Vabulous Vantastic Vegan Vecipe's (Vegan)

Member Name: LauraElliott

Product:	Vegan
Date:	08/04/02 (437 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Being a Vegan means that you respect animal rights, In general, food for vegan's is more healthier than foods such as meat and eggs etc., There are so many recipes to choose from, and even Vegan restaurants are cropping up all over the country all of the time

Disadvantages: Specialty foods are difficult if not impossible to find, Eating out can be more like a chore than a meal

First things first...when people say they are a vegan this doesn't just mean that they don't eat Meat or Dairy Products. Descriptions of veganism from this point of view typically read more like laundry lists of what one doesn't do, and make it seem more like a lifestyle of avoidance. Using that kind of a description downplays the tremendously positive and empowering aspects of veganism. But if you really, really want to know what a vegan doesn't do (and I do understand), here goes:
Vegans don't eat meat or other animal products, including but not exclusive to milk, eggs and honey.
Vegans don't wear animal products, including but not exclusive to wool, leather, silk and fur.
Vegans don't support industries which exploit animals, including but not exclusive to circuses, rodeos and marine shows. And don't forget pet stores.
Vegans don't purchase items which cause harm to animals, including but not exclusive to household and cosmetic products tested on animals or made with animal products.

Many people never make the transition to a meatless diet simply because they cannot figure out what they could eat. Keeping a well-stocked kitchen and a few good cookbooks on hand will make it easier for those trying to maintain a vegan diet. My favourite cookbooks in my kitchen are:
Tofu Cookery, by Louise Hagler
Friendly Foods, by Brother Ron Pikarski
Vegan Vittles, by Joanne Stepaniak

Here are the components of a well-stocked vegan kitchen:
Beans, dried or canned, Nuts (walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, etc.), Brown rice, Whole-grain breads (pitas, loafs, tortillas, etc.), Crackers, Oils (olive, canola, flaxseed, sesame, etc.) , Vinegars, flavoured and plain, Olives,
Pickles, Grains (bulghur, millet, quinoa, etc.), Pasta, Pasta sauce, Salsa, Flours (wheat, wheat pastry, etc.), Unbleached sugar, Vanilla extract, Almond extract, Natural sweeteners (maple syrup, brown rice syrup), Milk sub
stitutes (soy, rice, oat or rice milks), Baking powder, Baking soda, Cornstarch or arrowroot, Vegan chocolate or carob chips, Egg replacer, Rolled oats, Whole-grain cereal, Condiments (tamari, horseradish, miso, mustard, etc.), Nutritional yeast, Canned or frozen vegetables, Canned or frozen fruit, Dried fruit (pineapple, mango, papaya, etc.), Meat substitutes (TVP, seitan, tofu, tempeh, etc.), Ready-made veggie burgers, veggie hot dogs, Sea salt, Peppercorns (if you have a grinder) or ground pepper, A variety of spices, And a few perishable necessities, like garlic, onions and potatoes.

Yes, grandmother got by with only a rolling pin, a frying pan and a knife, but for the rest of us modern, spoiled chefs, these are some good kitchen accessories to have on hand: a garlic press, a vegetable peeler, a mortar and pestle, a high quality knife or two, a blender, a mushroom brush, a food processor and a juicer.

Advantages of being a Vegan...

It's a much healthier way of eating
Good for the environment, animal farming is much more destructive than plant farming Something just plain nice about not having to whack anything for dinner
Don't have to worry (nearly as much) about bovine growth hormones, mad cow disease or e coli
An awesome excuse to not eat the goose liver pate
You are always the centre of attention when eating with a group of people
Handling raw veggies is not nearly as gross as handling raw meat parts
Lots of new and interesting things in the natural food stores

Disadvantages of being a Vegan...

Not a good enough substitute for a steak right off the grill
Eating out can be more like a chore than a meal
Specialty foods are difficult if not impossible to find
Don't have to worry about questions like "Is there animal products in my food?" People don't look at you funny if you order the roast beef, cheese and bacon sandwich instead of the Veggie burger

No more cheese pizza
Just what the heck IS all that stuff in the natural food store?

So, onto my favourite Vegan meal...usually in this section of Dooyoo, people just put one recipe, but I have so many favourites that it would be hard not to write down a starter, main course and dessert.

For starters...

Potato Wedges with Garlic Mayo

These are ridiculously easy to make and go down well every time. They make a good light snack.

-Scrub 4 large potatoes, cut them into quarters lengthways, put into a roasting tin with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Cook in a hot oven for about half an hour, until brown and crispy (shake the potatoes around a few times while cooking).
-Meanwhile, crush a clove or two of garlic and mix with 3 tablespoons of your favourite vegan mayonnaise
-When the potatoes are cooked, served straight away with the garlic mayonnaise. Yum!

For Main Course...

Roast Peppers with Fennel

Ingredients:
2 large red peppers
1 medium fennel
3-4 tomatoes, olive oil
ground coriander
a lemon

-Cut each pepper in half lengthways and remove seeds. Place peppers in an overproof dish. Quarter the tomatoes and place in the pepper halves.
-Cut the fennel bulb into 8 keeping layers attached to root ends. Blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and arrange over the peppers. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh pepper and a teaspoon of coriander.
-Bake for almost an hour. When tinged with brown, remove from oven and squeeze juice from half a lemon over. Serve with roast potatoes, broccoli and a wedge of lemon.

And Last but not Least...Dessert...

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ingredients:
4oz (125g) soya margarine
½ pint (300ml) soya milk
2 tablespoons of golden syrup
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
8oz (250g) plain flour
2oz (50g) cocoa
8oz (2
50g) sugar

-Melt margarine, syrup and soya milk, except 4 tablespoons in a saucepan. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in remaining soya milk. Sieve all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
-Line an 8" (20cm) baking tin with greaseproof paper or baking parchment. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in oven 180C / 350F / Gas 4 for ½ hour. Reduce to 160C / 300F Gas 3 for 1¼ hours.
-Once cooled, cover with melted dairy-free chocolate. Yum!

I reckon that if you gave the above meal to any non-vegan friends, or if you are not a vegan and ate it yourself, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between what vegan's eat...and what other people eat.

Some of my favourite Vegan websites are:
www.veganstreet.com
www.veganvillage.co.uk
www.vegansociety.com
www.veganfamily.co.uk
www.veganchef.com
www.veganlondon.freeserve.co.uk

Ohh...and before I forget, the price below that I had to write in the price box, is the price for the whole meal mentioned above (starter, main and dessert).

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