Archive for the ‘Fake Meat’ category
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class="post-1444 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-fake-meat category-grocery category-new-vegans tag-advice tag-grocery tag-new-vegans tag-questions tag-shopping">
June 27th, 2012
I get emails regularly asking from new vegans asking for advice. I recently received one and was asked for general advice as well as what I would tell a new vegan in regards to grocery shopping. Below is the reply I sent. I thought It would be good to get some input from the community as far as advice others would give. Add your advice to new vegans in the comments or if you’re a new vegan add your questions.
1. Learn to use fresh vegetables. Meat substitutes are fine for a
transitioning vegan/vegetarian but they can’t compare to the energy,
flavor and nutrition fresh vegetables and fruits provide.
2. Ignore those spouting the “protein myth” and trying to bring you
down. They’re just envious of your massive willpower! As vegans, we
pay more attention to our diets and how we eat and what we eat than
the typical meat eater. Guaranteed.
3. It’s about so much more than food. It’s about caring for all
creatures which deserve respect and quality of life.
Now in terms of food shopping:
Other than the fresh fruits and veggies, buy in bulk where feasible.
Buy bulk dry beans and prepare them on Sunday and use them throughout
the week. For example, cook two pounds of black beans on Sunday. Beans
and rice with tofu on Monday. Black bean burgers on Tuesday. Black
bean soup on Thursday. Cook Garbanzo beans on Sunday. Hummus Monday.
African stew on Tuesday. You get the idea.
You’ll be tempted to try the vegan cheeses. I’ll classify them with
the fake meats. They’re processed. While healthier than dairy cheese
(by far!) they’re still unhealthy to consume regularly. Many
non-vegans will snarl their noses at the mention of vegan cheese. Some
really are bad. Some really are good. Daiya, for instance, is a very
good vegan cheese. Still not the healthiest indulgence but great
occasionally on pizza or enchiladas.
Non-dairy milks are very good. You’ll find the one you like by trying
them all. I have tried everything out there from soy to almond and
rice to flax and go back to soy every time. Oh, on the soy subject.
That thing you’ll hear about soy being bad and giving men breasts.
Hogwash. I stand here as proof of that being bunk. Propaganda of the
dairy council.
A few tidbits:
Earth Balance is a great to cook with wherever butter is needed or desired.
You’ll find eggs really are useless in many recipes and where you do
need a binder applesauce, soy yogurt and banana work better than egg
(with zero cholesterol!) and if you need a full-fledged egg replacer
Bob’s Red Mill makes a great one.
Honey is NOT vegan.
Learn to read labels. If you don’t know what an ingredient is, look it up.
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class="post-1331 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-barbecue category-bbq category-cooking category-fake-meat category-food category-food-cart category-homegrown-smoker category-portland category-reviews category-vegan-products tag-barbecue tag-bbq tag-butler-soy-curls tag-fake-meat tag-faux-meat tag-food tag-reviews tag-sandwich">
If you’ve been to Portland you’ll find plenty vegan food and you’ll also likely experience a thing called soy curls. They’re found everywhere from Homegrown Smoker to Native Bowl. Nothing more than dried soybean protein they have a chewy texture and, like tofu, Butler Soy Curls can take on the flavor properties of whatever you season them with. So when given a few bags of these versatile goodies I brainstormed on what I should prepare first. The obvious choice was a simple barbecue sandwich.
I’m no fan of meat substitutes and I’ve made that clear before. I do, however, realize that fake meats have their place for transitioning vegetarians and the occasional vegan who likes the chance of getting with some junk food. I’ll indulge in junk food from time to time and sometimes one of those fake meats might be what I choose if it’s new or really doesn’t have exact properties of actual meat.
I chose to make saucy barbecue sandwiches using some of the peach BBQ sauce I made and bottled over the summer. Instead of simply soaking the curls for a few minutes as the directions indicated I simmered them in a mixture of broth, seasonings and a little of the peach BBQ sauce for about 15 minutes until most of the liquid had boiled away leaving the soy curls well-flavored before I added them to a saucepan of peach BBQ sauce. I turned them down on low and simmered them again for about 30 minutes. Fresh baked buns awaited great vegan barbecue sandwich.
Butler Soy Curls hydrated. At this point they have a slightly chewy texture and are ready for your recipe.
Butler Soy Curls simmering in homemade Peach BBQ Sauce. Getting ready for a great vegan BBQ sandwich.
Vegan BBQ Sandwich with Butler Soy Curls
The soy curls are slightly chewy and have no flavor on their own so they can be made to fit into most any dish you choose. They’re great for stir fries, sandwiches, fajitas and could be chopped slightly smaller and used in soups or stews.
Butler Soy Curls are available from their website as well as many online retailers.
