Opinion – Terra Vegana: Vegans who vote for Bolsonaro lack coherence

For today’s column, I thought I’d follow the calendar and talk about World Veganism Day, celebrated on the 1st° from November. But the truth is that my schedule is stuck on October 30th, which carries with it the possibility of symmetrically opposite fates with regard to the hope, dignity and democracy of our country.

It is impossible to think of a Vegan Earth without first assuming, for all intents and purposes, that the Earth is round. That what’s left of the Amazon and the cerrado needs to be preserved. That the release of sport hunting is a threat not only to wild animals, but also to civil society.

At the very least, there is a lack of coherence for vegans who vote for Bolsonaro, or for those who are still undecided. Are you going to vote for a president who supports rodeos and vaquejadas, and who authorized sport fishing in environmentally protected areas?

Who claims that the environmental issue is only important to “vegans who only eat vegetables”?

There is still time to reflect or make a decision —no, candidates are not all the same— and, for those who already have their finger itching to press 13, I bring you three red recipes to gather friends at home and follow the counting of votes. with healthy snacks.

The candied tomatoes are level zero of difficulty. If you’re too lazy to prepare all three, choose this recipe!

The beet meatballs with quinoa can be accompanied by the classic trio of ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard, and the romesco salsa (a Spanish recipe that I wanted to bring with the Brazilian touch of Brazil nuts instead of almonds) is to impress guests. .

Let’s go to the recipes, and to the polls (it can be in that order, prepare everything on Saturday so, on Sunday, you have one less worry).

Tomatoes candied in the skillet with rosemary

INGREDIENTS

500 g cherry tomatoes

8 cloves of garlic

1 sprig of rosemary

½ cup of olive oil

salt to taste

PREPARATION

1. Wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut the garlic into thin slices. Combine the two in a skillet and add the oil. Drop the rosemary leaves into the skillet and heat over medium-low heat until the tomatoes soften and are slightly wilted.

2. Remove from heat, season with salt and it’s done!

Beetroot and Quinoa Meatballs

Recipe yields 20 mini meatballs.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup grated beetroot

¼ cup of sesame

½ cup chopped chives

2 minced garlic cloves

½ cup almond flour *

¼ cup of cassava flour

2 tablespoons olive oil (plus enough for “frying”)

1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon of molasses

1 ½ teaspoons of salt

2 flax “eggs” (2 tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 tbsp water)

*Can be substituted for almonds, cashews or crushed peanuts.

PREPARATION

1. Take the garlic to sauté in a skillet with olive oil, paprika and salt. When it starts to brown, add the grated beetroot.

2. Sauté for two minutes, then add the vinegar and molasses. Sauté for a few more minutes, until the beets are well cooked. Add the chives at the end, mix and turn off the heat.

3. Transfer the stir-fry to a large bowl. Add the cooked quinoa and mix well. Add the flour and mix until you get a homogeneous mass. Finally, add the flax eggs and fold into the dough.

4. Knead the dough for a few minutes, squeezing it well with your hands to make it compact.

5. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes in the fridge.

6. Make balls and take it to “fry”. Frying can be shy: instead of immersion, drizzle the skillet with oil and turn the balls from time to time, always on low heat, until they are crispy and golden.

parsley Romesco

INGREDIENTS

½ red pepper

3 tomatoes

120 g of canned peppers (piquillo pepper), or 50 g of sun-dried tomatoes

1 slice of Italian bread

100 g of Brazil nuts

50 ml of olive oil

1 clove of garlic

10 ml of red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon of salt

To go with:

Italian bread slices

Carrot, cucumber and celery sticks

PREPARATION

1. Skewer the peppers on a large fork (preferably, on the barbecue fork) and cook on the stove until the skin is completely black. Reserve the peppers. Repeat the procedure with the tomatoes. Reserve.

2. While the vegetables are cooling, cut the pickled peppers in half, remove the seeds and add to the food processor (or the sun-dried tomatoes, in this case just chop them).

3. Toast the Brazil nuts in the skillet with the oil until golden brown. Transfer only the chestnuts to the food processor and, with the same oil, “fry” the bread on both sides, until golden brown. Cut the bread into rough pieces and add to the food processor. Chop the garlic and add the smoked paprika to the skillet, on the fire, and mix well. Transfer this seasoning to the food processor.

4. Remove the burned skin from the peppers with the help of a paper towel, rubbing well to remove all the skin. Cut the bell pepper in half, remove the seeds and white “veins”, cut into rough cubes and transfer to the food processor. Peel the tomatoes (after roasting, the skin comes off by hand), cut them in half, remove the seeds and transfer to the food processor.

5. Remove the seeds from the piquillo peppers and transfer to the food processor. Process everything until you get a homogeneous cream. Serve with bread and with carrot, cucumber and celery sticks.