Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Adopts Veg Diet In Memory of Tommy Raskin

Erica MeierAnimals, Health, News, Veg Eating 4 Comments

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently announced she would adopt a vegetarian diet for Lent in memory of colleague Jamie Raskin’s late son Tommy, and wants others to join her:

With more than 1K comments, 2K shares and 33K likes to date on her original Tweet, it looks like Ocasio-Cortez is, indeed, bringing people along with her, a testament to the inspirational ripple effect created by Tommy’s authenticity, wit and unflinching determination. He was a passionate vegan — and it ran in the family. His father, Congressman Raskin, inspired the idea behind — and became the first participant in — Animal Outlook’s VegWeek back in 2009.

This year, VegWeek takes place April 19-25, but you don’t have to wait if you’re ready to take the pledge now. Together, we can make every week VegWeek – and we have the resources, recipes and support to help you on your plant-based journey.

[simple-author-box]

Comments 4

  1. I am so glad she is finally taking this small step
    I can’t believe she is so righteous about suffering but completely ignores animals .. well we r animals and we are sentient beings and so are all our friends that our species deem eatable !
    Thank you Tommy in heaven with the billions of animal souls for reaching this part of her soul .. she has great influence. This could be a game changer for our friends 😍

  2. African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew
    Inspired by Vegan Planet p. 302 Robin Robertson

    If you have never had a dish that combined sweet potatoes and peanuts, you are in for a treat. Even people who claim not to like sweet potatoes enjoy this stew. Serve it over rice or couscous.

    Water to sauté
    1 medium yellow onion, chopped
    1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, chopped
    2 large garlic cloves, minced
    2 tsp brown sugar
    ½ tsp ground cumin
    ½ tsp ground cinnamon
    1 tsp peeled and minced or grated ginger root
    Trace of cayenne
    1½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice
    3 Cups vegetable broth
    1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
    1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans, drained, and rinsed
    3 T peanut butter
    ½ Cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

    1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add some water and the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic, cover and cook until softened (you can add some broth or water of the vegetables are sticking), about 5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, ginger, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne. Cook stirring for about 30 seconds. Add the sweet potato and stir to coat. Stir in the tomatoes, broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.

    2. About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in kidney beans and simmer until heated through. Add peanut butter and stir to blend

    3. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and serve.

    NOTE: the sweet potatoes in this recipe are meant to be the light-yellow sweet potatoes – not the orange yams. However, if you can’t find them, you could easily use yams, or other potatoes. We use half or each type (pale yellow and orange) for more visual, textural, vitamin & taste appeal. We also do not peel the potatoes as we buy organic and we like the peels.

  3. Sweet and Smoky Beans and Greens
    Plant Power by Nava Atlas p. 92

    Sauce (I doubled this sauce)
    2 T balsamic vinegar
    2 T maple syrup
    2 T good quality Ketchup
    1 T soy sauce

    Beans and Greens
    4 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
    6-8 collard or Lacinato kale leaves, rinsed well
    ¼ C water or vegetable broth
    2 15 oz. cans of beans, preferably 2 different types of beans drained and rinsed (I used Adzuki and Pinto)
    ½ t Vegan liquid smoke
    Crushed red pepper to taste

    Polenta
    3 C water
    1 C polenta meal
    1 t salt (opt. – we do not use salt)
    2 T soy margarine (opt. – we do not use this)

    Take the kale or collard leaves and clean from stems. Roll the leaves into a cigar like stack, cut across the roll in ¼ inch slices. If the leaves are large, slice the rolls in half to shorten the ribbons. Heat the water or broth in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the greens and cook until bright green, 5-10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

    Place all sauce ingredients in the same pan over medium-high heat, stir to combine. Add the beans and stir to coat well with sauce. Add the mushrooms and let them cook until they exude their moisture. Add liquid smoke and pepper flakes. When heated through, return greens to the pan and stir until heated through. Serve at once over polenta.

    In a separate pan with tall sides, bring the 3 C of water and salt for the polenta to a boil. Slowly add in polenta meal and stir, reduce heat and continue to stir in polenta. Keep stirring until the polenta firms up. Add more boiling water if you prefer a softer polenta. (This can be started at the same time as the greens).

  4. What a wonderfully bold and positive move, on the part of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to honor Tommy, Rep. Jamie Raskin’s son….commendable and inspirational. I am already a vegetarian…but hoping many others join Alexandria in honoring Tommy….and, they will be helping animals, the environment and improving their own health!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *