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[Famassu]

Ya'll I made aqua faba last night for the first time. This is some game changing shit for me.

I've been trying to recreate this non-vegan hamburger-mayonnaise-like thing in the past couple of weeks with aquafaba.

Basically, it has a few tablespoons of aquafaba, garlic (to taste), a hefty dosage of paprika, lemon juice, a few slices of pickles, dijon mustard, salt, a little bit of sugar & as much rapeseed oil (or other fairly neutral tasting oil) as it takes to make it thick (with these amounts, 2-3dls usually). Pretty easy to make. Just put everything except the oil into a tall container, quickly mix it with a stick blender, then start pouring the oil in slowly while the stickblender is running to thicken it into a mayonnaise like thing.

 

[Daigoro]

Been eating a lot less meat lately. Still haven't kicked it completely and I don't think I can, but I'm happy with going from eating meat 2+ times a day to maybe 2 times a week.

Also just tried Just Mayo (pretty sure it is vegan). It is so good.

if you came to the logical conclusion that it was unethical i bet you could.

 

[CornBurrito]

if you came to the logical conclusion that it was unethical i bet you could.

There's no ethical consumption under capitalism, and yet I know I don't have the will to live off the grid in the woods.

I recognize eating meat is unethical. Why the fuck do you even think I'm trying to reduce my meat consumption? lol

 

[SomTervo]

You left out the best Vegenaise flavour!



It's amazing on pretty much everything.



My go-to line comes from an old boss of mine, who loved to say that I wouldn't eat anything that had a mother. Obviously that doesn't cover some shellfish, but it's a pretty effective way of explaining it.

Oh man. Thanks for the tip!!!

 

[Aarglefarg]

I get Majans (brand) Bhuja snacks which are nuts and noodles and other stuff mixed together with spices. Be aware that some of them are pretty spicy.

A few weeks ago, I contacted Nando's about what made their mushroom burgers go from being listed as vegan to non-vegan (but still vegetarian) but they didn't get back to me!

 

[Daigoro]

There's no ethical consumption under capitalism, and yet I know I don't have the will to live off the grid in the woods.

I recognize eating meat is unethical. Why the fuck do you even think I'm trying to reduce my meat consumption? lol

if there is NO ethical "consumption" as you say, then why the fuck are you trying to reduce it? if you believe something is unethical, then you should stop doing it, not try and reduce the frequency of it.

honestly, most of your posts have nothing to do with the theme of this thread which is veganism. something it seems like you dont seem to agree with as a practice, or see as a goal.

if consuming animal products is unethical, becoming a vegan is the logical solution to that that problem. if you dont agree with this, then you are in fact posting in the wrong thread.

if you're going to argue that animal products are all around us and we can never get away from the use of animals in our daily lives, then you are missing the point. there is the direct consumption of animal products and then there are things that you cant control.

what i can control is my direct consumption of meat, eggs, dairy, wool, leather, and many other products that are made with animal products. all unnecessary and all easy to avoid. thats what veganism is. its a simple concept and its easy to do.

 

[pastrami]

if there is NO ethical "consumption" as you say, then why the fuck are you trying to reduce it? if you believe something is unethical, then you should stop doing it, not try and reduce the frequency of it.

honestly, most of your posts have nothing to do with the theme of this thread which is veganism. something it seems like you dont seem to agree with as a practice, or see as a goal.

if consuming animal products is unethical, becoming a vegan is the logical solution to that that problem. if you dont agree with this, then you are in fact posting in the wrong thread.

if you're going to argue that animal products are all around us and we can never get away from the use of animals in our daily lives, then you are missing the point. there is the direct consumption of animal products and then there are things that you cant control.

what i can control is my direct consumption of meat, eggs, dairy, wool, leather, and many other products that are made with animal products. all unnecessary and all easy to avoid. thats what veganism is. its a simple concept and its easy to do.

Come on. Just a cursory glance at your post history shows that you probably own an iPhone and an Xbox. How do you feel about Foxconn workers? What's the point of attacking someone who is trying to reduce their meat consumption?

And yeah, I did check your post history because I thought that your hardline stance might have made you an off-the-grid minimalist type. I don't believe that's the case.

 

[Aarglefarg]

if there is NO ethical "consumption" as you say, then why the fuck are you trying to reduce it? if you believe something is unethical, then you should stop doing it, not try and reduce the frequency of it.

honestly, most of your posts have nothing to do with the theme of this thread which is veganism. something it seems like you dont seem to agree with as a practice, or see as a goal.

if consuming animal products is unethical, becoming a vegan is the logical solution to that that problem. if you dont agree with this, then you are in fact posting in the wrong thread.

if you're going to argue that animal products are all around us and we can never get away from the use of animals in our daily lives, then you are missing the point. there is the direct consumption of animal products and then there are things that you cant control.

what i can control is my direct consumption of meat, eggs, dairy, wool, leather, and many other products that are made with animal products. all unnecessary and all easy to avoid. thats what veganism is. its a simple concept and its easy to do.

There isn't an Ethical vs Unethical binary where everything is either fully ethical or fully unethical. Some things are more unethical than other unethical things. People can believe that something is somewhere within a range of unethicalness and not be required to totally stop it. There is also a range of things where something is so unethical they should 100% not do it, but that's a fraction of unethical things.

On the point about 'no ethical consumption':
(I'll emphasise before and after this paragraph that the following doesn't mean you shouldn't bother to do good. 'Everything has ethical issues' doesn't mean everything is equally bad)
It isn't "oh there are animal products everywhere so why bother". There are ethical problems in the production of all sorts of things (arguably everything?) that don't use animal products too. Environmental damage, worker exploitation, etc. Some of the things can be worse than animal use. The idea that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism has a lot of discussion available on it.
Again: It doesn't mean you shouldn't bother to be good, since (again) there are degrees of how good or bad things are.

Also note on your "wrong thread" statement:

Just a little moderation guideline for this thread:

Good Posts
- If you're a non-vegan, you are welcome here
- If you're a non-vegetarian, you are welcome here
[...]

I think this thread should also be a place for people wanting to cut down to some degree on their use of animal products.

 

[Famassu]

Yeeeah. We should be supportive of all attempts at people trying to eat less meat/using less animal products even if it doesn't lead to them being fully vegan (immediately), instead of so aggressively, militantly attacking those people as "not good enough" and telling them to GTFO.

If someone is being an ass and attacking veganism and not even trying, then sure, I don't think there's any need to pussyfoot around the issues or trying to soften the argument, but with people who are open to the idea, it's better to be supportive and encouraging rather than take such a hardliner approach. Rather than lash out at them for not being perfect, use positive reinforcement and maybe make recommendations to them how they can further avoid animal products. Introduce more and more things into their life that can, if not replace, at least offer more options to them in their daily lives and maybe with time they'll be replacing animal products five days per week instead of three, then go almost two weeks without them as their options multiply and so on and so on.

 

[Pinkuss]

Yeeeah. We should be supportive of all attempts at people trying to eat less meat/using less animal products even if it doesn't lead to them being fully vegan (immediately), instead of so aggressively, militantly attacking those people as "not good enough" and telling them to GTFO.

If someone is being an ass and attacking veganism and not even trying, then sure, I don't think there's any need to pussyfoot around the issues or trying to soften the argument, but with people who are open to the idea, it's better to be supportive and encouraging rather than take such a hardliner approach. Rather than lash out at them for not being perfect, use positive reinforcement and maybe make recommendations to them how they can further avoid animal products. Introduce more and more things into their life that can, if not replace, at least offer more options to them in their daily lives and maybe with time they'll be replacing animal products five days per week instead of three, then go almost two weeks without them as their options multiply and so on and so on.

100% agree. I'm a member of quite a few Vegan groups on Facebook (and even an admin on one who are supporting); it really is crap when people have a go at those who will either reduce animal suffering or who's goal may be to cut it out. Had an argument with one admin on another group (one of the bigger Worldwide ones) who argues heavily against baby steps; ignoring most of us where Veggie pre Vegan (15 years for me).

In the end putting one person off un-does one person's work.

 

[derFeef]

I am 100% with you guys but I also think it wasn't that harsh of a post to get those reactions, or maybe I missed earlier conversations between them?

And yeah, vegan facebook groups tend to be too much for me most of the time as there are hardliners out there who attack you because you have an old bag or pair of shoes that still have leather attachments or something like that - throwing clothes away helps no one. Or that it's bad to support restaurants with vegan options (as in they also serve animal products and are not fully vegan). I welcome every option and it only helps if you go out and choose those options.

 

[CornBurrito]

if there is NO ethical "consumption" as you say, then why the fuck are you trying to reduce it? if you believe something is unethical, then you should stop doing it, not try and reduce the frequency of it.

honestly, most of your posts have nothing to do with the theme of this thread which is veganism. something it seems like you dont seem to agree with as a practice, or see as a goal.

if consuming animal products is unethical, becoming a vegan is the logical solution to that that problem. if you dont agree with this, then you are in fact posting in the wrong thread.

if you're going to argue that animal products are all around us and we can never get away from the use of animals in our daily lives, then you are missing the point. there is the direct consumption of animal products and then there are things that you cant control.

what i can control is my direct consumption of meat, eggs, dairy, wool, leather, and many other products that are made with animal products. all unnecessary and all easy to avoid. thats what veganism is. its a simple concept and its easy to do.

There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. Why do I reduce my consumption of animal products even when I believe the former? Because I do not let Perfect be the enemy of Good. I'm aiming for incremental improvement. I'm still extremely fond of fish, and so while I havent purchased beef or chicken in months I still find myself purchasing salmon every now and then. I feel like once I learn enough vegan/vegetarian recipes I'll probably be able to eliminate fish as well.

Most of my posts in this thread have been me trying to figure out ways to reduce my consumption of animal products. I've moved (mostly) away from milk thanks to this thread. I've taken several recipe ideas from here. I sometimes like to post excitedly about new stuff I find (like butternut squash, where has that beautiful squash been all my life).

If you find those posts unsuitable for the thread, I suggest you contact a mod to tell me so because I respectfully disagree.

On topic: Hummus is pretty amazing, but I really dislike falafel. The texture's just so bad to me. I also saw some tempeh at the supermarket. What are some good uses for tempeh? The texture/look of it is so strange.

Also just how important is it to get the water out of my tofu before cooking it? I'm kinda lazy and I can never got that much water out. I do want to make a stir fry with tofu though. Can I soak it in soy sauce, or would that taste gross?

 

[Man God]

drying out your tofu is critical if you want it to brown properly, especially in quick cooking methods ala stir fry. It's gotta be firm tofu to begin with to even have a chance, then slice it into slabs, pat it dry, putting a bit of pressure on it but not enough to mangle it, cut it in the size you want, marinate it, then dry off the surface again. Sounds like a lot of work but in reality it's maybe three minutes of work and a bit of waiting.

Tofu obviously cooks faster than meat and even most veggies. A good idea is to stir fry it by itself to get color, remove it, do the veggies and then the sauce next, then add back at the end.

 

[CornBurrito]

drying out your tofu is critical if you want it to brown properly, especially in quick cooking methods ala stir fry. It's gotta be firm tofu to begin with to even have a chance, then slice it into slabs, pat it dry, putting a bit of pressure on it but not enough to mangle it, cut it in the size you want, marinate it, then dry off the surface again. Sounds like a lot of work but in reality it's maybe three minutes of work and a bit of waiting.

Tofu obviously cooks faster than meat and even most veggies. A good idea is to stir fry it by itself to get color, remove it, do the veggies and then the sauce next, then add back at the end.

Sounds good. I bought extra firm. How much time does it need under pressure to remove enough water?

 

[Man God]

Sounds good. I bought extra firm. How much time does it need under pressure to remove enough water?

A few minutes works. If you really want it crispy though its like eggplant, half an hour with some weight on it.

 

[Famassu]

Don't give up on falafel. It can come in many varying textures/tastes. Not all of them are to everyone's tastes. Some are a bit too flour-y, but that's not what they always are. My first falafel experience was a falafel hamburger and that was absolutely dreadful. Then I found a wonderful falafel roll that taught me how good they can really be.

I'm not sure if there are such places where you live, but in Finland a lot of middle eastern run kebab places also offer falafel and those falafels are really good. Or you can try making some yourself (if you didn't already). If you already did, then maybe try a few different recipes and remember to leave the chickpeas a little grainy. Don't make mashed chickpeas and then falafels out of that. Add some whole wheat flour, not just bread crumbs, and maybe even psyllium powder, that way they are a bit more firm.

 

[CornBurrito]

Don't give up on falafel. It can come in many varying textures/tastes. Not all of them are to everyone's tastes. Some are a bit too flour-y, but that's not what they always are. My first falafel experience was a falafel hamburger and that was absolutely dreadful. Then I found a wonderful falafel roll that taught me how good they can really be.

I'm not sure if there are such places where you live, but in Finland a lot of middle eastern run kebab places also offer falafel and those falafels are really good. Or you can try making some yourself (if you didn't already). If you already did, then maybe try a few different recipes and remember to leave the chickpeas a little grainy. Don't make mashed chickpeas and then falafels out of that. Add some whole wheat flour, not just bread crumbs, and maybe even psyllium powder, that way they are a bit more firm.

Honestly I think it is the graininess I dislike about falafel. I've never been to fond of beans because of that grainy/dry mouth feel. Falafel has it wheras I find that hummus doesn't.

I'm hoping my tastes change a bit in the future. Beans are so cheap it sucks not liking them very much at all.

 

[Man God]

Keep trying beans and lentils. Different types, different preparations. You might find the one for you.

I'm not even vegetarian yet I eat beans on average once a day.

 

[Soul_Pie]

A good falafel is amazing, a bad falafel is just as you describe; dry, granular, bland. The real masters are able to achieve a soft, moist, flavoursome inside with a bit of crunch on the outside. If you go to a quality middle eastern restaurant you might be blown away with how they do them, with fresh hummus or baba ganoush they are incredible.

 

[SomTervo]

Someone told me the other night that cheap block tofu has plaster in it, to thicken/harden it.

Hoooope that's not true.

Also, on the subject of:

My gf picked up Sriracha Veganaise the other day (because they were out of 'normal).

It's WAY too spicy. Painfully spicy. Like one dollop and your mouth's on fire.

 

[Pinkuss]

100% agree re falafel; UK here and Caldron make a brand which is dry, not crispy and all round vile and pretty much sold at all stores as the default falafel.

Went to Maoz in Amsterdam and it was a revelation. Now hooked on the stuff! (In a massive Vegan naan with lots of Middle Eastern pickles, sauces and salad; I buy Frys premade ones or frozen ones from the Middle Eastern store). Mmmmm

 

[Famassu]

A good falafel is amazing, a bad falafel is just as you describe; dry, granular, bland. The real masters are able to achieve a soft, moist, flavoursome inside with a bit of crunch on the outside. If you go to a quality middle eastern restaurant you might be blown away with how they do them, with fresh hummus or baba ganoush they are incredible.

Falafels need to have some granularity to them and they shouldn't be too moist. Otherwise they just taste like textureless waxy balls of flour.

 

[CornBurrito]

Keep trying beans and lentils. Different types, different preparations. You might find the one for you.

I'm not even vegetarian yet I eat beans on average once a day.

See, now matter how they are prepared they all have that grainy/dryness mouthfeel. Refried beans, baked beans, chili beans, chickpeas. Hummus is like the one exception for me, but that's probably because the mouthfeel of the pita bread dominates.

 

[Famassu]

See, now matter how they are prepared they all have that grainy/dryness mouthfeel. Refried beans, baked beans, chili beans, chickpeas. Hummus is like the one exception for me, but that's probably because the mouthfeel of the pita bread dominates.

Keep eating them a little at a time. If you force yourself to eat spoonfuls of the stuff, they can probably be a bit much. But let yourself grow accustomed to them slowly and without the need to force yourself to eat packfulls of the stuffs everytime. Also, try it with different things. A little bit at a time. Maybe you don't like them in a salad, but what if you made some kind of chili-dish with other vegetables & maybe soy granules.

I didn't like beans all that much before deciding to ditch meat but in the... 7,5 years since then, I've grown to like them. I still use them in moderation and don't throw, like, 2kgs of the stuff into the foods I make. I don't like it if beans are the most prominent thing, because yeah, they are a bit floury. But when there's just the right amount, they are a good addition.

 

[Mimir]

Also, on the subject of:

My gf picked up Sriracha Veganaise the other day (because they were out of 'normal).

It's WAY too spicy. Painfully spicy. Like one dollop and your mouth's on fire.

I might have to try that. I've never found any sriracha flavored foods that had any noticeable level of spice.

 

[Bit-Bit]

Had some vegan tacos and vegan bean dip the other day at this yoga place. It was delicious. My wife and I have been doing meatless mondays and we're looking to extend that to other days as well. Those who can go completely vegan, ya'll got my respect

 

[ShyMel]

Went out to LA and got some food delivered from the Veggie Grill. It was delicious! I need to try making battered cauliflower again because no place near me makes it but it taste so good with the right seasonings and sauces.

 

[pastrami]

Someone told me the other night that cheap block tofu has plaster in it, to thicken/harden it.

Hoooope that's not true.

Also, on the subject of:

My gf picked up Sriracha Veganaise the other day (because they were out of 'normal).

It's WAY too spicy. Painfully spicy. Like one dollop and your mouth's on fire.

I decided to look it up because tofu made with plaster! Sounds alarming!

And yes, tofu can be made with calcium sulfate, aka gypsum. Plaster of paris is made by heating gypsum to 150 degrees C and mixing with water. Tofu can also be made with magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) or magnesium chloride (nigari).

Here's the thing, gypsum is approved as a food additive, and is used in a variety of foods, from bread to beer. So saying tofu is made with plaster seems a bit like fear-mongering to me.

 

[Aarglefarg]

I went to get a mushroom burger from Nando's Australia but they said they stopped selling them. Very disappointing. It was my weekly treat.

 

[User Name Here]

Thanks to Follow Your Heart's new cheese slices, their vayo, and Tofurky's slices, I mostly have my turkey sandwiches back. Although, Tofurky's slices remind me more of Carl Budding's style of turkey ham than Oscar Mayer, which isn't too big of a deal other than the fact that I like Oscar Mayer's deli slices more.

I've also used FYH's cheese slices on those Boca veggie burgers, which are pretty good too.

 

[Famassu]

I went to get a mushroom burger from Nando's Australia but they said they stopped selling them. Very disappointing. It was my weekly treat.

A big chain used to offer one of the better vegan hamburgers in Finland a few years ago. Too bad they stopped offering them like two months after I discovered them. -_-

 

[dude]

All of you guys dissing Falafel should visit Tel Aviv or the middle east. I've tried falafel in plenty of places, and none of them compare. Falafel should never be dry.
The same goes to Hummus, TBH.

So - I'm looking for tips: What' are you guys eating after workouts? I can't find something that is quick enough for me... All those fancy salads take way too long to make

 

[moggio]

WTF. People in here dissing Falafel?

C'mon guys.

Admittedly there is a lot of bad Falafel out there though.

 

[Golden_Pigeon]

Just don't forget to add lentils to your rice, the combination give you a GREAT boost of protein. I am no vegan but i do this at least every week. I am muslim and don't have any halal meat in my country so i have to follow a vegetarian diet. I was raised a vegetarian so it's not hard at all.

 

[Famassu]

Stop whatever you are doing and take a moment to rejoice as there now exists a vegan Toffifee recipe:

http://thetastyk.com/2017/05/07/vegan-toffifee/

*weeps tears of joy*

Just don't forget to add lentils to your rice, the combination give you a GREAT boost of protein. I am no vegan but i do this at least every week. I am muslim and don't have any halal meat in my country so i have to follow a vegetarian diet. I was raised a vegetarian so it's not hard at all.

Lentils is also good if you're making something like carrotsoup (the kind that you puree/use a stick blender on). Otherwise those kinds of "blended" sopus might be a bit devoid of proteins but add a hefty amount of lentils into those kinds of soups and they become even healthier.

 

[JSR_Cube]

Traveling on vacation in Honolulu, there is a Yard House restaurant that sells about 12 different Gardein menu items. It was awesome to have this option while traveling. I wish more restaurants would do this.

 

[CornBurrito]

1. Anyone know what happened with Famassu?

2. I tried falafel again. This time in a gyro at a Greek place. Was actually not bad meshed with other things. But falafel on its own is still bleh.

 

[anonymous_abc]

1. Anyone know what happened with Famassu?

The stork mafia got to him.

Stop whatever you are doing and take a moment to rejoice as there now exists a vegan Toffifee recipe:

http://thetastyk.com/2017/05/07/vegan-toffifee/

*weeps tears of joy*

.

<3
That actually looks super easy. Will try.

 

[User Name Here]

Has anyone in the UK or Italy tried this cheese yet?

http://www.en.mozzarisella.com/

Also, for 'Merican vegans, it looks like Ben and Jerry's makes non-diary ice cream!

http://www.benjerry.com/flavors/non-dairy

 

[MrT]

Has anyone in the UK or Italy tried this cheese yet?

http://www.en.mozzarisella.com/

Yes, love it! There's a local Italian chain in my city that uses it on their pizzas if you request it. I think it's also what Zizzi use for their vegan options.

 

[User Name Here]

Yes, love it! There's a local Italian chain in my city that uses it on their pizzas if you request it. I think it's also what Zizzi use for their vegan options.

Oh really? There was a site that sold it here in the states, but it's sold out unfortunately. How is the texture and taste? Was there any noticeable difference from regular cheeses?

 

[AdanVC]

I'm not vegan but I just wanted to say how amazing the OT title is, I laughed out loud for like 2 minutes straight hahah. Huge props!

 

[MrT]

Oh really? There was a site that sold it here in the states, but it's sold out unfortunately. How is the texture and taste? Was there any noticeable difference from regular cheeses?

It's a bit "runnier" than mozzarella when it's melted, doesn't really go all stringy or anything, but it's a pretty decent substitute I think. Not really sure how to describe the taste, I'd probably go with fairly bland/inoffensive (so kinda like mozzarella lol). Tbh while I do really like it, I generally don't buy it at home because it tends to be a bit on the expensive side when I can just buy a block of cheaper cheese and grate it over the pizza. Definitely worth trying if you can get hold of some tho!

 

[CornBurrito]

So apologies for this question since I don't know much about vegan philosophy, but what is the general consensus on the consumption of insects?

 

[anonymous_abc]

So apologies for this question since I don't know much about vegan philosophy, but what is the general consensus on the consumption of insects?

It is not vegan.

That is not to say that an argument cannot be made that eating insects is (/might be) more ethical and environmentally friendly than eating 'conventional' meat. Nevertheless it is without a question not vegan.

I've never actually looked into the carbon footprint of insects versus vegan sources of protein such as lentils.

 

[CornBurrito]

It is not vegan.

That is not to say that an argument cannot be made that eating insects is (/might be) more ethical and environmentally friendly than eating 'conventional' meat. Nevertheless it is without a question not vegan.

Aight.

So on an actual vegan note, I made spaghetti and "meat" sauce. Using beyond beef "beef" crumbles. It was alright. Definitely nothing like beef. Not bad though.

 

[derFeef]

For a good bolognese I use pre-soaked and then roasted soy crumble with some good spices as a meat replacement. I had one person even think it's real minced meat "YOU EAT THAT?"

 

[Alienfan]

What are the good vegan faux meats? I tried Bacon and it was possibly the worst thing I've eaten in the year I've been vegan

And is vegan cheese any good, I've yet to try it

 

[omg_mjd]

The only commercial vegan cheese I've tried is Daiya Shredded Mozzarella and I thought it was pretty good when melted. I was able to make grilled cheese sandwiches that were pretty much indistinguishable from the dairy version. To make the sandwiches I also used Earth Balance vegan butter, and that's practically identical to dairy butter (to my taste buds at least--I haven't had dairy in almost a year).

There's a bunch of recipes online for homemade vegan cheese and I'll try those out for myself one of these days.

 

[dude]

What are the good vegan faux meats? I tried Bacon and it was possibly the worst thing I've eaten in the year I've been vegan

And is vegan cheese any good, I've yet to try it

I'm not a huge fan of vegan cheeses, but we don't have Daiya over here. Home-made cheeses can be very nice, but they're usually very fatty because they're made from the likes of cashews etc.

as for faux meats... Personally I'm more in favor of just finding a good recipe without them. But I find the texture of seitan to be pretty good, I recently used it in making golden curry and it came out nice.