New Year, real you: Try a plant-based diet

Outside, traffic whizzed by on Lancaster Avenue in Devon. Inside the Raw Can Roll Cafe, a blender whirred.

“We make our own almond milk,” said owner Sheryll Chavarria as she added frozen banana, peanut butter and raw cacao. “That is one of our signature smoothies.”

Next to a handwritten list of specials like raw pasta Bolognese, a large board advertised “the New Year, the real you,” a challenge to get healthy in 2015 and go vegan.

“It’s not New Year, new you because it’s not a new you. It’s the real you inside all these layers that can be taken off,” she explained. “We can actively choose what our health is.”

Want to try? It’s easier than ever to find a vegan restaurant. Philadelphia’s earned a reputation for creative cuisine with stand-outs like Vedge, and now more plant-based places are taking root across the suburbs too.

Among the latest: Flora in Jenkintown. Dan Brightcliffe and his partners opened the 16-seat BYOB after years of working in restaurants and accommodating special requests.

“We all wanted to try doing a vegan place because there seemed to be a need in the area,” he noted. “At least in our experience, our customer base has been pretty evenly split between vegetarian, vegan and meat eaters.”

Customers appreciate dishes like Hoppin’ John black eyed peas with charred avocado and snow peas, and spiced cauliflower, couscous and dried fruit.

“Some people who are not vegetarian or vegan will comment at the end of their meal that they’re surprisingly full,” Brightcliffe said.

Another newcomer: Gangster Vegan Organics in West Norriton.

After “living a rock-star lifestyle” in California, owner Vince DePaul admitted, “I hit rock bottom” and “started questioning everything I was putting in my body.”

He embraced juicing and raw foods, earning the nickname “Vinny Vegan.”

“People were like ‘You don’t look vegan,'” said DePaul because he likes tattoos and rap music. “Once I changed to a plant-based diet, my whole life changed for the better.”

He wants everyone to experience how flavorful vegan food can be.

“Our aim is to make it fun, hip and affordable,” DePaul said.

As interest in veganism grows, Fernando Peralta hopes to expand his Bryn Mawr business, Vge Cafe (pronounced “vee-gee”), opened in 2012. The next step – franchising, so more people can enjoy his fast-casual menu, which ranges from baked falafel to cupcakes to kale soup.

“It’s one of the simplest soups we make and one everyone loves,” said Peralta about the kale soup, who spent 15 years in finance before pursuing culinary arts. “It’s very popular here.”

“In the very beginning, it was health,” he said of his decision to go vegetarian. Attending an animal rights event in Washington later inspired him to become a vegan.

“People should know where their food comes from,” Peralta stressed. “My advice is watch ‘Forks Over Knives’ and ‘Vegucated,’ and start. And when you fall off the wagon, watch the movies again and try again.”

He and the others agree taking that first step is key.

And remember, said Chavarria, “This is not about judgment on yourself, for others or to others. It’s about what we want. Do I really want to feel good?”

Peanut Butter Cup SmoothieIngredients

8 ounces organic almond milk1/2 frozen organic banana

1 tablespoon raw organic cacao1 teaspoon organic Madagascar vanilla

Organic agave, to taste1 heaping tablespoon organic peanut butter

1/2 to 1 cup iceInstructionsBlend ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Recipe courtesy of Raw Can Roll Cafe

Aquemini Smoothie (All organic produce)

Ingredients3 bananas7 to 10 pitted dates

1/4 cup hemp seeds1 tablespoon chia seeds

Handful of celery or cucumber1 chopped granny smith apple

1 handful of kale1/2 handful parsley

1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice

2 to 3 cups of water2 cups iceInstructions

Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes and enjoy! Makes 32 ounces.

Recipe courtesy of Gangster Vegan Organics

Kale SoupPrepare: 1 pound onions, rough cuts – roast or saute until light brown

1 small potato (about 10 ounces), rough cuts – roast (I prefer), saute or steam

11/2 pounds kale (leaves and stems), rough cuts – steam or saute for about 20 minutes, until soft (No lid. It will make the greens look dark olive).

Season water in a container: 1 quart water

1/2 cup raw cashews2 teaspoons salt

1/3 teaspoon lemon juice2 teaspoons agave

Blend very well, in batches. Strain for smoother consistency, or not strain to get the most fiber.

Recipe courtesy of Vge CafeSpiced Cauliflower, Couscous and Dried Fruit

Mushroom spice:3 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons black pepper1 tablespoons cumin

3 tablespoons salt1 tablespoons sugar

Toast all spices together for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Grind spices in a vita prep blender. Combine all ingredients.

My Curry:3 long peppers or 1 tablespoons black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon fenugreek1 tablespoon coriander

1 tablespoon cumin1 tablespoon fennel seed

3 tablespoons Madras curryToast all spice together for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Grind spice in a vita prep blender.

Dried fruit action:1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup currants1 cup Thompson yellow raisins

2 cups Banyuls vinegar1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon salt Combine all.Other Items:

Royal trumpet mushrooms and/or portabella mushrooms (cut into thick steaks and scored)

Couscous1 large head cauliflower

Large skilletOlive oilChivesToasted pine nuts

Cast iron panInstructionsPrepare mushroom spice, My Curry and dried fruit action first. Toast 1/2 cup of couscous in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees, until golden brown. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Add toasted couscous to the water and cook until al dente. Strain couscous and reserve until later. Cut 1 large head of cauliflower down into pinky-finger-sized bits. Get your large skillet hot, add a fair amount of olive oil and start to caramelize the cauliflower over a medium-high heat. Once the cauliflower is golden brown, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and couscous. Cook over high heat for 1 minute. Add a generous amount of curry spice to the skillet and cook out for 30 seconds. Deglaze the skillet with 3 or 4 spoonfuls of the dried fruit action. Finish with pine nuts and chives; check your seasonings and adjust.

Time to cook the mushroom steaks. Slather your mushrooms steaks in a healthy amount of olive oil. Generously season the mushrooms with the spice mix. Heat the cast iron skillet until smoking point and add a very small amount of oil. Sear the mushrooms until dark brown, almost black on the first side, flip and finish in the oven, about five minutes. Bon appetit.

Recipe courtesy of FloraGetting started

Don’t know where to begin? Check out the 21-day Vegan Kickstart program from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

“We do really try to make it as friendly as we can because it can be intimidating and tricky as you start to navigate these changes,” said Cameron Wells, a registered dietician and vegan. “It makes it accessible to everyone – whether you’ve done a vegetarian diet for a while or you’re completely new to the game.”

The website, www.21daykickstart.org, highlights the health benefits of a vegan diet like trimming excess weight, reducing cancer risk, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. It also offers recipes, meal plans, webcasts and celebrity tips.

“I think it’s such a great way to start the New Year,” Wells explained. “Now that it’s becoming more and more mainstream, it’s getting easier, which is exciting!”