Day Six - Cooking without Eggs

Cooking with out eggs, especially for baking, can be tricky. Here are some tips for using your favorite recipes vegan-style.

1. Work out what you want your egg replacement to do. Do you want to replace a whole egg, or just the yolk or just the white? This will help determine what to use in place of the egg product. Eggs have different uses - sometimes they are used for binding, sometimes for leavening (making lighter/fluffier) or sometimes just for the taste. You should also try to be aware of which of these elements you are trying to replace.
2. Fruit makes an excellent replacement for eggs - try bananas, apple puree or any high pectin content fruit. Usually 1/4 cup of banana will replace 1 egg.
3. Tofu is fabulous as a replacement, as it will take on the flavour of whatever you are cooking it with. As a general rule, 1/4 cup of tofu will replace 1 egg. Whip or beat it before adding it to the recipe.
4. Grind 1 tbsp whole flaxseeds (or use 2 1/2 tbsp pre-ground flaxseed) and combine with 3 tablespoons of water to replace one egg. Make sure that the mixture has gelled before using it. Some people recommend simmering the two items together to thicken this mix.
5. For a replacement for just the egg white, mix 1 tbsp plain agar powder (available from health food stores/Chinese stores etc) with 1 tbsp water. Whip together, chill it and then whip it again.
6. Another egg replacement is 2 tbsp water mixed with 1 tbsp of oil and 2 tspn of baking powder. Mix together well before adding.
7. In savory recipes, such as a vegetarian loaf, try binding agents like mashed potato, tomato paste or rolled oats. These agents help to thicken and gel with the other ingredients. Also bread crumbs, cornmeal/flour, arrowroot and whole-wheat flour are good substitutions.
8. Apple sauce, canned pumpkin, mashed canned fruit of choice - all of these can be used as an egg replacement in baked goods. These will leave their own flavour of course, so be sure of the taste you want. Fruit can make the baked item heavier, so add a little baking powder if this concerns you. Try the blends of peach/apple; strawberry/apple etc for delicious muffins.
9. It is possible to make pancakes without eggs. In fact, any flat baked product that requires only 1 - 2 eggs can usually survive without an egg with no problems. The main thing is to substitute a little extra liquid ( 1 - 2 tbsp) to make up for the egg's removal. There are differing recipes (some just with flour, some with fruit such as mashed banana), so it is best to use a search engine to find a recipe you like. They do work, so try them out, just be sure the pan they are fried in is seasoned as you would with normal pancakes.
10. An egg sandwich? Yes! You can use tofu - use a search engine or a tofu/vegetarian cookbook for suggested recipes. It still tastes good, and curried tofu-egg sandwiches are a must.

Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Replace-Eggs-in-Your-Cooking

Day Five - Cravings

So I've gone five days with out meat or dairy. Yay me! And the craving have set in. My apartment smells like bacon, I see cheese everywhere, and the chocolate chip cookies on the counter are taunting me. I got to the stage where I just eat everything I see and hope it will satiate my needs. Nope. All I want is meat with cheese all over it. At least, I'm pretty sure that is what I want. Hopefully I will eat something that works. Until then, don't leave pets or small children in my path!

I went out to dinner with a group, and despite efforts to find something vegan, the restaurant was just too much a meat and potatoes place to have many options. The secret vegan items were soup and french fries. Oh well, the soup was good, and probably a good choice after a day of scavenging.

Day Four - It's not all fancy

Vegan Pancakes
1 c. Bisquick
1 c. Almond milk
1Tbs. Oil
1/2 Tbs. water
1/2 c. Blueberries (optional)

Mix all ingredients well, cook like normal pancakes. There are lot of egg substitutes, oil, flaxseed, bananas, applesause. Depending on what the egg is doing in the recipe. Pancakes are easy, and the egg isn't so important.

Oriental Flavored Top Ramen is vegan! Mix with some veggies, like edamame and you are golden.

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So tonight I went out with a friend. Luckily I was warned where we were going, so I was able to do a little research. Most restaurants have vegan options even if it doesn't say so. Lots of fast food chains have vegan fries, or even salad and baked potato options. Many restaurants put nutritional info online too. While it may be a bit of a hassle, you can figure out what you are going to eat, then you don't have to ask when you get there. I would have taken a picture of the delish veggie wrap with hummus that I had tonight, but it was a date. Are pictures allowed on first dates? Perhaps a bit awkward. :)

Day Three - SUCCESS!

 This little ditty is from PETA.org - great resource for recipes


Eggplant "Steaks"
2 small eggplants (aubergines)
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. minced fresh parsley
1/3 tsp. dried rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste


• Remove the stem ends from the eggplants and trim the skin to square the sides. Slice each eggplant lengthwise into two pieces, each approximately 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle 1 tsp. salt evenly over the slices and place in a bowl for about 20 minutes to draw out the bitterness. Rinse well and pat dry.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp. of the oil and the hot sauce. Brush evenly over both sides of the eggplant slices. Bake on a baking sheet for 15 minutes, turning once. Then broil for 1 minute per side or until the slices are well-browned and tender.
• In a small bowl, stir together the remaining oil, garlic, vinegar, parsley and rosemary. Brush on the cooked eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings.  - Note: Give yourself an hour. There is a lot of time spent preping and cooking. If you are really hungry, make a snack while the eggplant sits.

And the verdict is:
I have finally made a vegan meal, that is fancy and tasty! And most important no mistakes! Granted, it's a novice level recipe, but I still did it! I had one beef (haha, oh, meat jokes are the best). It's called an Eggplant 'Steak.' What? Please. It doesn't taste like steak. It doesn't look like steak. I guess it's made in a similar manner. Come on, folks. It is what it is. Broiled Eggplant. Eggplant du four. I've noticed there is a real market for faux meats. I guess people don't want to miss out on something just because of a few ingredients. However, I think a lot of it is silly. It's not meat. It doesn't ever really taste like meat. Everyone knows it's not meat. Why bother? Embrace your non-meatness. I've never eaten a lot of eggplant, but this is a great way to do it. If you really want a steak, don't bother with this recipe. It's not steak. But if you want a savory dish that has some texture, that doesn't taste like a salad or include super foreign ingredients, this is a good bet. Winner winner eggplant dinner!

Day Two - Excuse me?

As my friend, Cynthia, pointed out tonight, I have become one of those people. You know who I'm talking about. Those annoying people that scornfully glance at the menu, then ask the waiter, "Excuse me, but do you have any vegan food?" Uggh. Really? If you want vegan, go to a vegan restaurant. Yeah, I'm there with you. But if you want to be with your friends (who are graciously humoring you with your weird vegan experiment), and they are all eating someplace new, what do you do?

It's crazy how little we think while we eat. I can't count how many times I've eaten bags of popcorn and been surprised when I reach in to find out it's all gone. This morning I had oatmeal, and automatically poured milk on it. I had to dump the milk in the sink and reach for the almond milk. Oops. Not only when we eat, but especially what we eat. For the past few months I've been looking at vegan articles and info. Funny how a topic pops up more when you are thinking about it. I've discovered a TV show about meat and teaching people how it's harvested. Even Oprah recently had an vegan challenge episode (surprisingly balanced and interesting: http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Oprah-and-378-Staffers-Go-Vegan-The-One-Week-Challenge?FB=fb_feb_020111 ). A big point they both make, is we aren't aware of what we are eating. How did the cow become a hamburger? What is in that bag of cookies? Do you know where your dinner came from? ("The store", is not the right answer) Shopping takes forever because now I have to read the ingredients for almost everything. But I like the idea of being aware of what I put in my body. Sure it's a hassle, but it seems to be a much more honest way of life, at least as far as diet goes. I feel better about what I'm eating. Even if it's PB+B.

So all the new budding sense of "conscious eating" is going through my head, and I'm sitting in between my two friends looking over the menu and feeling my stomach slowly eat itself. There are a few options that could be okay to eat. Hummus (ha), sweet potato fries, guacamole. And that's when I became of those people. "Excuse me, waiter..." Turns out the sweet potato fries are cooked in the same wok as the calamari. We went with the guac and fries. I skipped the fries. Trial by fire, and I guess I passed. Granted, I don't know exactly what was in the food I ate, but I know for sure there were no high fat animal byproducts. I suppose that is something. And now I can look, with practiced scorn and slightly self-righteous confidence, at a menu that is, oh so obviously not vegan friendly, and ask "Excuse me, what do you have that is veeeegan?"

Good friends, good music, and good vegan snacks.

Day One - Learning Curve

I talked to a few vegans before I started this. They all had a similar response, "you should try vegetarianism for a while first." Granted, a vegan diet is very strict, but I have been fairly confident that it won't be a problem to change a few things in my diet. The first day was eye opening. It's not the type food that is so hard. It's the access to it that make it so difficult. Specifically, you have to make. Yes. Food comes in this weird unfinished state and you have to cut, blend, cook, boil, and do all kinds of things to make it worth eating. Crazy, right? The sad thing is, my mother is a family science teacher, so I was raised to know how to cook. I can follow a recipe, but I'm not a domestic goddess. So here is what happened.

Meal One: Breakfast - oatmeal + smoothie.

Oatmeal with dried cranberries and almond milk
I cooked it in the microwave, so it was an easy 2 minutes from start to finish. I love oatmeal, especially with cranberries. The almond milk was new, and is thicker than my usual skim milk. It was kind of like treating myself with whole milk. The texture was a little different, but I was diggin' it. It kept me full all morning, lots of good fiber. Overall, Winner.

Smoothie - AKA the sludge in the cup - (banana, strawberries, blueberries, apple juice, kale)
It took a while for me to find the right blend and consistency, but that was due to lack of practice more than anything else. I'm not going to say how long. Let's just say, it's a little embarrassing how long it took to get it right. Smoothies aren't complicated. I saw an idea to put kale in, so you get veggies, but it tastes like fruit. Sounded great and there was a picture of a cute little pea-green smoothie. I was excited to try it and was fun to watch the blend change from pink to green. Then I realized it was only had fruit and it was way too thick. I added apple juice, but it over powered the taste, so I added more strawberries. And then the smoothie turned to sludge. Despite the appearance, it tasted great. Not a hint of kale. Double rainbow in my mouth. Albeit a brown rainbow.

Meal Two: peanut butter & banana sandwich + homemade hummus w/pita chips.

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich
Not just for children, PB+B is tasty. Easy to make, transports well, totally vegan. 'Nuf said.




Hummus and Pita chips
Homemade Hummus

Ingredients

• 2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch paprika
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Directions: Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the garbanzo bean mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

Another supposedly simple recipe. Pretty much you just throw it all in and blend. For the record, I followed the recipe and the finished result was almost perfect. I made one mistake. But sometimes, one mistake makes a big difference. While shopping, I had a hard time finding tahini. I had to google what it was. Something about sesame seeds. I bought sesame seed oil. 1/3 cup sesame seed oil is not the same as 1/3 cup tahini (which I now know is a sesame seed paste). Luckily I'm okay with the taste, but it is very strong. Not really good dip material. Such a pity. I love hummus.

Meal Three: broccoli + rice + hummus-esque sauce.

I gave up for dinner. Frozen broccoli. Left-over rice. Hummus that tasted like failure. But, wait! I kid you not, it was darn good. The "hummus" was not a dip, but it was really good on the veggies. I think I'm on to something here. It pretty much is just sesame seed oil paste, but with other things, it is like sparkles of excitement to my taste buds. Really!

Vegan Eve

Twas the night before Vegan Month, when all through the kitchen

Not a byproduct was found, not even some chicken.

Bagged  veggies were placed in the freezer with care,

In hopes that some tofu soon would be there.

The roommates were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of cruelty-free sugar plums danced in their heads.

And me in a sweatshirt, with my laptop alight

Had just settled down to blog, and to write.

When out of a cupboard arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my desk to see what was the matter.

Away to the kitchen I flew like a flash,

Tripped on a handbag and flew into the trash.

The florescent light on the counter and tile

Emphasized the fact that our apartment had no style.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a fallen bottle of B₁₂, that was all I did hear.

Preparations had been made, the research took time,

The shopping list was lengthy and cost way more than a dime.

I had never before purchased tahini, tempeh, or kale

But all the good things I’d heard had really tipped the scale.

I spoke not a word, but put away the stray bottle,

This all came so quick, like I’m rolling the throttle.

For better or worse, I’m going to be vegan

It’s late and I’m tired, so it is time that I began.

(YOU try rhyming with “vegan”)

I thought, “This is gonna be good” as I turned out the light.

“Happy Vegan Month to all, and to all a good-night!”