Our co-op has vegan ginger cookies which are amazing and almost always sold out. I’d love to know the secret to those!
I have not tried the Gardein products but appreciate the recommendations. They are somewhat pricey and I prefer non-processed foods, but I need some quick to prepare items in my repertoire. We have a local favorite - No-Bull Burgers - but unfortunately they have been difficult to locate lately. I’m hoping that doesn’t signal trouble for the brand.
That mushroom-walnut bolognese looks really tasty, @my-3-sons ; do you stick with the cremini mushrooms or have you experimented with other types?
I was vegetarian for 35 years. One year in the 70’s vegan.
Being vegan in the mid 70’s in a small PA town was quite the challenge.
To have tempeh we ordered from a co-op and it arrived in a large rectangular block
covered with mold. We cut the mold off and sliced, soaked in apple juice overnight and
then fried. Many, many grains and beans. Main menu was a Tofu stir fry. Brown rice always.
Made cheese for pizza by taking brewer’s yeast and mustard and water.
Almond milk was made by soaking almonds in apple cider and then putting in the blender to liquify.
It was all a challenge but interesting and fun. Socially crippling which is why I went back to vegetarian
after one year. The Lonely Planet was the cookbook that educated me.
I never missed meat and still am not interested in plant based foods that taste like meat.
A good veggie burger or bean burger is delicious.
Good Luck!
I make tasty eggplant ratatouille that is vegan and can be eaten as is or as a side dish to meat. No particular recipe, I just chop up eggplant, cook in olive oil until almost done, add chopped bell pepper, tomatoes, onions, shredded carrots, and minced garlic. Sprinkle in favorite herbs, spices, and salt and cook until all veggies are done, and the eggplant absorbed the flavors.
I post this PSA whenever folks are discussing vegan foods. If you cook for others, please make sure to tell them if you have used nut products in place of dairy. Vegan cooking is a minefield for those with nut allergies.
I love eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, etc but sadly they are inflammatory foods so I try to limit my consumption of them. So many health symptoms and conditions are connected to inflammation.
Oh yeah cooking for other people gets harder and harder. I actually know that L can’t eat peanuts. C can’t eat spinach. A is vegan. K is mostly vegetarian. Y is a pescatarian. K’s daughter can’t eat gluten. Generally I have buffets and then label everything! Thankfully the only thing my son’s girlfriend doesn’t like is shrimp - and she’s not allergic - she just doesn’t like them.
I get frustrated when there are a lot of food likes and dislikes. Allergies we try to cater too but I am less doting about mere preferences and dislikes.
Although not interested in becoming vegetarian or vegan, I do want to eat more produce and whole grains / less meat. These recipes are helpful - thanks!
College towns and campuses are likely places for vegan leaning restaurants and cookbooks. I know there were a lot of vegetarian (and likely vegan as well) places to eat around campus at UCDavis and U of Oregon in the 70s and early 80s.
We’ve been vegetarian for 25+ years. I like cheese and ice cream too much to ever go vegan, but I have been trying to cut down on the cheese use and eat more tofu and tempeh. My library has a plethora of vegan cookbooks that I like to check out and peruse. This is an easy and quick meat substitute. https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/baked-tofu-bites/ I use one block of Trader Joe’s high protein tofu and the whole amount of marinade. A bonus is that you can roast a pan of vegetables at the same time.
I hear ya. Most adults with food allergies don’t expect to be catered to. Notice is certainly sufficient. I have skipped myriad desserts in my life and it didn’t hurt me a bit. I’m fine skipping the entrée, as long as I know.
The largest problems come with the “hidden” ingredients - e.g. almond milk.
My DIL doesn’t eat beef. If we are her for a meal, I make sure the entrée isn’t beef. But if she comes over and just happens to stay for a meal, there’s always grilled cheese for her. She is also content with eating the sides and skipping the beef.
As the weather warms up, I struggle with breakfast as I don’t like hot foods when it’s warmer. I like this chia seed pudding a lot as you can vary it with different non-dairy yogurts and milks. Switching up the toppings is easy to do.
