Vegan Recipes Hub

I love food. It can be good, healthy and delicious. Unfortunately, it can also be heavy, fatty unhealthy, and bad tasting. My attitude has changed a lot over the years. As a kid it was pretty much anything goes. I ate pizza like it was going out of style. Pop tarts candy, you know, kid-stuff!

As I aged my tastes and digestive system (and other parts too :)) began to change. I found I did want some of the kid food I craved as a youngster. I was also finding for health reasons I couldn't eat some of those things.

The good news is that while some of the foods I grew up loving are now off my diet I have found replacements for them

For some reason Kosher is confusing to many people. They just don't understand the concept. The word is best translated as acceptable. So if a food is Kosher it can be defined as acceptable.

So what makes food Kosher?

Well Any raw fruit or vegetable properly washed and free of insects and not processed in any other way is technically Kosher. Once it is processed it must pass quality controls that ensure it stays Kosher. These include overseeing that the ingredients used are not non-kosher, that none of the machinery used (if any) uses non-kosher lubrication, It also includes making sure that no-one who handles the food has touched anything unkosher which would contaminate the whole process. That is why for something to be called Kosher it must be overseen by a competent Rabbi.

Kosher Meats

There are several things to consider for meat to be Kosher. It must not be listed among the animals described in the Bible as non-kosher. But even if the animal is considered Kosher it must be handled properly to keep it kosher and it must not have died or been killed accidentally. There are strict laws dealing with Kosher slaughter. This is the reason many Jews are Vegetarian or Vegan.

Blood

Blood is always forbidden and is never Kosher. A Jew may never eat blood for any reason. If he is cut he must not lick the wound. The blood is forbidden.

Insects

If it is an insect it is almost always unkosher. Biblically speaking there are only two species of insect that are kosher and no-one ever eats them.

Reptiles

Reptiles are never Kosher, nor are shellfish.

Mammals

Kosher mammals must chew their cud and have cloven hooves. If they don't they're not Kosher by default.

Fish

For fish to be Kosher they must have fins and scales. That is reason shell fish are not Kosher. Neither are eel or catfish there are many fish that don't have one or the other and they are not Kosher.

My research shows that the laws of Halal are very similar to that of Kosher.

According to About.com

Halal meats cannot be made from pork or use pork by products. An animals cannot be dead prior to slaughtering. Animals must be slaughtered properly. There are strict laws dealing with Halal slaughter. The animal must be slaughtered in the name of G-d (Allah). If not they are Haram (forbidden).

The meat must be free of blood and food made from blood is forbidden. Also forbidden are carnivorous animals, birds of prey, and land animals without external ears, and alcoholic food or beverages.

Please note: I will deal more with Halal and Kosher subjects in another hub.

I have gone down many paths, and so found out that there are meat substitutes that work well. Being a vegetarian means different things depending who you ask. Some say they are "Lacto- ovo-Pisces " vegetarians which means they still use milk products, eat eggs and things made with eggs and fish. Some are strict some are not. There are lots of variations of vegetarian.

Being Vegan always means you eat nothing from any animal source. This is not nearly as boring as it sounds. It's not just salad as some people think. As I mentioned earlier there are replacements for meat. There are also replacements for milk, eggs, cheese, butter, Ice cream, pudding, etc...

Even if something is strictly Kosher, Halal, Vegetarian or Vegan does not mean it is automatically healthy. There are lot's of things to consider such as food sensitivities, allergies, sugary snacks with empty calories, long chain sugars or carbohydrates, oils, cholesterol and so on.

Balanced diet

This is a phrase that has been abused and made almost meaningless by consumerism, but it is esssential for your sustained health.

Suppliments

No matter your lifestyle choice, to be healthy you need supplements. Today they come in many forms; teas, lotions, oils, liquid, gummy, capsule, tablet and powder.

Recommendations:

Since this hub is primarily about vegan recipes I will make vegan suggestions. You can substitute them as you see fit;

Proteins

1. Plain soy protein powder
2. Pea pectin protein (bad tasting - good for you)
3. Rice protein powder
4. Tofu
5. Seitan (processed wheat gluten)
6. TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein)
7. Basmati Rice
8. Soybeans
9. Quinoa ( a grain like fruit high in protein)

Veggies

Your choice: Choose any and all veggies. Vegetable are versatile and may be prepared dozens of ways. We will explore these later

Fruits

As we all know some fruits double as veggies and we will take a closer look at some of these as well

Whole Grains

Another overly used phrase in today's consumer driven culture I'm afraid. We will look at this more later as well

Easy And Delicious Vegan Tacos or Taco Salad

1. One Medium onion chopped
2. One or Two Clove(s) Garlic Chopped or Minced
3. Three Ounces Tomato Paste
4. Ten Ounces Salsa (you choose spice level)
5. Four to Eight Ounces of Sliced Mushrooms
6. Fifteen Ounces Diced Tomatoes
7. Optional Hot sauce to taste.
8. Dash of Cayenne Pepper (or to taste)
9. Dash of Red Pepper (or to taste)
10. Eight Ounces Tomato Sauce
11. One Tablespoon Chili Sauce
12. One Pound Frozen Corn
13. 1/4 Cup TVP ( Texturized Vegetable Protein)
14. One or More Avocados (optional)
15. Taco shells, Tortillas or Tortilla Chips
16. Lettuce (optional)
17. Salt to taste

Method

In a large sauce pan sautee onions and garlic in water or oil until onions are clear. Combine place ingredients 3-12 over medium heat and simmer until corn is warm. Stir in TVP simmer 5 minutes longer. Build tacos (or taco salad) as usual.

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Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

This is a variation of the above taco recipe.

• Leave out corn, chili sauce,hot sauce (unless you like hot sauce) and cayenne pepper.

1. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon basil
2. 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon oregano
3. One to three teaspoons dried granulated garlic
4. Dash of thyme
5. 1/8 tsp black pepper

Method

Cook as described above eat over pasta, rice or your favorite grain.

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Vegan Chili

Also a variation of taco recipe

1. Increase chili sauce to 1/4 cup
2. Increase All spicy ingredients to taste
3. Add one 14 to 16 ounce can tomato juice
4. Increase tomato paste to 12 -18 ounces
5. Salt and pepper to taste
6. Add one pound your favorite beans I prefer black beans they are pretty
7. Dice 2 - 3 green bell peppers and or jalapenos.

Method

Saute peppers with onions and garlic. Cook exactly as described above but use 2 quart or larger sauce pan. Serve over your favorite grain or pasta

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Mushroom Steak

When I would eat meat there was nothing quite as satisfying as a nice plump steak cooked just right. I don't eat meat anymore but I still have fond steak memories. Like everything else steak is replaceable.

1. One to Two Portabella Mushrooms whole per person
2. One Medium Onion per mushroom
3. One clove of garlic finely chopped or one teaspoon of prechopped garlic per onion
4. One can button mushrooms per Portabella
5. Soy Sauce
6. Vegetable Bullion
7. One block of previously frozen and thawed and drained tofu (freezing tofu changes texture of tofu so it crumbles) squeeze all the excess water from tofu

Method

Saute Onions until carmalized. Add garlic and continue cooking on low hear for a few more minutes. Crumble and add tofu then add mushrooms (water and all) to onion garlic mixture. Add 1/4 tsp of bullion per two onions. Salt and pepper taste. Set aside covered

In large skillet place portabellas with olive oil cook on low heat covered 5-8 minutes. With hollow side of mushroom up add mushroom onion mixture and fill cavities.

*Rice cheese melts well and can be used over tops of mushrooms

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Butter Bean "Hummus"

I put hummus in quotes because the word actually means chick peas or garbanzo beans.