Beginning Vegan Cheat Sheet

[Boycott CAFOs]

I have been vegan for two years and I love trying out all the different vegan cooking tricks and mock animal products, and I decided I couldn't keep all these tasty cooking secrets to myself, so here they are:

I love Chloe Coscarelli. I know they aren't healthy, but you have got to try her cupcakes, and use coconut milk. She's won multiple Cupcake Wars and they are truthfully the best cupcakes I've ever had.

The Official Website of Chloe Coscarelli - Chef Chloe - Vegan Cooking and Recipes

On the healthier side, there's: FatFree Vegan Kitchen | Sinlessly Delicious Recipes

Follow Your Heart Vegan Mozzarrella is great on pizza and is strangely similar to cheese (but it's only good when melted so I would only use it in cases where you'll be melting it.) My omnivorous and critical family loved it.
My first try (I got distracted so ignore the burnt crust and look at the cheese). It's also gluten free which is why the crust is the way it is.

Second:

Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds make THE BEST mac 'n' cheese.

Daiya Jack Cheese makes a good quesadilla (I like adding chopped chives as well).

Almond milk is my favorite non-dairy milk in general. It's delicious.

A thumb's worth of peanut butter and a thumb's worth of banana makes a great egg replacer for chocolate chip cookies. My mom said it made the best cookies she's ever had (and she's had a lot of cookies).

For cakes, baking soda and vinegar do the trick. Coconut milk gives the cakes an amazing texture too. (See: Chloe Coscarelli)

Black bean brownies are awesome. You can probably google a recipe for these. I like to add semi-sweet Ghirardhelli chocolate chips or Trader Joe's chocolate chips to the mix too to make it extra rich.

Earth Balance is a great vegan butter.

Vegenaise tastes better than mayonnaise in my opinion. You can also make your own mayonnaise out of tofu (you can find recipes on google).

If you ever miss meat, feel free to explore the faux meats and see which ones you like. My favorites are Gardein Chipotle Lime Crispy Fingers, Tofurky Hickory Smoked Deli Slices, Boca Chik'n Patties, Morningstar Hickory BBQ Riblets, and Trader Joe's makes some really good frozen faux meats if you have one of those around (they also make really good soy yogurt, gel cups, the most amazing SOY CREAMY CHERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM, and a decent cream cheese substitute).

If you've been scared of tofu or had a bad experience with it - try it this way. Start out with SUPER FIRM tofu, cut into cubes, marinate with your favorite sauce (optional) or coat with your favorite seasonings, then bake in the oven. Crispy, dense, perfect tofu you can add to salad, stir fry, rice, etc. or just enjoy on its own. You can also try it scrambled in place of scrambled eggs.

There are tons of foods you wouldn't expect to be vegan, but are, too (like Oreos):
Accidentally Vegan

 

[jamesrage]

Thanks but I will stick to real pizza, real macaroni and cheese, real ice cream,real cheese, real ribs, real mayo, real yogurt, real chicken ,real turkey, real cream cheese and real anything else.



If you can find some vegan blue cheese and vegan sour cream you might want to try out this chop salad recipe.I found it online while looking for a copycat recipe to Outback Steakhouse chop salad.

Chopped Blue Cheese Salad Recipe

Ingredients

* 1/3 cup glazed pecans

Salad

* 3 cups chopped butter or bibb lettuce
* 3 cups chopped red leaf lettuce
* 3 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
* 1 green onion, chopped

Blue cheese vinaigrette dressing

* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons sour cream
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
* salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions


1. Chop all of the lettuce into small bite-sized pieces; and rinse them with cool water.
2. Slice the green onion.
3. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
4. Place the chopped lettuce into a serving bowl large enough to allow you to toss the salad.
5. Add the vinaigrette and toss thoroughly.
6. Sprinkle with the chopped onion.
7. Break the pecan slices apart and sprinkle them over the salad.
8. Enjoy!

 

[Boycott CAFOs]

That recipe does sound good minus the dairy.

I must say you are missing out though. I like my vegan alternatives better than the real thing.

 

[jamesrage]

That recipe does sound good minus the dairy.

I must say you are missing out though. I like my vegan alternatives better than the real thing.

For some reason I doubt that. Just like diet dr pepper does not taste like regular Dr. Pepper and DiGiorno pizza does not taste like delivery pizza and diet sodas do not taste like regular soda then I am pretty sure meat and dairy substitutes do not taste anywhere near as good as real meat and dairy.

 

[Boycott CAFOs]

For some reason I doubt that. Just like diet dr pepper does not taste like regular Dr. Pepper and DiGiorno pizza does not taste like delivery pizza and diet sodas do not taste like regular soda then I am pretty sure meat and dairy substitutes do not taste anywhere near as good as real meat and dairy.

Not the same. Better.

 

[jamesrage]

Not the same. Better.

Real meat and real dairy is better.If substitutes were just as good or better than the real thing then they wouldn't be substitutes in the first place. Diet sodas would replace regular sodas, Oscar Myer would be making vegan dogs instead of real hot dogs,Kraft would be making mostly Vegan cheese and so on.

 

[Boycott CAFOs]

Real meat and real dairy is better.If substitutes were just as good or better than the real thing then they wouldn't be substitutes in the first place. Diet sodas would replace regular sodas, Oscar Myer would be making vegan dogs instead of real hot dogs,Kraft would be making mostly Vegan cheese and so on.

Kraft would have to have Daiya's recipe.

And I will say I haven't had a good vegan hot dog yet. Luckily I never liked hot dogs much in the first place.

Almond milk tastes so much better than real milk. And coconut milk whipped cream - to die for.

Also, to be honest, I've always liked diet sodas better than regular sodas. I know it's unhealthy, but regular sodas are just so overbearingly sweet and sticky.

 

[winston53660]

For some reason I doubt that. Just like diet dr pepper does not taste like regular Dr. Pepper and DiGiorno pizza does not taste like delivery pizza and diet sodas do not taste like regular soda then I am pretty sure meat and dairy substitutes do not taste anywhere near as good as real meat and dairy.

You're a Pepper? Hey I'm a Pepper too

 

[jamesrage]

Kraft would have to have Daiya's recipe.

Might be true, but Kraft wouldn't make it with vegan substitutes.

And I will say I haven't had a good vegan hot dog yet. Luckily I never liked hot dogs much in the first place.

Hebrew National beef franks, Nathan's Famous beef franks and Dietz & Watson New York Brand Beef Franks are some pretty good hotdogs if you ever wanted to try real hot hot dogs.They make oscar myer and ballpark look like some cheap bologna pressed into the form of hotdogs.

Almond milk tastes so much better than real milk. And coconut milk whipped cream - to die for.

Those are probably about the only vegan alternatives I would consider trying.

Also, to be honest, I've always liked diet sodas better than regular sodas. I know it's unhealthy, but regular sodas are just so overbearingly sweet and sticky.

Diet Dr Pepper is the only diet drink I like equally to regular Dr. Pepper(they don't taste the same),that is because I didn't drink much soda growing up and when I did drink soda it was always at my Grandparents house and my Grandma always drank diet Dr. Pepper.

 

[Boycott CAFOs]

Diet Dr Pepper is the only diet drink I like equally to regular Dr. Pepper(they don't taste the same),that is because I didn't drink much soda growing up and when I did drink soda it was always at my Grandparents house and my Grandma always drank diet Dr. Pepper.

Diet Dr. Pepper is basically the only diet drink that I don't like better than the original. Ha. The only soda I ever drink though is Diet Coke. But I rarely drink that now.

 

[RadicalModerate]

Hebrew National beef franks, Nathan's Famous beef franks and Dietz & Watson New York Brand Beef Franks are some pretty good hotdogs if you ever wanted to try real hot hot dogs.They make oscar myer and ballpark look like some cheap bologna pressed into the form of hotdogs.

Hebrew National is the Rolls Royce of hot dogs.

 

[winston53660]

Hebrew National is the Rolls Royce of hot dogs.

taste like chicken poop compared to Nathan's!

 

[RadicalModerate]

I have been vegan for two years and I love trying out all the different vegan cooking tricks and mock animal products, and I decided I couldn't keep all these tasty cooking secrets to myself, so here they are:

I love Chloe Coscarelli. I know they aren't healthy, but you have got to try her cupcakes, and use coconut milk. She's won multiple Cupcake Wars and they are truthfully the best cupcakes I've ever had.

The Official Website of Chloe Coscarelli - Chef Chloe - Vegan Cooking and Recipes

On the healthier side, there's: FatFree Vegan Kitchen | Sinlessly Delicious Recipes

Follow Your Heart Vegan Mozzarrella is great on pizza and is strangely similar to cheese (but it's only good when melted so I would only use it in cases where you'll be melting it.) My omnivorous and critical family loved it.
My first try (I got distracted so ignore the burnt crust and look at the cheese). It's also gluten free which is why the crust is the way it is.

Second:

Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds make THE BEST mac 'n' cheese.

Daiya Jack Cheese makes a good quesadilla (I like adding chopped chives as well).

Almond milk is my favorite non-dairy milk in general. It's delicious.

A thumb's worth of peanut butter and a thumb's worth of banana makes a great egg replacer for chocolate chip cookies. My mom said it made the best cookies she's ever had (and she's had a lot of cookies).

For cakes, baking soda and vinegar do the trick. Coconut milk gives the cakes an amazing texture too. (See: Chloe Coscarelli)

Black bean brownies are awesome. You can probably google a recipe for these. I like to add semi-sweet Ghirardhelli chocolate chips or Trader Joe's chocolate chips to the mix too to make it extra rich.

Earth Balance is a great vegan butter.

Vegenaise tastes better than mayonnaise in my opinion. You can also make your own mayonnaise out of tofu (you can find recipes on google).

If you ever miss meat, feel free to explore the faux meats and see which ones you like. My favorites are Gardein Chipotle Lime Crispy Fingers, Tofurky Hickory Smoked Deli Slices, Boca Chik'n Patties, Morningstar Hickory BBQ Riblets, and Trader Joe's makes some really good frozen faux meats if you have one of those around (they also make really good soy yogurt, gel cups, the most amazing SOY CREAMY CHERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM, and a decent cream cheese substitute).

If you've been scared of tofu or had a bad experience with it - try it this way. Start out with SUPER FIRM tofu, cut into cubes, marinate with your favorite sauce (optional) or coat with your favorite seasonings, then bake in the oven. Crispy, dense, perfect tofu you can add to salad, stir fry, rice, etc. or just enjoy on its own. You can also try it scrambled in place of scrambled eggs.

There are tons of foods you wouldn't expect to be vegan, but are, too (like Oreos):
Accidentally Vegan

Many of those vegan meat/dairy substitutes you promote for are highly processed. If you're gonna be vegan and healthy, steer clear of that and stick with whole foods.

 

[Ikari]

Hebrew National is the Rolls Royce of hot dogs.

Nathan's hot dogs are the sovereign of all hot dogs.

 

[winston53660]

Nathan's hot dogs are the sovereign of all hot dogs.

I use to ride my motorcycle often to Coney Island for lunch when I lived and worked in Brooklyn.

 

[Slartibartfast]

That recipe does sound good minus the dairy.

I must say you are missing out though. I like my vegan alternatives better than the real thing.

Its all just food

 

[Boycott CAFOs]

Many of those vegan meat/dairy substitutes you promote for are highly processed. If you're gonna be vegan and healthy, steer clear of that and stick with whole foods.

Not all of it. And the stuff that is, is still healthier than the non-vegan, factory farmed versions.

It's just a cheat sheet for people who want to go vegan for any of the many reasons people go vegan. Makes the diet a lot easier when you know you can still indulge.

But I'm actually mostly trying to stick to the Eat To Live diet plan.

 

[Risky Thicket]

Real meat and real dairy is better.If substitutes were just as good or better than the real thing then they wouldn't be substitutes in the first place. Diet sodas would replace regular sodas, Oscar Myer would be making vegan dogs instead of real hot dogs,Kraft would be making mostly Vegan cheese and so on.

My wife has been vegan for years. She bet me once I couldn't go on a raw food diet for a month. I stuck it out for 3, I think. I missed hot food. My wife has taken raw food and vegan cooking classes and is a pretty good cook. Recently, I decided to go vegan. The thing is once you eat vegan for a while food actually does taste better. Processed food contains excitotoxins to make it taste better than it actually would other wise. It works. But, once you eat fresh non-processed food for a while processed foods taste greasy.

Same with raw food. I can't do that full time, but I have to say that raw food salads are fantastic. I wouldn't have thought so before, but they are excellent.

This morning we have breakfast tacos. We had a huge salad with fresh fruit for lunch and tonight we had curried potato stew. Good stuff.

 

[RadicalModerate]

Not all of it. And the stuff that is, is still healthier than the non-vegan, factory farmed versions.

It's just a cheat sheet for people who want to go vegan for any of the many reasons people go vegan. Makes the diet a lot easier when you know you can still indulge.

But I'm actually mostly trying to stick to the Eat To Live diet plan.

Here's the thing about veganism; it's an overrated dietary choice. The idea that it's healthier to completely forsake all animal products is wrong. Westerns need to drastically reduce the amount of red meat and dairy they ingest, it's true. We have an obesity epidemic, and most of it is related to our diet and our inactivity.

But offering veganism or even vegetarianism as the solution is disingenuous. I'm certainly not a vegetarian, but I still manage to eat very healthy. I think the whole debate over eating meat or not eating meat is a distraction from a real solution to our poor diets.

We need to focus in on providing local food through local markets. New thinking about food, diet and nutrition is what we need, no a dead-end debate on whether or not eating meat on it's own is good or bad. It's neither. The issue is the sustainability of factory farmed beef and it's effect on our health and the Third World.

 

[RadicalModerate]

How does veganism create a solution to the inner city food deserts? In many urban environments, there is a total lack of fresh food. It's all processed snacks and candy. There are place where you literally cannot buy vegetables or fruits. How does veganism address that problem?

Answer; It doesn't.

Veganism is almost solely the philosophy of the well-to-do privileged classes; people with access to a wide variety fresh foods and costly vegan alternatives. It doesn't apply to the under-classes of struggling people. It's not a viable solution to their diet and food issues.

 

[Risky Thicket]

The first time I became a vegan was after a visit to a slaughter house. That did it for me.

We do eat whole food and we make whatever we eat from scratch. No dairy, no processed anything. Well, OK, beer. There's a limit to everything.

 

[RadicalModerate]

And the stuff that is, is still healthier than the non-vegan, factory farmed versions.

Lol, wut? It's automatically "healthier" because it's not factory-farmed? Factory-farming isn't a nutrition/health issue; if it's anything, it's a environmental and moral issue.

Any dietitian worth their salt will tell you that the healthier choices are stuff that isn't made for you. Fresh cheese from a dairy farm, in moderation, will be better for you than processed fake-cheese filled with chemicals to recreate that cheese texture and taste.

 

[Risky Thicket]

Here's the thing about veganism; it's an overrated dietary choice. The idea that it's healthier to completely forsake all animal products is wrong. Westerns need to drastically reduce the amount of red meat and dairy they ingest, it's true. We have an obesity epidemic, and most of it is related to our diet and our inactivity.

But offering veganism or even vegetarianism as the solution is disingenuous. I'm certainly not a vegetarian, but I still manage to eat very healthy. I think the whole debate over eating meat or not eating meat is a distraction from a real solution to our poor diets.

We need to focus in on providing local food through local markets. New thinking about food, diet and nutrition is what we need, no a dead-end debate on whether or not eating meat on it's own is good or bad. It's neither. The issue is the sustainability of factory farmed beef and it's effect on our health and the Third World.

Agreed. Vegan, vegetarianism is a choice. It isn't for everyone. For me it isn't all the time. I can't resist something like paella.

The culprit in my opinion is processed food. If you can get organic grass fed beef that's a healthy way to eat as long as you don't eat it all the time.

There are three people in my office who have diabetes II and a fourth is pre-diabetic. Last year one guy said he was fed the hell up with taking pills and having high blood pressure and high cholesterol. What are you going to do? You take the pills or shots.

He read somewhere that if he drastically changed his diet that he could "cure" his diabetes and stop the meds. He went on a vegan diet and used coconut oil for cooking. In about 6 months he was down to one pill. He's off that now. He lost a butt load of weight, he has normal sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. Amazing. It wasn't easy for him but he looks great. No diabetes. I'm sure if he went back to his old ways it would come back, but he doesn't have it now.

The other people in the office still take meds for a host of problems related to their diabetes. There apparently is a solution to the diabetes epidemic and its food! LOL! Most people, however, would rather take the pills and shots and face whatever complications they may have. Processed food is the killer.

 

[RadicalModerate]

Agreed. Vegan, vegetarianism is a choice. It isn't for everyone. For me it isn't all the time. I can't resist something like paella.

The culprit in my opinion is processed food. If you can get organic grass fed beef that's a healthy way to eat as long as you don't eat it all the time.

There are three people in my office who have diabetes II and a fourth is pre-diabetic. Last year one guy said he was fed the hell up with taking pills and having high blood pressure and high cholesterol. What are you going to do? You take the pills or shots.

He read somewhere that if he drastically changed his diet that he could "cure" his diabetes and stop the meds. He went on a vegan diet and used coconut oil for cooking. In about 6 months he was down to one pill. He's off that now. He lost a butt load of weight, he has normal sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. Amazing. It wasn't easy for him but he looks great. No diabetes. I'm sure if he went back to his old ways it would come back, but he doesn't have it now.

The other people in the office still take meds for a host of problems related to their diabetes. There apparently is a solution to the diabetes epidemic and its food! LOL! Most people, however, would rather take the pills and shots and face whatever complications they may have. Processed food is the killer.

There is no medically recognized "cure" for diabeetus, but there is agreement that radically changing your diet will certainly go the farthest in controlling it and making life with diabeetus manageable.

Cutting out the fat, the sugar, the salt, reducing alcohol intake all goes a long ways in keeping your diabeetus in check.

 

[Boycott CAFOs]

Lol, wut? It's automatically "healthier" because it's not factory-farmed? Factory-farming isn't a nutrition/health issue; if it's anything, it's a environmental and moral issue.

Any dietitian worth their salt will tell you that the healthier choices are stuff that isn't made for you. Fresh cheese from a dairy farm, in moderation, will be better for you than processed fake-cheese filled with chemicals to recreate that cheese texture and taste.

I just want you to look through the website I link in my signature and then I'd like to talk about this with you.

I know that's annoying to hear, but I have arthritis so it really is a pain to respond to all this.

I'm kind of annoyed with myself that I'm telling you to look through that site instead of directly responding to your concerns, but I feel this discussion would go on and on if you didn't. And this way we can address more worth-while issues.

And here are the ingredients for both Daiya and Follow Your Heart:

Daiya:
Filtered water, tapioca and /or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and /or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegan natural flavors, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, citric acid (for flavor), annatto, titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral).

Follow Your Heart:
Ingredients: (vegan, gluten free, dairy free) Filtered Water, Non-GMO Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Tofu (Soybeans, Calcium Sulfate), Inulin (Chicory Root Extract), Non-GMO Soy Protein, Agar Agar, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor (Plant Based Sources), Carrageenan, Lactic Acid (Vegetable Source). Contains: Soy

And I don't think you want to know what all is in factory farmed dairy, but you should look into it anyway.