Non-Indian meal plans became so much more extensive once we discovered vegan cookbooks. Although I hadn't been keen on becoming vegan as I thought it would be limiting, it actually opened up a lot more options. The vegan books had more recipes that were suited our diet as they didn't contain eggs and cheese and were more creative in their use of way more diverse and interesting ingredients.
The primary difference was that in place of the dairy, protein was taken from extensive use of tofu, tempeh and seitan. Sometimes refered to as "meat substitutes" they are great food in themselves, not a second rate comparison to meat.
However they can be used to great effect in place of the meat so we've had great fun over the years now trying to create the old childhood favourites meat-free - for example cabbage rolls with seitan instead of beef. Of course, Indian has also slipped in there toio with a "Chicken Korma" and "Beef Vindaloo that have become stock-dishes.
The Tofu Lowdown
However they can be used to great effect in place of the meat so we've had great fun over the years now trying to create the old childhood favourites meat-free - for example cabbage rolls with seitan instead of beef. Of course, Indian has also slipped in there toio with a "Chicken Korma" and "Beef Vindaloo that have become stock-dishes.
The Tofu Lowdown
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Pressed Tofu |
Pressed tofu is the regular kind of tofu that is found in the refrigerated area, of the supermarket. It comes in soft, medium, firm and extra firm. We normally use medium or firm and a tip if you are using it in 'meaty' type dishes is to freeze it first, (then defrost and use) this reduces the water content and makes it firmer. This tofu is great marinated and baked, crumbled as a minced beef substitute in bolognese or used in 'meatballs'.
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Silken Tofu |
Silken tofu is found in a tetra-pack in the Japanese section and the only make we've ever seen is Mori Nu. It is made by a different process and is excellent for use in tofu mayo, creams, smoothies and 'cheesecake' type desserts. It's always good to have this on hand. It's reallyquite amazing what you can turn this into; try "scrambled eggs" or "tsatsiki"..
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| Tempeh |
I would say, it's not quite as straightforward a "meat replacement" as the others. I use it for it's own taste in Asian dishes where I find it really holds it's own. One great tip to know is that steaming it for ten-minutes before cooking it in your dish will take the bitter note out of it which you can sometimes detect.
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| Seitan |
Seitan is an amusing name right? Well, it is hardly the Devils' work. In fact, quite the opposite. I used to the think this was impossible to make as traditionally you have to extract the vita;-gluten out of strong-white flour by a complicated process of washing over and over a dough of flour and water in a bowl of cold water.
Anyway, I tried it and it didn't work that well for me. I have since seen others' do it and I would say you really, really, have to love Seitan to go the effort of doing this method to make it. Luckily, because I do like it quite a lot, I more recently discovered that you could buy the "Vital Wheat Gluten" in a flour form and just add water to it to make a dough. This makes it actually very easy to make and flavour how you want.
Seitan is not recomended to those gluten or wheat intolerant naturally. But , if you're not, it's great stuff. Again, a great source of protein and the most "meaty" tasting and texture; for those that have to admit they miss using a knife since becoming vegetarian and submitting to a spoon and soft-foods, this is as close as you come to eating meat again I hope.
This is the last in great protein meat-sub products. Sometimes known as TVP, Soya Protein is always on stand-by in our kitchen. I was wary about using it first of all due to not being sure how much it was processed. I still don't quite know, but I just think; how bad can soya beans be, really? I mean, what part of them is not good?
Now I use this stuff freely for making things like Meatballs or Chilli (Sin) Carne and I find that I feel fine eating it, whilst the texture is perfect for ground beef equivalent. You have to soak it first for about 20 minutes (stock or water), but then you only have to cook it for 5-10 minutes in a saute pan and it's good to go. I wouldn't be without it now.
Other Pantry Items we can't live without
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| Vegan Mayonnaise - Egg Free! |
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| Miso |
Miso is a fermented soyabean that has been left two years in some sealed bucket in Japan. It's great stuff. Comes in lots of different flavours which differ tremendously in taste and usage. I would recommend Aka/white Miso when using it in vegan tricks like extra flavouring for "tofu-cheese", but if you want to do Asian or something where you actually want the taste of miso to come through, you need a darker one. Try them all and see which one takes your fancy. Very good for the good-bacteria of the gut, this stuff.
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| Tahini - sesame paste |
Tahini I always joke if I had to pick two things to live on it would be tahini and probably the second apples. But, to be honest, I would be fine with just the tahini and a spoon. Sesame paste traditionally used in middle-eastern cuisine, get their one, not the one that is made by Health-Food companies now. That might be marginally healthier, I don't know, but ity's just not tahini at all. I don't know what they are doing to the sesame to make what I call "proper" tahini, but if you try it at home it turns out like the health-food-one I mention, and just does-not-work.
Nutritional yeast flakes. Never thought such an unattractive name would yield such a gem of an ingredient. Think mac n' cheese. Then think after affects. The last time I craved for this and made it for us it wasn't worth the kind of stodgy feeling I was left with for the rest of the day. Well, not to worry; this is where yeast flakes come to the rescue, solving the problem of guilt-free cheese sauce you can eat as much of as you want everyday if you fancy.
It's hard to say exactly what they do, but when combined with a nut or nut butter they just make a fantastic tasting creation which you would just imagine is a lot richer than these innocent little flakes which are actually very good for you to apparently.
