Going Vegan! Please help - Page 2

[PoetryLover]

Originally Posted by catnip 

The recipe for the curry (and it works with any veggies, not just pumpkin. I like cauliflower right now), black bean sweet potato enchilada, and white bean kale soup are on my blog: http://catnip13.blogspot.com/

Strawberry Spaghetti

Start the water for spaghetti, whole wheat is really, really way better for this, the stronger flavor and coarser texture really complement the berries. Heat a cast iron skillet, add a tablespoon or two of good, fruity olive oil, and a pound of strawberries hulled and quartered.once the berries have started to reduce and thicken, add 2 tablespoons of either really good balsamic vinegar, or a balsamic reduction, 3 cloves of minced garlic, a half teaspoon of salt and a several cranks of fresh ground black pepper. Mix the sauce into one pound of cooked spaghetti, garnish with toasted pine nuts.

That sounds SO delicious! Where do you get fruity olive oil? Is there a particular brand?

[catnip]

This is what I use: http://boutique.oliveoilsource.com/content/olinda-ridge-estate-organic-extra-virgin-olive-oil 

I can get it at my local farmer's market.

[BrokenBox]

Veganomincon is the go-to cookbook in my house. I use it constantly.  Really any of Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s books are excellent.  Her newest book is Appetite For Reduction, which might be more along the lines you’re looking for with weight loss in mind.  There are so many awesome vegan cookbooks out there now, it makes it so easy to eat vegan!

[catnip]

Seconding Appetite for Reduction. Many of Isa and Terry's recipes are sort of over the top calorie-wise in the other books, but amazing taste wise. Appetite for Reduction is amazing without 4 tablespoons of olive oil.

[CJsMama]

Congrats! Someone mentioned vegweb.com, which I like too. I also really like vegetarian times' website (you can search for vegan only recipes) and the fat free vegan blog (i think it's fatfreevegan.com you might want to google it to be sure). I usually buy nutritional yeast in the bulk section of whole foods but not every whole foods carries it in bulk. I also agree that the coconut milk ice creams are best. There are great coconut milk yogurts too but they are a little pricey so I usually only buy them when they are on sale. Some of the soy yogurts are pretty good too if you like yogurt.

[KatWrangler]

So buying Nutritional yeast in bulk is okay? I thought there was a problem with it being exposed to light. Whole Foods has it in bulk. Not sure of the price. They also have it in containers but they were pricey. Like $12.99 a container.

[catnip]

I buy mine in bulk; my health food store has a rapid turnover on it and so do I, I don't think there's going to be significant nutrient loss in the short time it's exposed to light. I pay about $8 a pound for it in bulk, if that helps to figure whether the container is a good deal. I go through a pound in about a month, I buy it weekly. 

[kavamamakava]

I make such a variety of things from soaked or sprouted beans. I love sprouting a mix of beans and making a salad out of it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and some diced olives. I also like to keep tabouleh and pico de gallo in the fridge for quick use. 

Red lentils are the fastest because you only have to soak for 2-3 hours in warm water rather than overnight if you just want to soften and not sprout them. 

I put soaked lentils in a blender or food processor and add seasonings and things I like (ginger, cilantro, cabbage, carrots) and then add some flour of some sort like chickpea flour or whole wheat flour.  Add water or soup broth to make it the consistency of a thick batter and then spoon into a pan to shallow or deep fry. You can also bake these on a non-stick or well greased cookie sheet.

You can eat them as a main dish with a mango salsa or chutney or aioli made with olive oil and vegenaise with rosemary or you can make them a bit bigger and use them in sandwiches. Very versatile. 

We snack on fruit and nut butters a lot. We eat a lot of international cuisine like lentils and rice or falafels or black bean burritos or stir fry noodles with tofu or miso soup and tempura. My quick go to meal is to sautee lentils and rice and veggies in a pot, add seasonings we like and then cover with water and boil until cooked. 

[CJsMama]

Originally Posted by kavamamakava 

Red lentils are the fastest because you only have to soak for 2-3 hours in warm water rather than overnight if you just want to soften and not sprout them. 

I put soaked lentils in a blender or food processor and add seasonings and things I like (ginger, cilantro, cabbage, carrots) and then add some flour of some sort like chickpea flour or whole wheat flour.  Add water or soup broth to make it the consistency of a thick batter and then spoon into a pan to shallow or deep fry. You can also bake these on a non-stick or well greased cookie sheet.

You can eat them as a main dish with a mango salsa or chutney or aioli made with olive oil and vegenaise with rosemary or you can make them a bit bigger and use them in sandwiches. Very versatile. 

This around great! I always have red lentils in the house but usually make dahl wirth them...I never tried making them into a patty. How long do you bake them?

[kavamamakava]

Hrmm. I usually pan fry so I would guess bake them 30 mins or so on 400. Until they are cooked through. I'm sure it depends on how thick you make the batter and how much you spoon out onto the pan. When I have baked them I made them pretty small - like a Tablespoon of batter at a time. I make the mix pretty thick, just like falafel if you ever make that.

[Anna06]

This is a great thread.  Just wondering how KatWrangler is doing??

[Funny Face]

I've been vegan for 4 whole days now. :D So this is a great thread!

[PoetryLover]

Congratulations, Funny Face!

[Funny Face]

Originally Posted by PoetryLover 

Congratulations, Funny Face!

Thank you!

[FitMOmmyOf2]

Reviving this thread a little bit and hoping for a bit of input from you experienced vegans!

I've been vegetarian now for close to 6 years. I've tried to make the switch to veganism but I think it was too quickly done (not well planned/researched from my side) right after I gave up meat. Then we came to Italy and I was already struggling living vegetarian here (sooo many things are hard to get here in Sicily!).

Long story short, I'd like to eat even more vegan than I am already doing (I don't eat dairy & eggs that much, unless they're included in recipes..) but my husband -omni!- is convinced that the vegan diet is not healthy and always claims that he's reading it all the time how people get sick bla bla bla.. (He makes sure to remind me of a lady we met at a healthfood store back when we're in the US who was vegan for close to 20 yrs, got sick and somehow her doc told her she's depriving her body of essential food and that she would need to eat meat again..)

Now, my husband and kids mostly eat what I cook, which is to 90% vegan, and overall DH leaves me in peace with my decisions.. but I'd really like to show him proof, literature etc. that it is NOT unhealthy to eat vegan! I mainly need to really get the facts of what my body needs to be healthy (already not eating any veg processed stuff unless I'm in a pinch and it's a garden or beanburger from 'Gardenburger').

Are there any good books out there? I've read the recommendation for Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet - Brenda Davis

Are there any other good ones out there I could present him? Or possibly any websites?

I'd appreciate your help!

[Geigerin]

Mark Bittman and Bill Clinton might be your best bet for helping your husband see that Veganism can be responsible, sustainable, and even 'mainstream.' Bittman is an omni, but he talks a lot about the ethics of the North American food system (and much of the developed world, really). He recommends being vegan until dinner. And Bill Clinton, king of the big mac, has completely turned his health around by following his daughter's advice to go vegan. Those are the two peeps that Barry (my DH) responded to the most. In fact, he's been gladly eating the vegan dishes I serve.

The 21-day kickstart starts today. Would your family be interested in trying that?

http://pcrm.org/kickstarthome/

I'm sure other folks can direct you to the solid research. I'm just thinking from a layman's perspective.

Happy eating!

Amie

[FitMOmmyOf2]

Thank you, Amie! I appreciate it!

I will check out the link (always happy to stumble over more recipes too LOL) and see what I can find to present DH!

As to him being open of trying to go vegan, no, unfortunately that's a clear 'No' from his side!  Heck, he doesn't even want to give up meat! (He eats it mainly out though 2-3x/week for his lunch, at home he eats what I cook, thankfully!)