My Gourmet Vegan Cooking With Pics! :-)

reply to post by GargIndia


What Halekoch said - here we can buy bags of "edamame" which are soybeans in the pods but it is immediately clear one does not eat the pod. I liken it to the difference between eating snow peas and shelling peas.

reply to post by AshleyD


Thank you very much for sharing shushi recipe.

If you do not want to use milk and milk products, you can replace with soy milk and tofu.

As you make tofu, you can also make cottage cheese from cow milk.

Cottage cheese can be used in many dishes. We have a grilled dish called "tikka" which is well liked by people used to grilled foods. You can substitute cottage cheese with tofu but cottage cheese is tastier.

If you are into grilling, I shall give you the recipe of several grilled vegetarian foods.

reply to post by otherpotato


Thanks. I got your point.

My view is that people who can consume cow-milk (are not allergic) should always use that over soymilk.

Cow milk is one animal product that vegetarians need.

A lot of our dishes cannot be made without milk or yogurt. These are essential part of vegetarian cooking.

MINT CHUTNEY (MINT DIP) -- can be used with any fried or baked snack

Ingredients - One cup mint leaves (please remove stems), one small onion chopped, 2 garlic cloves peeled, Half cup yogurt, 1 teaspoon salt, green chilies to taste (min 2), 1/2 teaspoon "garam masala" if you have (otherwise 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper),

You need a blander for this dish.

Put all ingredients in a blender. Run the blender until all ingredients are mixed well and pureed.

Use can use this dip just like tomato ketchup with any food. We have used it with burgers and sandwiches, and it tastes very good.

ROASTED GRAINS

Roasted Grains have been very important in the food of ancient India.

Slow roasting cooks the grain thoroughly and makes a snack that can be stored for several days or even months.

Clean fine sand is used for slow roasting. A large heavy pan is used for this purpose. Please fill half the pan with clean fine sand. Heat the pan for at least 5 minutes on high heat.

Reduce the heat. The sand is now hot enough to roast most grains.

A number of grains can be roasted - wheat, rice, chickpea, corn being the most common ones.

Mix one fistful of grains with the sand with a wooden spatula. Make sure the grains and sand are mixed well. Then leave for about one minute. Shake the pan and then leave for one more minute. So it is about 2 min 30 seconds for roasting.

You need a sieve for separating sand and roasted grains. It is a large sieve which is available commonly in India. You keep a large plate under the sieve and then pour the sand containing roasted grains in the sieve. The grains are caught by the sieve while sand passes through to the plate. Shake the sieve well so that no sand stays in the sieve. Transfer the roasted grain to a sealed container immediately (while warm). The sand can be returned to roasting pan.

The roasted grains can be mixed with salt and condiments to make tastier.

The following is a simple recipe that you can try:

2-3 teaspoons lemon juice
pinch of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coriander powder
pinch of ground black pepper
ground red chilies or chopped green chilies to taste (a pinch of ground red chilies is enough for mild taste)

Mix all the above ingredients.

Use a large mixing bowl. Put roasted grains in it (about 4 cups).
Mix with the condiment prepared in the above step, preferably by hands.

Then transfer back to the airtight jar for consumption later.

Roasted grains was carried by travelers in ancient India to eat on the way, on long journeys lasting weeks.

It remains a popular food to this day.

Roasting does not use cooking oil. Please note fried foods should NOT be stored, as oil becomes rancid with time. Fried foods should be consumed immediately.

I have posted these recipes as India is source of vegetarian cooking.

People who want to be vegetarian only (no intake of meat and eggs) need to understand how to get balanced nutrition through vegetarian food.

Children raised on vegetarian food can grow to be very healthy and strong if proper balance and cooking methods are used.

My QUICK tips:

1. Please use cow milk and yogurt regularly.
2. Please avoid stale and fermented foods. This includes vinegar and cheeses.
3. Use spices in moderation.
4. Eat one small serving of sour, bitter and sweet foods daily in addition to primarily salty food.
Sour foods are ones prepared with fresh fruits. Fruits contain acid, even ripe ones.
Bitter foods are vegetables which have a bitter taste.
Sweet foods are foods that contain sugar or honey etc.

Too much sugar, and fried foods are bad for health. Baked or roasted snacks should be preferred.

Pizza night! I spent the night at my mother's last night for a little fun slumber party and wanted to make pizza for everyone!

The top pizza is a spicy jalepeno and red pepper pizza. The rep pepper is a great vegan substitute for pepperoni. The bottom pizza is almost the same but with the spicy ingredients removed for my son and grandparents.



I purchased the pizza crusts from the store and made sure the ones I bought were vegan. Then I topped with pizza sauce, vegan cheeses (cheddar and mozzarella), bell peppers, green/black olives, pineapple, and jalapenos/red peppers for the spicy one. Lots of fun, not too hard, and mighty tasty! Serve with a side salad.

reply to post by GargIndia


So sorry- I don't want anyone to feel ignored! I guess I just glossed over it since it was in reply to someone else. I have been trying to applaud members for offering recipes when I remember. Just gave you one, too. Thank you for your efforts!!

reply to post by kosmicjack


Thank you!

As for benefits, I've lost about 15 pounds so far (with approximately 15 more to go). It was intentional, though. I really blew up after going back to school and needed to lose some weight. So that is a plus. Also a huge boost of energy, and TMI alert- regularity. Great immune system boost- I'm hardly ever sick and don't remember even being sick since starting. About a week in I did experience some weakness and bloating, though. For a little while there, I thought veganism wasn't for me and that it was making me sick. It turned out to be a very common side effect to new veganism though as the body adjusts and detoxes.

Hubby- not too much but he is not full vegan either, though. We're trying to work on his weight and health but I can't get too personal like if it was me, as I'm sure you know. lol He still eats regular food at lunch. I try to not be militant with him or my son. My son doesn't like to eat full vegan either so it is just me who is full time. They only eat full vegan when they eat with me. They're very supportive of me but are not dedicated to it personally.

But really, I've never felt better in my life and am running for the first time in almost 2 decades- even training for my first 5K which will be held in August!

reply to post by AshleyD


Lovely pizzas, AshleyD! Was the cheese Daiya cheese? I used a nutritional yeast cheese sauce the last time I made pizza, and it turned out well. ^_^

I found this recipe today; I'll be making it tomorrow. It seems the author has a raw vegan ranch dressing recipe. If it turns out well, I'll be a very happy vegan. ^_^

www.forkandbeans.com...

oddpenguin

Originally posted by oddpenguin
Lovely pizzas, AshleyD! Was the cheese Daiya cheese? I used a nutritional yeast cheese sauce the last time I made pizza, and it turned out well. ^_^

Thank you! And yes it was for 2/3 of it. 1/3 of it was Daiya cheddar, another 1/3 was Daiya mozzarella, and the final 1/3 was a block I hand grated (Kaas). Bought the block on an impulse buy.

I found this recipe today; I'll be making it tomorrow. It seems the author has a raw vegan ranch dressing recipe. If it turns out well, I'll be a very happy vegan. ^_^

www.forkandbeans.com...

Oh interesting! Looks like they use cashews (I'm deadly allergic to those). However, I found vegan ranch dressing at whole foods then my local grocery store has a ranch dressing in the gluten-free section that just happens to be vegan as well.

Are you familiar with those? Just wanted to toss that in there in case you needed 'quick ranch' one night. lol

ETA: Oh, and take pics if you can please.

reply to post by AshleyD


It turned out well. A little too much dill for my liking, but still good. I did not have black beans or avocados, so I used chickpeas and diced bell peppers instead. I also added sauteed slices of seitan. I would add photos, but my camera is being a pain. >.<

There is a very good non-nut version of vegan ranch dressing here: veganluvies.blogspot.com...

I have seen bottled versions, but I tend to make my own dressings and such if I can. ^_^

oddpenguin

reply to post by AshleyD


Your pizza looks very good.

Please also try a roll if you can make a Roti. You can roll a mix of cottage cheese, chopped greens, tomato and onion. A little lemon juice and finely chopped green chilies can be added for taste.

A roll is very filling and is a complete meal.

I made this last night; it's one of my favourites. It was very good, as always. ^_^

www.gardein.com...

Oddly, I am out of celery, so I used celery salt this time and it turned out well, anyway.

oddpenguin

reply to post by oddpenguin


Some people say that "meat substitution products" available in supermarkets are risky.

The traditional vegetarian food is based on ground or roasted grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, and milk products.

I do not advise eating a lot of soy products for people who want to avoid allergies.

reply to post by oddpenguin


I do not much care what "some people" say; "some people" have odd theories about everything. The "meat substitution products" I use are minimally processed. I would much rather eat them and soy products than meat. They taste quite good, as well. ^_^

Also, vegans do not consume animal products of any kind, including milk.

oddpenguin

Thank you guys for those wonderful recipes.

I became vegan a few days back and I find it quite different.
I do not feel the same satiety I did before and it is quite a task. These pictures and recipes for sure makes my life easier

Almost from none cooking to cooking everyday was quite a huge step for me. I did not eat that healthy food before but now I do.

I take a picture of my daily cooking and will come back with some shots

reply to post by oddpenguin


You can try soy milk in place of cow milk.

Nothing wrong in using cow milk though. We are only against killing animals, not all animal products. For example we use wool that is hair of sheep. The hides of dead animals like cows and buffaloes are used for making shoes etc.

People can use soy products. My advice is against eating too much of it. It is advisable to eat several grains/lentils in rotation which improves the quality of nutrition.

I would appreciate if someone had an recipe of bread to share.

reply to post by Air0x


I shall give you recipe of flat-bread which is easy enough.

You need a flat bottom heavy pan (very shallow). You can buy a pan made of cast iron or aluminium which is at least 12 inch wide.
Buy a simple uncoated pan.

Buy some whole grain flour (wheat flour preferred).

In a mixing bowl, put 2 cups wheat flour. Add a pinch of salt and one tablespoon yogurt. If you do not have yogurt, add a little cooking oil, around two teaspoons. Knead the flour with hands, adding water as needed.

Once the dough is ready, cover it with a thick cloth and set aside for around one hour. Do not refrigerate.

Now divide the dough in equal portions (around 8-10 portions).

Take one portion and make a round shape with hands or on a wooden board. Use extra wheat flour for dustng so that dough does not stick to the surface.

Roll the dough with a rolling pin into a flat bread shape. If you do not have a rolling pin, you can use your hands to flatten the dough and spread it, though it takes practice.

Heat the pan for a minute on medium heat. Now put a rolled bread in the pan. Shake the pan every 10-15 seconds so that bread does not stick to the bottom. Cook each side of the bread around 30 seconds (1 minute for both sides). You may find it difficult initially, but you will get better with practice.

You repeat the process for the remaining portions of dough.

These breads will suffice dinner for two people. The sides can be lentil soup, green salad with fresh fruit, sauteed vegetables etc.

I shall give you a recipe of mint chutney and mango chutney which you can spread on the bread, if you do not have much time to cook. The chutneys can be refrigerated

Mango chutney
-------------------

2 large ripe mangoes
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon 'garam masala' powder

1. Peel the mangoes. Remove the pulp from the seed into a bowl using a knife. We need the pulp. If the mango is hard, cut the fruit into small pieces.

2. In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of water. Add sugar, salt, mango pulp and 'garam masala' to the water. Mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for around 15 minutes. Shake the mixture a couple of time while cooking. You will get consistency of fruit-jelly at the end of cooking.

3. Cool down the mixture, and fill in a glass jar. This chutney can be used safely for 2-3 weeks if refrigerated.

The same cooking methods can be used for other fruits also like guava, strawberry, grapes, peaches etc.

The chutney can be spread on flat-bread or normal baked bread as you wish. Makes for a quick breakfast.

Mint Chutney
-----------------

1. Mint leaves (can keep thin stems) - one cup
2. Yogurt - one cup
3. green chillies - 4-5
4. Salt - one teaspoon
5. Garam masala powder - one teaspoon

Wash mint leaves with water and remove thick stems (and weeds).

You need a mixer/grinder. Put mint leaves and deseeded green chillies in a mixer. Make a fine paste. Now add yogurt, salt, and garam masala to the mixer bowl, and run it a little more so that all ingredients are mixed.

You will get consistency of tomato sauce after this. You do not have to cook this chutney. It is ready as soon as ingredients are mixed.

Remove in a glass jar and keep refrigerated. This chutney is good for at least a week if refrigerated.

You can use it as a dipping sauce as well with snacks.