Non vegan mom of vegan daughter
My 23 year old daughter is renting a room from me while she waits for her new home to go through escrow. (renting out old house)
She's been vegan for about 4 years now and has a pretty good handle on it..meaning, she's managing to get enough protein and vitamins. I raised her on meat and she has some issues with anemia so I worried about that at first.
Anyway, I like meat and my food seasoned savory..but things like soy milk are sort of sweet.
I'm here to try to figure out how to incorporate my regular cooking and her needs and wants, so we can all sit down and eat together once in a while.
I did find some ideas on here before I joined and made a savory cream of potato and mushroom soup last night.
I used corriander, ginger and garlic in the soup to balance the sweetness of the soy milk and margarine.
It's good and she liked it. But it was a big guess.
Baking is another issue for me..I bake alot..but the only vegan sweets I've been successful at has been those button type of cookies where you press them down and put jelly in the middle..cause things don't rise right..or they're too heavy and hard to eat.
I have trouble figuring out how to substitute eggs, without buying that egg replacer...it's expensive..applesauce doesn't fit in every recipe.
Oh and the big thing is...I'm sensitive to soy, allergy, I can eat a little bit, but if I get" loaded up" I break out...so I can eat it in small amounts..but I can't eat tofu. (I love tofu)
So, I might jump in here now and then to get ideas for substitutions.
I'm glad I found this page. ;)
well as for the soymilk, have you tried unsweetened soy milk? or almond milk (thats my new favorite)?
for eggs in baking, i usually dont replace them at all. i just make the recipe without them and if the dough is too dry, i'll either add water or whatever non-dairy milk i have. my favorite cookie recipe from here is Chocolate Chip Cookies Like they Should Be: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=12657.0
really, vegan baking is the easiest thing ever. are you using whole-wheat flour? maybe that's contributing to things being "heavy".
I second veganhippie; I've been vegan all my life (I'm also 23) and have never used any of that expensive egg substitute. I also just omit it, or I'll use olive oil or applesauce if it'll work fine in the recipe. Some other members here know of other egg substitutes, so maybe they can help you out.
I think it's awesome you are doing this for your daughter; even if you don't go vegan, you are doing such a noble and loving thing. There are a ton of recipes on here veggies and omnis can enjoy together, so I'm sure you'll be able to find a good dinner plan when you have a sit down meal together. Welcome to the community!
It's really great to see that you're so supportive and willing to make changes for your daughter!
I haven't found vegan baking to be problematic at all. Here are some recipes that I (and others) have loved:
Lisa's Chocolate Cake
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Carrots and Nothing Else Cake
Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Nut Cookies
Well, eggs add air and act as a binding agent, so I didn't think you could just omit it..I'll try whipping olive oil, it's light enough and should hold air, good idea.
veganhippie: I do use plain soy milk..have never bought flavored (I buy plain)..it's still on the sweet side compared to dairy. I love almond milk..still a little sweet, though not as sweet as soy and daughter brought whole wheat flour into the house when she moved in..but I haven't used it yet.
she also brought some self rising baking flour, maybe I'll try that.
thanks for the recipes, I'll try them.
I've been buy soy milk for a long time now. I don't drink milk plain...lactose intolerant...and both girls prefer soy. I sometimes buy half and half for other daughter..but there's no need to buy plain milk.
I'm thrilled she liked the soup..she flew in and out tonight to go see bf..and took some with her for him, she converted him (a meat and potatoes man) about a year ago.
Thanks for the kind comments...nothing noble, just a mom thing...she works hard, doesn't really get time to eat fresh food and buys a lot of quick stuff..even if it's organic and vegan, it's still not as good as a freshly prepared meal, plus it's expensive.
I don't get to do stuff for her anymore, so I have to find things..empty nest syndrome. ;D
Oh, and I'll try those recipes, just the titles sound yummy.
wow it's so awesome you are being so supportive! here is a great link on vegan egg replacer ideas: http://www.theppk.com/veganbaking.html Also with the soy milk and other non dairy milk you may be buying "plain" but try finding "unsweetened plain" you should be able to find many varieties (rice, soy, almond) where they have the unrefrigerated non dairy milk products... There are a lot of simple recipes here that use standard ingredients so just search around or if you have a particular dish in mind let us know so we can try to find a recipe that fits both your needs :)
Thanks amymylove..we do have a Whole Foods Market here, I'll check. I like the idea of non refrigerated foods..I can stock up. (another mom thing) ;)
here is a great link on vegan egg replacer ideas: http://www.theppk.com/veganbaking.html
Dude! and here -> Egg Substitutes
I talked to a chef about eggs in baking and was told they're more added insurance than necessary in most cases.
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Almond Breeze unsweetened original almond milk rules the school.
http://www.bulknuts4you.com/PDGImages/AA2322.jpg
You could also whirl some water and cashews in a blender to make a milk if you're making something like a creamy soup.
Nice to meet you! Welcome!
I agree about the sweetness of soy milk. I always buy the unsweetened versions of milks, but most often the almond milk posted above and like that fine for cereals. I don't like a lot of creamy dishes so I don't cook with it often.
All the best!
First off, try the happy vegan chocolate chip cookies. My non-vegan friends loved them and eat them all when I make them :)>>> That really great that your helping your daughter. My mom and I became vegan together and my little bro is still vegetarian. :) best of luck to you!
Almond Breeze unsweetened original almond milk rules the school.
http://www.bulknuts4you.com/PDGImages/AA2322.jpg
LOOOOOOVE this. I go through boxes and boxes of it. When it's on sale I fill up my cart with them!
I'll try to help too! If you have a blender and cheese cloth, you can make your own milks. I think it's one part beans or nuts to two parts water but I'd look it up just in case. Have you ever tried seitan? It's like tofu except that it's wheat meat and it's not all loogey-like like tofu. You couldn't pay me to eat that stuff as a child! It's easy to work with too! I made a veggie cheesesteak sandwich just to prove my carnivore friend wrong. Broccoli and any other leafy vegetable has iron and I think kidney beans too mmm kidney beans! Oh and you're probably going to hear about or be concerned with b12, most cereals have it these days but people still argue it and it is true that in the old days b12 came from animal sources but now you can get it off of a bacteria (eww). My biological family is vegetarian while my adoptive family isn't so it was kinda hard for me (especially since the adoptive parentals couldn't cook so they ate out a lot). One of my hobbies is to veganize (aka Dirkanize) american dishes . Maybe you'll have fun doing that too
Hi! I think it's awesome that you're supportive of your daughter's eating habits, though they differ from your own... there's so much to eat, in the world, I just bet there are a good several foods that the two of you could enjoy together!
For baking, to me the bombdiggity egg replacer is this one: http://www.veganbaking.net/vegan-recipes/eggless-binders/eggless-binder-powder.html. Works way better than the prepackaged stuff... Arrowroot powder can be a little expensive (about 2-3x the price of cornstarch), but xanthan gum & baking powder are cheap; you can order all these ingredients online, if you can't find them locally... and this recipe makes a TON & lasts forever-- I usually cut it the recipe in half, and it still fills up a standard Bell jar.
I agree with the 'unsweetened almond milk' recommendation, for cooking. Raw cashews blended with roasted red bells & a little water makes a delicious creamy sauce base, then you can season it however you like (basil/ garlic or ginger/ curry are my favorite versions)... red lentils or butternut squash can also be cooked until soft, then blended with water or almond/ coconut milk to make a creamy sauce of great deliciousness.
For desserts, my uber-favorites are:
Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6433.0
Chewy Gooey Brownies http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=30682.0
& Fudge Balls http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6561.0 (these are ridiculously, dangerously, unreasonably good! fair warning!)
... I don't really do a lot of cookies, so defer to others' advice there...
Hope that's helpful! feel free to ask specific recipe questions as you go... the 'Dine & Dish' forum is a great place for such things. Shout for help as needed! Sounds like you're off to a good start, with veg-friendly cooking!
:)