Samantha_NEW HERE - INTRO

[Guest guest]

Hi Samantha,

Welcome! I find that lentils make a good vegan transition as a "substitute" for meat, especially in ground beef recipes. Also, you can still eat potatoes. Just don't use them with butter and other high fat toppings. A mock cheese sauce over them or a fat-free gravy works. Another tip that I find helpful is to add a bit of warm water to a baked potato, mashing it in with a fork. That gives a nice fluffy texture, without any fat at all. If you've enjoyed fries in the past, you can bake potato wedges in the oven, with no added oil, until they are crisp. If you sprinkle them first with cajun seasoning or onion or garlic powder, they taste great without any added fat. These are a few ideas to get you started. And as was stated earlier, take your favorite meals and veganize them, if at all possible. If you need some more ideas, feel free to write back. It really would help us

to know your past favorite dishes, so we could suggest alternatives.

 

Here's just one of many tasty mock cheese sauces, if you want to try it:

 

Golden Cheaze SauceNon-dairy and very low-fat, with a taste similar to American or mild cheddar cheese, it can also be used as a 'cheese-whiz'.

1½ C Great Northern beans, cooked (or one 15.5 oz can)6 T nutritional yeast (found in a health food store, or I buy it at The Vitamin Shoppe)¼ C pimiento pieces (or ¼ C chopped cooked sweet red bell pepper)juice from one freshly squeezed lemon1 T low-salt shoyu (soy sauce) or tamari1 t onion powder ½ t any type of prepared mustard½ t salt

In a blender, mix all ingredients until very smooth. Refrigerate and store in a sealed container.

Spoon Golden Cheaze over baked potatoes, as a sauce over vegetables or pasta, as a Welch rabbit (add a little non-alcoholic beer and Worcestershire sauce) and as chili-con-queso when mixed with salsa. Sprinkle over tacos and in enchiladas instead of dairy cheeses. Heated with a little white wine and a pinch of nutmeg, it makes a filling fondue, served with squares of whole wheat French bread. Mix with a cup of corn kernels and diced celery for a hearty corn and cheaze soup.

6 1/2 cup servings, each: Calories: 69, Fat: 0.28 g. (4%), Carbohydrate: 12.25 g., Protein: 5.01 g. Source: http://heart.kumu.org/cheaze.html

 

Hope this helps you some. Here's to your health!

 

Martha

Samantha <drpepperok Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2008 9:53:11 PM NEW HERE - INTRO

 

My name is Samantha and I live in Oklahoma.I am in my early thirties and have had 4children. Currently separated for almost 2 years.I came upon this group when searching for a fat free way of living group.I have the beginnings of high blood pressure, at least it is high every time I go to my mental health doctor LOL. I also take Zocor for high cholesterol. I also on Seroquel and Lamictal for Bipolar Manic depression and panic/anxiety disorder.Because of the medication I am on for depression it is EXTREMELY hard to lose the weight I have gained. I was heavy to begin with but had somewhat of a small success in losing the pounds. Since being on this medication combo that has worked wonders for me mentally I have gained 40 pounds with the pounds packing on quite easily every week.Now I am 5'7" 260 pounds.I have tried limiting my portions and counting calories and amount of

fat and exercising to no avail. It looks like I will have to eventually eat a totally fat free vegan diet to even have a chance at losing weight without gastric bypass surgery.Eating a vegan diet seems to be my last hope.A medication change is not a option as it took 12 years for the doctors to find something that makes me feel normal and have a decent happy life.I would appreciate beginners advice for transitioning from a "meat & potatoes" type of southern diet to a vegan lifestyle.I know I have the motivation and will power if I have a set plan to follow.Samantha in OK

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[Guest guest]

On 4/28/08, Martha <mnatural22 wrote:

>

> Golden Cheaze Sauce

 

Oh, this looks amazing! I'm going to try it! How long (approximately)

will it stay good in the refrigerator? (That's assuming I don't end up

eating it all in a day or two, of course. This looks like it would be

great on almost everything!)

 

Sparrow

[Guest guest]

I can't really say how long it keeps. I always eat it up within a couple of days because it is good on almost anything. If I felt I needed to eat in up before it went bad, I'd add something like Rotel to it and use it as a dip for fat-free tortilla chips or another favorite of mine, homemade fat-free whole wheat pita chips.

 

Martha

Sparrow R Jones <sparrowrose Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 1:37:36 AMRe: Samantha_Re: NEW HERE - INTRO

 

On 4/28/08, Martha <mnatural22 > wrote:>> Golden Cheaze SauceOh, this looks amazing! I'm going to try it! How long (approximately)will it stay good in the refrigerator? (That's assuming I don't end upeating it all in a day or two, of course. This looks like it would begreat on almost everything!)Sparrow

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[Guest guest]

Hi!

I'm just learning too.....and find the thing I miss most is a delicious CREAMY

salad dressing. My favorite is Ranch but I have tried a few substitutes and

haven't found the right one for me yet....any creamy favorites out there?!!!!

Thanks!

deanna :-)

p.s. I can't wait to try the " Golden Cheaze Sauce! " getting the ingredients

this afternoon! :-)

 

Martha <mnatural22 wrote:

Hi Samantha,

Welcome! I find that lentils make a good vegan transition as a " substitute "

for meat, especially in ground beef recipes. Also, you

 

 

 

(excessive quoting deleted by moderator)

[Guest guest]

On 4/29/08, Martha <mnatural22 wrote:

>

> I can't really say how long it keeps. I always eat it up within a

> couple of days because it is good on almost anything.

 

Tomorrow is a grocery run so I was poking around the kitchen tonight

for something tasty and I realized I had everything for the cheaze

sauce except pimientos or red bell peppers. I decided to throw caution

to the wind and try the recipe without it (knowing that it would be

better with it.)

 

Oh, Martha! It is wonderful! I am eating it right now, on some steamed

Brussels sprouts. It is almost exactly like the cheaze I used to make

twenty years ago for macaroni and cheaze but that cheaze was chock

full of margarine (so too high in fat for me now) and yours is full of

exactly the stuff I eat now and doesn't at all taste like it needs

margarine or any sort of fatty thing in it!

 

I will definitely put red bell pepper on my grocery list and make this

again over whole-wheat macaroni! It will be just like the old recipe

that I have missed so much! Three cheers and a tiger for you!

 

Sparrow

[Guest guest]

last night I made up a creamy dressing recipe. I pureed frozen

mangos, dates and a little soymilk in the blender. yum. I confess I

like sweet dressings like this because they are so easy to make and

they taste good. probably any frozen berry would work.

 

-barb

 

On Apr 29, 2008, at 2:27 PM, Deanna Bongioanni wrote:

 

> Hi!

> I'm just learning too.....and find the thing I miss most is a

> delicious CREAMY salad dressing. My favorite is Ranch but I have

> tried a few substitutes and haven't found the right one for me

> yet....any creamy favorites out there?!!!!

> Thanks!

> deanna :-)

> p.s. I can't wait to try the " Golden Cheaze Sauce! " getting the

> ingredients this afternoon! :-)

>

> Martha <mnatural22 wrote:

> Hi Samantha,

> Welcome! I find that lentils make a good vegan transition as a

> " substitute " for meat, especially in ground beef recipes. Also, you

>