How do you know what to make for dinner every night for a vegan lifestyle?
Isn’t it more expensive than non-vegan foods? (no… it’s usually, actually cheaper).
How do I use produce for the suggested amount of raw-eating and not have anything go bad?
Well my dears, it’s education, education… EDUCATION.
And, having a damn good grocery connection. 😉
Thinking outside the box is key to eating vegan. If you’re coming from a largely dependent lifestyle of eating what I refer to as the “meat and potatoes” diet, it can seem daunting at first to find original, healthy, protein-filled dishes that meet your preference and your grocery budget. Have no fear, Al is here!
As a first small example, check out my former blog on 3 Ways to Utilize Fruit Salad — this is but one quick example using only 3 primary ingredients to get creative in the kitchen and utilize what you have without needing to purchase separate ingredients for each and every meal. If you have a fridge, some reusable containers, and can get down on occasional leftovers, then this article is for you as I’ll be loosely exploring the kind of thinking to employ that can make your dollars last when it comes to buying food.
Side note consideration: As a travel blogger, naturally I will be eating out whenever I’m not home because unless I’m staying with a family member where I have access to a kitchen and can pick up a few grocery items, I’ll be spending money eating out. This brings me to my bottom line reminder for you to keep in mind as motivation to commit to the home-style cooking life any time it feels tedious:
— Eating out is ALWAYS going to cost more than eating at home.
—Buying pre-made food to make at home (think: frozen pizzas, or especially some vegan brands of prepared food and microwave items) is almost always more expensive than buying raw/fresh, and making your own from scratch.
Why not cut the corner now, get excited about the possibilities before you, and start your own fun-foods list of recipes to try, or meal plans to setup?
As a steady vegan chef in my own kitchen, I greatly rely on having quality tools to make the job easier. Feel free to check out My Favorite Kitchen Tools for some of the items most used and most beloved.
Onward!
I’ve been vegan for almost four years. To some non-vegans, that could seem like a lifetime of grass-eating struggle, but it honestly feels like no time has passed at all. In fact, I’m so disgusted by the thought of eating meat that I cannot remember the last time I even craved an animal carcass; My sense of smell and taste both greatly changed. I found myself wanting to try new foods I’d never considered before, contemplating recipes for vegetables I couldn’t even pronounce the name of with confidence.
One of the best side effects for me personally going plant-based was coming up with new combinations of dinners that catered outside of the boring box of “meat – potatoes – side green” and offered an infinite expansion of colors and possibilities. Colors — that’s probably one of the most important aspects to staying balanced eating plants: combine colors. Explore the rainbow because the more color you have, the better the odds you’re receiving a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals.
If you are able, I ALWAYS urge responsible consumers to consider first checking at their local farmer markets for what they need before turning conventional; not all farmer markets are made even. Most I’ve seen are NOT organic, and that’s okay when it comes to the “Clean Fifteen/Dirty Dozen” rule, i.e. feel free to pick up the lesser-pesticide produce from any market, but try to buy organic at least for those products highest in pesticides like apples (otherwise, you’re essentially eating chemical poison) checking first with an organic farmer market (just TALK to the farmers, they’re friendly more often than not) and turning to a conventional, commercial store after for fill-ins. Farmer markets typically host better priced deals because they’re running smaller operations. As always, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all, depending on where you live, so do your due diligence homework and comparing initially. After you’ve gotten a general idea of where to buy what, it’s all memory.
Cook Night #1:
Getting a squash, zucchini, mushrooms package, and one large onion… I remembered in the freezer was a single gluten free pizza crust from a 2-pack, and some leftover marinara sauce, so I opted for a cheese-less veggie pizza. Tossed the raw veggies right on top, drizzled with a little olive oil and some spices.
With the extra half of chopped veggies, I decided to saute them with some black pepper, Himalayan salt and garlic powder, and pair those up mixed with black beans and rice I’d already had in my pantry — both dried and bought in a bulk bag as a much cheaper alternative than singular microwave rice or canned beans, and definitely able to last a lot more dinners in the long haul. Getting staple items (for me, those are rice, quinoa and various beans/lentils) by purchasing the dried packages mean more bang for your buck, and all it takes is a little foresight and practice.
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Summary: One set of vegetables, two different meals and room for leftovers still. The beans and rice both being dried rather than pre-packed truly are healthier for you, and easier on the wallet than buying microwave rice that will likely be dense in sodium (no one likes bloating) if not high in sugar and preservatives, or canned beans which are about two to three times more expensive than what it works out to buying the dried, bagged beans and soaking/cooking your own from scratch. Also, this way you can season your beans any way you like!
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Then… check this: Like something out of the bible inspired by Jesus with the loaves and the fish, I had SO much veggie mix leftover that I had some to mix in with a bowl of tomato soup. I added a little garlic powder for heat, and cracked rainbow pepper for some bite. It was delicious. The only thing this was maybe missing was a vegan and gluten free grilled cheese sandwich with tomato. But I didn’t consider that until after this was inhaled, so there’s that.
Cook Night #2:
Eggplant, sweet onion, baby bella mushrooms, and trio greens…
Here we have another easy-to-mix selection of veggies, sauteed with some olive oil and spices, with sweet onion mixed into rice on the side. For protein, you theoretically could add something else in either the rice or veggie mix like black eyed peas or garbanzos to bulk up some protein, or pair with a protein-worthy side like a Boca chicken patty or something similar. Again, the sky is the limit with veganism. You get absolute license to play around with food because unlike a meat and dairy kitchen, you don’t have to worry so precisely about cooking temperatures like you do with under-cooked meat, or salmonella or dairy spoiling. Your knives and cutting boards are essentially bacteria and chemical free because… veggies and fruits! Welcome to the easy life.
Back to my food usage before I get on my soapbox rant about how many ways veganism rocks…
So, last night I had just my rice and veggie blend and was perfectly content. Since I had leftovers, I’m thinking of doing a mix with two different soup varieties to bulk up the soups and test flavor combinations; one can of tomato basil soup, and the other my Tabatchnick mushroom barley soup which is a frozen soup and a bit on the bland side, but pretty good considering. Click the link if you’re interested in reading more. If you’re not a soup fan, similarly to my suggestion about the Boca chicken patty, you could pair the leftovers with some chopped vegan sausage, pan-heated together for flavor blend, or grab a can of white beans and toss in a pan for 5 minutes to heat up. All affordable, all easily doable. These are just a few ideas off the top of my head. You could also repeat my Meal #1 and opt for the “turn my veggies into pizza toppings” deal except the veggies are already cooked, and you could throw on some cheese this time. Or not. Eater’s discretion!
Again, all some loose ideas. I have many more posts to write, many more pictures and tips to share, much more food to be discussed. This is just a start. You can take your colorful, cruelty-free kitchen adventures any way you choose. Don’t be shy! Google is also a great tool for searching up any vegan recipes. Heck, look at some recipes, mix and match and make your own. I even have some I’ve pulled from a comprehensive book for learning AND recipes called “Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables: A Common Sense Guide” (see below) that is pretty darn nifty with utilizing lesser known cruelty-free foods in creative ways that are sure to please your household, if not make for a beautifully aesthetic dish to bring to a party or serve at a holiday. I will say in advance, it is NOT a vegan book by nature, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use the exact vegan substitute where asked, whether for “butter” (vegan butter), “milk” (any of the hundred vegan milks), et cetera.
So cool is this book.
I’m only about 1/4 of the way through perusing the recipes that really excited me and taking pictures with my phone so I remember what I want to try first, and I’ll likely use it for some recipes here once I use up those leftovers. 😉
The book in particular I’m using is an earlier copy, so there’s a revised chance of updated recipes and additional goods if you get your hands on one of these newer edition copies.
To give a light idea, here are some of my noted, interesting faves:
~Vegetable Spaghetti with Red Pepper, Pine Nuts & Basil
~Vegetable Spaghetti Baked with Herbed Cheese Sauce (and garlic, of course)
~Arugula, Potato, & Leek Soup
~Pureed Taro Soup
~Piquant Oriental-Style Broccoli Raab Salad
-White Eggplant Steamed with Sesame Oil
~Endive & Avocado with Tomato-Basil Dressing
~Eggplant, Pasta, & Grilled-Pepper Salad
~Salad of Radicchio, Red Pepper, & Avocado
AND MY PERSONAL SELECTION FOR #1 TO TRY:
~ Eggplant-Tomato-Onion Dragon Tails (like WHAT EVEN IS THIS?! I don’t know… but I like it).
There you have it. A little color, a little coordination, a little flexibility, a little creativity. Above all, HAVE FUN! Cooking should be an enjoyable experience, and not just for the people you see on the cooking network shows and competitions. Veganism is like taking a bite out of the rainbow spectrum — you really can do anything, as long as you keep the “can do” attitude and harness a little ingenuity. 😉
Happy eating!
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