My Gourmet Vegan Cooking With Pics! :-)

reply to post by AshleyD


Dear AshleyD,

While I personally could never go vegetarian, I know how much more effort it takes to cook vegan and make sure you get all your nutritional needs met. My personal favorite to serve is a Cuban Bean and Rice combination because it makes a whole protein or so I was told. Your food looked great, thanks for sharing.

A+ for effort. Taste yet to be determined. MELT THE CHEESE

Needs more meat, much more meat

reply to post by AshleyD
I work with ALL vegans and I am sick and tired of the usual vegan pizza like foods for lunch. You have the macaroni casserole here vegan style. I know of vegan cheese (weird and nasty to me but whatever), however what about the vegan pasta? That would be new to me. Can you kindly post the recipe to your casserole? I will trade you with a vegan pancake recipe And these pancakes are good and a vegan makes them for me all of the time.

Looks good. But i just couldn't give up beef and pork. I mite try one of these. What is supposed to be like sauage in the Vegan world?

Used to have an excellent vegan restaurant near me

reply to post by AshleyD


Thanks for the recipe. I'll definitely try it.

Originally posted by mythots
What is supposed to be like [sausage] in the Vegan world?

Vegan Sausage Patties
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Ingredients...
....
½ c whole wheat flour
¼ c oat or wheat bran
.... [truncated for post space consideration ... click link below for full list of ingredients]
Instructions ...

Stir together tvp and boiling water and set aside to soak for 5 minutes.

Add flour, bran, and dry spices; stir to incorporate.

In a measuring cup,
.... [truncated for post space consideration ... click link below for full instructions]

Serve hot.

hellyeahitsvegan.com...

reply to post by AshleyD


now i am hungry

reply to post by Zehll


BYOM
Bring your own meat...

Vegan -Is- a learn as you go thing... I completely agree... Best way to eat -Is- to think of what you eat when you're eating it; and being grateful for it. Food = fuel. Plain and simple. Best way to think of food is "Is this how it occurs in nature?" and if not, it's been processed. Processed foods are bad; plain and simple. Vegan = plain and simple. And as you "go along" on the plain and simple Vegan pathway you'll find that your taste adjusts and your body heals itself beautifully.

Bring on more recipes!!

STARS FOR YOU!

oxoxox

reply to post by Hollie


Pasta should be vegan. 2 C semolina, 1/2 C water, 1/2 tsp salt. Period. Alla uovo pasta (with eggs) is only for specific dishes and specific regions of Italy.

To up the protein content of the pasta, which will make it more durable you can use 1 1/2 C semolina and 1/2 C high-protein wheat like Hard Winter Red Wheat.

Source: Spent years making pasta for my local farmers market, 16 stores, and 9 restaurants. Now I make gluten free pastas.

reply to post by AshleyD


Wonderful! I transitioned fully to veganism this past March. I'm also gluten-free and have a few other food-issues, but being vegan takes care of most of them. It's amazing how many delicious ways I've learned to cook vegetables from sheer necessity. (Mother of invention and all that... ;-)

But luckily I can have tofu - I actually like it done in small cubes and stir-fried in a ceramic non-stick pan (the healthy kind) by itself with a touch of safflower oil on Medium High heat, with some toasted sesame oil, ginger powder and coriander for flavor and just when they start to get a bit crispy on the outside, I toss in a hearty dose of wheat-free tamari. The cook up golden brown and my son loves them so much he requests that I send the leftovers in his school lunch box! :-) I'll do a veggie stir-fry, or Indian or Thai curry to go with it, which is good.

I really enjoyed your food-photos! It is quite inspiring - I am in a bit of a meal-repetition cycle, so this is great grist for the creative food-mill, as it were... You've inspired me to look at the tex-mex corn-based meals again...

Thank you so much for sharing! Yum!

peace,
AB

Originally posted by SpearMint
I've always found it strange how vegans and vegetarians often try to emulate foods that they can't eat, like meat and cheese. Looks nice though.

edit on 1-6-2013 by SpearMint because: (no reason given)

I think it mostly has to do with flavor. Like for me, I LOVE the smell and taste of bacon. I was quite the carnivore before becoming a vegetarian. But, nowadays animals are pumped full of hormones, live in filthy conditions, are slaughtered inhumanely, abused, etc. The vegetarian bacon tastes and smells just like real bacon, but without all the really bad stuff.

I've met vegetarians who act like they're going to throw up just because somebody else mentions eating meat. I think that's mostly and act just to have a chance to expound on how they are unique just because they don't eat meat (or that's how they feel, anyway).

I say anybody who claims they don't like the smell of bacon is full of it. And that goes for other things, too. I'm just using bacon as an example.

Just because someone is a vegetarian doesn't mean they automatically think meat tastes and smells disgusting. We try to emulate the taste of different meats because we still like the flavor, just not the disgusting stuff that comes with real meat.

And don't forget, the majority of food consumed is vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, and grains. Somebody has asked me before if I eat fish. I told them no. How about chicken? No. Seafood? No. Then what do you eat?!

I told them to name off every type of meat they could think of that they eat. They said beef, pork, chicken, fish, seafood, and a few other things. I told them to I would name off all the varieties of vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, grains, etc., that I eat, but it would take all day.

When someone makes a vegetarian or vegan meal that usually has meat or dairy it in, the meat and dairy are almost always just a relatively small part of the meal, so it should not be that strange of a thing that someone takes out one of the least important ingredients and replaces it with something made out of vegetables.

Originally posted by Halekoch
reply to post by Hollie

 

Pasta should be vegan. 2 C semolina, 1/2 C water, 1/2 tsp salt. Period. Alla uovo pasta (with eggs) is only for specific dishes and specific regions of Italy.

To up the protein content of the pasta, which will make it more durable you can use 1 1/2 C semolina and 1/2 C high-protein wheat like Hard Winter Red Wheat.

Source: Spent years making pasta for my local farmers market, 16 stores, and 9 restaurants. Now I make gluten free pastas.

Thanks for the info. Is it safe to say that semolina is the same as the flour you buy in stores?

Great looking food porn pics.

Not a vegan, but I'd eat those dishes any day.

My 2 favorite 'vegan' dishes are a no meat chili and a root/tuber stew with bread.

The chili is just a couple kinds of beans with chili seasoning. The root/tuber stew is carrots, rutabagas, daikon, potatoes, etc. The broth is thickened with flour. Flavored with garlic, ginger and soy sauce.

reply to post by AshleyD


Thanks for sharing your recipes.

Vegetarian food is very healthy if balanced food (a mix of grains, beans, and fresh vegetables) is eaten.

Some amount of milk, yogurt, and honey should be included in vegetarian diet as these animal products contain ingredients needed for good human health.

Ayurved recommends fresh products for food. Cheese, vinegar and wines are not advised in the 'Ayurved' system.

As I am a lifelong vegetarian, I can suggest a few soups to you which you can try.

There are several lentils soup you can make - best ones are made from green peas, chana daal (chick peas), moong daal, and urad daal.

You can take a cup of any one of these lentils and soak overnight.

Wash the soaked lentils and cook in a pressure cooker. Please use around 6 cups of water for one cup of lentils. Add diced onions, tomotoes, carrots, celery, cauliflower florets, spinach etc. for flavor depending upon availability. Please use at least one cup of diced vegetables for one cup of lentils.

Add salt to taste. You can add one teaspoon curry powder and half teaspoon ground pepper to the soup.

Typical lentil soup will be ready in about 20 minutes. Once cooked, add one tablespoon butter or cream to soup for a nice creamy taste.

Please let me know if you like this soup.

Oh wow. Thanks for all the support. I didn't think that many people would be into it but I'm glad it piqued some interest.

reply to post by Char-Lee


You're lucky! I bloated to pregnancy-sized levels the first week! LOL!

reply to post by awake1234


Indeed! I was introduced to the wonderful world of nutritional yeast. Great vegan cheese-flavor alternative. When first looking up recipes, I kept seeing it but would skip it since I didn't have access to any. Then started buying it in the city and never looked back.

reply to post by caladonea


Sure! Any one in particular?

reply to post by SpearMint


I don't really miss meat but I miss real cheese sometimes. When used in cooking like enchiladas or casseroles, the difference of vegan cheese isn't even noticeable. But when eaten alone, it's not really good.

As a vegetarian I'd make what I call Mediterranean snack plates consisting of an assortment of cheese, grapes, olives, nuts, and pita chips and a glass of wine. It was nice to sit out on my back deck and just relax. However, I tried it with vegan cheese. It's just not the same by itself! Eggs, dairy, and meat I hardly miss at all but real gourmet cheeses are missed.

reply to post by Lysergic


I think that is the longest post I've ever seen you make on ATS!

And, yes. Too much soy can allegedly boost estrogen levels. So I try to limit it to a serving every ten days or so.

reply to post by otherpotato


No- I have no idea how to make tofu. lol But it is sold at my store in a variety of firmness levels.

reply to post by Hollie


Sure! The mac & cheese casserole was something I threw together on a whim. This is the gist of it:

1). Whole wheat macaroni (or shells). Boil and set aside.
2). One small bag of assorted vegetables. The mix I used consisted of broccoli, green beans, sliced carrots, peas, etc. Boil and set aside. Although this is optional, I like to add the vegetables for some balanced nutrients and make it a full meal. Sometimes I also add half a can of rotel chilies and tomatoes.
3). For the sauce. I kind of just tossed in a bunch of stuff. In a separate pan, add some vegan milk, vegan butter substitute, nutritional yeast, shredded vegan cheese, pepper, and salt (optional). On low, blend it until it becomes a melted cheese sauce. Sorry I don't have exact measurements. I just kept adding things until it was the right consistency.
4). Mix together the pasta, vegetables, and cheese sauce. Pour into a casserole dish.
5). Toast two slices of vegan bread. Use a cheese grater or food processor to grind it into bread crumbs. Spread the crumbs out over the whole casserole.
6). Add some additional grated vegan cheese onto the top.
7). Bake for around 15-20 minutes.



reply to post by mythots


Hm... never tried sausage! Homemade, at least. Tofurky has a type of sausage I tried before- Italian flavored. I didn't care for it though. Looks like someone gave you a recipe to try, though!

reply to post by AboveBoard


Sweet! Please feel free to share recipes!

reply to post by jeramie

But, nowadays animals are pumped full of hormones, live in filthy conditions, are slaughtered inhumanely, abused, etc.

That is what finally made me take the leap. In school, we learned what all they do to alter animals biochemically and it really repulsed me. Then cruelty-free was an additional perk.

I've met vegetarians who act like they're going to throw up just because somebody else mentions eating meat. I think that's mostly and act just to have a chance to expound on how they are unique just because they don't eat meat (or that's how they feel, anyway).

I think so, too. My goal is to never be militant about it. In fact, a couple weekends ago, I still made my husband and son a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and cinnamon rolls. I then turned around and made me a banana and strawberry smoothie. Hubby still likes his fried chicken and meat lover's pizza. I made him a steak last week while I just had the salad and baked potato. I don't judge him or act all self righteous around others no more than I want to be made fun of for the way I eat. Judge not is my motto! LOL!

I say anybody who claims they don't like the smell of bacon is full of it.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of it! Especially the after-smell in the kitchen. It's just so greasy. Can't put my finger on it but my kitchen smells like greasy lard after cooking it. lol

reply to post by GargIndia


That sounds really good! I might try that tonight. Question, though. I do not have a pressure cooker. Will a crock pot or regular pot work? And I have all those ingredients except the cauliflower. Will let you know how it goes.

Some amount of milk, yogurt, and honey should be included in vegetarian diet as these animal products contain ingredients needed for good human health.

As a vegan, we cannot have those things but I do make sure to get all my nutrients that are harder for vegans to get like B12, calcium, vitamin D, iron, etc. I take a multi, then add in some ingredients rich in those ingredients. I take a vegan powder supplement once a day and also buy foods like calcium-fortified almond milk.

I don't want my teeth or hair falling out in a year! haha Some swear you can get all those nutrients from a plant-based diet but I'm not so sure and I'd rather be careful.

reply to post by Hollie


Semolina is sold in some stores. It is absolutely not white flour, wheat flour, or any sort of all-purpose flour. It's actually the "leavings" after finely milling durum wheat flour. It has a larger grain than regular flour, but it is not course. It will have a beautiful yellow color, something chefs have to use saffron to get in any-other-sort-of-flour pasta.

Hodgson Mill and Bob's Red Mill are both widely distributed and sell semolina. On Amazon, it's way overpriced. HTH

Originally posted by schmirror

Originally posted by mythots
What is supposed to be like [sausage] in the Vegan world?

Vegan Sausage Patties
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Ingredients...
....
½ c whole wheat flour
¼ c oat or wheat bran
.... [truncated for post space consideration ... click link below for full list of ingredients]
Instructions ...

Stir together tvp and boiling water and set aside to soak for 5 minutes.

Add flour, bran, and dry spices; stir to incorporate.

In a measuring cup,
.... [truncated for post space consideration ... click link below for full instructions]

Serve hot.

hellyeahitsvegan.com...

Thanks. Going to try this soon.