A Fish Aficionado
I am going to make it through this year if it kills me
Vegan chorizo is quite good, though do not add salt because a lot of those replacement products contain a lot of sodium.
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Vegan community thread - Give Peas a Chance
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matthewwhatever
Member
The answer to both questions: it varies wildly by brand. Some faux meats and cheeses are great, others are absolutely awful.
Field Roast, for example, make some really good vegan sausages (though their chipotle ones are unbearably spicy, as far as I'm concerned), and if you're looking for a cheese slice substitute, Chao is great. Tofurkey sausages and chick'n are both pretty good, but their holiday roast is basically a chunk of lunchmeat. Gardein products are generally pretty good, but their supply is limited (at least in Canada) while they build a new factory. Daiya's cheese melts on pizza really well, but their slices are pretty meh, and their frozen pizza tastes like cardboard.
For vegan cheese, at least, the general rule is that the more prominent oil is, the worse it's going to be by itself -- i.e. Daiya cheese is oily, which makes it great to melt, but not so great to eat on its own, whereas cashew-based cheeses are amazing (but also generally pretty expensive).
For vegan cheese I tend to find you have to look a bit harder for good quality stuff which isn't just coconut oil with a bit of cheese flavouring which ends up tasting like melted plastic when cooked.
It's usually small batch stuff which is really good; the artisan specialty stuff can be mind blowing. Also, it really depends on the type of cheese; I tend to find stuff like marinated feta and mozarella seem to be a bit easier to emulate but I haven't had a convincing parmesan or brie yet. Anyway, the quality is improving all the time and if you can get to a vegan event or market they often have stuff you can try.
This is a pretty handy guide I find and features many well know brands. I haven't tried vegusto yet but have heard nothing but good things about them.
https://www.vegansociety.com/whats-new/blog/best-vegan-cheeses-rated
It's usually small batch stuff which is really good; the artisan specialty stuff can be mind blowing. Also, it really depends on the type of cheese; I tend to find stuff like marinated feta and mozarella seem to be a bit easier to emulate but I haven't had a convincing parmesan or brie yet. Anyway, the quality is improving all the time and if you can get to a vegan event or market they often have stuff you can try.
This is a pretty handy guide I find and features many well know brands. I haven't tried vegusto yet but have heard nothing but good things about them.
https://www.vegansociety.com/whats-new/blog/best-vegan-cheeses-rated
On the subject of vegan cheese, I picked up a Bold brand vegan cheese pizza the other day to try it. I had heard of the brand before but in my city it's only sold in Whole Foods, which I don't go to very often. While I still prefer Amy's no cheese vegan pizza, this one tasted pretty nice for a frozen pizza. The box says to cook it for 18-20 minutes but it was done in about 10 minutes. It didn't have that aftertaste that Daiya pizzas do.
CornBurrito
Member
Went out for dinner today. Was tempted to get chicken pasta but got a Portabella sandwich with roasted bell pepper.
Was pretty tasty. Getting easier and easier to forgo meat.
Was pretty tasty. Getting easier and easier to forgo meat.
User Name Here
Member
Ohhh, nice site. I may have finally found my cream cheese replacement if I can get it shipped to the U.S.
CornBurrito
Member
So has anyone here tried the Wendy's Black Bean Burger?
I know it comes with some sort of non-vegan cheese sauce but you can get it without the sauce and the rest of it is entirely vegan from my understanding.
Was it any good?
I know it comes with some sort of non-vegan cheese sauce but you can get it without the sauce and the rest of it is entirely vegan from my understanding.
Was it any good?
Interesting NYT article on vegan dog diets:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/well/family/the-vegan-dog.html
Anyone in here have pets and feed their dogs vegan diets? Article mentions cats require meat but my vegan friend is telling me some can go without.
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Wendy's has a veggie burger? Cool. I'll need to try it out.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/well/family/the-vegan-dog.html
Anyone in here have pets and feed their dogs vegan diets? Article mentions cats require meat but my vegan friend is telling me some can go without.
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Wendy's has a veggie burger? Cool. I'll need to try it out.
Garcia el Gringo
Member
If talking about a vegetarian item, like Wendy's Black Bean Burger without special ordering it vegan, is frowned upon in this thread I'll refrain from mentioning such things (I can understand the value of keeping the food discussed in this space exclusively vegan), but since it was brought up...
Unfortunately, Wendy's Black Bean Burger was never launched nationwide. If it's still available, it's likely only available in Salt Lake City, Utah; Columbus, Ohio; and Columbia, South Carolina. It started in those test markets about 1.5 years ago. I was trying to make noise in NJ to get it brought over here. But word's died down on it. I don't know what its chances of going nationwide are now. I've mostly pushed it out of my mind after the disappointment.
Give me more places to eat expensive Impossible Burgers instead.
Anyway, my favorite vegan foodtruck, Cinnamon Snail, is making Sunday stops in my state again for the summer, so I'm excited to load up on Korean BBQ Seitan and tofu/seitan breakfast burritos and getting so many delicious doughnuts. Cinnamon Snail apparently opened up another B&M location near The New York Public Library that serves smothered fries (Peking seitan fries with tamarind plum sauce, scallions and 5-spice roasted black sesame gomasio. PHEW). I gotta go try it.
Unfortunately, Wendy's Black Bean Burger was never launched nationwide. If it's still available, it's likely only available in Salt Lake City, Utah; Columbus, Ohio; and Columbia, South Carolina. It started in those test markets about 1.5 years ago. I was trying to make noise in NJ to get it brought over here. But word's died down on it. I don't know what its chances of going nationwide are now. I've mostly pushed it out of my mind after the disappointment.
Give me more places to eat expensive Impossible Burgers instead.
Anyway, my favorite vegan foodtruck, Cinnamon Snail, is making Sunday stops in my state again for the summer, so I'm excited to load up on Korean BBQ Seitan and tofu/seitan breakfast burritos and getting so many delicious doughnuts. Cinnamon Snail apparently opened up another B&M location near The New York Public Library that serves smothered fries (Peking seitan fries with tamarind plum sauce, scallions and 5-spice roasted black sesame gomasio. PHEW). I gotta go try it.
CornBurrito
Member
Cats are obligate carnivores. I don't care what your vegan friend is telling you. That's not a matter of opinion.
SirMossyBloke
Member
Garcia el Gringo
Member
I believe it's not a black or white situation with vegan diets for cats. Here's a little information on successfully feeding some cats partially vegan diets and info on when it just doesn't work http://www.vegancats.com/veganfaq.php#1070
But I don't have first hand experience - I'll leave it up to others who knows what's up to judge if that source is accurate. Please confute it and post legitimate information if it's wrong.
I'm interested in learning more about feeding cats. I want to adopt a hypoallergenic cat at some point. I'd definitely do thorough research and consult with a professional if I was to try a partially vegan diet with my hypothetical animal companion.
But I don't have first hand experience - I'll leave it up to others who knows what's up to judge if that source is accurate. Please confute it and post legitimate information if it's wrong.
I'm interested in learning more about feeding cats. I want to adopt a hypoallergenic cat at some point. I'd definitely do thorough research and consult with a professional if I was to try a partially vegan diet with my hypothetical animal companion.
I can't believe all the big fast food chains don't have a veggie burger option. I would think nowadays especially there should be sufficient demand to keep a small stock on hand.
if anyone's from Pittsburgh here, I really like the veggie burgers at Hello Bistro.
I know! While I try not to eat out a lot, especially fast food, it would be nice if at least one of the big chains near me had a veggie burger. I mean I live in a pretty nice area where even the Food Lions carry Gardein, Amy's, and Morning star products so I definitely think the market is there.
Garcia el Gringo
Member
Blew my mind to see that White Castle had a limited time black bean slider while simultaneously having their green veggie slider menu staple. I don't think the sliders are too compelling as they come, but it sure was something to see a place like White Castle have 2 vegetarian burgers for a while, while other drive thru places are too apathetic/hesitant to even adding a single one to their menus.
By the way, I discovered Native Shoes, a vegan shoe brand, in the past half year as I slowly add vegan footwear to my closet, and they get my stamp of approval.
What I found on sale for the past winter (not my ideal pick from their product line, but I was still feeling it): Chukka Hydro, Pigeon Grey / Jiffy Black
What I found on sale for the spring/summer (these are so comfortable): Mercury Liteknit, Shell White
I'll definitely be buying more from them.
Any moderately priced US vegan shoe/clothing brand recommendations, VeGAF?
Hagen-Dazs has just launched four vegan ice creams in the US: http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=9720&catId=1 Praying these come to Europe eventually. Any US-Gaffer tried them?
matthewwhatever
Member
My wife was just telling me about this. I'm excited, but not as excited as I was when Ben and Jerry's launched their vegan flavours. Those have proven to be pretty forgettable, so now I'm more suspect of mainstream brands launching vegan options.
(That said, should it make it to Canada, I'll buy some day 1.)
Finland has been stepping up our vegan ice cream game. Lots of new alternatives have come out this year alone. Coconut based, rice based, soy based, almond based & oat based delicious ice creams (all kinds of flavors from the basic vanillas and chocolates to different berries & combinations) + some ice cream shops/cafes that also offer vegan stuff.
You're trusting a source called "vegancats.com"???
Please don't condemn an animal to malnutrition and reduced lifespan/illness just because it happened to be born a carnivore. Jesus christ.
No need to be so aggressively hostile. He did say he"s looking for information and is open to listening to better sources if they say otherwise.
That 'source' translates to "I didn't even try." It just blows my mind that other people who you'd think would care about animal welfare would ever even think this was a good idea. It's straight-up animal cruelty.
Going to visit my parents in Finland this weekend! Anyones I should look out for? I've had the 3 Kaverin chocolate one which was very good. Waiting for it to get to Sweden in wider distribution.
While I'm at it, any other great Finnish vegan products that can't be found in Sweden I should try?
Planning a romantic vegan dinner this weekend. Kinda nervous since I haven't cooked for someone else in a long time and I don't want to fall back on something "easy" (well, I want to impress my date, of course!)
So far, the menu is:
For the pasta, linguine is my partner's favorite but is it suitable for aglio e olio? I was thinking of using angel hair instead. Alternatively, I'm looking for a veganized alfredo or carbonara sauce that's within my capabilities and the ingredients I have access to.
Anyway, I'd welcome any suggestions. Maybe something else besides the mushroom dish?
So far, the menu is:
- Marinated mushrooms
- Linguine
- Chai cake with salted caramel frosting (c/o a local vegan baker)
For the pasta, linguine is my partner's favorite but is it suitable for aglio e olio? I was thinking of using angel hair instead. Alternatively, I'm looking for a veganized alfredo or carbonara sauce that's within my capabilities and the ingredients I have access to.
Anyway, I'd welcome any suggestions. Maybe something else besides the mushroom dish?
Cashews would provide the cream based sauce
Many of the non-dairy ice creams I've had were amazing. If I ever go vegan ice cream will be an easy one to leave behind. I love the cherry chocolate chip at Trader Joe's.
Well, the three 3 Friends flavors are all really good (peppermint & chocolate, Chocolate & salted caramel + nuts, Coconut & Pineapple), then there's this chocolatey greatness:Going to visit my parents in Finland this weekend! Anyones I should look out for? I've had the 3 Kaverin chocolate one which was very good. Waiting for it to get to Sweden in wider distribution.
While I'm at it, any other great Finnish vegan products that can't be found in Sweden I should try?
Suomen Jäätelö's dark chocolate ice cream. They also have a rhubarb sorbet, but I haven't tasted that yet since I haven't seen it anywhere in local stores.
I think Holly & Dan's is a Swedish product, so you've probably already tasted those? They have some decent flavors.
Pirkka also has this line of vegan ice creams:
flavors are Blackcurrant, Lingonberry-blueberry, Mango-Passion and Lemon. I've only tasted the blackcurrant one, that one was delicious so I imagine the others could be good too.
Haven't gotten around to tasting any others.
As far as non-icecreamy products go, have you already tasted pulled oat and pulled peas? I think those might be available in Sweden already, at least in some places. Those are really good. The pulled peas can still be a bit hard to find and it's still kinda expensive (something like 6-7 for a not-too-huge frozen bag of it), probably since it's a fairly new product (I think they released them to the public this Spring), but it's the better product of the two vegan pulled pork/chicken alternatives, so if money is not a problem, then I really recommend trying to find them. Should be available in bigger store chains like Prisma, Citymarket & such.
There are some really good falafels by Babafoods. Not necessarily available everywhere but probably the best falafels you can buy from a store.
Some good vegan sauces/mayonnaises nowadays as well. Many of Hesburger's sauces that are also sold in stores are vegan. Then there's this from Poppamies:
And this Sriracha mayo that is awesome:
Perfect for summery BBQing. Bon's vegan sausages are really good, BBQed or otherwise.
Lots of new cheeses though I don't think any of them are quite home runs so far. Some are decent, work in sandwitches & hamburgers ok but not necessarily too good on pizza/when melted.
Kotipizza's vegan pizza is pretty good (you can choose your own toppings, I recommend getting Härkis on it for a little bit of something salty & meat-ish). Probably the best vegan pizza I've eaten so far. I got one with Härkis, pineapple and red onions.
matthewwhatever
Member
This probably doesn't help you, but I just discovered this milk over the weekend:
It's Ripple Pea Milk, and even the unsweetened version we had was shockingly creamy.
In its absence, though, as someone else said, look for a cashew-based cream sauce recipe. That should be a decent substitute!
Wow, thanks so much! Will definitely check out that dark chocolate ice cream. I've tried both the pulled oats and peas and both were very good. Appreciate the tips!
BumperLips
Member
Love this thread as it has helped me get started on this light vegan diet I'm trying out. Basically I'll try to stay vegan the whole time but once every one or two weeks I'll cheat a little and have a burger or something. Ultimately just want to try and lower my consumption of meat. Cousin has been trying this and said that he's got alot more energy and feels great.
I think I'll be able to completely cut out stuff like milk in my coffee (almond or just take it black).
I wanted to ask, what spices do you guys usually use on grilled veggies? Usually use an olive oil, garlic and red pepper mix but wanted to expand my options. Recently picked up a chipotle red pepper flake mix I'm going to try.
I think I'll be able to completely cut out stuff like milk in my coffee (almond or just take it black).
I wanted to ask, what spices do you guys usually use on grilled veggies? Usually use an olive oil, garlic and red pepper mix but wanted to expand my options. Recently picked up a chipotle red pepper flake mix I'm going to try.
Curry powder (yellow) works with most veggies. Red curry paste if you want something that packs a punch. Sriracha for a different kind of punch (more ketchup-y). Try cauliflower wings, there are tons of different recipies some with more BBQ-y spice mixes, some with spicy chicken mixes.
Some sweeter herbs work with certain veggies. Not sure what they all are in English. Basil at least. Timjam?
Some sweeter herbs work with certain veggies. Not sure what they all are in English. Basil at least. Timjam?
Only recently switched from a vegetarian diet which I started at the beginning of the year to a vegan one. Still got a couple of liters of milk to go before it's out, and then I'll fully switch over to a mix of oat drinks and try out the rice drink variety as well.
It seems to be really tough to fine any non-milk based ice-cream where I live, so I've been thinking of buying an ice cream maker and doing it myself. Seems to be simple enough.
It's been very surprising to me how easy this transition has been overall.
I was expecting to get mad cravings for all kinds of things, but that isn't the case at all.
On the contrary in fact. I've been discovering a lot of new things that I just love.
And in some cases found replacements that I actually like more than the animal based recipes.
Still early days though and I'm about to dive into some unknown territory in the coming weeks.
Bought some Tahin. Yes I know, you can easily make it yourself, but I just want to know how it should taste before I put something together myself that it's well balanced.
Looking forward to making some Baba Ganoush as that seems to be something I'll really enjoy.
Also got 10kg of wheat gluten to make all kinds of Seitan dishes.
It seems to be really tough to fine any non-milk based ice-cream where I live, so I've been thinking of buying an ice cream maker and doing it myself. Seems to be simple enough.
It's been very surprising to me how easy this transition has been overall.
I was expecting to get mad cravings for all kinds of things, but that isn't the case at all.
On the contrary in fact. I've been discovering a lot of new things that I just love.
And in some cases found replacements that I actually like more than the animal based recipes.
Still early days though and I'm about to dive into some unknown territory in the coming weeks.
Bought some Tahin. Yes I know, you can easily make it yourself, but I just want to know how it should taste before I put something together myself that it's well balanced.
Looking forward to making some Baba Ganoush as that seems to be something I'll really enjoy.
Also got 10kg of wheat gluten to make all kinds of Seitan dishes.
Garcia el Gringo
Member
I'm not feeding any cat this diet at the moment or pushing this diet on any cat owners, so you don't have to worry about that if you're upset at me personally. I wouldn't feed this diet to a cat if I were to hypothetically have one all of a sudden. Like I said, I would be very thorough with my research and do what's best for the cat.
I should have used different phrasing throughout that post since I seemingly came off like I was vouching for it - I was just saying (a month ago) that some people claim that a monitored partial vegan diet w/ supplementing can work for some female cats, provided a source I was curious about with the caveat that it might not be accurate (I'm aware of what I linked to) and that I was looking for some more information either way.
I'm interested in learning about current and future tech advancements that might make feeding pets more compassionate and reduce pets' environmental footprint. Not dissimilar to how I follow tech advancements that I hope will help me go vegan eventually, like Perfect Day's vegan dairy. I clearly didn't lay that out, but that's where I would have liked to have seen the discussion go on pets when I jumped in.
Anyway, I rather stick to my wheelhouse of talking about vegan junk food.
You should mix some chickpea flour (aka gram flour) and soy flour to your seitan dough, not just gluten flour. IMO makes for a better texture + has more varied & complete nutritional/amino acid values.Only recently switched from a vegetarian diet which I started at the beginning of the year to a vegan one. Still got a couple of liters of milk to go before it's out, and then I'll fully switch over to a mix of oat drinks and try out the rice drink variety as well.
It seems to be really tough to fine any non-milk based ice-cream where I live, so I've been thinking of buying an ice cream maker and doing it myself. Seems to be simple enough.
It's been very surprising to me how easy this transition has been overall.
I was expecting to get mad cravings for all kinds of things, but that isn't the case at all.
On the contrary in fact. I've been discovering a lot of new things that I just love.
And in some cases found replacements that I actually like more than the animal based recipes.
Still early days though and I'm about to dive into some unknown territory in the coming weeks.
Bought some Tahin. Yes I know, you can easily make it yourself, but I just want to know how it should taste before I put something together myself that it's well balanced.
Looking forward to making some Baba Ganoush as that seems to be something I'll really enjoy.
Also got 10kg of wheat gluten to make all kinds of Seitan dishes.
Poor GRIMES
Banned
I second Ripple, it's my staple milk now and I have used it for a cream sauce (vegan mac n cheese), worked perfectly. I just made a standard béchamel using a roux with EarthBalance.
matthewwhatever
Member
Aww, now I'm kicking myself for not making vegan mac and cheese while we had Ripple. That would've been perfect!
Famous last words!
Non-dairy ice cream is one of the few things I've never been able to make at home. Over multiple ice cream makers and multiple recipes, it always turns out just a bit off -- more "ice" than ice cream. I've found that it's just easier to buy stuff from the store.
That said, if that's not an option for you, I'd advise you to not skimp on the coconut milk (as in the canned stuff, not the milk substitute). I've heard that if you really load up your recipe with that, you have a better chance of it turning out okay. Be sure to post updates, because I'm curious to hear how it turns out.
Famous last words!
Non-dairy ice cream is one of the few things I've never been able to make at home. Over multiple ice cream makers and multiple recipes, it always turns out just a bit off -- more "ice" than ice cream. I've found that it's just easier to buy stuff from the store.
That said, if that's not an option for you, I'd advise you to not skimp on the coconut milk (as in the canned stuff, not the milk substitute). I've heard that if you really load up your recipe with that, you have a better chance of it turning out okay. Be sure to post updates, because I'm curious to hear how it turns out.
Frozen bananas + vegan whipped cream alternatives + whatever kitchen machine you have that is strong enough to make that into smooth thing. Add some raw cocoa powder for chocolate ice creamy goodness. Also works with strawberries and blueberries. It might turn into something inbetween a milk shake and ice cream but it's still edible with a spoon.
If you want it to be closer to ice cream, you can but it to the freezer. Just remember to mix it a bit every 20-30 minutes. That helps avoid the formation of pure icy bits.
Ah thank you! I'll order some next week when I'm planning on stocking up on nuts and all kinds of stuff.
My sister also mentioned I should look into nutritional yeast as a substitute for cheese when making spaghetti. I used to love putting a ton of cheese in my spaghetti bolognese. Would that be a good idea?
Hehe. Never had some before, so I really can't say at this point.
If this happens to be my last post ever, you know what happened.
Perhaps it's best to hold off on buying an expensive ice cream maker then and just testing recipes out with frozen fruit, vanilla sticks and a blender.
Yeah, nutritional yeast is a pretty good cheese replacer when you only need a cheese-like taste, not the meltiness/texture (though you can also use it in self-made vegan cheeses, if you ever get that experimental). Not everyone likes the taste though, so don't necessarily go ordering 10kgs of that right away (especially since 1kg can cost, like, 35).Ah thank you! I'll order some next week when I'm planning on stocking up on nuts and all kinds of stuff.
My sister also mentioned I should look into nutritional yeast as a substitute for cheese when making spaghetti. I used to love putting a ton of cheese in my spaghetti bolognese. Would that be a good idea?
Hehe. Never had some before, so I really can't say at this point.
If this happens to be my last post ever, you know what happened.
Perhaps it's best to hold off on buying an expensive ice cream maker then and just testing recipes out with frozen fruit, vanilla sticks and a blender.
If you're in Europe, this brand seems to be sold widely 
(link if image hotlinking doesn't work: http://www.realfoods.co.uk/ProductImagesID/1408611854_1.jpg )
Bonus side is that it has added B12 vitamins, something you'll need in a vegan diet.
A good mix is nutritional yeast + garlic (powder) + a little bit of salt.
spazchicken
Member
I'm not vegan or even vegetarian but I am interested in lowering my animal product consumption for both ethical and health reasons.
What's the best tasting meat substitute?
What's the best tasting meat substitute?
anonymous_abc
Member
So many commercially available these days, you wont get past trying and tasting. Some are great, some are awful, some are ok. Depends on personal taste.
We love the tofurky sausages (grilled or fried) and hams for sandwiches.
depending on where you live you local supermarket will have some or loads.
Whole foods and sprouts obviously have a large selection but even our local Ralphs has a huge selection of vegan meats and cheeses.
QuantumSquid
Member
what's the Vegan Verdict on Soylent?