated Serve over ice.
coconut

Easy pancakes
2 C self-rising flour
2 tsp white sugar
2 tsp custard powder
2 cups soy milk
In a large bowl, stir together
the flour, sugar and custard
powder. Mix in the soy milk
with a whisk so there are no
lumps. Heat a large non-stick
pan over medium heat and
coat with cooking spray. Spoon
batter onto the surface and
cook until bubbles begin to
form on the surface. Flip with a
spatula and cook on the other
side until golden.
Lemon poppy scones
1 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C white sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 C margarine
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 C soy milk
1/2 C water
Preheat the oven to 200
degrees Celsius. Grease a
baking sheet. Sift the flour,
sugar, baking powder and
salt into a large bowl. Rub
in margarine with tips of
fingers until the mixture is the
consistency of breadcrumbs.
Stir in poppy seeds, lemon
zest and lemon juice. Combine
the soy milk and water, and
gradually stir into the dry
ingredients until the batter is
moistened, but thick (like biscuit
dough.) You may not need all
of the liquid.
Spoon a quarter of a cup
sized dollops of batter onto
the greased baking sheet so
they are about 7cm apart.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until
golden.
Apple-cinnamon muffins
2/3 C brown sugar
7 Tbsp white sugar
1 1/3 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp baking soda
2/3 tsp baking powder
2/3 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
1 C carrots, finely grated
2 apples, peeled, cored and
grated
1 Tbsp egg replacer (dry)
1 1/3 C apple sauce
1/3 C oil
Preheat oven to 190 degrees
Celsius. Grease muffin tin or
line with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl combine
brown sugar, white sugar,
flour, baking soda, baking
powder, cinnamon and salt.
Mix in carrot and apple. In a
small bowl whisk together egg
substitute, apple sauce and oil.
Fold into dry ingredients.
Spoon batter into prepared
pans. Bake for 20 minutes.
Let muffins cool in pan for 5
minutes before removing to
rack to cool completely.
 Lunch French onion soup
2 Tbsp oil
3 onions, sliced
Lunch Ideas 1/4 C flour
4 C water
Wrap with salad and 1/4 C soy sauce
tempeh strips In a large pot, sauté onions in oil
for two minutes. Add the flour
BLAT sandwich with faux and stir until well combined.
bacon, lettuce, tomato, Add water and soy sauce and
avocado and sprouts stir. Bring to a boil then reduce
heat to low and cover. Cook for
Sushi and miso soup another 10 minutes or until onions
are soft. Serve with lightly toasted
Salad of mixed leafy greens French bread or croutons.
plus corn, black beans, tomato
and cherry tomatoes
Vegan cheese & spinach pie
Mediterranean platter with hummus, 1 2/3 C spinach
dolmades, tomatoes and falafel 1/2 C tofu, crumbled
1 vegetable bouillon cube
Portabello mushroom burger with 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
tomato, rocket leaves and 1 small onion, chopped
caramelised onion 1/2 C mushrooms, sliced
1/2 C canned sweetcorn
Minestrone soup 1/2 pkt vegan Cheezly, grated
with garlic bread 1 pack Neway puff pastry sheets

Toasted sandwich with Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Wash and steam
soy cheese and tomato spinach for 2 minutes. Place in a bowl and knead the tofu and
bouillon into the spinach with your hands. The tofu should resemble
Corn chips with chilli beans small flecks. Fry the onion in the oil until translucent. Add the
mushrooms and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Oil a pie dish and
Vege burger with sautéed line the base and sides of the dish with the puff pastry. To join pastry
mushrooms, soy cheese sheets together, simply wet one side and overlay other section. Then in
and oven fries layers - and in the following order - place the spinach mix, sweetcorn
and mushroom mix. Finish off with the grated cheese. Place pastry on top
Split pea soup to make a lid, making sure you moisten with water around the edges so it
sticks to the bottom pastry. Using the tip of a fork, press pastry edges together
Samosas and pierce the top of the pastry. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden.
Mediterranean sandwich
1 eggplant, sliced into strips
2 red capsicum
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 loaf focaccia bread
Preheat oven to 200 degrees
Celsius. Brush eggplant and
red capsicum with half the
olive oil. Place on a baking
sheet and roast in oven until
tender, about 25 minutes.
Roast peppers until blackened.
Remove from oven and set
aside to cool. Heat remaining
oil and sauté mushrooms until
tender. Peel cooled peppers,
core and slice. Arrange
eggplant, peppers and
mushrooms on sliced focaccia.
Wrap sandwich in plastic;
place a heavy cutting board
on top and weigh it down with
some canned foods. Allow to
sit for 2 hours before slicing
and serving.
Caribbean salad
1/2 green capsicum
1/2 red capsicum
4 sticks celery
1 can pineapple chunks,
drained
4 Tbsp coarsely chopped
walnuts
4-6 Tbsp vegan mayonnaise
A squeeze of lemon juice
Chop the peppers and
celery. Combine all the
ingredients and serve.
Vegan mayonnaise dressing
300g silken tofu
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
Combine all the ingredients
in a food processor or
blender and process
for 1-2 minutes.
Adjust seasonings to
taste. Chill before
serving.
Sausage rolls
1/2 C pecans,
finely chopped
1/2 C bread-
crumbs
1 onion, finely
chopped
1 1/3 C silken tofu,
mashed
1 C rolled oats
1 Massel beef-style stock
cube
1 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp soy sauce
Ground pepper, to taste
3-4 frozen Neway puff pastry
sheets
Soy milk for brushing pastry
Sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 200
degrees Celsius. Separate
frozen pastry sheets on bench
and allow to thaw. In a large
mixing bowl mix together
the filling ingredients. Lightly
grease a baking tray. Slice
each pastry sheet in half so
that it makes two rectangles.
Spoon the filling down the
centre third of each pastry
rectangle. Lightly brush anoth-
er third with milk and then roll
the pastry, starting from the
empty third and tucking it into
the brushed third. Slice the roll
into halves, thirds or quarters
as you wish and place them
on the baking tray. Make a
couple of diagonal cuts in
the top of the roll. Brush the
tops with milk and sprinkle
with sesame seeds. Bake for
about 20 minutes, until golden
and flaky. Serve with lots of
tomato sauce!
 Dinner
Potato pancakes
6 potatoes, peeled
1 Tbsp wholemeal flour
1 onion
Dinner ideas
1 garlic clove
Pasta with tomatoes, zucchini,
1 bunch of chives Salt and pepper
eggplant and olives
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp margarine
tofu
Burrito with refried beans, salad greens, 450g firm tofu
tomato, salsa and soy cheese 2 tsp salt
Coarsely grate
potatoes and 2 tsp garlic pow-
Garlic-roast potatoes with stir-fried der
season with salt
leeks and herbed cannellini beans 1 tsp fresh
and pepper. Leave
for ten minutes ground black
Mixed vege stir-fry with tofu and brown rice pepper
before draining
liquid. Add flour 3 Tbsp corn-
Pizza with loads of vegetables, capers and olives starch
and mix well.
Finely chop onion, 3 Tbsp oil
Steamed veges with gado gado sauce
garlic and chives,
and mix with Place tofu on
Shepherd’s pie made with lentils paper towels on
potato mixture. In
and lots of vegetables kitchen bench.
a heavy pan, heat
half the oil and Place a heavy
Vege sausages with mashed potato object on top for
margarine. Place two
and sautéed greens with garlic at least 15 minutes
heaped tablespoonfuls
of the mixture into the to squeeze out excess
Baked kumara, steamed green beans water. Change paper
pan. Gently flatten and
and chickpea curry towels if required. Cut
fry on medium heat for
4-5 minutes each side until tofu into cubes.
brown. These pancakes go
well with a fresh Mix the salt, garlic powder and
green salad black pepper together. Coat tofu
and pickled cubes and leave for 1-2 hours in refrigerator.
onions. Coat tofu with cornstarch. Heat oil in wok
or large skillet. Carefully fry tofu in small
batches until tofu is golden. Drain on paper
towels before serving.
Thai spiced tofu balls balls or patties as desired. Pumpkin and sage risotto
Coat each ball in sesame
300g firm tofu 1 butternut pumpkin
seeds and place in fridge
2 tsp ginger, grated 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
for 30 minutes. Cover a
2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped frying pan with about 1cm 2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp red onion, finely diced of oil over a low-medium Handful of sage leaves,
3 Tbsp fresh coriander chopped
heat. Once hot, add the
1 Tbsp fresh mint 1 Tbsp margarine
tofu balls in batches and
2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 onion, chopped
fry for 5-10 minutes,
2 Tbsp red capsicum, diced 400g Arborio rice
turning regularly, until
2 tsp sweet chilli sauce 200ml white wine
golden brown. Place on
2 tsp lemon grass, finely 4 C hot vegetable stock
paper towels to absorb
chopped (white part only) Salt and pepper
any excess oil.
2 C brown rice, cooked
1/2 C sesame seeds Preheat the oven to 200
Olive oil degrees Celsius. Cut the
pumpkin into eight large
Put all of the ingredients, pieces. Remove seeds and
except the sesame seeds place in a roasting tray
and oil, into a food with the skin on. Add half
processor and blend until the garlic, oil, sage leaves
combined. Roll the mixture and sprinkle over salt and
into approximately 16 pepper. Toss together and
roast for 40-50 minutes until
soft. Once cool peel off skin
and roughly mash pumpkin
mixture. Return to the oven on a
Pasta tempeh low heat to keep warm.
In a heavy pan, add
2 C dried pasta
margarine, remaining oil and
Olive oil
garlic and fry onion until soft.
1/2 eggplant, cubed
1 clove garlic, minced Add the rice and stir for one
1 tsp fresh ginger, minute before stirring in wine.
finely grated Slowly add stock a ladle
1 zucchini, cubed at a time. Add remaining
1 C mushrooms, cubed sage. Bring to the boil and
1/2 broccoli, chopped then simmer while adding more
1 block tempeh, cubed stock as it absorbs into the rice.
1/2 C olives Regularly stir the rice to avoid it
Soy sauce sticking. After about 20 minutes
the rice should be cooked. The
Boil pasta until al dente. Sauté eggplant, zucchini, texture should be thick and
mushrooms, broccoli and tempeh in oil and garlic creamy. Add extra stock if
until tender. Add ginger, a splash of soy sauce necessary. Add the pumpkin to
and olives. Mix with pasta sauce and heat slowly. the risotto.
Serve over cooked pasta.
 Desserts
Chocolate chip cookies
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Cinnamon, to taste
Dark chocolate chips
1 C raw sugar
1/2 C canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 C water
1-2 Tbsp peanut butter
(optional)
Preheat
oven to 180 degrees mixing bowl or the upper part
Celsius. In a large bowl mix
the flour, baking powder,
salt and cinnamon. Mix in the
chocolate chips and make a
well in the centre. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix
the sugar and oil. Add vanilla, prepared pan. Chill thoroughly
water and peanut butter if
desired. Mix well with a fork.
Add to dry ingredients and
mix together. Spoon small
spoonfulls of cookie dough
onto an oven tray lined with
non-stick baking paper.
Flatten slightly with a fork and
bake for 5-7 minutes or until
slightly golden.
Dessert ideas
Banana cake Shortbread
Rice pudding with soy milk
Ginger crunch Fruit salad
Strawberry, banana & blueberry sorbet
Berry compote Ice pops
Anything! All your favorite desserts
can be made without animal
products!
Fudge
6 Tbsp margarine
3 1/2 C icing sugar
1/2 C cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 C soy milk
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Lightly grease a 12cm x
20cm pan using a little of the
margarine. Place the remaining
margarine, sugar, cocoa, vanilla
and soy milk in a heatproof
Chocolate pudding
of a double boiler (small bowl 300g silken tofu (firm),
or pot in a large pot with crumbled
water). Place the bowl or boiler 2/3 C castor sugar
over simmering water and stir 1/3 C cocoa powder
until smooth. Add nuts if desired. 2 tsp vanilla extract
Pour the mixture quickly into the pinch of salt
and cut into squares. Makes 2-3 Place all the ingredients in
dozen squares. a food processor fitted with
a metal blade. Process until
smooth, creamy and thick.
Transfer into a serving
container and chill in the
fridge until ready to serve.

Peanut butter cookie ice
cream cake
Crust:
20 Oreo cookies
1/4 C margarine, melted
Filling:
4 C vanilla SoGood ice
cream, softened
1/2 C peanut butter
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 C salted peanuts, finely
chopped
To prepare the crust: Lightly
oil a 23cm springform pan
and set aside. In a food
processor, process the
cookies until fine. Add melted
margarine and process again
until well combined. Press
firmly into the bottom of the
pan and refrigerate for one
hour. With an electric mixer or
food processor, blend together
the ice cream, peanut butter
and maple syrup until well
mixed. Spoon filling evenly
into pan and sprinkle the top
with peanuts. Place in freezer
for at least one hour. Remove
from freezer five minutes
before serving, pop open the
pan and cut into slices.
Cheesecake
3 Tbsp margarine
1 packet Nice biscuits, crushed
1 punnet Tofutti soy cream
cheese
4 C mixed berries
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C fruit juice
4 Tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
Mix biscuits and melted
margarine together and then
press firmly into the well-
greased base of a springform
tin. Gently heat berries and
sugar in a covered pot. Whip
the cream cheese before
adding to berry-sugar mix.
In a bowl, combine flour and
baking powder before adding
fruit juice. Stir until smooth.
Once berries start to boil add
to flour mix, stirring constantly.
On medium heat, return
ingredients to pot and stir until
mixture bubbles
and thickens
(careful - mixture
very hot!). Pour
onto base. Put
into the fridge
until chilled.
Remove from tin
and serve.
Jaquie Brown’s
chocolate cake
1 3/4 C fresh brewed coffee
2/3 C cocoa
1 1/2 C brown sugar
1/3 C rice bran oil
1/3 C stewed apple, blended
1/4 C custard powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C ground almonds
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 160 degrees
Celsius. Heat coffee in a
saucepan. Remove from heat.
When at room temperature,
whisk in the cocoa until
dissolved. In a mixing bowl
whisk together sugar, oil,
apple and custard powder
for about two minutes. Then
add extracts and coffee-
cocoa liquid. Sift in rest of
dry ingredients and mix until
smooth. Pour into a tin lined
with baking paper and bake
for about 45 minutes. It tastes
even better the next day
after it’s been in the fridge
overnight.
Eating Out
Fast food Pot lucks
Many of your favourite When dining at someone’s house, let
fast food restaurants your hosts know in advance that you
may already have are a vegetarian or vegan. Offer
veggie options! For a to bring a veggie dish to share (This
start try Burger Fuel’s is a great way to introduce others to
fantastic range of vegan animal-free eating!)
burgers, Hell Pizza’s
Sinister pizza made with
beans and avocado, or
Subway’s fresh sand-
wiches.

Go exotic
An easy way to try new foods is to go to
restaurants that offer a variety of veggie entrees.
Chinese: Try bean curd and vegetable dishes or
ask for vegetable fried rice and garlic eggplant.
Mexican: Order bean burritos, tacos and tamales. Fire up the grill
Indian: Try the fabulous vegetable curries, lentil Don’t give up backyard barbecues just
soups, potato-filled samosas and other delights. because you’re not eating meat. There
Japanese, Middle Eastern, Thai and other are lots of great veggie burgers, hot
ethnic restaurants also offer delicious vegan and dogs, chicken patties and other mock
vegetarian items. meats that taste terrific straight from
If you’re stuck at a behind-the-times restaurant the grill. Simply baste vegetable
without many vegetarian options, ask kebabs with marinade then
if the chef can whip up a veggie grill them until the
entrée. Most restaurants will gladly vegetables are
accommodate special requests
Veggie airline slightly blackened,
and you’ll be surprised at the travel couldn’t be and you have a
creativity of some chefs! easier. Request a veggie delicious
option before flying summer
Special events treat.
and not only will you
If you’re attending a catered
affair, ask the host or caterer
avoid the rubbery
ahead of time if veggie op- airplane meat, you
tions will be served – most get served before
catering companies are accus- everyone else!
tomed to serving veggie dishes.
 Additional Resources
www.GoVeg.co.nz The China
Keep an eye out for SAFE’s Earthlings DVD Study
newest campaign to help New Graphic T. Colin
Zealand go veggie! undercover Campbell
footage showing
www.SAFE.org.nz how animals are Shows the
Everything you’ve ever wanted to used and abused link between
know about animal rights in New by our society for nutrition and
Zealand. food, entertainment, clothing illness and how a plant-based
and science. Viewer discretion diet can improve your health.
www.ChooseCrueltyFree.org.nz advised.
Your one-stop cruelty-free shop.
The Complete
www.QuitMeat.org.nz The Complete Idiot’s Guide
Excellent links to pages about Idiot’s Guide to to Being
how vegetarianism benefits Vegan Living Vegetarian
animals, people, and the earth. Beverly Lynn Frankie Wolfe
Bennett Great
www.Vegetarian.org.nz sourcebook
Easy-to-read
The New Zealand Vegetarian for everything vegetarian,
manual giving you all the
Society with links to restaurants, including health, nutrition,
information on vegan food,
shops and groups you can join. recipes and more.
clothing and transitioning to a
new lifestyle.
www.VeganSociety.co.nz
The New Zealand Vegan Society Skinny
shares recipes and resources to Bastard
Skinny Bitch
make veganism easy and fun. Rory
Rory Freedman
and Kim Freedman
www.PCRM.org and Kim
Barnouin
The Physicians Committee for Barnouin
Responsible Medicine which International
advocates plant-based nutrition bestseller What’s good
for better health. showing how for the bitch
switching to a vegan diet will is good for the bastard. A
www.VegWeb.com make you look and feel better tough-love guide to all guys
Thousands of vegan recipes than ever! wanting to shed pounds and
ready to inspire your next meal. get fit the compassionate way.
PO Box 13 366, Christchurch
Phone: +64 3 379 9711
Fax: +64 3 379 9711
safe@safe.org.nz
www.safe.org.nz