Vegan/Vegetarian Thread (discussion, recipes, laughs)
 

As a vegan (and sometimes vegetarian -- we have slips off sometimes when tempted with things that we grew up on), I always look for new recipes and discussions on things vegetarian/vegan. I'm actually looking for a red velvet vegan recipe if anyone knows of a good tried-and-true recipe.

*subscribing

Sorry,I don't have the recipe you're looking for but I'd love to add some new veggie recipes to my collection.Thank you for this thread.

**subscribing**

I love vegetarian food. I love tofu. Bread is my meat, i have tried and failed to achieve a vegetarian lifestyle but i love to eat and I have been introduced to many great vegetarian things. def subscribing

I think I found one. I'm going to make it this aft and surprise K with it. It calls for round pans but I'm going to see if I can find some heart-shaped ones at the dollar store. :)

I found it! And it was easy to make (although I had to adjust a couple of things: the store didn't have any vegan cream cheese :( and I forgot to get baking powder). It seems fine otherwise.

Here's the recipe (I'll post pictures once it's frosted and we've cut into it):

Linus, I was a vegan for about 10 years and have many great tried and true vegan recipies...specifically baked goods and deserts. I would be more than happy to share them :)

That is what this thread is for. :) By all means, share what you think is interesting, tasty and even if potentially fattening :D

http://www.syrlinus.com/wp-content/u...red-velvet.JPG


I guess the recipe was ok since K had two slices already this evening. She suggested I open my own bakery. That'd be a bad idea since I'd gain about 300+ lbs from sampling my own wares. :D

I've never used ener-g egg replacer. And I have a nice recipe for a vegan banana bread that's extremely simple:


Many of those same comfort foods can be vegan/vegetarian. :D What specifically were your favourites?

links to other sites are good too!
 

http://www.all-creatures.org/article...ganturkey.html

http://www.veganlunchbox.com/loaf_studio.html
[click on food items and hit submit for your recipe. my non-vegan friend made this and loved the loaf, plus the simplicity of just choosing an item from each group]

Caribbean Sweet Potato Pudding
 

I was a vegetarian / vegan for years. I love vegetarian fare, although I now am an omnivore. I am naturally ethereal, and need the grounding..... I need to find Vegan cake recipes, as I am very allergic to eggs. I stopped baking, because nothing turned out well. I saw the red velvet cake Linus posted, and I once again have hope. I sure would love to see more Vegan baked yummies if you have recipes to share!

I saw this prepared on the food Network and it looked so good I had to try it. It has become a favorite. The ratio of sweet potatoes to coconut milk is important if you want to get the right consistency. Also I tend to be heavy handed with spices, it was not a good idea here. The recipe is perfectly blended.

Caribbean Sweet Potato Pudding

Ingredients

* Softened butter, for the pan
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
* 3 pounds white-fleshed sweet potatoes, called boniato or batata
* 1/4 cup shredded coconut
* 1/4 cup raisins
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
* 3 cups coconut milk
* 1/4 cup evaporated milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

Using the grater attachment on a food processor, grate the potatoes and put in a large bowl. Add the flour, coconut, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and mix well.

Heat the sugar, coconut milk, and evaporated milk in a saucepan over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes.

Pour the coconut milk mixture into the potato mixture and mix well. Pour the mixture into the baking dish, smooth the top, and bake until set, about 1 1/2 hours.

Plantain Fritters
 

Plantains are usually found in Ethnic markets or placed that have Latin ingredients. They look like really large Bananas, and have a very tough skin. They are used green, where they are not sweet, and ripe where they can be very sweet. These bananas are for cooking, not for eating raw!!!!! This recipe calls for sweet ripe Plantains. The skin will be Yellow as opposed to green. There may be brown spots, which does not mean you can't use them, as long as they are "firm" they are good.
go here to learn how to use Plantain or Platanos>>> http://www.elboricua.com/platanos.html

Plantain Fritters

Ingredients

* 3 ripe plantains
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, optional
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

Wash plantains and cut into thirds; leaving the skin on. Place the pieces in a medium pan with water; cover, and bring to a boil. Cook until the flesh is soft, about 15 minutes

Drain and peel the plantains and transfer to a large bowl. Mash to a smooth consistency and add the baking powder, salt, garlic, and pepper. Mix well. Using your hands, form small, thin cakes about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Heat oil in large skillet until very hot. Fry the cakes until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Tostones
 

http://www.elboricua.com/images/tostones5.jpg
3 green plantains
oil for frying
garlic powder
salt

Making tostones is easy….. Slice the peeled plantains diagonally into 1" slices. Fry the slices over medium heat until they soften. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Using a tostonera (a press), slightly mash each piece to about half an inch in thickness. If a tostonera is not available insert the pieces between a folded piece of brown-paper sack and press down using a saucer. It is best to press all the pieces first before going on the next step. Dip each piece in warm salted water and fry again until crispy. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Salt them. Tostones may be served with ketchup (kid's favorite) or with garlic sauce.

**or your favorite dipping sauce. I LOVE Tostones, make sure they are crispy (that's why you dip them in salt water before re-frying)

Oh.. so which plantain recipe is the sweeter of the two? I remember my mom making those when I was a kid..

Tembleque
 

If you like coconut desserts, you will love this. It is simple and smooth as velvet, I did use the orange blossom water, and it adds a wonderful fragrant under tone. I poured it into snow man molds for Xmas.

http://www.elboricua.com/images/tembleque.jpg

Tembleque
Cool and delicious

4 cups coconut milk
½ cup of cornstarch
2/3 cup of sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 tblsp. orange blossom water (optional)
ground cinnamon

In a saucepan dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup coconut milk. Once dissolved add the rest of the coconut milk, sugar, and salt. Cook at medium-high heat stirring constantly! As it thickens, lower heat until it boils thick. Pour right away into wet molds, pans or cups. Cool and then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Carefully separate the tembleque from the mold using a knife. Turn it over unto a dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Makes about 12 servings.

{{{Hi Linus}}}
 

The fritters would be sweeter. Yellow Plantains are the sweet ones. Green taste like a root vegetable. I love platanos, they have the medicinal quality of being a mild diuretic as well....:dance2: Pashi

yum !
 

passionaria, thank you for sharing your recipes, and the wonderful photos. plantains are great, and i like to use them for empanadas. i love and really miss using/tasting cinnamon, but developed an allergy several years ago to vietnamese, as well as the oi. now i just avoid completely :(

here is the cheese i use for a lot of dishes, and a little history about it:

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/compa...y-History.html

recipe for vegan empanadas:

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=17879.0

now, when i make plantain or sweet potato empanadas, i just bake the sweet potato or plantains for bit, then mash, add flour[s], egg replacer [use warm water to mix with the egg replacer powder], and a little earth balance. roll out, and stuff with peppers, cheese, et c.

happy vegan thanksgiving day
 

Wow. Been quiet on this thread. BTW, I did find this recipe today: http://www.noveleats.com/drinks/raw-...de-almond-milk

And the site itself is full of some awesome recipes: http://www.noveleats.com/

Given how much almond milk we drink (I use it on cereal and prefer it to soy milk) this seems like an easy alternative to buying milk in the store. Plus I get to control how sweet it is with this.

:cat: Thank you Sweetness for the Articles!! I will try the egg replacer. I have seen it in the HFS.


:cat: Thanks Linus,
I really liked the Almond Milk recipe. I am going to make it soon. I also thought the Almond paste dip looked good. What do others do with the pulp? I used to make sesame milk, but toast the sesame seeds first instead of soaking, same process, with a touch of Cinnamon and honey. I drink Soy milk mostly, but am picky about the brand. I like rice and Almond milk but I like it thick, so many store bought brands don't excite me too much. Thanks for getting me inspired!

:danceparty:

Many moons ago I used to make soy milk and tofu. Yeah, those days have come and gone......I still prefer tofu curdled with Nigari though, I like the taste.

Hi all,
Would anyone mind talking about their reasons for becoming a vegetarian? If that's too political for here, I'll completely understand.
I am teetering close to the jumping off point and doing some serious considerations around it. I saw a cow truck this morning on my way to work and just burst out crying because the little baby calfs all looked terrified. :(
Are there foods you really missed?
Have you had any nutritional issues because of it?
Tips for converting to a non-meat diet?

Any input is so greatly appreciated...but again, my apologies if this is out of place here.
xo

Hi, Medusa,

I don't think is out of place at all. It's usually the opposite. People don't want to know why we are vegetarian (or vegan). A lot of people who simply see someone eating vegetarian or asking if something is vegetarian have to make an aggressive joke about it!

I became a vegetarian when I was a junior in high school. There was a group at my school that exposed me to the ugliness of factory farming. Most meat doesn't see a good life. Animals are kept in tiny cages. They are taken from their mothers at birth. Chickens beaks are burned off so they don't peck each other to death out of the craziness that comes from being locked up without light in tight quarters that are full of shit. The killing is factory style so sometimes animals don't get fully killed and have a particularly grueling death. Animals within factory farming are fattened up and given injections so they can be quickly big and then killed. The reality of animals' lives in MOST farming is just an ethical nightmare.

When I became vegetarian, it was very hard. I have always loved "meat." I would have a little here and there for several years after I became vegetarian just because I missed the tastes. Then at some point I stopped that. At some point the cravings diminished, and I had enough separation from the whole indoctrination of eating animals without thinking or caring about their lives that I just felt a little sick (morally) at the thought. I do still crave meat sometimes but much, much less than I did during those first few years. My policy is to not eat "anything with a face" (i.e. meat, chicken, and fish). When someone is cooking for me, that's how I put it to keep it simple! I am not vegan, though I believe in it. However, I try to have soy dairy products a good amount of time. I think of it as harm reduction. I find that it is hard enough to be vegetarian (eating out, etc.), so I just am not at a point where I'm willing to commit to being 100% vegan.

As far as health concerns, I have generally not had any health problems. I have a lot of energy and rarely have any stomach problems. I have had occasional low-level anemia, usually if I've been being a "junk food vegetarian," and have easily been able to address it with vitamins and more care and attention to eating (healthy protein). In my day to day life all I take is a multivitamin. Being a vegetarian will likely improve any cholesterol issues btw, because cholesterol comes from animal fat.

Some vegetarians don't like fake meat and really are into vegetables. BB jokes that I'm a vegetarian who doesn't like vegetables. That's a bit of an exaggeration but often I like to make a fakin' bacon cheeseburger or a notdog (teehee) using frozen/microwaved fake meat. Some fake meat is terrible but I've been able to find brands that even impress BB, who is not a vetetarian. I am also not someone who is an elegant cook and still do well with cooking vegetarian. And again, even though BB is not vegetarian, hy eats my veggie cooking happily enough every night! I make simple things like whole grain spaghetti and defrosted wheatballs or stir-fries with seitan and veggies. There are a lot of delicious proteins available to vegetarians.

In converting to vegetarianism, I would recommend maybe going to a health food store and stocking your fridge with yummy veg things so that your cravings can be satisfied. These days there are barbecued drumsticks and basically every meaty thing in a veg form. This is not to say that you need to shop at a health food store. Regular grocery stores are where I do most of my shopping. I would suggest just going for it. There are so many nay-sayers when it comes to becoming a vegetarian and it's also scary for oneself. However, I think you'll quickly find that it is satisfying and easier than you think. I can't think of any food that I have not found a decent veg version of. Don't be hard on yourself if you have a slip. Like I said, that happened to me over a few years. It's all about harm reduction, though, and not a diet or a competition.

Feel free to check in on the thread anytime. It's great to have someone interested and caring about the animals. There's a saying, ""If slaughterhouses had windows, everyone would be a vegetarian." I think that this sums it up. Over the years I have read and watched movies and feel more and more happy with my decision not to partake in eating animals that have lived a terrible life with drawn out cruelty. But be prepared; most people don't want to look at what they are doing when they choose to eat meat in our society. In order to keep themselves from thinking, they need to strike out at vegetarians with the same old jokes and faulty logic that doesn't take into account the simple truth of what you described with that calf. (f)

That makes a lot of sense. I think that too often there is a polarization between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, like we are opposing teams! I'm not "against meat." Really, if the meat in most grocery stores came from animals that lived real "farm" lives instead of a quality of life akin to slavery or what the victims in WWII went thru, then I would not feel the way I do. I am disgusted by PETA's hateful approach to putting the word out. I like more thoughtful, down-to-earth explorations of vegetarianism and eating meat such as the recent movie, Food Inc., and the recent book that gained a wide popularity, Jonathan Safran Foer's "Eating Animals," both of which I recommend in consideration of the ethical and environmental problems with eating most meat in today's society.

OMG! Jack just watched "Food Inc." on Netflix and has been demanding I watch it for several days now :)

Yeah, I am highly turned off my the aggressive militancy of PETA and think that I would probably be ok with eating eggs that were free-range or plopped into a nice nest in someone's backyard. I think that where I start to get a little bit sensitive is seeing hundreds of chickens crammed into trucks and hundreds of pigs crammed into trucks. The wide-eyed stares of the baby calves this morning really bothered me too. But then again, I am bothered when I see horses who appear to be upset being transported in trailers down the highway. :)

I have a good friend who is a vegetarian and she once said to me "Imagine eating Gracie...that's why I don't eat meat", and that pretty much makes sense. We had a pet cow when I was growing up and she had a huge personality: would come when she was called and could be ridden like a horse. That level of intelligence tells me that animals can probably feel fear...and I don't want anything to do with it being on my hands.


***EDited to add*** --Has anyone seen the HBO movie on Temple Grandin? She designed a more humane cattle chute for cattle going to slaughter. One of her most famous lines from the movie, "Life is cruel but WE don't have to be".

Avocadoes are a great substitute for meat. Ghandi was a strict vegan who ate only Unfertilized eggs. My breakfast recipe is: ground almonds in a glass of orange juice.

I like to have either instant oatmeal or 0% fat plain Greek yogurt (lower carb) with cinnamon, fresh fruit, flax seed, ground walnuts, and unsweetened plain soymilk (if it's the oatmeal choice) and whole grain kamut puffs (if it's the yogurt choice).

I'm also very fond of avocados. I like them on veggie burgers or with hummus in sandwiches or in salads. And, I love sushi made with avocado and brown rice.

I'm not veg or vegan but- Amy's frozen food is and it is amazingly yummy.

Just thought I'd share :3

Interview w/ Jonathan Safran Foer

http://www.good.is/post/food-fight1/...=Yahoo%21+Mail

Recently I made a similar recipe that came out yummy:

PEACH CRUMBLE

lotsa very ripe chopped peaches, soy or almond milk (small amount), apple sauce (small amount), lotsa Kashi granola, cinnamon

mix

bake

eat :)

Vegan reporting for duty! Been vegan before people were really calling it that...early 90s. had my lapses; but it's mostly for health as I am still a leather-wearer. I try to buy all my leather second-hand, though.

Nutritional yeast is my favorite single thing in the entire world.

FYI: