Easy Vegan Cooking: Over 350 delicious recipes for every ocassion

Introduction

Vegetarianism is entering a new and dynamic phase. A cuisine based on vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains, flavoured with the herbs and spices of the world, is taking the place of a diet reliant on dairy products. This has come about primarily because of the growing realization that everyone in the world could be fed if a switch were made to a completely vegetarian diet. Britain could be self-sufficient if grazing land were used to grow pulses and grains were fed direct to humans instead of being diverted to animals. Since dairy farming is almost as inefficient a way of using land as beef farming, the switch must be complete if it is to be effective.

It is not only human beings who would benefit for slaughterhouses would disappear. Lacto-vegetarians are beginning to realize that drinking cows’ milk contributes to animal slaughter. Cows are kept continually pregnant and lactating. their calves usually taken away very shortly after birth (many ending their brief lives as veal), so that the milk can all be sold for human consumption. Even if factory farming were to be abolished, male calves would still have to be slaughtered to maintain the dairy industry. Similarly, in order for hens to lay there must be fertile eggs, and all of the male chicks will be killed. Thus, while free-range hens do not have to endure the inhumane battery system. eating any kind of eggs still contributes to animal slaughter.

There are so many second, third and even fourth generation lacto-vegetarians in this country now that no one could convincingly claim that flesh foods are necessary for health. Many people still fear, however, that to give up all animal produce is dangerous (and anyone who embarks on a vegan diet while riddled with apprehensions may well become ill from sheer anxiety). In fact, many lacto-vegetarians consume an excessive amount of dairy produce, thereby clogging up their arteries with saturated fat – a far greater health risk than a vegan diet.

The biggest worry seems to be protein. Giving up cheese and eggs, it is feared, will mean eating only ‘inferior’, and therefore insufficient. protein. Fortunately it has become more generally known that cereals can be combined with pulses or nuts to obtain all the necessary amino acids (the building blocks of protein) in required proportions. This combination forms the basis of many of the recipes in this book, making it virtually impossible for anyone using it to become deficient in protein. It is certainly not necessary to eat foods high in protein at every meal, or to worry about food combining.

The one and only nutrient which does not occur naturally in a vegan diet is vitamin B12. Although some pioneering vegans who had never heard of this vitamin appear to have been able to synthesize it in their intestines, the effects of a deficiency are too drastic to make it worth the risk. Most of the plant milks now available in Britain are fortified with vitamin B12 as are most textured vegetable protein (t.v.p.) products and a number of other foods. Yet only a small amount of this vitamin is required, which makes it very easy to incorporate into a vegan diet by eating any of the above foods regularly. (Note, however, that nearly all of the breakfast cereals found at supermarkets which contain vitamin B12 also contain vitamin D derived from an animal source and are not therefore vegan.) For those who prefer not to use processed foods, vegan vitamin B12 tablets are available in health food stores. Incidentally, anyone who argues that a vegan diet cannot be a truly natural one since it lacks an essential vitamin, should realize that the answer lies in our perhaps ‘unnatural’ level of hygiene, since an all-vegetable diet in a country where produce is not so vigorously cleaned would certainly contain that elusive vitamin.

Honey is a contentious issue as, strictly speaking, it is an animal product, but whether it causes suffering is matter for disagreement. The Vegan Society does not admit those who consume honey as full members, and honey is not used in any of the recipes in this book, although many vegans do eat it.

The concern with animal products usually spills over into other areas as well. Most vegans do not wear leather or use soaps or cosmetics which contain animal products or are tested on animals. Wool production can be cruel, and as for lanolin, the idea of putting sheep fat on one’s face is not appealing.

Some vegetarians who are vegan at home find it difficult to maintain the diet elsewhere. This is understandable in view of British restaurants’ obsession with animal produce, but that culture is changing so that even establishments listed in the Good Food Guide are now aware of the existence of vegans, although they vary greatly in their ability to cater for us. It is easy to get delicious vegan meals in Indian, Chinese and Thai restaurants, and often in Italian and Greek or Middle-Eastern ones as well.

Vegans have varied eating patterns. Some eat only raw foods, some stick strictly to unprocessed wholefoods, while others rely mainly on t.v.p. and vegan convenience meals. Variety is the key-note of this book. The philosophy here is that if the basic diet is one of natural unrefined foods, then there is no harm at all in using a certain amount of good quality processed and packaged foods to add different tastes and textures, as well as to save time.

Vegan cookery can be as quick as any other kind. After all, one of the most popular foods in Britain is baked beans on toast – a quick and nutritious vegan snack, particularly if the bread is wholewheat. A number of the recipes in this book can be prepared in half an hour or less. It is simply a question of gearing oneself to the use of a completely different set of foods; once you become used to the idea then no great mental effort is required to prepare tasty, healthy vegan meals. And should anyone still think that vegan food lacks variety, this book will prove just the opposite.

Clarification of some ingredients, quantities etc.

Adult animals have no need for milk, either their own or that of another species, but in the western world people have become so accustomed to cows’ milk and the products made from it that it becomes difficult to imagine a diet without such foods. Thus, while there is no physical need for dairy products – in the Far East much of the population is lactose-intolerant and never uses milk – the dishes which have evolved in the west require substitutes.

Over the past decade the growth in soya (soy) milks available has grown astonishingly, with some supermarkets offering own brand products. Although the ingredients on the different cartons appear similar, they are actually quite different in taste so if you try soya (soy) milk for the first time and don’t like it then do try other brands. Soya (soy) milks are available either unsweetened or sweetened; I must admit to finding the former much more palatable than the latter.

Soya (soy) milks can be added to tea or coffee: they will curdle slightly but that does not affect the taste. An alternative is a true non-dairy creamer (but note that the so-called non-dairy creamers sold in supermarkets actually contain casein, a dairy derivative), which can be found in Jewish delicatessens.

Home-made Soya Milk

This recipe is for those who wish to make their own soya (soy) milks at home, although with such a choice now available few people need to.

1) Bring about 570ml (1 pint/2½cups) of water to the boil, add 115g (4 oz) soya (soy) beans, boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat, cover and leave to soak overnight.

2) Drain the beans and wash them thoroughly. Put 1 cupful of beans in a liquidizer, add about 570ml (1 pint/2½cups) of hot water and blend them thoroughly. Pour through a clean tea towel (dish towel) or muslin, squeezing to extract all the liquid (the pulp can be used for savoury dishes if desired). Repeat until all the beans are used up.

3) Bring the milk to the boil, stirring frequently. (It has a tendency both to burn on the bottom of the pan and to boil over if not watched carefully.)

4) Simmer the milk over the lowest possible heat for 15–20 minutes. Set aside to cool and then keep in the refrigerator.

5) This can be made more palatable by adding pure vanilla essence or sweetening to taste.

Cashew or Almond Milk

In southern Spain a popular summer drink is horchata, which is basically a nut milk. A milk made from either cashews or almonds is very pleasant over cereal. This recipe can be made thicker or thinner, if preferred, by increasing or decreasing the proportion of nuts and oil to water.

115g/4 oz/¾ cup cashews or blanched

almonds

285ml/1/2 pt/11/3 cups water as required raw cane sugar or chopped dates 2 tsp vegetable oil

1) Put the cashews into the liquidizer and grind finely. Add the other ingredients and blend thoroughly.

There are two brands of soya (soy) creams readily available in British health food stores, which can be used in savoury as well as sweet dishes. At Jewish delicatessens it is possible to find a vegan whipping cream, called Snowwhip Topping, and also, in canisters, a Canadian product called Richwhip Topping. These are very sweet and not particularly nutritious, but for special occasions when a whipped ‘cream’ is required I have found them invaluable. It is also possible to make some delicious vegan creams at home.

Mock Cream

1–2 tbs cornflour (cornstarch)

285ml/½ pt/11/3 cups soya (soy) milk 30–55g/1–2 oz/2 tbs-1/4 cup vegan margarine

1) Blend the cornflour (cornstarch) to a smooth mixture with a little of the milk, then add the rest of the milk; pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

2) Cream the margarine until very soft, but on no account warm the margarine.

3) Gradually beat in spoonsful of the cornflour mixture – the more you beat this, the better it becomes.

Cashew Cream

The thickness of this cream may be adjusted according to taste by altering the proportion of cashews and oil to water.

115g/4 oz/¾ cup cashews

425ml/1/4 pt/2/3 cup water 1 tbs vegetable oil as required raw cane sugar or chopped dates 1 tsp pure vanilla essence (optional)

1) Grind the cashews finely in a liquidizer. Add the rest of the ingredients and liquidize thoroughly.

Coconut Cream

Canned coconut milk from the Far East is now available. This is really more like a cream than a milk. When you open the can you will probably find a thick almost solid chunk and a very watery remainder. The secret is to empty the whole thing into the liquidizer and blend thoroughly. Any coconut milk not used at the time can be refrigerated for a few days and is unlikely to separate again. Creamed coconut is made from the solidified creamed coconut available at most delicatessens and many health food stores. It makes a particularly good topping for fresh strawberries or raspberries.

55–115g/2–4OZ/1/4–½ cup creamed coconut 140ml/1/4 pt/½ cup very hot water (or to taste) as required sweetening

1) Grate the creamed coconut into a liquidizer or jar. Add the hot water and sweetening and liquidize or shake until the coconut has completely dissolved. Chill in the refrigerator. This can be made as a pouring cream or as a thick cream. It will thicken up when chilled so always make it a bit thinner than desired.

One product which vegans previously thought they had to do without was yogurt, but in fact the lactobacillus bulgaricus which so loves cows’ milk is equally keen on soya (soy) milk, and soya yogurt is delicious. Without paying attention to the extravagant ‘health’ claims for yogurt, I would still urge vegans to include this in their diet. A high-fibre vegan diet is not necessarily the easiest thing for a delicate digestion to adjust to, and the friendly bacteria in soya yogurt can make a big difference. Most of the vegan yogurts now available in Britain are long-life ones which means that though they may taste pleasant and be a reasonable source of protein, they are not ‘live’ and therefore will have no beneficial effects on the intestinal flora. The exceptions are the French and Belgian brands Sojasun and Proramel.

However, it is very easy to make soya yogurt at home. Sojasun unflavoured yogurt can be used as a starter or a dried ferment may be purchased at a health food store (but read the ingredients before buying – not all are vegan). Any soya milk can be used, even, surprisingly, the unsweetened ones. A yogurt maker is not necessary: I have always used a wide-rimmed thermos flask. Heat the milk to lukewarm, mix in the starter or ferment and leave for several hours. The yogurt can be used as a starter for the next batch and so on. The first batch is not usually that good, but it gets progressively better, and when it is at its best I usually freeze a little to be used as a starter later.

It is now well known that animal fats are not good for human beings, and however much the dairy industry attempts to disguise the fact, butter is an animal fat. Annoyingly, most supermarket ‘vegetable’ margarines still contain unnecessary dairy derivatives, but the own-brand ‘soya margarine’ found at many of them (and in the USA corn oil margarine) are vegan, and all of the health food store brands are 100 per cent vegetable. Most of them are soft margarines. but Tomor (available also in Jewish delicatessens) is more similar in texture to butter and is the one I prefer for pastry. Vitaquell is the only unsalted one I know of in the UK, and I use it for spreading on bread.

Cheese was originally just a way of using extra cows’ milk, but it has become so much a part of the western diet that the lack of it can be felt keenly. However, cheese can as easily (and as ‘naturally’) be made from soya (soy) and other vegetable sources as from animal ones. There is an increasing number of vegan hard cheeses available in health food stores in Britain. By using one of these cheeses, soya (soy) milk, and. if necessary, vegan egg substitute, it is possible to make a facsimile of any of the popular British savoury dairy dishes. (Apart from the Soymage brand, American soy cheeses unfortunately tend to contain casein and are not therefore vegan.) There are vegan cheese spreads which can also be used in cooking, as well as soft cheeses and cream cheeses, and even ‘sour cream’. A great boon is a vegan Parmesan-style cheese which can be used to good effect on pasta dishes. Nutritional yeast can also add a mildly ‘cheesey’ flavour to various dishes.

Alternatively, any of the following can be made at home.

Soya Flour Cheese

Equal quantities of soya (soy) flour

and vegan margarine

Yeast extract to taste

1) Melt the margarine, add the flour and yeast extract and mix well.

2) Pour on to a greased tin and refrigerate until required. If a soft margarine is used then the resulting ‘cheese’ is easy to spread. If Tomor margarine is used then the ‘cheese’ can be sliced for sandwiches or grated and sprinkled over a hot savoury to be grilled (broiled) or baked.

Pimento ‘Cheese’ Spread

115g/4 oz/1/4 cup cashew nuts 1 tin (200g/8 oz) pimentos 1 tbs sesame seeds 1 tsp nutritional yeast ½ tsp onion salt 4 tbs vegetable oil 2 tsp lemon juice

1) Grind the cashews and sesame seeds finely in a liquidizer.

2) Add the pimentos (including the juice) and the rest of the ingredients and blend thoroughly.

Yogurt Cheese

Place some thick soya yogurt in a square of muslin or cheesecloth and tie securely; hang the muslin or cheesecloth over a tap to drip for several hours or overnight, then refrigerate. This is a soft cheese similar to a cream cheese texture.

Cashew Cottage Cheese

Cover some cashew nuts with lukewarm water. Leave undisturbed in a warm spot for three or four days. Drain off the liquid and grind the fermented cashews in a mouli or grinder. (A liquidizer can be used, but the texture will be different.) Use with salads, particularly those with fruit.

It was difficult to know what to call this chapter because eating habits differ within the English-speaking world. In Britain, scones and muffins would be eaten in the afternoon, while in America they are eaten in the morning – as are pancakes, waffles and pastries, most of which the British would eat as dessert. I have put all such dishes in this chapter.

Quick and Easy Coffee Cake

In Britain something called a coffee cake will be flavoured with coffee, but Americans have adopted this kind of cake from the Continent, i.e. it is a cake served with coffee. It is not as sweet as the cakes in Chapter 17, and it is best served warm.

Cake 225g/½ lb/2 cups wholewheat flour Pinch sea salt 4 tsp baking powder 3 tbs raw cane sugar 2 tbs vegan margarine, melted 285ml/½ pt/1½ cups soya (soy) milk

Topping 3 tbs wholewheat flour 4 tbs raw cane sugar 3 tsp ground cinnamon 55g/2 oz/1/4 cup vegan margarine

1) In a bowl combine the flour for the cake ingredients, salt, baking powder and sugar. Stir in the melted margarine and milk.