In this weekly series we have been discussing the benefits of a vegetarian diet including: better health, animal rights, food safety, public health, frugal living, global food crisis and the staggeringly huge contribution of meat/livestock production to climate change/resource depletion(pdf).
Senator Barack Obama responding to vegan question 2008
I was inspired to create this series by former Beatle and vegetarian advocate Paul McCartney(Macca) who partnered with the Meatless Monday campaign to promote less consumption of meat. We not only discuss the advantages of a less meat diet; we also do some cooking, share recipes and listen to great Beatle music!
Tonight we're taking a virtual trip to Havana, Cuba to join in the festivities surrounding the grand reopening and restoration of the original Sloppy Joes in the historic quarter. Residents and tourists from all over will have the chance to belly up to the same bar that served thirsty celebrities such as Rock Hudson, Babe Ruth and Ernest Hemingway.

Original Sloppy Joes, Havana, Cuba
It's part of an ambitious revitalization project by the Havana City Historian's Office, which since the 1990s has transformed block after block of crumbling ruins into rehabilitated buildings along vibrant cobblestone streets.
The effort has helped finance Cuba's socialist present by drawing tourists fascinated by its pre-socialist past, from colonial palaces of the 18th century to celebrity hangouts of the 1950s.
"For the people of this city, I think it's very interesting and very important to rescue a place that has so much history and is so recognized around the world," said Ernesto Iznaga, manager of the born-again Joe's, which will be run by state-owned tourism concern Habaguanex. "To restore it to how it was before."
Sloppy Joe's was founded in 1918 by a Galician immigrant named Jose Abeal Otero who purchased a grocery store in Old Havana after years of tending bar in New Orleans and Miami. Legend has it the sobriquet comes from the place's grubbiness and Abeal's American nickname, Joe.
Sloppy Joes clientele was a who's who of 1950s Hollywood including: Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Nat King Cole and Errol Flynn, who reportedly got in a fistfight at the bar with an overly admiring fan, and was enough of a regular that Joe's named a cocktail for him.

May 12, 1959, photo, Alec Guinness and Maureen O'Hara in scene from "Our Man In Havana" during the making of Sir Carol Reed's film version of "Our Man in Havana," based on Graham Greene's best seller, in Havana, Cuba.
Tonight I'm going to update some of Sloppy Joes iconic specialties making them healthy and Earth friendly starting with the unforgettable and now iconic tangy ground-beef-and-tomato-sauce sandwiches synonymous with what was then one of Havana's hippest hangouts, playfully dubbed Sloppy Joe's.

TEMPEH SLOPPY JOES
8 oz. tempeh, roughly crumbled
1/2 cup bbq sauce (your choice)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup of stewed or diced tomatoes
A dash or two of liquid smoke (optional)
salt to taste
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan
Add the onion, celery and green pepper and sauté until tender
Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes or more (the longer the better, the tempeh will crumble more as it cooks)
Serve on hamburger buns with lettuce, tomato and sliced onion (if desired). Or, for a tidier sandwich, stuff it in a pita, or wrap it in a tortilla! Serves 4

PLANTAIN CHIPS
The perfect and traditional accompaniment to your sloppy sandwiches. If you're not up to frying, do what I do and buy the package of prepared plantain chips available in most supermarkets. They are affordable and delish!
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 green plantains, peeled
2 limes, zested and juiced
Salt
Preheat 1-inch of oil in a deep sided skillet over medium-high heat to 360 degrees F.
Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice plantains into 1/8-inch thick ovals on the diagonal. Carefully add plantains to the oil in batches and fry until a tap with a metal spoon sounds hollow, about 1 minute. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle lightly with lime zest, lime juice and salt. Transfer to a serving plate and serve.

MOJITO PITCHER
Okay,so we're at a bar. No way are you getting away without a few Cuban style drinks. So belly up!
7 ounces of Bacardi Superior Rum (or any light rum)
1 3/4 cups sparkling water
1 tablespoon fresh mint, packed tightly
Juice of 2 limes
Mint Simple Syrup (recipe below)
Fill pitcher with ice and add all ingredients. Stir well. Serve in glasses garnished with mint sprigs and lime slices.
Mint Simple Syrup
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup hot water
1 tablespoon fresh mint, packed tightly
Mix sugar with hot water and add mint. Boil water for 10 minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar. Strain to remove mint; chill before using.

RED SANGRIA
1 bottle Spanish red wine
¼ cup Spanish brandy
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup club soda
1 sliced lemon
1 sliced orange
2-3 whole cherries
Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher. Stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Pour into large wine glasses. Garnish with orange slices and cherries. Add ice to pitcher. Serves 4.

SPANISH BEAN SOUP
Sloppy Joes would surely have a pot of this iconic soup simmering.
3 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, diced small (1/2 in cubes)
2 medium onions, diced small
4 TBS olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups of water
5 tsp Better Than Bouillon vegetable base or 6 cups good vegetable stock
1 tsp paprika (If you have Pimenton aka Spanish smoked paprika now is time to use it!)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 and 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas (or canned)
2 large kale leaves, deveined and chopped
3 links Field Brand vegan Chipotle Sausage (optional but yummy!)
In a large stock pot, add water, bouillon, paprika, cumin, garlic and oregano. Simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes. Add chickpeas and kale 1/2 way through.
While broth is simmering, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium to med-high heat. Add diced potatoes, onions and sliced sausage if using. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until potatoes are done and it's nice and browned. Scrape all the bits from the bottom of pan and make sure to put this in the soup!
When broth is finished, remove from heat and stir in potato and onion mixture. Serve.

BREAD SOUP
Or this peasant Cuban staple for a cool evening ;a delicious way to start a typical Cuban dinner . Thanks Martha Stewart!
1 1/2 cups chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as marjoram, thyme, basil, mint, arugula, and Italian parsley
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch dice
8 ounces green beans, tops and tails removed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, crushed
Coarse salt
2 (1-inch) thick slices Italian peasant bread, torn into small pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a large pot, combine 1 cup of the herbs, zucchini, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, onion, pepper flakes, garlic, and 8 cups of cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Add bread, and cook, stirring, with a wooden spoon, until the bread has broken down and thickened the soup, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup herbs; season with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Ensalada de Aguacate y Piña
from 3 guys from Miami. I love this salad!
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of fresh pineapple chunks
2 large avocados, peeled and sliced
1 head iceberg or use romaine lettuce, shredded
1 medium sweet red onion, sliced thin
Toss all together and enjoy!

TORTILLA GALLEGA
This can be served from breakfast to dinner and is a typical tapas bar offering. Serves 1 or 2.
3 eggs, well beaten
1 large red potato
1 small onion
1 small bell pepper
Spanish olive oil, for frying
Slice the potato into thin rounds and the onion into thin rings. Core and halve the bell pepper, then slice into thin strips. Saute the potato and onion rings in olive oil until softened. Add the pepper strips and saute until softened. Remove vegetables from saute pan and set aside. Add beaten eggs to skillet and just as the eggs start to set spoon the vegetables over the eggs, . Use a rubber spatula to carefully flip the tortilla and cook over medium heat until the omelet is thoroughly cooked through. The eggs should be completely set so that they're not runny at all and the interior is fully cooked. Remove the omelet from heat and serve.

CONGRI
Black beans and rice are one of Cuba's best-known dishes. Not as well-known, however, is Congri , the red beans and rice dish that's ubiquitous in the eastern part of Cuba. In fact, many consider congri to be the "signature dish" of Oriente province, where you'll be hard-pressed to find black beans. Serves 2
1 can (15.5 oz) red kidney beans, drained & rinsed (I use Eden brand)
2 Tbs olive oil, preferably a Spanish olive oil
1 bay leaf
Optional: 1/2 Tbs annatto (achiote) powder (available in Latin American markets and some specialty-foods store. Omit if you can't find) ( I use 1 tsp. pimenton)
1 small onion, chopped (approx. 3/4 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (approx. 1 cup)
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 cup raw white rice
1 1/2 cups water
salt & pepper to taste
In a large deep saucepan heat the oil, bay leaf and annatto (if using) over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion & garlic and saute until onion is soft and translucent. Add bell pepper & tomato, and saute until pepper is soft and tomato is breaking down. Add beans, rice, oregano & cumin, stir to combine, then stir in the water. Bring to a gentle boil, stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes without uncovering. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover, stir, taste and season with salt & pepper as desired. Serve hot.

VEGAN CARAMEL FLAN
You will always find flan at Sloppy Joes just not this healthy and Earth friendly.
For the Caramel:
1/2 cup sugar
For the Custard:
2 cups plain soy milk
1 Tbsp. agar-agar flakes
1/2 cup extra-firm silken tofu
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
For the Caramel:
• Place the sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir and melt until golden. Pour into the bottom of ramekins.
For the Custard:
• Place the soy milk in a medium saucepan and sprinkle with the agar flakes. Let sit for 10 minutes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the agar has dissolved.
• Put the tofu, sugar, vanilla, salt, and soy milk mixture in a blender and blend until very smooth.
• Pour into the ramekins over the syrup, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours.
• To remove from the ramekins, dip the bottom in hot water for about 15 seconds, then turn over onto a plate.
Makes 3 large or 6 small flan
"Flying" The Beatles from Magical Mystery Tour
"A Hard Day's Night" The Beatles
What have you all been cooking? Please share your recipes and fave Beatles music here!