All vegans come here and give me advice please

[caykon]

After much thought and consideration the family is going to eat a vegan diet.
I would just like some advice in this transition and any tasty recipes and where to buy good vegan food from.

what's your diet like at the moment? It's a very different transition, I would imagine, from say a meat+2veg type diet than a vegetarian one.

Well the rest of the family are just going veggie so that will be easy enough. I have been pretty much veggie as have never really liked meat, its more the transition into dairy free for me. Making sure I stay healthey and what alternatives are there for diary that are good, that i can still cook some meals for the whole family.
Plus ideas for vegan recipies that I perhaps have never thought of to keep meals varied and interesting

www.parsleysoup.co,uk for some great recips

brekkies - toast, vegan marg and jam or porridge made with soya milk
lunch - beans on toast, sandwhiches with homemade coseslaw using vegan mayo

What sort of food do you like eating?

I am actually quite good with food, there is not much i don't like. Apart from kidney beans and marmite

I guess it depends on your style of cooking. We do a lots of rice & beans stuff. Pasta with lentil sauce. Also tofu based is good. Pasta with garlicky avocado. Don't really use dairy substitutes, except soya milk on cereal.

I don't have time to post now - will be back later

I will watch this thread with interest my husband has decided that he wants to adopt a vegan lifestyle, he is a lapsed vegetarian and has always felt uncomfortable eating meat. We have a 2.6 ds so I feel that it is probably sensible for myself and him still to eat some dairy, although not eggs as he is allergic to them

this is quite an inspirational site.

That's an amazing site MM thanks for the link

Here is a list of stuff we (me and DS (3) eat:

Grilled Portobellos w/ roast toms & pesto on sourdough
Tomato & Tapenade Tarts
Sweet potato & chick pea curry
Baked spuds
Spicy Roasted Veg
Chunky Veg Chili
Stuffed Peppers
Black bean, mushroom and quinoa stuffed peppers
Stewed Okra w/ tomatoes
Baba Ganoush
Aubergine Parmegiana
Aubergine & tomato gratin
Eggplatn and artichoke alla napoletana
Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, and Chickpea Wraps
Perciatelli with Roasted Tomatoes and Eggplant
Ginger Roatsed Winter Veg
Black Bean Burgers
Mushroom veggie
Carrot Lentil
Roast pumpkin and mushroom lasagna
Lentil Lasagna
Pesto
tagliatelle w/ Veg ribbons
Mac & cheeze
Orecchiette w/ cherry tomatoes and kalamata Tapenade
Penne w/ mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and artichokes
Pea Risotto
Veg risotto
Lemon zucchini rissoto
Mushroom and sundried tomato risotto
dirty rice
Rainbow Rice
Mushroom Stroganoff
Dahl & rice
Tahini Lemon Rice & Beans
Mushroom Barley risotto
Red Beans and Rice
Chermoula Chickpea burgers
Chick Pea Burgers
Chickpea and spinach Curry
Lemony Chickpea stir fry (w/ tofu)
Tuscan beans w/ tomatoes and sage
Adzuki Bean Stew
Parsley & butterbean stew
Black-eyed peas (w. rice)
Homemade baked beans
2 bean salad
3 bean salad
Chipotle, Corn and black bean stew
Black-eyed pea and quinoa croquettes with mushroom sauce
Crunchy Lentil Loaf
Lentil Stew
Lentil Shepherds Pie
Spiced Lentils
Lentil Chili
Quinoa tabbouleh
Quinoa w/ avocado and mango
Jeweled Quinoa
Lemon-scented quinoa (w/ tahini dressing)
Quinoa in coconut milk
Veg fried quinoa
Couscous with spicy chickpeas & veg
couscous w/ peas and mint
couscous w/ raisins and pine nuts, thyme and onion
Pumpkin seed-encrusted Tofu w/ Baked Pumpkin & cranberry relish
Pizza
Leek & onion tart
Spanakopita
Bruschetta w/ sundried tomatoes & mushrooms
Hummus, avocado and tomato wrap
Banana and Almond butter pita pockets
PHyllo pies w/ lemony artichoke & spinach
Spinach and Mushroom quesadillas w/ blackbeans & salsa
Burritos
Mexican Lasagna
3 bean chili

Veg Soup
Barley & Veg sop
Tomato & Lentil
Onion
Winter squash (Roast pumpkin/ Butternut & onion)
Mushroom
Spicy Carrot
Pea and bacon soup
Borscht
Carrot and sweet potato
Pumpkin & Red Pepper
Tomato Veg soup
Corn Chowder
Carrot Bisque
Roasted butternut
Curried split pea
Potato and Asparagus
White Bean and Roasted Garlic
Black and White bean soup
Spicy sweet potato
strawberry soup w/ almond milk

Salads
Pasta w/ green beans & mushrooms
Potato
Nicoise
Beetroot & mint
Tomato, Bean & fried Basil
Arugula & mushroom w/ pine nuts & red peppers
Greens w/ almonds, crystalised ginger and raspberries
Apple-fennal (w. vegannaise)
Poppyseed coleslaw
artichoke and arugula
carrot salad

If you are going to eat pasta, check the ingredients. Traditional pasta is made with eggs but you can get vegan pasta.

SB, can I come and stay with you please?

SB those all sound wonderful!

ONe thing I'm really interested in is how much people use replacement products like cheese, chicken, etc.... and where they do which ones are good, and which ones not!

Come on over, Toot!

I tend not to use meat replacement things and I don't much like soy cheese so only use that in an emergency. Anyway, I'm overseas so am no help in recommending products.

Although I could manage quite happily without meat/dairy replacements if I was catering for only me, we do use some.
Here are the best (imo...):

Get to know
Redwood - they make lots of vegan things, all free from hydrog fats. We like the Sage and Marjoram sausages, Celebration Roast v. useful for hearty meals, pretend bacon (delish in sandwiches with mushrooms, tomato, avocado...drool), the non-fish fingers are nice with a squeeze of lemon, Mature white cheddar - useful for sandwiches, takes some getting used to! doesn't melt but I stick it on pizzas anyway as it has more flavour than the melting ones.

Fry's - wonderful sausages/wok pieces/burgers.

Sosmix - cheap and v. useful for making sausage rolls. Currently being repackaged but should be available again soon. The country herbs one is nicest.

Will be back with more later - there is a company whose name has slipped my mind.