Vegans: What's for Dinner?

[tarheelmjfan]

DS has decided to adhere to a plant based diet. From what I can tell, it's pretty much the same as a vegan diet. He's in college & likes me to make him enough food for the week on Sundays, so he doesn't have to eat on campus, eat out often or cook. While I'm cooking for him, I try to make enough for DH & I to have a few meals also. We're already getting sick of the few meals we trust to be good. So, what are some tried & true recipes/meals you would recommend? It would also help to know what sides you typically make with each main course. TIA for the help.

 

[mombrontrent]

Instead of your typical main course plus sides think of one dish meals. Also think of ethnic foods. Some favourites around here that also please non vegans include:
Tofu and veggie stir fry
Curries
Veggie pad Thai
Veggie flatbreads
Pasta with veggies and vegan pesto or marinara
Soups
Veggie Chilli, enchiladas or tacos
Pasta salad
I could go on and on, I was a vegetarian foe 15 years before I became a vegan 5 years ago and since that time is the variety of food I eat has increased greatly. I eat way more variety then the average person. I like be trying out different vegan meals from different countries, so much variety and flavours.

 

[sonnyjane]

DS has decided to adhere to a plant based diet. From what I can tell, it's pretty much the same as a vegan diet. He's in college & likes me to make him enough food for the week on Sundays, so he doesn't have to eat on campus, eat out often or cook. While I'm cooking for him, I try to make enough for DH & I to have a few meals also. We're already getting sick of the few meals we trust to be good. So, what are some tried & true recipes/meals you would recommend? It would also help to know what sides you typically make with each main course. TIA for the help.

I would clarify whether "plant-based" does in fact mean completely vegan. There's an awful lot of hidden dairy and eggs out in many products, so if it's vegan, you'll have to be a bit more careful about reading labels. I do veggie wraps, stir-fries, pastas, I bake portobello mushroom caps with rice and veggies and eat it like a "steak" (but they make great burgers too). There's a lot of great processed vegan products out there but I'm trying to get away from so many processed frozen foods, but they're definitely out there and they are DELICIOUS (Gardein makes great stuff!)

 

[Uncranky Donald]

Though currently a carnivore I was both vegan and vegetarian for many years of my life and my favorite home cooked meal is very simple but so good. Its homemade Facon!!
Does it taste like bacon, no but it's great for making a "BLT", a different tasting protein and pretty darn simple.
What you need:
-Firm Tofu
-Liquid Smoke (if his plant based diet does not allow this, some hickory/applewood smoked salt will work fine & be considered plant based)
-Tamari
-Nutritional Yeast
All of which are both vegan and gluten free, just double check labels about the GF part. Most major supermarkets carry all of these, if not a Whole Foods def will.

Slice tofu into thin slices on the long side of the block (mimicking bacon slices) and fry in a lightly oiled sauté pan. When the slices start to get slightly brown/stiff on the edges(they will pop a bit as they loose moisture) simply sprinkle on a few dashes of tamari and a tiny bit of liquid smoke to the pan moving each piece around to gain flavor and color. When the slices look "crispy" enough sprinkle on about 1/2 teaspoon of nutritional yeast per slice (each side) just to coat, this kind of adds texture and holds all the liquid in. Let the Facon sit in the pan for another minute after adding the yeast, and then you're done. Some vegan pita &mayo, lettuce, tomato, so yummy. I STILL make this as a meat eater cuz I enjoy the taste

 

[elaine amj]

Though currently a carnivore I was both vegan and vegetarian for many years of my life and my favorite home cooked meal is very simple but so good. Its homemade Facon!!
Does it taste like bacon, no but it's great for making a "BLT", a different tasting protein and pretty darn simple.
What you need:
-Firm Tofu
-Liquid Smoke (if his plant based diet does not allow this, some hickory/applewood smoked salt will work fine & be considered plant based)
-Tamari
-Nutritional Yeast
All of which are both vegan and gluten free, just double check labels about the GF part. Most major supermarkets carry all of these, if not a Whole Foods def will.

Slice tofu into thin slices on the long side of the block (mimicking bacon slices) and fry in a lightly oiled sauté pan. When the slices start to get slightly brown/stiff on the edges(they will pop a bit as they loose moisture) simply sprinkle on a few dashes of tamari and a tiny bit of liquid smoke to the pan moving each piece around to gain flavor and color. When the slices look "crispy" enough sprinkle on about 1/2 teaspoon of nutritional yeast per slice (each side) just to coat, this kind of adds texture and holds all the liquid in. Let the Facon sit in the pan for another minute after adding the yeast, and then you're done. Some vegan pita &mayo, lettuce, tomato, so yummy. I STILL make this as a meat eater cuz I enjoy the taste

Hmmm...I am going to have to try your Facon!! Sounds yummy!!

My DH prefers to stick to whole foods and avoids meat, dairy, wheat, sugar and way too many things LOL! While he is not strict, it feels harder than even a vegan diet because he avoids white rice, potatoes, flour and most breads. He does eat eggs and fish though, so that helps.

Anyway, I usually adapt regular recipes. If it calls for pasta, I sub spiralized zucchini. I sub rice with quinoa, potatoes with sweet potatoes, and chicken with tofu.

I tend to do a lot of stirfries and veggie curries as well as regular salads.

Following for ideas as it is hard to feed him enough calories and he's way too skinny.

 

[robinb]

I am a carnivore and my DD is a vegetarian and I just made a "Whole Bowl" knock-off last night. http://www.sweetphi.com/the-whole-bowl-tali-sauce-recipe-vegetarian-gluten-free/ You can make it vegan by skipping the cheese and sour cream. It tastes just fine without it. I took the left overs today and added a nice pan grilled chicken breast to it. I made chili tonight. I started with the same base (diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, onions, garlic, green pepper, spices) and added ground beef to mine and chopped butternut squash to my DD's and cooked them a little more to blend the tastes.

I recently found a website called Kitchen Treaty (http://www.kitchentreaty.com/) that is run by a carnivore and has a lot of vegetarian meals that you can easily add meat into. She calls that section "One Dish Two Ways".

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Here a few great sites to get you started for healthy recipes:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/category/main-dishes

https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/

https://happyherbivore.com/recipes/

Vegan beef stew which replaces beef with portobello mushrooms, is really good. I leave out the liquid smoke because I find it overpowers this dish, and add parsnips and turnip. http://www.connoisseurusveg.com/portobello-vegan-beef-stew/

For lunch, wraps with hummus, raw veggies, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro are great for lunch. My family also likes wraps with re fried black beans (with added cumin, garlic and onion powder), fried onions, sweet potato, salsa, corn and cilantro.

My husband often takes leftovers from dinner for his lunch. I make pastas with green pepper, fried onions, broccoli and kale thrown into the sauce.

We stay away from cooking with any oil and I use water, if needed, to fry onions and veggies instead. If olive oil or any other oil is in a recipe I just leave it out.

It's easy to adapt many recipes by replacing milk with unsweetened almond milk and butter with Earth Balance.

You will see nutritional yeast in tons of recipes and it's a great replacement for B12 vitamin and adds a nice flavor to many dishes. You can find it in most grocery stores with Bob Mill products and looks like this:

 

[Minnesota!]

Quinoa, cooked, add in a ton of veggies (broccoli, spinach, and some fresh basil being my favorite).

Roasted cabbage with a tomato salad on the side.

I love tofu curry...I use green curry paste, but my kids prefer the yellow.

Black beans, cooked with cumin/garlic, then smashed. Top with taco toppings. YUM!

I love roasted veg, and they are good cold for lunch the next day, too.

 

[Poohforyou]

I'd get that college kid of yours to look up some recipes and get in the kitchen to help.

That being said, ethnic food is a good way to go. Many cultures use meat more as,a garnish than a significant ingredient so it can easily be let out.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Instead of your typical main course plus sides think of one dish meals. Also think of ethnic foods. Some favourites around here that also please non vegans include:
Tofu and veggie stir fry
Curries
Veggie pad Thai
Veggie flatbreads
Pasta with veggies and vegan pesto or marinara
Soups
Veggie Chilli, enchiladas or tacos
Pasta salad
I could go on and on, I was a vegetarian foe 15 years before I became a vegan 5 years ago and since that time is the variety of food I eat has increased greatly. I eat way more variety then the average person. I like be trying out different vegan meals from different countries, so much variety and flavours.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Those sound great for him & us. Do you have any specific recipes you recommend? This is all very new to me.

I would clarify whether "plant-based" does in fact mean completely vegan. There's an awful lot of hidden dairy and eggs out in many products, so if it's vegan, you'll have to be a bit more careful about reading labels. I do veggie wraps, stir-fries, pastas, I bake portobello mushroom caps with rice and veggies and eat it like a "steak" (but they make great burgers too). There's a lot of great processed vegan products out there but I'm trying to get away from so many processed frozen foods, but they're definitely out there and they are DELICIOUS (Gardein makes great stuff!)

I'm not sure his diet is completely vegan, but it sounds like it to me. He says he's doing it for a healthier diet & has eliminated all beef, pork, chicken, fish, seafood & dairy. I'll look for portobello mushroom recipes. We love mushrooms. Any other specific recipes would be very much appreciated.

Though currently a carnivore I was both vegan and vegetarian for many years of my life and my favorite home cooked meal is very simple but so good. Its homemade Facon!!
Does it taste like bacon, no but it's great for making a "BLT", a different tasting protein and pretty darn simple.
What you need:
-Firm Tofu
-Liquid Smoke (if his plant based diet does not allow this, some hickory/applewood smoked salt will work fine & be considered plant based)
-Tamari
-Nutritional Yeast
All of which are both vegan and gluten free, just double check labels about the GF part. Most major supermarkets carry all of these, if not a Whole Foods def will.

Slice tofu into thin slices on the long side of the block (mimicking bacon slices) and fry in a lightly oiled sauté pan. When the slices start to get slightly brown/stiff on the edges(they will pop a bit as they loose moisture) simply sprinkle on a few dashes of tamari and a tiny bit of liquid smoke to the pan moving each piece around to gain flavor and color. When the slices look "crispy" enough sprinkle on about 1/2 teaspoon of nutritional yeast per slice (each side) just to coat, this kind of adds texture and holds all the liquid in. Let the Facon sit in the pan for another minute after adding the yeast, and then you're done. Some vegan pita &mayo, lettuce, tomato, so yummy. I STILL make this as a meat eater cuz I enjoy the taste

Thanks a bunch. I've been afraid to adventure into recipes including tofu, but I'll give this a try. It helps to have tried & true recipe I can feel confident we'll eat. If you have any other recipes that are winners, please share.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I am a carnivore and my DD is a vegetarian and I just made a "Whole Bowl" knock-off last night. http://www.sweetphi.com/the-whole-bowl-tali-sauce-recipe-vegetarian-gluten-free/ You can make it vegan by skipping the cheese and sour cream. It tastes just fine without it. I took the left overs today and added a nice pan grilled chicken breast to it. I made chili tonight. I started with the same base (diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, onions, garlic, green pepper, spices) and added ground beef to mine and chopped butternut squash to my DD's and cooked them a little more to blend the tastes.

I recently found a website called Kitchen Treaty (http://www.kitchentreaty.com/) that is run by a carnivore and has a lot of vegetarian meals that you can easily add meat into. She calls that section "One Dish Two Ways".

This is too funny. DS suggested a whole bowl recipe yesterday, which I rejected. I obviously need to be more open minded. I'll try it next weekend. Thanks for the vegan to carnivore adaptations. DH will appreciate those. I'll check out the link you suggested.

Here a few great sites to get you started for healthy recipes:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/category/main-dishes

https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/

https://happyherbivore.com/recipes/

Vegan beef stew which replaces beef with portobello mushrooms, is really good. I leave out the liquid smoke because I find it overpowers this dish, and add parsnips and turnip. http://www.connoisseurusveg.com/portobello-vegan-beef-stew/

For lunch, wraps with hummus, raw veggies, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro are great for lunch. My family also likes wraps with re fried black beans (with added cumin, garlic and onion powder), fried onions, sweet potato, salsa, corn and cilantro.

My husband often takes leftovers from dinner for his lunch. I make pastas with green pepper, fried onions, broccoli and kale thrown into the sauce.

We stay away from cooking with any oil and I use water, if needed, to fry onions and veggies instead. If olive oil or any other oil is in a recipe I just leave it out.

It's easy to adapt many recipes by replacing milk with unsweetened almond milk and butter with Earth Balance.

You will see nutritional yeast in tons of recipes and it's a great replacement for B12 vitamin and adds a nice flavor to many dishes. You can find it in most grocery stores with Bob Mill products and looks like this:

Thanks for all the links & suggestions. I'll have plenty of options to choose from. Do you have any favorites other than the beef stew. That's definitely making it on the list. The lunch suggestions are also very helpful.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Quinoa, cooked, add in a ton of veggies (broccoli, spinach, and some fresh basil being my favorite).

Roasted cabbage with a tomato salad on the side.

I love tofu curry...I use green curry paste, but my kids prefer the yellow.

Black beans, cooked with cumin/garlic, then smashed. Top with taco toppings. YUM!

I love roasted veg, and they are good cold for lunch the next day, too.

We quickly discovered quinoa is a favorite. I've pretty much been doing quinoa w/ black beans & roasted vegetables, but I clearly need to expand our options. Do you have a tofu curry recipe you recommend?

I'd get that college kid of yours to look up some recipes and get in the kitchen to help.

That being said, ethnic food is a good way to go. Many cultures use meat more as,a garnish than a significant ingredient so it can easily be let out.

DS does provide recipe suggestions for me to choose from. I choose the ones I think DH will eat & add others. If I'm going to be cooking anyway, I want at least a few recipes DH will eat. As many people with kids in college know, time with them is hard to come by. At this point, we're thrilled to have time with him watching sports, playing games, etc., even if some of it is spent cooking & doing laundry. It's a trade off I'm happy to make.

 

[Minnesota!]

I eyeball mine.

I sauté up bell peppers, broccoli and whatever other veg I have on hand.

I cube tofu and then fry it so it is a crispy on the outside.

Remove all from the pan.

In skillet, I add a can of coconut milk, and green curry paste to taste. If it is not the right consistency, I add some veggie stock.

Once it has been mixed and is warm, I add the veggies and tofu back in.

Serve over rice. The green curry paste I get DOES have shrimp in it (Mae Ploy) but I am positive you can find or make without.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Thanks for all the links & suggestions. I'll have plenty of options to choose from. Do you have any favorites other than the beef stew. That's definitely making it on the list. The lunch suggestions are also very helpful.

Here are some more favorite recipes. If your not sure of ingredients just ask. I love talking about recipes.

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2016/07/jacked-vegan-ribs.html This recipe may sound daunting but you can't ruin it. Serve with mashed potatoes and corn. I use unsweetened almond milk and garlic and onion powder in the potatoes. Also a couple tbsps of nutritional yeast is nice in them.

https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/mexican-black-bean-corn-soup/

https://happyherbivore.com/recipe/tofu-scramble/ I throw in onions, broccoli, peppers, spinach etc for a full meal. Very low carb/fat. I didn't start eating tofu until I went plant based but I love it now. So much so I can't believe I was once scared of it. lol

http://epicureanvegan.com/2010/05/23/creamy-macaroni-and-cashew-cheese I add truffle oil and blend the sauce in Vitamix and mix in steamed cauliflower to the pasta at the end.

http://www.feastie.com/recipe/fatfree-vegan-kitchen/vegan-cabbage-rolls I haven't made these in a long time but they are good. Serve with sauerkraut.

http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=268&catId=2 I love this Shepherd's Pie. I add corn instead of peas because we aren't big on peas here.

 

[Chaitali]

Here's another website I like for vegan recipes. I like subbing out meat for chickpeas or lentils. For example, here's a chickpea piccata recipe that's good. http://www.isachandra.com/2010/09/chickpea-picatta/ Or a lentil shepherd's pie https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10035/golden-veggie-shepherds-pie An easy weeknight option we like is a veggie chilli over a baked potato (or sweet potato).

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Subscribing.

While I am not going 100% plant based, I am cutting out red meat and would like to eat something other than chicken or fish at some point.

 

[Katy Belle]

We are all carnivores, but I make one vegan meal that everyone likes. Basically, make vegetarian chili, and serve it over baked potatoes. Yum.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

One of my favorite bowl meals is quinoa, cooked in a rice cooker to make it super easy, and roasted veggies with tahini (tahina) dressing. Using parchment paper on cookie sheets I roast broccoli and cauliflower, no oil needed. Cauliflower takes about 5 min longer than broccoli. Roasting the veggies really enhances their flavor. I shred a raw beet, add some chick peas, cherry tomatoes and raw kale. You can use any type of veggies you like but it is a very satisfying meal.

To make tahini dressing I use a large dollop of tahini paste, juice of one lemon and a garlic clove and enough water to make it into a dressing consistency.

This hummus is so good you can eat it with a spoon. https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/healthy-homemade-hummus/

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We are all carnivores, but I make one vegan meal that everyone likes. Basically, make vegetarian chili, and serve it over baked potatoes. Yum.

Ha, you haven't met my family. No tomatoes period. (GERD reasons)

We would LOVE to eat it though. In fact sounds good right now, lol.

 

[Katy Belle]

https://smittenkitchen.com/recipes/vegetarian/?format=photo

I love the recipes on this blog. She has lots of vegetarian recipes that you could alter to make Vegan.