Guest guest Posted September 19, 2002 Report Share Posted September 19, 2002 Sorry it has taken so long for me to respond to this post. My name is Tonya. I am another lurker, a vegan of 5 yrs. and I am six months into my first pregnancy. But about the cheese: I had a really hard time giving it up -- it was the most difficult thing to let go when I made the switch from vegetarian (lacto-ovo) to vegan. I got a great book by Joanne Stepaniak called " The Uncheese Cookbook. " I recommend it to anyone in need of creamy spreads, rich cheezy pizzas and grilled cheeze sandwiches. And, really, she doesn't go crazy with the fat in these recipes, but still has some beautiful results. She has some amazing recipes made from things like cashews, nutritional yeast, garbanzos, tahini and pimientos. Here's a link to her book page, where you can get it: http://www.vegsource.com/joanne/books.htm Good luck and know that it CAN be done! Below, I have included some sample recipes from the book that I swiped from the International Vegetarian Union at www.ivu.org -- a great resource for all kinds of recipes. In health, Tonya Alameda, California USA ---------------------- Rich Tofu Creme Cheeze (from The Uncheese Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak) Yield: 1 1/4 (one and a quarter) cups Cashews contribute their sweet, buttery taste, a flavour often associated with dairy cream cheese, while tofu provides substance to this rich, tempting spread. For scrumptious vegetarian " lox and cream cheese " , top with strips of roasted red peppers. * 1/4 (quarter) C raw cashew pieces * 3 T water * 2 T fresh lemon juice * 1 T brown rice syrup, or 2 tsp pure maple syrup, or 1 T barley malt * syrup (I use barley malt syrup because we can't get the others in SA) * 1 C firm regular tofu, patted dry and crumbled * 3/4 (three quarters) tsp salt * scant pinch of garlic granules Place the cashew pieces, water, lemon juice, and syrup in a blender, and process several minutes into a thick, smooth cream. Add the salt, crumbled tofu, and garlic granules, and process until very smooth. It is essential to vlend the mixture for several minutes in order to pulverize the tofu and achieve a velvety smooth consistency. Chill thoroughly before serving. Per 2 Tbsp: calories 52, Protein 3 gm, Carbohydrates 3 gm, Fat 3 gm ----------- Betta Feta (from The Uncheese Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak) * 1 lb. regular tofu (I use firm), cut into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes * 2 C water * 2 Tbls all season blend (recipe to follow) * 1/4 C red wine vinegar * 1/4 C water * 2 Tbls tahini * 2 Tbls fresh lemon juice * 1 tsp salt * 1 tsp dried basil leaves * 1 tsp dried oregano * 1/2 tsp garlic granules Place the tofu cubes, the 2 Cups of water and the all season blend in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and place in a bowl. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour over the tofu and toss carefully. Cover and chill several hours, stirring occasionally to make sure tofu cubes are evenly coated. Store in the refridgerator for up to 1 week. All Season Blend * 1 1/2 C nutritional yeast flakes * 3 Tbls salt * 1 Tbls onion granules * 1 Tbls paprika * 2 tsp garlic granules * 1 tsp dried parsley * 1/2 tumeric * 1/4 tsp dried thyme * 1/4 tsp marjoram leaves * 1/4 tsp ground dill seed Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until finely ground. Store in a covered container at room temp. ---------- Parmazano (from The Uncheese Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak) * 1 cup nutritional yeast flakes * 1/2 cup raw almonds -- blanched and patted dry * 1/2 teaspoon salt To blanch almonds, place them in enough water to completely cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Drain and allow to cool, or rinse under cold tap water for rapid cooling. Pinch skins between thumb and forefinger at the base of each almond. Skins will slip off readily. Place all the ingredients in a food processor, and process for several minutes until the almonds are very finely ground. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. >I've been lurking on this list for a couple months >now, but I have to join in this thread... I'm >currently lacto-ovo, but heading towards vegan... >Right now, I only purchase organic dairy products >(which I know is not the best choice, but it's >something...), and I don't eat dairy/eggs when I eat >out, because I know they come from the conventional >dairy farms (ugh)... I've had pretty good luck with >substituting things for cheese, such as on a sub, I >would use spicy mustard instead of the cheese to give >the sandwich a kick. Yum. Been also purchasing vegan >veggie burgers, and found one variety I really like. >My husband isn't heading towards vegan yet, though, >but he'll probably come around like he did with the >vegetarianism... He was one we thought would NEVER >convert, and one day he just decided he wouldn't eat >meat anymore. Anyway, back to the subject at hand... I >wanted to know if anyone could recommend some vegan >substitutes for cheese (cream cheese and block cheese >mostly) that I could use... I have tried some and they >were SO gross I couldn't even stomach one bite, so if >anyone has any further suggestions, I'd appreciate... >I went to the Farm Sanctuary, and their vegan cream >cheese was SO good, it was like the real thing, but I >haven't gotten around to calling them to see where >they got it or what it's called... >Any suggestions would be appreciated ! >Jackie in PA >(mother to Bobby, 2 1/2, who eats a lot of cheese, >too.) > > >I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 16 years before > >becoming vegan. I had cheese on *everything* and LOTS > >of it. I was a cheese addict. It makes me ill to > >think about it now. I gave up dairy products > >gradually over a 6-month period. First, I switched to > >low-fat cheese instead of full-fat. Then, I went to > >fat-free cheese. Then, I started cutting down the > >amount. (Nobody can ever accuse me of going cold > >turkey! LOL) One day, I decided that was it, I wasn't > >going to eat dairy anymore. I have to admit, my meals > >tasted a bit bland and strange for a few days without > >the cheese. But, spiritually, I felt much better > >since my eating habits were now in line with my life > >philosophy.If you decide to give up cheese, know that > >it will be difficult for a week or so. But, if that's > >what you truly want to do, then try it. Even if you > >don't give it up altogether, whatever steps you make > >will lessen suffering of cows. > > > - We Remember >9-11: A tribute to the more than 3,000 lives lost >http://dir.remember./tribute > _______________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2002 Report Share Posted September 19, 2002 Cheese can be addictive and what I found helpful in my switch from vegetarianism to veganism years ago was to set a date and go. It didn't help to cut down on cheese because I still had a taste for it. I had to say on my birthday I will not eat cheese again (eggs and milk were very easy for me). After I had gone some time without eating any cheese then I could try the vegan alternative (homemade or store bought) before this time if I tried something with vegan cheese is was VERY disappointing. I had to wait a while for the taste to disappear from my memory. :-) Now I can't even stand the smell or look of real cheese and I love several homemade vegan 'cheeses'. I never miss 'real cheese' at all...it really didn't take long. Good luck! Linda New DSL Internet Access from SBC & http://sbc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2002 Report Share Posted September 19, 2002 I totally agree! Once you haven't eaten cheese for a while you forget about the taste and can taste new things... I also can't stand the smell or look of dairy cheese and avoid the dairy section of Whole Foods when I go grocery shopping! I think one of the best things about not eating cheese is that you find creative substitutes that aren't just fake cheeses. Melinda , Linda Evans <veganlinda> wrote: > Cheese can be addictive and what I found helpful in my > switch from vegetarianism to veganism years ago was to > set a date and go. It didn't help to cut down on > cheese because I still had a taste for it. I had to > say on my birthday I will not eat cheese again (eggs > and milk were very easy for me). After I had gone > some time without eating any cheese then I could try > the vegan alternative (homemade or store bought) > before this time if I tried something with vegan > cheese is was VERY disappointing. I had to wait a > while for the taste to disappear from my memory. :-) > Now I can't even stand the smell or look of real > cheese and I love several homemade vegan 'cheeses'. I > never miss 'real cheese' at all...it really didn't > take long. > > Good luck! > > Linda > > > > New DSL Internet Access from SBC & > http://sbc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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