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Plant Chat: Sophie Ward, author of United Tastes of America

Sharon Palmer

I’m glad to have Sophie Ward on my Plant Chat today! Sophie is the author of the amazing book, The United Tastes of America. How did Sophie, who lives in England, come to write this book about classic American plant-based recipes? To start off, she is 22 and suffers from food allergies. Having been told to cut out more and more foods including a lot of her favourites (pizza, ice creams and cake) she took it upon herself to do her own research. She came across the plant-based lifestyle, eating foods that come from the earth without being overly processed, modified or containing ingredients that irritate the body. Since sticking to this way of eating, she has had less sickness and has learned to adapt her favourites, which enabled her to fall in love with food again. Combining her love of food and travel, she now wants to help people suffering from the same ailments. Continue reading to learn more about her book, travel experiences, and her favourite recipe.

What inspired the creation of your book and collection of recipes?

I love to travel! LOVE it, whenever I get the opportunity to go somewhere new I jump at the chance. I love trying new foods, experiencing new cultures and simply exploring. I really do feel that is the best way to learn and how we pick up life’s biggest lessons. Recipe wise, my Mum inspired me here. After being told by medical professional to cut out the allergens I wasn’t left with much to eat. I have lost a lot of weight, which I am working on gaining back still currently, simply due to not having anything left to eat and at the time I didn’t have the knowledge about plant-based living. I waited for months for professionals to help me in regards to diet and nobody would help. So I began my own research and came across the plant-based lifestyle via YouTube. This was amazing! It helped me find ‘earth based’ foods that had nothing to irritate my allergens and all the food was fresh and nourishing which is what my body needed after being so sick. I had a love for baking before all these issues and baked a lot of cakes which I now couldn’t do due to my allergens. But I loved cooking too so I used my skills to start experimenting ( I can be a messy chef but I love to experiment!). My Mum then told me to write all the recipes down and make them into a collection or a book to help others like myself because it is such hard work doing simple things like eating out, or going out with friends. If people know what they can and can’t have, and I could help people then that was a great idea.

I booked my trip to America in March 2015 and I just fell in love with the country – the vibe and everything was amazing. So myself and my best friend added Route 66 to our bucket list and made it happen. I struggled a lot to find food. Everything had cheese on it, or was meat based and fried. Of course, I understand in the big cities it’s all about turn around, so food is fast, processed, pre-packed and therefore what is on the menu is what is served! End of story. Which meant I couldn’t get salads without cheese, or cheese sauce, or the chips were dripping in oil. My stomach was a wreck for weeks and weeks after. I suffered so badly. All this made the trip very hard. Yet the food I was eating I was enjoying as they were tasty dishes I used to enjoy. So I felt that people with allergies shouldn’t have to go through what I went through, nor should we just live off salad when there is so much we can enjoy and eat. The possibilities for new recipes are endless.

So it was my mission to re-create the dishes I wanted whilst travelling the Route, but that were allergy-free! I wanted to raise awareness in the restaurants about the dangers and the effects of not having an allergy-free menu, cross-contamination, and not being clear about what is in the food. As due to it being pre-packed a lot of outlets had no idea what the food even contained. So that is what inspired me and set me on a mission. As I LOVE America!! So I would love for them to be able to be more ‘plant-based’ ‘allergy-free’ within their restaurants so that trips of a lifetime like Route 66 can be enjoyed to the fullest!! Without worry or anxiety about what you can and can’t order. I hope to continue creating books and recipes from places I travel too.

What observations about American food culture and traditions did you make while traveling this route?

Unfortunately the food side is what let the trip down really. Due to it all being so fast, processed and pre-packed even my friend Matthew was struggling towards the end. Feeling unwell and just simply fed up of fried food and heavy meat dishes. As at home, like I am sure you do, we cook everything fresh and everything is made from scratch. So Matthew is used to that type of diet too. However the vibe was amazing, the people were always so friendly and welcoming. For some reason they always thought we were from Oz, which was quite funny but yes there was SO much to see and explore. Like Matthew said, we needed another 2 months! 20 days just simply wasn’t long enough. We both would have continued if we had the budget and the time, we were loving it. Seeing so many places and the different cultures. Out of all the cities Chicago was our favorite, we felt Vegas was very commercial and not in touch with reality – all the gambling, just made it feel like a ‘dream’ world, where reality didn’t exist. It’s an amazing place and I would go back for a long weekend but it wasn’t our favorite. L.A again, very commercial and too much is focused on the tourist side of things. Matthew and I felt that the Hollywood glamour was being over-shadowed. Chicago had that business buzz, lots to see, the food was the best throughout the whole trip there and Chicago itself just suited Matthew and myself better, it’s more the vibe that matches our personalities. However we have AMAZING memories from all the places we stopped and explored.

How did you make the recipes plant-based, allergy-free, and more healthful?

I simply used all foods from the ‘earth’ and worked from scratch. Using places like Goodness Direct and Holland and Barrett to purchase any free-from items I needed. Such as gluten and wheat free tomato sauces, etc.

Just making the food alone from scratch cuts out additives that are found in pre-packed products. I also baked my fries and cooked them in healthier oils. Just these little, so simple and easy changes make all the difference. That is why the plant-based lifestyle is so amazing; it is SO adaptable!! It isn’t the focus on calories it is the focus on good, quality food to feed the soul, body and mind in the right way. Of course, avoiding any reactions too.

Were there any foods along this route that you really enjoyed in particular?

Yes!! I LOVE Thai cusine and luckily so does Matthew. As you can see in the book we visited Vegan Thai and Thai Dishes. We both adore peanut sauce and sticky rice – so we were able to have a great meal at both of these restaurants. Thai Dishes also steamed my veggies for me rather than frying them which was so good of them and I was so grateful for that. Though the biggest shout out has to go to Quartino’s in Chicago! Matthew had his favorite meal from the trip here – a pizza of course. However the staff were AMAZING! The place was packed, yet our server, the manager and the head chef all came out to see me, they talked through the menu with me. Basically I picked all the things I enjoy (so eggplant, peppers, mushrooms) and they made me a huge salad full of the veggies, plus more. They were so yummy. They made sure I had mustard (LOVE mustard) and were amazing with me. I hate causing a fuss but the manager kept saying he loves a challenge and would do anything for me. Which immediately puts me at ease and for once I had a proper meal rather than having to order 3 or 4 sides and make it into a meal. SO awesome, I can’t wait to return.

What tips do you have for people traveling when it comes to eating a wholesome, plant-based diet?

REASEARCH!! I cannot stress this enough. Everyday Matthew and I would begin our day locating restaurants that could accommodate me. This helped wasting time going in and out of restaurants when it did come to dinner time, so we had more time to explore but also it helped my anxiety levels. I knew I would have something to eat!! TripAdvisor is great for narrowing your search and finding some good quality places to dine. I highly recommend doing your research, checking the menu, ringing up and asking or telling the staff your requirements when/before booking. It then cuts out embarrassment at the table, as most of the time you are made out to look like you are a picky eater! Though like I said above helps your anxiety levels and you can then enjoy your day without the worry.

Here is one of Sophie’s favorite recipes from her book.

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Raw Peach and Raspberry Cheesecake (Vegan, Gluten-Free)


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  • Author: The Plant-Powered Dietitian
  • Yield: 8 medium size slices 1x

Description

This cheesecake is fresh, yummy and packed with goodness. It reminds me of summer (my favourite time of year) and it is also a great alternative for cakes. So for myself I love making all sorts of flavours for my friends and family’s birthdays.


Ingredients

Scale

Base:

  • 1 cup of almonds
  • 6 soft dates
  • 1 Tbsp of coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp of maple syrup

Filling:

  • 1 1/2 cups of soaked cashew nuts
  • 2 peaches
  • 5 Tbsps of coconut oil
  • 6 Tbsps of maple syrup
  • A dash of vanilla essence
  • 1/4 tsp of salt

Topping:

  • 1 peach
  • 1/2 a packet of fresh raspberries
  • Drizzle of maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Grab your cake tin and add a cake linen or grease with coconut oil. Soak your cashews in boiling water for 15 mins.
  2. In a blender, blend your base ingredients together, until you get the desired biscuit texture.
  3. Add base mix to the pan and place in your freezer.
  4. Wash your blender, then measure out your filling ingredents. Once this is achieved, simply add everything to the blender and blend until you get that cream cheese consistency. Then remove your cake tin from the freezer and add your filling, spreading it over your base.
  5. Once filling is neatly spread, place back in the freezer. Idealing leave your cheesecake to harden overnight. However your cheesecake will harden enough after 5-6 hours.
  6. Once ready, add your toppings and enjoy!!

Notes

*Found on page 197 of United Tastes of America.

*If you make it, please let me know your thoughts! I would really appreciate your feedback!!

 

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