Going vegan is easier than ever

When I became vegan over 12 years ago, there weren’t many options available to vegans in grocery stores. You could only get soy milk at health food stores and there were only a handful of companies even making it. There weren’t many meat substitutes either, mostly tofu and TVP, which would have to be soaked in water and re-hydrated before you used it. These days however, you can get soy milk, vegan cheese, vegan yogurt, vegan chicken breasts and burgers, and so much more at your local grocery store.




Companies are starting to recognize that there are more and more people who are opting to live a cruelty free life by going vegan, and are producing products to meet their needs. These days being vegan doesn’t mean just living off tofu and vegetables. You can have all sorts of foods that are not only tasty but also contain no animal ingredients.

There are many companies that produce only vegetarian and vegan products, however, there are a lot of mainstream companies that are now also adding vegan products to their existing line of products. You can now find vegan versions of all your old favorites like burgers, hot dogs, chicken breasts and nuggets, ground beef, pizza, cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream and so much more.

Not only are companies taking notice, but restaurants are also starting to realize that their clientele want more vegan options. Some restaurants have entire sections devoted to vegetarian selections and many restaurants are eager to accommodate you if you call ahead and let them know you’re vegan. I have had some of the most amazing food at non vegan restaurants simply by calling in advance so that the chef can prepare accordingly. They are often only too happy to make something special since they usually make the same things day after day. One chef told me he loved the challenge of cooking for vegans because it gave him a chance to try out new things.

Everywhere you look more and more stuff is being made vegan. More shoes and clothes are being made from natural fibers and synthetic leathers. Designers are opting to use faux fur and pleather instead of the real thing. Even high end car companies are offering fake leather and micro-suede instead of real leather for the seats. And as more people take on a vegan lifestyle, more companies will be forced to make cruelty free, vegan products to keep up with the demand.

8 sumptuous vegan substitutes

There are many vegan dishes that can be substituted for meat dishes. Some people are inclined to switch to vegan cooking for a change in lifestyle and some for a healthier way of life. The fact is that vegan cooking is much healthier than meat dishes, and there is no reference to the morals of vegans here, we refer to the ingredients of meat dishes that are packed with fats and calories that lead to very unhealthy lifestyles.

1. For those who are looking for a meat substitute in their diet. Plant meat is a good substitute for meat in any diet. Vegetable burgers are a good change over from ham burgers.

2. Tofu is another great choice for protein rich food. There are two choices - water filled tofu or silken tofu. Made from Soya beans, tofu is a very healthy, non-fattening food and a good choice for those in a weight loss program. Tofu is a great ingredient for any vegan dish because it quickly absorbs flavors and is great with any sauce, and if cooked well it could pass off as a meat dish.

There are many ways to cook tofu. You could choose to fry it, grill it, saute it or bake it. All this can be done with firm tofu. Silken tofu is great with creamy sauces, dressings and desserts. When preparing tofu you should ensure that you squeeze all the water out of it. You could do this by placing it in a cloth and placing it under a heavy object for 30 minutes.

3. Another good replacement for meat in vegan cooking is Tempeh. Made from fermented whole Soya bean, it should be braised in a flavored liquid for at least 60 minutes prior to cooking. Once the braising process is over the Tempeh can be thrown around in flour or cornmeal before being lightly fried and served with sauce.

4.If you are looking for a substitute for chicken in your diet you could give Seitan  a try.

5. Even wheat gluten is a great choice as a chicken replacement. However, nothing can be as great a protein substitute as Soya bean products.

6. Milk or Soy, rice or nuts can replace cow's milk in any recipe. The good part of these milks is that they come in many flavors.

7. As for a substitute of cheese there is a branded product called Tofutti, Many Vegan cheeses such as mozzarella, Monterey jack and cheddar that contain casein - milk derivate, for yogurt substitutes there are a variety of yogurts made from Soya milk and whole Soya.

8. People with a quest to replace eggs in their diet, tofu is a very good replacement for egg products such as quiches, egg salad, custard and scrambled eggs. One quarter tea cup of plain tofu well pureed could have any egg eater fooled.

Are You Sure That Vegan ? Review

Are You Sure That's Vegan? is a vegan cookbook produced by Claire Gosse. I have had an early copy for awhile and have been testing out some of it's recipes. I want to let everyone know if these desserts taste like cardboard you will hear about it!

The first think you will notice about this book is the high quality images of the desserts. I love this. When you are making desserts for a party or BBQ, you want them to have that WOW factor. When you have such high quality images you can tell which desserts will have people drooling as soon as they seem them.

I guess another thing you have to make sure is the book is completely Vegan. This might seem ridiculous since Vegan is right in the title, but you would be surprised what you find in some of these other "vegan" cookbooks. If they are calling for butter or eggs, then obviously the cookbook is worthless. Every ingredient in here is vegan, so that is a great start.a

Images are great, everything is Vegan and the instructions are simple, clear and easy to follow. What else does a cookbook need? Well there is one thing I think any vegan cookbook review should include: What does the food taste like? Well I tried three recipes:

Peanut Butter Cups - These were super simple to make and tasted amazing. There is no way you would know these were vegan. The use of dark chocolate give these a much better and more mature taste than their store bought counterparts.

Pecan Pie - Another great recipe. I love how easy these are to follow so far. Very clear instructions, especially for a guy who has never made any kind of pie. This was also dynamite tasting - I shared this with many of my friends and they had no idea it was vegan. A couple people don't believe me to this day. This one will soothe any sweet tooth.

Key Lime Cheesecake - This was the big test to me...Vegan cheesecake...impossible! Well my biggest doubt was also my greatest success. I was once again able to follow the instructions and I produced what I am proud to call my best dessert ever. I could not stop eating this - the lime just made it so fresh tasting! it was decadent but the citrus notes added a lightness. People in my family went nuts for this. I still get requests for it.

I think Claire knocked this cookbook out of the park. So many Vegan cookbooks just have a real health food granola feel. Nothing wrong with that of course, but Are You Sure That's Vegan? proves that Vegan doesn't always have to be like that. Vegan desserts can be every bit as decadent, delicious...and naughty as traditional ones. Click Here!  To Check it out!