4 ms·

Something I’ve noticed about being vegan is the way the meals change. In a lot of American meat based meals, the meat is the center piece and everything else is

Something I’ve noticed about being vegan is the way the meals change. In a lot of American meat based meals, the meat is the center piece and everything else is peripheral. In a well made vegan meal, there is often no specific center piece. Instead, you get a multitude of flavors that all work together in complex ways. It can be really wonderful. I’d encourage anyone who eats meat every day to consider experimenting with periodic meat free days. I used to eat meat almost every meal but I’ve now quit entirely. I almost never eat meat substitutes but instead eat meals with a mixture of foods that all work together. It’s really lovely!

colordrops 4y ago
Totally agree. I find that I eat more mindfully and appreciate various ingredients and flavors to a greater degree.
typest 4y ago
Any cookbooks or recipes you recommend? How does one figure out which different pieces of the meal go together well?
- TaylorAlexander 4y ago
  This is a good question, but I don't work well with cookbooks. They tend to sit on my shelf closed. I learned by experimentation. I do know of one cookbook because I heard an interview with the author on the radio, called "Decolonize your diet" about traditional indigenous recipes from Mexico before the Spanish arrived and made everything about meat. The authors deserve support but for the curious it is also on library genesis. But I do a combination of looking online at vegan recipes and experimenting with stuff on my own. I make a lentil sweet potato curry that is really filling and delicious. Here is my recipe copied from a tweet I made about it: Large onion, chopped. ‘Sautee’ in water until partially clear. Add minced garlic and ginger paste. Sauté 2 more mins. Add curry powder, turmeric, any other spices, salt, pepper. Add can chopped tomatoes, 2-3 cups oat milk, 1.5 cup washed lentils, Add chopped large sweet potato, add a can of garbanzo beans, add a small can of chopped mushrooms (drained). Serve with brown rice. Can add raisins and nutritional yeast. Can get a sweet crunch adding candied nuts. I also find this lecture helpful for thinking about foods to experiment with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpRrD58Ah3Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpRrD58Ah3Q You can also look for vegan or vegetarian restaurants in your area and try them, see what you like, and try to work with those foods. And look for different cultures like Indian food that focus on more vegetarian meals. Bon appetit!
  - JoeyJoJoJr 4y ago
    Your recipe sound very similar to one of my favourites. https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-soups-stews/lentil-chard-sweet-potato-curry/ https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-soups-stews/le...
    - TaylorAlexander 4y ago
      Oh wow extremely similar! Thanks for sharing.
- boulos 4y ago
  I'm not Vegan, but I do own The Veganomicon from which I've liked several dishes (I don't have it handy, but there are some great chickpea dishes in there).
- 7speter 4y ago
  Falafel with either pitas and tzatziki (its what I use) or turmeric garlic rice: Falafel: https://youtu.be/2l9TyNV64Zo https://youtu.be/2l9TyNV64Zo Turmeric rice: https://youtu.be/tLiRpUmr8Cg https://youtu.be/tLiRpUmr8Cg
- arbitrary_name 4y ago
  Try Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi. He's known for complex, Middle eastern influenced cuisine, but this book has a lot of stripped down recipes that you can put together easily and quickly.
  - telesilla 4y ago
    +1 for Yotam, all his books are full of incredible flavour and easy to make at home.
- bolt7469 4y ago
  The Flavor Bible is an excellent book for pairing foods. They also have a vegetarian version.
- thraxil 4y ago
  Big fan of Dr. Michael Greger's "The How Not To Die Cookbook" and "The How Not To Diet Cookbook". His focus is much more on the health aspects and emphasize a balanced whole food plant-based diet. My partner got the latter because she wanted to lose some weight. I was skeptical but the recipes also happen to just be really good and not overly complicated or time-consuming. My only complaint is that he tends to go a bit light on the spices; if you like spicy food, don't be afraid to just double them. Otherwise, we really like "Isa Does it". Not quite as health focused, but overall tasty and simple. Then, I like "Dirty Vegan" by Matt Pritchard because you can't be healthy all the time.
unity1001 4y ago
> In a well made vegan meal, there is often no specific center piece. Instead, you get a multitude of flavors that all work together in complex ways Yep. That's what I have been finding out recently as well. The vegan 'meat alternatives' should be considered full-fledged dishes with their own excellent flavor themselves. Since its much easier to balance different flavors because the overriding flavor of the meat/protein is less in plant based protein.
- TurkishPoptart 4y ago
  None of the vegan 'meat alternatives' strike me as healthy though. It's all full of seed oils, corn/sugar, and soy protein. Meat is actually healthier.
garren 4y ago
I’m not a fan of meat substitutes like impossible or beyond, but tofu, seitan, and (occasionally) tempeh are awesome and easy to cook up. I agree with you that a vegan meal generally doesn’t have a centerpiece food item, and that the complexity of flavor more than makes up for it. The problem with meat substitutes and alternative meat dishes (i.e black bean or beet burgers, or tempeh “bacon”, etc.) is that no matter what, it’s not going to taste like what you’re expecting. I’m often happier eating vegan recipes that make no attempt to replace meat.
- JeremyNT 4y ago
  I agree. The issue once you actually stop eating meat isn't "find something that tastes and feels like meat," it's "find something with the protein content of meat." I need concentrated blocks of protein so I can eat something besides lentils and still hit my targets. I mostly eat plant based and tempeh, seitan, and tofu are great to keep my macros on point. I don't miss the "experience" of eating meat, but I do miss how cheap and easy it was to find a lot of protein. Now if I'm not eating home cooked meals, I mostly resign myself to supplementation with protein bars (like No Cow) or powder. Where the stuff like Impossible and Beyond helps me is when eating out. I'd rather at least have the option for a veggie burger than not having anything but a side salad or a Portobello sandwich. I've thought it strange that more fast food joints don't sell them.
  - TaylorAlexander 4y ago
    I have a vitamix blender and every day I make smoothies with carrots, oat milk, protein powder, PB2, ground flax seeds, and frozen fruit mix. Apart from that I really never think about protein. My understanding is that our meat-centric culture focuses too much on protein, and if you eat a good amount of veggies you will get a fair bit of protein as it is. But protein powder in a smoothie is great.
autoexec 4y ago
> I’d encourage anyone who eats meat every day to consider experimenting with periodic meat free days. I don't mind not having meat, but I'm not very good about eating vegetables. I'm a supertaster with a diet that learns towards childish. Most spices and bitter veggies are out, so it's difficult to find vegetarian or vegan dishes I can tolerate. All the vegans and vegetarians I know love these crazy spicy foods and I'm over here avoiding certain brands of gum and toothpaste because they're too much for me. Meat free days for me would likely end up being full of pasta, fruits, nuts, or even something like PB&J or French toast!
- swivelmaster 4y ago
  I've found that with sea salt, olive oil, garlic, and an air fryer, just about any vegetable can be made hot and delicious in 15 minutes or less.
- TaylorAlexander 4y ago
  It's a shame people are downvoting you. I'm not here to tell everyone they have to be vegan. I think if you were raised in a vegan-friendly culture, you probably would have found foods you enjoy. And perhaps you could still do that now. But something I've learned is that some people I know were vegan for years and ultimately felt like their body couldn't really deal with it, and they had to go back to eating meat, eggs, and dairy. Between a doctor, a nutritionist, and a chef, could they figure out what that person needed to stay vegan? I think the answer is probably yes, though I don't know for sure. But can we expect every person to be able to do all that while dealing with all the complexities of everything else life throws at us? No I don't think so. I do have a lot of moral qualms with animal agriculture, but it's not on every person raised in a meat-centric culture to solve. If more and more people try veganism, eventually we will all have an easier time converting. And I don't blame anyone in the here and now who isn't in a good place to do it.
  - autoexec 4y ago
    Animal agriculture bothers me too, so I'll keep trying new things and see if I can't expand my dietary horizons, but lab grown meat can't come fast enough. If fake meat gets as close to the real thing without cows as brave robot ice cream managed I think that'll be the end of the meat industry as we know it.
rdtwo 4y ago
It’s also why it’s really hard to go vegan. You can’t substitute 1 ingredient you need to abandon the way you cooked before and take a completely new approach to your meals
- TaylorAlexander 4y ago
  It's true, it was pretty hard for me to go vegan. Those who do go vegan though do help pave the way for others, as knowledge of good plant based foods spreads through our culture. And meat substitutes are fantastic for fledgling vegans!

colordrops 4y ago

Totally agree. I find that I eat more mindfully and appreciate various ingredients and flavors to a greater degree.

typest 4y ago

Any cookbooks or recipes you recommend? How does one figure out which different pieces of the meal go together well?

TaylorAlexander 4y ago
This is a good question, but I don't work well with cookbooks. They tend to sit on my shelf closed. I learned by experimentation. I do know of one cookbook because I heard an interview with the author on the radio, called "Decolonize your diet" about traditional indigenous recipes from Mexico before the Spanish arrived and made everything about meat. The authors deserve support but for the curious it is also on library genesis. But I do a combination of looking online at vegan recipes and experimenting with stuff on my own. I make a lentil sweet potato curry that is really filling and delicious. Here is my recipe copied from a tweet I made about it: Large onion, chopped. ‘Sautee’ in water until partially clear. Add minced garlic and ginger paste. Sauté 2 more mins. Add curry powder, turmeric, any other spices, salt, pepper. Add can chopped tomatoes, 2-3 cups oat milk, 1.5 cup washed lentils, Add chopped large sweet potato, add a can of garbanzo beans, add a small can of chopped mushrooms (drained). Serve with brown rice. Can add raisins and nutritional yeast. Can get a sweet crunch adding candied nuts. I also find this lecture helpful for thinking about foods to experiment with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpRrD58Ah3Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpRrD58Ah3Q You can also look for vegan or vegetarian restaurants in your area and try them, see what you like, and try to work with those foods. And look for different cultures like Indian food that focus on more vegetarian meals. Bon appetit!
- JoeyJoJoJr 4y ago
  Your recipe sound very similar to one of my favourites. https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-soups-stews/lentil-chard-sweet-potato-curry/ https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-soups-stews/le...
  - TaylorAlexander 4y ago
    Oh wow extremely similar! Thanks for sharing.
boulos 4y ago
I'm not Vegan, but I do own The Veganomicon from which I've liked several dishes (I don't have it handy, but there are some great chickpea dishes in there).
7speter 4y ago
Falafel with either pitas and tzatziki (its what I use) or turmeric garlic rice: Falafel: https://youtu.be/2l9TyNV64Zo https://youtu.be/2l9TyNV64Zo Turmeric rice: https://youtu.be/tLiRpUmr8Cg https://youtu.be/tLiRpUmr8Cg
arbitrary_name 4y ago
Try Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi. He's known for complex, Middle eastern influenced cuisine, but this book has a lot of stripped down recipes that you can put together easily and quickly.
- telesilla 4y ago
  +1 for Yotam, all his books are full of incredible flavour and easy to make at home.
bolt7469 4y ago
The Flavor Bible is an excellent book for pairing foods. They also have a vegetarian version.
thraxil 4y ago
Big fan of Dr. Michael Greger's "The How Not To Die Cookbook" and "The How Not To Diet Cookbook". His focus is much more on the health aspects and emphasize a balanced whole food plant-based diet. My partner got the latter because she wanted to lose some weight. I was skeptical but the recipes also happen to just be really good and not overly complicated or time-consuming. My only complaint is that he tends to go a bit light on the spices; if you like spicy food, don't be afraid to just double them. Otherwise, we really like "Isa Does it". Not quite as health focused, but overall tasty and simple. Then, I like "Dirty Vegan" by Matt Pritchard because you can't be healthy all the time.

unity1001 4y ago

> In a well made vegan meal, there is often no specific center piece. Instead, you get a multitude of flavors that all work together in complex ways Yep. That's what I have been finding out recently as well. The vegan 'meat alternatives' should be considered full-fledged dishes with their own excellent flavor themselves. Since its much easier to balance different flavors because the overriding flavor of the meat/protein is less in plant based protein.

TurkishPoptart 4y ago
None of the vegan 'meat alternatives' strike me as healthy though. It's all full of seed oils, corn/sugar, and soy protein. Meat is actually healthier.

garren 4y ago

I’m not a fan of meat substitutes like impossible or beyond, but tofu, seitan, and (occasionally) tempeh are awesome and easy to cook up. I agree with you that a vegan meal generally doesn’t have a centerpiece food item, and that the complexity of flavor more than makes up for it. The problem with meat substitutes and alternative meat dishes (i.e black bean or beet burgers, or tempeh “bacon”, etc.) is that no matter what, it’s not going to taste like what you’re expecting. I’m often happier eating vegan recipes that make no attempt to replace meat.

JeremyNT 4y ago
I agree. The issue once you actually stop eating meat isn't "find something that tastes and feels like meat," it's "find something with the protein content of meat." I need concentrated blocks of protein so I can eat something besides lentils and still hit my targets. I mostly eat plant based and tempeh, seitan, and tofu are great to keep my macros on point. I don't miss the "experience" of eating meat, but I do miss how cheap and easy it was to find a lot of protein. Now if I'm not eating home cooked meals, I mostly resign myself to supplementation with protein bars (like No Cow) or powder. Where the stuff like Impossible and Beyond helps me is when eating out. I'd rather at least have the option for a veggie burger than not having anything but a side salad or a Portobello sandwich. I've thought it strange that more fast food joints don't sell them.
- TaylorAlexander 4y ago
  I have a vitamix blender and every day I make smoothies with carrots, oat milk, protein powder, PB2, ground flax seeds, and frozen fruit mix. Apart from that I really never think about protein. My understanding is that our meat-centric culture focuses too much on protein, and if you eat a good amount of veggies you will get a fair bit of protein as it is. But protein powder in a smoothie is great.

autoexec 4y ago

> I’d encourage anyone who eats meat every day to consider experimenting with periodic meat free days. I don't mind not having meat, but I'm not very good about eating vegetables. I'm a supertaster with a diet that learns towards childish. Most spices and bitter veggies are out, so it's difficult to find vegetarian or vegan dishes I can tolerate. All the vegans and vegetarians I know love these crazy spicy foods and I'm over here avoiding certain brands of gum and toothpaste because they're too much for me. Meat free days for me would likely end up being full of pasta, fruits, nuts, or even something like PB&J or French toast!

swivelmaster 4y ago
I've found that with sea salt, olive oil, garlic, and an air fryer, just about any vegetable can be made hot and delicious in 15 minutes or less.
TaylorAlexander 4y ago
It's a shame people are downvoting you. I'm not here to tell everyone they have to be vegan. I think if you were raised in a vegan-friendly culture, you probably would have found foods you enjoy. And perhaps you could still do that now. But something I've learned is that some people I know were vegan for years and ultimately felt like their body couldn't really deal with it, and they had to go back to eating meat, eggs, and dairy. Between a doctor, a nutritionist, and a chef, could they figure out what that person needed to stay vegan? I think the answer is probably yes, though I don't know for sure. But can we expect every person to be able to do all that while dealing with all the complexities of everything else life throws at us? No I don't think so. I do have a lot of moral qualms with animal agriculture, but it's not on every person raised in a meat-centric culture to solve. If more and more people try veganism, eventually we will all have an easier time converting. And I don't blame anyone in the here and now who isn't in a good place to do it.
- autoexec 4y ago
  Animal agriculture bothers me too, so I'll keep trying new things and see if I can't expand my dietary horizons, but lab grown meat can't come fast enough. If fake meat gets as close to the real thing without cows as brave robot ice cream managed I think that'll be the end of the meat industry as we know it.

rdtwo 4y ago

It’s also why it’s really hard to go vegan. You can’t substitute 1 ingredient you need to abandon the way you cooked before and take a completely new approach to your meals

TaylorAlexander 4y ago
It's true, it was pretty hard for me to go vegan. Those who do go vegan though do help pave the way for others, as knowledge of good plant based foods spreads through our culture. And meat substitutes are fantastic for fledgling vegans!