Vegan staples
Posted by dillybunny on Dec 15, 2007 · Member since Dec 2007 · 35 posts
I've made the decision to transition to a vegan diet after the first of the year. I've been lacto-ovo for the past four and am a little anxious about the change. I'm not the best cook in the world and I know that I need to a lot more planning. I've already starting making a recipe book but I'm hoping for some suggestions. What kind of stuff should I keep stocked and have on hand?
I'm also concerned about my cheese/salt addiction. Any suggestions?
my staples are pretty much like everyone else's:
grains (ie. rice, quinoa, cous cous (israeli is the best), barley)
fruits & berries (either frozen raspberries or blue berries. i also eat lots of apples, oranges, grape fruit, grapes, pine apple etc.)
baking goods (flour, sugar, agave, oats, whole wheat flour etc.)
bread (which i make in the bread maker once or twice a week)
seeds and nuts (pumpkin, sesame, flax seeds. cashews, almonds, pecans)
raisins
veggies (normally i have celery and carrots on hand for snacking and then buy produce based on what recipes i have planned for the week.)
plain, lite soy milk
beans (mostly canned for convenience) (black, garbanzo, kidney)
frozen veggies
potatoes
earth balance (which i put on everything)
teas (i love Yogi brand but also The Republic of Teas)
i also have a lot of herbs and spices that I rely on heavily for cooking stuff.
i love seeing people's pantry lists :)
Did anybody mention Nutritional Yeast?? I have learned to love nutritional yeast, as a topping mostly for just about anything. Take nutritional yeast, mix with melted Earth Balance butter, totally fattening, but so so good. Great toping for cabbage especially.
I love that someone mentioned spices! Many of vegan recipes are particularly daunting to me in the spice department. So much I have never heard of. :-\
I live in a pretty rural area and the closest grocery store with a natural food section is like an hour from here. There is a great co-op in Buffalo but it's even further. My plan is to stock my pantry with as much as I can so I don't have to make too many trips. All the suggestions have been great so far!!
Things I like to have on hand as a staple?
Onions
Garlic
Celery
Carrots
~With those basics you have a start for any recipe and can simply get whatever other produce is on sale / in the recipe you are planning.
Rice
Quinoa*
Mashed Potato Flakes
Pasta
~Again, you have the basics in your pantry and can throw together something simple and easy.
Nutritional Yeast*
Earth Balance Buttery Spread* (tub margarine)
Braggs Liquid Amino's* (or just soy sauce)
Apple Cider Vinegar*
Salt
Pepper
Agave* (I keep light & dark but its pricey!)
Earth Balance Shortening sticks*
BBQ Sauce
~I find that these things appear to be in recipes or dishes I use frequently.
Herbs & Spices:
Garlic
Onion
Thyme
Basil
Oregano
Chili Powder
Smoked Paprika
Cumin
Rosemary
Garam Masala
Tumeric
Saffron
Cinnamon
Vanilla
Sage
Bay leaves
Parsley
... My list goes on and on but then, my spice cupboard is full!
I find that most things can be found at regular stores. I have marked things that you may need a health food store with an asterisk.
Ooh, this is fun. I wanna list my spices & pulses & grains. :D
cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cassia, turmeric, coriander (whole and ground), cumin (whole and ground), fenugreek, chilli (flakes and ground), mustard seeds (black and yellow), garam masala, harissa mix, garlic flakes (do I count this among my spices? :P)
lentils ('mentils'! ;)), chickpeas, red kidney beans, haricot beans, lima beans, cannellini beans, black-eyed beans, jasmine rice (brown and white), arborio rice, sushi rice, pearl barley, burghul, quinoa (not really a grain, but...)
Hey, didja know that the quinoa plant is a cousin of the weed known as goosefoot or fat-hen? *giggles* Wiki told me. (I wonder if I'm the only person who finds this amusing.)
Just a note on the "cheese cravings"--or any food cravings for that matter. What I've found works for me is to look at the "essentials" in the food I'm craving. IE cheese = calcium and fat (which is why I make mac-n-cheese from scratch when I'm PMSing!) And then there's what I call the "mouth" cravings where I look at the textures/temps, sticking with the cheese example: cold/sliced or crumbly? warm/melty or firm?. When I had to go off of cheese, I fell into an even deeper romance with the avocado, but also (since my body was craving calcium) I had a new found fondness for spinach!! and THEN I discovered KALE!! This analysis come in handy for when I'm craving something but 1 can't afford it, or 2 I'm too lazy to make it/run to the store.
Sorry this just made me think of something that i think is really delicious: nutritional yeast ON avocado. You get the texture plus taste. delish.
Ok..I was totally addicted to cheese! I stopped eating it after I found out that traces of morphine/rocket fuel were found in it. Geez..I WONDER why we are addicted to cheese. I make the nutritional yeast cheese dip. IT IS TRUELLY AWESOME! The recipe for it is under cheesy enchiladas with cheese. :) I hope this helps. Also, some good staples to have around at all times are as follows:
Spoonable stevia
Agave Syrup
rice/grains
tofu (firm & extra firm) silken soft for dips and such
Morphine and rocket fuel!!! OMG!
Thankfully I really haven't been craving cheese these last few weeks. Avacados have been a great substitute.
Its the sweets that are killing me! I am dying for milk chocolate....
Terra Nostra makes a non-dairy "milk" chocolate with rice milk.....I've never tried it myself, but I KNOW I've seen it at Whole Foods. Also, do you like dark chocolate? A lot of dark chocolates are vegan, and some of them come in exciting "flavors," like the ones with nuts and raisins or dried berries or even chiles (my mom LOVES this one) added to them.
Also....hot chocolate made with soy milk? Vegan baked goods? Nondairy frozen desserts?
Good luck! :)
Just say no to vegan cheeses. They are all 100% yuk........
I always have
hummus (great on whole grain crackers when you're wanting cheese)
tofu, tempeh and seitan
salad fixins'
canned beans (many varieties)
canned tomatoes
veggie burgers (occasionally other things like now I have tofurkey slices, tofurkey keilbasa (sp?), and riblets)
whole grain breads
cerreals, oatmeals
soy milk and yogurt or Silk smoothies
brown rice and whole grain couscous always, and sometimes quinoa, kashi, bulgar wheat
I always have on hand for lunch emergencies when there aren't left overs a prepared meal like kashi, Amy's enchilda dinners,
Sorry this just made me think of something that i think is really delicious: nutritional yeast ON avocado. You get the texture plus taste. delish.
ok, weird, but intriguing. I think I might just try this...
:hrmm: I am seriously thinking about going vegan this year. Any suggestions for a mother of 3 with a junk food maniac for a husband? My baby son likes to eat more of my food than the food that I cook for the others. My hubbie says that the baby is a natural born veggie! ;)
So, are any of you cooking separate meals for yourself and your family? How do you juggle varied menus when things get hectic?
:hrmm: I am seriously thinking about going vegan this year. Any suggestions for a mother of 3 with a junk food maniac for a husband? My baby son likes to eat more of my food than the food that I cook for the others. My hubbie says that the baby is a natural born veggie! ;)
So, are any of you cooking separate meals for yourself and your family? How do you juggle varied menus when things get hectic?
Hi Mama2Veggie!
I recommend checking the 'Omni boyfriend' thread regarding making meals for all types. A brief recap: if you make something they like and can add their meat too, you only have to make one meal that they modify!
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