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27 Vegan recipes for newbies
I cannot define myself as a vegetarian or a vegan because I do eat meat, dairy and eggs on a regular basis. While I quite admire vegans, I’m afraid the idea of giving up French and Italian cheese, omelettes, chicken or a good striploin steak is not something I can see myself doing at this point in my life. That said, there are many days where I eat a fully vegetarian (or even vegan) diet because I’m in the mood to skip animal protein.
Before I continue, I should define veganism for those who aren’t clear: it’s a subset of vegetarianism where you consume no seafood, poultry, dairy, eggs or meat. By-products of animals are also off the list for vegans because they won’t eat whey, casein (the predominant phosphoprotein that accounts for nearly 80 per cent of proteins in cow milk and cheese), rennet (a natural complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest mother’s milk, often used in the production of cheese), gelatin or honey.
There are a number of people who become vegans by choice, who believe animal products and by-products are bad for you. Of course, if your parents were vegan, there is a likelihood you may adopt this diet, too.
I’m sure it must be quite a challenge for vegans to find tasty recipes to keep the culinary creativity machine churning 365 days a year, so I thought it was ingenious that Epicurious had collected a number of recipes to help vegan readers. For vegans and non-vegans alike, these recipes can help you integrate meatless meals in your diet. Epicurious also invited Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, author of The Vegan Table, to talk about what it means to be vegan.
I prepare numerous meatless recipes all the time and they are delicious! I think the secret behind tasty meatless dishes is really to play up the flavour factor. By that, I mean don’t be shy in adding fresh herbs (dried ones add a lot of flavour as well), garlic, chilli, onions or Fleur de Sel (French coarse salt used to top dishes, meats and salads) to your dishes!
>>>> Here are a few of the vegan recipes from Epicurious that I particularly liked:
>>> Vegan breakfast recipes:
Moby’s Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
>>> Vegan main dish recipes:
Jerusalem Chickpea Sandwich Filling
Spaghetti with Olive and Pine Nut Salsa
Spicy Two-Bean Vegetarian Chili
>>> Vegan appetizers and side dish recipes:
Smoke-Roasted Rustic Root Vegetables
Roasted Cauliflower with Indian Barbecue Sauce
Bruschetta with Fava Beans, Greens, and Blood Oranges
Lentil Salad with Tomato and Dill
>>> Vegan dessert recipes:
Fresh Fruit Ice Trio: Lime, Watermelon & Pineapple
Lemon Pudding Filled Coconut Cupcakes with Shaved Coconut Topping
Chocolate Chip Cookies/Cookie Sandwiches
Orange and Kiwi Compote with Toasted Almonds
If you make any of these, I hope you come back and let me know how it was for you to give up eating animal protein for one meal or maybe one full day!
Photo by foodistablog
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September 28th, 2009 at 12:27
Hey! Great recipe ideas, thanks for posting. If you are looking for more meatless recipes and ideas check out MeatlessMonday.com. We highlight new recipes each week and we promote a healthy diet of moderation.
~VP
October 3rd, 2009 at 20:23
VP,
I love your site!
I’m a meat eater and I don’t pretend not to be, but I don’t eat larger portions of meat and I also ALWAYS have plenty of meatless dishes each week.
I think it’s a questions of having a nice balance and doing what’s right for your health goals.
Thanks for dropping by!