Becoming Vegan: Tips for Transitioning to a Vegan Lifestyle

Vegans are people who do not consume animal products - meat, eggs, dairy, or honey. They also do their best to not use other animal-derived ingredients in household or personal care products. Their goal is to reduce - or even eliminate - animal exploitation in their lives.

People choose to become vegan for different reasons. Most of the time, it is out of concern for the lives of animals, our own health, the state of the earth's environment, or some combination of those three.

Making the decision to become vegan can feel both empowering and terrifying! How does one make such a huge change? People come to veganism with varying degrees of familiarity with vegan cooking, support from family and friends, and understanding of their nutritional needs.

There is no "right" or "wrong" way to transition to being vegan. Some people become vegan over the course of weeks, months, or years while others become vegan overnight. The best advice is to do what feels right and achievable to you at this point in time. Becoming vegan is an individual journey, and what works well for one person may not ring true for another.

Usually, the first question aspiring vegans have is, "What will I eat?" This is a two-fold question, as it's important to identify both a person's nutritional needs and recipes that satisfy their personal tastes.

Regarding nutrition, it is not a particularly complicated issue for most people. The most common sources of vegan protein are soy products (such as tofu and tempeh), beans, nuts, seeds, and wheat gluten (sometimes referred to as wheat-meat or seitan). It is important to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This advice is equally important to omnivores, but vegans tend to think about it more because their diet is under more scrutiny!

A bit of research online or at the local library should be enough for most new vegans to understand their basic nutritional needs and recognize that if a variety of foods are consumed, they don't need to obsess over each and every meal. For those with specific health concerns related to diet (e.g., those with celiac disease, diabetes, low iron levels, etc.), it is advisable to consult with a nutritionist who is knowledgeable about veganism. The nutritionist doesn't have to be vegan but does have to be someone who will actively support the new vegan with sound information and advice.

Figuring out what kinds of meals to prepare can feel overwhelming. But once you have a handful of "go-to" recipes, it will get much easier. It won't take long before you ask yourself, "What should I have for dinner?" rather than, "What can I make that doesn't have animal products in it?" Incorporating veganism into the diet will feel natural rather than alien.

Invest in a few vegan cookbooks or visit your local library to borrow vegan cookbooks, and look online to find a wide selection of vegan recipes. When choosing recipes, consider your personal tastes as well as how much time you want to spend preparing food and what kinds of ingredients are readily available at your local supermarket. There are a wide variety of vegan recipes featuring different ethnic cuisines, cooking methods, and ingredients.

Be advised that some products that appear to be vegan may not be vegan at all. There are some "fake meats" and "fake cheeses" that are vegetarian but not vegan. Check all labels for ingredients such as whey, egg whites, casein, and gelatin. You can find extensive lists of animal ingredients by looking online.

While the issue of what to eat each day is the most pressing concern, new vegans face other lifestyle choices as well. For those who own leather, wool, or other animal-derived products, a choice has to be made about what to do with them. Some people donate these items immediately; others cannot afford to buy new vegan items and decide to continue using the non-vegan items they own until they are able to purchase replacement products.

Similar decisions must be made regarding household and personal care items. It may be tempting to simply throw away various cosmetics, lotions, soaps, and cleaning products; but throwing these items in the trash does nothing other than create more waste. It would be preferable to either give these products to someone who will use them or use them yourself and then replace the items with cruelty-free products.

Some people have to decide whether or not they can afford the cruelty-free products, since they often command a higher price. If an aspiring vegan cannot afford the more expensive products, that doesn't mean they're not vegan; it is simply a reflection of their economic reality. Vegans do their best to reduce animal exploitation, and our best is not always ideal!

A major challenge can be the lack of support for a new vegan. Some people have supportive families and friends; others have some support, though their families and friends may not really understand their desire to become vegan; others have overtly hostile families and friends.

Seek community and support for your new vegan lifestyle. There are many vegan groups online, but you may also be fortunate enough to live in an area with an active vegan or vegetarian community. These groups can offer information, advice, and camaraderie as you transition to veganism and may continue to play an important role in your life even after you are comfortable and established in your vegan lifestyle.

Becoming vegan is a tremendous journey that benefits you, animals, and the environment. The transition to veganism may include some challenges, but they are all achievable and well worth it. Having some easy-to-prepare, tasty recipes, solid information about your nutritional needs, and a supportive community will make your transition to a vegan lifestyle much easier!

About the Author
Valerie Bloom first became vegan in 1992. For more articles about the vegan lifestyle, please visit her website, Vegan Journey.

Original article

Easy Vegan Corn Pudding

This Fresh Corn Pudding should be best enjoyed when cold and served in an earthen ware. The purpose to serve in earthen ware is to give the pudding a rustic feel and earthy aroma. Beside these factors it also helps in making the pudding thicken faster by absorbing extra liquid from it. You can bake the pudding for a much delightful version of the recipe. For baking just mix all the ingredients and bake it in a bake proof dish at 180°C for about 20 minutes. Refrigerate and serve the pudding cold.

Preparation time

20 minutes
Cooking time
20 minutes
Serves
2 persons

Ingredients

1 medium size sweet corn
1 cup coconut milk or normal skimmed milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cardamom powder
Edible silver foil (optional)

Preparation

The recipe requires extremely soft, tender & fresh corn. Clean & prep the fresh corn and remove all the husk from it. There are two different ways you can take out the corn kernels from it;

1. Grate the corn from all the side.

2. Scrape the corn with a sharp knife and take out all the fresh kernels.

If the corn is soft and tender you can use it as it is, else grind it in a mixer and make a coarse paste.

If you want a vegan version and are using coconut milk you need to grate the flesh of coconut and squeeze it to take out the milk from it. I used store bought coconut milk in a sachet which makes the work easy.

Cooking

Heat a heavy bottom pan and pour the coconut milk (or normal milk) in it. Bring it to boil and add the grated fresh corn into it. Let it boil on medium heat. Keep stirring the mixture to avoid scalding of milk.

Boil the corn milk mixture till it becomes thick, this will take about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and add the sugar in it. Mix it well to dissolve the sugar. Add the cardamom powder in it.

Cool it a little and fill it in individual mud pot and decorate it with a small piece of edible silver foil. Refrigerate the pudding for 3-4 hours.

This pudding does not require any thickening agent as cornmeal has a tendency to thicken the milk.

The Fresh Corn Pudding should be best enjoyed when cold and served in an earthen ware. But this is how I served mine as the mud pot are difficult to get here. The purpose to serve in earthen ware is to give the pudding a rustic feel and earthy aroma. Beside these factors it also helps in making the pudding thicken faster by absorbing extra liquid from it.

You can bake this pudding for a much delightful version of the recipe. For baking just mix all the ingredients and bake it in a bake proof dish at 180°C for about 20 minutes. Refrigerate and serve the corn pudding cold.

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Avoid The Unnecessary Expenses Of A Vegan Diet

A lot of people drawback from the idea of a vegan diet because of the "unknown" expenses that may come with the practice. Vegans cannot easily choose to eat anything and becoming a "picky eater" may really become the reason to spend more on your food budget especially if you will not be able to avoid the unnecessary expenses of a vegan diet.

Is vegetarian living really expensive? Well for some people, embracing a vegan diet will be synonymous to the idea of spending more for better food options but this will not be the case especially if you will just know the ways to avoid the most common reasons why you may be spending more for vegan meat substitutes.

Here are some of the tips that will prevent unwanted expenses while sticking to a vegan diet:

• Stay away from mock meats. People who are just starting to follow a vegan diet may crave for the usual meat treats that they enjoy such as burgers, hotdogs, and barbecue and this will not be a problem since there are mock meats that can offer you the satiety that you want from what you are eating. However, these products also come at a higher price and you will surely be spending more than your desired budget if you will give in to these tempting treats. It will be okay if you will only try these mock meat products once in a while but making it a part of your daily vegan diet will surely hurt your pocket!

• Avoid fast food. Nowadays you can easily find vegetarian meals from the usual fast foods that are located in your area and though the idea may seem great, this often results to spending more than what you want. In fast foods, vegetarian dishes are special "items" on their menu and you can expect to see that these are priced higher than their usual offerings.

• Know more options other than organic. Of course organic products offer great benefits but you should also be aware of the added price that comes with the produce. Remember that vegan living doesn't always mean organic so if you see vegan options that are cheap but not organic, you should know that you are not violating any vegan conditions.

Definitely, the idea of going vegan doesn't have to deal with lots of expenses because if you will just know the ways to control the cost, there will be no reason to spend more on vegetarian meats. Sprouting seeds, tofu, textured soy, and tempeh are just some of the options to spend less and for sure, as you learn to come up with your own vegan recipes you will find it easier to stick to a healthy diet without its unwanted costs!

Healthy eating need not be expensive even if you will choose to follow a vegetarian lifestyle and explore the variations that sprouting seeds, textured soy, organic soybeans, and other vegan meats can offer. Click on the links to know the best ways to spend less while on a vegan diet.

Original article

What Is Veganism? A Description of the Vegan Lifestyle and Why Some People Choose to Be Vegan

Many people have heard the word "vegan" but don't know exactly what it means, how being a vegan is different from being a vegetarian, or why a person might choose to live a vegan lifestyle.

Vegans, like vegetarians, do not eat meat. Vegans and vegetarians do not consume meat from any animals - including cows, pigs, chickens, deer, fish, clams, or any other creature that was once living. This decision may be based on concerns about the person's own health or the inhumane treatment of animals or both.

The vegan diet goes beyond the vegetarian diet by eliminating all other animal-derived products. Vegans do not eat eggs, dairy products (milk, cheese, etc.), or honey, since all of these come from animals. Because egg and dairy products have been linked to health problems and allergies in humans, the decision to maintain a vegan diet may be as much about health issues as animal welfare issues.

Animal farming also has tremendous consequences for the environment, and many people choose a vegan lifestyle in order to reduce their personal negative impact on the earth. In fact, some argue that becoming vegan does much more to help the environment than driving a hybrid electric car!

The vegetarian stance proclaims that animal-derived products such as eggs and dairy are acceptable to eat since animals are not killed in order to procure them. While this seems true on the surface, a little research reveals that animals are, in fact, killed as a direct result of the egg and dairy industries.

In addition, animals that are farmed (even for products other than meat) are subjected to horrific living conditions. Some of these practices are constant forced pregnancies for dairy cows, separating mother cows from their newborn babies, debeaking chickens without anesthetic, and cramming birds into cages without sufficient room to move.

Sadly, free-range and cage-free farms offer hardly anything in terms of improved living conditions for farm animals. And at the end of their milk- or egg-producing lives, they are roughly forced onto trucks and taken to the slaughterhouse, just like their counterparts on farms that are not free-range or cage-free. Without going into gory details, it is sufficient to say that very few of us could stomach the conditions at the slaughterhouse.

Veganism is not simply about maintaining an animal-free diet. The goal of veganism is to eliminate, as much as possible, the exploitation of animals for the benefit of humans. Vegans choose household and personal care items that do not contain animal ingredients and that are not tested on animals. They do not use wool, leather, fur or other products derived from animals. Nor do they exploit animals for entertainment, considering zoos, rodeos, and animal circuses to be sources of animal cruelty.

Being vegan means making choices to reduce animal suffering. However, there are animal-derived materials in so many products in our modern society that it would be impossible to live a completely vegan lifestyle. Animals' bodies are used in plastic bags, car tires, a number of medicines, brake fluid, concrete, cardboard, and paper - to name just a few products!

Given this reality, vegans strive to do their best in their own lives, doing what they feel they are able to do in order to reduce animal exploitation. In the process, they positively impact the earth's environment and also improve their own personal health.

More Articles about Vegan Living

If you are interested in improving your health, helping the environment, and standing against animal cruelty, please visit the author's website for more information about various aspects of vegan living: Vegan Journey.

Original article

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

There are many delicious options if you're looking for a vegan parmesan cheese to adorn your pastas, top your pizzas and make your yummy food that much yummier. These dairy-free options can either be store-bought to homemade - and the homemade recipes just take 2-10 minutes, depending on which one you decide to make. I typically opt to make parmesan at home, since it's faster than running to the store!

However, sometimes running to the store is just that much more convenient if you're out and about, traveling or couldn't be bothered to lift a finger in the kitchen. Enter store-bought vegan parmesan!

Galaxy Nutritional Foods has a soy-based vegan parmesan alternative that is widely available in health food stores. It has a realistic texture to dairy parmesan, is cholesterol-free (like all vegan food!), very low in calories and fat, and is a half-decent source of calcium, too.

Parma! Vegan Parmesan is a raw alternative to the soy-based parmesan that Galaxy Nutritional Foods created. And the ingredient list is minuscule - only 3 ingredients, just like the two recipes I share below! You really can't go wrong with walnuts, nutritional yeast and sea salt. While it won't trick anyone into thinking it's dairy parmesan, it tastes great in its own right, and makes an excellent and healthy topping for pretty much anything.

Both products can be found in many health food stores, as well as online at stores like veganessentials.com.

Okay, so that covers the popular store-bought vegan parmesan brands. What about homemade?

For starters, I'm of the opinion that a good vegan parmesan only needs 3 ingredients. The two recipes I'll show you just have 3 ingredients each, and they each have very different but equally awesome flavor profiles.

Keep in mind that these incredibly simple recipes do not taste exactly like dairy parmesan. The point of these recipes isn't to mimic - it's to recreate the experience of eating parmesan, to give your bite of pasta that familiar salty-cheesy taste without containing any actual cheese.

The first recipe is great if you're a nooch (nutritional yeast) fan and aren't too keen on raw garlic. With the simple ingredient list of nutritional yeast, toasted sesame seeds and salt, it might seem like an odd trio for a parmesan recipe, but rest assured it's quite awesome. The nooch is what adds that "cheesy" taste, the toasted sesame seeds add body and depth, and the salt is what really makes it reminiscent of parmesan.

Vegan Parmesan - Version 1
1/4 c. white sesame seeds
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 tsp. salt

Heat the oven to 350 F and place the sesame seeds on a dry baking pan, toasting for 4-8 minutes until they turn golden. Watch them carefully so they don't burn! Alternately, you can toast the sesame seeds on a dry skillet on the stove top.

Process the toasted sesame seeds, nutritional yeast and salt in a food processor, processing just long enough to break the seeds down into smaller chunks, but not long enough to completely break it down into butter. You don't want a paste, you want a crumble. Serve as you would dairy parmesan!

The next parmesan recipe is great if you aren't a big nooch fan, or if your pantry simply lacks this vegan staple. Salt, brazil nuts and raw garlic give this parmesan a savory quality and lots of bite.

Though the brazil nuts make a great texture for this parmesan, feel free to swap them out for another type of nut, such as almonds or sesame seeds.

Vegan Parmesan - Version 2
1/2 c. brazil nuts
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt

Process all ingredients in a small food processor until combined but still crumbly. Do not over-process or you will have paste, not parmesan. Serve like you would dairy parmesan and enjoy!

I highly recommend attempting a vegan parmesan recipe in your own kitchen. It's such a simple process, and there's tons of wiggle room in the recipes themselves if you want to switch it up and do something different. Aside from tasting really yummy, these nut- and seed-based cheeses are nutritionally superior to the dairy kind, containing important minerals like selenium (from the brazil nuts), calcium, magnesium and copper, with no cholesterol or "bad fats". Good taste and good health can be in the same sentence together!

Allysia is a certified raw food chef and health enthusiast who enjoys concocting tasty vegan recipes in her tiny kitchen. You can find her at her website The Real Meal.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allysia_Kerney

Original article

Vegan FAQ - Is Sugar Vegan?

Is sugar vegan? The short answer is yes and no. It depends on what sugar we are referring to and the interpretation of animal cruelty by individual vegans. Many totally ban it from their diet. Others permit it.

First, the sugar of concern is refined, white cane sugar. What most people refer to as plain old table sugar. About half of this sugar is made from sugar cane and half from sugar beets. While there is no animal ingredient in sugar, cane sugar is filtered with bone char which may be made from animal bones. Sugar made from beets does not require the same process involving bone char. Therefore, only cane sugar is of concern. All other sweeteners are generally considered vegan (even though they may not be very healthy).

Some vegans consider this use of bone char to be so far removed from the original cause of the animals slaughter that it should not be considered animal cruelty (somewhat like the honey issue). Others believe the use of animals or animal by-products in any manner for human consumption is unacceptable. So, the decision to use cane sugar or not is an individual choice.

If you object to the use of bone char, it would seem the answer is simply not to buy refined cane sugar. But, unfortunately, all sugar available at your local supermarket does not state on the package if it is cane sugar or beet sugar. If the package clearly says "beet" sugar then it is vegan. If the package says "cane" sugar it should be considered to be filtered with bone char.

This being said, there is another reason for anyone, vegan or not, to avoid refined white table sugar. This sugar has been processed to the point of totally removing all nutritional value. It is nothing but empty calories and has been linked to a host of disease and illnesses. It is not our purpose here to prove or document this. Take five minutes and do some research on the internet (Google "is sugar bad for you") and find out for yourself.

So what are we to do? We all love our sweets. The answer is to use any of a multitude of other sweeteners. Natural sweeteners such as maple syrup, granular fruit sweeteners, molasses, agave syrup and brown rice syrup are vegan and retain their nutrients. There is also Stevia (made from a natural herb) that is nearly 300 time sweeter than cane sugar. Many of these sweeteners are available in major supermarkets today.

Buying prepared sweets (pies, cakes, cookies, ice cream) is more difficult. Try to avoid products containing high fructose corn syrup (it is in nearly everything today). This chemically altered ingredient has no nutritional value and our bodies are unable to break it down. It is suspect as contributing to our high obesity rate and diabetes.

Possibly the best answer for vegans is to make your own sweets. When cooked in your own kitchen you will know exactly what is in the food you eat. For some this may be a daunting task if they are new to cooking.. But with the wealth of easy vegan recipes available today practically anyone can make a few really yummy desserts.

K.A. Miller is a freelance writer and webmaster for http://www.veganshome.com/ where you will find vegan recipes and discussion of the vegan lifestyle, especially helpful to the new vegan.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K._A._Miller

Original article

Vegan Pizza: Tasty Facts, Wide Options

Many new vegans (persons who do not eat meat, eggs or dairy products), or hosts who are serving vegan guests for the first time, may have a hard time coming up with creative, tasty dishes. Vegan pizza is often a simple and easy choice. However, after solving the puzzle up to that point, many people get in a rut and things start to get a little stale.

But there are many facts about vegan pizza that many people -- including long-time vegans -- do not know.

For instance, did you know that the original, authentic, Italian pizza is traditionally vegan, i.e. no meat and no cheese? It is called the Marinara, and because of the simple but special ingredients used, and the cooking method, many pizza connoisseurs choose this pure version as their favourite pizza.

In addition to the Marinara, there are a number of other vegan pizza choices available.

Vegan pizzas are available at your favourite pizza place, you can buy it frozen, or make it at home. While it is not common to find a pizzeria that serves authentic Marinara pizzas, it is easy to get a cheeseless pizza from any pizza restaurant by just asking to hold the cheese.

Very good frozen vegan pizzas are also becoming more readily available, too, and tastier.

Then there is the home-made pizza option, which may be the best choice if you want a more authentic Italian pizza, if you would like to use cheese and meat vegan substitutes, or if you want to use non-traditional pizza crusts.

With regard to toppings, you can go cheeseless (in traditional Italian or modern vegan style), use vegan cheese substitutes, or nutritional yeast "cheese" sauce (very nutritious, rich in protein and B-vitamins). Vegan Cheese substitutes, it must be noted, have not traditionally been able to reproduce the familiar "stringy" quality of melted mozzarella on vegan pizza, with the exception of one brand which is tapioca- and arrowroot- based rather than soy-based.

That's not all. While pizza dough is already vegan, not many people know that there are significant differences in types of flour, and not all flour is available everywhere. The fact is that the single most important component of a pizza is the base, not the toppings. Authentic Italian pizza needs "00" flour, not readily available in North America, but this gives a distinctive airy and stretchy texture, and handles perfectly when forming into a circle.

It is perfectly possible to make good (but not authentic Italian) pizza crusts using regularly available baking flour (beer is often a good addition), or whole wheat flour. But outside of that there are tasty gluten-free pizza crusts available, using tapioca and manioc flour (from Brazil), or seeds, vegetables, and legumes (in a modern vegan variation).

In a more traditional European gourmet mode, one can also use puff pastry as the pizza base to make very interesting vegan pizzas. Sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and mustard seeds, mushroom and artichoke, thinly sliced potato with olive oil and rosemary (a traditional European favourite that is virtually unknown in America), all go beautifully on flaky puff pastry.

You can explore all of these vegan pizza recipes at Vegan Pizza Place. For you, your vegan family members, or friends, we hope that a whole new world of ideas will open up.

AJ Neal has been a vegetarian since 1988, is married to a non-vegetarian, the father of one son (vegetarian since birth), and administers veganpizzaplace.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_J_Neal

Original article

Vegan Recipes for Vegetarian Dads On Father's Day

Father's Day is a special day for the most important and special man in the family. Celebrating the day with the whole family is one of the best gift that can be given to a father. A day full of love and pampering that will leave an imprint to his thoughts as one of the best memories he can ever have. Finding creative ways to make it such sometimes pose a challenge too especially for a vegetarian dad. Preparing meals for the special occasion for the whole family to share and enjoy all through the day can eventually make it one cherished memory.

What about pampering a vegetarian dad the moment he wakes up with a breakfast in bed consisting of a blueberry vegan pancake and a veggie sausage? Surely he'll love it especially when each family member shares his breakfast right in the confines of his bedroom. A riot but enjoyable.

Vegan Blueberry Pancake with Veggie Sausage

Ingredients:

1 lb. Veggie sausage1 tbsp. Olive oil1½ cups blueberries, mashed3 cups flour3 level teaspoon baking powder2 tablespoons sugar½ teaspoon salt5 tbsp vegetable oilsoy milk (for thicker pancakes use a little less milk)

Procedure:

Put olive oil in a non-stick, deep and large skillet. Place the veggie sausage and cook over medium heat until brown. Remove, place in a strainer to drain and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift all together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add soy milk and oil and whisk for consistency. Add mashed blueberries and mix well.

Pour ¼ cupfuls of batter in a greased skillet placed over a medium-heat and cook for about 3 minutes on each side till golden brown.

Place in a platter and serve hot with honey and veggie sausage on the side. The recipe makes 5 to 6 servings, everyone can partake to enjoy breakfast in bed with the extra special man of the day.

Prepare this Vegetable Delight for dinner.

Ingredients:

400 grams vegan cottage cheese cut into sticks and deep fried1 cup mushrooms, quartered1 cup baby corn, cut into strips and blanched1 cup spring onions20 grams each of celery, chopped ginger and chopped garlic10 grams toasted sesame seeds25 grams chilli sauce25 grams tomato catsup3 tbsp olive oilsalt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Heat a large saute pan. Add oil and saute ginger, garlic and celery until light brown. Toss in the cheese, mushrooms, baby corn, spring onion, chilli sauce, catsup and salt. Mix well and transfer in a serving bowl and garnish with sesame seeds and some green part of green onions. Serve hot.

Bell Pepper Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1½ cup green or red bell pepper, remove seeds and sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large onion, sliced

¾ cup tomato paste

3 cups vegetable stock

2 tbsp chopped basil

green part of spring onions to garnish,chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Mix all together bell pepper, garlic, onion, tomato paste, vegetable stock in a large pot and bring to a boil while constantly stirring. Reduce heat and simmer until bell peppers have softened. Drain or sieve the mixture and set aside the liquid. Puree the leftover bits.Boil together the liquid, the puree and chopped basil in a large saucepan or pot and garnish with chopped green part of spring onion. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Green smoothies go along well to quench thirst next to water. They can be easily prepared with combinations of fresh fruits and vegetables. When fresh, they are sweet enough to refrain from adding sugar,. They are now popular health trends as they are good for the immune system, for detoxifying, for cleansing and energizing the body and weight loss. Coconut water can be blended with spinach, mango and wild honey. Combinations of other fruits and greens can be experimented for the desired taste. So easy now with blenders and other kitchen gadgets around.

Make him feel special by preparing these veggie recipes specially for your vegan dad. After all, the saying " A way to a man's heart is through his stomach", still applies Father's day or not. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers in the whole wide world!

Marichu Coning

Browse a wide selection of quality cookware, cutlery and kitchenware at our on line location Your Smart Kitchen at reasonable prices with customer satisfaction guaranteed. Your Smart Kitchen specializes in Fissler, Woll, Chasseur, Claybaker, Bosch and more quality brands.

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Original article

Becoming Vegan

Contrary to popular belief being vegan doesn't mean grass-grazing, but on the other hand it doesn't necessarily mean a diet that's free from chemicals, refined sugars, etc. - the onus is on the consumer to be informed (i.e. reading nutritional labels) about his food choices.

The delicious alternatives are plentiful and readily available these days whereas twenty years ago becoming vegan was an arduous process. You can easily find soy or tofu burgers and hot dogs, veggie ground beef, and many other meat substitutes at local health food stores and even many mainstream grocery stores, as well as online. Soy, rice, and almond milks are easy to find in a variety of flavours and can take the place of regular milk or cream in any recipe.

Some alternatives may seem costly in contrast to the "real thing" but as being vegan has become more mainstream (as people become more conscious of the health benefits, environmental upside, and animal-friendly aspects) this is rapidly changing. As mentioned above, products can be found at your local grocer and competition is driving down costs. It is easier and cheaper to be vegan than ever before.

Though meat and dairy substitutes are also considered to be processed foodstuffs, they're still healthier options in many ways. However, if you're looking to become vegan as part of a healthier lifestyle, you may want to go one step further and create your own alternatives using whole, natural foods. Don't worry that you'll be stuck eating only salads. If you decide to take on the challenge of creating your own culinary vegan marvels, the possibilities are endless. In many cases homemade vegan fare will wow even the most hard-core meat lover. There is no reason you should feel deprived.

Before you dive in however, there are a few things to keep in mind to help make the transition to veganism a smooth one. For starters, you'll need to get accustomed to reading the ingredients in everything you buy, at least in the beginning until you become familiar with which products are vegan-friendly and which ones you'll need to find replacements for. You may also want to go online and search for an exhaustive list or guide of non-vegan ingredients commonly found in many foods. Things like milk products may be obvious but there are numerous items you may come across that aren't obviously non-vegan or that you may not even recognize. Once again, don't be discouraged - it will simply take you some time to get adjusted.

One last concern that all new vegans share is "will I ever be able to eat out again?!". This is particularly important to those who want to be able to go to dinner with their non-vegan friends or family without necessarily having to go to a vegan restaurant or settle for a salad for their meal. No worries - simply make a list of all of the places you and your loved ones frequent and email the restaurants asking for a list of ingredients or, better yet, what their vegan-friendly options are. You'll find that these days many restaurants cater to everyone's dietary preferences and food sensitivities, and are happy to do so. You may find that you have more variety to choose from than you thought, and your social life will be none the worse for wear.

Original article

Vegan Recipes for a Crowd With a Panini Maker

There's no need to be afraid of making vegan recipes, even for a crowd. Using a panini maker you can make a great amount of fun and tasty dishes, and you can do it fast and easy. There are a lot of options available to you, the using the sandwich press you'll add a fun new touch to your gathering.

Vegan food is everything that doesn't have any animal products of any kind (including dairy, eggs, and honey) in it. If you're new to cooking vegan, don't worry! While you may not have put emphasis on cooking with vegetables before, and you may be completely new to ideas like tofu, it's all very simple and not really that different from what you've done before, it's just about evaluating your ingredients before you get started cooking.

When you're making panini sandwiches for a crowd cut them up into fourths (I think diagonal looks prettier, but that's personal preference) and always remember to brush some olive oil on the outsides of the bread before grilling them. When you press a sandwich you can also use butter instead of olive oil, but remember that vegans do NOT eat butter, so you'll want to use olive oil or a butter substitute like Earth Balance instead.

A really fun and simple option that does require a specialty product is a grilled cheese. You'll need to get a vegan cheese that melts, Daiya is a major brand that works really well for this. Adding things into your sandwich will give it an extra impressive touch without much effort. You can mix in some crumbled vegan bacon, or avocado slices to take this up a step.

You can also saute up some vegetables (or grill them on your press) for fillings in your sandwich. Great filling combinations are mushrooms and onions with tomato slices, or zucchini, roasted red pepper, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms. For a spread you can use something like veganaise, or a vegan pesto. Most mustards are a safe condiment to use as well, and you can find many safe Italian dressings to use that really add a great touch.

You don't just have to stick to sandwiches, either! You can use your press like it's a grill and grill up some great vegetables! If you slice carrots flat they taste great grilled. This also works with asparagus, pineapple, zucchini slices, sliced red pepper, sliced eggplant, or tofu slices. Stick some toothpicks in bite size pieces of these vegetables and you're ready to feed a crowd.

Using a panini maker to make vegan food for a crowd is an easy and fun way to add some life to your gathering. Keep it simple and fast to make it a stress free event.

Make sandwiches exciting again. Check out tips for paninis or compare different panini sandwich makers and their options.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Quilter

Original article

Vegan Greek Almond-Orange Biscuits

After making another batch of creamy almond milk, I had about a cup of left-over almond pulp. I usually dry this out (in the sun; an oven set at its lowest temperature; or the dehydrator) to make my own almond flour, but I decided to use the almond pulp in something straight away. (The almond pulp will last in a container in the refrigerator for 3 days. The pulp and also the milk made with the nuts, will last even 4 or 5 days if one slips the peels off the nuts. This should be easy to do once the nuts were soaked overnight. If the peels still do not slip off, strain the nuts, and pour boiling water over, wait 1 minute and drain. The nuts haven't spoiled and are still considered raw.) By intuitively mixing and adding a few of my favourite ingredients together, I came up with these crunchy, almond biscuits. Anyone who hasn't tasted raw biscuits yet, will not believe these weren't baked in the oven!

The biscuits below are raw, sugar-free and gluten-free. If you prefer the biscuits sweeter, you can always add some more syrup. Since the dough will be wetter in such a case, you just need to dehydrate the biscuits for a little longer. Any biscuits that also loose their crunchiness can be made nice and brittle again by popping them back into the dehydrator or low oven.

Ingredients

10 Tbsp wet almond pulp *
8 Tbsp yellow flaxseeds
12 ml sun-dried or dehydrated orange zest
4 Tbsp buckwheat seeds, untoasted
1 small red apple, unpeeled
3 Tbsp liquid sweetener: maple or apple syrup or raw honey
4 Tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla powder or ground cinnamon
1 tsp almond essence

Method
Place the almond pulp in a mixing bowl.Grind the flaxseeds and orange zest to a powder. Add to the mixing bowl.Crush the buckwheat seeds until coarsely ground with a mortar and pestle. Add to the mixing bowl.Place the rest of the ingredients in a liquidizer and blend until smooth. Pour into the mixing bowl and stir well.Transfer the dough to a dehydrator tray lined with a Paraflexx sheet. Using an off-set spatula that you dip in water now and then, spread the mixture to cover the sheet in a thin layer. Make wavy patterns on the dough with a large pronged fork.Place the tray in the dehydrator and dry for 2 hours at 115 F (46 C). Set the temperature down to 105 F (41 C) and dehydrate for 8 hours until the biscuits are dry.Store in a tightly sealed cookie jar (preferable a see-through one that everyone in the household can see your effort!)

Extra ideas: use additionally to the above recipe a tablespoon of ground pistachios (which still ties in with the Greek theme); or use orange zest, and for a spice try ground ginger, ground star aniseed or even a pinch of curry for an altogether different flavour. You can also use the pulp of other nuts - cashew or even brazil nut will be equally delicious.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and to view her vegan recipe book see http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.

Original article

Vegan Nut Cheese

These nut cheese recipes are extremely easy to do, with the advantage of having the same health benefits as dairy cheese with the added probiotics. They can be made to stay a soft, spreading-type or shaped into hard blocks which can be sliced. The most effective way of doing this is to use a dehydrator, but one can also leave the shapes uncovered in the refrigerator and after a day or so a rind will development on the outside.

Various types of nuts can be used (and interchanged), but for the most convincing results use nuts that will mimic the taste of dairy cheese. Use for instance peeled almonds for making feta-style; sweeter cashew nuts or earthy tasting walnuts for making swiss-style; a mix of pine-nuts and brazils for making parmesan or pecorino style nut cheese and macadamia nuts with its higher oil content for making hard cheddar types (add a pinch of curry and turmeric powders to your nut pulp). Seeds, such as sunflower with sesame, or pumpkin seeds on their own also make delicious nut cheeses. Dehydrate the shaped nut blocks or domes until just a rind forms (and the mixture is still semi-soft inside), or dry out further until almost crumbly, depending on the type you're making.

Start by soaking nuts in water. To make things interesting, use two different types of nuts to give a layer effect. Use ¾ cup of raw walnuts and a ¾ cup raw macadamia nuts and soak them separately overnight in two bowls in enough water to cover them.

The next day, drain the water off and rinse the nuts. Keeping them separate, place the nuts in a strong blender or food processor fitted with the steel S-blade. Add ¾ cup filtered water and ½ tsp probiotic powder (this would be for each batch of nuts). Blend until smooth and thick.

Pour the two thick mixtures into 2 muslin cloths or nut milk bags that sit in sieves over bowls to catch the water (whey). Twist the muslin cloths or nut milk bags to remove excess water.

Place a heavy object, like a clean river stone on each of the squeezed nut mixtures. Cover the two bowls with a tea cloth and place somewhere warm (but not in the sun) for 48 hours. In this time, good bacteria will ferment the nut cheese and at the end of 2 days the mixtures will have a faint sour smell.

Transfer the two nut mixtures to two mixing bowls. Add 1 - 2 tbsp of savoury yeast flakes and ½ tsp of salt to each bowl. Stir in any other flavourings of your choice, such as: chopped olives, fresh herbs, spices or even finely grated fresh vegetables, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes or dried onion and garlic granules or chili flakes. Stir well.

Press the mixture into a container to make a nice shape and then tip it out. This is now ready to eat (a soft nut cheese) and can be sliced. You can also dehydrate the nut cheese for a few hours in order for the nut cheese to form a rind; alternatively if you don't have a dehydrator you can simply unmould the nut cheese onto a plate and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator. After two days the nut cheese would have formed a rind as well.

Keep for 10 days in the refrigerator.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers and with vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and her book can be viewed at http://www.veganwellbeing.net/

Original article

Walnut and Paprika Vegan Sausages

These delightfully easy meat-free sausages that I often make for our family will quickly become a favourite in your household! I sometimes make a large batch and either freeze them, or take them with on holiday so that I always have something in the refrigerator for family meals when the others want to BBQ. Although the chopped nuts give the sausages a nice crunch and texture, the grated carrot will do the same if you want to use any left-over nut pulp after making your own home-made nut milk. The nut sausages will simply have a more refined texture, but for a chunkier feel you can always add a tablespoon or so of extra texture in the form of sunflower seeds.

Thyme, paprika and turmeric combine with tart tamarind and finely grated vegetables to impart a wonderful aroma to these nutty sausages. The dried prunes and tahini paste help to bind the ingredients together, while the walnuts and quinoa provide a good measure of protein. The sausages have a nice crispy coating of psyllium husks and oat bran.

½ cup walnuts

½ cup finely grated carrot

½ cup finely grated baby marrow (zucchini)

2 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

5 dried prunes, cut into tiny pieces

1 tsp paprika powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp quinoa flour

2 tsp tamarind pulp

1 tbsp tahini paste

2 tsp soy sauce

coating:

2 tbsp each psyllium husks and fine oat bran

4 tbsp rice bran oil, for frying

Method

Lightly toast the walnuts in the oven until fragrant. Crush the nuts to medium fine with a pestle and mortar.
Place the nuts with the grated carrot and baby marrow in a mixing bowl. Stir in the garlic, thyme and prunes and mix well.
Stir in the spices and flour, again mixing well.
Add the tamarind pulp, tahini paste and soy sauce. Stir this well into the walnut mixture.
Mix the psyllium husks and oat bran on a plate and spread out.
With wet hands, shape the walnut mixture into long patties, squeezing slightly as you shape. It is a wet mixture.
Then roll the sausages in the psyllium husk and oat bran mixture to coat. Rest the sausages in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the sausages, turning them to brown on all sides. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

Makes 5 sausages.

Cook's tip:

If quinoa flour is not available, use the same amount of cooked quinoa grains. Alternatively, use chickpea flour (both of which are high protein sources). You can also use oat bran instead of the psyllium husks to roll the sausages in, which will give them a more rough look but will impart a wonderfully nutty taste.

You can also give these sausages a more of a Thai flavour by using the same nuts, but for spices and herbs, use finely grated fresh ginger and turmeric, chopped garlic, coarsely ground coriander seeds and finely snipped Kaffir lime leaves and fresh coriander leaves. Make a brown jasmine rice dish to accompany the sausages, perhaps flavoured with star anise.

To give the sausages a French flavour, use the same nuts, but add lots more herbs, such as tarragon and sage with finely grated green apple and add chopped pitted green olives.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and to view her vegan recipe book, see http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.

Original article

Best of Vegan Recipes

When shifting to a vegan diet for the first time, the transformation can take some time. Not only that, you would also need to change your entire perspective related to taste and cooking. So, while you get yourself used to the ways of vegan cooking and eating, here are some of the best Vegan Recipes for you to try out and enjoy the joys of vegan cooking and eating.
One of the all time favorites among the Vegan Recipes is the Vegan Paella. This is actually a dish of Spanish origin. In the traditional recipe, seafood is used. However, for vegan cooking, the cashews used in the recipe replace the protein element of seafood.
Another of the best recipes that remains a favorite of vegans is the Avocado Grapefruit Salad. It has a creamy kind of texture and made with all vegan food items. The salad is really filling and delicious.
For those looking for something rich in flavor, you can always go for the Vegan Recipe for Coconut Vegetable curry. This dish has a very memorable flavor and you are very likely to try it again. The key to the rich flavor is to hold the amount of coconut milk you add to the recipe.
If you like your food to be strong in flavor, you can always make a Vegan Recipe with a good amount of spice. These best spices are the fresh ones. These have a unique aroma and flavor that you're not likely to forget anytime soon.
If you like dessert, you can check out many of the Vegan Recipes in dessert. You can make some of the best tasting cakes, pies and muffins. The coconut cake, carrot cake, fig spice pie and apple crisp and apple pie are the top rated of all vegan recipes.

In terms of substitutes, you can find many of them in the market for example cheese, butter, milk and other items. You can find your favorite brand of vegan substitute food items and use these items to add the touch of your personal taste to the recipes.

Whether you are looking for some delicious and filling breakfast, lunch, dinner or a simple snack, it is all there in vegan cooking in the form of various soups, dips, snacks, and salads along with full meals. You can always try for new food items and recipes and experiment with vegan food recipes.

Find out how vegan recipe could change your lifestyle? Check it out now to understand the importance of vegan recipe.

Original article

Vegan Food Choices That Can Win Over Relatives At Holiday Time

I recently called a friend to ask how his Thanksgiving was. He is a pretty healthy guy who practices a vegan diet and recently has been leaning towards raw foods. He told me that his Thanksgiving was fine and proudly told me about the raw food dish he made. Of course I expected to hear details about the social part of his holiday as well, but it turns out he ate his Thanksgiving meal by himself while his family celebrated at his sibling's house.

This was sad and frustrating. My friend eating all by himself was only taking in secondary nutrition. Secondary nutrition is what you call the nutrition most people think of - food, beverages, and nutritional supplements. Primary nutrition is what gives our lives meaning. It's what feeds our soul. It is relationships and hugs from people we love. It is careers, spiritual practice, physical activity, and leisure time - fun, hobbies, entertainment, and rest. Getting together with people we love and nurturing relationships is a vital part of life and benefits us in many ways.

"They don't like my food, and they eat turkey and I don't like to be around that," is what he told me. I could relate to this because that was how things used to be in my house. I would get up on my high horse and preach to everyone that they should eat a certain way. I was frustrated that people didn't like the organic whole food vegan dishes I cooked because I knew they would make them healthy, and that what they were eating was killing them. Of course, there were family members who would comment kindly about the vegan dish brought to the table - but the reality is that they were thinking that it was nothing more than a poor protein vegetable side dish (a dish that does nothing to stimulate any consideration of giving up meat).

The solution to the problem is to lose the "rabbit food" and go with meat substitutes.

Meat substitutes, also known as meat analogs, are vegan food products that look, smell, feel and taste like meat in practically every way. This can be a shock to people. Someone who is used to eating a meat-centered diet, like most Americans, is ok trying meat substitutes, but is turned off by anything that strays from the norm (and appears healthy).

Meat substitutes don't threaten one's culture, identity and traditions, or alienate taste buds with something strange or foreign looking. What's more, they frequently have more protein than the meat they are trying to replicate. There are companies that produce meat substitutes - Garden, Yves, Light Life, Tofurky, and Field Roast to name a few. They make everything from Italian sausage to pepperoni and deli slices - all 100% vegan. They can be found in health food stores, Trader Joe's. And now, more and more traditional food stores are carrying these products. There is also Veggie Brothers which features chef made gourmet vegan dishes, delivered to your door anywhere in the USA and Canada that include meat substitutes like Vegan Chicken Pot Pie.

So how does this solution really work?

Meat substitutes are not extreme. They are not threatening. People try them, and that's a big hurdle. If you are a traditional household holding a festive holiday dinner, a macrobiotic dish or raw food dish is typically not in sync with everything else on the table. Meat substitutes on the other hand can rival the meat-based focal point of the meal. I've seen it many times, and many people have written to me telling me so:

Now, let the magic begin

When people try meat substitutes for the first time they are often amazed. It challenges their old way of thinking: vegans and vegetarians just eat salad.

I have found that when you couple meat substitutes with great information there is a very good chance that a person will make better dietary choices like consuming less meat, or eliminating it completely. Most people are aware that consuming less meat improves health, offers relief to animals, and helps the environment.

If you are on a super healthy diet and adding meat substitutes to your holiday dish is a step down from your nutritionally superior throne, just remember, it can be a step up for the people you love the most. No one says you cannot also bring your super healthy dish. In fact bringing both to the table provides people with a demonstration of where they can start, and where that may lead. I don't know about you, but if someone I love who's been getting F's on their report cards suddenly gets a D, I'm happy for that progress, and I am happy to support them reach an A+ level - at a pace they can handle. But if they never get beyond a D, it's better than an F.

It is my prayer that we recognize the good karma and the good dose of primary nutrition that comes from encouraging people in our lives to move towards a healthier diet. We just need to offer vegan alternatives to the foods they already know, love and enjoy. My friend who had Thanksgiving by himself missed a huge opportunity to help open closed minds and possibly heal a relationship that needed healing. Using meat substitutes, I recently enjoyed my 4th completely Vegetarian Thanksgiving with my slowly converting Italian American Family.

If you are a vegan or an extremely healthy vegetarian, consider bringing foods that are not so extreme to the people who really need to improve their diet the most. And please don't ignore the power that meat substitutes can offer. Let us make an effort the next holiday - whether it is Christmas or the Fourth of July - to use meat substitutes as fun, enjoyable, ways for family members to enjoy the same food, even if its not all the time.

Veggie Brothers Founder, Michael Balducci, suffered from numerous illnesses, experienced fatigue and pain daily, and needed a solution. He recognized the need to change his diet and improve his health to create a permanent lifestyle change that would serve him well. Frustrated with the taste of meatless prepared foods found in supermarkets and he resorted to learning to cook starting http://www.veggiebrothers.com/ that now provides chef prepared vegan meals delivered to your door.

Original article

Steps to Encourage Vegan Diet Among Children

Parenting is a huge challenge and it would be a great feat to raise an ideal child. First lessons start at home and it will be important for parents to stay dedicated in teaching the right values that their children should acquire even at an early stage in life.

One of the values that parents should be able to teach their children is healthy eating. It would be very easy for children to be attracted to the idea of eating junk foods or prefer the less healthy food options and it would be very smart if parents will be able to teach their kids to eat their veggies without dealing with remorse.

Living the life of a vegetarian may be difficult to impose especially among children but there are strategies that will make it possible for Vegan meat substitutes like tofu and sprouting seeds to look more appetizing to the eyes of your kids.

The following are some of the ideas that will encourage children to go vegetarian and develop healthy eating habits:

• Know the different vegan recipes that kids will surely love. Cereals and other whole foods can easily become a kid's favorite especially if you will just try to go out of your way to know how it can be prepared in the most appetizing way.

• Take advantage of colorful meat substitutes. Creating eye-candy dishes will surely make it difficult for kids to refuse eating their veggies. Definitely, aside from green there are other attractive and delectable fruits and vegetables that your kids will love.

• Allow them to socialize with other vegans. Bring them along when you meet with your other vegan friends, Aside from realizing that there are other people who consider the vegan diet, this will also open a chance for them to met children of the same age bracket who shares the same kind of healthy lifestyle.

• Adults should set the best examples for the young ones and most likely to be able to grow an ideal child, parents should be the role model that their children will follow. Practice what you preach. This is the basic strategy that will make it possible for children to be led to an ideal kind of life.

It may seem difficult to teach kids the value of living a vegan life but with the options available ranging from snacks to full meals plus the valuable steps that you will make to emphasize the relevance of living a vegan lifestyle, it will not be difficult to raise healthy kids who know how to value the benefits that they can achieve through healthy eating.

Encouraging children to follow healthy eating habits should not be difficult especially with the right strategies to engage in. Vegetarian lifestyle as well as meat substitutes like sprouting seeds and tempeh will surely appeal to kids when important considerations are followed.

Original article

Useful Tips for Vegan Cooking Substitutes

Everyone wishes to eat perfect and have a nutritious diet that is healthy for the mind as well as for the body. When one shifts to a vegan diet, it means ceasing the eating of meat or any other animal-derived products. This also includes eggs as well as cheese. While the eating habits require some time to adjust, cooking vegan is a tricky part, and one needs to learn relatively new ways of cooking using ingredients that are not in any way derived from animals.

One of the important things after adopting a vegan diet is transforming your favorite recipes into vegan ones so you can enjoy them even after becoming a vegan. There are some tips that can be helpful for the people who are new at cooking vegan food.
If you are Cooking Vegan and making something that requires milk, you can use one of the many milk alternatives available in the market. You can try out different vegan milk brands and then settle for the one you think tastes best.
If your new Vegan Cooking involves the use of butter in a recipe, there is also a substitute for that. You can make use of extra virgin olive oil or alternatively use vegetable oil to fill in for the butter. In case your recipe involves baking and use of butter, you should try coconut oil.
Vegan Cooking also means substituting eggs in recipes. In egg recipes, wherever you want it to be eggless, you can use tofu.
In your vegan food recipes, incorporate as much of the vegan food elements as you can so that you can get used to the fabulous taste of those foods. These majorly include nuts, vegetables, whole grain foods and fruits.
You should avoid the use of processed foods in your recipes while cooking vegan. This will give you the true taste of vegan diet.
You should make soy milk and water the main ingredients of your vegan diet when cooking. These elements boost the effectiveness of the vegan diet.
Make yourself used to using fresh ingredients in your vegan cooking. This involves fresh fruits and vegetables and also fresh spices.

For the first few days, it might be difficult to adjust with the taste of vegan recipes and cooking Vegan food can be a little hard. However, as the time progress, you will definitely get used to it and also begin to enjoy your new vegan diet.

Would you like to have detailed book on cooking vegan? Find out how you could benefit from vegan cooking.

Original article

Vegan (Sugar-Free) Cantucci Dipped in Apple Nectar

In Italy, when visitors drop in at one's house in the afternoon they are welcomed with a glass of Vin Santo and sweet biscuits that resemble biscotti but which are smaller. This makes it easier to dip them into the wine glass. However for people who do not drink alcohol, this is a recipe of delicious sugar-free Cantucci served with pure apple juice simmered with raisins. It still tastes wickedly sweet, but is more wholesome and a lovely treat to have with guests.

Ingredients

apple nectar:

3 cups good quality, clear apple juice (preferably home-juiced)

½ cup raisins

2 tbsp apple syrup

'Cantucci:'

2 tbsp wholemeal spelt flour

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp ground linseeds (flaxseeds)

1 cup wholemeal spelt flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

4 tbsp apple syrup

2 tbsp soy milk

2 tsp vanilla-infused grape-seed oil / walnut oil

2 tsp almond butter

1 tsp almond essence

2 tbsp natural almonds

Method:

1. For the apple nectar: Simmer 1½ cups of the apple juice with the raisins and apple syrup for 5 minutes. Cool completely. Strain off the raisins and add the reduced apple juice to the remaining 1½ cups of apple juice. Refrigerate.

2. Make the starter dough: stir the 2 tbsp of spelt flour and 2 tbsp of water together. Leave for a day on the kitchen counter covered with a damp piece of absorbent kitchen towel. Stir a few times.

3. When ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 190°C (370°F). Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking parchment.

4. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

5. Mix the liquid ingredients together in a cup. Add the starter, mix and pour into the dry ingredients. Fold the ingredients together to incorporate as much air as possible.

6. Pat the dough into a log. Make a shallow cut in the centre down the length of the log. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Lower the oven's temperature to 150°C (300°F).

8. Cut the log into 1.5 cm thick slices. Dry the 'Cantucci' in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

9. To serve, place the 'Cantucci' on a serving plate. Pour a glass of apple nectar for each person in which to dip the 'Cantucci'.

Serves 4.

Cook's tip:

Resting the cooled log in the refrigerator overnight makes it easier to cut into slices.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers with accompanied vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and to view her vegan recipe book see http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.

Original article

Vegan Nachos and Home-Made Savoury Crackers

This much healthier version of a traditional Mexican dish is really authentic in taste. Make it for a light lunch or triple the recipe and serve it at a party. Home-made nachos are very quick and easy to make. They are accompanied by soy yoghurt (soured with lemon juice), home-made guacamole dip, a lentil and bean tomato mix scattered with grated fried tofu. Enjoy!

Ingredients
home-made Nachos savoury crackers* (see recipe below)
1 cup cooked Puy / brown lentils
1 cup cooked red kidney beans
4 tomatoes, chopped
4 tbsp tomato paste, thinned with 4 tbsp water
1 - 2 tsp chopped fresh red chilli (to taste)
2 tsp peanut oil
¾ cup grated firm tofu
4 ml turmeric
3 ml paprika
2 tsp fine savoury yeast flakes
avocado guacamole dip (home-made)
½ cup soy yoghurt / silken tofu mixed with 1 tsp lemon juice

Method
Place the lentils, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste mix and chilli in a saucepan and heat gently.Heat the peanut oil in a small pan and fry the tofu on fairly high heat to remove most of the moisture.Add the turmeric, paprika and savoury yeast to the tofu and stir for a minute. Remove from the heat.To assemble the nachos dish: spoon the lentil-tomato mixture into the middle of a large serving platter. Push the savoury crackers into the mixture from the sides. Scatter the fried tofu on top.Serve the avocado (guacamole) dip and soured soy yoghurt or silken tofu on the side, so everyone can help themselves.

Serves 4.

* Nachos savoury crackers

These crackers taste wonderfully authentic, yet are baked in the oven rather than fried. You can add all sorts of interesting herbs to the dough if you wish. Cooked couscous adds an interesting texture, although you can substitute cooked quinoa to make gluten-free crackers. Nut butters effectively bind all the ingredients together to make crispy, black pepper studded nachos.

Ingredients
4 tbsp dry couscous / quinoa for gluten-free
1 cup yellow corn meal
½ tsp herbal salt
2 tbsp cashew nut butter / smooth peanut butter
2 tsp cracked black pepper
½ cup brewed lukewarm camomile tea / lukewarm water
2 tsp savoury yeast powder
olive oil cooking spray

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Place a baking (pizza) stone or heavy duty baking tray in the oven to heat up at the same time.Pour boiling water over the couscous and leave for 5 minutes (or cook the quinoa). Drain and fluff with a fork. Make the camomile tea.Place the corn meal and salt in a mixing bowl and combine. Rub in the nut butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir the black pepper and cooked couscous or quinoa into the flour mixture.Pour the tea (or water) over the flour mixture and stir until combined. Add the savoury yeast and stir to mix in.Dust a sheet of non-stick baking parchment with corn meal. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for half a minute. It will be a stiff dough.Roll the dough into a thick pipe, then transfer it to the parchment. Roll the dough with a rolling pin into a thin rectangular shape, flour the dough well so as not to stick. Take a knife and deeply score the dough into squares, then into triangles. Spray them with olive oil.Working quickly, remove the baking stone or tray from the oven and slide the parchment onto it together with the scored dough. Bake on the middle shelf for 10 minutes.Reduce the oven's temperature to 190°C (370°). Turn the crackers over and bake for a further 3 minutes. Make sure the crackers are dry and crispy.Remove from the oven, break the crackers free from each other and cool thoroughly on wire racks. When the nachos are cold, store them in an airtight container (for up to a week).

Makes enough for 4 people.

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. She shares her tips for vegan travellers accompanied by vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/ and to view her vegan recipe book, see http://www.veganwellbeing.net/.

Original article

Vegan Cheesecake - Baked New York Style

Baking without eggs, butter (or margarine) and sugar can sometimes be a real challenge. However, tofu makes a great substitute for heavy, set cream and tapioca flour binds the ingredients together the way eggs would. Sugar can be replaced with a fruit syrup, or sometimes just fruit pulp which in most cases would be sweet enough.

Before I became vegan, I made my usual baked cheesecake recipe fairly often and got used (of course) to that taste. However, when I re-wrote the recipe with healthier vegan alternatives, my family and I could not believe how exactly similar in taste and texture it was. The tofu creates the same slightly dry, crumbly baked result as the traditional version, but still with the same creamy mouth-feel, sweetness and lemon flavour. I now sometimes make use of the same basic recipe, but change it into a chocolate or even strawberry version. Have fun experimenting!

Pastry base:

5 tbsp finely ground toasted, unsalted cashew nuts
1 tbsp whole meal spelt flour / oat flour / buckwheat flour
2 tsp vanilla-infused grape-seed oil / walnut oil
1 tsp light agave syrup

Filling:

1 cup soy milk
2 tsp lemon juice / orange juice / apple cider vinegar
1 lemon, juice
2 cups firm tofu, drained and patted (very) dry, chopped
1 tbsp vanilla-infused grape-seed oil / walnut oil
6 tbsp light agave syrup
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp tapioca flour
20 ml corn starch

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (360°F).Make the pastry by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. It will be a firm, heavy mixture. Line the bottom of a 1 L round pie dish with the pastry and then oil the sides (or use a silicone baking dish). Press the pastry down firmly. Leave to rest in the refrigerator.Thicken the soy milk by stirring in the juice (or vinegar). It will thicken immediately. Set aside.If you have a food processor, fit the juicing part and squeeze out the lemon juice; or use a fork. Change to the plastic S-blade. Add the tofu, oil, syrup, zest and vanilla essence. Process until floppy. Sprinkle over the flours and pour over the thickened soy milk. Process until completely smooth. Pour the tofu mixture into the baking dish onto the pastry.Place on a shelf just below the middle in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, uncovered. Reduce the temperature to 160°C (320°F)and bake a further 15 minutes. Lightly drape a sheet of tin foil over the top if the cheesecake browns too much.Remove from the oven and cool completely. The filling will become firmer.Decorate with lemon and lime zest. Cut into slices, or lift the cake from the mould before cutting.

Serves 8.

Cook's tip:

A cheesecake forms large cracks when the outside of the batter has firmed into a thin skin and the inner filling continues to expand with the heat. One can decrease this effect by placing a bowl of water on a lower shelf to create steam in the oven. The cracks can always be concealed by serving the cheesecake with slices of fruit on top. Or, simply don't worry about it - it still tastes delicious!

Laurinda Erasmus is a vegan chef and author of a vegan recipe book, called Benessere well-being: vegan & sugar-free eating for a healthy life-style, by Quinoa Publishing. The book has over 520 recipes, each with a colour photograph, taken by the author herself. The book won a gold medal at the Living Now Book Awards in New York, USA. She is passionate about the vast possibilities of creating plant-based meals, the increased wellness and energy through plant nutrition and making a smaller impact on our precious ecosystem. Through her book and vegan classes, she shows healthy and fun ways of how to bring more plant-based meals into one's diet. She also travels extensively, always collecting new recipes and re-writing them as vegan dishes. See her tips for vegan travellers and vegan travel recipes on her blogsite http://veganwellbeing.wordpress.com/. http://www.veganwellbeing.net/

Original article