Vegetable People--how do you do it?

Kat0121 said:

 
Thanks for the tip about the tofu press. I just ordered this one from Amazon

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I only tried cooking with tofu once and didn't like it.  I thought it was kinda spongy.   Maybe it hadn't drained enough.

Just out of curiosity, I checked to see if the above tofu press was available at amazon.ca.  It is, however, where it is $19.99 on amazon.com, to get it in Canada it is $88.41 !!!!!   I know our dollar isn't doing very well against the US dollar, but that is ridiculous!  Guess I won't be getting that tofu press, at least not via amazon.

I don't use a tofu press. My favorite way to prepare tofu is to dip it in soy sauce and bake it in the oven until it's golden brown and has a chewy texture.

Then I use the baked tofu in my stir fry. Yum!

Crazy4Strays:   Your oven baked tofu sounds like something I might try.  What temperature oven and how long do you bake it to get it golden brown?  Do you cut it in strips before baking or after?

I typically bake it at very high temperatures. Probably at least 375 degrees and maybe 400 degrees or more.

I'm guessing that it takes maybe 30 minutes to bake? I just sort of eyeball it and flip/remove it when needed.

I cut it into strips before baking.

If you are eating fish, you are not a vegetarian. That's like someone saying they don't smoke...but they do smoke cigars. Also, the fact that you do consume meat is likely contributing to that feeling that you need to eat meat. Have you ever been on a diet where you are trying to cut down on sugar but you still keep eating sugar? Well, that sugar you are consuming is making your body react to it...and crave more. Meat is loaded with plenty of crap...which screws with your Mind as well...making you crave something you don't need.

And for the record...fish suffer greatly as well.

Inot only do I not crave meat...I'm actually repulsed by the very smell of it. Of course, becoming veg may seem quite hard, but, never before have so many people gotten the idea that meat is necessary and that a diet without it means a meager meal at the dinner table. Not true. When I switched to veganism, I thought that it would be a big feat. Truth was, the food I ate was/is more delicious and flavorful than I could have ever imagined and oh my goodness the physical benefits and health benefits have been astronomical. Not to mention it costs far less than a meat-eating diet. I am a major cook and I cannot tell you how many people I've cooked for who are hardcore meat-eaters but eat an entire vegan meal with dessert and apps and do not have a clue it's even vegan.

I do not recommend the pre-made Morningstar Farms/Boca stuff. It's the equivalent to hamburger helper. Instead, play around in the kitchen. Rather than just cutting meat of of recipes you already have,make new recipes. Explore new foods and favors....and try them more than once. You may be unsure about it once but the second time, it grows on you. Again, because you are eating meat now, your taste buds are used to that. Just as they get used to sugar and salt...it's a process of switching to healthy, flavorful, real food.

What do I eat? Um...what do t I eat? All vegan....five "cheese" lasagna, brocolli soup, corn chowder, goulash, tofu egg salad sandwiches, lentil loaf, cookies, cupcakes, fritters, Indian food, Thai food, ethiopian food, pizza, cheesy eggplant casserole, Oreos, stir fry, spaghetti, stroganoff sandwiches, stuffing, pot pie, grilled "cheese", potato patties, grilled tofu, sweet potato bites, several kinds of veg burgers, fried corn, pancakes, French toast, mashed potatos, pumpkin pie, key lime pie, cereal, smoothies, milkshakes, cornbread, scalloped potatos, vegan quiche, popcorn, fudge, caramel, fried rice, masala, carrot soup, stew, Smarties, Ghiradelli chocolate chips, beans and cornbread, tacos, quesadillas, biscuits and gravy, sloppy joes, Mac n cheese, mutter paneer, white chili with guacamole, taco dip, roasted tomato pasta, senate bean soup, polenta pizza, rice pilaf, Johnny marzetti, burritos, salad, fruit salad, coconut whipped cream, baked beans, collard greens, macoroni salad, potato salad, cheese all with crackers, zucchini bread, banana bread, apple crisp, lemon bars, peanut butter cups, no bakes, cinnamon almonds, potato casserole, cookie cake, Rice Krispie treats, chocolate chip pecanie, scones, pineapple upside down cake, .....

Find anything you might like? I could go on....the options are limitless.

http://ohsheglows.com

Great site for vegan recipes...

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com

And another....

rubysmama said:

 
I only tried cooking with tofu once and didn't like it.  I thought it was kinda spongy.   Maybe it hadn't drained enough.

Just out of curiosity, I checked to see if the above tofu press was available at amazon.ca.  It is, however, where it is $19.99 on amazon.com, to get it in Canada it is $88.41 !!!!!   I know our dollar isn't doing very well against the US dollar, but that is ridiculous!  Guess I won't be getting that tofu press, at least not via amazon.

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Go the store and buy 2 small plastic cutting boards, then stop at the hardware store and buy two 8 inch/0.2 meter long threaded rods, 4 washers and 2 small nuts, and 2 plastic wing nuts and make your own. (but stainless nuts and bolts so they don't rust).

Just look at the picture and you can see it wouldn't hard to make at all! You'll need to drill holes in the cutting boards. If you don't have a drill, I am sure you can find someone who does! 

I have no clue, but the ideas above seem good.  I did go vegan for about 6-7 months, years ago, before I wound up in the cardiac care unit of our local hospital.  Seems that I, like our cats, am an obligate carnivore.  I do not produce the enzymes that allow partial proteins to be combined into full proteins, and my organs had begun to digest themselves in search of animal protein.  Lucky me. 

As for the fish suffering, so do plants.  They produce a chemical "scream" of pain when cut, and other plants in the area all react to it.  Lack of a face or what we recognize as a nervous system does not indicate a lack of feeling on a level we don't comprehend.  After learning that, I decided that I would, within reason, eat what came my way, and honor those lives, both animal and plant, that gave theirs for me to exist.

That said, I won't touch veal.  I know how it is produced, and I will not be a party to it.  I buy free range eggs locally from a farm that welcomes visitors, and I shop for kosher beef, because of the restrictions and requirements on how the animals are treated pre-butchering.  I also buy organic.  It's a real hardship on my budget, but it's the best I can do to assure that the plants and animals I consume are treated as well as possible.

To drain tofu or get it firmer....you can also just freeze it or put a few napkins or a towel on a plate...put the block of tofu on top...and a canned good on top...let it drain and flip it over to do it again.

Mamanyt1953 said:

I have no clue, but the ideas above seem good.  I did go vegan for about 6-7 months, years ago, before I wound up in the cardiac care unit of our local hospital.  Seems that I, like our cats, am an obligate carnivore.  I do not produce the enzymes that allow partial proteins to be combined into full proteins, and my organs had begun to digest themselves in search of animal protein.  Lucky me. 

As for the fish suffering, so do plants.  They produce a chemical "scream" of pain when cut, and other plants in the area all react to it.  Lack of a face or what we recognize as a nervous system does not indicate a lack of feeling on a level we don't comprehend.  After learning that, I decided that I would, within reason, eat what came my way, and honor those lives, both animal and plant, that gave theirs for me to exist.

That said, I won't touch veal.  I know how it is produced, and I will not be a party to it.  I buy free range eggs locally from a farm that welcomes visitors, and I shop for kosher beef, because of the restrictions and requirements on how the animals are treated pre-butchering.  I also buy organic.  It's a real hardship on my budget, but it's the best I can do to assure that the plants and animals I consume are treated as well as possible.

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They did not GIVE their life for you to exist...you took theirs. Holocaust victims didn't give their lives over to Hitler...he took them. Big difference.

I'm glad you eat less meat but "free range" and kosher" do not mea those animals were given any ounce of dignity or respect. It's an advertising ploy. It's cheaper and healthier and far more moral to go veg. Again, not going to argue...just making you aware.

Crazy4Strays said:

I typically bake it at very high temperatures. Probably at least 375 degrees and maybe 400 degrees or more.

I'm guessing that it takes maybe 30 minutes to bake? I just sort of eyeball it and flip/remove it when needed.

I cut it into strips before baking.

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And you don't drain it first, right?

Fyllis said:

 
Go the store and buy 2 small plastic cutting boards, then stop at the hardware store and buy two 8 inch/0.2 meter long threaded rods, 4 washers and 2 small nuts, and 2 plastic wing nuts and make your own. (but stainless nuts and bolts so they don't rust).

Just look at the picture and you can see it wouldn't hard to make at all! You'll need to drill holes in the cutting boards. If you don't have a drill, I am sure you can find someone who does! 

Click to expand...

I'm not all that handy, but that is a great idea.  And even buying a drill, it would probably be cheaper than ordering the press from Amazon.ca !!!

Mamanyt1953 said:

 
As for the fish suffering, so do plants.  They produce a chemical "scream" of pain when cut, and other plants in the area all react to it.  Lack of a face or what we recognize as a nervous system does not indicate a lack of feeling on a level we don't comprehend.  After learning that, I decided that I would, within reason, eat what came my way, and honor those lives, both animal and plant, that gave theirs for me to exist.

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We all have to make our own decisions on what we are comfortable eating, but we do have to eat, and I believe there is a big difference between the "pain" felt by plants and their neighbours, and the pain felt by animals.  Also since animals have to eat, and their food source is plants, by being vegetarian we are cutting out the middle man, or in this case "middle animal". 

KittyCort said:

To drain tofu or get it firmer....you can also just freeze it or put a few napkins or a towel on a plate...put the block of tofu on top...and a canned good on top...let it drain and flip it over to do it again.

Click to expand...

I think I did try to drain it the one time I bought it, but probably didn't do it right.  It was several years ago now and I don't remember what I did, other than that it was a firm tofu and I tried to make a stir fry and I hated the mushy texture.

Mamanyt1953 said:

 
I have no clue, but the ideas above seem good.  I did go vegan for about 6-7 months, years ago, before I wound up in the cardiac care unit of our local hospital.  Seems that I, like our cats, am an obligate carnivore.  I do not produce the enzymes that allow partial proteins to be combined into full proteins, and my organs had begun to digest themselves in search of animal protein.  Lucky me. 

As for the fish suffering, so do plants.  They produce a chemical "scream" of pain when cut, and other plants in the area all react to it.  Lack of a face or what we recognize as a nervous system does not indicate a lack of feeling on a level we don't comprehend.  After learning that, I decided that I would, within reason, eat what came my way, and honor those lives, both animal and plant, that gave theirs for me to exist.

That said, I won't touch veal.  I know how it is produced, and I will not be a party to it.  I buy free range eggs locally from a farm that welcomes visitors, and I shop for kosher beef, because of the restrictions and requirements on how the animals are treated pre-butchering.  I also buy organic.  It's a real hardship on my budget, but it's the best I can do to assure that the plants and animals I consume are treated as well as possible.

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I did not know that some people's body can't combine plant based proteins to make complete proteins.  The whole food combination thing is why I always do vegetarian rather than vegan.  I know tofu is the one plant based complete protein but eating the same thing on a very regular basis is a sure way for me to quit something very quickly.  When I am eating vegetarian I do a combination of dairy protein based meals, occasional tofu based meals, and very occasional egg in the form of an omelette.  the deal with the eggs is a personal preference, I am not a huge fan of eggs.  

Of course, I don't need to mention the simple fact that you don't exist because you eat meat. Slaughtering is not required for your existence.




As far as others' protein comments...there are tons of sources of protein and it's actually easy peasy to get all your needed nutrients. I don't eat much tofu. I eat a varied diet...see my post above with examples...and I didn't even list things like quinoa, nuts, seeds, tempeh, almond milk, cashew milk, flax milk, sietan, spinach and so on. Those are easy little things to pick up. There seems to be this idea that every veg eats mostly salad and tofu but ironically, I don't know any vegetarians or vegans who eat much of either and yet were healthy and kickin.

rubysmama, I drain the liquid off it before slicing it. I use the water packed type.

Quote:

Denice said:

 
I did not know that some people's body can't combine plant based proteins to make complete proteins.  The whole food combination thing is why I always do vegetarian rather than vegan.  I know tofu is the one plant based complete protein but eating the same thing on a very regular basis is a sure way for me to quit something very quickly.  When I am eating vegetarian I do a combination of dairy protein based meals, occasional tofu based meals, and very occasional egg in the form of an omelette.  the deal with the eggs is a personal preference, I am not a huge fan of eggs.  

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I didn't know that either, that some people's bodies don't produce the enzymes to create complete proteins. 

Denice:   I see you didn't mention legumes at all as a vegetarian protein source.  I, personally, had never even heard of a lentil till I decided to become vegetarian, and now they are one of my favourite foods.   I also love black beans, which I had never eaten till becoming vegetarian.  There are loads of rice and bean recipe variations that you should try, so that you can get away from just dairy, eggs and tofu when you eat vegetarian.

Crazy4Strays said:

rubysmama, I drain the liquid off it before slicing it. I use the water packed type.

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Thanks Crazy4Strays.   I'm going to have to give tofu another try.

Denice said:

 
I did not know that some people's body can't combine plant based proteins to make complete proteins.  The whole food combination thing is why I always do vegetarian rather than vegan.  I know tofu is the one plant based complete protein but eating the same thing on a very regular basis is a sure way for me to quit something very quickly.  When I am eating vegetarian I do a combination of dairy protein based meals, occasional tofu based meals, and very occasional egg in the form of an omelette.  the deal with the eggs is a personal preference, I am not a huge fan of eggs.  

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It's a very rare condition, apparently it has a genetic component, although that isn't certain.  And no matter what combination or variety of partial proteins you eat, they will cont combine into complete ones.  And I can only tolerate so much tofu before I go a little crazy.  Although I'm quite fond of blackened tofu, you can only eat it so many meals per week before madness sets in.

rubysmama, thank you for your calm and considered reply.  I differ in that I do believe that plants are just as sentient and feeling as animals, but I realize that I am in a very small majority in that belief.  You rarely find it outside of some of the very advanced  Buddhist practitioners, and almost never in Western philosophy.

Now, I'm all grumpy. I was going to make some happy comments about the tofu ideas.

@Lonelocust -- the list you wrote is a list of much of what I like. My (hopefully, soon to be x) husband is Israeli, and he had this whole thing about shakshouka. I generally like it, but the last time I made it, I realized I'm not liking eggs much, right now. There's a bunch of Middle-Eastern things that I'd like to make at some point, like Amba.

My thing with eggs, and not taking eggs out, has more to do with eating bread--and other egg-containing baked goods. And baking.

Isn't rice and beans a complete protein?

KittyCort said:

There seems to be this idea that every veg eats mostly salad and tofu but ironically, I don't know any vegetarians or vegans who eat much of either and yet were healthy and kickin.

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It's true.  I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years and I rarely eat tofu or soy products.  I do eats lots of salads, though.     And I eat lots of beans--black beans are my favorite.  

rpandcat said:

 
Now, I'm all grumpy. I was going to make some happy comments about the tofu ideas.

@Lonelocust -- the list you wrote is a list of much of what I like. My (hopefully, soon to be x) husband is Israeli, and he had this whole thing about shakshouka. I generally like it, but the last time I made it, I realized I'm not liking eggs much, right now. There's a bunch of Middle-Eastern things that I'd like to make at some point, like Amba.

My thing with eggs, and not taking eggs out, has more to do with eating bread--and other egg-containing baked goods. And baking.

Isn't rice and beans a complete protein?

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This might make you smile 



From Wikipedia (regarding rice and beans)

Rice is rich in starch, an excellent source of energy. Rice also has iron, vitamin B and protein. Beans also contain a good amount of iron and an even greater amount of protein than rice.^[3] Together they make up a complete protein,^[4] which provides each of the amino acids the body cannot make for itself.

Personally, I'm not looking for meat substitutes except for every now and then or if I end up at a restaurant where a veggie burger is the only option. There are so many ways you can cook rice and beans or vegetables in general that I don't think they (meat substitutes) should be a staple (at least not for me). I'm not big on baked goods like cakes and such so I'm not looking for vegan versions of them either. Pasta with a low fat, low sodium tomato based sauce on it is a good option. Added veggies to give it more bulk is, too. From what I've read, gluten free pasta is better than wheat pasta as it's allegedly easier to digest. I'm going to try some and see how it works for me. I love high quality extra dark chocolate so I'm pretty happy that that's not off limits