Vegetarian Food (don't worry, I'm not trying to convert anyone!) - General

Explore your asian groceries for different types of tofu, and look in the condiments/sauces section (if they have one) to see what kinda stuff you can mix in as well. I'm sure there are many vegan asian recipes that use tofu and seitan. One of my grandparents is a Buddhist nun in Hong Kong, all of the things she cooks/eats are vegan.

Tempah is not that great. And Quorn is fungus as someone said earlier, but all the Quorn products I can find also have egg in them. Some places to go to eat if you're vegan are Subway, the normal Italian loaf is vegan, get the 'veggie delite' without cheese. Make sure you tell them to put a lot of onion sauce, oh man it's good. They're also trying out Tofurky meats, last I heard. Also Indian restaurants are known for having lots of vegan food, since vegetarianism is big over there. Whatever that red stuff with potatoes is, it's awesome. I'm going to work on my peanut sauce post, now. [editline]25th February 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=blazingfly;28275652]Do not understand why you would go vegetarian or vegan and then eat stuff that is meant to look like and taste like meat.[/QUOTE] Why not? It's healthier and more 'ethical'. I'm not vegan because meat doesn't taste good, I'm vegan because I don't think animals should be used for things like that. If alternatives exist (90% of them are cheaper if you can cook), why not?

I love Subway. The vegetables always taste so fresh. What's Tempah taste like in comparison to tofu?

[QUOTE=BoosLee;28283841]Explore your asian groceries for different types of tofu, and look in the condiments/sauces section (if they have one) to see what kinda stuff you can mix in as well. I'm sure there are many vegan asian recipes that use tofu and seitan. One of my grandparents is a Buddhist nun in Hong Kong, all of the things she cooks/eats are vegan.[/QUOTE] IMO, make your own sauces. Just get yourself some Soy sauce and some ginger powder and you should be set.

~computer wizard~

Yep, vegetarian eating is cheap! :) I think I'll post a vegan homemade recipe for a vegetable cake soon. I have to go find it in my kitchen drawer.

[QUOTE=ConvolutedLogic;28284546]I love Subway. The vegetables always taste so fresh. What's Tempah taste like in comparison to tofu?[/QUOTE] It's much different. Where do you live? What stores are around? Fred Meyer is the best store I've found. They have tons of stuff. Safeway/Albertsons also has a decent selection for finding veg stuff.

Albertsons is dying out around me, in Florida. We have Publix but now I'm going to stop shopping there because I just found out that they're getting tomatoes from enslaved tomato workers. @_@ There's a couple health food stores around. I'll be able to find it if it's worth it.

[QUOTE=Shadaez;28284560]IMO, make your own sauces. Just get yourself some Soy sauce and some ginger powder and you should be set.[/QUOTE] Sweet n sour pork, replace pork with seitan, and instant sweet n sour pork sauce from a packet (given you find a brand you like) can be fucking delish.

The I like hummus because it's fucking good with bread. Tofu tastes like slimy sponge to me.

[QUOTE=BoosLee;28285017]Sweet n sour pork, replace pork with seitan, and instant sweet n sour pork sauce from a packet (given you find a brand you like) can be fucking delish.[/QUOTE] Mmm. If you make a recipe, I'll add it to the OP.

[QUOTE=ConvolutedLogic;28285579]Mmm. If you make a recipe, I'll add it to the OP.[/QUOTE] Don't really have one haha, I just remember eating it from somewhere. also, salt and pepper tofu, I've had it at yum cha/chinese restaurants, it's very nice. basically deep fried tofu cubes. Crunchy outside, soft on the inside, yum. Protip: i'd cube the tofu into bite size pieces for maximum goodness. [url]http://www.food.com/recipe/chinese-salt-and-pepper-tofu-36007[/url]

Peanut Sauce and Seitan Chicken! You're going to need: Peanut Butter Ginger (powdered or whole - it will need to be grated finely if whole) Soy Sauce Coconut Milk Sesame Oil (If you don't have this, go buy it. Now.) Honey(not vegan!)/Agave Nectar (pretty optional) Garlic (powdered or whole - it will need to be grated finely if whole) Lemon or Lime juice (Lime preferred) Vital Wheat Gluten Faux Chicken Powder (If you don't have this, go buy it. Now.) MSG! Ramen noodles, or rice. NOTE: This makes way more peanut sauce than you're going to eat, save the rest and microwave it for 30 seconds at a time, stirring it in between, to reheat it. STEP ONE! (MAKE RICE NOW IF YOU'RE USING RICE) Open the can of coconut milk and put it in a medium sized sauce pan. Keep the can! We're going to use it for measuring. I use this brand. Any brand will do. STEP TWO! Add 1/2 to 3/4 of a can of water. Swish it around so you get all the remaining coconut milk, too. Pour it in the same sauce pan. STEP THREE! Fill the can as best as possible with peanut butter. I compensate for air bubbles here by overfilling the can quite a bit. Add to the sauce pan. TURN THE HEAT ON about medium, or medium high if you're n a hurry BUT YOU WILL NEED TO WATCH IT AND STIR IT A LOT MORE. * DO NOT LET THIS BOIL * STEP FOUR. It now will look similar to this. [thumb]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11570270/Cooking Pictures/IMG_20110224_202429.jpg[/thumb] As it heats up the peanut butter will start to dissolve in the water. Now make the Gluten! STIR THE PEANUT SAUCE OCCASIONALLY WHILE YOU DO THE REST!!!!!!! STEP FIVE. Add 1/2 cup per person of Vital Wheat Gluten (this makes a lot per person! 1/2 a cup could probably feed 2) A bit of chicken powder (I just squeeze some powder from the container into it, I'd guess bout a tablespoon). Two or three TSP of salt, two or three teaspoons of MSG, per person. (I just made these amounts up, I eyeball this stuff D:) A dash of Cayenne pepper, too, if you want. This makes it spicy like fried chicken. [thumb]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11570270/Cooking Pictures/IMG_20110224_202415.jpg[/thumb] STEP SIX. (Start boiling water for Ramen!) Add water to the gluten while stirring it around with your fingers. I do this with the faucet on a slow stream, and slowly incorporate the water until it looks like: [thumb]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11570270/Cooking Pictures/IMG_20110224_202744.jpg[/thumb] If you add too much water, just put a bit more wheat gluten to soak it up. Now heat your oil up, you're going to fry this! (You don't have to, you could just throw it into a pan on high with a little oil in it, too, but this tastes the best, but it also can't be good for you). Argh, some of my pictures are missing. Oh well. After it's golden brown on both sides, take it out and put it on a plate with a paper towel on it and microwave it for roughly four minutes. The oil itself can't really cook the gluten thoroughly. After the microwaving fry it again, briefly, so it gets crispy - the microwaving ruins the crisp. When it's done it will look like this: [thumb]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11570270/Cooking Pictures/IMG_20110224_205030.jpg[/thumb] Yum! You'll want to cut it like that ^ and then into cubes. Also squeeze as much oil out as you can with a paper towel. STEP SEVEN!? Once the water's boiling, add your Raman. 1.5 packets per person is about right (this is a lot! This is if you're not eating anything else for this meal). Strain it, then add it back to the pan and season it with some soy sauce until it's a light brown. By now, the peanut sauce should be coming together. It shouldn't bubble at all, and you DO NOT want it to get too hot, or it might separates and look gross (it still tastes fine). PLATE! Raman or rice on the bottom, gluten, then put sauce all up on that. Finished peanut sauce should look something like this: [thumb]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11570270/Cooking Pictures/IMG_20110224_203654.jpg[/thumb] Now add the remaining ingredients for it. Lime/Lemon, Ginger, Soy Sauce, Garlic, and the Honey/Agave Nectar. Stir it in. If the sauce doesn't taste right, add more soy, ginger, or add brown sugar, depending on what's lacking. If it's too salty, add sweet, too sweet, add salty. If it's just bland, you probably need more salt, lemon, and ginger. Sorry the pictures suck, my phone's horrible. [editline]25th February 2011[/editline] This is hardly a recipe at all, but if you want to actually make it and need help, ask me. I can give you an actual recipe for the peanut sauce. ALSO. The peanut sauce will look way better than it does here, the picture really took the colour out of it.

I've always wanted to try this, but don't have a blender of any sort at home: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvc8Au4YO60[/media] Could probably add some sauted leek or onion

Man, I love cooking, I think this is my new favourite forum. I'll make that peanut sauce stuff again and take a picture of it completed and photoshop it till the colours look right.

[QUOTE=Shadaez;28285747] MSG! [/QUOTE] Please tell me that is a joke! MSG is one of the worst things added into food still. I pretty much refuse to buy anything with it in as it is insanely bad for you.

meat is sooooo mainstream

[QUOTE=Random112358;28286411]Please tell me that is a joke! MSG is one of the worst things added into food still. I pretty much refuse to buy anything with it in as it is insanely bad for you.[/QUOTE] lol no it isn't [editline]25th February 2011[/editline] So, you don't use soy sauce? That's pretty crappy. It must be hard making Asian dishes without it, also you aren't even vegetarian, all meat has glutamate naturally in it.

[QUOTE=Shadaez;28287382]lol no it isn't [editline]25th February 2011[/editline] So, you don't use soy sauce? That's pretty crappy. It must be hard making Asian dishes without it, also you aren't even vegetarian, all meat has glutamate naturally in it.[/QUOTE] Should of specified, I don't eat anything which has msg added and even then I avoid stuff with loads of msg in. Like soy sauces, only go for the naturally brewed once where the msg is less since none is added. With so many naturally fantastic flavours why add something un-natural (most mass produced MSG is not naturally produced) and harmful?

[QUOTE=Random112358;28287536]Should of specified, I don't eat anything which has msg added and even then I avoid stuff with loads of msg in. Like soy sauces, only go for the naturally brewed once where the msg is less since none is added. With so many naturally fantastic flavours why add something un-natural (most mass produced MSG is not naturally produced) and harmful?[/QUOTE] Because it's not harmful at all. All studies have shown no links to symptoms people often link to it. [editline]25th February 2011[/editline] And I don't see how you can call something unnatural when it's naturally in just about everything. And yet it's somehow less harmful than when it's naturally occurring? That really doesn't make sense.

[QUOTE=Shadaez;28287705]Because it's not harmful at all. All studies have shown no links to symptoms people often link to it.[/QUOTE] Studies have also shown that violent video games leads to people going around killing people randomly. Just think most studies are biased as hell Just don't see the point in putting something so unnatural into your food when there is no need in case those studies are wrong for very little gain. Give me my herb garden any day :) [editline]26th February 2011[/editline] Just so you know, I am not some paranoid hippie. When I was young I had an insanely bad reaction to some additive in food which has since stopped been used since it is harmful. Was about 5 or 6 at the time. Still half remember it and really do not want to have it happen again as it nearly killed me so try and avoid stuff like msg and other additives as much as I can.

[QUOTE=Random112358;28287781]Studies have also shown that violent video games leads to people going around killing people randomly. Just think most studies are biased as hell Just don't see the point in putting something so unnatural into your food when there is no need in case those studies are wrong for very little gain. Give me my herb garden any day :) [editline]26th February 2011[/editline] Just so you know, I am not some paranoid hippie. When I was young I had an insanely bad reaction to some additive in food which has since stopped been used since it is harmful. Was about 5 or 6 at the time. Still half remember it and really do not want to have it happen again as it nearly killed me so try and avoid stuff like msg and other additives as much as I can.[/QUOTE] Okay, but you eat it every day, granular salt is just about as unnatural. It's highly unlikely that it has anything to do with any reactions. [editline]25th February 2011[/editline] And I bet you don't avoid salt.

Sea salt is loverly. :) And thanks, Shadaez! I'll add that to the OP.

I use sea salt or rock salt. Although I hardly use again, again just don't see the point. Can get flavour using stuff like herbs and spices.

I'm a salt addict. Other herbs and spices are great, but there's something about salt that just makes a lot of food pop.

I put it on rice and put it in water when I cook pasta but I don't find much food needs it. Much prefer other flavours.

Salted chocolate hloy fcuk

Chocolate is a delicacy that should NOT be messed with. I like rice with sugar and milk thrown in the microwave as a yummy dessert. Oh, and just a teaspoon of butter. I'm sure soy or almond milk would work just as well.

Chocolate is an insanely versatile ingredient, well dark chocolate. Find milk chocolate doesn't work as well. Made a fantastic desert using chocolate, chilli, coriander, orange and biscuits!

[QUOTE=ConvolutedLogic;28289289]Chocolate is a delicacy that should NOT be messed with.[/QUOTE] As in you don't like salted chocolate?