Tag Archives: vegan

Ten Vegan Treats I Enjoy

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soy crisps

I work with a few (lovely) people who are convinced that, as a vegan, all I eat is twigs and bark. Today, on Top Ten Tuesday (or List It Tuesday), I am sharing a few of the “treats” that I regularly enjoy. While some of them are fairly nutritious, others are very much not.

In no particular order:

1. Soy latte – Yes, indeed. I can drink a soy latte, with no additional flavoring or sweetener, at just about any time and really love it. Pretty much the only time that I won’t have one is if my stomach is actively ill. Otherwise, bring them on! I really do like Starbucks (sorry, SB haters), but that isn’t required. After 3 p.m., I’ll generally go with decaf, but that’s my only concession.

2. Soy crisps – A while ago, I tried to decrease my pretzel reliance, and I missed the crunchy salty goodness. So, in came the soy crisp. They come in many flavors, but I like the plain sea salt best.

3. Pistachios – Pistachios are a good snack for me, because they take some concentration and mindfulness to eat, and the activity makes me feel like I’m having a nice big snack, even if I only have a few. Also, nutritious!

4. Frozen banana “milkshakes” – When the desire for ice cream hits, there are always frozen bananas in my house, and I can whip up one of these quickly. As a side benefit, they are also pretty good for you.

5. Tofu not-jerky – I actually don’t have this as often as I want to, because it doesn’t last long in my house and then it’s all gone *sadface.*

6. Apples with cinnamon – Sometimes, I can go for a long period without eating an apple, and then when I do, I wonder what I was thinking! I love apples, and a little cinnamon sprinkled on top is just the ticket.

7. Dark chocolate squares – I actually don’t eat much chocolate. It’s not that I don’t like it, but I rarely crave it. But, when I do, these dark chocolate squares are rich and very chocolatey and nip that craving right in the bud.

8. Daiya provolone and wheat crackers – Just yum. I don’t know that I think it tastes like provolone, but then I have not had that for almost a decade. I like it, whatever it tastes like, and like the idea of having “cheese” and crackers.

9. Peanut butter and ?? – On celery, on crackers, on a banana, on an apple, on a spoon. I love peanut butter.

10. Carrots and brown mustard – Yeah, it might sound a little bit odd, and I recognize that this is basically a veggie (contributing to the twigs and bark idea), but I do like carrots dipped in brown mustard. I can eat many of them… many.

So, there you have it, ten treats that I enjoy. How about you?

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Eggplant Non-Parm – Vegan Recipe

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Ingredients

IMG_1029webFor Eggplant
2 eggplants (medium to large), sliced thinly
1 sleeves of wheat saltines, blended to a coarse powder (pretzels or will work)
2 cups panko bread crumbs (or increase the crackers)
3 cups flour
4 tsp salt
4 tsp ground pepper
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 T Italian seasoning
4 cups soy milk or rice milk (unsweetened, unflavored)
1/2 cup white vinegar
olive oil

(note – depending on how big your eggplants are, you may need to do a second batch of the wet and dry mixes)

IMG_1032webFor marinara sauce
1 red pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced tomatoes
35 oz crushed tomatoes
2 T raw sugar
2 T Italian seasoning (or fresh basil and oregano to taste)
3 T olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

 

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Process

For eggplant
Place soymilk in a shallow bowl and add vinegar.  Whisk until the milk thickens. It will smell sort of like buttermilk.
Place dry ingredients in larger shallow bowl and mix well.
Individually, dip slices of eggplant in the milk mix (both sides) and then press firmly into the dry mix (both sides)
Coat a baking sheet with olive oil and place slices in one layer. Bake at 425*. Flip when the bottom begins to brown to cook the second side.

For marinara
Put olive oil in large saucepan and heat at medium high. Add onions, red peppers, celery, and garlic and sauté until they begin to soften. Add tomato (diced and sauce) and sugar and stir. Simmer 20 minutes or longer.

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Tips for Making the Vegan Transition

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IMG_0986webI have been a vegan for a longish time now (8-9 years) and a vegetarian for almost two decades. I am often asked by vegan-curious folks (sometimes vegetarian and sometimes omnivore) about how to make the switch. There is not one best way to make this switch, but having tried to be vegan a couple of times before it really took, I do have a few thoughts that I share with people contemplating the change, and I share them with you here.

1. Make a commitment. It doesn’t matter if you decide to go “cold tofurkey” on all animal products or if you phase them out one at a time. The key is to think it through and make a firm choice.

Decide what you plan to do and then write it down. If you are going to give up one item at a time, make an actual schedule and mark it on your calendar. If you are making the switch all at once, make yourself a list of things to eat (see below) instead of the animal products you normally consume.

Waffling on it, or just trying to move toward it by reducing overall consumption makes the whole process take longer, because there are going to be situations where it is a challenge to avoid animal products, and if you haven’t already made a firm choice and established your boundaries, you aren’t likely to make it though those.

2. Research alternatives before you start. You know what your animal product weaknesses are. Think about how you will replace them in your diet. Is it cheese? Milk? Jerky? Honey? Burgers? Almost anything can be replaced with something vegan that will satisfy the same taste urges, but you have to figure out what it is, and that’s easier when you aren’t starving or trying to cook dinner in 20 minutes.

There are so many sites online that can help you in this process. I like to think that this is one of them, but it’s certainly not the only one. Since this month is the Vegan Month of Food (VeganMoFo), there is a wealth of informational links available for you at http://veganmofo.com. Check it out!

3. Think about ways to maintain your usual ratio of “fun” to nutritious foods at first. If you are accustomed to having Doritos every night for a snack, and you go vegan and only eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you are going to be an unhappy camper.

There is plenty of vegan fun (or “crap” depending on your frame of reference) food, so it is not necessary to deprive yourself. You can start changing the ratio after you get more comfortable with the overall choice. In fact, if Doritos are your go-to snack, I have an idea for you!

4. Be open to prepared foods for a while. I am not a big fan of them, but when you are first starting a vegan diet, it might be easier to microwave a Boca burger and some veggie baked beans, or an Amy’s meal, than to come up with a menu on your own. It’s more expensive and you don’t have as much control over nutrition, but that will come.

If it’s a choice between going vegan and eating some prepared foods, and not going vegan at all, then take the prepared foods. Mainstream vegetarian brands (Boca, Morningstar, Gardenburger) have some vegan items, but be sure to check the labels for milk and eggs. Lightlife brand has mostly vegan items, but again the label should be checked. Tofurkey brand is, I think, all vegan.

5. VARIED diet. I really can’t stress this enough. If you start out by eating salads for every meal, with the same set of four ingredients, you are going to get bored and frustrated and are more likely to crack and order an extra large cheese pizza from Pizza Hut.

Buy a cookbook or find a blog or website you like to peruse.  Even if you never actually  use any of the recipes, you will get some ideas about how to eat in a vegan style, and will probably be shocked by the amazing variety of choices.

If you make your meals interesting enough, then you will probably find that you forget what you aren’t eating. In fact, you may find that the things you thought you would miss aren’t a problem at all. I was sure that giving up cheese was going to be awful for me, but, it really wasn’t (and my cholesterol dropped 65 points giving up dairy and eggs).

Happy veganizing!

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