Vegan Recipes

[Toast.]

goddess,
i'm sorry. i didn't intend any offence, none at all.
being vegan you recieve ALOT of criticism and a few bit of it comes from peoples misunderstandings, so i just like to set everyone as straight as i can set them.
you're perfectly right. an unhealthy vegan would need supplements. i guess i just hoped most people, beind considerate enough for the animals would be considerate enough towards themselves to keep a good balanced diet.
anywho. i'm sorry if my first post seemes ranty, i'mm just a little anti-doctor overuse. its even proven that mishaps by doctors and medical practitionors is the 8th biggest killer of new zealand people.
i only go to the doctor if i really really need to. i think too many people just take doctors words as law and don't question them.
meeh. thats just my 2 cents, and this prolly isn't the best place for them.<3

[Goddess]

none taken...and just to show I am not a big pooh, here's one of my favorite recipes


Wild Rice with Grilled Asparagus and Walnuts

Ingredients:

2 cups wild rice - approximate
1 pound asparagus - approximate
2 cups walnuts
fresh lemon juice is a must
tarmari - to taste
ginger root - a chunch
Directions:
Always try to us organic. Buy real wild rice, not cultivated, which is junk.

Basic instuctions only, cooking ingredients in past helpful:

Make wild rice (Rinse, usually a 2.5/3 water to 1.o rice ratio. Cook for 45-60 minutes. Some of rice should split when ready. You can drain any excess water)

While that is going on: grate ginger into tamari.

Preheat oven to 300. Spread walnuts on a cookie sheet or such oven cooking item. Put in for 10 minutes. While that is going on, grill asparagus (or steam which is easier) and set aside. Remove walnuts and put in a bowl. Dump tamari mixture over walnuts, and stir until walnuts covered. Put back in oven for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove and put in bowl.

When everything is done, mix the rice, walnuts and asparagus together, and squeeze fresh lemon juice over. I like to serve this dish with a big slice of lemon so the eater can choose lemonishness of food.

[firefly]

i just wanted to share a few things i've learned over the years in my quest for a healthy diet.

supplements-unless you eat fermented soy products and seaweeds/algae often, it's difficult for vegans to get enough b-12 and amino acids, among other things.  supplements are a way to ensure you're getting a balanced diet every day.  read more here

flax seeds, blended with the liquid in a recipe instead of eggs, are a wonderful, healthy substitute.  i learned this from lorna sass' (vegetarian)cookbooks.

protein- not to worry, because it's way overrated by the usda food pyramid-we need about 1/4 of what's recommended.  (could it be because the meat and dairy farmers are large contributers to the usda?  hmmm...)

soy products-there's some controversy here (isn't there always?).  new studies show a link between too much soy and cancer.  read more about it here (edited to add:) soy beans are also one of the most highly sprayed crops.  choose organic when possible to avoid heavy doses of pestcides.  here's a list of the top 16 most contaminated foods.

if you are vegan because you want to eat a healthier diet, know that butter is much better for you than margarine.  this is a common misperception, but margarine is high in "bad" trans-fats that raise your blood-cholesterol level, as well as being made using the chemical process of hydrogenation.  

and lots of vegan packaged foods are terrible  for you-just because it's animal-product free doesn't mean it's good for you.  
read the ingredients, aim for organic, and do your research that's what i've learned.  hope it's helpful!

[artzyfartzy]

soy products-there's some controversy here (isn't there always?).  new studies show a link between too much soy and cancer.  read more about it here

I'm confused - maybe I'm not reading what you wrote correctly?  Do you mean this article shows a link between eating *too* much soy can possibley cause cancer?  I've heard the exact opposite and the article seems to be stating soy can possibly prevent it??  The bottom of the article even has a soy smoothie recipe?!

and GREAT tips btw firefly......the one about hydrogenation is one many people don't know or understand.  I always SKIP items that say hydrogenated anything in the ingredients because that is the worst stuff to put in your body !! (lots of items have it too ! like convenience boxed crackers, boxed cookies, chips, regular peanutbutter )  

Hydrogenated oils stay in your system and can definately cause high cholesterol.  ( Something ALOTTT of people have and have no idea they even do) Cholesterol usually has 0% of symptoms and is not detected without a *specific* blood test from a doctor.  I know!! because I had high cholesterol - and that's when I became a vegetarian and started learning the good and bad about ALL foods.

Great topic!  stay healthy ! and read your labels!

( ETA )
regarding your question... I have used bananas in place of eggs for baking.  Another good one is applesauce to replace the oil.  Eggs are used to "bind" food so these two ingredients work well. I make cornbread, cake, muffins and brownies this way!  nobody knows the difference!

[firefly]

I'm confused - maybe I'm not reading what you wrote correctly?  Do you mean this article shows a link between eating *too* much soy can possibley cause cancer?  I've heard the exact opposite and the article seems to be stating soy can possibly prevent it??  The bottom of the article even has a soy smoothie recipe?!

thanks artzyfartzy for pointing that out-i pasted the wrong link, but now it's edited so there's one that makes sense.  it is confusing!  i still eat some soy, but i have cut back and use rice milk now instead, until more research is done.

[shes so unusual]

Hi! I am a vegetarian and am thinking about becoming vegan.  I love to bake, so not being able to use eggs, milk or butter seems daunting.  Does anyone have any good ideas about substitutions or recipes?  Also, if any of you have any words of wisdom about veganism, let me know!

Kreeli has some great recipes and information on her site wrt veganism.
 Check out the "Whats up with?" section.

hope that helps

[Jason]

Hi! I am a vegetarian and am thinking about becoming vegan.  I love to bake, so not being able to use eggs, milk or butter seems daunting.  Does anyone have any good ideas about substitutions or recipes?  Also, if any of you have any words of wisdom about veganism, let me know!

this is my absolute favorite chocolate cake recipe... and vegan too!
http://www.animaladvocacy.net/recipes/6minutechocake.html

I had this once at moosewood and totally fell in love with it. as near as I can tell, this recipe yields exactly the same result as what is served at the restaurant.

[susank]

Awesome, J/A/S/O/N-- I've used that basic recipe for a friend's layered wedding cake, and everyone loved it.  

I've even substituted olive oil for the veg oil and rice wine vinegar for the vinegar (I usually use white) cos that's all I had.  The effect was very rich, receiving more complements than usual.

I really love How It All Vegan as a fun, hip vegan cookbook, but you can't beat the Farm cookbook written in the 70s for basics, and it's also fun to try some complicated recipes from Millenium Restaurant's cookbooks (it's in San Francisco-- fabulouso!).

--susan.

[Goddess]

that sounds soooo yummy, do you usually use the coffee or just water?

[ookpik]

http://veganchallenge.org/ has lots of recipes, product and cookbook reviews, resources, and forums. i like it!

i agree that recipes designed to be vegan turn out better than most substituted recipes. substitutions also bother me because often all the animal products get replaced with soy (soy milk, silken tofu, soy lecithin...) and you end up with a big soy pie. soy freaks me out a bit just because has such an active estrogen content, so i try to keep consumption to a minimum.

i really like the rebar modern food cookbook. it is vegetarian plus smoked salmon, but about 60-70% of the recipes are vegan or have simple vegan options. highlights: best vegan brownies ever, vegan french toast made with coconut milk, lots of awesome soups and main dishes, etc.

and for folks who rightfully fear hydrogenated trans fats: earth balance makes a vegan, non-hydrogenated margarine that is tasty, and becel has been making a non-hydrogenated (but non-vegan) margarine for a long, long time. most margarine has dairy in it anyways, so it isn't much of a health concern for vegans!