Vegans?

I am recently a vegan also, but vegetarian for the last three years. I make a breakfast Smoothie using soy milk, a banana, frozen strawberries and blueberries, ground flax seed and wheat germ, and a new product I just found- Amazing greens in chocolate. It's fast and yummy and very filling. Sometimes I throw in a handful of spinach or romaine.

I am attempting vegetarian (not necessarily vegan) for the month of May and had a wonderful vegan dinner tonight:

brown rice
black beans
sprinkle with jamaican jerk seasoning and top with mango salsa:
Mango
Cilantro
Jalepeno seeded and chopped
chopped red onion
lime juice


For breakfast you can try a cereal with Almond milk which is one of my new favorites as well. Toast with peanut butter and jelly is also delish for breakfast!

Try a potato hash with the veggie sausage (if you can find a vegan variety) and onions and green peppers for an omelet type breakfast without the eggs.

ETO - I didn't realize there were eggs and milk in the veggie sausage! Oops...

Many top MMA fighters are vegans and I think they would have plenty to say about maintaining healthy mass, strength and energy balance - without any animal products.

I just bought a cookbook by Kim Barnouin...(who co-authored the skinny ***** series), its called: Skinny *****: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. It has some new ideas to try....Its all Vegan cooking.

One of the keys to staying healthy on a vegan diet is variety. It is more than worth it to invest in a few cookbooks. I use Veganomicon a lot when I have time to cook.

I admire your discipline! I'm not vegan but we eat vegetarian meals several times a week and I have tried to cut red meat out of our diet. Lets see...I know that Fred Myers has a great health food section with vegan/vegetarian options and soy meat substitutes.
These aren't breakfast but there are SO GOOD! Two of my personal favorite vegetarian recipes...

Chickpea Curry
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 large yellow onion diced small
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tbsp curry powder
1 cinnamon stick
ground cloves
2 cans of no salt added chickpeas
3 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste
course salt and ground pepper
chopped cilantro and lemon wedges for serving

In a large straight sided skillet heat oil over medium high. Add onion and cook stirring occasionally until dark brown around the edges (5 or 6 minutes). Add garlic, curry, cinnamon, and a pinch of cloves and cook until spices are fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add chickpeas, tomato paste, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp of pepper as well as two cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes. Uncover and increase heat to medium high for about 5 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced. You can serve it with the cilantro and lemon. (about 4 servings)

I also love this over brown rice and/or steamed broccoli.

Recipe #2...not vegan so you might have to sub one of the ingredients...

Black Bean Burgers

1 can of black beans (16 oz)
1/2 green pepper
1/2 onion
3 garlic cloves
1 egg (this is where you'd have to sub something more suitable to your diet)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp of thai chili sauce (I omit this! I am a pansy!)
1/2 c of bread crumbs

Preheat your oven to 375*
Mash beans
Process pepper, onion and garlic in a food processor. Stir into the mashed beans. Mix in egg (substitute) and spices and then mix in crumbs. Add more crumbs if needed to obtain a sticky texture.
The recipe says to form four patties but I usually get 6 out of it...place patties on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook 10-12 minutes on each side.
The flavor is wonderful! Not a firm veggieburger but a yummy one!

I also make a shepherds pie subbing cooked quinoa for the ground meat...its great!

I am not a meat free person...but I have done my fair share of reading and aside from the way meat is processed there is not a lot of value to it besides protein when it comes to your diet. And vegetable protein is much easier on your digestive system, taking 30 minutes or less to digest and not giving you that weighed down and sluggish feeling where as meat is full of fats you don't need, and animal protein can take 6 or more hours to pass through your system. And plants and grains provide a vast array of sources of protein...its silly to say you NEED meat. The facts are out there.

@TriDana
Your suggestions sound super delish!!!

I'm a fan of the No Meat Athlete recipes. http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-recipes-for-athletes/

They have a lot that aren't soy based. I'm not a huge fan of eating so much soy. I get most of my protein from various legumes and rices. I'm a cook professionally so I'm a cook book junky, but never follow a recipe all the way. I use a lot of meat based recipes and find good substitutes like garbanzo puree mixed with miso is a pretty good tuna replacement. Add me as a friend and ask any questions you like.

bump for later. recipes look great. yay for vegans!