Going vegan......old style?!

VfM4meplse

Trow wrote: »

I find it odd that people find it odd.

Just because you have an ethical/moral/medical reason for a food choice doesn't automatically mean you don't like the taste or texture of it. And if there is a more ethical/moral/healthier alternative then why not use that instead?

I became vegetarian initially because I hated the taste of meat over 15 years ago - would eat it under sufference maybe once every six months before that but then realised it made no sense to harm an animal just to avoid "hurting the chef's feelings". Have been a vegan for just over 11 months, can honestly say I feel much better for it as long as I limit the carbs too.

My biggest disappointment so far was buying Vegan with a Vengeance - tried a cake recipe from it and was very disappointed indeed. Have no interest in try to create the meat-free rashers, burgers etc it advocates as I much prefer a good hearty vegetable dish.

Will definitely give the nut butter recommended on this thread a go, looking fwd to using my mini-blender.

VfM4meplse

ceridwen wrote: »

I can do tahini sauce instead if I wish:D

This recipe is great inspiration, I tend to use it for making humous but not much else.

Justamum

Right, here goes with the ginger cake. It's one I've adapted to fit a 10"x8" tin

GINGER CAKE

7oz margarine
7oz dark brown sugar
5oz golden syrup
5oz molasses
2 tbs ginger
1oz plain flour
1 1/2 level tsp bicarb
7 1/2 fl.oz soya milk
1 1/2 tbs vinegar

Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease and line the bottom of your cake tin.

Cream the margarine and sugar, then add in the syrup/molasses and mix well. Sieve in the ginger, flour and bicarb and mix well. Stir the vinegar into the soya milk and mix, then add to the bowl. Mix well (I do the whole thing using my hand mixer so it's really quick and easy).

Pour into the cake tin and bake for approximately 1 hour.

*It might look like there's too much mixture and will rise up over the top, but it doesn't actually rise that much - it's not happened to me anyway!*

(Now I've written that time down I can't remember if I only put it in for 40 minutes! I usually do for that size cake.)

Leave in tin for about 10 minutes before you turn it out to cool.

It does get nice and sticky with keeping - but if your house is anything like mine it won't get the chance :rotfl:

westcoastscot

Speaking of crusty pies, I make a plainish lentil pie which my family love - very filling and just the thing with mashed potatoes and veggies. The filling is a couple of handfuls of red lentils and a chopped onion, cooked in just enough stock to cover - you might have to keep adding more, but you want it the consistency of jam when its cold so not too much. Use to fill a crusty pie - lovely hot or cold!

All my baking is vegan and i've never had a problem, nor has anyone ever really noticed. I've been baking this way for 20 years now, from a time when egg replacer wasn't available in out of the way places, and I just miss out the eggs and replace the liquid with soya milk. Never had a problem, although cakes potentially don't keep as well (hard to tell in our house though). Shall def try the walnut and date cake - sounds yummy. Reminds me of my fav date cake - matrimonial cake - as in you have to take the rough with the . The only cake i've never really made successfully is a carrot cake, so if anyone has any pointers that would be great.

WCS

Justamum

westcoastscot wrote: »

The only cake i've never really made successfully is a carrot cake, so if anyone has any pointers that would be great.

WCS

I'll be waiting with baited breath for this too - I've only ever had failures at carrot cake. Even the Vegan Society was vile.

VfM4meplse

Justamum wrote: »

I'll be waiting with baited breath for this too - I've only ever had failures at carrot cake.

Sadly, me too! Taste ok but always too "moist" to serve, to put it mildly!

A while back I made 3 lots of cake using Vitalite and soaked linseeds rather than oil and soya milk:

• coffee and walnut ) using the same mixture but
• citrus and almond ) different flavourings
• banana and walnut

I didn't bother to eat any, just cut each into quarters when cool and then froze, defrosted a piece of each last night. The results were pretty good (nice fine crumbs and not greasy), but the tops were a bit dry. I guess a good icing would have solved that cosmetic problem!

Justamum

VfM4meplse wrote: »

A while back I made 3 lots of cake using Vitalite and soaked linseeds rather than oil and soya milk:

Is Vitalite now vegan? I know it didn't get the seal of approval from the Vegan Society a while ago. I never liked the taste of it - I use Pure.

dogstarheaven

made this dish similar to this recipe http://www.cliffordawright.com/caw/recipes/display/recipe_id/805/ that was vegan from the observer magazine some time ago which is a trad. Palestinian upside down layered rice dish. it was simply delish.. can't find the original recipe. it came with side dish of lightly stewed tomatoes, cinnamon, onion, garlic, coriander leaf s&p, cumin and coriander powder. and a salad of radish, salad leaves, red onion mixed with a tahini lemony dressing.. made this dish for a vegan friend who loved it so much that she makes it reg for her family..

make sure, you sautee the carrots, onions, potatoes, aubergines, separately and layer with basmati, add the spices in between and cook slowly for about 40mins... with a dampened tea towel to steam the rice in the last 15mins.. PM later if you're interested for the orig recipe. ive kept the newspaper cutting somewhere...

lolcats_2

go team vegan

Justamum

Is is just me or is everybody fed up with veganism being knocked constantly? There was this article in the paper the other day http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2036671/Vegan-couple-serve-life-sentences-starving-baby-death-extreme-diet.html and one a few months ago http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371172/French-vegan-couple-face-jail-child-neglect-baby-died-vitamin-deficiency.html

This is nothing to do with being a vegan, but everything to do with being a completely useless and clueless parent. If the couples had both been meat eaters do you think their diet would have been given such prominence? :mad: