In need of vegan recipes?!
Also, I had a question regarding eating out and being a vegan. Is there any way that when eating at a restaurant, I can somehow find out if the meal I order is strictly vegan? For example, the other day I ordered a banana nut muffin, before I started to eat it, I recalled that some muffins are made using milk. Upon asking the waitress if she new what these particular muffins were made with, she had no clue, and no one could tell me, so I ended up not eating it.
Answers: Hi, I recently made the choice to become a vegan, I have a cook book that I purchased with all vegan recipes, but I was just wondering if anyone had any tasty vegan recipes that they would like to share!
Also, I had a question regarding eating out and being a vegan. Is there any way that when eating at a restaurant, I can somehow find out if the meal I order is strictly vegan? For example, the other day I ordered a banana nut muffin, before I started to eat it, I recalled that some muffins are made using milk. Upon asking the waitress if she new what these particular muffins were made with, she had no clue, and no one could tell me, so I ended up not eating it.
I try and stick with the basics when I eat out, fruit, steamed or roasted veggies, noodles, rice...I mostly enjoy foods as natural as possible, rice and veggies, pasta with veggies, fresh tomatoes etc....Pastries I stay clear of...most are made with dairy and/or eggs.
Some of my favorite recipes are the simplest...but I always have certain things on hand...
I like fresh ginger, but I have a jar of minced in the fridge...it keeps forever, I stir fry veggies, right at the end, I add some tamari or soy sauce and ginger...
I make my won dumplings, depending on where you live, I am close to china town, I buy dumpling wraps and make some ever month or so, make a filling (bok choy, curry, onions, mushrooms) and the freeze them, so I have them on hand.
I always keep noodles handy, I can make some veggies and have it with a peanut sauce (I never follow recipes so here is mine, but you will need to adjust it a little...1/4 cup of peanut butter, 1/4 cut of water, 2 tsp of tamari or soy sauce, pinch of cayenne pepper and mix well...)
I keep a jar of pasta sauce in my fridge and make veggies pizzas, (I freeze pita breads so there are always some around) and just throw some veggies on it and bake, sometimes I make a bechamel sauce for on top (you can easily find these recipes online...)
Hummus, a huge staple of mind, can of chick peas liquid in, 2 tbsp of both lemon juice and tahini, I garlic clove, throw it in the blender. Done...and chick peas have lots of iron and protein...and the lemon juice helps you absorb the iron. I eat it pretty much every day.
Bake some beets, just peel them and roast them with olive oil.
Quinoa...if you don't know about it, you should. It is a full protein and easy to make, it's a grain like rice. I make a big pot on Sundays and a container of it to work with me and eat it for lunch with veggies and hossein sauce (from the Asian market).
I also make (for my guy, mostly) cookies, I make the batter and cook some, then the rest I freeze in small disc shapes, so when we want fresh cookies, we just pull em out of the freezer and into the oven (I think that's why he married me).
I make some more complicated foods, but I am busy and like the quick stuff. My guy and I aren't into leftovers that much, so I like stuff that I can make one meal out of.
:) My fingers are tired...good luck :)
some restaurants are imprementing vegan dishes, there are restaurants with some kind of paper that says that the restaurant has at least 3 vegetarian dishes.
I invite u to join to peta2.com
please add my e-mail (valpivys@hotmail.com) when u registered.
Thanks, there u can find a lot of information about food, and manifestations, or how to protect animals right
well i can try to help you out in regards to your first question.. i hope.. a great vegan/veggie website for recipes for me at least is http://www.vegweb.com
great recipes.. reviews from other veggie/vegans and really a great little forum for people.. the other part.. i can't help with.. sorry..
This E-book is a free download and contains 490 award winning recipes, perhaps what you're looking for is in it?
go to
http://www.vegetariantimes.com
and/or buy veganomicon. - i love that cook book, its is very easy to follow!
vegan tufou
1 lb. firm tofu
2 cups green pepper, cut into quarters lengthwise, and sliced horizontally
2 cups red, orange, or yellow pepper, cut into quarters lengthwise, and sliced horizontally
2 cups onion, cut into half moons
3 T. olive oil, divided
2 cups zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch x 2-inch sticks
1 1/2 cups yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch x 2-inch sticks
4 t. garlic, minced, divided
1/2 cup white wine (or white grape juice or apple juice)
1/3 cup black olives, pitted, and each cut from end to end into 6 strips
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil, divided
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley, divided
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. tomato paste
1 1/2 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. tamari or soy sauce
Cut the block of tofu in half lengthwise, turn each half cut-side down on the board, and cut through the outer edge of the block of tofu 3 times to yield 4 tofu cutlets from each half. This means that the block of tofu will yield 8 tofu cutlets. On a large cookie sheet, place a clean, lint-free towel, or a layer of natural, unbleached paper towels, then all of the tofu cutlets in a single layer, followed by another layer of toweling, and finally place another large cookie sheet on top. Place several large cans or something very heavy on top of the cookie sheet and leave tofu to sit for 1 hour. This process is known as cutting tofu into cutlets and pressing. I use this technique a lot as it makes the texture of the tofu much firmer.
Meanwhile, in a non-stick skillet, saute both peppers and onion in 2 T. of the olive oil for 3 minutes to soften. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, 1 T. of garlic, and saute an additional 3 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp tender. Add the white wine, olives, half of the fresh herbs, salt, and 1/4 t. black pepper, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. While the vegetables are simmering, in a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, black pepper, and other remaining ingredients, stir well to blend, and set aside.
Lightly oil (or spray with a light mist of oil) a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spread the sauteed vegetable mixture in the bottom of the pan. Place the pressed tofu in two rows over the top of the vegetables and pour the reserved red wine vinegar mixture over the tofu. Cover the baking dish with a piece of aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve 2 pieces of tofu per person with a generous portion of the ratatouille vegetables spooned over the top of the tofu.
Here's one that I love, especially in the summer when I can get the veggies fresh from the farmers market:
Vegan Gazpacho - all amounts are approximate. You don't really need to measure anything, plus you can add or leave things out to suit your own tastes.
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1-2 bell peppers, any color, I like red best
1-2 cloves garlic, minced, more or less to taste
2 cups veggie broth, home-made or canned
2 cups tomato juice or V8, whichever you like
splash of red wine vinegar
splash of olive oil (for texture, can be left out)
salt and pepper to taste (make sure you taste before you add anything - it usually doesn't need much, if any, salt.)
Put everything in a big bowl, stir, chill, and serve! Delicious when it's hot out. It tastes even better on the second day. What makes it even better is how easy it is - you don't have to cook anything, and everyone knows raw veggies are best! I often make this for non-veggie friends and family, and everyone always loves it. Try it with some hot sauce in it if you like things spicy.