Five ingredients for every vegan kitchen

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Don't be intimidated by the thought of setting up a vegan kitchen. In fact, the

beauty of it is that you don't even need to get everything all at once. You can

simply purchase items as you need them for recipes and before you know it, you

will always have the right ingredients on hand. There are some ingredients

though, that you will find a use for in nearly every dish you can think of.

It's great to have the following five things on hand at all times to add flavor

and nutrition to every meal.

 

Nutritional yeast: This is perhaps one of the least familiar, but most treasured

items around. It is a deactivated yeast that is completely natural and provides

us with copious amounts of B vitamins. In addition to it's nutritional appeal,

it has an uncannily cheesy flavor that is great for adding flavor to nearly any

dish. It's great sprinkled on cheese-less pizzas, over pasta dishes, and even

with popcorn!

 

Olive oil: Most of us know that olive oil is considered a healthier alternative

to most of the other fats people tend to consume, such as those that are

hydrogenated, or animal-based. Although olive oil has a distinct flavor, it can

be used in a variety of dishes to add flavor without changing the taste. It can

be replaced for any fat or oil in most savory dishes. Use it to pan-fry things

like seitan or tofu, add some to your pasta sauce, or even use in soups.

 

Garlic: We can use this aromatic bulb in nearly everything! Mined garlic is

great for providing a base of flavor for sauces, vegetables, casseroles, soups,

pastas, beans, and anything else you want to toss it into. Now you just need to

get one of these handy little mincers to save your hands from the infamous

garlic stench!

 

 

Earth balance: We tend to think margarines and other non-dairy butters are

unhealthful because of trans fats. Not so with Earth Balance. It's

non-hydrogenated, meaning no trans fats, and it now comes in an organic variety

as well. It looks, tastes, and works just the same as dairy butter, but it's

animal-free! Use it to replace butter in any recipe you can imagine. Use it

for baking or use it to add a buttery flavor to a main meal. Once you try it,

you'll wonder why anyone still uses the dairy version which contains high

amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat.

 

Curry powder: Who doesn't love curry? Okay, well maybe some people, but a good

curry powder is great for jazzing up anything you happen to have on hand.

Simply toss some curry into peanut putter for a spicy spread, or throw into a

pot of lentils to serve over rice, or even use it to coat tofu before baking or

frying it. Don't skimp on curry either, it's definitely one ingredient that's

worth spending the couple extra bucks to have really superior taste.

 

This is certainly not a conclusive list, but having these things will allow you

to whip up something simple and tasty no matter what else you have on hand.

There will probably have to be another top five ingredients list in the near

future to help you stock your pantry even more. Stay tuned for more quick

kitchen tips to come, including vegan baking 101.

 

Author: Ed Coffin

Ed Coffin is an Examiner from Philadelphia. You can see Ed's articles on Ed's

Home Page.