The Ultimate Veg Thread

Asa said:
@soulareclipse – oh, that fud looks so tasty and the presentation is on point!
There are some interesting vegan egg alternative that are tasty but strange. I think they'd work in maki because they need something else to help balance the flavor and texture.
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Ahhh, thank you m'lady! :kissingclosed: Also, tamagoyaki is no ordinary omelette. It's a sweet omelette and it is sooooo good! The sweetness itself helps balance the flavor too.

Asa said:
@Wyote and @soulareclipse – any tips on reverse maki would be appreciated. I haven't yet mastered it.
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Uramaki (rice on the outside) is tricky to roll. Definitely put plastic wrap over your rolling mat, or (preferably) put it in a gallon ziploc bag like I did. It prevents the rice from sticking to the mat, plus makes it 10x easier to clean when you're done. I do this for maki too. Also, once you've spread your rice on the nori, you can dab a little bit of cold water onto the rice before you flip it over nori side up, but I don't find that I need to do that so long as I cover my mat in plastic. I always use a full sheet of nori for uramaki since the rolls are invariably larger than if you do regular maki. With maki, I mainly use 3/4 of a sheet.

Trying to think of any other pointers...hmm. Beyond that, I think it's just a matter of rolling it up as tight as you can, just as you would with maki...roll, tighten, roll, tighten, etc. If you have trouble with a particular step, let me know and I'll try to help.
 
Someone just posted photos of vegan food he is eating in Vietnam in a FB group, and I had to share because I am dying to eat it all!

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Baked beans are not a food I'd ever choose to cook, but my SO loves them and they're easy to make. (Baked beans recipes always seem like, "Quick, put everything we've got into the pot to see if it makes them taste good!")

Also, "best ever vegan recipe" always raises an eyebrow, because a lot of people have a very different idea of what vegan food should taste like than I do.


But, this is actually tasty... and you could always add bacon to it if you are not vegan:

https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/best-ever-vegan-baked-beans/
 
Asa said:
Baked beans are not a food I'd ever choose to cook, but my SO loves them and they're easy to make. (Baked beans recipes always seem like, "Quick, put everything we've got into the pot to see if it makes them taste good!")

Also, "best ever vegan recipe" always raises an eyebrow, because a lot of people have a very different idea of what vegan food should taste like than I do.


But, this is actually tasty... and you could always add bacon to it if you are not vegan:

https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/best-ever-vegan-baked-beans/
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Thanks for a new recipe site @Asa :)

With these current health issues I have I've been eating a lot of beans. With very little gastric upset thank goodness!

Tonight was Great Northerns, a bag of frozen root vevgies, a remaining hunk of bok choi that was headed south, 1/4 cup of broth and a run through the nuker to soften everything up. ;)
 
@Sandie33 - I will look for more recipes for you.

Also, I've never put the bourbon* in the beans in this recipe, but I think it would knock it out of the park.
(*We don't keep bourbon at home. LOL!)
 
sprinkles said:
So I'm like 90% vegetarian but people keep giving me meat and I don't want to say anything. Am I a closet vegetarian?
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Either that, or bi-ovore with a strong herbivorous preference.
 
One of my favourite vegan recipes :m130: ..is a sauce which can be eaten with rice, pasta or bread. It doesn't really have a name :sweat:

--> 2 onions (diced), 1 or 2 leeks (cut in fine rings) and a bit of garlic are tossed into a pan where they're sautéd
--> add ground tofu and a bit of oil
--> add about 250 ml of broth, 5 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of medium hot mustard, 1 tablespoon of paprika, a pinch of salt and pepper and a bit of oatmilk (nearly any creamy liquid works, though :grimacing:) and let it cook for a while
 
@Vijou - Ohhhh, yum! Thanks for sharing!

sprinkles said:
So I'm like 90% vegetarian but people keep giving me meat and I don't want to say anything. Am I a closet vegetarian?
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I think that makes you an omni who prefers to eat vegetarian. My husband is the same way.
 
sprinkles said:
I've been strongly considering going 100% but I want to make sure I really want to before I go telling everybody if that makes any sense.
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Hi Sprinkles - your post makes me think how weird it sometimes seems that people feel like they need to put other people into a labeled box. I'll never eat meat again but I dislike labels, including vegetarian - it's like I've been categorized and put into a file folder. I had a beautiful pet parrot several years ago when I still ate meat, and when I would eat chicken I couldn't help but think I could have just as well been eating my "friend". I love animals, yes even worms and spiders, like my friends and family. It's like trying to tell random people how much you love someone - they don't really care and talking about it more sometimes makes it feel less special. "I don't eat meat because I'm weird - if you want to call me a vegetarian that's fine but I don't call myself that. Any other questions?" :)
 
AJ_ said:
Hi Sprinkles - your post makes me think how weird it sometimes seems that people feel like they need to put other people into a labeled box. I'll never eat meat again but I dislike labels, including vegetarian - it's like I've been categorized and put into a file folder. I had a beautiful pet parrot several years ago when I still ate meat, and when I would eat chicken I couldn't help but think I could have just as well been eating my "friend". I love animals, yes even worms and spiders, like my friends and family. It's like trying to tell random people how much you love someone - they don't really care and talking about it more sometimes makes it feel less special. "I don't eat meat because I'm weird - if you want to call me a vegetarian that's fine but I don't call myself that. Any other questions?" :)
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Yeah I've had a principle of not killing anything for quite a while now but I still ate meat some times just thinking it's already dead but I feel like I want to take it further.
 
sprinkles said:
I've been strongly considering going 100% but I want to make sure I really want to before I go telling everybody if that makes any sense.
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That makes total sense. It is a big commitment and can be challenging at times. It is always challenging to change your diet, but you get used to it and find your way. I always say, "Do what you can." Do what it right for you and don't let either vegans or meat eaters give you a hard time about it if you're somewhere in the middle.

It really, really helps to know how to cook well before turning veg, though.
 

I've always thought these should be served as a breakfast food for vegans, because they remind me of omelettes.

I finally got more rice flour and made these last night after daydreaming about it for days. It was amazing and so much fun because food has gotten pretttttttyyy borrrrring during isolation. (Oh, beans and rice again because we can't get fresh veggies. Awesome!)
I cook these with tofu or different mock meats instead of pork and shrimp. Use vegan fish sauce, or omit the fish sauce and make a different sauce. If you're not vegetarian and you read this thread, just follow the instructions as written. If you are veg/vegan, sub a vegan ingredient every time the instructions calls for meat.


Two different recipes offered. The first is accidentally gluten-free.

BÁNH XÈO – SAVORY VIETNAMESE CRÊPE

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 scallion (thinly sliced)
  • vegetable oil (for frying)
FILLING
  • 1/2 pound shrimp (peeled, deveined and sliced in half, lengthtwise)
  • 1 small onion (thinly sliced) about 1/2 cup
  • 1 ½ cups bean sprouts
  • mustard greens or leafy lettuce, shiso (perilla), basil (optional )
OTHER
  • nuoc cham (dipping sauce for serving)
  • 1/2 cup mix cilantro leaves + mint leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk in rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, salt, coconut milk and water until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes (or leave refrigerated overnight; cover with plastic wrap).
  2. Make your dipping sauce by following the nuoc cham recipe.
  3. Divide the onions and shrimp into 6 portions – 1 for each crepe.
  4. Divide the bean sprouts into 6 portions – but keep separate from your portions of shrimp/onion.
  5. In a 9-inch skillet over medium high heat, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil and swirl around to coat the skillet evenly.
  6. Add 1 portion of the shrimp and onions and cook for 1 minute.
  7. Move the shrimp and onions to one side of the pan, making sure they’re spread out – and pour about 1/2 cup of batter in the skillet. Tilt the pan quickly to evenly cover the entire bottom of the pan and add beans sprouts on top.
  8. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the bean sprouts have begun wilting.
  9. Take the lid off, cook for 1 minute, add cilantro and mint and turn the heat off.
  10. Fold in half and transfer to a plate.
  11. Repeat the same process for the remaining ingredients.
  12. Serve simply with nuoc cham – or wrap bits of your cooked crepes in mustard greens (or leafy lettuce), perilla, basil and cilantro and dip in nuoc cham.



Bánh Xèo

Ingredients
Batter
  • 9 oz rice flour
  • 3 oz all-purpose wheat flour
  • 2-3 tsp turmeric
  • 3.5 c water
  • 1 can coconut cream (14 oz / 400 ml) if unavailable, use coconut milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 sprig green onion ~6-7 leaves, chopped about 1-2 cm long
Filling
  • 1 lb shrimp without heads sized 45/50 or 60/70
  • 1.5 lb pork belly
  • 1 medium onion thinly sliced
  • 1-1.5 lb bean sprouts
  • 1/2 c dry mung beans optional
Vegetables
  • 1 head mustard greens caỉ xanh
  • 1 bunch mint
  • 1 bunch cilantro optional
  • 1 bunch Vietnamese perilla tía tô, optional
Dipping sauce
  • Vietnamese fish sauce
Instructions
Prepare Batter
  • Combine all batter ingredients except scallions in a large bowl for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Add scallions only right before making the crêpes.
Prepare Fillings
  • Steam or soak mung beans in water until soft
  • Boil pork until cooked through. Slice thinly.
  • Wash bean sprouts and veggies
Making Bánh Xèo - Each crêpe takes about 5-7 minutes
  • On medium-high heat add 1-2 teaspoons of oil and some onions
Immediately add a few pieces of pork and shrimp. Sauté, lightly mixing until very lightly browned.

Pour in some batter and quickly tilt & rotate the pan so the batter is evenly spread. Add more batter if it wasn't enough to cover the pan.
Add some mung beans, bean sprouts, and cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes, or until bean sprouts are slightly cooked. The batter should also be slightly cooked and transparent around the edges.
Remove the lid, lower heat to medium and wait for the crêpe to become crisp. Fold in half, transfer to a plate and serve immediately.



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OMG! Be still me heart! A site for introverts with a thread for veg heads? This just keeps getting better.
Have discovered that tofu is something completely different once frozen. The texture becomes crumbly and drier , perfect for adding to recipes. Also makes a nice 'egg' salad. frozen/thawed/drained tofu (extra firm variety), some finely minced celery and sweet onion, a little tumeric and some dry mustard. Add a little mayo or Veganaise, stir well and refrigerate overnight. Makes a great sandwich.
 
I'm back with another "not just for vegans" recipe.

Article here: https://veganonboard.com/vegan-dand...6xM-kOWIy6wLkx8v0869k4ldJFwwv5unfsFi3uJwN2nvk


Dandelion Honey.

Ingredients
  • 2 cups fresh dandelion flowerheads, densely packed
  • 2 slices lemon
  • 1.5 cups water
  • about 1.5 cups organic sugar
Instructions
  • Shake or blow the flowers to remove any bugs
  • Place the water, lemon slices and dandelion flowers in a saucepan
  • Simmer with a lid on for 15 minutes
  • Leave this to cool and infuse overnight
  • The next day, strain out the flowers and lemon by pouring the liquid through a strainer or muslin cloth. Press down to make sure you get all of that dandelion juice out!
  • Weigh the liquid, and then weigh out the same amount sugar.
  • Put the liquid back in the pan and add the sugar. Stir and heat gently at first until the sugar is dissolved. Then bring it up to a gentle boil for approximately 15 minutes. See the notes for tips on knowing when it's ready.
  • Pour into clean sterilised jars and put the lids on while it's still hot
Notes
1:1 Liquid to Sugar Ratio
Ideally you want to weigh the amount of liquid that you have and use the same amount of sugar. We don't always have a scales to hand, so we use the cup measurements as above, and just use our judgement. As the amount of liquid you have left over after infusing the dandelions can vary, the sugar amount can vary, and so can the amount of time you need to boil the liquid. If you have ever made jam, it is a similar process.

How to know when it has reached the right consistency
You will see that the liquid will darken and start to thicken. Test it regularly on a cold plate, or see how it clings onto a metal spoon. It will thicken more as it cools, so aim to turn it off before it reaches your desired texture. I prefer to stick to the more runny consistency. If you cook it for too long you risk that it gets overly thick and caramelises.

If you change the batch size, the time needed to boil and thicken will vary.

Just like real honey, this can also crystallise. But it's still good to eat.

Picking dandelions
Always pick your dandelion flowers from a plentiful, clean and pesticide free place. Dandelions are an early nectar source for pollinators, so make sure to leave plenty behind for the bees and their friends!

Troubleshooting
I haven't weighed the liquid
You can just use the measurements given in the recipe instead! In this case, however, cooking time until you reach the right consistency can vary. It might take a bit longer, or less long until you are done. Make sure to test the consistency as described above!

I've added the sugar from the beginning
No worries! Nothing's lost. Here's what you can do: Instead of boiling for 15 minutes with the flowers at the beginning, just gently heat up until the sugar is dissolved, then leave to infuse overnight. To continue, strain the liquid as normal through a sieve, and the dissolved sugar stays in the liquid. Then heat up in a saucepan and simmer until the right consistency is reached (see tips above).

My honey has crystallised
You have probably boiled off too much of the liquid or added more sugar than required, and the honey crystallised as it cooled down. Crystallisation can also happen when the vegan honey is stored for a longer amount of time.
 
AzureVase said:
OMG! Be still me heart! A site for introverts with a thread for veg heads? This just keeps getting better.
Have discovered that tofu is something completely different once frozen. The texture becomes crumbly and drier , perfect for adding to recipes. Also makes a nice 'egg' salad. frozen/thawed/drained tofu (extra firm variety), some finely minced celery and sweet onion, a little tumeric and some dry mustard. Add a little mayo or Veganaise, stir well and refrigerate overnight. Makes a great sandwich.
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That's how we used to make "tuna fish" sandwiches back in the day. I also like to mash chick peas and mix with Veganaise and seasonings* to make sandwiches with.

*I like scallions or chives, dill, salt,and pepper.
 
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