What is a Vegan?
Vegans are people who have chosen to maintain a lifestyle free of any and all animal products including but not limited to : all meats (including fish and chicken) and animal by-products, such as gelatin and sometimes honey. Some people make the choice to become vegan for animal rights purposes and others, simply to eat a diet free from many of the harmful chemicals and hormones associated with meat products.
Many people believe that eliminating all animal products will greatly narrow their menus. However, according to virtually any vegan that you ask, quite the opposite happens. Once you start frequenting your local health / natural food stores and co-ops, and start reading vegan literature and cookbooks, you will soon become familiar with the wide variety of options that were missing from your previous diet. Over time, you will also discover that it is possible to follow almost any recipe by using substitute ingredients.
For those who prefer not to cook, there's plenty of packaged foods from which to choose: frozen dinners; canned and dehydrated soups, stews, and chilis; and items of all sorts for quick and easy sandwiches, like dogs and burgers, deli slices, mock bacons and sausages, un-tuna / un-chicken salads, soy and rice cheeses, and tofu mayo, too! You may even find that your local health food store has its own deli counter, stocked with already prepared foods.
And fortunately, more and more supermarkets are starting to carry the same products found in the health food stores. After checking out the vegan offerings in your area, you may want to contact The Mail Order Catalog (800.695.2241), a great source for ordering meat and dairy substitutes like soy products, seitan, TVP, nutritional yeast -- even vegan broth mixes. They also sell a wide selection of veg*an (vegetarian / vegan) cookbooks -- many at reduced prices.
Egg Replacer is ideal for baking and can be used in any recipe which calls for eggs as a binding agent. Try Ener-G® Egg Replacer, a blend of raising ingredients and stabilizers including potato starch and tapioca flour.
Miso is made from fermented soybeans, rice, barley, and other grains. Different types of miso vary in flavor, aroma, and color. Light miso is a good dairy substitute in soups, dips, spreads, sauces, and dressings. Dark miso is saltier and is used for hearty soups, stews, and brown gravy.
Tamari and shoyu are sauces that can be used in place of dark miso for flavoring. These sauces are superior to most commercial soy sauces, which are unfermented. Add them to a dish during the last few minutes of cooking or at the table. When using as a substitute for salt, use 1 T tamari / shoyu for 1 t of salt.
Nutritional Yeast is a primary grown yeast, cultivated specifically for its nutritive value. Red Star brand's Vegetarian Support Formula (T6635+, fortified with B-12) is pure nutritional yeast grown on beet and cane molasses. It is an inactive yeast having no fermenting power, as do the live yeasts used in baking and brewing.
Available as flakes or powder, nutritional yeast adds a delicious, toasted, nutty-cheesy flavor to all sorts of foods. Although itís ideal for making uncheeses, the possibilities are endless -- from soups and salads to desserts. Try it sprinkled on popcorn!
Seitan (say-TAN), also called wheat meat. Most of what people like about meat is the texture and the seasonings. The latter is easy; for texture, seitan comes closest.
Seitan is versatile, succulent, hearty, and chewy. It is available already prepared or as ready-to-make mixes. Seitan is also relatively easy to make yourself (see recipes). And, given that it keeps well, it's good to make a lot to have on hand.
The main ingredient is vital wheat gluten, also called instant gluten flour. This can generally be found in the baking aisle at larger grocery stores. Be sure not to substitute any other flour -- high gluten flour is not the same.
Seitan can be prepared several different ways, each of which has variations limited only by one's spice cabinet and imagination. Vegan Vittles (see resources) has an excellent section on seitan, including recipes for ground seitan, sausage-style seitan, and seitan salami, pepperoni, and pastrami.
Soy margarine is a great substitute for butter when baking cakes and other desserts.
Tahini, a staple in Middle Eastern cooking, is a versatile paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds. (Sesame butter, from unhulled seeds, is thicker and more bitter.) Tahini made from roasted seeds has a stronger flavor than the variety made from raw seeds. Tahini is calcium-rich, and its nutty taste and creamy consistency are great for sauces, dips, spreads, and creamy dressings.
Tempeh is traditionally made from fermented whole soybeans, although some commercially available varieties are made from soybeans combined with grains or other beans. Tempeh is richer in nutrients and more flavorful than tofu.
Tofu or bean curd is made by curding the mild white milk of the soybean. Inexpensive and easy to find, tofu is a great source of protein.
Tofu comes in a variety of textures ranging from the softest, known as silken tofu, to hard pressed tofu -- a very dense and firm cheese. The soft tofus are best for blending, mashing, and crumbling. The firmer types are best for slicing, cubing, and sometimes crumbling. You can also freeze and thaw firm tofu to produce a chewy texture.
Tofuís neutral taste makes it extremely versatile, allowing it to pick up flavors from herbs, spices, and other ingredients. Tofu can be stir-fried, baked, broiled, grilled, marinated, scrambled, steamed, or crumbled into salads. It is a wonderful substitute for dairy products (mix it with lemon, sugar, salt, oil, basil, and garlic to make ricotta-style filling for veggie lasagna). It can be used as the basis for dressings, spreads, soups, main dishes, and desserts. Louise Hagler's Tofu Cookery (see resources) is a great place to start.
TVP or texturized vegetable protein is made from soy flour that has been cooked under pressure, extruded, and dried. Since the oil has been extracted, it has a long shelf-life. TVP is high in protein, iron, calcium, fiber, and zinc. It can be used in recipes instead of ground meat.
Vegan Milks replace dairy milk. Made from nuts and seeds, rice, or soy. Taste and richness vary strongly from brand to brand -- so experiment to find your favorite. Some are fortified with calcium, vitamins D and B-12, etc. Others contain sweeteners and come in flavored varieties -- like cocoa, carob, or vanilla. You'll find some are delicious to drink straight from the carton. (Note: Milks often come in 8-oz and quart-size shelf-stable, recyclable, aseptic packages. Refrigerate after opening.)
Vegan milks are indispensible for making creamed soups and sauces, milk shakes, frozen desserts, and baked goods (in recipes calling for buttermilk, add 1 T vinegar to each cup of soymilk). Use soymilk for your cereal and coffee, too.