“Normal” Vegan Recipes
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mamabear1114
Posts: 140 Member
in Recipes
Okay not even trying to be ugly or condescending about this, but vegan recipes scare me. I’m not the most adventurous eater and a lot of the recipes have ingredients that I have no idea what they are/where to get them. Over the last couple months I’ve really been trying to incorporate more plant based foods into my diet and get a little more creative in the kitchen. I’ve tried replacing one meal a day as a vegan meal and I’m slowly trying to transition. Does anybody have some “beginner” level vegan recipes to share? I also feel I should mention I don’t have a lot of nifty kitchen tools that some vegan recipes require like food processors and things like that so please keep that in mind. Thanks for sharing, happy eating!
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Replies
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You can do a lot with rice (or some other grain) and beans (or split peas or lentils). Add seasonings and/or tomato sauce and you're usually good to go.4
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The first "normal" vegan meal that comes to mind is pasta in tomato based sauce. Risotto is another good one.4
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I don’t know what it is about red lentil and pumpkin curry but I find it highly satisfying.
https://pin.it/alivkfrz5d3o3u6 -
Try a vegan chilli. If you don’t have a slow cooker try a big pot on the stove on low.5
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If you like Asian food, it's also very easy to vegan as it tends not to have dairy, and you can sub out any meat or eggs for tofu or seitan. So you can whip up some great fried rice, or noodle dishes.2
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Couscous made with a vegetable stock and veggies stirred in.2
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If you're interested in a cookbook, I recommend "Supermarket Vegan" by Donna Klein. The focus is all on recipes with "normal" foods that can be found at regular supermarkets. You won't see any special "vegan" ingredients called for.
If you're looking for general meal ideas, I've found these meals to be the type of things "everyone" eats: stir-fry with pasta or rice, bean burritos/tacos, pasta with tomato sauce, bean salads (beans and vegetables in an Italian-style dressing), chili, minestrone soup, split pea soup, potato chowder, and portobello burgers.9 -
I started by going to the library & getting cookbooks. One I found I had marked almost every page to try, so I went out & bought my own copy is "Quick-Fix Vegetarian" by Robin Robertson. I still refer to that book & usually make one or 2 of those recipes weekly.
If you are more of an online person, YouTube has some great people, 3 of my faves are Sarah's Vegan Kitchen (she is so easy going & down to earth!), Sweet Potato Soul (she glows from the inside out, everything from her has been good!) and, yes, The Vegan Zombie. (older videos show Jon cooking, newer ones have Chris doing more shopping, comparing & day to day things)
If you are going to invest in a piece of kitchen equipment, then a rice cooker is a great place to start. Can cook so many things in so many ways in them. One of my fave, quick & easy meals: throw in some brown rice, veggies (for me, usually carrots, mushrooms & peas) and brown lentils, cover with either water or veg broth, spice it up, then flip the switch. I do this when I get home from work, buy the time I've walked the dog & changed, dinner is done!5 -
http://vegweb.com/recipes/lime-peanut-noodles
I really like this recipe! I made the sauce in my blender (recipe said to use a food processor), but you could probably mix by hand if needed.2 -
Forks Over Knives Cookbook, The China Study Cookbook and Engine 2 Cookbook are great resources.6
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Some common dishes that just happen to be vegan or can easily be made vegan:
black bean soup
tomato soup (here is one without dairy: https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-roasted-tomato-soup-234425)
minestrone
bean chili
pasta with marinara
spaghetti with garlic and oil (aglio e olio)
veggie stir fry
roasted veggies (I especially recommend broccoli)
salad with oil and vinegar
bean burritos--try avocado instead of cheese
guacamole
beans and rice
vegetable curry
oatmeal with fruit
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
You can substitute soy "beef" crumbles in many things that call for ground beef. Gardein chicken scaloppini works well in place of chicken.7 -
Check out the website: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/foodmonster/ and the accompanying app Food Monster. They have terrific recipes. I am very frugal but decided to subscribe. I have found the trick is getting your larder stocked and ready to transition to a Plant Based diet. Simple things like coconut yogurt which is simple to make, couscous, quinoa in addition to brown rice. Plant Based diets can give so many more taste options than meat based. Something as simple as a baked sweet potatoe topped with beans can be very satisfying, over time you can learn to doctor them up a bit. As I live in San Francisco I found Amazon Fresh is a great way to get the basics (canned beans, couscous, flours etc) and cheaper than going to the market, though I will always go to market for my fresh Produce.2
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Love all the ideas especially using the rice cooker for other foods besides rice. I have sub cauliflower for rice for years in my cooking and don't miss the starch, virtually undetectable in cabbage rolls..2
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There is a book called Supermarket Vegan. The recipes are all normal ingredients you can find at the grocery store you shop at.
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Here are some great vegan recipes from buzzfeed that are easy to prepare for beginners: https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahloewentheil/28-vegan-recipes-for-every-night-in-february?utm_term=.jdVvMLP3D#.islRK1a7g2
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This is one of my favourite vegan recipes, I'd definitely say it's "beginner" level:
https://jessicainthekitchen.com/coconut-chickpea-curry-recipe/
The only tweak I made was that I added a couple tbsp of natural peanut butter to it...because I'm obsessed with peanut curry. It was DELICIOUS. Didn't even eat it with rice...not necessary.1 -
A simple teriaky bowl. Use white steamed rice as the base, stirfry broccoli with mushrooms, and slightly fried tofu with soy sauce. Add some terriaky sauce on top. Its so easy to make and my favorite.2
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Hi. I started vegan 6 weeks ago and I feel great. I used to think tasty food was long to prepare and head busting. Now I whip up delicious meals in 5 to 10 minutes. I've tasted things I'd never eaten before. Foods from all over France and the world, always yummy and colourful.2
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