Vegan Recipes for Dummies (or beginners)

[Trieste]

I know, I know: "Just google them!"

The thing that is intimidating about googling random vegan recipes is that they use quite a few unfamiliar ingredients. I'm familiar enough with some spices but I'm just learning to use curry. Many recipes call for things like liquid smoke, or nutritional yeast. Since I haven't heard of it before, let alone tried it, the thought of putting those things in my food makes me feel kinda floppy in the tummy. (You want me to just sprinkle yeast on my food? Yuck! While further reading has told me that nutritional yeast - or 'nootch', apparently - is not the same as the frothy, foamy, kinda beer-ey smelling yeast with which I'm familiar, it still makes me cringe.)

Say what? I don't have those things and I don't even know where I would find them. I had a hard enough time finding quinoa!

I know there are a lot of foodies out there, and some of the stuff you've made has got to be vegan-friendly. I also know that someone out there has to have shopping tips for picking up vegan-friendly ingredients when you don't necessarily have a Vegans'R'Us down the street. Share?  :-)

[Lilias]

I'm fond of the Vegetarian Times, and their vegan section is really good. I like the stuffed cabbage rolls, the leek and potato latkes, the broccolini with glass noodles and oyster mushrooms... and I substitute shamelessly, if some ingredient is particularly hard to come by.

I recommend you sign up for the vegan recipe of the week newsletter too. ;)

[Ryven]

I have Whole Foods Market, Fresh Market, Kroger, and Harris Teeter in my area.  The first two are mainly organic based grocery stores which also carry a lot of the 'odd' ingredients you don't usually find in non-restricted cooking.  The last two are regular grocery stores that have a large selection of items and often carry some of the same restricted cooking friendly ingredients.

Were there any ingredients that you have specific questions about?  I've used liquid smoke before in food, and it's basically a product to give smokey flavor to a dish without having to actually smoke whatever it is you're cooking.  I've used it in a sauce for buffaloe wings, and it adds a very nice depth to them. 

May I ask, how restrictive are you in your vegan diet?

[Oniya]

Substitution can be your friend.  Recipe calls for broth?  Use vegetable broth.  Making your own is as simple as throwing a rough chop of carrots, onions and celery into a pot, seasoning like you would for chicken broth, and boiling.  I personally can't abide tofu trying to be anything meat-like (it can do eggs and sometimes cheese well enough), but lentils can give you the protein and 'substance' of meat in things like stews, soups and stuffed peppers.  Stir-fry with brightly colored vegetables (sounds silly, but the more colors, the more different nutrients, since your beta-carotenes are usually in orange and yellow veggies and things like iron and calcium show up in your darker greens) works for any diet.  Pasta sauce is another thing that is easily made vegan (especially if you have a tomato plant and a blender), and you can do things like throw 'carrot coins' or pepper/onion strips into it for added interest.

Definitely look into different spices that you traditionally paired with meat in the past.  Things like fennel seed can give you a flavor that reminds you of sausage - simply because that spice is commonly used in sausage (reference the famous 'Mock Apple Pie' experiment).  It also helps cut down on gas, which can be an issue when shifting to a high-plant diet for some people.

[Ryven]

I don't know how tomato sauce is not vegan.  Going through all the ingredients in my head, I don't think there is one derived from an animal. 

[Lilias]

Some favourites in this household, for first reference:

Vegetarian paella
Pointed red peppers stuffed with Chinese vegetable fried rice
Vegetable curry
Beans & greens soup
Curried beans
Chili con veggies
Mexican three-bean chilli hotpot

[Oniya]

I don't know how tomato sauce is not vegan.  Going through all the ingredients in my head, I don't think there is one derived from an animal.

Pure tomato sauce is, but in the stores you find pasta sauces 'flavored with meat' (and sometimes even home-made ones).  Adding 'stuff' to it gives you a vegan-friendly recipe with a texture that feels more like you're eating something rather than just flavoring the noodles.

[Ryven]

Pure tomato sauce is, but in the stores you find pasta sauces 'flavored with meat' (and sometimes even home-made ones).  Adding 'stuff' to it gives you a vegan-friendly recipe with a texture that feels more like you're eating something rather than just flavoring the noodles.

Adding meat of any kind including just flavor would make it a meat sauce though.  They are mutually exclusive to me.

[Oniya]

Is why I said 'pasta sauce'.  ;D  Especially since I know Trie is coming from a previously non-vegan diet, and is also cooking for a self-admitted carnivore.

[Outsider]

+1 to substitution and variation

You don't need to add meat for the flavour. Most of the times, with a little practice, you can create something evenly (or even more) tasty by just taking away the meat component and being creative.

One of the easiest recipes I can gather from the top of my head would be Spaghetti alla bolognese (which at least in my home country is one of the most common table dishes in anything up to middle class households). Your substitution would be the simple combination of dry soy (which you can get at any goody two-shoes healthy living market) and soy sauce. You can start from there, start experimenting.
Creativity is your biggest ally.

[Kuje]

Nutritional yeast is Brewer's Yeast. I'm not sure when its named got changed but my ma and grandma know it as Brewer's Yeast. I also pick up Vegetarian Times every month, plus a few others like the one that comes from the UK called Vegetarian Living. Veg News is another US magazine though, which I also enjoy.

As for recipes, since I'm a vegan cook, it would be easier for me to know what you might like to eat instead of offering random ones that I enjoy. :) I have about 8 vegan cookbooks, etc, so I can supply tons of recipes.

For when I can't find some things locally I tend to order from: http://www.veganessentials.com/

[Caeli]

I've found that the recipes from The Lotus and the Artichoke are really accessible, or easy to make substitutes for items that may not occur in the average kitchen.

[Trieste]

I'm happydancing at all the great advice. ;D

* Trieste blows floatyhearts at Lil.

I luuuuurve oyster mushrooms. <3 And how did you know that I've been hunting around for a stuffed pepper recipe?! *snatches and runs away*

I don't know how tomato sauce is not vegan.  Going through all the ingredients in my head, I don't think there is one derived from an animal. 

You honestly never know. For instance, you would think that a "Mushroom and Vegetable Medley" flavored packet of easy-quinoa would be vegan, too. You would be wrong (I found this out by being wrong, myself.) - you can check out the ingredients here. It made me sad.

May I ask, how restrictive are you in your vegan diet?

At the moment, not very, because it's not like we can afford to throw out everything in our fridge/cupboards and start over. So we're transitioning, but the eventual goal will be exclusion of animal fats + animal proteins, and the inclusion of more varieties of veggies, beans, and other things that Mr. Trieste says is "what the food eats". ::) Neither of us are particularly big on things like honey and gelatin, so they're not particularly part of the equation, but I'll probably try to skip over them if I need to in order to draw a sort of distinctive and firm line between "NO" and "YES" in terms of what to eat/prepare/etc.

+1 to substitution and variation

You don't need to add meat for the flavour. Most of the times, with a little practice, you can create something evenly (or even more) tasty by just taking away the meat component and being creative.

One of the easiest recipes I can gather from the top of my head would be Spaghetti alla bolognese (which at least in my home country is one of the most common table dishes in anything up to middle class households). Your substitution would be the simple combination of dry soy (which you can get at any goody two-shoes healthy living market) and soy sauce. You can start from there, start experimenting.
Creativity is your biggest ally.

I know that I can't actually get dry soy at the local market we use because I've looked. Sometimes you can get frozen edamame, wasabi-flavored soy nuts, and tofu... (There's also soy milk, too, although I've never been a fan. My milk substitute of choice is almond milk. ;D) There is supposedly a Whole Foods market in the area, I just have to find it. I'll look there, too.

Nutritional yeast is Brewer's Yeast. I'm not sure when its named got changed but my ma and grandma know it as Brewer's Yeast. I also pick up Vegetarian Times every month, plus a few others like the one that comes from the UK called Vegetarian Living. Veg News is another US magazine though, which I also enjoy.

As for recipes, since I'm a vegan cook, it would be easier for me to know what you might like to eat instead of offering random ones that I enjoy. :) I have about 8 vegan cookbooks, etc, so I can supply tons of recipes.

For when I can't find some things locally I tend to order from: http://www.veganessentials.com/

It could be that nutritional yeast is known by a different name in your area, because the nutritional yeast I'm talking about is not brewer's yeast. It isn't alive and doesn't have the properties of baker's yeast and whatnot. Unless their old-school brewer's yeast wasn't actually used for brewing...? I actually came across veganessentials while I was hunting down whatintheheck nutritional yeast was - you can find their listing of what I'm talking about here, or at least an example of it.

Is why I said 'pasta sauce'.  ;D  Especially since I know Trie is coming from a previously non-vegan diet, and is also cooking for a self-admitted carnivore.

Mah carnivore has a habit of staring at me when I put together food with this expression on his face like, "Where's the rest of it?" - since he doesn't have the same motivation that I do, I think it's a little harder on him.

Not that it isn't hard. I made fajitas today that were delicious, but at the same time it was like, "Where is the sour cream? Where is the cheese? It's not fajitas without cheese!"

I've found that the recipes from The Lotus and the Artichoke are really accessible, or easy to make substitutes for items that may not occur in the average kitchen.

:-* !!

[Jag]

I pretty much live off of my crock pot (due to when I go to and get home from work) and a lot of the things I make are vegetarian (due to the price of meat).

Slow Cooker Minestrone

   4 cup(s) canned vegetable broth   
     14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with basil, garlic and oregano   
     1 pound(s) uncooked Yukon gold potato(es), peeled, diced   
     1 medium uncooked zucchini, quartered lengthwise, sliced 3/4-in thick   
     19 oz canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained   
     1 1/2 cup(s) uncooked string beans, cut in 1-in lengths   
     1 medium uncooked leek(s), chopped (light green and white part only)   
     1 large uncooked carrot(s), diced   
     1 rib(s) (medium) uncooked celery, diced   
   1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground (or more to taste)   
   2 Tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin   
   1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste   

Combine broth, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, cannellini beans, string beans, leek, carrot, celery and pepper in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW setting until vegetables are tender, about 6 hours. Stir in oil and salt.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

     10 oz fresh spinach, baby leaves   
     2 medium uncooked carrot(s), chopped   
     2 rib(s) (medium) uncooked celery, ribs, chopped   
     1 large uncooked onion(s), chopped   
   1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced   
     4 cup(s) vegetable broth   
     28 oz canned diced tomatoes   
   2 leaf/leaves bay leaf   
   1 Tbsp dried basil   
   1 tsp dried oregano   
   1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed   

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker; cover and cook on high power for 5 hours. Remove bay leaves, stir and serve.

Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Oatmeal

   6 cup(s) water   
     3 cup(s) uncooked pumpkin, preferably from pie or sugar pumpkins   
   1 1/2 cup(s) uncooked steel cut oats   
   1/2 cup(s) honey   
   1 tsp ground cinnamon   
   1/2 tsp table salt   
   1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, or grated nutmeg   

Put everything in a 3- to 6-quart slow cooker; stir well. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours; stir well before serving.

You can swap out the pumpkin for sweet potato.

Slow Cooker Blueberry Coffee Cake

   3/4 cup(s) all purpose flour   
   1/4 cup(s) whole wheat flour   
   1/3 cup(s) sugar   
   1/2 tsp baking soda   
   1 1/2 tsp baking powder   
   1/4 tsp table salt   
   1/4 tsp ground cinnamon   
     1 large egg(s), beaten   
     1/2 cup(s) plain fat free yogurt   
   2 Tbsp canola oil   
   1/2 tsp vanilla extract   
     1 cup(s) fresh blueberries   
   2 spray(s) cooking spray   
   1 Tbsp powdered sugar   


    Combine both flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Combine egg, yogurt, oil and vanilla extract in a small bowl; stir well. Beat egg mixture into flour mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth; stir in blueberries.

    Coat a 2-quart round soufflé dish with cooking spray; spoon batter into dish. Coat a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray; cover dish tightly with foil, coated side-down, so no water seeps in.

    Pour 2 cups of hot water into a 5-quart or larger slow cooker; place covered baking dish in slow cooker. Cover slow cooker; cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Remove baking dish and cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn cake upside down onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before slicing into 8 pieces. Yields 1 slice per serving.

You can substitute fresh or frozen and thawed raspberries or chopped strawberries for the blueberries, if desired. You can also switch to a berry-flavored fat-free yogurt.

Slow Cooker Hearty Black Bean Soup

   1/4 pound(s) chorizo   
     1 small uncooked onion(s), chopped   
   1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced   
     1 small sweet red pepper(s), chopped   
     1 small green pepper(s), chopped   
   2 Tbsp sherry (dry or sweet)   
   1 tsp ground cumin   
   1 leaf/leaves bay leaf   
     15 oz canned black beans, undrained   
     15 oz vegetable broth   
     1 medium fresh lime(s), squeezed   
   2 Tbsp cilantro, minced   
   1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste   
   1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste   


    Discard chorizo skin. Crumble meat and brown in 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick skillet for 2 minutes. Add onion, garlic and peppers. Sauté over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Add to slow cooker. Add sherry, cumin, bay leaf, beans and broth. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.

    Remove lid. Scoop out 1 cup beans and press with the back of a fork to mash. Return to pot. Add lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered just to warm through, about 5 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

     2 medium uncooked carrot(s), peeled, cut into large chunks   
     2 rib(s) (medium) uncooked celery, cut into large chunks   
     1 medium uncooked onion(s), cut into large chunks   
   2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced   
     2 cup(s) dry lentils, picked over   
   3 leaf/leaves bay leaf   
   1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed   
   1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste   
   1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste   
   8 cup(s) vegetable broth   
        1 cup chopped shiitake mushroom caps

Place ingredients in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker in the following order: carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lentils, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper and broth. Cover slow cooker; cook on low setting for 6 hours. Uncover, stir in mushrooms and heat for 30 minutes more; remove bay leaves. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

To thicken soup, remove 1 cup of cooked lentils and puree in food processor; stir back into soup.

[Kuje]

It could be that nutritional yeast is known by a different name in your area, because the nutritional yeast I'm talking about is not brewer's yeast. It isn't alive and doesn't have the properties of baker's yeast and whatnot. Unless their old-school brewer's yeast wasn't actually used for brewing...? I actually came across veganessentials while I was hunting down whatintheheck nutritional yeast was - you can find their listing of what I'm talking about here, or at least an example of it.

It could be that is the case that it's called different around here but from my research, it seems over the years that the two have become the same thing, the two just have sometimes different nutrient's or other things added to them. I have a can of nutritional yeast in my pantry and even on the label it says it's also brewer's yeast. So, shrug. I dunno.

[Ryven]

I luuuuurve oyster mushrooms. <3 And how did you know that I've been hunting around for a stuffed pepper recipe?! *snatches and runs away*
You honestly never know. For instance, you would think that a "Mushroom and Vegetable Medley" flavored packet of easy-quinoa would be vegan, too. You would be wrong (I found this out by being wrong, myself.) - you can check out the ingredients here. It made me sad.

Anything with a 'flavor' or 'seasoning' packet is questionable anyway.  I think the best thing for you to do if you want alternative starches, in this case quinoa, would be to buy the ingredients to flavor it yourself.  Celery, carrots, and onions, which make the flavor base for a LOT of cooking are pretty cheap and add great flavor to food. 

At the moment, not very, because it's not like we can afford to throw out everything in our fridge/cupboards and start over. So we're transitioning, but the eventual goal will be exclusion of animal fats + animal proteins, and the inclusion of more varieties of veggies, beans, and other things that Mr. Trieste says is "what the food eats". ::) Neither of us are particularly big on things like honey and gelatin, so they're not particularly part of the equation, but I'll probably try to skip over them if I need to in order to draw a sort of distinctive and firm line between "NO" and "YES" in terms of what to eat/prepare/etc.

You're going to be cutting out a lot of things by the end transition, so finding substitutions and additions that are vegan friendly is the best option which I see you are already doing.  Dairy has many substitutions.  If you enjoy yogurt, there are a few brands of almond, soy, and even coconut based yogurts which have no dairy.  I haven't looked into cheese substitutions yet.  Breads will be on a case by case basis since all breads do not include things like eggs or dairy.  I know basic French bread boils down to yeast, flour, water, and salt.  However, check ingredients to make sure.  Most quick breads like biscuits and muffins can have the fats substituted in them to vegetable based ones.  As far as meats go, MorningStar has a nice selection of vegetable based meat substitute products.  I hope this helps, and good luck on your transition. :-)

[Oniya]

Ooh - bread-maker.  You can whip up a loaf of bread with your own ingredients with about 15 minutes prep time and then three hours of the house smelling good.

[Ephiral]

I asked my foodie friend who lives in a house full of vegans. This was his first recommendation:

I wouldn't call it "ultimate" but this has some pretty tasty recipes, a fun and self-deprecating narrative, and explains the Science!~ behind why certain ingredients are added.

[Ryven]

Ooh - bread-maker.  You can whip up a loaf of bread with your own ingredients with about 15 minutes prep time and then three hours of the house smelling good.

The only advantage using a bread maker gives is that it does the process for you but the end yield is very small. Bread is not hard to make and can be baked in large batches. Extra loaves can be frozen and thawed as needed which cuts down on the number of times your need to make it if you make 5-6 loaves at a time.

[Trieste]

Since most of the breads I'm familiar with need to be kneaded and allowed to rise, etc, a breadmaker would probably be the way I would go since I'm home at erratic times and often extremely busy even when I am home. I do like the idea of knowing precisely what goes into yet another part of what I eat.

[Oniya]

The only advantage using a bread maker gives is that it does the process for you but the end yield is very small. Bread is not hard to make and can be baked in large batches. Extra loaves can be frozen and thawed as needed which cuts down on the number of times your need to make it if you make 5-6 loaves at a time.

Now if I can only manage to get that upright freezer to put in the back shed...  ;)

[Ryven]

Since most of the breads I'm familiar with need to be kneaded and allowed to rise, etc, a breadmaker would probably be the way I would go since I'm home at erratic times and often extremely busy even when I am home. I do like the idea of knowing precisely what goes into yet another part of what I eat.

Measuring and mixing dough takes 15 minutes maximum.  Kneading, if you have a mixer, is done for you.  If not, another 15 minutes maximum.  If you're worried about rising, you can retard the dough rise to take longer and thus make it more convenient for you by placing the dough in the refrigerator.  The regular 1 - 2 hour rise can be done that way except the time span to rise the same amount would be up to 6 - 8 hours.  After that, it's just a matter of forming the loaves, proofing and baking which all together should take no longer than 1.5 hours maximum depending on the bread.  I'm not saying don't go with a breadmaker.  I'm just explaining that there is more than one way to make bread so you're not stuck locked into a 3 - 4 hour process.  I've used this method many times with yeast risen breads.  I would make the dough before and refrigerate overnight.  You could even go so far as to form the final loaves and then refrigerate to bake later.  Just allow the loaves to sit at room temperature for a bit to warm slightly then bake.

Now if I can only manage to get that upright freezer to put in the back shed...  ;)

My roommate bought a chest freezer, and I intend to exploit the hell out of it.

[Trieste]

Measuring and mixing dough takes 15 minutes maximum.  Kneading, if you have a mixer, is done for you.  If not, another 15 minutes maximum.  If you're worried about rising, you can retard the dough rise to take longer and thus make it more convenient for you by placing the dough in the refrigerator.  The regular 1 - 2 hour rise can be done that way except the time span to rise the same amount would be up to 6 - 8 hours.  After that, it's just a matter of forming the loaves, proofing and baking which all together should take no longer than 1.5 hours maximum depending on the bread.  I'm not saying don't go with a breadmaker.  I'm just explaining that there is more than one way to make bread so you're not stuck locked into a 3 - 4 hour process.  I've used this method many times with yeast risen breads.  I would make the dough before and refrigerate overnight.  You could even go so far as to form the final loaves and then refrigerate to bake later.  Just allow the loaves to sit at room temperature for a bit to warm slightly then bake.

This is good information to know. I might have to keep this in mind when I make the amazing cinnamon rolls that I like to make... ... if I can figure out a way around the milk and butter heaped into the recipe I use...

Thank you, Ryven!



So part of this has been not only "eat moar veggies!" but also relearning how to eat stuff I've eaten all my life. I love turnips! My family loves turnips! When I was at the grocery, I was like, "Turnips! I'm saved!" And then I got home and ...

...

We mash them with cream and throw in a stick or two of butter...! ::)

So they sat in my fridge for a couple days while I tried to figure out what to do with them. I love asparagus roasted in the oven, so that's actually what I ended up doing. I brushed them with a little olive oil, sprinkled them with chicken spice (paprika, black pepper, garlic, onion, the kind of thing you'd rub on chicken before baking or grilling if you're being lazy), then cooked them 10 minutes on each side. It was pretty excellent and I feel a little less lost in my own kitchen.

Le Dinner

[Ryven]

This is good information to know. I might have to keep this in mind when I make the amazing cinnamon rolls that I like to make... ... if I can figure out a way around the milk and butter heaped into the recipe I use...

Thank you, Ryven!



So part of this has been not only "eat moar veggies!" but also relearning how to eat stuff I've eaten all my life. I love turnips! My family loves turnips! When I was at the grocery, I was like, "Turnips! I'm saved!" And then I got home and ...

...

We mash them with cream and throw in a stick or two of butter...! ::)

So they sat in my fridge for a couple days while I tried to figure out what to do with them. I love asparagus roasted in the oven, so that's actually what I ended up doing. I brushed them with a little olive oil, sprinkled them with chicken spice (paprika, black pepper, garlic, onion, the kind of thing you'd rub on chicken before baking or grilling if you're being lazy), then cooked them 10 minutes on each side. It was pretty excellent and I feel a little less lost in my own kitchen.

Le Dinner

The method I described works perfectly for cinnamon rolls.  That's how I actually make them now.  I make the dough, rise, punch down, form the rolls, pan them up, and put them in the fridge until morning.  The next day, I take them out and bake.  I've done it a few times with the rolls specifically, so I can tell you that the methodology will work.  To make them vegan, I suggest soy margarine, egg replacer powder, and almond/soy/rice milk.  I'm not sure where to buy the margarine or egg replacer.  I've never had to use them, but I've done some quick research on some vegan recipes, and they all have those three components in common.

Dinner looks delicious.  If you want more variety (and since you like turnips), you should try rutabaga and taro as well.  One word of caution, however, cook the taro before eating.  Do not eat it raw.  It contains calcium oxalate which being in chemistry, I'm sure you know is bad.

[Cecilia]

There are two kinds of nutritional yeast--big flakes and smaller more granular kinds.  The bigger flakes work well in sauces...I like to use olive oil and the more granular kind on pop corn for a snack.

Veganomicon--the book mentioned above is Awesome, but not as good as the same author's "Appetite for Reduction"--which has many of the same recipes inthe first book fine tuned for lower fat.  I also recommend any other book she has written.  I have tried over three hundred of her recipes,and only a couple have left me wondering what she was thinking.  I actually like her "eggplant bacon" and her cheeseless Mac. 

Look for a food cooperative in your area--in a college town there is bound to be one.  You can get all of the food you need at whole foods, but it is likely to be expensive. 

A note on the nutritional yeast...first timers often don't like it because vegans call it "cheese" or something like that.  Don't go into eating it thinking it's a one to one sub because it isn't cheese.  I do have some recipes for some things that are very cheese like, but they aren't low in fat.  For a special treat, though, you can make a really yummy and easy vegan "cheese" substitute with cashews and some fermentation--but is would suggest you wait for that kind of experimentation.  (I made a vegan cream cheese dip for a party that had people begging for the recipe and got devoured before the Lipton onion soup mixed with sour cream dip.)

.