thefourthvine | Help me, vegans!

Help me, vegans!

Because of my baby's suspected dairy allergy, I have joined the ranks of the more-or-less vegan. (I can actually still eat eggs, but they aren't a huge part of my diet anyway.) And, see, I've been a vegetarian since I was ten. I know how to be a vegetarian! It doesn't require thought or effort! Whereas this veganism thing is very new and very, very hard.

Normally I'd just hit Google and research the shit out of this. But, well, I have a four-month-old baby. I don't have time to make out with Google the way I used to. So I am hoping to use the friends list shortcut - that there are vegans on my friends list who might have advice for me. Or, I guess, people on my friends list who aren't vegan but just love to Google.

Basically, here's what I need to know:

What are the basics of a vegan pantry? What are the special things that vegans keep around all the time, that make cooking or meals easier?
What are really good vegan products?
What are some good vegan recipes? Right now I'm relying much too heavily on fake meat, and that is not how I like to cook or eat. At least, not this much. I might as well be a carnivore! So - recipes? I especially need ones for balanced meals that are super-fast or that I can make in a crockpot. Suggestions of cookbooks featuring these things would also be very welcome.

Help? Please? Anyone? I will take links or comments or just supportive pats. I am experiencing involuntary dietary change and it's very scary!

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I do a ton of vegan cooking without really trying to. Mostly I love pastas with any combo of veggies/herbs/olive oil/garlic, pesto sauce being at the top of the list. You can easily make it without any parmesan.

Beans are the other biggie, of course, which as a vegetarian I'm assuming you already know how to cook. One of the best ways to replace the calcium from dairy in your diet is with dark green leafy vegetables. Since you love veggies, I'm sure you'll excel at this, but the thing about both beans and pasta is that they play really nicely with kale and spinach and chard and so on.

Pasta with Broccoli and Chili Flakes

While water is coming to the boil for pasta, briefly steam or blanch two cups of broccoli broken into small florets. Drain and immerse in cold water to stop cooking. Drain again.

When the water boils and you add the pasta, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat, add a clove of chopped garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. When garlic begins to soften, add the broccoli and salt to taste. Sauté slowly until the pasta is done. Drain the pasta and toss with the broccoli, adding more salt or olive oil if needed, and a grind of black pepper if you like it.

I have more recipes if you like! Just let me know.

I rec The Farm Vegetarian Cookbook. It's vegan, despite the name.

And if you haven't explored the wonders of tofu, I'd start there. My kids like eating cubes of plain, very firm uncooked tofu, which they were introduced to from babyhood on. Trader Joes has excellent very firm tofu.

Ouch. Rattlecatcher told me your pediatrician story, and I just wanted to comment to say, "BTDT." My (now-17-year-old) son would not take a bottle for love nor money. It was kind of hilarious. Babies are smarter than a lot of people give them credit for being. *g*

We were vegetarian for much of my son's baby hood and the things I learned to keep on hand were TVP "granules" - reconstituted in water, they at least added chewy texture to chili - and different kinds of tofu, esp. extra firm, which can be chopped and sauteed, or marinated in soy sauce and chopped and sauteed for quick stir fries with zucchini/yellow squash, fresh tomatoes, and asparagus (or whatever other vegetables you fancy).

since this isn't my cup of tea, i will stick with the supportive pats and careful ::hugs::. (i'm being careful of the baby - don't want to squish our new lord and master!)

-bs

First off *hug*. Not Vegan or even Vegetarian myself (though I've been slowly cutting meat out of my diet) but I will happily do research for ya. :)

Skimming through I see someone else has mentioned the B12 thing. A supplement may be the best bet. I'm not a doctor - you may want to ask one.

Milk substitutes: I'm partial to almond milk over soy - haven't tried baking with it yet but for cereal and drinking straight up, that's definitely my preference. A couple brands are a little gritty, so something to check. You can also make your own. I do occasionally drink unsweetened soy milk in tea but I keep running into articles about thyroid problems with too much soy - something else to ask a doctor about. Though everything seems to have soy-based emulsifiers in it these days. Rice milk tends to be too sweet for me, though I've worked it into smoothies. Have yet to try Oat or Hemp milk.

Tried Quinoa recently - yum! Good non-dairy source of calcium (and a whole bunch of other stuff).
Other Non-dairy sources:
http://www.ellenskitchen.com/faqs/calcium.html

Do you like Indian food? I know a lot of vegan Indian recipes. My favorite veggie burgers can be made with vegan mayo, lemme see if I can dig that up...

http://www.theppk.com/recipes/ <= I've made some of the desserts from that site and they've all been pretty good.

You might check out the Whole Foods recipes site's vegan recipes (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/search-results.php?specialDietTypeId=3) -- I have the Whole Foods Cookbook, and I've been happy with everything I've cooked from it, although it's a mix of vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous recipes. I haven't read it myself, but Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker (http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Vegetarian-Slow-Cooker-Recipes/dp/1558322566/ref=pd_cp_b_0?pf_rd_p=413864201&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1570671710&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1WD670AK9DMJBT1T6VWN) gets good reviews on Amazon, and provides vegan alternatives for all the recipes that include dairy.

ETA: I've also liked Amy’s Organic Meatless Breakfast Patties -- they're marketed as a sausage replacement, but they're mushroom and wheat-based rather than soy-based, and taste like spicy vegetables rather than like soy "meat."

1. I'm a foodie, so what I generally keep around is much different than what other people keep but here's what I always have on hand:

grains/seeds: quinoa, millet, basmati rice, brown rice, arborio rice
pasta: something italian (e.g. penne) and japanese (e.g. soba)
beans: I will keep a couple cans of black beans and chickpeas at all times, and have dried chickpeas, black beans, mung beans, etc. around for when I have more time.
Other canned/jarred: canned crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, sundried tomatoes in oil, capers, lemon juice, lime juice, soy sauce, ketchup, Earth Balance margarine, bullion cubes, maple syrup, agave nectar
nut butters:peanut, almond, cashew
nuts/seeds:pine nuts, almonds, cashews, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds (white and black)
oils: olive, sunflower, peanut, toasted sesame, sesame
soy stuff: (I actually don't keep this stuff on hand unless I'm making something specific, however I know a lot of people like soy) tempeh, tofu (silken and chinese style firm), soy milk, soy yogurt, Vegenaise (this is the best commercial vegan mayo out there)
baking stuff: chocolate chips, white flour, whole wheat flour, dorn flour, spelt flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda.
spices: a lot

With the above and fresh veggies I find that I can make anything. (Although of course I also have things on hand like pomegranate molasses and raw cocoa and mirin and various vinegars (apple cider, rice, white, red, etc.), seaweed, liquid smoke)

Everyone mentioned fat free vegan already... I also suggest Vegan Yum Yum (http://www.veganyumyum.com), Vegan Lunchbox (http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/), Post Punk Kitchen (http://www.theppk.com), and Kittee's site (http://www.pakupaku.info/). There's Veg Web (http://www.vegweb.com), of course, however if you don't know stuff you can be lead astray here!

Oh also check out this post (http://urbanvegan.blogspot.com/2007/07/summer-express-101-simple-vegan-meals.html) from Urban Vegan about 101easy vegan meals.

Cookbooks recommendations: Veganomicon, Vegan with a Vengeance (good french toast recipe, bad pancake recipe), How it all Vegan, Get it Ripe, Vegan Lunchbox... One that I haven't tried that looks good for you is Quick Fix Vegetarian (which is actually all vegan). This (http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Meals-People-Go-Recipes/dp/1561708437/ref=pd_cp_b_1?pf_rd_p=413864201&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0740763741&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1ZWZV1T8FQEX7QW9BY6Q), this (http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Vegetarian-Slow-Cooker-Recipes/dp/1558322566/ref=pd_cp_b_2?pf_rd_p=413864201&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0740763741&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1ZWZV1T8FQEX7QW9BY6Q), and this (http://www.amazon.com/New-Becoming-Vegetarian-Essential-Healthy/dp/1570671443/ref=pd_cp_b_3?pf_rd_p=413864201&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0740763741&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1ZWZV1T8FQEX7QW9BY6Q) also seem to be good fits for you.

Mostly my quick meals involve some sort of grain/pasta, some beans, some sauteed or roasted veggies, and some sort of sauce.

I'd be happy to answer any questions. I've been at this for almost 12 years now!

Full disclosure: I am not vegan (or vegetarian). However, I have many vegan and vegetarian friends and they all love Viggo Red Beans and Rice (as do my carnivore friends - it tastes fantastic to everyone!) It's a dry beans/rice/seasoning mix that you can find in a lot of grocery stores next to the (not nearly as good) Zataran's and Mahatma mixes. (Red bag.) Best part? Cooks in less than thirty minutes and doesn't require anything other than a stirring at the beginning and the end. Enjoy!

I'm sure someone has said these higher up thread if you didn't already know them, but why not be repetive be repetitive?

The main things that come from animal-based products that aren't so easily available in plant products are protein, and to a lesser degree, fat. (Yes, fat is good for you (natural fats in moderation), especially when you're having high calorie requirement due to breatsfeeding.) Some vitaminerals too, but if you eat a variety of plant food and/or take a supplement, no worries.

Soy is the only plant food which is a complete protein all by itself. Besides the famous tofu, you can use soymilk, soyogurt, soy flour, and TVP crumbs (just mix in anything stewy) to add protein to your life. Or actual soybeans, which you can cook like any other dried beans in crock-pot stews. Most soy products also have useful amount of fat.

Next easiest way to get complete protein is grains+beans. Ideally in the same meal, but just during the same day will do. Thus: stew continaing both beans and rice, or containing beans and accompanied by bread. Or bean burritos, or bean nachos, or baked beans & corn-on-cob, or succotash, or bean-based patty 'burgers', or crackers/pita/corn chips & hummus, or falafel pita, or cuban black beans & rice, or lentil curry & rice, or pozole w/ beans, or whatever you think of.

Nuts are a source of complete protein, but they have more fat. Eat them too, in moderation.

For quick or unsupervised, I am a big fan of one-dish meals based on beans and assorted other stuff served over rice. Possibilities are almost infinite and can be adjusted to whatever you happen to have handy, or like the taste of--exact recipes not needed if you have a little cooking fu.

I'm guessing you've gotten this from others, but these are my basics:

1) Be careful of your complex B vitamins. Take a complex B vitamin every day.

2) nutritional yeast helps with the B vitamins and (I think) you can throw a handful into pretty much every savory dish you cook

3) vegetable broth makes life easier

4) I have a TON of vegan recipies - you can find them in my FOOD! (http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=belladonnalin&keyword=FOOD!&filter=all) memories and my food (http://belladonnalin.livejournal.com/tag/food!) tag (both 90% vegan).

5) I'm a big fan of stir-fry for a quick, healthy dinner. Chop up whatever you have, throw in some beans and garlic and ginger, add in some Braggs or tamari (I prefer Braggs because it's no-added sodium AND has lots of good-for nutrients - also a good addition to the vegan cabinet) and a little bit of vinegar and spices. Serve over rice, on top of a tortilla, or just in a pile on the plate.

Good vegan cookbooks? I like the Vegan Lunchbox (http://www.veganlunchbox.com/recipes.html) for online stuff. Simply Vegan (http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Vegan-Quick-Vegetarian-Meals/dp/0931411203) is okay, I quite like Vegan with a Vengeance (http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Vengeance-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes/dp/1569243581/ref=pd_sim_b_3/102-2485155-9019326) and Vegan Lunch Box (http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Lunch-Box-Jennifer-McCann/dp/0977821803/ref=pd_sim_b_98) is good for fast, kid-friendly meals.

One of my favorite foods without milk or meat are Latkes. (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/POTATO-LATKES-104406) These are insanely delicious, but also quite a lot of work to make. You can also buy preprepared frozen latkes in the stores. They're nowhere near as good as homemade ones, but they're still a pretty good and convenient meal. I like them with applesauce.

Hi - I like the McDougals' cookbooks because they give you shopping lists and cooking tips that I haven't seen elsewhere... http://www.amazon.com/Mcdougall-Quick-Easy-Cookbook-Delicious/dp/0452276969/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
Good luck! I was a vegan for 2 years but fell off the wagon and have been trying to get back on for a while. The McDougal stuff kept me from living on potato chips for those two years.

you might enjoy reading

mollya.

http://yeahthatveganshit.blogspot.com/
http://www.urbanvegan.blogspot.com/
http://everybodylikessandwiches.blogspot.com/
http://www.veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/
http://whatdoiknow.typepad.com/recipes/
http://foodandspice.blogspot.com/
http://whatsforlunchhoney.blogspot.com/

I know nothing, so I'm sending pats and encouragement! I know you'll find the Ideal Solution!

Things I keep on hand:

Dried soy milk (basically soy flour and great for baking)
Cocoa (not hot chocolate, but just defatted chocolate; great for baking, and things like pudding, and for making hot chocolate when a craving hits)
Nutritional yeast (cheese substitute in things like mac and cheese)
basil oil (I used it mostly to drizzle on pizza instead of cheese or tomato sauce)
Anne's Goddess Dressing (to put on everything!); note: Anne's Green Goddess Dressing is not vegan
Tahini —often in the kosher section (I thin it down and use it in pasta usually; can be somewhat gassy until you get used to it)
Cans of chick peas (I mash them and put them in my lasagna instead of hamburger; also great curried with cauliflower)
Toasted Sesame seed oil — make sure it's toasted for the strongest flavour (for stir fries, but I also tend to pour it on nuked broccoli because yes, I like to add fat to my healthy veggies)
I also buy things like marinated artichoke hearts or peppers to put on pizza. You probably already stockpiles things like frozen veggies, firm tofu (for stir fries) and soft tofu for things like pudding and other desserts.

I have had great success with PostPunkKitchen (http://www.theppk.com/) too... All the food from them I've tried has been very, very yummy.

I've also heard on food blogs about Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker and had added it to my wishlist -- I don't know anything about the cookbook, or its quality, or how vegan-izable the recipes are, but it might be something to look into?

Hi. Google led me to your fanfic recommendations, I've found a few great fics here and I'm friending you so I remember to come back and look at the rest (and see any new ones). Hope that's okay.

Hey - here because of mutual friend _swallow. I don't know you or your reasons for being a vegetarian but I have almost nine years under my belt of being a vegetarian cook with a multi-allergic kid and my advice is ... be flexible.

If your baby is four months old, you are just getting to the point when his or her milk needs are increasing a LOT. Get a lot of fat in your diet (I ate a full pint of B+J every day when I was nursing a 6-7-8 month old and still lost weight) but you should avoid peanuts and maybe even tree nuts, the vegan's best friend for protein and fat.

I was a committed vegetarian but my son was allergic to dairy, soy and eggs (as well as peanuts, wheat and all other gluten grains and sesame) and even the hypoallergenic formula. So when I weaned him at 11 months I made him meat baby food. There just wasn't any other way to get enough nutrition into him. I did it until he was a toddler. We are at an extreme with all of his allergies. I'm not saying that you are going to have to feed your baby meat - but be prepared to think about it.

As I said, I've been doing this for 9 years so if you have any questions or just want to talk I'm at mollya@livejournal.com.

I just made Chinese kale stir-fry, first toasting tofu in garlic and ginger. It's obviously best if you marinate, but in a hurry as I was today, just adding the curry powder and soy sauce and, if need be, some veggie stock to prevent burning is fine. If you like it richer, add coconut milk*.

Super-fast dish, and v. healthy, obvs: the veggies don't really cook along; they steam.

* coconut milk IS a staple vegan ingredient; you can use it in lieu of cream. Works in every single dish I tried, but of course, you do have to like the taste.

Other stuff awesome and versatile would be lentils (I prefer small or split because they can then cook in 15 min.) and nuts, of course. As for starchier stuff, I like edible chestnuts, and I heartily recommend baby/mini potatoes, which don't just cook fast but are healthy and yummy at once. (Fair warning, am German, am genetically pre-disposed towards them.)

....Tofu? Rice? There's a delicious recipe of my mum's that I love to bits - get a box of silky tofu, steam it. Boil sesame oil and soy sauce together, chop in spring onion. When the tofu's steamed, pour the boiled sauce over, and mix with rice to it. Mmmmmm~

I suggest doing some research/talking to your doctor, because you need to determine if your baby is allergic to:
lactose (milk sugar)
casein (milk protein)

then talk to me. my mother is an expert in these things.

done that non-dairy thing. But I'm an omnivore, so I can't offer you anything but a poor baby! and a fact. At around six months of age, babies go through a serious intestinal change which lets them handle more foods. You may get to return to your milky ways then. When my son did this change, he didn't poop for nearly a week - and I'd just read about that, so I knew not to panic.

My son is now 11.5 years old, and was breastfed for his first three years, until he got done and after I'd mostly stopped making much milk. One thing I'd advise if you don't do it is to clean his gums and teeth daily.

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Help me, vegans!

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<lj user=j00j>'s friend

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McDougals

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My favorite Veggie foodie blogs

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Things I keep on hand

late to the party, but...

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been there...