10 Friday, June 18, 2021 brooklintowncrier.com Plant-Based Eating by Sheree Nicholson Vegan hacks Here are 10 great vegan hacks to help you transition to a plant-based diet: Keep pre-soaked cashews in your freezer. Many recipes call for pre-soaked cashews. Save time by pre-soaking and then freezing cashews. Working with tofu Drain, press out the water and then dry your extra firm tofu before cooking it. I roll tofu in a clean dish towel then place a heavy pot on top to press out the excess water. Frozen bananas to make "nice cream" Frozen bananas blend incredibly well in a food processor or high-speed blender. Combine frozen banana chunks with the teeny splash of almond milk. You can create a whipped consistency comparable to that of soft-serve ice cream. Add a tablespoon of cacao powder for a yummy chocolate treat. Cook with ingredients you know Avoid weird or unusual ingredients. Generally, they're expensive and often hard to find. In the beginning, stick to recipes with ingredients you know. Make foods you enjoy. If you are not enjoying your new plant based meals, it won't last. Veganize favourite recipes If you have a great chilli or pasta sauce recipe, replace the ground beef with a plant-based substitute. This way you are eating an old favourite. Bake with flax eggs For this hack, make sure you use ground flaxseed meal. Combine one tbsp flaxseed meal with three tbsp water, and you have a flax egg. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then use in baking to replace an egg. Nutritional yeast on everything. Nutritional yeast is sold at most grocery stores and is great for several reasons. It adds a "cheesy" flavour to foods. Nutritional yeast is also an excellent source of vitamin B12, a common deficiency in vegans. You can use it directly on foods or combine it with other ingredients to make vegan parmesan cheese (recipe below). Mix your grains For example, mix brown rice, quinoa and red lentils, rather than just brown rice. This will change the amino acid profile of the dish and give you a wider variety of nutrients. Avocado heaven Avocados seem to go from unripe to overripe instantly. Slow down the ripening process by storing some in your refrigerator. Freeze the flesh of too ripe avocados in ice cube trays for smoothies. Storing nut butter and tahini Natural nut butters and tahini come with the oil floating on top. To combine the oil, store it upside down and shake before using. Vegan parmesan cheese 1 cup cashews 3 tbsp nutritional yeast 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp salt (or to taste) 1/2 a tsp ground pepper. Blend all ingredients in your highspeed blender until mix and crumbly. Sheree's Hack: Store the vegan parmesan in the freezer to increase its shelf life. Durham Film Festival Begins With Drive-in Screening The Durham Region International Film Festival (DRIFF) is kicking off the summer drive-in film series Shifting the Narrative with a special Pride Toronto affiliate screening. Catch Oscar-nominee Yan England's feature debut 1:54, preceded by the short film Wanted: Strong Woman by up-and-coming Quebec director Marilyn Cooke. The screening takes place at DRIFF's drive-in headquarters at the Town of Whitby Municipal Building at 575 Rossland Rd E on Thursday, June 24, at dusk. 1:54 is a gripping psychological thriller that takes a hard look at what it means to explore your sexuality as a teenager in the age of social media -- and what happens when your private life gets thrust into the spotlight. In collaboration with the DRIFF team, 1:54 director Yan England has personally selected Marilyn Cooke's short film to precede his feature presentation. Speaking on Wanted: Strong Woman, England remarks that he was enamored with Cooke's work from the first viewing: "right from the start, Marilyn hooked me to her short film by the beautiful characters she'd written, the acting… and the fanciful moments and the original and compelling world she takes us to." Continuing the creative conversation beyond the drive-in, personal essays and recorded conversations between these filmmakers will be available at driff.ca and on our social media @CatchTheDRIFF. Head to driff.ca/shifting-the-narrative-pride for more information on this screening. Tickets to each event will be $15 and can be purchased at: https://www.seatgi- antevents.ca/event/driff-drive-in-series. DRIFF is a non-profit dedicated to promoting arts, culture and community in the Durham Region. The goal of DRIFF is to champion filmmakers to contribute to local, national, and international film landscapes. We're dedicated to supporting contemporary and critical films that encourage important dialogue that allow audiences and artists to connect and learn from one another. Governments Helping Whitby Respond To Covid Impacts Ryan Turnbull, MP for Whitby, and Lorne Coe, MPP for Whitby, joined by Don Mitchell, Mayor of Whitby, recently announced $1,447,831 in joint funding for four COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream projects in Whitby to improve local infrastructure. This investment is being made through the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, a cost-shared, application-based infrastructure funding opportunity. The Government of Canada is investing over $1,158,265 toward these three projects while the Government of Ontario is contributing more than $289,566. The funding will support the rehabilitation of transit infrastructure and the development of modern and accessible recreational options. This funding will be used to upgrade and replace equipment in health and emergency facilities in communities across the GTHA. Additional investments will help increase options for active transportation, as well as renovate municipal buildings, community centres and cultural facilities. These improvements will provide safe and welcoming spaces for residents of Whitby. The health and well-being of Canadians are top priorities for the governments of Canada and Ontario. Communities across Ontario are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and need immediate assistance to ensure their municipal and community infrastructure is safe and reliable. That is why both levels of government have been taking decisive action to support families, businesses and communities, and continue to look ahead to see what more can be done in these unprecedented times. This includes a combined investment of $115.1 million to support infrastructure in communities to help protect the health of residents, create jobs, and promote economic recovery. Quick facts Through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities. Ontario is investing over $10.2 billion under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to improve public transit; community, culture and recreation; green, and rural and northern community and other priority infrastructure. To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure stream has been added to the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories. The new COVID-19 Resilience stream will provide up to $1.05 billion in combined federal-provincial funding for infrastructure projects across Ontario, including: up to $700 million for education-related projects; an allocation-based program that will deliver up to $250 million to municipalities to address critical local infrastructure needs and; up to $100 million for long-term care projects. Part of the local government infrastructure funding includes a minimum of $6.5 million in shared federal-provincial funding for Indigenous and off-reserve education projects.