Vegan spread for toast

[Neera]

Hi guys,

So, since I watched Vegucated I have turned vegan. (I was vegetarian.) I didn't make any plans or how I was going to go about it. It just happened. And, all along I thought I was having organic dairy and before that free range, organic eggs. This movie really opened my eyes to what they call free range. I would have never guessed. Honestly. Now that I am vegan I need your help. Right now I am looking for a vegan spread other than peanut butter and jelly. I guess I'll be back if I run out of ideas again but right now it's just the breakfast.

Edited by Neera - 1/30/13 at 7:02am

[NorthernFamily]

We are newly dairy free. We use Earth Balance 'buttery' spread. In a question I wrote earlier on Mothering, a woman suggested the whipped variety over the regular. We use both! Both are great!

http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/product/original-buttery-spread/

[jgallagher66]

Earth Balance is yummy. It is fairly processed and definately high in fat so I don't eat it too often. Some people may also be concerned with the palm oil aspect as well.

Some other possibilities are hummous, mashed up avocados, plain jam, nut butters, olive tapenade, or just a little olive oil.

Good bread is really helpful. I love homemade or really good bakery bread. The better the bread, the tastier simpler toppings are. If I have good bread and spread some really good jam on it, I don't need anything oily. It tastes indulgent just like that.

[Attila the Honey]

I just watched Vegucated and went vegan too.  (Long story, but that's the gist of it.)  Today is our one week vegan-versary.  :)  Anyhow, Biscoff spread is vegan, and really delicious.  Not at all healthy, not even in the least, but it's an awesome vegan treat when you are craving a quick, vegan breakfast.

http://www.biscoff.com/biscoff-spread/

I also love avocado and tomato with sweet chili sauce on toast.  Oddly enough, it helped with fried egg craving I had one morning.  (I guess because it's high in fat.  Since i always ate my fried eggs with sweet chili sauce, I put it on the avocado and it was great.)

[sassyfirechick]

Coconut butter = tastey!

[Katielady]

I make a kind of breakfast guacamole. Smush up an avocado in a bowl with some lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. (Basically guac w/o the garlic.) It doesn't take long to make and tastes great on toast (and is great for you!)
 

[EVEP]

i like bananas and honey!

[yam]

Congrats on going vegan, Neera!

We love avocado and hummus. We eat more hummus than I would've thought possible. I make it by the half gallon (I kid you not) in our Vitamix blender and then we use it all week long for school lunches and snacks. Basically I double the hummus recipe that came with my Vitamix, but I omit the olive oil and boost the tahini. (As we try to focus on whole grains, we don't eat much bread. Instead we love Real Foods organic corn thins, which are like extra thin, extra crisp rice cakes. They're not like eating styrofoam, more like thick chips.) If someone ever tries to tell you how expensive it is to eat vegan, point them at this recipe! :P

Marinara sauce is also really nice as a topping.

My favorite vegan cookbooks by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Robin Robertson have lots of recipes for delicious spreads, including convincing pâté made with walnuts (all vegan). Here's Isa's basil-mint pesto recipe. Robin's book 1,000 Vegan Recipes includes several hummus recipes, plus that pâté, baba ghanoush, several bean dips, and a roasted-veg spread.

There's always Tofutti, which is about as cream-cheesy as I've experienced. But it's basically margarine with a little soy (i.e., not a healthy fat).

Edited by yam - 1/24/13 at 6:27pm

[yam]

Hi again, Attila,

If you get an egg craving, I highly recommend Isa Chandra Moskowitz's recipe for Polenta Rancheros from her cookbook Vegan Brunch. It has a lot of parts, but, man, it satisfies when you're missing the ooey-gooey-ness of a soft-boiled or sunny-side-up egg. The polenta is all runny and hot, the avocado gives that fatty richness, and the salsa flavors make the substantial black beans pop. Ooh, my mouth is watering just thinking of it... (I think when I made it last I included her cashew cream [also in the cookbook] on top, to boot.)

Best wishes!

[I have no affiliation with Isa or Robin other than as a happy buyer of their cookbooks.]

[catnip]

I fry thin-sliced, drained tofu in a little olive oil with salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast for eggs. Other hits around our house are maple almond butter and chocolate peanut butter.

Oh, and corn thins are the best thing ever.

[Attila the Honey]

Thank you, yam!  I will be sure to try that very soon.

I just remembered, I've had this before and it's really delicious.  I like it on bagels:  http://showmevegan.blogspot.com/2008/10/kalamata-olive-tofu-spread.html

[Neera]

Thanks. I thought palm and coconut oils are both good for u.

Originally Posted by jgallagher66 

Earth Balance is yummy. It is fairly processed and definately high in fat so I don't eat it too often. Some people may also be concerned with the palm oil aspect as well.

 

[Neera]

Originally Posted by Attila the Honey 

I just watched Vegucated and went vegan too.  (Long story, but that's the gist of it.)  Today is our one week vegan-versary.  :)  Anyhow, Biscoff spread is vegan, and really delicious.  Not at all healthy, not even in the least, but it's an awesome vegan treat when you are craving a quick, vegan breakfast.

http://www.biscoff.com/biscoff-spread/

I also love avocado and tomato with sweet chili sauce on toast.  Oddly enough, it helped with fried egg craving I had one morning.  (I guess because it's high in fat.  Since i always ate my fried eggs with sweet chili sauce, I put it on the avocado and it was great.)

Congrats! And thanks for the link. I do like the idea of tomato with sweet chili sauce also. Biscoff sounds delicious but yeah, I avoid all processed vegetables oil. The only oil we use at home are cold pressed EVO and EVO coconut oil.

Edited by Neera - 1/29/13 at 8:53am

[Neera]

Originally Posted by sassyfirechick 

Coconut butter = tastey!

Sorry, never heard of coconut butter? Is it coconut oil? I just finished reading The Coconut Oil Miracle so am v. interested.

[Neera]

I like some of the other options mentioned including the marinara sauce. I need brand names for marinara sauce. Which ones are you guys using? I am not sure about tofu as I have heard negative things about soy.

Edited by Neera - 1/29/13 at 8:54am

[jgallagher66]

Originally Posted by Neera 

Thanks. I thought palm and coconut oils are both good for u.

Palm oil can be an ethical dilemma for some vegans since it's production is responsible for habitat destruction in rain forests leading to animal species being endangered as well as very high co2 emissions.

And although it's a better type of fat than butter, it's not healthy and should be eaten sparingly like many fats and oils.

[Neera]

Originally Posted by jgallagher66 


Palm oil can be an ethical dilemma for some vegans since it's production is responsible for habitat destruction in rain forests leading to animal species being endangered as well as very high co2 emissions.

And although it's a better type of fat than butter, it's not healthy and should be eaten sparingly like many fats and oils.

OK. Thanks.

[Neera]

Originally Posted by catnip 

I fry thin-sliced, drained tofu in a little olive oil with salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast for eggs. Other hits around our house are maple almond butter and chocolate peanut butter.

Oh, and corn thins are the best thing ever.

Need the brand name for vegan chocoloate peanut butter. Sounds yum. And will be looking for the corn thins.

[sassyfirechick]

Originally Posted by Neera 

Sorry, never heard of coconut butter? Is it coconut oil? I just finished reading The Coconut Oil Miracle so am v. interested.

It's the whole inside of the coconut - the meat - before it gets sqashed down to extract the coconut oil.  It's a little darker in color, and a little firmer, but when warmed up spreads nicely.  I just had a baked sweet potato this morning and used that instead of the earth balance butter!  I don't think I've seen it in stores, I ordered it online http://www.vitacost.com/artisana-100-organic-raw-coconut-butter, I think the price has gone up a bit, but that's the brand.

[yam]

Re marinara brands, I just make my own. It's so easy. The recipe I use is actually from Isa Chandra Moskowitz. She has it as "Mom's Marinara" in her Appetite for Reduction cookbook and a very similar one in Veganomicon.

It's basically 4 cloves of garlic smashed or chopped tiny, lightly browned in a little extra-virgin olive oil, covered with 24 to 28 oz. crushed or strained tomatoes, then with half a teaspoon each of oregano and thyme stirred in, with about a half teaspoon of salt and 1/8th teaspoon of black pepper. That's it! Isa's tip for making great tomato sauce is not to overdo the herbs, just let the tomatoes shine. I make a batch then save it in the frig for whenever during the week; it's usually gone in three days.

Hope that helps.